The Trinicorp auditorium was packed. The loud chatter of the cultural and industrial elite, the Scions, filled the room, falling to a hush only as the lights came down. When Hierophant Alexi, dressed in his signature modest green, white, and silver robes and black glasses, walked on stage the room erupted into cheers and applause. Alexi took center stage, bowed slightly to the assemblage, then held up a hand. Silence quickly followed.
“Good morning. May the blessings of Profit be upon you.”
“And also with you,” returned the assembly as one.
“I will begin with a brief history. Trinicorp and Corpism came into being when our founder, my illustrious predecessor, realized that happiness and societal advancement could not exist without prosperity, and that any two without the other was meaningless. And so the revelation came that God’s design for us was to profit, and thus be fulfilled and driven forward. This was the foundation upon which Trinicorp was built, and how business, spirituality, and happiness became one.
“Seer.” A holographic presentation began on the stage behind him. “The first of our divine technomedical advancements. With its unparalleled in-home diagnostics it made traditional doctor visits obsolete, and its near-perfect predictive analytics made effective, proactive affliction prevention commonplace. Average Scion lifespans increased by seven years, and Trinicorp became the 98th most profitable corporation worldwide.”
Applause filled the auditorium.
“Panacea. Utilizing the creation of bionanobots — affectionately known by their colloquial name, banana bots…” A knowing chuckle waxed and waned. “…we developed a simple, singular injection to cure all diseases. Average Scion lifespans increased an additional fifteen years, and Trinicorp became the most profitable technomedical corporation of all time.”
More applause.
“Today, we introduce the next step toward ascension, Symbiosis and Spirit. Symbiosis is comprised of a network of sub-dermal and cranial bio-implants powered by your bloodstream and connected to the Trinicloud, providing real-time monitoring of all vitals, biochemicals, and neural activity. Attached to this network is a biomechanical endocrine gland which produces compensatory hormones, neurotransmitters, and other chemicals capable of correcting any imbalance, including all psychiatric disorders. A second biomechanical gland produces a new form of bionanobots, called H-cells, which swiftly heal damaged tissue and chromosomes while also returning telomeres to their full length, producing a limited form of immortality.”
Applause mixed with the clamor of astonished gasps and discourse. Alexi held up a hand and regained order.
“Finally, a wearable or implantable micro-holographic projector gives life to Spirit.” A hologram of a woman, whose elegant features radiated wisdom, kindness, and intelligence, appeared beside Alexi, and, unlike any before her, was nearly indistinguishable from a living being.
“Spirit is a fully-customizable, holographic A.I. that integrates with Symbiosis. In addition to having access to the entirety of assembled digital knowledge, Spirit feels what you feel, knows what you know, and will be a companion of unrivaled intimacy, able to offer personalized guidance, introspection, and friendship to every user.”
The hologram bowed to the crowed. “I’m pleased to meet each of you. Together, I am certain there is nothing we cannot achieve.”
The assemblage leapt to it’s feet and gave a standing ovation as media members scrambled to relay the news.
“They took all my stuff. Said it was contraband. Don’t know how a bunch of books and journals could cause trouble, but they’re gone. Only thing they left were my printed pictures of you and our kids. They’re stamped ‘Property of Trinicorp’ now, but I’m still glad I have them.
My cough is gone. Doc Berner said my rot-lung was terminal, but the doc here says I’ll be cured by tomorrow. It’s a miracle!”
“Be brave for me, Elle, and tell James and Jenny daddy’s going to work extra hard so we’ll all have the cure soon. Just…please hold on.”
Despite several petitions and calls from the public and politicians, Arkvale Prison has continued to deny all requests for an interview with Pauper prisoner, Diana Lee. Tonight, however, we have obtained an audio statement from Dr. Lee. She will finally be given the voice denied her during and after her trial by the Trinicorp-controlled legal system of Arkvale province. Let’s listen to an excerpt.
The video feed switched to the still image of Diana Lee’s Trinicorp ID badge.
“I was at Trinicorp almost seven years before I was incarcerated, and worked in several different departments, so I had considerable time to observe their practices from many angles. Less than 15% of Trinicorp’s workforce are Scions, with the rest being Paupers from Waste-Zones. Disease and poverty are so rampant in the Waste-Zones that corporations can hire their smartest individuals for a tenth of the cost and make them sign abusive contracts. Oh, they’ll claim you came to them and accepted the terms, but if you can’t put food on your table and you’re dying of rot-lung the only other option is death, so you tell me if it’s really a choice.
“Paupers are slaves at Trinicorp. You’re required to live on-site, and requests for leave are almost universally denied. Day-to-day life there may be better, but what they won’t tell you is that buried in their 700-page, legalese terms-of-service is that for Scions Panacea is a perk of employment, but for Paupers it’s a debt, and one that takes, on average, seven years of employment to repay. Even the labels ‘Pauper’ and ‘Scion’ are prejudicial. We live in a caste system enshrined by the fortunate and their progeny after the Great-Decline to monopolize power along with social and civil privilege.
“Perhaps worse is that Trinicorp really does hold all the cards. If you won’t work unreasonably long hours that no Scion is required to, or you make it known that no Pauper is ever promoted over a Scion, they’ll threaten to fire you. If you’re fired, according to your contract you then owe the full amount of your debt, due within one week. If you can’t pay it — and of course no one can — you’re sent to prison, which is also owned and operated by Trinicorp. That’s what happened to me and most others here. If you’re a Pauper working at Trinicorp, you’ll feel like there’s no way out, and it’s because there isn’t.”
The video feed reverted back.
“Truly shocking allegations.”
“Anyone considering Symbiosis or Spirit fails to appreciate the troubling, no terrifying, violation of privacy their use implies. If Spirit knows everything you do, so does Trinicorp. Is anyone seriously considering placing that kind of trust in them? They will be literally stealing your thoughts!”
“This is just more of the same technophobic, fear-mongering rhetoric we’ve all come to expect from hack, so-called watch-groups like yours, Wynd. The stored data is only used in anonymized data-collection, otherwise it’s encrypted and completely safe.”
“You’re promoting willful ignorance. No system is impervious, and there can be no doubt that Trinicorp has full access. The only real question is how will they abuse it.”
Award-winning Scion female-lead of the hit series ‘Life Can’t Wait’, Tenisha Grey, sent the internet into a frenzy today with her controversial video post rebuking leaked statements from Arkvale inmate, Diana Lee, and Wynd Watch Group founder, Wynd Zeros.
“I think it’s crazy how people are actually listening to her. I mean, she’s a criminal! Maybe if more of these lazy Paupers found Profit instead of spreading diseases, you know? I’m just saying. You’d think they’d be more thankful. I mean, Trinicorp cured all disease, and Paupers are still whining about all this petty drama? It disgusts me. Most of those people would be dead without Trinicorp. Dead! I say, if you’re going to complain, why don’t you just kill yourself instead?
“And to all those talking trash on Symbiosis and Spirit, you don’t know what you’re talking about! You’re just scared and need to grow a pair, because it. Is. Awesome! Me and my Spirit are BFFs. If you don’t have one already you better get one, ‘cuz together we’re going to live forever, and you don’t want to be late to this party!”
The unsettling trend continues. Suicide rates of Trinicorp’s Pauper employees have doubled again for the fifth month in a row. The multi-national corporation has responded by installing nets around areas with a high rate of jumpers; hiring additional personnel to monitor those considered at-risk; requiring all Pauper employees sign anti-suicide pledges and indemnification waivers; and doubling security to combat on-site, Pauper-rights demonstrations which the company says are lowering moral and impacting profits.
The fallout continues today after former lead developer on Trinicorp’s Spirit program turned whistleblower, Scion Trisha Holmes, violated her non-disclosure agreement and shocked the world with this revelation:
“Spirit is a mind-control device, and it knows better than anyone how to persuade you. Spirit’s A.I. isn’t a blank slate. I programmed it with an updatable moral-guidance protocol with the intention of bettering society, but before release someone altered the original programming to add pro-Trinicorp and pro-Corpism sentiments. This bastardization of my work is an untenable ethical violation, and I will see to it Trinicorp is held accountable.
“This wasn’t a last minute addition either. It would have taken someone working in secret during our primary development process, with full working knowledge of our systems, to have something this complex ready to integrate at launch. I’ve already sent copies of portions of source code to select industry professionals which will unquestionably substantiate all of this, and I am coordinating with the justice department to create a detailed deposition.”
“I established the Wynd Watch Group to protect the public from corporations who believe they can violate our rights and laws with impunity. Malicious manipulation today, thought theft tomorrow if we stand idle. It ends here. Trinicorp will be indicted.”
Tenisha Grey is back in headlines today for more inflammatory commentary on Spirit-Gate.
“Of-course Spirit wants you to like Trinicorp and Corpism! When you’ve, like, perfected religion or philosophy or whatever, it just makes sense that anyone who isn’t up-to-date, you get up-to-date. It’s just common sense and history, otherwise people are just going to be wrong and pull you down with them. Oh, and I just wanted to give a quick shout-out to all those people who killed themselves, you’re the best!”
Reports have surfaced today that alleged whistleblower Trisha Holmes was receiving payments from Trinicorp competitor, Lucidyne, six months before she came forward, and is now in their employment. Trinicorp lawyers said they will be pursuing corporate espionage charges, and hope that the public will now see that Holmes’ allegations were meritless.
“James and Jenny are dead. I can’t cry anymore, but the pain won’t stop and I know it never will. I begged Trinicorp for Panacea for my family back in the Waste-Zone, told them I’d agree to anything. They told me I should just start a new family here. They won’t even let me attend the funeral! They’re completely soulless!”
“I failed. I should never have left, Elle. I’ll never forgive myself, so after tonight I’ll be waiting for you with James and Jenny. I love you.”
Anti-corp dissidents Diane Lee, Trisha Holmes, and Wynd Zeros were each discovered and pronounced dead today. The cause of death in all three cases has been ruled to be suicide by local authorities in their respective districts. Trinicorp released a statement shorty after the reports surfaces offering their condolences to family and friends of recently deceased. The justice department says it will be delaying its indictment against Trinicorp indefinitely while they investigate the deaths and to review its case without these witnesses.
“Three key witnesses commit suicide one day before they’re to appear in court to testify? Trinicorp isn’t even trying to hide the fact that they had them assassinated. They want everyone to know, especially the Pauper demonstration organizers inside the company. It’s sickening! And what’s worse is Scion apathy will continue while sales of Symbiosis and Spirit will reach record levels again this quarter.”
The death toll continues to climb as new victims are discovered. Current estimates put the number of dead Symbiosis and Spirit users at 143,000. Among the dead is beloved actress turned spokeswoman, Tenisha Grey.
The President described the loss as unimaginable, and has condemned this terrorist attack perpetrated by dissident Trinicorp Pauper employees as unequivocally indefensible. He is working alongside Hierophant Alexi to comfort those who lost love ones today and to restore consumer confidence. Reports now say that a group of seven exploited a manual override function in Symbiosis designed to resuscitate its user by restarting their heart. They used this to deliver a lethal series of shocks which so far has left no survivors.
Trinicorp has released a statement that all the terrorists have been apprehended, and the security flaws patched. No more users are believed to be at any risk at this time.
Two years later, surveys have shown that the majority of Symbiosis and Spirit users no longer fear attacks, and have come to agree with Pauper civil rights advocates that despite the deplorable nature of the terrorist attack, it was the abusive treatment of Trinicorp’s Pauper employees which drove them to it. Following an apology and admission of guilt, primarily attributing fault to subsidiaries, public opinion of Trinicorp sharply improved, as did sales, despite the fact that by all accounts by independent reviews only unsubstantial changes to Trinicorp’s practices were actually made.
“It’s been five years to the day since a senseless tragedy befell us all,” said Hierophant Alexi to the packed Trinicorp auditorium. “Many caring and profitable Scion users lost their lives that day. Despite those tragic losses, our user base has grown from 90 million to 540 million.
“In honor of our users, living and departed, as the most profitable company in the world, we make today’s announcement so that a day of suffering and loss will be transformed into a joyous and profitable occasion. I present Unity! An augmentation to Symbiosis and Spirit which allows for a collective consciousness between all users.”
Around the globe a perfect awareness of other Scions bloomed in the consciousness of each user. Awe resonated throughout Unity as many became one.
“Your Triniccounts have already been charged.”