Notes On Body of Work “The Enforcer”

The game is always the same...

In my science fiction short story series; Body of Work “The Enforcer,” I explore the investigative activities of the main protagonist Bjorn Altman, a deeply layered and morally complex individual. He works as an Enforcer for the Amber Yume Agency, an organization that operates Companion services in the city of Avalon. His job is to protect the Agency’s reputation, and its Companions, using unconventional and shadowy means to achieve his goals. This usually involves using consciousness transfer technology to take on different Personas as cover for Agency work. As an Enforcer you never judge a person by their Persona, if you do you might just end up dead. Enforcers like Bjorn serve as both investigators when required and muscle when necessary. They specialize in making complex problems go away. Like most enforcers, Bjorn is a military veteran, hardened by years of combat, which is why he approaches his duties with a kind of cold professional precision. Despite this, Bjorn carries the weight of his actions, especially those that involves the lives he’s taken. Killing, for Bjorn, is a necessary evil, but it’s also one that has over time stripped away parts of his humanity.

Major Themes

Human Identity and Personhood
The distinction between the legal Persona model trade and the shadowy black market is often blurred. In some ways they are the same and in others they are entirely different. Bjorn often struggles to reconcile the subtle nuance between the two. The relationship between Bjorn Altman and Tara Akin provides a stable emotional foundation in an otherwise cold and morally ambiguous world. Their connection is one of the few things that provides Bjorn with a sense of comfort and peace amidst the brutality and detachment of his job as an Enforcer. Their relationship works to reveal a side of him that is capable of love and intimacy, despite the fact that he operates in a corrupt world where nearly every choice is cast in some shade of gray. Tara Akin is a Companion, an elite individual trained in the arts of companionship, conversation, seduction, and role-play. Her profession is based on fulfilling the emotional, physical, and psychological needs of her elite clients. Yet, her relationship with Bjorn is both separate and precious to her. While Companions are generally transactional in their interactions with others, Tara and Bjorn’s bond is both genuine and personal.

Morality and Corruption:
At its core, Body of Work “The Enforcer” is about the erosion of morality in a world where power, information, and technology reign supreme. The Amber Yume Agency, and its army of Enforcers uphold the Agencies legal obligations to avoid drawing the attention of governance AI regulators. In the course of their duties this often means operating in legal and ethical gray areas. Bjorn navigates Avalon’s ruthless, backstabbing world by adhering to a personal code of honor. This often means taking actions that are not exactly authorized by his superiors to balance out a world where the powerful are all but immune from the rule of law. Between all the killing, Bjorn seeks to uphold a semblance of justice, especially when it comes to protecting the innocent. Deep institutional corruption in the story reflects real-world instances, where those with wealth and power often exploit their positions for personal profit. The result, at least for the citizens of Avalon is a kind of gilded techno dystopia, where men like Bjorn are left to navigate a world where the line between right and wrong is never clear.

The Commodification of Information
Information is a commodity in The Enforcer. Although laws exist in this world to protect citizens right to ephemeral identity, the laws are perfunctory at best. Much like our own society some on Neoterra are all but immune from the reach of the law. On Neoterra, personal data, memories and skillsets are traded for profit. Not on the open legal networks but on the dark, dangerous, illegal, underground networks where Bjorn often obtains both information and resources to do his job. This I believe resonates with our modern-day concerns around data privacy, surveillance, and the harvesting of personal information. The ever-present danger of what can be done with this data serves as a metaphor for the ways in which individuals are increasingly reduced to a series of transactions in a hyper-capitalist, technologically driven world. The unchecked appetites of the jaded upper tier elite of Avalon reflects contemporary societal concerns, where people seek to fulfill their base desires through illegal and secretive means believing that their wealth and status in society will protect them and in this world, most of the time it does.

Symbolism

Personas as Masks, Facades and Prisons
The use of Personas in the story is a metaphor for the masks people wear in society, both literally and figuratively. These alternate identities, when used illegally to deceive or commit crimes, reflect how people in this world present idealized, curated versions of themselves, while hiding their true nature. For those who can afford it, Personas offer a second chance at life, but for others, they can become more like a prison made of flesh and bone. No matter how many times a person transfers, or what external facade they choose to adopt, the person inside never changes, never grows. They merely reset, starting over with a new Persona. In Avalon, a person’s sense of self is blurred and is ultimately diminished. The technological advancements that allow for the existence of the CT system is ultimately a double-edged sword. While it provides immense advantages, it comes at a significant cost to an individual’s humanity and moral integrity.

At its heart, Body of Work “The Enforcer” seeks to raise questions about unlimited power, human identity, privacy, and the nature of humanity in a world dominated by advanced technology. The story illustrates the dangers and pitfalls of a distant future society where human identity is malleable. Ultimately, it asks readers to consider what remains of the self when everything about who you are can be easily altered, remade, or destroyed.

Body of Work “The Enforcer” is on sale now https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DC5LXWCL

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