The Savage Girl - Alex Shakar [99]
He then takes them to an on-line chat with Ivy, already in progress. The left half of the screen displays Ivy’s ovoid face, garishly made up with red and black warpaint and slightly elongated by some imperfection in the feed software, which also makes the video jerk along at about a frame every three seconds. Ivy scans the questions at her own terminal and types responses into her keyboard, and the chunks of resulting text stagger up the right side of the screen:
Ilse: What kind of fondation do you use.
barb: So are you still kinda crazy? (smiling!)
tom: hey stand back a little let’s see what ya got on
ivy: no foundation.
H#(F77: what were you thinking when you cut youersefl up ivy
purv: have youever done it witha transvestite?
ivy: had to appease the Antibodies.
tom: what clubs you hang out at
H#(F77: who are the Antibodies?
Mr.Beeg: who you callin ainnobody bich
barb: Why isn’t anyone screening out these JERKS?
ivy: antibodies fight the Bodies for marketshare.
tom: why dont you take off your cloths we cant see anyway
Mr.Beeg: hey you like to 8>>>> (o) ?
Ilse: how did you become a modl.
ivy: sometimes i’m too body. sometimes i’m too antibody.
BODIES: We the BODIES order you to shut up and take off your Top NOW.
Ilse: I mean model
H#(F77: Sounds like you’ve got a tough job.
(((@))): ivy we got a party going on kick*ss DJ & lots of dr*gs. wanna cum?
ivy: my sister helps me. she is a trendspotter. she protects me from the Imagineers.
The others in the room turn to watch Ursula’s reaction. She feels her face flush. She fights the urge to cry.
barb: what is your favrite pic of u?
iggi: dont take these jokers serius :)
tom: hey @ wherez da par-tay @
momo: So who are the Trendspotters? Are they Bds or Antibds?
Bqul: Your sister a hottie too?
12345: Man, it’s not just hype. She really is a loon.
viv: EARTH TO IVY COME IN IVY
tom: your sis nuts 2?
ivy: she is both Hottie and Antihottie. they will kill her if i make a wrong move.
Nasir: fascinating captain
Sheila: hey ivy can you turn the cam and show us what your wearing?
tom: Antihottie????????
ANTIBOD: WE THE ANTIBODIES ORDER YOU TO TAKE YOUR PANTS OFF.
Ynot: Dude, u r fuct.
H#(F77: What if Ivy’s not crazy? What if she knows the Truth?
MaryD: it’s an act. She’s putting all of you on.
AgentK: I believe her
ivy: i am fuct. but so are u. if u don’t watch me you will all die. send me yr money. i will save u but I need yr $. i’ll keep it right here in my room, rt here w me.
tom: hey where u goin
Ivy stands, walks to the back of the room, turns away from the camera, yanks off her T-shirt, and takes down her cargo pants. She steps out of them, turns around, and faces the camera again. She is wearing plain white panties and no bra. She stands rigidly, as though she were being x-rayed. Frame after frame of her appears, in all of which she remains wide-eyed and rigid. Text continues to scroll up the left side of the screen.
Camille, James T. Couch, Chas, and Sonja all keep watching, while Ursula quietly backs away.
“This girl’s a gold mine,” Camille whispers.
Couch nods.
Sonja looks down at her high-heeled moccasins.
Chas stares as though hypnotized.
Mornings
The shades are drawn, and the computer screen bathes Chas’s bleary eyes and papery skin in its pallid light. His head rests heavily in the seat of his hand, which is propped in turn by his elbow on the broad arm of his leather chair. He hasn’t looked up from the screen since Ursula came in and sat down, nor has he said a word, and after another minute she gives in and repositions her chair to face the screen, the staggered feed of Ivy, putting on a show for her worldwide audience of ironists and perverts. Ivy paces back and forth in her underwear, singing some tune in her whispery little voice. Occasionally she jumps, or pirouettes, or windmills her arms—the little rituals that help transform her delusions, one by one, into reality. She really is under constant surveillance now. Her every move really is scrutinized by unseen masses. And when