科幻作品展现未来时尚：太阳能纹身与虚拟图像.pdfVIP

Yeyuka

byGregEgan

OnmylastdayinSydney,asakindoffarewell,IspentthemorningonBondiBeach.Iswamforan

hour,thenlayonthesandandstaredatthesky.Idozedoffforawhile,andwhenIwoketherewerehalf

adozenboothssetupamidthesunbathers,dispensingthelatestfashion:solartattoos.Ona

touch-screenthesizeofafull-lengthmirror,youcouldchooseadesignandthencustomiseit,orcreate

onefromscratchwithsoftwareassistance.Computer-controlledjetssprayedtheundevelopedpigments

ontoyourskin,thenanhourofUVexposurerenderedallthecoloursvisible.

Asthemorningworeon,Isawgiantyellowbutterfliesperchedweenshoulderblades,torsos

wrappedingreen-and-violetdragons,wholebodieswreathedinchainsofredhibiscus.Watchingthese

imagesmaterialisearoundme,Icouldnthelpthinkingofthemasbannersofvictory.Throughoutmy

childhood,theredbeennothingmoreterrifyingthanthethreatofmelanoma--andbytheturnofthe

millennium,nothingmorehipthanneck-to-kneelycra.Twentyyearslater,theseelaboratedecorations

weredesignedtoencourage,toboastof,irradiation.Toproclaim,notthatthesunitselfhadbeentamed,

butthatourbodieshad.Todeclarethatcancerhadbeendefeated.

Itouchedtheringonmyleftindexfinger,andfeltareassuringpulsethroughthemetal.Bloodflowed

constantlyaroundthehollowcoreofthedevice,divertedfromaveininmyfinger.Theringsinnersurface

wascoveredwithbillionsoftinysensors,spring-loadedfunnel-shapedstructureslikemicroscopicVenus

fly-traps,eachjustafewhundredatomswide.Everysizablemoleculeinmybloodstreamthatcollided

withoneofthesetrapswasseizedandshrink-wrapped,longenoughandtightlyenoughtodetermineits

shapeanditschemicalidentitybe