The next instalment of my Bladerunner series, based on the book "Do androids dream of electric sheep?" (1968) by Philip K Dick."Bladerunner" was set in a post-nuclear world where replicants, built by the Tyrell Corporation, were indistinguishable from humans. The replicants were used for all the distasteful or dangerous activities on the off-world colonies, and prohibited from Earth. Replicants found on Earth were subject to immediate "retirement" by Bladerunners.
Replicants have a limited "life"span. In the storyline of the novel and movie, a group of replicants have returned to Earth to request more life. Working their way up the hierarchy, the replicants Leon and Roy threaten Tyrell's "eye guy" (Chew). Just as they leave him frozen in his optics shop, Chew gives up a name: J F Sebastian.
Tyrell cleverly (cynically) exploited Sebastian's genetic anomaly and inserted it into the replicants' DNA so they would age and expire at some predetermined time, a rather fatal case of inbuilt obsolescence. The Replicants are rather peeved about this, and hope to discuss the situation with Tyrell. Being the architect of the robots' DNA gets Sebastian prime access to Tyrell.
[In the original story, Sebastian was named JR Isidore and was a "chicken head", the derogatory name for people affected by the radioactive fallout. He worked as a animal hospital driver, collecting replicant animals and taking them back to a repair centre to be "treated".]
Leaving Chew to a chilly end in the eye lab, they pursue Sebastian across town to his apartment in the Bradbury Building, via their associate Pris (played by Daryl Hannah). [I hadn't thought of making a cache for Pris, but she started to take over Sebastian's cache. It will be out eventually...]
Sebastian is the lead genetic engineer who designs the replicants' DNA for the Tyrell Corporation. Unable to leave earth due to his own genetic situation, Methuselah Syndrome which causes accelerated ageing, Sebastian lives alone in a derelict apartment surrounded by his "friends", small robotic toys that emulate pets or humans, greeting him when he returns home from work.
Home again home again jiggety jig, goooood evening J F!
Inside Sebastian's apartment is a strange assortment of shop mannequins, clockwork parts and bubbling liquids as well as half-finished projects filling the room. I would love to drop some images in here, but the copyright issues are likely to be huge. One impressive set of photos is found at this blog here.
The cache does not have quite the same amount of "kipple" as Sebastian's place did in the story, but toy and robot themed swaps are welcome. The satellite lock is poor here, but there is really only one place to look.