Here’s a reprint of one of my stories previously published in Shoreline of Infinity.

Why do the vainest customers always die first?

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The vainest ones always die first. The closer they get to death, the more desperate they become.

The average lifespan is now 250 years. Problem is nobody wants to look old. So they come to me. People would rather pay my prices than allow wrinkles and turkey necks to betray their true age.

Many only want a tightening of the jowls. Others a brow lift or a tummy tuck. But some insist on a complete nano rejuvenation. Me? I don’t care if I look like a fossil. Or how many kids stare at my old-man wrinkles and white hair. I’ll be here long after the narcissists are gone.

I have a successful business — satisfaction guaranteed, reasonable rates. Two credits for a lift or a tuck, one hundred for a nano rejuv. I always warn clients about the potential consequences, but they don’t care. The results are worth any price, they say.

I can process a dozen at a time. They lie back, smeared with nanocyte gel and wrapped in expensive spa towels. Then they drift off to sleep in their translucent tubes, listening to soft synth-music in the background, and inhaling sweet scents wafting from the aroma-sims.

Meanwhile, I sit back and smile while my benefits accrue. With every treatment, they shave away their credits, and I reap the rewards.

My machines work — every time. They’re miracles, the closest you can come to divinity without being touched by God. With every credit, my machines add a day to my life — and siphon a tenth from theirs.

Like I said, the vainest ones always die first.