Figuring Fourth Street would be further downtown he started walking in that direction. After inquiring from some passersby Ray reported to the Clearance Center.
“And what is your business here Mr. Lerma?” said the attendant at the counter.
“I don't know, I was told to report here by a drone.”
“I see. You are not from this borough are you?”
“No I'm just visiting.”
“Okay Mr. Lerma I know how to route you now. Please fill out this form and wait. Someone will call for you.”
Ray took the form and sat down in one of the waiting room chairs. The room was almost full. He filled out the form and waited. And waited.
He was getting hungry and checked with the person beside him.
“Excuse me. Have you ever been here before?”
“Many times,” said the man.
“The wait seems to be excessive.”
“Typical. I've waited all day sometimes and come back the next day to wait some more.”
“But I'm just visiting. I'll be leaving the borough tomorrow probably.”
“Ah well you'll be out one way or the other won't you?”
“I guess,” said Ray. The man obviously didn't want to discuss the situation. So Ray waited some more.
As his stomach was emitting a long low growl a harried young man called out a number. Ray looked around. As no one stood to respond he looked at his form and saw the number in the upper left corner.
Why didn't they tell me?
It seemed as if the young man was relieved and was just about to walk away when Ray stood up and called out.
The young man turned around dejectedly and waited for Ray. He introduced himself as Harry Moore and asked Ray to follow him.
They ended up in a room with a sea of small cubicles. The cubicle was only big enough for two small chairs. The young man asked Ray to be seated.
“Mr. Lerma I have been assigned to process you. I see from your form that you are just visiting. We welcome you,” said the young man without enthusiasm.
“Thanks.”
“Now Mr. Lerma, Borough Three is a Socialist Democracy dedicated to the people. The people make all the laws and regulations that we must enforce. This relates to visitors such as yourself.
“By visiting Borough Three you have by your actions agreed to abide by the laws and regulations of the borough. The regulations that impact you most are the Visitor Regulations. Are you familiar with these?”
“No I'm afraid not,” said Ray as his stomach complained loudly. The young man handed Ray a small health bar.
“Thanks,” said Ray as he tore the wrapper off and proceeded to eat it in a couple of mouthfuls.
“Your welcome. Now the Visitor Regulations. While in the borough you will have all your housing and health needs taken care of. If you will just open your Emmie I will install the certificates.”
Ray opened his Emmie and set it on the small desk as Harry downloaded the certificates.
“There,” said Harry. “Now in addition to housing and health, you also have free educational opportunities. Many shows downtown carry the borough's educational rating. You may see any of these free while you are visiting.
“There are also several borough kitchens around that you may eat at free if you desire. Of course, it goes without saying that all the libraries and museums and other community organizations are free and will provide you with free services during your stay.”
“Well Mr. Moore that seems incredibly generous of the borough. I don't know what to say.”
“Say nothing Mr. Lerma. It's all part of the services the borough provides to its citizens and visitors.
“Okay, we are finished unless you have any more questions?”
“No, I think not.”
“Well then enjoy your stay Mr. Lerma.”
The young man looked at his Emmie, stood up and suggested they return to the waiting room. Saying goodbye again to Ray he called another number as Ray left the waiting room.
7
Ray was hungry. He decided to try and find one of the borough kitchens the young man had mentioned. He walked into the first kitchen he found. It was crowded. Apparently, a lot of people in the borough ate there. Before taking a plate to the buffet-style service line Ray walked up and down observing the choices. Or lack of choices. No meat, not even vat-grown. A strange-looking piece of bread. And a few vegetables, mostly raw. He moved silently to the door.
Free but unappetizing to say the least.
He decided to look for a restaurant. Ray chose a modest-looking place that promised quick food and service. He ordered a vat-grown burger and a small drink. The cost was deducted from his habi-credits on his Emmie.
The robotic server was nothing fancy. Bringing Ray's food and drink and then moving on. But the food was good and filling. The few patrons seemed too busy eating to talk. Ray ate in silence, glad that he was finally satisfying his hunger.
Finished with his meal Ray needed to find a place to stay for the night. He chose a small hotel and went up to the desk. The kiosk showed him an acceptable room and he decided to take it. He was about to head up to his room and check it out when the kiosk announced that there was a problem with his credits. Ray was surprised but looked on his Emmie. He could see the problem. That burger had drained his account. He didn't have enough left for the room which according to what he saw on the screen would have cost him a month's credits.
Ray was shocked and astounded.
A burger costing two week's credits? How in the world do they justify it?
He queried the kiosk, “Aren't the room rates a little high in this borough?”
“The rates are set according to need. Most needs are fulfilled by the borough's government. Therefore the rate that I have quoted you is needed to keep this establishment in business.”
“Yes I understand. But who can afford it?”
“I'm sorry sir I haven't that information.”
Ray knew he was talking to the wrong intelligence. The kiosk was only smart enough to take care of its immediate duties.
This is what I get for blindly following the machines. I should have set an alert on my Emmie for low credits. Now what?
The only thing Ray could do was find a room at one of the free housing buildings the young man had told him about. Dark was setting in when he saw a line of people. Querying one of them he found they were waiting for one of the government housing locations to open up for the evening. It was a night only location. Ray got in line.
After more than an hour and in the dark Ray finally got to the head of the line. Presenting his Emmie he was allowed inside. He was shown to a large room. Cots were everywhere. They were set end to end with maybe a couple of feet between to form narrow, cramped aisles. Ray was told he could take any of the free cots, identified by the bedsheets not being turned down or rumpled. He found a cot buried deep in the middle where he sat down.
The man on the cot across the “aisle” rolled over to face him.
“My names Jackson,” he said.
“And I'm Ray Lerma.”
“I haven't seen you here before Ray?”
“No this is my first time. You see I'm just visiting the borough.”
“Not much to visit,” said the man.
“Well it has been interesting. But the prices are exorbitant.”
“You mean you bought something at market prices!”
“Yeah, a burger.”
Jackson howled with laughter, his eyes filling with tears as he couldn't bring himself to stop. It went on for a couple of minutes before he could control himself.
“Friend,” he said. “You just fell off a turnip truck.” And began laughing again.
Ray waited.
“Well I'm new here and don't know anyone so I guess I don't know much about the economy or government for that matter.”
“They're the same thing. The government runs or controls about ninety percent of the economy. Those of us that work give all but a
bout five or ten percent of our pay to the government in return for the freebies.”
“But from what I've seen of these freebies, they aren't really all that appealing.”
Jackson laughed again.
“Ray I can see that you are not acclimated to our lifestyle. Appealing has nothing to do with it. The government meets its obligations as cheaply as possible. And because so many people are on the government freebies the private sector, such as it is, has to charge a ridiculous price for services and goods just to stay in business and pay the government taxes on business.
“You see, we are all equal in misery except maybe for the top ten percent of government which is a little more equal.”
“But knowing all this you still participate in what is essentially a charade?”
“Well when I was younger I use to protest but the weight of the system grinds you down. It's easier just to go along now and maybe have a secret pleasure or two.”
“Secret?”
“Yeah I'm a writer at heart, so I trade a few hours labor with the government so that I can spend time writing.”
“And you get paid for your writing?”
Jackson laughed again, louder than before. It took a minute for him to stop. Looking at Ray through watery eyes he said, “No, I get paid nothing except the pleasure of reading one of my stories to someone now and again. You see I don't write what the government considers to be appropriate. So I can't actually place it on the market, even if one exists which it doesn't.”
“Why don't you send your writing elsewhere? Why don't you leave this borough?”
“Where did you come from Ray?”
“Originally I was outside the city near a smaller town.”
“So you came to the Third Borough by way of the Fourth?”
“That's right.”
“What did you think of the Fourth or the others for that matter?”
“Not much I'm afraid.”
“Well there's your answer. I'll stay with the devil I know. And I'll tell you something Ray.”
Jackson's voice became a whisper.
“You ain't seen nothing until you've seen the Second.”
“You've been there?”
“I've talked with people that have escaped. It's not pleasant. You would be well advised to leave this city by way of the Fourth and other outer boroughs.”
“I'll take your warning into consideration,” said Ray.
There talk trailed off as both men got ready to sleep.
In the morning Ray ate at one of the free kitchens. He sent a message to his uncle asking for a loan of credits because of unforeseen circumstances. He remembered Jackson's warning but headed toward the Second Borough anyway.
As he neared the border of the two boroughs he saw a wall that looked to be twice as tall as a man. There was a door in the wall, Ray headed toward it. As he neared the door a man with two robots on either side emerged.
“Halt and state your business,” said the man.
Ray was still twenty feet away.
“My name is Ray Lerma. I've come as a tourist.”
“Really. We'll need to run a background check before we can issue you a visitor's visa. You will have your Emmie broadcast your identification. Wait here until I return. This should only take a few minutes.”
The man disappeared behind the door. The robots remained standing watch. Ray assumed they were watching him.
It was only a few minutes and the man returned.
“Your background has been checked Mr. Lerma and you have been approved for a forty-eight-hour visitor's visa. At the end of that time, you will leave the Second Borough on your own initiative. This robot will assist you during your visit. Please do not deliberately separate yourself from your guide.”
After the man left Ray turned to the robot.
“Please call me Ray and I may call you?”
“I am Unit Thirty-three.”
Ray thought a moment.
“Mind if I call you Huey? Sounds a little more natural.”
“As you wish sir. Now may I suggest we find you a room for tonight?”
“Very well Huey.”
The robot led Ray without discussion to what looked like a modern, clean hotel. Inside Ray booked a room and was relieved to find that his uncle had refreshed his credits. The room was expensive but not ridiculously so as it had been in Borough Three. Ray was amused by the art on the walls as it was obviously very much aimed at celebrating the common rather than the uncommon.
Huey suggested that they spend the rest of the day in the Borough Two Art Museum and Ray agreed.
The museum was only a couple of blocks from the hotel so they walked. Ray noticed that vehicles on the street were few except for those with identifications of a government or police nature. The art was pretty much similar to that at the hotel except in a larger format. Almost all of it portrayed the heroic common man in some form of work. Nature, religion, experimental expression, all seemed to be missing from the arts of Borough Two.
After the museum, it was getting dark so Huey walked Ray back to the hotel and said goodnight. He suggested Ray would want to eat in the hotel's dining room as it was highly regarded and that they would sight-see tomorrow. He also suggested Ray might want to watch the broadcast tonight on his Emmie as a Commissar of the People's Council would be speaking on the success of the latest government planning interval.
Ray thanked Huey and said he would do just that.
8
At dinner that night Ray found the food to be adequate if not exemplary. The dining room itself looked as if it had been neglected far too long. The only thing that stood out was the server, an attentive young woman whom Ray got to know a bit during the meal.
As Ray was paying the bill the server came one last time. When she had gone Ray noticed she had left a note which asked Ray to meet her in his room the following day before she went on duty.
Ray folded the message in his palm and left for his room. He watched the Commissar's speech on his Emmie. The hour-long speech was mostly a repetition of how successful the government's latest plan had been.
Ray went to sleep that night thinking that he would meet with the waitress as the government was obviously spinning a story to make itself look good.
The following day Ray woke with Huey waiting in the lobby for him. Huey had the day all planned; a tour of government installations, more museums, a tour of the high-tech research locations, and finally in the evening a symphonic performance by the government-sponsored orchestra would finish the day.
Ray would follow Huey's plans until before he was to meet with the waitress and then would complain of feeling unwell and retire to his room.
The government installations all looked the same to Ray as did the museum. It was during the museum visit that Ray mentioned to Huey that he wasn't feeling well and asked to be allowed to return to his room. Huey took Ray immediately to the hotel and left him in the lobby with the promise of checking in on him that evening.
Ray had been in his room for almost twenty minutes when there was a quiet knock on the door. He commanded the door to open and it quickly disappeared. The young woman quietly entered. Ray commanded the door shut and invited the girl to take a seat.
The girl seemed nervous and hesitant to speak. Ray requested a glass of ice water from the food center and gave it to her. After she took a drink she began to talk.
“Mr. Lerma I am Roslyn McGurske.”
She hesitated a moment, took a drink of water and then continued.
“For several years now I have been a member of U-1138. An association of like-minded individuals who don't always see eye to eye with our government. What you might call the underground.
“Because of this, we believe a change in the form of government would be beneficial to the people of the borough.”
“Except for the government bigwigs of course,” said Ray with a smile.
The young woman's smile was brilliant and the exchange seemed to calm her a bit.
>
“I see you have much experience with government.”
“Governments of all kinds,” said Ray.
“Yes, governments of all kinds as you say. But surely some are better for the lives of their citizens than others?”
“No doubt.”
“Yes, that is what my group believes also. We only want the best government and we think that our existing government is far from the best.
“You are a visitor and the government wants you to see only the positive results of its rule but there are quite a few negatives. We don't have the time for me to show you everything I would like so you will have to take my word for many of the things I am about to tell you.”
“I will listen but I will need to see something with my own eyes that will verify what you are going to tell me.”
“When I'm finished I will tell you how to verify some of what I say when you leave tomorrow by simply following the path I recommend as you exit the borough. I will explain after I've told you what I wish you to take with you as you return to the outside world.”
“Very well.”
“Mr. Lerma ...”
“Please call me Ray.”
“Very well, Ray our people are suffering. Although the government may have shown you much that seems a success there is very real misery behind the few successes the government has.
“We have a shrinking population, did they tell you that?”
“No.”
“Then they didn't tell you why the population is shrinking. It's because their methods of production are so inefficient that we can't produce enough to trade for the foods and other goods that we need. And the government farms are so poorly managed that they can only supply to the elite, the government-connected, such as this hotel.
“That is why I work here Ray. Not for the pay but for the scraps of food I can take home after work to my family. A family of grandparents, great-grandparents, parents and my four siblings, all living in a too-small four-room apartment and dependent on those scraps of food to keep all of us alive.
“And then there are those not as fortunate. Did you know that death from starvation is classified as a natural death by the government?”
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