by Ken Kroes
He sent a message to Hope to call off the contract and changed her mission to monitoring Diane. Once I find the source of the leak, then I’ll have both of them eliminated.
7 - The Colonies
Not knowing what to expect, Spencer got off the light-rail transit at the stop marked Colony. He had flown into San Francisco the previous evening to get an early start on the task Sue had given him. This location was one of two in the country that had been set up as prototypes, the other being in New York. He had read on the foundation’s website that after a few years of operation, the foundation would be taking lessons learned from these two colonies and would be building more across the country.
He had expected the crowd on the platform waiting to board the next transit car heading downtown but was surprised at the number of people that disembarked with him. As he joined the flow down the ramp, he guessed that most of them worked night shifts.
The path curved behind the platform and within a few hundred yards he and the others came upon a series of turnstiles and a few manned booths. A sign above one of the booths read, New to the Colony? Start here. He walked over to this booth and was greeted by an elderly man.
“Welcome to the Colony. You look a little lost, so this must be your first time here.”
“Uh, yes,” he said. His plan was to stay a few days, and he had tried to dress the part of a transient by wearing worn-out jeans, an old shirt, and old shoes. He carried a small backpack that contained one change of clothes.
“Okay—we need to get you orientated. How long do you think you’ll be staying?”
“Just a few days.”
“That’s fine—here are the rules you need to agree to,” the man said, passing Spencer a form page. “There’s a lot of reading there, but I’ll give you the short version. While you’re within the colony, don’t do anything illegal, keep things clean, and don’t be rude. There are people walking around with bright yellow vests; these are the building leaders. Do whatever they say. If they think you’ve been misbehaving, they can banish you, and you’ll never be allowed to come back here, or any other colony. Their word is final, there’s no appeal process, so just don’t mess up.”
“Sounds kind of harsh.”
The man nodded and spoke with an earnest authority. “We run a low-cost operation here and want people to feel safe. There’s no room for troublemakers. When we first opened a year ago, there were quite a few people expelled, but things have settled down and it happens rarely now. There are security cameras with smart software all over the place, so don’t even think about doing anything sneaky.”
“How many people stay here?”
The man became more animated. “It was crazy at first. There were waiting lists to get in, and the foundation had to put in a lot of money to raise more buildings quickly. We have about five thousand in the rooms and around two thousand in the parking lot right now. And we’re still expanding as more people keep coming.”
“The parking lot?”
“Yes. We’ve got small rooms, which are five feet by ten feet for singles, and others a bit bigger for families. Then we provide parking stalls where people can park and even sleep in their vehicles if they want to.”
“I hadn’t thought about sleeping in cars.” Micro-rooms, sleeping in cars? Don’t these thousands of people find it claustrophobic? I’m glad that I am only going to be spending a few days here.
“It’s illegal to sleep in your vehicle throughout most of the city, so it’s pretty popular here since it allows you to live in your car, or an RV, or even a small house on wheels. We provide washrooms, showers, microwaves, and limited electricity in the parking area. It’s all monitored closely. If you book a parking space, you have to spend at least eight hours a day in the colony. That’s to stop people from just parking here and then going to work in the city.”
“Is it cheap?”
“For a single room, it's three dollars a day, a parking space is two dollars, and each meal is a buck. If you can’t afford it, go over to the office and see if they’ll arrange for you to skip a few days. Also, if you have a drug or drinking problem, or maybe issues with anger management, this isn’t the place for you. We don’t offer any treatment plans but there are organizations we can point you to.”
Spencer thought about what he had just been told. “That’s so cheap.”
“We set the prices to match our operation expenses. The foundation picks up construction costs and taxes and the rest. But with the room fee, you have to do things too. Like a one-hour chore each day. There’s a list of them in each building. The other is at least one-half hour of an activity you really enjoy doing—something that fulfills your purpose.”
“I really wasn’t expecting any of this.”
The man explained that the colony wasn’t a place merely to eat and sleep, but required involvement to build a sense of community by spending a small part of their day working plus discovering or fulfilling their own life purpose.
“What kind of chores, and what exactly do you mean by purpose?”
“Many people don’t expect any of this at first. The chores are nothing burdensome—mostly things like cleaning and food preparation. But take them seriously, and do them well; otherwise, you’ll be asked to leave. As far as purpose goes, it could be as simple as playing a musical instrument, or teaching, or studying a subject. Try to find something that ties together with your values, strengths or passions.”
“I think I’m getting the idea,” Spencer said. “Can’t be too much food for a buck, huh?”
“More than you think. It’s pretty basic, but it’s nutritious.”
“Okay, sign me up for two nights and six meals, I guess.” He handed the man some money.
“Here’s your receipt. Keep it in case there are any problems. Doesn’t happen often, but you never know. We should get your identity registered, so I’ll need your fingerprint.”
The request startled Spencer. “I don’t know if I like that.”
“If you don’t want to give a fingerprint, I’ll refund your money, but you really have nothing to worry about. All that’s stored against your fingerprint is your payment, not your name or picture.” He assured Spencer that the computer system wasn’t connected to the Internet, and no one could access the information. It was used as an easy way to track meals and allowed for room access.
Spencer thought for a moment then put his hand on the scanner.
“All set,” the man said. You’re assigned to building forty-two and your room number is on your receipt. Head straight down the path and follow the signs. If you have any questions, ask the building leader. They’re firm but reasonable. If you’re sick and can’t do your chore for the day, they’ll let it slide.”
Spencer thanked him, picked up his backpack, and walked down the path that led to what looked like a maze of buildings. He passed a map showing the layout, and he stopped to find out more about the recreation centers scattered throughout the complex. There was one on the way to his building, and he stopped to look in. He was surprised to see it contained a gymnasium, lecture halls, music areas, and computer rooms. Schedules were posted for all activities in each section, and he noticed a few that he would investigate later in the day.
Leaving the recreation center, Spencer walked past a playground area that was full of children and their parents and then walked through one of the two green areas that were within the complex. The perimeter of the space had a young hedge around it that within a few years would completely block the view of buildings. Within the space, there was a variety of winding paths, ponds, benches and play areas.
Without too many more detours, he found his building and wound his way through the hallways until he found his room. He put his hand on the scanner beside the door and heard the lock click. The man at the gate was right—the room was small. But it was functional, with a bed, a clothes closet, and a desk. There was a uniquely styled sink that folded up with a toilet underneath. He tossed his backpack on the be
d beside the stack of clean sheets and blankets and then went to find the building leader, who stood out in his brightly colored vest in the eating area.
Spender tapped his shoulder and he looked up from the papers he was going over. “The man at the gate told me that I needed to report to you for chores.”
“Yes—good morning. I guess this is your first time here. The chore list is on the computer inside the kitchen entrance. I think we’re good for food prep for lunch, but there are still openings for dinner. Find something that fits your schedule, and then scan your fingerprint.”
“Sounds easy enough, thanks.” He was suddenly curious to know more. “How long have you worked here?”
“My family has been here since the colony first opened. I don’t really consider this work. It took a bit of getting used to, but we’re far happier now than living in the rat race. My wife and I no longer have to work full-time jobs just to afford food and housing so we have much more family and social time. I have a small part-time job in the city doing something I really enjoy that more than pays for all of our expenses.”
“So this is not temporary for you then?”
The man laughed. “That is the impression so many outsiders have of life here and while it is true for some of the people staying here, there are many of us that have no plans on leaving.”
“How many people live in this building?”
“This is a singles building, so there are about fifty people. The family buildings have a few more, usually around seventy-five. They are setup a bit different too. Instead of a bunch of small rooms like this building, the family buildings have a few large sleeping areas and we use sleeping mats instead of beds. It’s a much better use of space since in the daytime we can roll up the mats and have a large area to do whatever in.”
“You all sleep in the same room? I don’t know if I could get used to that.”
“It does take a bit of getting used to, but now I can’t imagine going back to sleeping away from my kids and parents.”
“Your parents are here too?”
“Yes, they arrived shortly after my wife and I did. It’s cheaper for them to live since they are retired and they get to spend so much more time with their grandchildren.”
Spencer tried to envision living with his parents and just shivered. He decided to change the subject and asked him about purpose related activities. “Where do I go for that?”
“Our rec center—building forty-nine. You’ll see another computer at the entrance. It has a list you can select from, or if you have another idea, come back and let me know, and I’ll get you entered.”
Spencer thanked him and went into the kitchen. He found the computer and signed up for dishwashing for two evenings. Then he went outside and found the recreation building. The layout was the same as the one he had seen earlier. He signed up for classes in gardening, and while doing so determined that the computer, like the one in the kitchen, seemed to be only connected to a local network of the colony and not the internal company network or the public internet.
On his way out of the recreation center, he passed an open office door and saw that the room was empty except for a desk, a book shelf, and a computer showing a login prompt and the Pleasant Belief Foundation logo. He reached into his backpack for the DIR device that Sue had given him. From the hallway, he could see an open USB port on the computer and after looking around to see if anyone was watching, quickly stepped into the room, fumbling with the device as he hunched over to insert it into the open slot.
Got it! Was his last thought before feeling a violent blow to the back of his head.
8 - Start of Percipience
As expected, when Diane met with Gordon the following morning, he told her she had passed the tests, and now it was time for her to decide whether or not she wanted to join Percipience. She had asked when she would be expected at the site if she agreed to go.
“Most people have had a few weeks to prepare before leaving,” Gordon told her. “In your case, you’d have to leave right away. There’s a group of people going this afternoon in a helicopter, and you could ride with them.”
“No, I can’t leave that quickly, and I’m certainly not going to leave my RV here.”
“Maybe you’re not getting it. You’ll never be using it again. This is a one-way trip.”
“I still need time to get ready. I have people to call and business to clear up.” She knew that she had already made up her mind to join. “How about I drive up there myself? I could be there tomorrow, and that would give me time to straighten out my affairs.”
“Impossible! No personal vehicles are allowed there.”
“Well, I’m leaving in my RV,” Diane said raising her voice. “Either I will head up to Percipience or back home. The choice is yours.”
Gordon picked up the phone on his desk, waited a few seconds, and explained the situation. He listened to the response and then hung up, watching her as if trying to see something.
“Well?” she said, breaking the silence.
“You must’ve made quite an impression on Mario,” he said. “There are dozens of people I could bring in right now for these few open positions, but he seems to want you and is willing to make an exception and allow you to drive up. So—are you in or out?”
She absentmindedly bit her lip as she weighed his words. She had no intention of doing this for the rest of her life, but she wanted to find out more, and this seemed the only way to do it. She laughed inside at the foundation’s “threat” to those who decided to leave. She was accustomed to living by her own rules so none of this would leave any significant impact on her. If she drove up on her own, she would have an easy way to get out and would have her possessions as well.
“In—if you give me directions or a GPS coordinate, I’ll be there by tomorrow morning.”
Gordon gave her directions and printed out a badge and paperwork. “Once you get there you’ll need to give these papers to security. They insist that you wear this badge for the first six months at least. After that, no more badge and no more last name.”
“What? I don’t recall reading anything about that.”
“I’m not sure why, but once the village is up and running, nobody will have a last name anymore.”
“That’s kind of strange.” She thought but thanked him and wasted no time getting her RV out onto the highway.
********************
Mikhail was a bit leery when he found out that Mario had allowed Diane to drive up to the village site, but he didn’t want to alarm her in any way so let it go. If she didn’t show up, he reasoned, they would find her quickly through the locator he had put on her RV.
Later that afternoon, he headed to the helipad and was happy to see Olivia, Hope and Richard already waiting to depart.
“I take it, Richard, that you’ve met Hope?”
“We were just getting acquainted,” Richard replied. “She’s been telling me how she’s going to be working on helping Olivia set up the laboratory.”
This was the idea that Mikhail had discussed with Hope that morning. It was a good cover as Hope could keep a close eye on Olivia to see if she was the source of the leaked information.
The takeoff was delayed by a few minutes as the pilot wanted to inspect Olivia’s luggage which consisted of a small suitcase and a sealed box with a hazardous goods sticker on it. Olivia let him look through her suitcase but stopped him from opening the box.
“I have to inspect everything,” the pilot said, “I am responsible for making sure that no contraband is brought in.”
Olivia leaned over to Mikhail and whispered, “Virtuesh.”
Mikhail nodded and then said to the pilot, “You can skip the box. I’ll take responsibility for it.”
The pilot just shrugged his shoulders and put the box in the small cargo area of the helicopter. The trip to Percipience was quiet, and after they landed, Olivia and Hope went to the trailers to get settled while Richard and Mikhail toured the constructi
on site activities.
“Things are looking good, Mikhail,” Richard said. “You’ve done well here.”
“I’m glad you approve. Are you ready for your big pep talk tomorrow?”
“Yes—I think everyone here is pretty committed to the cause so I don’t foresee any problems.”
Diane arrived the following day, though later than anticipated. The last twenty-five miles of road was not much more than a temporary path through the trees, and she had driven painstakingly slowly through most of it. When she arrived, the security guard at the edge of the village told her which trailer she would be staying in and advised her to move quickly before Richard began his presentation.
She parked her RV in a parking lot that was beside the security entrance since they would not let her drive it right onto the site. She then grabbed her cell phone and put some undergarments into a bag and made her way to her designated trailer. When she arrived, she found that she would be sharing the trailer with two other people. Putting her bag on the unclaimed cot, she left the trailer and joined the general flow of people heading towards a large structure she heard called “the town center.”
She entered the building, following the crowd into an auditorium that was equipped with a stage, but that could also have been used as a gymnasium. She guessed that the retractable seating would easily accommodate two thousand people. On this day, however, there was a collection of several hundred fold-up chairs in the middle of the room, all facing the main stage.
She found a chair as Richard walked onto the stage and welcomed the gathering. “I’m so proud of this moment, and still find it hard to believe that it started only seven years ago when a good friend challenged me to solve the ultimate puzzle: How can we live on this planet without destroying it?”
“You’ve all had a few weeks to see how the physical structure of Percipience is shaping up. I’m going to spend the next hour going through the social aspects of the village. Most of this will be a review, but as promised, we will go through it one more time and if you still have doubts that you’re in the right place, you can drop out of the program. There will be buses available tomorrow morning to take you back to the foundation headquarters. This will be your last chance to reconsider. Afterward, it’ll be full steam ahead.”