by Sandi Gamble
“I think it was,” she conceded. “I think it really was.” Then she looked directly into his eyes. She could see a deep desire to understand in his eyes. She could see that he was convinced that he knew that she had something incredibly valuable to give to him if he could only make her comfortable enough to do so.
“What would you like to know George,” Ari said, holding her emotions at bay and putting the onus on him to guide her.
“What do I want?” he asked. He smiled a quick, guarded smile. “I want to live free. I want to live in safety and dignity. I want the people I am responsible for to be safe.” He narrowed his eyes at her, not in an accusing manner but in a pleading, beseeching way. “I think… I believe you can help me do that. You know things, Ari. I can see that you do. You know things that could save us all…”
“No,” she said quickly, rebelling against that awesome responsibility. “I cannot save everyone. That is not for me…”
He waved away her protest. “You have the knowledge. I know you do. I can sense it. Talk to me.”
She felt such a strong desire to tell George everything she could but, despite what her heart was telling her, her head urged caution. Her years in the Academy had done more than teach her content; they had instilled in her an ethos and a way of thinking that, at this moment, urged caution.
Her instructions too had been explicit.
But her heart… she was certain that George could be trusted. She felt in her deepest self that she had to give him something, anything that would help him to understand. But what could she give him really?
The risk was profound. This was not merely a situation where she was helping someone she trusted. She understood deeply that if she said too much, or if she said the wrong thing or even the right thing, she could very well change the future! By doing something she thought might be “right”, she could ensure that she would cease to exist when her moment in time actually arrived.
The burden of her decision weighed heavily on her.
“I know this is not easy for you,” George said. “I can see it in your eyes and in your body language. But this is not easy for me, or for us, either. This is a dangerous and frightening time.
“You have answers. I believe you do. Can’t you lend a hand to help us?”
It was a direct, honest and heartfelt plea and it resounded in her heart. This then, was what she weighed; her heart said to help. Her head said to move forward with caution. Still, her intellect saw merit in either position.
Everything she had ever learned about ethics and morality suggested she help George. Her political science classes leaned toward caution. And yet, she could not help but wonder if they even had a future to return to. After all, they had already remained in the past longer than they’d anticipated. They’d been here, in 2040 for days now. What had transpired in the time span between now and the future?
She shuddered. Indeed, did she even exist any longer in the future? Did her family? Was anything still the way it had been a mere few days earlier?
She bowed her head. So much was in the balance. So much was riding on this budding alliance between them and George and his Organization. She drew a deep, shuddering breath. When she lifted her head and looked at George, she saw him looking at her with earnest and questioning eyes.
She nodded.
“Let me begin slowly then,” she said finally. “Where shall I begin?” She drew another breath as she pondered how to proceed.
George reached out and took her hand. It was a simple, kind gesture but it meant the world to Ari. She knew how desperately George wanted information, but he seemed to be as concerned for her and her well-being. He didn’t want to rush her. Didn’t want to force her to do anything she didn’t feel comfortable doing.
He wanted her help, but he wanted her to give it freely.
“Maybe if I tell you what we are ruled by and then… well then maybe we can go forward there.”
George squeezed her hand gently and then released it. “That would be a great place to start,” he agreed.
“Okay then,” she said, realizing that she had decided to go forward. “So, not long after the opening of the ARC in the year 2525, communities headed out in organized groups to various parts of the USA with the simple goal of rebuilding. They were like the early pioneers. They were guided by only a very small number of rules. The first was that the population had to be maintained under 500,000,000 people if humanity was to maintain a healthy balance with nature. This number was divided between the eight ARCs.
“History and experience had made clear the danger of losing that balance.
“Consequently, those in charge were to guide reproduction wisely…” She paused and lowered her eyes. Suddenly, discussing reproduction felt very intimate. She felt her cheeks burn. She controlled her breathing and continued. “Because the total number of people was so closely regulated, it was important that those who were alive were the best and brightest possible. Fitness, intelligence and diversity were the watchwords. Studies had made clear that if those three factors were respected and adhered to, the population would thrive in quality. Genetic engineering plays a large part in sustaining a healthy, smart and thriving population.
“Of course, just having a lot of healthy and smart people wouldn’t be enough to maintain a viable planet. Communication was vital. Experience had taught that a failure to effectively communicate often resulted in disaster. So each community was charged with uniting humanity by engaging in formulating a new, living language that would enable everyone to communicate directly and without confusion.
“All things essential to human experience – passion and traditions – would continue but they would be tempered by reason. So much of human history had been marked by tragedy simply because reason was ignored. If humanity were to continue to survive, even more, to thrive, then reason would have to dominate.
“From reason, laws would be formulated that would protect individuals and nations fairly and truly. Because diversity respects differences, the rule was that each nation should have control over their internal matters. However, when it came to resolving any international conflict, there would be a world court whose decisions would be honored.
“Of course, the advice was for each nation to avoid petty laws and useless officials. Nothing dampens the light of human experience so much as a bureaucratic weight over each and every aspect of living. The goal was to find the balance between personal rights and social duties and communal obligations. We sought to value truth – beauty – love – all the while seeking harmony with the infinite.
“Be not a cancer on the earth – leave room for nature – leave room for nature. These are the precepts that had been handed down through the generations, from elder to elder.”
George listened attentively to everything that Ari said. Some of what she said made perfect sense to him; other things seemed to be little more than words when weighed against the truth of human experience.
Still, he wanted to listen to everything she had to say before reacting.
Ari studied George’s eyes and expression, trying to assess how her words were being understood by him. In the past, she had been able to recite these “laws” easily, with absolute faith in their rightness. However, now she spoke them at the same time she was trying to “hear” them through George’s ear. How did they sound to him? Were they sound? Were they just words spoken or did they carry the weight of truth?
For the first time in her young life, she was not sure. She had always accepted the wisdom of the laws and customs taught to her but considering them through another’s perspective made her wonder if she had missed something.
Or, perhaps more importantly, if those very sound and important rules had been used to cow a population rather than lift it up.
“What are you thinking?” she asked, giving voice to her genuine curiosity but also to her uncertainty.
George understood her sense of vulnerability even as he knew that it was really he and his organization
that was vulnerable. Even so, both because he had a larger heart than just about anyone else Ari had ever come across and because he needed her to continue to share information with him, he sought to reassure her. “I think those are incredible guidelines. I don’t know that they were adhered to as well as they should have been – and even if they were adhered to by the letter, I think that they might not have been adhered to in spirit.
“That said, clearly the leadership in the ARC was being forward thinking.”
“Oh yes, they were,” Ari agreed. “They tried to make sure everything worked out successfully. Establishing the world language had actually been completed during the time in the ARC worldwide.
“A census had been taken and specific rules determining who could have children, and how, were codified…”
“How?” George asked, raising his eyebrow in a teasing fashion.
Ari’s cheeks reddened again. “Well... uh… um… you know what they meant,” she said, in an exasperated voice.
He chuckled. “I supposed I do,” he conceded. “Please go on.”
“For example, if Jace and I were to marry, the Ministry would advise us exactly how many children that we would be allowed to have. No mistakes are tolerated, and additional children are not allowed, so each mother is sterilized after the birth of the allowable number of babies.”
For the first time, Ari glanced over at Jace and noticed that he too had a look of embarrassment on his face.
“I don’t see how that makes sense,” George said, ignoring the glance between Ari and Jace. “In fact, it seems shortsighted to have such a drastic action in place.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, for example, what would happen if a baby became ill and died? Or a young child was in an accident? Those parents would no longer be able to have their ‘quota’ of children, would they?”
For the first time, Ari felt almost smug in her answer. “Well, such an eventuality would be highly unlikely. Certainly in the case of illness. Not only are the parents screened to exacting standards, but each child is genetically perfect when it is placed into the mother’s womb…”
“Ah… I guess that explains the ‘how’,” George said with a smirk.
Ari paused and then let out a soft snort. “Yes, well, I guess it does then. In any case, the fetus is perfect. The womb is sound. The mother is healthy and extremely fit. And the medical care is exceptional.
“The chances of an adverse outcome are practically nil.”
George shrugged. It was a point well taken.
“As for injury or some exposure to disease, for example, anything beyond that can almost certainly be taken care of with the help of our PADS.”
George straightened slightly. Ari had referenced something that was new to him. He wanted to know more, but he didn’t want to betray his desire. “PADS?”
Ari paused. She realized that she had already said a bit more than even she had intended. She also realized that there was no going back now. She glanced over at Jace again, but his expression was impossible to read. She nodded to herself and decided to go on. “P-A-D, or PAD, stands for a Personal Assistance Device. It is a device that allows us to be monitored around the clock, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty five days a year for all the years of our lives.”
George shuddered. Whereas Ari only thought of the benefit of the PADS, he immediately recognized the potential dangers as well.
Ari, however, did not note his reaction and continued. “At birth, each child has a small microchip embedded in them. This chip holds all of their information – personal, financial, educational, health, everything functions from your PAD.” She smiled to herself, remembering the cat. “Even personal entertainment.” She felt pleased with herself as she concluded her explanation, absolutely convinced that hearing about the PADS would only elicit the greatest respect.
She was wrong of course.
George listened and then looked to the others. Person to person, they shared a worried expression. Ari followed his gaze and, seeing their expression, looked back to George for some kind of explanation.
He frowned, cleared his throat and then explained the reaction to her. “RFID Chip,” he stated simply, calling the PAD by a different name. “It exists for a number of reasons, but the primary one is that when and if someone gets out of line, it can simply be powered down, shut off.” He lifted his fingers into the air and made a sweet, silent motion. “Poof. You are no more. You cease to exist. You see, your miraculous chip does a great deal more than store information or provide content so that any so-called errors in your being can be fixed. Its design and existence is for one reason and for that one reason alone – to be able to erase your existence if the powers that be deem it necessary to do so.”
As bridled against his words, she felt an anger rise up in her. “No!” she cried out passionately. “You don’t understand.”
George sighed. “Oh, I’m afraid I do. My friend, it is you who does not understand,” he said.
“But, but… the PAD is good. It is necessary.” She shook her head. She looked to Jace for support. She felt lost and suddenly sad. It was as if she was falling through the air and she knew that there was nothing there to catch her. “Don’t you see? They would never do such a thing. How would one function without a PAD?”
She felt lost and confused. The PAD was so essential to her understanding of existence that having it questioned or challenged was as if her very existence was being challenged as well.
“You are exactly right,” George said. “I could not have made the point any better.” He eyed her closely. “So you know of no one who has ever had their chip turned off?”
“No, of course not,” Jace chimed in. “That would be horrible. What exactly do you think of us? Do you think we are barbarians?”
George considered Jace for a moment, deciding how to respond. “It was only a question,” he noted. “Only a question.”
Ari, who felt that the conversation was reeling away from her, stepped in to regain control. She felt it was necessary to reestablish that what they had done was good. “To continue then,” she said, cutting off any thought either Jace or George had of continuing their stand-off, “We are very mindful of the need to keep nature in balance. Jace and I both work in an area that takes care of that.”
“And everyone is taught as they grow how to be mindful of what is around them, all living creatures and plants. There were many new types of creatures, some friendly, some not so friendly when our descendants exited the ARCs.”
Just at that moment, Ari caught sight of movement from the corner of her eye. She glanced over to see a small, ginger colored cat pad into the room. Her eyes widened, recognizing the creature. True, this particular cat had clearly seen better days. It was not soft and “kitten-y” at all. It was scrawny and had a hungry look to it. What’s more, its fur was patchy, and one eye was missing, closed over by the eyelid.
The cat turned and looked at Ari, focusing its one good eye on her.
“A cat,” she said unconsciously. “It’s really a cat,” she went on, looking at George with astonishment.
“Well yes, it’s a cat,” Tyrion acknowledged, not finding the appearance of the cat nearly as remarkable as Ari clearly did.
“Can I… may I pick it up?”
Tyrion shrugged.
“Of course you can,” Tyrion said. Then he turned and faced the cat. “Tipcat. Here, Tipcat…” The cat darted toward him, and Tyrion bent down and took up the scrawny ball of fluff in his muscular arms.
“Tipcat? That sounds a funny name. What made you call it Tipcat?” Ari asked as George lifted the cat towards her.
He chuckled. “Not for any interesting reason. Someone found it at the local tip when they were scrounging and thought that she might lighten the heavy atmosphere that we had around here. And she’s certainly done that. The children love her.”
“Tipcat owns the premises I’d say. The locals all chip in and feed
her.” He looked at Ari closely as she reached out and snatched the cat. “Why are you so excited to see a cat?” he asked.
Even before she could answer, the feel of the cat in her arms transported Ari back to her POD and her wonderful memories of holding the cat she had conjured up all those years earlier. “Oh my,” she sighed, bringing the cat against her cheek. “Tipcat, you feel so ever much better than the one from my POD.”
Tyrion leaned his head to the side, “POD?”
“It’s a leisure device, Tyrion,” Jace stated. “It allows one to experience all manner of sensory perception without ever leaving the comfort of a safe space.”
George raised his eyebrows in astonishment. “Really? Don’t know if that sounds good or not but I’d be willing to give it a go one day then,” he said.
Ari smiled as she stroked the cat’s fur.
“Hmmph,” Jace snorted under his breath. In truth, he did not like the way this whole conversation and meeting was going. He was feeling more than a bit miffed by the attention Tyrion was showering on Ari. Even more, he found himself feeling jealous of Ari’s reaction to the attention.
His thoughts and feelings, however, were interrupted by a sudden scream from Ari.
“Ouch!” she cried out, throwing the cat to the ground.
“What’s wrong?” Tyrion asked worriedly as he darted quickly to her side.
“It attacked me,” Ari cried out, pointing to Tipcat.
Meanwhile, Tipcat had rolled along the ground and come to a gentle stop and sat looking perfectly angelic. Or at least as angelic as a one-eyed scruff of a cat could look.
Tyrion laughed when he realized what had happened. “No Ari, Tipcat didn’t attack you. He was only puddling. Didn’t you have that in your POD?”
“No, what is puddling?” Ari asked, suddenly feeling very sheepish. “I feel like there is so much I do not know. I don’t like this feeling. Where we come from, we know everything. Here everything seems new.”
The realization of how limited her experience and knowledge was, both disheartened and excited her. Here, she realized, there was so much to know and do.