"You wanted to see me?" she asked confidently.
"Yes, you may proceed. You have the go ahead for Operation Netopia."
"Yes, Sir!" she answered with zeal, and asked no questions.
She had waited a long time for this day. She instantly called a Mindsphere roundtable meeting with all the heads of Elite Delete units around the world.
"We got the green light. I expect everyone's topmost efficiency, speed and obviously discretion. Nothing less. We have a great responsibility and we must proceed to cleanse our world, according to plan."
They were all well prepared already. The oiled machine of Minds ran flawlessly in the days preceding Operation Netopia. The Elite Delete division sent its many employees to flagged addresses, from which it removed fancy white crates loaded with life-discharged human targets. They worked around the clock.
The public believed the teams were only there to erase certain unpleasant elements from sight, like rusty drain pipes, cracked walls and sidewalks, exchanging them for a colorful digital layer. No one knew what was happening behind the sterile appearance and lovely smiles of the unit's employees, who were hard at work sifting anyone who reached a low brain rank out of society. The Ten Circle program made sure there was no one left to remember.
Shortly after the operation had begun, all messages from Sunshine ceased, and the lower-ranked were no longer urged to improve. Users who were deemed hopeless by the system were reassigned to Nicola Potiomkin's dedicated care.
One of Operation Netopia's objectives was to rid the world of the Neverminds, the rejects and refuseniks of Minds. To maintain an appearance of humanity, they were first seduced back to the network, promised a second chance with benefits and a nice sum of Unis to kick off, all of which were to be received on connection. These measures helped present Minds in media conversations as a humane network. They cared about their citizens. Opinion leaders praised the move and accolades were showered from every direction. It was viewed as humane, conscientious, and moral.
Reality was far from it.
"Nicola, update us on our troops' progress," Christoph asked in a brain conference he shared with her and Fabian.
"The Neverminds, most of them anyway, accepted our offer with excitement. There were no suspicions," she said proudly. "Most were disconnected for technical or personal reasons, and they were happy for the opportunity to return. They're lining up, bright-eyed, in front of our service centers. They seem to be full of hope, so I can safely say that everything’s being carried out quietly and efficiently," she assured them.
"Splendid," said Christoph.
Fabian watched him. For a second it seemed like he was falling in love with the attractive blond, but he knew better; Christoph was in love with his own idea, which was finally materializing.
"Your bonsai looks well," Christoph told Fabian.
"Ah, yes, yes. It's strange, but sometimes I feel there's another person here with me."
Christoph wanted to jump and tell him he had no idea how right he was, but kept his cool and said, "I feel the same thing," and quickly changed the subject.
Fabian was worried about an earlier thoughtmission from Nicola, when she asked him why he had not made it to the event at Christoph's castle. He was not even made aware of it. Christoph very rarely called meetings at his castle. And Fabian was always invited. At least as far as he knew.
"I was busy with some business I couldn't put off," he finally answered with a rigid smile stuck to his face.
After that thoughtmission, Fabian could no longer work effectively. He lay for a long time on his bed with his eyes closed. Winding back to prior events, he could find no reason why he should have been left out. Imagining the guests feasting, getting drunk and laughing out loud, he tossed and turned, and slipped into a half dream where he saw Nicola and Christoph petting Orcuin together. He sat up immediately and started punching his pillow, his face turned red and sweat dripped off him, dampening his bedsheets. And in the next second he pulled himself together, stood up, washed his face and sat down on his sofa. He took a deep breath and waited for Christoph and Nicola to appear.
Throughout the entire brain meeting, his own brain was preoccupied with not being invited to Christoph's event. He was his right hand man. His confidant. What could have justified that? There must be some reason.
The giant compounds to which the Neverminds were herded were off limits to the media, in order to ‘honor the privacy’ of the returning network users, according to the official statement issued by Minds. Sunshine explained that these poor souls were in a delicate situation, and that they deserved a second chance without being hounded by the media. In the days of the operation, the Neverminds were divided into orderly straight lines outside of special facilities that were erected far from any urban areas, somewhere out in the open countryside. Despite the stinging cold, their hearts were warm.
The structures were long, black and white, in the shape of huge orcas. The organizers took special care to ensure that when the people standing in line got closer to its start, they would not be able to communicate with those standing in front or behind, and spaced them far apart from each other.
All day long, orca neopets glided along the lines and handed out small cups of cancer-curing alcohol substitute, nutritional sweets and quantic dots rich food. The Neverminds were blown away by the display, having largely forgotten the comforts of the world they left behind. They snatched everything on offer. In seconds, the treats were gone, but more were always on the way. Minds made sure the people in the queue stayed happy, to distract their minds from disturbing thoughts. Some Neverminds harbored private concerns about returning to the warm, connected world, after being away so long in the cold, physical reality. But most had their worries assuaged when a hologram of Sunshine welcomed them inside with a beautiful smile showing her pure white teeth, and in a gentle, female voice explained to them what lay ahead.
"Good morning. Welcome back to Minds!" Sunshine greeted them, made to look like a hologram mermaid with an orca's tail. Her blue eyes shone, and her hair, which was now platinum yellow, covered her torso. The sight of her spread a heartwarming feeling through the crowd.
"We’re very happy to have you back. It took time, but here we are, together again, and we know that some of you were seriously mistreated. There were many bugs at the beginning, like every system has, and you paid the price for it. Others decided to withdraw from the network for personal reasons. We’ll do everything in our power to pave your way back to Minds and make your readjustment smooth and painless. There's a long way ahead of you, but you'll come out the other side as connected people, and an integral part of our society. Each of you will receive a thousand Unis upon reconnection, to get things going. Welcome back, and have a wonderful day! We'll meet on the other side!"
Everyone looked at each other and nodded with excitement. Some even cheered.
"In the first stage," she continued in her lovely voice, "you’ll have to undergo a general physical checkup, and a thirty-second long MRI scan. We’ll try to make these moments pleasant for you." During the examination the walls would displayed relaxing live landscapes full of endangered animals, sunrises and sunsets from around the world and spring blossoms, while in the background, fun, joyful music would play.
"At your second stop," she continued, "you’ll pass mental acuity tests carried out by brain scanners. This will include solving puzzles, answering questions, and there will also be a basic review we need to put you through in order to move forward."
The network wanted to make sure it was not missing any potential sharing consumer that could contribute to Minds. Most of the Neverminds were already defined by the system as inefficient, or to put it in Christoph's less diplomatic way, ‘human refuse that will never be any good.’ But they did not know about this.
Minds staff oversaw the process and drafted only the few who exhibited a high brain rank potential, pulled them out of the lines and redirected them into another track, one that included
a quick chip implant, lens provision and an escort out of the facility. The future prospects for most were less optimistic.
The sunshines routinely enlightened them, "We're here for you. Our goal is for you to live in dignity!"
***
"Boy, did I need that fucking martinette or what!" Robin Nice rejoiced, still standing in line. The person who had been a new age guru in a previous life, before his reluctant dismissal from the network, now only had a mind to drink. He spoke with Candy Metal, the software-made chanteuse who, for a while, had been the hottest brand in the business. In the shelter they had become accustomed to a spartan lifestyle.
Sunshines passed through the crowd and handed out drinks. Robin grabbed his second martinette and quaffed the cold drink with great thirst while keeping his place in line, his chest out.
"Do you think you'll start writing again?" Candy asked him, standing in the adjacent line and happily nursing a martinette of her own.
"Sure. I can't wait," he laughed, and the thought of renewed fame made his hand tremble. "My audience is probably waiting for my next book to come out, wondering what happened to me. I was gone for so long. I want to write about the happiness I found in a simple life. A wealthy man like me, slumming it for so long without any reason. Who could pass on a book like that? And you, Candy, will you try to sing? Your audience probably missed you."
"I hope so!" Candy answered. "There's nowhere for me to go in the industry. I'm burned out as Candy Metal - name was deleted from the Network - but I'll try to reinvent myself. I'll get a new identity, leave the past behind with all the mistakes I've made and paid for. I'm not giving up. All I wanted was to reach people! I was made to sing, that's who I am, all I am, and I'll never let anyone take it away from me."
"Do you miss your parents?" Robin gently probed.
Her face darkened, and she felt a lump in her throat. "Very much. After all that happened, I realized that I put them in an impossible situation. They never wanted me to succeed like that. I really do have to make it on my own, and if I can't, then it wasn't meant to be."
"You'll make it again, Candy!" he said with confidence.
"Thanks… I'm a little rusty."
"You're not rusty. Well, come on, sing!"
The embarrassed Candy covered her face in her hands while people from all the lines cheered and chanted, "Candy, Candy, Candy, Candy!" Their support touched her. Hearing the sounds of applause released something in her, after spending too long in the dark.
Candy sat herself on the shoulders of a willing Nevermind, above everyone, free. A sea of heads looked up at her, exhausted from the long wait. When she started singing, everyone turned silent. It was a delicate, silvery voice, heart shuddering and pure. Everyone held their breath.
It wasn't Candy Metal singing up there, but the personification of the future, of light and hope. She was a dream about to come true for them. The Neverminds looked at her with longing. They were pining for the past, and even for the future.
"And how will we adapt to a world that probably left us far behind?" she asked Robin after returning to her place in line.
"Easily. Don't be pessimistic, Candy! We'll fit in, I'll launch my books and you'll send your songs straight up the charts. The world will be what it was again. I never imagined we'd be able to go back, yet here we are."
"Yeah, I guess they cared about us. The world didn't keep quiet. People fought for us. They saw how we were living."
Robin tried holding back, but the tears gushed out. The bitter, cynical man was moved by what she said.
"Why are you crying, Robin?" she asked, melted like candy under the sun.
"I didn't believe this day will come," he admitted in a shaking voice. "I'm an old man already, you could even say elderly. Being with all of you, and through you, it made me realize I was a jerk. I used to think only about myself, an egomaniac, a nasty asshole. I treated people like shit. I took advantage of my readers and played on their weaknesses, addicted to the way they were drawn to empty words. When I got disconnected, I didn't know what to think, I didn't understand what was happening. At first I thought it was a bug, but after a while I realized it was my destiny, that I deserved being rejected. I can admit it now… I wasn't expecting a miracle to bring me back. But here we are, getting our lives back, and we didn’t have to fight, kick or scream. Candy, we won."
"We received a second chance to return and be true to ourselves, and our audience," she added.
"Let's make the most of it," Robin said and they looked toward the entrance expectantly. "How many people get a second chance? We're lucky."
***
Meanwhile, Christoph and Nicola were flying over the compound and watched the long lines from a flying car.
"Look at them," she said, proud.
"I see," he said, excited. "It looks like everything’s going smoothly, according to plan."
"There's no reason why it shouldn't," she said and looked on.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked.
"Nothing special, just about what's waiting for these subjects," she answered in a worried voice.
"Don't think about it. Focus on the prime objective. There's no point in filling your mind with distraction. It’ll all proceed quietly and peacefully."
"You're right, you're right." she said and dropped her eyes. Mister Feathers was still looking out and flapped a little wing.
***
Robin and Candy walked side by side and were near the beginning of the line - an old fart and a chipper young bird. In another lifetime, they would not have even given each other the time of day, she being too busy pleasing her career managers, and he with his publishers. They were living proof that when the elements of choice and distraction were removed, offline people could connect. The particular combination of circumstance had stripped them of the burden of proof, leaving their souls bare.
"I'll see you on the other side!" Candy shouted to Robin and waved her hands, a huge smile on her face.
"Count on it!" he shouted back. "Don't go home without me."
"I'll wait for you outside," she said.
"And don't be scared of the procedure!" he shouted.
Idea and Execution
The Neverminds were directed to a long and broad white corridor, with a bright yellow light shining at the end. They took it to be a window, a door to the better world that was waiting for them. Doors on both sides of the corridor led to rooms with huge screens and humanoid robots that gave directions and aided the process. Minds employees controlled everything from a remote location.
Robin passed all the tests, and, tired, but happy, he arrived at the implant procedure room, where he was asked to lie on his back on top of a bedlike device. A wall mounted robotic arm that passed close to his head injected him with a sedative.
While waiting, Robin was thinking about his next book, the positive reviews it would get, and more than anything else – about the way he had traveled to get to that moment. It would be a comeback worthy of him: experience had made him a living tree of knowledge, by gaining insight into what truly made people happy, with none of the nonsense he had spewed out to the masses before without giving it a second thought. He was born again, old man though he was.
Meanwhile, Candy was growing tired of waiting for her turn. While waiting, she had thought hard about how she would reinvent herself with a new image. She felt anticipation mixed with uncertainty; the prospect of returning to a world that cast her out only served to remind her of what she was anxious to forget - of becoming spineless. Out there existed a Candy Metal who carried her image on through software, and she had to try her luck with a new name or return to her old one. She had so much material bottled up and ready to burst out. Imagining her next album, only this time with meaningful texts and something of her own, Candy was led into a sterile white room with a white bed in the center.
She lay down happily and waited for the robotic arm to administer the sedative.
The arm moved toward her with a silent s
low speed, but suddenly froze, and the room shook with the sound of a loud blast that kept rolling for five seconds.
Candy kept waiting. The passing minutes seemed like eternity, as she waited for the moment the chip would be installed in her brain, but nothing happened. She started feeling agitated. Robin was probably done and waiting for her.
She called for help, but no one answered. Her attempts to open the door failed. It was locked. There were no windows to exit from. She suddenly noticed a conveyor belt that connected the arm to another room. She decided to crawl through the opening, thinking it would be better than staying as she was.
After several minutes of crawling on fours, Candy exited the narrow tunnel into a white space. It took her a few seconds to recognize Robin's clothes, folded in a neat pile a short distance away. His faded shirt peeked out from under a pair of torn, old pants. His shoes and socks were placed next to them in perfect precision.
She looked at his things for seconds that seemed like minutes. Robin liked things tidy, she remembered and smiled. Her good friend probably could not wait to get out and purchase a nice fancy suit to celebrate his freedom.
The sudden reactivation of the conveyor belt startled Candy. A robotic arm placed a man-shaped bonsai plant next to Robin's clothes. A jolting shiver passed down her spine. She sniffed it and was gripped by nausea and vertigo. Her face turned pale, her knees buckled, and she quickly crawled to another corner of the room from where she could observe what was going on. She could see dozens of openings similar to the one she crawled through, and from each opening two arms extended – one holding a bonsai plant with the Minds emblem on it, two orcas head to head, and the other a neat pile of clothes.
So many clothes and so many plants, she thought.
The place was freezing. She resisted a reflex to vomit. All the robotic arms worked at a set uniform rhythm, and she looked back to see them issue out of the opening she had come through and delicately lay down another set of clothes and another bonsai plant next to them. As the seconds ticked away, the realization that she had simply been lucky dawned on her. She refused to accept that what she had in her hands were the remains of her friend, and wanted to believe that in just a moment he would pop out and explain everything that had happened.
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