by Chaim, Moran
“What is it?”
“We have an intelligent security system that operates automatically on the outside. But like any other system, sometimes it experience malfunctions and erosion. I'm offering you an important role in being a Gun Technician Assistant, which means retrieving broken guns from the outside and installing the fixed ones.”
I almost shouted ‘Hell yeah!’
“Is that what happened before?”
“Those guards worked outside the safe zone to maintain our water pumps. You’ll be only working within the gun circle, so you’ll be covered by our systems. Nothing has happened to a GTA within twenty years of my service.”
I wasn't pleased with unnecessary danger after already dying once, but it wasn’t new to me either. On the other hand, it was an important job. Plus I would get to see the outside world, like I wanted.
“GTAs mostly go out at night. We have special suits for protection just like you saw. You will learn how to dismount the guns quickly so the rest can be done inside. You are the most highly trained person here in combat and stressful conditions. This job is perfect for you, and I'm sure you're curious about the outside like most defrosties are.”
“What about the ‘Purists’?”
She paused for a second to think.
“Like I said, you will wear a special suit and our security system will be running at all times to keep you safe. I'm not saying you'll be out there every night, but whenever the security of this city is in jeopardy, you'll be expected to quickly get us back to full capacity. This job can save a lot of lives, Roy.”
I looked at Shanta, and she was smiling like she was excited for my new role. It got me excited, as well. I could be someone that people needed here, and I’d get to go outside while no one else could.
“Do you know what our most precious resource is?”
“Water?” I immediately answered.
“Think harder.”
“Electricity?”
“Security. It’s security that keeps all the systems running and it keeps people relaxed and happy. We feel secure if everything goes according to plan and expectations. People need to know that they are safe, and it’s better if they even forget about it. That’s how we can achieve less stress, less fighting, less unpleasant events. Think about your job as maintaining order and sanity by providing security.”
I wasn’t really debating; I knew I had to take it.
“I agree,” I said with pride. “Thank you.”
“Thank you Roy, for choosing to be a part of this miraculous city,” she said, shaking my arm gently. “Don’t hesitate to come to me with anything that bothers you. I consider you one of my children.”
“Thank you so much. I hoped I didn't have to be a storyteller.”
“We were all surprised to see a nineteen year-old coming off the ice. It took us a day but we found you a more suitable job. Don't pay attention to that test. It was a horrible idea to begin with for a defrosty.”
“Can I ask you for something?
“Sure.”
“Could you check what happened to my parents? Doctor Ashish told me there might be information in the other cities but he couldn't determine their status.”
“Yes, I'll check with him immediately.”
Chapter 8
In the middle of the night I woke up to pee, but couldn't go back to sleep because I started to miss Hadar. Missing her used to catch me in the throat every couple of days in my previous life, and now I thought about her because she resembled Shanta. Or Shanta resembled her. First I thought about bringing Hadar in the simulation but then I had a better idea. I had to find Shanta again and discover what she was like without her mom watching. So that was the first thing I’d do that morning, before I had to start my Gun Technician Assistant training.
So I woke up Isaac.
“How do I find someone in the city?”
“It's too early.”
“Please.”
He was stretching in bed. I could hear his old bones creak.
“Do you know who they are, or are you guessing?”
“I know.”
“Just think about them and try to contact them inside,” he said, yawning and turning in bed.
“How will I know I am talking to the real her and not my imagination her?”
“Oh, so it's a ‘her,’ eh?” That seemed to grab his awareness.
“Don’t get annoying.”
“Is she pretty?”
I paused.
“Well?”
I guess he wasn’t completely in my favor after I took the new job.
“Just see if it lets you contact her or not. This whole thing is so intuitive and you keep asking me questions instead of trying for yourself. My story ended, like all stories should. It’s time for you to play alone.”
“Ok, fine.”
“Will they defrost another one to replace you?”
“I don’t know yet.”
I could see how disappointed in me he was, but he was right, maybe I should have started to be more independent. I lay inside the simulation bed and imagined I was in the main street. Everyone passed me by very quickly as I was looking for Shanta. I got a message appearing in front of my eyes saying she's not available for calls and that I should leave a message. At least I knew it was real, otherwise I would have just been able to summon her. I said something like, 'Hi, it was nice to meet you yesterday, and I’m wondering if we can meet again today?' I didn't know what else to say to convince her to see me because I didn’t know anything about her. I left the simulation.
To get to the training I had to remember the way that lead to the corridor inside the inner circle of the city. I was already late. I tried to ask people where to go. It took me four attempts to talk at the right speed for them to understand me and for me to understand them. Eventually, I went back a hundred meters and pushed a door. From there I had to climb two floors up a staircase. The air felt warmer, like I was actually closer to the surface. If I could feel the heat underground, it meant that it was burning outside. I hoped we weren't going to train out there in the middle of the day, despite wanting to go out and see things for what they were.
The corridor was empty, and it wasn't as sexy as the main street. It was dirty and darker, like a backstage or a service corridor. I followed noises to another room. I knocked.
“Come in,” a woman's voice shouted back at me.
She was chubby compared to the others I’d met, although she was more tanned. She had grease and dust smeared all over her hands and face.
She cleaned her hands with a dirty towel and shook my arm.
“I'm Viti, you must be Roy.”
My face twitched, which is which is what happens when somebody talks fast to me and I concentrate on what they are saying.
“Sorry, I should talk slower.”
The room was full with tools, spare parts on shelves and a big gun lying on the table in the middle of the room. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before.
“Nice to meet you," I said. "Are you alone here?”
“Yes, you're looking at the only gun technician of the city.”
“Just one?”
“Well as you can see it's not so glamorous job, yet an important one.”
“I thought I'd see a whole team.”
“I don't need a team. The systems take care of the actual threats, I just fix the guns from time to time, and they are pretty reliable.”
“But Padma made it sound like it was so…”
“Yes, she knows how to talk, doesn’t she? The former gun techs are still lying around in the city in case we need them and soon someone will replace me.” She smiled and touched her round belly, “but as long as I’m here, you’ll be working with me.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks, hope you're a fast learner.”
“I used to be.”
“Don't worry about it. As long as you follow the rules you’ll be fine.”
“What are the rules?”
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“We’ll get to them. First, come meet your new best friend.”
She approached the gun on the table and I followed her.
“Lift it, it's not that heavy.”
I held it for a second but had to put it down. I wasn't in great shape.
“Hey! Easy. I just finished fixing it. You need to hit the gym more often, apparently.”
“I just woke up two days ago.”
“Right, but you probably know about guns.”
“Not this kind.”
“Good point. This, my friend, is a laser gun.” She stroked it like you pat a dog.
“Cool.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, awesome.”
“There’s nothing cool about it, it's freaking hot at hell, and that's the point.”
“How does it work?”
“Short version? Energy is built into a capacitor that starts the chain reaction for the laser to light. When it reaches the right amount of energy, the shot is released. Since the light wavelength is so coherent there's no diffusion, so this thing can burn a hole through your chest.”
“What about dust?”
“We got ourselves an intelligent creature here. Dust is the enemy, as much as I try to keep this baby sealed and greased, dust will interfere with the lens and cause the electric circuit to heat and burn itself. That's why you're going to learn how to help me fix this baby.”
I was surprised to see it wasn't so complicated. And as futuristic as it was, I could see the paint fading, scratch marks all over it, and loose wires. Everything was designed to be replaced by spare chips, electric parts and whole circuit boards. The important task was to be able to repair the little parts ourselves without replacing the whole card, because spare parts were available, but not unlimited. It was our job to replace them according to the right schedule and not because we arbitrarily wanted to. We had a special device to examine that and keep track of maintenance.
It took me about three hours to learn the basics and go over the tools and parts. I could use the screen to learn more.
I was thirsty and hungry and I needed a break.
“Do you have a simulation bed here?”
“No why? Did I bore you that much?”
“I'm just hungry.”
“Oh I don't eat in the simulation no more; my room is too far away.”
“So what do you do?”
“I just eat the actual stuff.”
“The actual bug juice?”
She started laughing. “Yeah, if you call it like that. Come, I’ll show you. We're getting hungry ourselves.” She patted her belly.
I was hesitant, but she had been nice to me and got me curious. I followed her into the corridor and another level down, where it was cooler. We went inside a much bigger room. It was a hall filled with big metal containers and pipes. It was noisy, like a million bug legs moving and rubbing against each other, which is what the noise actually was. They were jammed into metal containers and just procreated while fighting over food. The food technician explained how they lived inside the container in complete darkness and fed on tempered human waste, algae and other nutrients they vacuum out of the sea. When the mass is critical they let a certain amount of bugs out by showing them the light to a different container. The second container zaps the whole bunch with an electric shock. The bugs fall to the floor and get sucked into the third container, where they’re ground up and mixed with water and more algae. I had to vomit, and I did on the floor.
I told her I’d be back later and she shouted to come back before sunset so she could take me outside, to the actual surface. So I was disgusted and happy at the same time. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I wanted to learn everything about those guns but the sight of the bug juice factory was horrible. And that's the stuff I had to eat for the rest of my life, apparently. I ran in the middle of the street straight to my room, and into my bed. Isaac was there and I didn't even say hello. I just dipped inside the simulation and went to the beach.
The simulation bed became humid because I was breathing so heavily under the cover, but I didn't care. I made myself a cold mango shake and drank it like a dehydrated dog. Then I made myself a pineapple shake. I didn't want to eat something that belonged to that processed monstrosity. After being able to relax a little bit I noticed a flashing red dot in the corner of my sight. It was a message from Shanta, to meet her at 21:00 at a festival inside the simulation. No “See you there,” no “I'll be expecting you,” no “Loved if you'd come and meet,” just the necessary information. I thought her voice sounded like she was smiling, though. I didn't know what to do to pass the time until sunset so I just went to sleep.
When I woke up I went back to the gun room with an uneasy feeling in my stomach. The main street ceiling light had changed its color according to the sunset outside, at least that’s what it looked like, and was nice. So I took my time getting to the gun room. Viti was waiting for me when I entered the room.
“I don't know, maybe you'd prefer to be a cleaner. I could use a cleaner here.”
“Sorry I'm late.”
“Listen buddy, this is no game. This is not ‘The Future show.’ This is life now, ok? You have to respect the rules.”
“You told me to forget the rules for now.”
The lights dimmed and flickered for a few moments. Viti smiled as if she saw fireworks over the city on Independence Day.
“My babies are working,” she said with pride.
“The Purists again?”
“No, neighbors trying to ask for milk. Of course it's the Purists.”
“Why don't they stop when one of theirs dies?”
“Every stupid one thinks he'll break our systems. It turns out that men aren't so smart. They never were, actually.”
“MEN were smart enough to build this place to protect us.”
“But not smart enough to keep the whole world from collapsing.”
She had a point.
“So why do the Purists do it?”
“For everyone dead there are some others watching and studying our system. But they can't break it.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“The fact is they never succeeded.”
“It doesn’t sound like a good enough answer.”
“When they study us our systems study them, and we’re faster.”
“So what’s next?” I asked.
“We put on a Cactus, follow me.”
She pushed the tray with the gun out of the room and I followed her till we reached an elevator.
“Are we going out now?”
“You betcha.”
I started to get excited and my stomach tingled. The tip of my fingers felt electrified. We got into an elevator and went one floor up, where the air was warmer. I started to perspire. I could hear a muffled hum that was coming from the surface so I figured we were just a few meters below the surface. She pushed the tray into the room and onto another platform elevator. It was lit with red light, like a photography dark room. By the side of it was a metal cabinet. She opened it, and there were four guns and four of the spiky suits that I saw the guards wear to go outside.
She took one of them out.
“This is the Cactus suit. It's a camouflage suit that muffles sounds and deflects your figure. It also absorbs the environment temperature so you'll be invisible to infrared. Oh, and it also diffuses radars.”
“It didn’t help those guards who got shot two days ago.”
“Those idiots never follow procedures.”
“Did the Purists ever try to attack you while you were out there?”
“Oh, usually I don’t go out myself, that’s your job.”
“But…”
“You’re the GTA, I do the technical part, and you do the dangerous part. I’ll go out with you just for a few times.”
She handed me a suit and it stung my hand. I put the pants on first, then the vest. Then I had to attach the sleeves, and lastly the headpiece. Just like I saw t
he guards do. For all of its technological sophistication, it wasn't easy to put on or move in; walking too fast or making too sharp a movement caused you to get stung by a metal fibers. That's they called it the Cactus. Then she handed me a gun.
“Instead of using gunpowder that you’re familiar with, these guns use a strong repulsive magnetic field to shoot. The little glowing bar represents the power left in the battery. And the bullets are pretty standard besides that they can be shot to a longer range than old regular bullets.”
The gun felt powerful in my hand. I looked between the crosshairs and got the sense of it by moving around a bit, assuming fire position and aiming. Just like the old times, two days ago.
“I’m going to show you what do to and you're just going to shut up and watch me.”
“Got it.”
She got dressed and we moved slowly toward the platform elevator with the gun on the tray. It was extremely annoying to move in that thing. I had to spread my legs a little bit and lift my arms to the sides to avoid chafing myself. It felt heavy and clumsy, not like a battle suit at all. But if it was as sophisticated as she said it was, I guess a couple of stings were worth saving my life.
“First rule: you don't go out without permission. Repeat that.”
“I do not go out without permission.”
“Second rule: you stay out as briefly as you need.”
“I stay out as briefly as I need.”
“You only go out after the sunset.”
“Do I need to repeat everything?”
“Repeat.”
“I only go after sunset.”
“You breathe through your nose and blink a lot.”
“Why?”
“Because it's the hottest, most humid place you’ll ever be and it burns to breathe. Also, never pick the same elevator twice and don't create a pattern.”
“Never create a pattern?”
“Good.”
The two of us stood on the platform. It was camouflaged with actual rocks and sand. She leaned over to get her eyes scanned, and then pressed a button on the intercom.
“This is Viti and frosty coming up for a switch.”
A male voice answered.
“Scan his eyes please,” the voice said.
“You need to stand here.” She pointed at the place she was standing. I took off my headpiece and got my eyes scanned.