by Chris Ayala
The crowd roared so loud that Marcel didn't have to finish the story. If fists weren't up in the air, then their hands were slamming together. The men and women loved the story. He smiled. When the noise died down, he said, "I'm looking around this room and I'm seeing those same faces. The same bullied faces." More nods and smirks reaffirmed his assumption. "There's nothing wrong with trying to be better. But we get picked on for it?"
Marcel placed his hands behind his back and straightened his back, "So, starting immediately, I'm giving Union Keepers the authority to use whatever means necessary to take down these bullies. No miranda rights, no forms to fill out, and no permission needed. We share the same goals. Let's shut down this movement. By…whatever…means necessary."
The auditorium was filled with screams of agreement, claps of encouragement, and chants of excitement. Marcel didn't need to say anything further. These deadly protests were soon going to be over. The Union Keepers were sure to put an end to the People of Bliss.
CHAPTER THREE
HEY WILLIE,
IT'S ADAM. THIS SEEMS SO STRANGE WRITING A LETTER. MY CURSIVE WAS IS SO BAD THAT I RESORTED TO PRINTING. AND EVEN THEN THE SMALL LETTERS WERE ARE WERE SO HARD TO READ THAT I GOT TO WRITE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. I SURE HOPE, I'M PUTTING THE COMMAS IN THE RIGHT PLACES? FUCK IT I'M SO SICK OF REWRITING THIS LATTER LETTER AND I'M RUNNING OUT OF PAPER. ISN'T THIS CRAZY - THIS IS LIFE NOW? WE DEPENDING ON EMAILS, TEXTS, I MEAN WHATEVER - TO COMMUNICATE THAT WE'VE FORGOTTEN HOW TO LIVE LIFE WITHOUT TECHNOLOGY. I'M USE TO MY COMPUTER AUTO-CORRECTING ME THAT I CAN'T DO SIMPLE GRAMMER. OR IS IT GRAMMAR WITH AN "A"? I DON'T EVEN HAVE GOOGLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION! I DON'T TELL ANYONE, EVEN JANICE, BUT I STILL HAVE MY DEAD SMARTPHONE. I SLEEP WITH IT UNDER MY BED. I PRETEND LIKE IT WORKS SOMETIMES. KINDA WEIRD, WRITE RIGHT? AS THE NEW LEADER OF THE REBELLION, I THINK NIGHTS ABOUT WHO IS THE TRUE ENEMY? IS IT GENERAL VANDERBILT, THE DOUCHEBAG THAT DEFINITELY KILLED SIRIUS? IS IT MARCEL CELEST? IS IT THE UNION? I'VE COME TO THE CONCLESION CONKLUSION DECISION IT IS TECHNOLOGY. THINK ABOUT IT. IT RUINED EVERYTHING. WERE SO USE TO IT, THAT WE CAN'T FUNCTION WITHOUT IT. THE COMRORITY BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF BLISS IS ASTOUNDING. IVE MADE MORE FRIENDS HERE THAN FACEBBOK. AND MORE MEANINGFUL ONES THAN SHARING CAT PICS.
SO I GOT A MISSION FOR YOU. I WOULD ASK YOU IN PERSON - BUT IT'S A SECRET MISSION AND I WANT NO ONE TO KNOW. BOLDING WORDS IS NOT THAT EFFECTIVE IN PENCIL, HUH? ANYWAY -
UNFORTUNATELY, THE UNION HAS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO GET OUR HANDS ON ANYTHING WITHOUT THIS NEW PALM CHIP. AND IN A MONTH, FOOD IS GOING TO RUN OUT IN THE SILO. AGAIN I WANT NO ONE TO KNOW ABOUT IT. THAT LAST THING I NEED IS A PANIC.
IN THIS ENVELOPE IS A SYRINGE WITH A DECOY CHIP I CREATED. WELL, I DIDN'T TECHNICALLY CREATE IT BY HAND - I'M SMART BUT NOT THAT SMART. I FOUND A BOX OF OLD NANO PROCESSING CHIPS WHEN I WAS IN THE CITY. THE TECH COMPANY'S BUILDING WAS BLASTED PRETTY BAD BUT THEY HAD STOCK PILES OF THESE THINGS IN THE RUINS. I MEAN LIKE THOUSANDS OF THEM. ANYWAYS, I WANT TO SEE IF THEY CAN BYPASS THE UNION'S SYSTEM AND GET US THE NECESSITIES WE NEED.
THIS MISSION (SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT) IS TO INFILTRATE THE UNION INSTITUTE AND ATTEMPT TO USE THE CHIP. I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST QUOTED MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE. PLEASE DON'T TELL ANYONE THAT EITHER.
FIRST, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO INJECT IT INTO YOUR PALM MUSCLE. I DREW A DIAGRAM. DON'T HIT A NERVE OR YOU'LL CAUSE PARALYSIS. NO PRESSURE HUH? LOL.
IF IT WORKS - REPORT BACK TO US IMMEDIATELY. IF IT DON'T WORK - RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN.
I'M OUT OF PAPER. GOOD LUCK!
YOURE PAL, ADAM.
There are several things William Cooper had to live with the rest of his life. Like, when he decided to slide to third base instead of staying on second. Three legs surgeries later, Willie would never play baseball again. Another regret, never coming out of the closet to his mother before she died. "When you going to find the right woman, Papi?" she would ask. He'd answer, "Soon, Mama…soon." Even in a time when sexuality didn't define a person much, it still seemed shameful to admit it. Admit it to his teammates. Admit it to his family. Admit it to himself. But above all these things, the most nagging regret he had to live with was Sirius Dawson. The People of Bliss adored her as much as he did. She was like a sister. And Willie always promised to protect his family. But yet again, he let a family member down. And Sirius Dawson lost her life.
So how could he react to Adam's letter? Was "no" even an option? The decoy chip in his palm itched sometimes, but otherwise painless. Not even a scar when he injected it.
Willie wrapped his arms under each other. It couldn't be his imagination; the temperatures have been dropping lately. Considering the month of August should be warm, wearing a thick wool coat and beanie cap felt unsettling.
"This shit's taking forever," the scruffy thin man in front of Willie mumbled. He'd been in line for six hours behind this guy and this was the first they'd spoke.
Willie nodded.
The man rubbed his fingerless gloves together. "What choice we got, right? Leader's dead."
Leader's dead. Those exact words made Willie want to leave the missile silo in the first place. Now this stranger was saying the same thing. Sirius Dawson, the leader of the rebellion was dead and hope died with her. At least that's what the rebellion told him in a condescending tone. Willie had enough of the tones. This was his redemption. He scratched the chip in his palm.
"I'm Joseph," he said with a hand extended. It had been so long since simple male camaraderie had been offered to Willie that he just stood there; the last man Willie saw fought him for a leftover Subway sandwich in the trashcan. He extended his hand to a sturdy handshake. "This is my brother Joey."
"Joseph and…Joey? Sounds like your parents weren't very original, huh? Know what I'm saying?"
Joseph and his little brother that looked like a shier version of him just stared at Willie. Maybe that joke had gotten old to them. Joey whispered, "Nice to meet you, Sir."
The handshake hurt his palm. Maybe that shot did hit a nerve in his hand.
A woman, dressed in a white suit that must've been soaked in Clorox the night before, stepped out of the building. The line of people leaning against the wall finally stood with back grunts and impatient groans. She spoke, perhaps too chipper. "Hello, everyone! We are so thrilled to have you all here. Remember…you must have a Helix chip before you can qualify for benefits! Please follow me inside…in a single file line…and we'll get started!"
Joseph whispered, "Just like the Margarethen police station."
"The what?" Willie asked, scratching his palm.
"Margarethen police station. When the Jews were released from Germany, they all lined up…just like this…to get exit visas. Funny, ain't it? They had that same feeling we do."
"And what feeling is that?"
"Cautious optimism."
Hours had past. Willie's left butt cheek went numb from the stiff, metal chair and now his right cheek was tingling. Whatever order they were calling people into the room, it didn't seem alphabetical because over half the waiting area had been seen already.
He read the letter from Adam again. What did he mean by technology was the enemy? It sure saved lives, didn't it? It even brought billions of people together. How could that be bad?
The television set attached to the corner of the waiting area played that movie again. A propaganda film bent on explaining the positive side of the Union. It showed smiling children playing in a backyard pool, Dad frying steaks on the grill, and Mom serving iced tea. The captions stated: JOIN THE UNION INSTITUTE AND YOUR LIFE WILL BE LIKE THIS. Willie never owned a grill or swam in anything besides a public pool. He had to admit – his curiosity got the better of him. The caption even used the word will not maybe or could be. Your life will be like this.
Joey twiddled his fingers for over an hour sitting next to him. Willie tried several conversation starters like: Where you from?, What's it like living in Virginia?, and Did you know anyone who died on Doomsday? All he got were one word answers: Roanoke, Fine, and No.
Technology sure didn't save lives that day.
Joey's macho brother Joseph walked out of the room. "Let's go."
Jumping to his feet, Joey handed his sibling his coat. "Joseph, they gave me a mason job. I've always wanted –"
"I said let's….go…" Without even a good-bye, the brothers left.
"William Cooper," the administrator dressed in an ungodly white uniform said.
He stood up too fast, reminding himself to be calm. "How's it going?"
"I'm great. Come inside and have a seat. Don't be nervous."
Sure, no reason to be nervous. If the decoy chip didn't work, maybe the Union Keepers would just beat him to a pulp instead of killing him. Willie sat across from the strawberry blonde.
After minutes of typing, he couldn't stand it. Not only was the clicking of fingernails to keyboard keys annoying, but the fear of the decoy chip failing kept him on edge. "What do you use…to you know…scan me?"
"Oh! Sorry, William, you were already scanned when you walked in the door."
His gulp sounded like something out of Looney Tunes cartoon. "Did it all…come out okay?"
"Yes, of course! There's a few blank fields, but otherwise okay. Did you receive your watch yet?"
Not until that moment did Willie realize how much he had been sweating. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve. The fake Helix chip had worked. Adam would be thrilled. This meant the Union's computer system could be hacked.
"Sir?"
"Yeah?"
"Your watch? Did you get one?"
Since Willie had no idea what she meant, he just sat there. He muttered, "What watch?"
She smirked and dug in her desk. "The smartwatch syncs up to your Helix chip and keeps all your information in one place. You can also place free phone calls using the bluetooth ear microphone."
When the Apple iPhone was first released, Willie waited in a longer line than the one outside this building. He loved fancy new devices and the watch immediately drew his eye. It looked more like a wristband than a typical watch. Underneath it, she showcased how the tiny bluetooth earpiece detached. There was no face just an entire band streamed the user interface using color e-ink tech. With a few clicks of her mouse, she synced up the device and handed it to him.
Willie felt the material. Soft, yet firm. It wasn't metal or plastic. He secured it to his wrist. No discomfort what-so-ever. "It makes phone calls how? I mean, we ain't got many towers up, you know what I'm saying?"
"Well, not all cellular towers are operational yet but some are. There's a locator app on the watch that will show you areas to make phone calls. No more cellphones because the watch and chip do it all. Let me tell you, since…you know what happened…making phone calls has been so easy. Like, I had to fix a problem on my credit card – and someone actually picked up the phone. No annoying computer voice or annoying hold music, an actual person."
Three billion people had died globally. Sure, a lower population meant a higher care for those still alive. But Willie feel like this woman shouldn't boast about it. "Swell," he said placing the tiny bluetooth headset into his ear.
"And I called my dentist. No waiting period, I had an appointment that same day. So nice, isn't it?"
"Swell," Willie repeated. He decided to change the subject. "So what else can I do with this thing?"
"Everything," she said as though he was supposed to know that. "It does some of the typical things smart watches do, like track your exercise and calories to keep you in shape. But it also senses your blood pulse and stores health records. Even notifies a local hospital in the event you show physical signs of a stroke, heart attack, or any other emergency."
Not a bad idea, so Willie couldn't object to that. Certainly if his watch could've called an ambulance, Willie's father wouldn't have passed from a heart attack.
She continued, more enthusiastic with each word. "And you will have access to a free account with the Union bank. All your bills will be displayed through the bank's app. No more mail correspondence. And interest rates are gone, so no more credit cards getting out of control. Limits are given by how income you receive and you won't be able to spend more than what's out of your budget. Utilities are covered by the Union. Groceries are shipped to your new home, minus all the unhealthy foods and allergies, of course. You will be much better off nowadays."
All this sounded overwhelming. No more stress of a credit card balance that never seemed to shrink? Bills won't be piling up inside his mailbox? And he didn't have to educate himself on what's unhealthy and healthy to eat? The Union would do it all for him. Willie couldn't help but be happy. "Did you mention a new home?"
"Yes. Since you are registered single, the Union will give you a single a condominium - free, of course. We evaluate everyone a year after employment, if you improve at your job then you will receive better living quarters. Pay will stay the same, but your lifestyle wouldn't. Our top residence for singles even get a boat and home on the river."
It didn't seem like such a bad idea. Wasn't that what was the point of getting raises? To live a better life? It didn't matter what the paycheck was. Certainly, this was the drive he needed to perform better at his job. "What job would I be doing?"
"Let's find out." She said, scrambling inside her desk again. From the bottom drawer, she pulled out a pair of surgical gloves and small needle. "Finger please."
Willie held out his index finger. Before he could ask what was about to happen, she wiped his finger with an alcohol swab and pricked it with the tiny needle. As though it was her thousandth time (it probably was), she inserted the needle into a device connected to the computer. "What did you need my blood for?"
"Because, William, we need to know your ancestry. So much can told about a person from their genetics." Her eyes scanned the computer screen back and forth. "Like, for instance, did you know you are 1/18 Cherokee Indian?"
"Explains my craving for gambling then, huh?" Willie smirked. Since she didn't laugh, he reminded himself to calm the stupid statements. "So, you're saying that my genes show what job is good for me?"
"Right. You have been selected by the system for Shipping and Receiving Manager. You would be in charge of trucks coming in and out of the Union's buildings. Make sure merchandise is organized. Pallets need to be stored appropriately. You are in command of the forklift drivers."
The position sounded like everything Willie had ever wanted. Job after job, he'd given his all to get a management position. Instead he received a low wage and more work. Now, Willie would be in charge. And he always enjoyed the warehouse lifestyle. Just enough hustle to keep someone on their toes, but not enough to make someone exhausted. How could a computer figure out the perfect fit for him from a drop of blood? "Sounds dope," he said, sounding more surprised than he intended.
"Great! So I uploaded your new home address to the GPS app on your watch. I've also uploaded the work address along with your schedule. If you're ever unhappy, come back and I'll find you a better position."
Doubting he'd ever be unhappy with the position, he politely shook her hand and walked out the door.
Back outside in the chilly night air, he played with his new watch device. It slid open to reveal a bigger interface and was so simple to use. The bank app kept his finances nice and organized. The food app showed recipes and order status. The home app displayed temperature, utility use, and he could turn on the lights from his watch. The work app showed his schedule. And the GPS app mapped out the area around him; lucky for him since he knew little about the Allentown area and his dirty, thin map was shredding to pieces.
They selected a home for him in Brookhaven outside of Philadelphia, his birth city and where he spent most of his life. The Union did their research when selecting homes
because Willie felt overwhelming excited to see his hometown.
Staring at the GPS app made him wonder if he had the energy to the walk back to the missile silo. It took three days of chilly nights in his sleeping bag, insect bites, and eating food from cans to get to the center of Pennsylvania. It could be easier to just see his new home, maybe enjoy a fresh healthy meal, and try out the new job for a few days. He could make some money. Having access to the internet again brought joy back to his soul. Going back to the missile silo and seeing those disappointed faces on the People of Bliss took that joy away. Adam's letter didn't say they were running out of food immediately, so there shouldn't be any harm in enjoying the Union lifestyle for a bit.
He clicked the GPS app, chose his new home address outside of Philadelphia, and selected Free Taxi.
CHAPTER FOUR
Royal Declan grew up in the town of Union Grove, right in the center of Marshall County. Alabama taught her a thing or two about country-style living. Neighbors helped each other, the local bar knew everything about each other, and the townsfolk said hello to each other. Men acted like gentlemen to the ladies. It was moments like this, Royal missed home.
She had been smushed into the back of the taxi cab. One side of her face was inches from Bruno's enormous elbow and the other side of her face against the taxi's dirty window. He smelled like he bathed in Peroxide and Witch Hazel. On the other side of the giant, Victor drew flames on the condensation inside the window. All this, while Adam sat comfortably in the passenger seat of the cab. Why did he get to sit in the front? Shouldn't a lady be treated more fairly than this?