The Birth of Dystopia

by A. Q. Moser

  Cadet put his hands by his mouth. “Joel, come out,” he called out. “Joel, come out.” His voice dampened as he turned in different directions trying to reach out in all directions.

  54

  Expecting the situation was well under control, I strolled over to join Aerial, May, Wolfgang and Cadet in the parking lot.

  Seeing me first, May clapped her hands as if bursting with information. “Great news Joel. Aerial is one of us.”

  Wolfgang pulled up his sagging pants and bore a positive look that he accepted Aerial. Cadet was nodding at May’s comment, knowing he had done the right thing to bring Aerial here. Aerial had a smile on her face, not the type that made you question her motives but one of friendship and acceptance. She stood out with her vestment: a long cloak and lengthy earrings that sparkled with red and blue gems as they scattered the streetlights.

  “Hello Joel,” Aerial said and reached out to hug me.

  I embraced Aerial, trying to be welcoming. “Hi Aerial.”

  “We’re going back to Billy’s place and talk some more there,” Wolfgang declared.

  “I guess everything’s good.” I accepted the decision.

  “I have no doubt she had the same dreams we had,” Wolfgang admitted.

  “What about Billy?” I posed. “He won’t like this.”

  “I’ll handle him,” May advised, sure as any difficult politician would towards a meddling journalist. She skipped over to the only car in the lot. “Let’s go. It’s cold standing here.” She chattered her lower jaw and shivered to make her point.

  Seeing this, we moved to Aerial’s beat-up car to get out of the night’s chilly spell. She unlocked the driver’s door and then unlocked each door by hand. Since Cadet was nearest to the front seat, he sat next to Aerial. May, Wolfgang and I filed into the backseat of the car. She started the vehicle and let it idle for a few seconds till the engine recovered and sounded better.

  Aerial turned to me. “Joel, did you stop yourself from dreaming?”

  “What! Yeah, huh?” Although shocked by the question, it was comforting to hear Aerial describe the nightmares not as bad dreams but as insomniac nightmares. I felt a strange connection with her, as if she understood my plight.

  “I think you heard me correctly.” Aerial sat patiently waiting for a clear response.

  “Yes. Last night was my first night without a nightmare. I had no control over them so I could not have stopped them. It just stopped on its own.” I dismissed any effort on my part to control these beasts.

  “But you did,” Aerial answered without any further explanation. “Have you heard of the TV show Tank Rider and the subliminal messages delivered under the assumed project name Ameliorate?” She substantiated the existence of the accursed project.

  On both questions, I concurred. Cadet had described how the subliminal messages were transmitted previously.

  “Do you believe you would be a different person had you not been subjected to the Ameliorate project?” Despite her directness, Aerial had a reassurance to her words.

  Feeling it so without a shadow of doubt, I nodded.

  Aerial put her hands together as if she were about to say a pray or have a heart-to-heart talk with me. “It’s a tough world out there and life is constantly throwing us curve balls. Sometimes it’s so easy to give up and surrender. But we need to understand that through this injustice, we’ve been given a gift. Not by the military but by a higher spiritual order. If you believe in God, then call it God. In either case, it’s a gift to communicate at a higher frame of reference; not through words or gestures but instead by a mental link on a spiritual level. The evil done to us by subjecting our childhood to this project is counter-balanced by the good of extending of our communication capabilities; that is, the capability to share and foresee future events. Our lives can be made fuller by learning and understanding the present and the future. I can help you regain this skill.”

  Taken aback by Aerial’s good–natured explanation, I felt something was missing. She saw the sleepless nights not as a negative but as a new age method to talk with people I have never met before and as a means to forecasting the future.

  Not all of this was making sense to me. “My parents suffered so much for my sake.” I reluctantly let out.

  “Well, suffering is difficult thing to explain and accept.” Aerial paused as she reconsidered her response. “In all honesty, I believe the adversity of the project has brought a better understanding of what I have become. I wouldn’t be me if this didn’t happen to me. My lifestyle is to help people interpret their hectic life and get a hold on what’s really bothering them. To give you an analogy, I can help them achieve a higher ground. I produced lemonade despite being given lemons. The journey was not easy and I’ve learnt many hard lessons on my spiritual quest.”

  “As a scientist, I’ve combated with the concept of a God existing,” Wolfgang admitted. “However, I can’t scientifically explain the connection of our unique experiences through our dreams. Maybe I need to convince myself that God exists and just accept it. For now, I am comfortable with your extrasensory explanation.”

  “I believe in everything you’ve said,” May accepted.

  “I trust you,” Cadet acknowledged.

  Hearing three approvals, Aerial seemed more settled in her conviction. She just needed two more people to accept it—Billy and me.

  “Do you sleep at night?” As if the outsider, I wanted to remind Aerial of the pain associated with the unforgiving insomnia.

  “I get enough sleep to survive. With proper training you can control it rather than fear it. That’s what the military wants to happen. They believe in fear as a method of control. Don’t let them do that to you. Don’t play their game,” Aerial warned.

  Establishing her overall purpose in life, Aerial felt she had redeemed herself. She faced forward and drove.

  Cadet raised his left hand to signal to turn left. “Left again and then a right at the stop sign,” he directed Aerial.

  Such a clear and direct explanation left a sense of enlightenment to the point of being elevated to the status of someone important. It was difficult to accept that I was different for the better. The message was clear; I was more than a computer packager I was a member of an elite group. Like a pioneer out to explore new territory and prepare a path for others to come, I suffered so others would not need to suffer.

  Having our hideout approach on the right side, Cadet signalled for Aerial to pull over. She parked the beat-up car on the street out front of the modest two-story house with two garage doors as if sensing she was imposing on the host. The front drapes were still down as predetermined should there be no problems at the hideout.

  Upon exiting the beat-up car, Aerial turned to us. “Is everyone sure that my presence would not be a problem here?” She sensed a difficult situation was at hand by the low morale.

  On any other day, May would have gladly informed Aerial of the circumstances. Instead, she raised her eyebrows and looked away as if she could not break the news to Aerial. There was an uneasy pause as we gathered in a semi-circle on the front lawn. I had little doubt that Billy would do anything but go ballistic and beat us all to a bloody pulp.

  I stepped forward to try and explain what was going on. “Billy is a very emotional person especially concerning your presence here. We need to talk to him and convince him otherwise.”

  “Maybe I should wait by the car while you calm things down?” Aerial suggested.

  “You’re one of us and we need you. We go in together.” Cadet was prepared to defend our sixth member.

  Open to the solidarity, Aerial walked arm-in-arm with Cadet to the front door. Wolfgang, May and I tagged behind. Instead of knocking to announce our arrival, Cadet tried the doorknob and found the front door unlocked. Inside, a light from the kitchen illuminated the hallway. Somebody was still awake, waiting for us. We banded together by the house foyer, awaiting Billy’s verdict. We were expecting some harsh words as only Billy could
offer.

  Out from the kitchen a long shadow blotted out the kitchen light. The silhouette had a hunched look to it as if of a man cheated out of his possessions. “So what do I owe this unexpected visit?” Billy requested, resentful about the group dissension.

  “Aerial is one of us and we’re not leaving.” I locked the front door to make my point.

  “Oh really.” Billy chuckled, his arms crossed in defiance. He scrutinized Aerial as if she were a vermin. “I’m not a rat so how is she one of us?”

  Aerial stepped forward, hoping to have an open and frank conversation. “Billy—”

  “I wasn’t talkink to you,” Billy addressed Aerial in a condescending tone.

  Troubled by the nastiness, Aerial retreated to Cadet’s side.

  “Please be nice,” May begged for respect.

  “Just listen to what she has to say and then decide.” Wolfgang tried to find the middle ground.

  “You think you or anybody else has any say in this house?” Billy confronted the group. “I took the big risk hidink us here.”

  “At least, I’m not a sucky tyrant with my ruthless attitude.” May resorted to name calling.

  “I don’t need you.” Billy pointed to May. “I don’t need you.” He pointed to Wolfgang. “And especially that traitor.” He pointed to Aerial.

  “Are you going to kick us out?” Cadet addressed Billy.

  “Sammy, Cadet, whatever your name is. Nah,” Billy teased, sounding like a Billy goat. “I’m waitink for the military to storm in and arrest us.”

  It was a blunt comment that sent a shiver down my spine. We have a major action item on the table. We needed to expose the Ameliorate project to the public before any military could stop us. It was like collapsing while steps away from reaching the summit of Mount Everest.

  “I think your delusional Billy,” Cadet stated. “Just because we don’t follow your imposed rules, does not mean we have wronged you.”

  “This comink from a junkyard bum. Great career choice.” Billy added insult to injury.

  Nursing a physical injury from a dreadful kick from Billy during their skirmish, Cadet was ousted with a mental wound. He kept his eyes down as if embarrassed by the revelation.

  Grasping his hand for sympathy, Aerial felt bad for what Cadet had to go through.

  “What’s wrong with you?” May was aggressive in her tone of voice. “Just listen for once. You’re like talking to a wall.”

  “I’ll show you a wall,” Billy countered with a maturity of teenage delinquent.

  “Billy!” A lady called out. From the second-story stairwell, Giselle stood in a flannel nightgown. Her arms were exposed revealing more tattoos. “Why are you yelling at your friends, dear?”

  Billy rolled his eyes. “Cause they don’t listen.”

  “Aren’t you the pot calling the kettle black? My dear, when you were a teenager, you never once listened to me.” Giselle seemed madder about being wakened up in the middle of the night than by the childish bickering. “Billy, just like we did with you go have a sit down in the kitchen and work it out.”

  It just so happens that Giselle outranked Billy. He sighed heavily as if trying to reason out some other tactic.

  “Sorry to wake you, Giselle.” May apologized on our behalf. “We’re trying to have a civil talk but it got a little out of control.”

  “That’s okay my dear. Go to the kitchen, and enjoy some fresh home baked brownies. They’re Billy’s favourite since he was little.” Being our voice of reason, Giselle headed back to her room.

  Sweeping his hands through his short hair, Billy’s shoulders slouched forward in frustration and his feet dragged to the kitchen. May and Wolfgang followed him. Aerial nudged Cadet to follow too despite his hesitation. Although last, I was happy that there was a shift in the dynamics in the group and for once we were united as a group of six.

  The spotless kitchen would be our forum to air out our grievances. Apprehensive, Billy sat at the far end of the kitchen table with his back to the wall. He sneered at us as we filed into kitchen. Sprawled out in the chair, his legs stretched out making it difficult for six people to fit around the round kitchen table. As if distracted, he stared at the batch of brownies that were neatly stacked on a flowered-pattern plate in the centre of the kitchen table.

  Having everyone seated, May took the opportunity to feast on two home baked brownies. I reached for two brownies too as did Wolfgang. As if passively resisting, Cadet and Aerial restrained from taking the opportunity to enjoy a delicious late night snack.

  “Since we’re screwed anyways, you wanna know a story?” Billy opened, mixing his usual pessimism with Giselle’s compelling command to work it out.

  Everyone remained silent. It was best not to disturb but pay attention.

  “We all remember the steamboat dream from twenty years ago?” Not that Billy had to remind us of our first nightmare but it was a good way to recap the notable cause. “I made a music video of it and that basically brought us together.”

  Mindful that someone else was talking, Cadet nodded to that part of the music video even though he has not seen it.

  “I want to answer a question everyone has been askink about. In my video I mixed in dolphins with the steamboat because I had another dream with them.” Billy clarified the dolphin question asked of him several days ago. “In this dream, I was watchink a pair of bottlenose dolphins from the shore, each frolickink in the water and enjoyink life. The natural beauty of the dolphins invoked a special bondink with the pair despite being a spectator. Off in the distance a black soup seeped into the water forcink the dolphins to flee the perilous area. The dream had me feelink responsible for their departure because I could not stop the black soup.”

  Originally opposed to any group therapy, Billy seemed secure in relating his feelings and fears in front of everyone. It was like he was an expert at it after years of practice. This mindset must have had some impact with his musical career, as he would share a personal song with the world.

  May was bugged-eyed by how well the session was going. Wolfgang scratched his stubble chin, attempting to scientifically decrypt the nightmare. Aerial had her elbows on the table intrigued by the profound revelation. Eyeing the moist brownies, Cadet seemed more interested in the homemade food.

  “So I thought I’d mesh the dolphins with the steamboat dream into a music video,” Billy continued. “But the dream didn’t stop there. From the solid land of the shore I’m then balancink on a wooden plank high up with the clouds, high over any visible land. And the night has gone completely pitch black, just like the water.”

  Each detail of the nightmare was so foreign to me. I never had this one before. I thought we shared the nightmares?

  “How was the plank held up in the sky?” May questioned, inadvertently admitting that she did not have such a nightmare.

  “Let me finish.” Billy waved a hand to quiet down May. “Then you can talk. The wooden plank was held up by tweed rope connected to the four corners of the board. Here’s where it gets weird. Behind me was an approachink rottink water wheel apparatus, twirlink chaotically and actink like some strange force pushink me forward. It was like walkink down a plank on a pirate ship to eminent death. But as I step off a plank, thinkink I was goink to die, another plank appeared. This continued for a while. Out of the blue, the whole sky was closink in on me and instead of beink high up in the clouds, I was suddenly in an earthy tube, like an underground tunnel. The whole time there was a distant voice echoing the message money behave, good behave. I know this sounds weird but that’s what I remember.” He drummed the kitchen table with his fingers signalling he was done.

  “Wow!” May expressed my words exactly. “I never had that dream.”

  “Neither did I,” Wolfgang confirmed too.

  Not one of my nightmares either. Cadet shrugged his shoulders unaware of such a nightmare too.

  Thinking he earned a reward for cooperating, Billy devoured his favourite snack a brownie. Watchin
g the brownie disappear, it left me with the impression that Giselle put the brownies out knowing full well Billy would be more cooperative. Like a true mother, she could anticipate the well-being of her children.

  “And that’s why you wanted to return to the tunnel that Cadet dugout,” I explained the drive back to the tunnel especially since no one understood the underlying motive.

  “Crazy, I know,” Billy mumbled with a mouth full of brownie bits.

  “Money behave, good behave,” I repeated. Was there a simple meaning or something more profound? Was it another version of the ends justify the means? Or just simply, Billy would be rich? I looked at him. “You would become rich?”

  Billy clapped his cheeks in disbelief. “Wow, it’s like you know me. You do have some sort of gift.”

  “You’re so mean.” May frowned at the comment.

  Unprepared with a comeback, I did not dignify Billy’s cruel remark with a response. I was glad May stood for me.

  “Alright, sorry Joel. Sometimes things just slip out.” Billy bore an honest look of regret. “But seriously the money think came to me soon afterwards as I signed my first record deal just after my nineteenth birthday. Money and fame was mine if I stayed on track and dedicated to my music.”

  “Thank you for sharing your story.” Aerial smiled, comforted by Billy’s sincere candidness.

  “Now I’ve said my story. I want to hear yours,” Billy requested of Aerial in his usual degrading order.

  “You could be a little nicer about it,” Cadet begged Billy.

  “I let her in the house, didn’t I?” Billy was not amused.

  “That’s okay Cadet.” Aerial gave the relax gesture with both her hands. “It’s my turn.”

  55

  Aerial cleared her voice as she prepared to prove her extrasensory worth. “Do you have Cadet’s list?” She looked to Billy.