T.H.E.i.

by Karl Tutt

  Chapter 2

  The pie was delicious and the scoop of ice cream on top made a breakfast I’d had many times, but still loved. I sat in the recliner, sipping the coffee. It was somewhat thin and watery. I made a mental note to mention it to Suzy --- I like it strong --- when suddenly I heard her voice.

  “Okay Big Boy, sailing or skiing?”

  “Tough decision, but I think I’ll take the boat.”

  I fell back into the plush leather and took a deep breath, I had heard somewhere that they used to issue some kind of weird goggles that you put on before the trip. I was glad we didn’t need them anymore.

  Instantly I was sitting in the cockpit of the Swan 42 sipping a cold Heineken, when she came down the dock. The sun was brilliant, the temperature a perfect 82 degrees, a light northwest breeze, a day only God could have made, if he was present --- and if he cared.

  She stepped into the cockpit and smiled. Then she let her loose fitting cover-up fall to the floor. The bikini, at least what there was of it, was pink. It barely covered her full breasts. She turned to give me a full view of a thong and a voluptuous ass baked to a golden brown. She touched my arm and flashed a coquettish grin. She always seemed to know what I wanted --- I mean always --- and that’s why she was there.

  I fired up the diesel and slipped the lines. The Swan glided into the basin like a perfect lady. We motored over the light blue-green chop. I marveled at the cliffs and the snowy gulls as they glided in soft circles overhead. Soon the sails had filled the sky like snowy goddesses. We left Pemberton Point to starboard, cutting the rhythmic swell at six knots. The gleaming hull settled into a gentle heel as the water whispered to us. We reached past George’s Island and headed toward the Boston Light.

  “Why do you stay with me, Suzy?”

  I tried to keep the tone of my voice casual and unthreatening.

  “Mark, don’t be silly. You are the one who gives me life. You know I love you, but sometimes you ask too many questions. You’ve already been in Att-Rehab. You know that too much curiosity will only get you back to Camp. I’m here to love you, to please you, to make your existence a virtual paradise. That’s all you need to know.”

  She looked for a way to divert my attention and quickly found one.

  “By the way, do you mind if I remove my top?”

  I shook my head with a tinge of male guilt. She reached behind her back to loosen the string. The nipples stood taut, and the magnificent orbs settled onto her chest. Now she didn’t ask. The bottom of the bikini slid over her legs. She bundled them both and threw them below. The tight brown triangle between her legs glistened and shot a tease of pink. Then she came to me and placed a moist brown bud in my mouth. My tongue was eager.

  “I hope you don’t mind,” she cooed and winked, knowing I couldn’t in the least.

  I looked down at my legs. The muscle in my thighs rippled and I felt the bolt of fresh air fill my lungs. I could feel my manhood growing and throbbing. My arms longed to hold her, take her below and taste the woman in her. But it would wait. We’d drop anchor in that cove where no other human beings existed. Then I would ravage her. She would be breathless and beg for more. It all happened --- just as I imagined it would.

  When I finally got back to the chair in my unit, I was totally satiated with the day. I tucked my right arm into my side and crossed it over my chest. Suzy had left me for a while with a fat glass of Maker’s Mark over ice and memoires that were the stuff of dreams. A fabulous boat, a perfect day, and a perfect woman. There was no more to ask for. I let that glow wash over me as I savored the rich golden bourbon.

  Then it was time for the evening recap. I didn’t even have to turn it on. The wall lit up and the Vid shimmered to life. The Guide appeared right on schedule, perfectly groomed, a benevolent smile emanating from his handsome face. His attire never varied . . . the same royal blue jacket, fitted tightly through the chest and buttoning to the neck. He took a breath and began.

  “I know your day was fabulous, “he said in a mellow baritone, “it always is when you exist in our paradise. A place without sickness, war, or famine . . . a place that only T.H.E.I. can bring to you. Peace and love, my friends. And now the news.”

  I listened and watched.

  Something light and classical played softly in the background. The news was all good, but a slight sense of déjà vu lurked on the edge of my consciousness. A ten year old boy had saved his baby sister from drowning. An ancient patriarch had left his fortune to the state for advanced medical research. T.H.E.I. reported that world hunger was at an end. AIDS and Ebola had been conquered. There was no more Zika virus. Smiling faces, joyous and contented . . . celebrations of life just as they had promised. It was as if the stories spun off an endless reel. Just as I felt myself fulfilled by the latest tale of sacrifice or bravery, of total selflessness --- of proud testimony devoted to the wellbeing of one’s fellow man --- something inside surfaced and I begin to suspect I had seen this clip before. Still it droned until the reassuring face returned.

  “That’s the news and remember: tomorrow will be another fabulous day in our own personal paradise. Peace and love to all those who have the Faith.”

  The screen went black except for a tiny spot that blinked in devilish rhythm. It was an eye that never faded from the upper right corner. And what of the Faith? What exactly did that mean? That every human on the planet gave up any trace of free will . . . a Faustian pact in return for eternal care and comfort . . . a lifetime of unmitigated pleasure? Was this living, and if so, was it a deliverance or a bargain made in hell? The spot? It was a reminder . . . or perhaps a warning. T.H.E.I. were always present. They never ceased to watch . . . to judge . . . and to act.

  I sat in the recliner, my senses somewhat numbed by the broadcast. But in a listless transformation, my mind eased into something else, and in this moment, a vision not so benign.

  It was the Dwarf. He had shoved another note under my door. He inhabited the unit across the hall. We seldom spoke but he seemed to know when I entered the space. He’d stand in front of his door with a puzzled stare, as if I was some mystery he was compelled to unravel. Then a couple of weeks ago, without warning, he failed to appear. Most of us didn’t change our habitats. We were in our units for life, such as it was. But sometimes another tenant simply went missing. It was a minor mystery that most of us tried not notice, or just deliberately ignored. I never really knew him, but there was a singular comfort in seeing another human being from time to time, even as grotesque as he was. No real matter. Someone else would occupy his unit soon.

  I call him the Dwarf because that’s how he looked. Stumpy legs, too-short arms and a head much too big for the rest of him. He’d stand motionless and watch me. I’d nod, and a twisted smile . . . actually more of a grimace from a funhouse mirror . . . would invade his shrunken face. He never really said anything. I wondered if he was born with that body or if somehow the meds had stunted all of him--- maybe not one limb at a time --- like most of us. The other thing I noticed was that he still had muscle tone. I didn’t see much of that in what few people I encountered. He was small, but solid. I guess it was seeing him that got me started with the jugs of water. I didn’t know, but there again, there wasn’t much that I did know --- outside of my trips with Suzy --- the places she took me, and the love she gave me.

  The first note came about a month ago. I thought initially it was some trash that the auto-clean had missed. I picked it up, but as I was about to drop it in the compactor, I noticed there was something deliberate about it. It was neatly folded and the paper almost gleamed in a snowy white. I peeled it back. “There is a place.” It was scrawled in what I guessed was pencil. They were on the list of banned items, but I’d seen one at my grandmother’s apartment many years ago.

  That was all it said. It seemed so odd. They no longer taught anyone to write and most of us couldn’t read even a few words. Who needed it? It was all on the Vid. I looked around. Suzy wasn’t home yet, and a dusky
haze had fallen over the unit. I knew T.H.E.I. would turn on the lights soon. Then I did something stupid, but it seemed necessary at the time. I tore the paper into small bits and stuffed it in my mouth. T.H.E.I. siphoned through everything, even the garbage, and I didn’t want it found. It could mean Camp.