CHAPTER 37: LAWS
16 years old
As Summer makes her way between the buildings, her mind turns into a whirlwind of chaos. She’s glad that everything has been cleared up with Gage, but his words now echo through her mind like a breaking tide crashing upon the shore. You’ll be put on their radar, he said. Who’s he talking about? she wonders. She’s so consumed with these imaginary people that she runs right into Landon.
“Ducky!” He sounds relieved. “I was worried about ye.” His dark eyes roam over her face, his concern turning into confusion as his eyebrows come together. “What’s—” He glances over Summer’s shoulder to see Gage leave the girls’ room, and then his eyes swing back to hers. “Everything all right?”
She nods and grins widely at him, wondering what he must be thinking with the roses scattered all over the place outside.
He exhales a long breath. “Good, let’s go to class before we’re late.”
They rush back to the Edward Complex where Laws: Environmental and Societal is located. Inside the classroom is a man in a business suit with sharp angles and perfectly ironed hems. Summer and Landon take seats at the very back again, pulling their Astropads from their back pockets and the pencil-like plastic piece that accompanies it.
“Ahem.” The man clears his throat. “I’m Dr. Frankfurt. In this class we’ll be discussing modern laws for the environment and society in general. I’ve been a lawyer for twenty years and a judge of the Phantomship community for ten. We’ll start out with basic laws that have changed from the laws of two hundred years ago.” Dr. Frankfurt turns around and wipes his hand across the air where a hologram appears before the class. As he speaks, the key points appear on the hologram.
“The air of two hundred years ago was toxic, and the climate was on a downward spiral. Scientists worked diligently for years to find a way to stop the pollution that was poisoning Earth,” says Dr. Frankfurt, his voice dull, lulling Summer into relaxation.
“There are several new laws, but let’s start with the basic,” he drones on after explaining the change from oil to fusion energy, something that was covered in one of the previous classes, but one subject that Summer hadn’t paid attention to considering where her head was at during the class.
“Most important environmental law: all toxins, waste, or other trash must be disposed of properly. All water, above and below ground, has been traced. If anyone breaks these laws, tracking them is not a problem. I know how people in the past would throw their trash out their windows as they drove down the road in their gas-guzzling vehicles. That will not be tolerated here. We want people to have their privacy, but sometimes we cannot accommodate that due to people’s lack of good sense. Outside of the privacy of homes and some public buildings, all areas are monitored twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. You don’t break this rule and you won’t have any problems.”
A lot of this information is very new for Summer, and she isn’t quite sure what to think of how much they monitor everyone.
“We also don’t tolerate the sport of hunting unless it’s to provide food for the Federation, in which hunter’s have to earn a license,” says Dr. Frankfurt. Summer internally giggles at how nonchalant Jaden was about the whole thing.
“The penalty of breaking these laws is immediate death.”
Silence sweeps through the room, cold and deadly.
“Isn’t that a little much?” a girl asks timidly.
“We don’t take these matters lightly, Casey,” he says flatly. The fact he knows her name obviously takes her aback, and the eerie silence that follows sends chills down everyone’s spines. Summer’s no longer relaxed, but on high alert. They’ve already been “tagged” and can now easily be tracked and monitored. Step one toe out of line and your life could be forfeit. The whole idea makes Summer want to run away—and for the first time the camp doesn’t seem so innocent nor the classes so fun.
“Let’s move on to some of our societal laws. Murder, blackmail, stealing, or vandalism is not only cause for death, but for a public execution. These ways may seem crass and harsh, Outlanders, but understand this: without the imminent threat of death, these laws will not be taken as seriously as they should be. Two hundred years ago, even one hundred years ago, without these harsh laws, humans were slowly destroying the world. Any questions so far?” says Dr. Frankfurt all matter-of-factly.
Any answers are obvious, but Casey still raises her hand, and Summer can see her shaking from several rows back.
“Yes, Casey,” says Dr. Frankfurt, gesturing for her to ask away.
“Are there no warnings, no trials . . . no second chances?” Her voice is so tiny that Summer has to lean in to hear her.
“Ah, I knew this would come up. It’s rare that a trial’s necessary; with the technology we have today, catching criminals in the act happens ninety-nine percent of the time. As I said before, I was a lawyer and am a judge now. I do hear cases and sometimes it truly is all a misunderstanding. But no, there are never any second chances for those that are proven guilty. It’s unnecessary for us to have a trial with a jury of your peers when the proof is obvious via our cameras and neural transplants that the government can access when it’s needed for a case. Any more questions?”
The room stays silent. Summer’s sure that she won’t be breaking any of those laws, but the thought of how quickly they kill people for their crimes is mind-boggling to say the least. She’s seen beatings, brutal deaths, and other horrible things done in torture, but the fact that a group of people—a government—would allow a public execution stuns her.
“And let’s continue,” says Dr. Frankfurt as if this is nothing unusual. “Marriage, sex, and other interpersonal matters are no longer taken lightly as they were two hundred years ago. After the cure of AIDS and other STDS, scientists have been careful to make sure there are no other outbreaks of other kinds of sexually transmitted diseases. The neural transplant in each of us tests the blood on a weekly basis for any kind of illness and sends a signal to the closest doctor or hospital when something needs to be taken care of. That person is then contacted and asked to report to the hospital. To walk around sick or diseased is not an option. Canadians pride themselves in being healthy and living a longer, happier life than anyone in any other country. If you don’t report to a doctor, one will be sent to you immediately to dispense appropriate medication or to perform any procedures to cure or treat whatever ailment or illness you have.
“Marriage is another issue that we will discuss in length in this class. This is another matter we do not take lightly. I know that only a hundred years ago people were getting married and divorced so quickly the whole thing was a sham, a thing to do when you were bored, on a whim when some man found some flighty bird to snuggle with one night and marry the next, only to get her pregnant, find out she’s actually married to another man, and the whole thing ends up being a total disaster. That is not how we run things today, and I stress this,” says Dr. Frankfurt, his eyes glowing hazel-like, “there are strict rules on who can and who cannot get married. This is something that’s decided on by being tested using the Federation’s trials.”
“What?” a girl exclaims.
“That’s right, Martha,” says Dr. Frankfurt with a hand gesture saying I know it sounds silly, but it’s not. “Marriage is an institution.” His voice grows hard, and Martha, the poor girl in the front row, shrinks back. “When you find the person you’re ‘supposed to be with for the rest of your life,’”—he makes air quotes with his hands—“it’s usually not real and changes down the road. Now we have something that’s called an alliance, where a couple is committed for only a short time period. This is chosen by the Federation according to the couple’s compatibility test results. After the alliance’s time period has lapsed, and if the Federation finds the couple fit for marriage via a joining evaluation, they will be considered. Sometimes an alliance is sought for a second time.
“The joining evaluations are administered when a certified federal marr
iage decider follows the couple around for a two week period through covert means. Once it’s established that a couple is fit to marry, they’re given a short time frame to prepare their wedding rituals and wed. Once married, it’s then law that they must stay married to that person for the rest of their lives. If this law is broken by either of them breaking their vows to the other, there are dire consequences that include the males losing important parts of their body that will prevent erection.” He gestures between his legs, and the men in the class groan loudly. “And women have nerves surgically removed so they can no longer orgasm.”
Several people in class gasp, some giggle, and some make gagging noises.
“This may seem extreme,” continues Dr. Frankfurt, like the news isn’t that disturbing, “but we promise that the process of removal is painless to both parties. Medicine is different than it once was; the whole idea of medicine from two hundred years ago is just barbaric. People no longer have to feel pain—actually, with the neural transplant in place, when one is in extreme pain, there’s a signal that goes out to the nearest doctor who’s then sent to them and given a dose of medication that lasts for however long the doctor deems necessary. Now, anymore questions on this topic?” he asks, his eyes scanning the room.
Everyone’s too aghast to say anything. Summer’s certainly been shaken by Dr. Frankfurt’s nonchalance on the whole topic—all the topics, really.
“Now, let’s continue. We no longer have prisons,” says Dr. Frankfurt with a smile. There are a few exclamations around the room.
“What do you mean?” one boys says loudly.
“Yeah,” another agrees. “I mean, what do you think this place is?”
“This,” says Dr. Frankfurt, his voice growing loud over the mumbling students, “is not a prison. You’re free to roam the boundaries of the camp. To you this may seem like prison, but you’re not jailed here, only being protected from those on the outside who are against Outlanders. Until we are able to integrate you into society we must protect you.” There’s something in his voice that rubs Summer the wrong way. He’s hiding something—she can see it in his eyes. What is it?
Phantom Universe Page 39
