by S. L. Baum
“As you say.” He nodded his head with a smile and a wink, and then brought the other bag to the storage compartment in the back of the vehicle. “Will there be any more?”
“No,” Cimarron told him. “Her other things were shipped ahead.” Then she turned to me. “I have three very large cases back there. I bet he thinks I am an over packer compared to you,” she said with a laugh and then turned to my parents. “Aspen, Jackson, I’ll take good care of her. You should have no worries.”
Aspen crossed her arms in front of her chest. “We know you will.
My father took a step toward me. ”Message us when you arrive safely at your destination.”
I nodded my head. “I will,” I said quickly, taking a step toward Cimarron, I wasn’t sure I could handle another hug. “We’d best be going.”
“Yes, we should.” Cimarron said with a smile.
“Goodbye,” I waved.
“Concord Reigns,” Cimarron said, giving me a nudge with her elbow. It was one of the standard sayings that I’d been told to use consistently while on the tour. Citizens were looking at me as an example.
“Concord Reigns,” I repeated.
“Concord Reigns,” Aspen and Jackson repeated as well as Cimarron and I got into the back of the vehicle, and with that we were finally moving toward our first destination. Concord Two.
I sat in the back of the vehicle and stared out the window, but saw very few Citizens moving about. It wasn’t surprising, seeing as it was early on Sunday morning, Concord’s day of rest. The streets were almost clear, everything was sparkling clean, and the Saturday night Outdoor Maintenance crews were packing up their gear; their job was finished for the day. There was a family already at the park nearby, and a little girl playing with her doll under the tree that Thorn and I had sat by, days before. It would be a few hours before the handful of shops with clearance to do business on a Sunday opened their doors and more Citizens ventured out of their homes.
Cimarron blew out a slow breath. “Beautiful, isn’t it.”
“I was going to say peaceful.”
“I love Sundays, everything slows down.”
“Except for us.” I smiled.
“We won’t slow down for weeks.”
“I know,” I sighed. “Is there anything we need to go over?”
“Nothing right now. We’ve covered everything for the travel part of today. The rest can wait until we are much closer to Two.”
My eyes closed and I leaned back into the seat. “Lovely.”
“Take this first.”
I opened my eyes and looked at Cimarron. She was holding a tiny strip of red paper. “That’s dissolvable paper, isn’t it? What’s in it?”
“A necessity of travel.” She looked slightly uneasy as she said the words.
“And…”
“You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”
I raised my eyebrows and nodded my head in a slow, exaggerated motion. “If you want me to take that, and put it in my mouth, I’d like to know exactly what it does. So, yes.”
Cimarron sighed deeply. “It eliminates the need to… well, to, um, use a restroom.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
I took the red paper and put it on my tongue. It had a tangy taste to it as it dissolved in my mouth. “How long will this be effective?”
“For approximately eight hours.”
“And then everything goes back to normal working order?”
Cimarron shook her head. “Yes. Of course.”
I closed my eyes again. “I was just making sure.”
I fell asleep almost immediately. My mind was still exhausted and it was draining my energy level as well. I wasn’t given very long to nap though, and the jolt of the vehicle coming to an abrupt halt woke me sooner than I expected. I opened my eyes and peered through front window. We had reached the first checkpoint.
Cimarron patted my hand. “Brighten up, sleepy girl. We need to get out of the vehicle now. We’ve reached the beginning. Time to let these men verify our clearance for travel.”
I smiled. We had undeniably reached the beginning.
Once we were cleared, I would be exiting One for the first time in my life and would be on my way to Two. This was indeed the first step.
“A body scan with a facial match, correct?” I asked.
“Exactly so,” she confirmed.
After exiting the vehicle, a male worker at the checkpoint directed me step onto a raised platform, which was the base of an open capsule of sorts. The capsule was all white, with a bright light overhead. Once I had both feet on the circular platform, a glass door began to slide closed. I was trapped inside. It was a good thing that enclosed spaces didn’t bother me, because the walls were mere inches from my face.
“Keep your hands at your side. Do not touch the walls. Understand?” the man yelled through the glass. His voice was muffled, but I understood.
I nodded my head in an exaggerated motion to let him know that I heard, because the thought of yelling back at him seemed silly. His hand came up to push a button on the outside of the capsule, after which, bright overhead lights came to life and shone down on me. The man remained still, just outside the glass, staring straight at my Lush Brand. He barely blinked, and his mouth fell slack, as he continued to stare. Why hadn’t I worn long sleeves? I wanted to bring my right hand over, to cover the interconnected circles, but I could not. The capsule buzzed and hummed and a blue light skimmed across the glass door. I held perfectly still, as instructed. A few moments later both lights turned off and the door slid open.
“All clear,” the man shouted out to his partner, who was sitting inside a glass cubical. The other man’s face was looking downward, and he was busy tapping away at his tablet; taking notes on us, I assumed. “Next.”
Cimarron walked over to the capsule and stepped onto the platform, she waited for the scan and was given the all clear. Our chauffeur went last. Three scans… all clear. Clear of what, I had no idea.
“Has the luggage been scanned?” the second man asked, after he stepped out of his cubicle and came over to the vehicle.
“Yes,” our chauffeur answered. “The storage compartment has a luggage scanner inside. If there were any abnormalities a report would have been sent ahead of our arrival.”
“Good to hear. Let me just verify that with your vehicle registration number,” he said while typing into his tablet. “Those scanners are now mandatory, but there is a backlog on installations. I’ve heard it’ll be months before all vehicles will be retrofitted with them. Can’t come soon enough, it saves us the extra step of having to take each and every piece of luggage out and scanning them separately… a real time saver.”
“Don’t I know it!” the chauffeur agreed. “Those trunks get heavy too.”
“Exactly!”
The three men shared a laugh and my thoughts went to the unregistered tablet that I’d hidden in my other bag, the one that I’d kept with me. It was definitely an abnormality. I breathed a silent sigh of relief that it wasn’t in the storage compartment. It hadn’t been scanned.
“So you’re Bluebell, the Lush girl,” the man who’d stared at my Brand said. “I’m Sandy.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Sandy.”
“You too. Once my shift is over, my wife will be drilling me for every detail I can remember about you. She has your picture on the home page of her tablet. She thinks you are wonderful… I do too.”
“Oh? Well, I thank you. That is so nice to hear.”
“We just had a baby girl, you see, and, well, wouldn’t it be wonderful if she grew up to be Lush like you? My wife is taking notes, gathering information. We’re going to do everything right.”
Cimarron smiled at the man and I knew that this would be my first official interaction in my role as Lush Ambassador to Concord. “How fortunate for you. A girl. I’m sure she is a beauty. Please say hello to your wife for me, and I give you my best wishes for your little one
. Concur with Concord.”
“Concur with Concord,” he repeated back to me.
Cimarron leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Well said.”
“You are all clear to go,” the second man announced, looking down at his tablet. Clearly he wasn’t as impressed with me. It was good to know that not everyone was dazzled by the Lush Brand.
We got back into the vehicle and the chauffeur drove past the checkpoint and into a small, dark, square room that was only large enough to accommodate two vehicles or one large delivery truck. After we came to a complete stop, the huge metal door behind us descended, closing us in. I felt a drop in the pit of my stomach and was aware of the sensation of being lowered. We were dropping down to the tunnel that connected Concords One and Two together.
I felt the jolt as we stopped and another metal door, this time in front of our vehicle, rose up. We rolled forward. The tunnel was pitch black ahead of us, with lights that came on overhead as motion was sensed, and turned off again after we had passed by. It was a narrow, two-lane passageway that had been built under the ground and under the water, many years ago, by Concord’s engineers and faithful workers. I knew it was perfectly safe, but it still made me nervous, no matter what I had rattled off in my speech at Petunia and Petal’s Gala.
“It’s a marvel, this system of tunnels,” our chauffeur stated. “The amount of pressure overhead is amazing, but these are thick, reinforced walls. Nothing to worry about. Perfectly safe. I travel through them all the time.”
I grimaced and the driver caught my look in the mirror.
“You seem somewhat tense.”
“It’s fine… I’m sorry, what is your name? We are going to be together for several weeks. I can’t exactly call you the chauffeur the whole time. That would be rude, wouldn’t it?”
“I must say, it’s nice of you to ask, not everybody does. Well, my father named me Gilbert, but my mother never liked it much, so she always called me Gill.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Gill, but no more talk about how much pressure is above us. I hope I’m not asking too much of you on that one.” There was a hint of playful sarcasm in my voice, and I smiled at how easily Gill put me at ease. It was a special kind of man that could make a person feel comfortable around him immediately.
My father was that kind of man. It filled me with sadness to know that his every move operated under a deception. Every time he called Aspen my mother, he was lying to me. He concealed who my real mother was and then willingly forgot about her. How could he have done that?
“Sorry,” Gill said with a wink. “I’ll switch subjects. Did you ladies know that many years ago vehicles used to run on a fuel that was made from long deceased animals? That’s an unbelievable one, isn’t it? I read that while studying for my driver’s exam. Vehicles used to spew smoke into the air, a noxious gas that could kill Citizens. Our current rechargeable power cells make so much more sense, it’s a wonder we ever used such a primitive form of fuel.”
“There were a number of unhealthy practices before The Council began to do what is best for Concord,” Cimarron added. “We are so much more fortunate now.”
“Exactly so,” Gill agreed. “So much more.”
“I see lights up ahead. Does that mean someone is coming in the other direction?” I asked. My hands gripped each other nervously.
Cimarron craned her neck to look out the front window. “Unless it is a worker checking the structure. But more than likely it’s a vehicle, seeing as this is a two-way system. Probably a Councilman. They often travel between One and Two to conduct business.”
“Right you are,” Gill said with a nod. “I can see it is an official vehicle, much like this one, and not a Transport service or a Delivery truck.”
The oncoming vehicle flashed its lights as it passed by, and Gill gave a small wave. The other driver waved back. I saw the Concord Official stamp on the side of the vehicle as it passed.
“Did you know him?” I asked.
“Of course. All official chauffeurs are well acquainted with each other. I know the faces of most of the Transport drivers as well. It helps to know who is passing by… no strange faces behind the wheel of official vehicles.”
“Isn’t the permit for a private vehicle quite difficult to obtain?”
Cimarron patted my hand. “Yes, it is. Another problem solved by The Council, errant crashes by unskilled or unsafe drivers. Vehicular crashes still happen, but they are quite rare.”
Gill held up his right hand. “Five finger print scan and a pinprick blood test is required to start the vehicle. No other Citizen can operate this particular vehicle but me, until it is programmed by my superiors to accept another skilled driver. You know you are in safe hands.”
“I feel better already.” I smiled from the back seat. “Would it be alright if I slept for a little while, again?” I asked Cimarron. “I am strangely tired today. I don’t think I slept much at all last night.”
“Nerves again? You really need to force yourself to accept every part of this journey. You are the Lush Ambassador. Surrender to it, Bluebell. Everything will be much easier on your mind if you do.”
“What you are saying makes complete sense. It’s just hard for my brain to process it all right now. But I am trying. I promise. So, can I? Sleep?”
“Yes, that will be fine. I will wake you about an hour before we arrive. We need to go over a few things about Two and what we will be doing during the first stop of our tour.”
“That sounds just fine, perfect really. I’ve been reading up on the three other Concords as you instructed. Two has some interesting history.”
“Concord is always a quite interesting subject.”
“Mmmmhmm,” I hummed, closing my eyes. I began to play with my little flower ring. I found comfort in the feel of the thin band that surrounded my finger. “More interesting than I ever imagined.”
I slept soundly again; the movement of the vehicle through the remaining stretch of the tunnel lulled my body into a deep sleep. When Cimarron woke me, I felt refreshed, rested, and ready to go. She immediately plunged me into a tutorial, pulling up various documents on her tablet. Instead of simply reviewing facts about Two, she went over some general information about all four.
“Well, you know that One is where The Council and the founding government resides. All new mandates, guidelines, and rules come from The Council’s main offices in One. We also house the central hub for Armory and Peacekeeping. Two is where all Medical technicians and Doctors are trained. After Training Tech, if a new Citizen has been chosen for Medical, then he or she is transferred to Two, to attend their Career Education Center. Medical is the only Career that requires a CEC transfer. All serums, drugs, vitamins, vaccines, and so on are developed in Two.”
“It seems strange that Medical requires a transfer, but even though One is the central hub for Armory and Peacekeeper training, they are offered at all CECs.”
“Armory history and strategy are taught at all four, but Development is only housed in One. If a promising candidate arises in one of the other Concords, then there is usually a post CEC transfer for more on the job training. Peacekeeping can be trained anywhere, with the highest ranked officers housed in One to be close to The Council for vital decisions and actions.”
I nodded my head. “Alright. On to Three.”
“Three is the main distribution center, the warehousing of goods and materials. The things we use are designed, built, and stored in Three. It is a very vital part of Concord. Four is basically where the nourishment comes from. The growth of grains, fruits, and vegetables occupy one area. The raising of animals for lean protein, eggs, milk, and cheese occupy another. And a third area is where much of the pre-packaged and prepared foods come from. Without Four, we would not survive.”
“I’d love to see all that.”
Cimarron gave me one of her warmest smiles. “And you shall… and so shall I. This is the trip of a lifetime!” I could tell that she really was looking forward to i
t.
After going through countless photos on Cimarron’s tablet, which showed each of the four Concords, in an attempt to familiarize myself with Two, Three, and Four, Gill announced our arrival at the next checkpoint. We were still underground, not yet allowed to rise to the surface level. I looked out the window to see a guard who stood at attention, holding an oversized tablet.
“What will it be now?” I asked.
Gill held up his hand, wiggling his fingers. “Five finger scan.”
“That’s it?”
“That is all they need. The more thorough check was performed earlier. This one is just to match our prints to the face on their screen, sent to them by the two guards at the beginning of the tunnel,” Cimarron explained.
“You don’t even have to get out of the vehicle,” Gill added as he rolled down the windows.
“I need you to place your left arm out,” the guard instructed. “I’ll first take a picture of you, and then you’ll need to place your hand on the surface of the tablet. Your fingers will be scanned and checked. The system will alert me if there is not a match.”
I stuck my arm out the window. “Sounds harmless enough to me.”
“It is,” Gill assured me. “I do this all the time.”
After a click of the camera, a scan of my fingers, and a smile, wink, and wave goodbye from the guard, we were in the lift that would bring the vehicle to the surface of Concord Two. It seemed silly to me that all of the sudden I was completely excited. My heart beat a little faster with the anticipation, and I couldn’t wait to reach the surface.
“The Lush Ambassador has an admirer,” Cimarron teased. “That guard looked pretty smitten just to gaze upon your lovely face.”
I blushed and looked away from her. “Stop teasing me.”
“He isn’t the first and will definitely not be the last. You are very fortunate, unique, and quite beautiful… to be envied by the young women and desired by the men. That envy and desire can be used to benefit Concord. It is your duty as a Citizen to find the best way to do that.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I just nodded my head. As I glanced up, I caught Gill’s eyes. He was staring at me in the rearview mirror. I grimaced. He smiled.
