The Free City

by Marius Pitigoi

  “I’m going to start by giving you very bad news. Tyler Hall’s father is a very rigid and categorical man. He swore to avenge his son. He has already applied for confrontation. I talked to him personally. He told me he wouldn’t be at peace until you paid. However, ‘to pay’ could mean a lot of things. If you plead guilty, the trial will end tomorrow. Then, you’ll be left with ten days of training after which you’ll be sent to New Hope. I suppose you didn’t change your mind—you will plead guilty, right?”

  “Yes…”

  “Good. Believe me, it will drastically increase your chances to eventually return home. It will prove that you know yourself and that you understand what caused you to behave like this. If you deny your actions, you will be asked over and over why you refuse to admit them. Now, it may look like I am the only one questioning this, but your response will help authorities construct your psychological profile. In addition, I will help Lydia get your computer back and the personal items you wish her to take care of. After that, my job is done. If you want to continue to retain me, you’ll have to pay me.”

  “How? I thought you said I have nothing left.”

  The lawyer smiled. “You don’t, but Lydia might.” He looked over at Lydia, who was present and heard the whole conversation. “I could help you.”

  “Yes,” said Lydia. “I want you to work for us. You and I will talk eye to eye. Dylan is still overwhelmed.”

  “That’s very bad. He has to focus on the training sessions, especially on the survival ones. The beginning of your stay will be the hardest. Twenty-seven percent of the murderers who are sent to New Hope… Sorry, I mean those who commit crimes… So, as I was saying, 27 percent of those who commit crimes who are sent to New Hope die within the first month. This is primarily because they can’t adjust to it. The percentage is also high because it includes those who agree to the confrontation, hoping until the last minute it would result in a happy outcome.”

  Lydia nervously played with her hair.

  “This confrontation… isn’t it obvious they would get themselves killed? Nothing will happen to those who perform the killing. So why wouldn’t they do it?”

  “Religion, ethics, morals… there are many cases that don’t result in murder. And one more thing—if you hope to ever leave New Hope, refrain from joining an organized group at all costs. If you do, it’s as if you refused the confrontation… you’ll be left with no chance to leave.”

  “Why?”

  “Society assumes that, despite all evidence, you will not admit to yourself that what you did was wrong, and you will try whatever it takes to avoid facing that truth. After you are strong enough to accept the past, only then can you change yourself. If one is an alcoholic and wants to quit, the first thing that he must do is to admit he has a problem with alcohol and then try to change himself. In this case, you have to accept how society works and what New Hope is. By joining a gang you will not.”

  “I thought you said Tyler Hall’s father wants to kill me. I don’t see the point in agreeing to the confrontation.”

  “Yes… but for the time being, it’s better to postpone it. I have to look at how things might evolve after a few months. Let’s hope he’ll actually sweeten up.”

  Chapter 3

  The trial had only one hearing. Dylan admitted to the murder, as previously decided. The judge informed him that he would be exiled to New Hope. The judge would have been just as correct if he had said that Dylan would have been deported to New Hope.

  He noticed Tyler Hall’s parents in the courtroom. They were visibly overwhelmed by pain. He told them it had been an unfortunate accident. He never wished for this to happen, not for a moment. Tyler Hall’s father, whose name was Gabriel Hall, stood up and pointed his finger at Dylan:

  “I’ll do to you the same that you did to me. Remember that!”

  As he was told by his lawyer, the judge confirmed that a request for confrontation had been lodged by Gabriel Hall. It was now up to Dylan whether he accepted it or not. It seemed that everything happened too quickly. Yet the state had no interest in spending money on cases that were considered simple, for which clear procedures were already set in place.

  The following day, Dylan was awakened at the crack of dawn and brought into a room that looked like the primary school’s classroom where he studied as a child. It had white walls, which displayed here and there a small crack or a tiny hole, proof that someone had thrown various objects at it. Despite that the room was quite big, it was furnished with only a table and two chairs. He sat in one of the chairs and waited. After a short while, a thin man in his fifties, wearing a tracksuit and carrying a kit entered the room.

  “Hi, my name is Johnny Robinson. I am going to be your trainer during the ten days you’ll be spending here. I like to call myself a trainer, but my official title is mentor. It’s my responsibility to explain to you everything you need to know about New Hope—and what you have to do to stay alive. Out there, survival is your goal. From the moment you wake up till the moment you go to sleep, you’ll only need to have one thought: survival. Since New Hope is a country without laws, you can be easily killed out there.”

  “New Hope is a country now?”

  “Well, yes… although it’s not particularly large in size, forty million people live there. More than in any other city on Earth. Murders are a common occurrence in New Hope, yet still some people go there willingly. There are some who want to experience freedom on their own terms or, as someone once put it, ‘Man is condemned to be free.’” Johnny sat down in one of the chairs and placed his kit on the table. He took out two bracelets, each about an inch wide.

  “You’ll have a lot of time to read and find out things on your own about New Hope. I’m here to teach you about the practical things. These are the most important things from my kit.” He held up the bracelets. “They’re called status bracelets. They change colors and shine depending on your social status. You have to keep them in sight at all times. If you come across someone with bracelets that are red-colored, that means the one wearing them is a dangerous individual. You also must be leery if someone seems to be hiding their bracelets. You can be attacked out of the blue by that individual, without reason.

  “The bracelets’ colors are remotely controlled by the authorities. If they consider you to be dangerous, they can decide to change them to red. In this case, you must be on the defensive as others will fear you and you may still be attacked. Others won’t waste time wondering why the bracelets are red or why they might be missing. They’ll just know you are an outlaw and will attack you according to the idea that the best defense is to attack.

  “It’s also possible in New Hope that a bounty can be placed on your head. Money is an extremely important asset there and very difficult to come by. But let’s go back to our business. In general, the bracelets are green colored, which means that you are a basically normal person. If they are yellow, you have some type of health issue. It’s more like a warning for you. Even the sheriffs wear bracelets. Theirs are blue.

  “I have to put your bracelets on now. From this day forward, you must not unfasten them unless you return here. I will say it again, do not, under any circumstance, unfasten them. You will make a huge mistake if you do. Your profile information is loaded in its servers. That means pretty much everything about you: fingerprints, retina, timbre of voice, the way you walk, twitches, everything. So even if you do not have the bracelets on, they contain enough information to identify you. They will know if you try to scam them.”

  The bracelets were cold on Dylan’s skin, as if they were made of metal. Johnny Robinson adjusted them so that they were neither skintight nor fell from his wrists. There was no doubt that the bracelets contained a lot of electronic circuits inside. It felt as if he was wearing handcuffs, but without the chain that linked them together. Dylan never was the type who had worn bracelets or jewelry—well, until that moment—but he would have to get used to it now.

  “You’ll use the bracelets to
enter the ward and to open the door to your studio. All you have to do is to draw them near the entry sensor. Obviously, you won’t be able to open doors besides yours.”

  “Do they contain a GPS? Am I going to be tracked wherever I go?”

  Johnny Robinson smiled. “Of course they have GPS. And many other features. Among other things, they measure your vital signs so that the authorities know if you’re still alive. They have radio signal, too. Each bracelet is fitted with a round button on the lower part of your wrist. If you press it, you get in touch with the authorities. It’s an emergency call. Someone will take your call and advise you depending on what you need. They can work as mobile phones, too. But that’s a chargeable service. It’s better to activate it only if you can afford it. Normally, the battery will last for one or two months, if you don’t use it too much. Then the battery needs to be replaced.”

  “They confiscated all I had. How will I be able to pay for anything, let alone a phone call?”

  “New Hope is still a working economy. You can earn money the same way you did here. You either work for it, or someone offers to give it to you. On top of that, I’d add that you can steal and not be held accountable. I suggest you don’t try that, though. People act like dogs when it comes to their possessions. Speaking of money, your account—your virtual wallet—can be accessed through your bracelet. You can use it to make payments or withdraw cash.”

  “What about security? Shouldn’t I have a password or a PIN number? To be sure nobody has access to my money other than me?”

  “Don’t worry about that. It’s impossible. Transactions can only be made from inside the ward. As soon as you step inside, you are automatically identified. If you need cash, you go to an ATM and withdraw it. The authorities will know who you are and how much money you have in your account.”

  “It sounds like an all-purpose gadget. Is there anything it can’t do?”

  Johnny Robinson pretended he had not heard the question. He pulled out a gun from his kit and placed it on the table.

  “And this is your toy. Customized according to your fingerprints. You are the only one who can use it. The sooner you learn to use it, the better you will pull through in New Hope. It’s an electroshock weapon. It has a maximum range of one hundred meters. Once hit, your opponent will be immobilized for up to one minute, which is enough time to get away. If your opponent got you angry, there is enough time to kick him before getting away. The weapons typically aren’t lethal, but if you are shot numerous times within a short time frame, then things may get complicated. It depends if you have other health issues, such as heart-related issues.”

  “So everyone has one of those?”

  “Yes, it’s the same model for everyone. It’s necessary; otherwise, women—who have an inferior figure compared to men—would stand no chance of survival. If a woman suspects you have bad intentions toward her, she can use her weapon against you. You must carry it with you everywhere. But use it wisely! It can save you, but it can also get you in trouble.”

  “It seems that New Hope is a city with an endless civil war.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far—it’s a city where people are free, where they can do whatever they want without any law preventing them from doing so. If you want to get high, you can. If you want to live with seven women at once, all you have to do is find those willing to participate. But this freedom comes at a cost. Whoever feels insulted or offended in any way has the right to do himself justice—although the concept of justice does not really fit in this context. One, instead, would do whatever is considered would compensate the initial fault. Or as somebody once said, ‘freedom is the power to act.’

  “Back to the electroshock weapon, if anybody wants to hurt you, he will steal your gun. You won’t be able to get another gun until days later, and at a huge cost: five thousand dollars! Stealing weapons is a common practice because those who steal are also the ones who offer to sell weapons back at a ‘reasonable’ cost. How ‘reasonable’ the cost is depends from thief to thief. It is extremely important that you learn to use this weapon as efficiently as possible during these ten days of training. The number of shots you have is limited: twenty per month. If you need more shots, you must purchase them.

  “Needless to say, it is essential that you be in top shape before entering New Hope. Fortunately, you’re not overweight, so it will be easy for you to get in shape very quickly.”

  “You keep telling me that I’ll need money. But you haven’t told me exactly how to procure it.”

  “Nothing is produced in New Hope, there are no factories. You will have to find a service-related job. You’ll be helped to a great degree by the state which, from time to time, will offer you a job, following an algorithm that cannot be revealed to you. It might be related to the sanitation department or social assistance. Or if you’re lucky, you’ll be part of a program for testing new drugs.”

  “Great. I have to be very lucky to become a guinea pig!”

  “True. That job is high demand. Obviously you must first agree to it. But you can earn a considerable amount of money. And the more serious the illness is, the higher the income.”

  “But I’m healthy.”

  “That’s not a problem. They can make you sick, if necessary.”

  “You’d have to be completely out of your mind to let someone make you sick so that, afterward, you’d take some drug that you don’t even know would work.”

  “In New Hope, however, the need for money might be a strong enough argument. Besides, before tests are actually performed on people, many tests are performed in vitro. There’s a high probability that many treatments are successful. All these tests are performed by medical staff who know nothing of your past, other than your medical history. They have no interest to intentionally harm you in any way. But as I said, you would be undertaking some risks especially since a group of participants usually is given an ineffective drug, a placebo.”

  “Nope. Not for me.”

  “I was just explaining your options. Aside from that, I’m sure you’ll find a job.”

  “Hmm… I could work in IT. To edit images, maybe even testing.”

  “You can’t. You won’t have access to the Internet. You’ll have to find something else.”

  “But what?”

  “Any kind of service you’re good at. Either in areas such as personal care—you can be a hairdresser, manicurist, pedicurist—or in areas such as entertainment. You could perform street shows and—well, why not—you can even become an advisor. Not to mention certain services that some consider immoral, such as sexual facilities, fights, or even gambling. The idea is to convince others to give you money by any means. You have to keep in mind that New Hope is not Red Cross or other nonprofit organization. On the contrary. Despite that it has to ensure minimum decent living conditions for free—such as food—it still receives higher revenues than expenditures.”

  “Aha… so in the end, I’ll still get something for free.”

  “Yes… Food is one of those things. Now, the free menu does not have much of a variety. And you might not like it. But it was deemed that the standard menu provides a resident with 110 percent of the recommended daily intake of calories. You could actually get fat in there. I personally advise you don’t.”

  “How can New Hope be profitable?”

  “To a great extent, that is due to those who go there willingly. They spend a lot of money on comfort and parties.”

  “So comfort is not the same for everybody!”

  “Of course not. The unemployed live in blocks of flats, in twenty-square-meter studios, without electricity, running water, or sewerage.”

  “What? How am I supposed to relieve myself?”

  “There are special toilets and shower cubicles in each ward. In some cases, when it is too dangerous to leave your studio, it’s better to use a bucket and then throw out the waste when you can. Also, you’ll notice that during rainy or chilly days, there are many who prefer to defecate in the sta
irwell of the building.”

  “Doesn’t the smell bother them?”

  “When your main concern is to stay alive, the smell will be the least of your problems. You’ll pray that your iron door keeps out as much danger as possible. The windows can only be opened less than four inches. They can’t be used to get out of your studio.

  One of the techniques predators use is starvation. I heard that two or three will stand at your door and wait for you to leave. If you do, they’ll kill you. If you don’t, you’ll starve. Depending on how important you are to them, they will wait for days on end. To start with, it would be a good idea to store up some nonperishable food, especially water.”

  “But the door is solid? It cannot be broken?”

  “Theoretically it can. But that means you’ve angered a boss, someone with impressive power. It’s never a good idea to hide inside your studio. It’s better to run and try to sleep over at your friends’ dwellings, if any—if not, then on the streets.”

  “Since I will have neither running water nor electricity, should I assume I won’t benefit from heat either?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Then how am I supposed to stay warm?”

  “By wearing warm clothes, or you can buy a powerful battery and an electric blanket. Fortunately, it’s springtime now, so there’s still time left until winter. But we’ve talked enough. Let’s get to the practical things. Have you ever fired a gun?”

  “No… I never needed to… I’m a confirmed pacifist.”

  “You make me laugh… You’re a confirmed pacifist, but you killed a man.”

  “It was…”

  “Yeah, I know, an accident. Anyway, I’m not here to judge you. On the contrary, I’m here to help you. Let’s start. Are you right-handed or left-handed?”

  “Right-handed.”

  Dylan spent a half day shooting at a target while standing up, lying down, hunkering, even running. However, the results were disappointing. He hardly managed to hit the target and only by mistake had hit the bull’s-eye. After the shooting session, he then began the physical training session. He was presented with a set of exercises he was told to repeat daily in order to keep fit.