The Society Builders

by Anthony Puyo

  “I see.”

  “I’m glad to see you still care for me.”

  I smile at her. I do like that I don’t have to say anything. She knows all she needs to in here.

  “We have to get going. I sent you the address.”

  She replies. “See you there, lover.”

  I disconnected from the mainframe, less because I despise it, and more because it’s really hard for me to adjust to it. The feeling of being connected can be overwhelming. I open my eyes. I immediately feel the sweat. I look down. I’m drenched.

  “Hey, freak? Are we going or what?” Jake says, peering at me with strange eyes.

  “Yeah. Sure.”

  “Do you want to change your underwear? Eww, dude.”

  12

  We get the warehouse by first taking the subway, then I paid two boys, eleven maybe twelve in age, five hundred dollars for their less than worth it bicycles. There was no way we could take any sort of taxi with me being a number one suspect of the authority. In order to get a taxi you had to touch the screen in the back seat or dash, so it could identify you by print. It was useful in the odd chance there was a crash in the woods where no one could find you, or if a drone’s CPU got fried. However, it worked best for those who've committed a crime. Once the law knew who you were, they would disable your print for any use of transportation. Though, this method did not work well for the subway system that still functioned via tickets. That being said, the fingerprint system was very reliable. It was one of the “it makes society better” type deals that passed easily in the House and Senate. It’s hard to know sometimes whether the government is truly trying to make things safer or just looking for a good excuse to put more restrictions on us. With the development of the Thin Chip, I’d have to say everything is leading to this point. They were only days away from corralling the herd.

  The meat factory has worn broken pavement, a parking yard surrounded by a fence. The fence seems to have been through some rough times, being bent and broken in one section near the side of the building. A sign of vagrants and druggy infiltration. All the windows are boarded up and the white walls are peeling. An old eyesore would best describe the place. Why the engineer liked to rendezvous in spots like these is beyond me. I can only speculate that besides it being scary, no one would ever come looking for an inside-man over here.

  A smooth wisp in the air causes us to stare up. Coming down in a pure white drone is Myra. What timing. She gazes down upon us with elation in her eyes.

  In the back of the warehouse the engineer stands near a roll-up door. True to his word like before. I wonder why he would risk his life. I guess the guilt for his part in the Casper experiment had weighed heavy on him—as it should have. He appeared to have remorse over it in the memory we saw.

  “This way. Hurry,” he waves to us before disappearing in the inner dark of the roll-up door.

  We all stand in what looks like a supervisor's office. Of course, it's near empty, only a beat-up desk rests in it now.

  The engineer is dressed in a running outfit and a ballcap. Sort of odd to see him this way. Maybe he’s more paranoid than I thought.

  “What’s so urgent that you needed to see me, Jake?” he says with a bit of smugness, as if some of his guilt had finally fell off his back from the last time we met. “And why is she here?”

  “You don’t need to worry about her. She’s with us. Here’s what you need to see. We have this?” Jake responds.

  I pull David’s chip from my coat pocket. Both the engineer and Myra’s eyes round.

  “Jason, whose is that?” Myra asks.

  “It’s David Casper’s.”

  “Unbelievable!” The engineer states. “Now I see why Matson has half the city searching for you.”

  “There is enough evidence on here to stop tomorrow's announcement and shut down Matson and the Thin Chip in its entirety.” I reply.

  I turn to Myra. “That’s what I need from you. I need you to contact every news station and give them the information on this chip.”

  “What’s on it, Jason?” she asks.

  “Matson’s plan to control the population at the very least. That’s what they did to David. Isn’t that right, engineer? David was innocent.”

  He looks at Myra, with culpable eyes. “I’m afraid it is so. But—”

  She gapes, stunned at the revelation. “You helped?”

  In a whispered tone dealt sharply, the engineer says, “Yes.”

  I don’t need to be hooked to the mainframe to feel what Myra is feeling. I know her heart is hurting deeply. She peers down, then at me, then at Jake, then back at the engineer. Her eyes bared responsibility.

  “It’s not your fault, Myra. You had no knowledge of Matson’s plan.” I tell her.

  “I’m assuming you came to ask everything I know.” The engineer utters.

  Jake replies. “Shit yeah!”

  “I only know so much.” He spreads out his hands in pleading manner. “You do realize when decisions of great magnitude are made, ones that will shape society, the information is often spread out. The people on the low end of the pole are only told what they need to know. What will help complete the job they’re intended to do.”

  We all nod with the slightest of movement. The aura around us is hollow; a dead calm meant for the passing of loved ones.

  The engineer continued. “David was an experiment of the Thin Chip A. You would have never have seen any letters on the packaging if it was made to sell to the public.”

  “You mean this chip is the only one of its kind? So they’re not trying to control us?” I blurt in.

  “The many powerful people who run the show, didn’t like that we were creating a chip that could literally control the likes of the brain. So they put an end to it. David’s was the only one. The rumor around the lab was that there was an argument amongst the elites. Some feared that it left the door open for betrayal amongst the order. They felt it could be turned on anyone—anyone of them I should say.

  “So they proposed that a new chip, Chip-B they called it, would be made to serve an existing feature from Chip-A. I could not tell you what that feature was, as I and many in my department did not work on that part of the chip. It’s common practice for Matson and DARPA to put new engineers on different task. This is done as an effort to cut the flow of information. To hinder leakers such as me.”

  “What is the X-Chip?” I ask. Both him and Myra stare at me as if I spoke a new language.

  “In one of David’s memories, the X-Chip is mentioned by Phil and Michael while he was getting the implant.”

  The engineer shakes his head. “I don’t know what you're talking about.”

  “No clue to what the D-code is?”

  “No. I have no idea. But if Phil mentioned it—and Michael knows about it—it can’t be for anyone’s best interest. There’s only one thing I know for sure. The mainframe is the key to everything. That’s why it’s locked in a vault. Not even Professor Landon can access it.”

  “Then how did you guys even work on and around it?”

  “Phil Balock. His hand and eyes get us in. I don’t know anyone else with access. It’s possible Michael can gain access also. Though that would be purely speculation on my part.”

  We all walk out of the office. I hold Myra’s hand leaving the engineer and Jake to talk.

  “I’m sorry I doubted you, Jason. It’s just—it’s not every day you hear your father is the head of a corrupt organization.” She says.

  I pull her hand, looking her in her eyes. “We don’t even know he has anything to do with this. For all we know, he’s not in the loop.”

  She nods, brushing her swaying hair back over her shoulder.

  A part of me feels I shouldn’t be giving hope on something that very well may not be true. But it’s what we do sometimes when we know the people we care about are hurting. I just want her to feel good. If I had to bet on it, I’d say Myra’s father is involved. He is the owner of Matson, and he also told
her of the watchful eye of the mainframe and how good it is that they can do that. And I know Myra isn’t stupid. I’m sure there’s a glimmer of hope because as people—we want to believe, though all logic tells us different.

  “Take care of yourself, Jason. I’ll get this chip in the right hands.”

  “You’re talking as if we’re breaking up.” I say grinning.

  She smiles back, then kisses me softly. “No. I just know till this chip gets seen, you’ll be a wanted man. I’m such a mess right now. It hurts. All this hurts.”

  Her eyes tear. I put my hands on the bottom of each of her cheeks, thumbs parallel to her chin bones.

  “Just know we’re doing a good thing for humanity.” I say plainly. It’s ironic that I would say that, when it’s humanity's fault that we’re in this mess.

  “My cab is here.” She relays softly.

  I get one last hug, one last kiss, then she leaves out the door next to roll-up door.

  I make my way back to Jake and the engineer who stand on the dock thirty feet from the exit. The small area is lit with disposable, yellow light sticks placed on the floor.

  The engineer puts his hands in his sweater’s pockets. “Okay, guys, this is the last time I’ll see you. Things from here are going to turn real ugly, and frankly, I don’t want to be around when it happens. I’m leaving tonight. So I wish you and everyone else the best of luck.”

  I reach and shake his hand. “Thank you very much for your help.” I couldn’t help but ask one more question. “Why did you do it?”

  He chortles, lifting the front ends of his feet while he searches for the words. “Because Matson, or any of us, doesn’t have the right to shape society in their favor.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, Garrison,” a raspy, strong voice echoes through the shell of a building.

  I turn and see two shadows coming towards us near the light of the open door. The tips of the long coats and round hats gave me clue to who they are.

  The engineer gapes in fear. “Phil?”

  The glow uncovers them unevenly. Their thighs capture most of the light, their serious faces the least. The pillars of wrinkles on their necks, the crow’s feet around their eyes, these are men of business. Born in an era eight decades too late. They have faces that could be chiseled in stone or made into brass busts.

  Phil has a pistol pulled. “You rat sonofabitch,” he says with calm disgust. He puts a bullet in the engineer's chest.

  The puncture doesn’t move the man. Instead, the engineer just looks down. When he sees the blood, he falls loose in limb before collapsing to the floor on his back.

  I immediately drop to help him. “It’s going to be okay, Garrison—I know your name now. Just calm your breath. Stay focused.”

  Terrified, Jake puts his hands up, taking a slight step back.

  I keep an eye on Phil and his crony, but I try and console Garrison. “It’s going to be okay. Just stay calm.”

  Garrison’s eyes seem lost. I’m not sure how much of reality he perceives. He coughs blood; a sign of internal bleeding. He grips my hand tightly as he squirms.

  “He’s a goner, kid, and if you don’t play it smart, you’ll be joining him.” Phil says.

  I peer at them, then back at Garrison. I don’t know what to do. I find it very hard to think.

  “Jason . . . come closer,” Garrison relays in a near strangled whisper.

  I bend my head lower to hear what could possibly be the last words of a dying man.

  “Mendez, I’m the one you need to talk to.” Phil blurts.

  “Tah—take my hah—hat. It will distor—distort the Thin Chip—ps signal. That’s how they found you. In my waistband, I have—I have— “

  The air punctured low in sound like before. The engineer's body kicked as another bullet made its home in him. With such little room, and in the faint light, Phil shot the side of Garrison’s head, sending specs of red on my face.

  “I told you, Jason, I’m the one you need to talk to. You’re going to hand over David’s chip or you know what’s coming.”

  He takes off his hat and turns his head to the side for me to see a bandage he has placed over his ear. “I owe you one for this. You took half my ear off in that sewer. Not a bad shot in the dark, I’ll say. So, here’s the deal. If I don’t get that chip, I’ll go after your little girlfriend for payback. What do you think of that?”

  “You can’t do that. Henry will have your ass.”

  Phil laughs as if I told a joke. “You really don’t know shit, do you?”

  “Why don’t you clue me in, Phil?” I slowly start to reach for Garrison’s waistband.

  “Henry’s a part of the whole plan. That shouldn’t shock you. What should, is the fact there are others much more powerful than Henry that can override any of his decisions at a whim. And I have direct access to all of them. I could, however, keep things running smoothly by having Myra die in a way that’s not so obvious. Or maybe I’ll have a little fun with this one. I could slit her throat and pin you for it. That’ll pack on the insult to injury, right Jason?”

  I can feel my own face tighten with anger from every word that spews out of the bastard's mouth.

  “But let's face reality here, Jason.” He spreads his arms, “None of what you’re trying to do here really matters. In a few weeks most of you Pure-ies,” He peers at his crony who seems to be entertained with the speech. “Is that a word?” Phil asks him. His companion shrugs with a side cheek grin. Phil stares back at me and continues. “Well, anyway. Most of you pure-ies will have conformed. And the ones who don’t will be hunted down like the animals they are, and in the fucking ground they’ll go. The great cleansing is coming, kid. And there’s nothing you or any of your activist friends can do to stop it.”

  “I don’t understand.” I blurt. “The great cleansing?”

  “And you never will. Because you won’t be alive long enough to find out. Now tell me where that chip is.”

  As fast as can, I pull the gun and take a shot. I quickly roll over Garrison’s body for cover. “Run Jake! Run into the darkness!”

  I see him disappear from sight.

  Shots fire back at me causing the blood to burst from Garrison’s corps. I retaliate, sending Phil and his partner scurrying for cover. I use the opportunity to grab the ballcap and make a run for it. I trigger behind me without looking to gain separation as I, too, disappear into the abyss.

  I gaze back seeing the flicker of their pistols. Luckily, I have them shooting the wrong way. I don’t stop moving, trying to be careful of my steps. I can only hope I’ll reach a way out soon.

  “Stay safe, Jake,” I whisper to the dark. “I’m sorry I got you into this.”

  13

  The city is finally under the veil of darkness, and for once the stars actually made an appearance. I ran, walked, jogged for over half an hour. I went in and out of neighboring buildings, stores, and plazas, all in an attempt to throw off Phil and his goon. I had no other means of transportation because of the fingerprint system. But even if I could’ve fetched a taxi, where would I go? My place is for sure on lockdown. Myra’s place was definitely out of the question. My only option was to find a place for the night that would accept cash. And judging from the decay of this part of Jersey I’m in, that shouldn’t be a problem.

  I walk into an anonymous motel. My only search criteria for place was that it had to be pretty shabby, and this place fits the bill to the T.

  Now that I have time to rest and think, I replay Garrison’s last words. He told me they found me because of the chip. If this is the case, why didn’t they find me in the warehouse? They weren’t even shooting in the right direction. Perhaps it’s not the chip by itself. Garrison had said before, the mainframe is the key. Is it possible he was trying to say it’s the chip’s ability to log into the mainframe that makes it vulnerable to wiretapping?

  The more I ponder it, the more the theory appears to be logical. Twice I’ve been cornered and somehow escaped with my
life from Phil. Him and the authority had been searching for David Casper for a better part of a month and half with no real luck. And he was less than a block away from his house, though underground.

  The point is, is they could not find him. It wasn’t until I did, that Phil did as well. And if I my memory serves me correct, I did log into the mainframe to leave Myra my location right before my encounter with David. I also remember connecting to the mainframe after the subway incident because my phone was lost by then. Then I logged in while I was talking to Leonard and Jake about David’s chip. This could have led to the incident with the authority at Jake’s house.

  With every recollection, I feel the waterfall coating my body with all the things I’ve been missing. I gave information to what I was doing, where I was going, and who I was seeing when I talked to Myra. Phil had to be listening—tracking me—waiting to pounce at the right times. There is no other logical explanation.

  Phil is one of who knows how many that have access to the mainframe. DARPA, Matson, both wanted the leaker, so when I accessed Myra from the hotel giving her the address to where we were to meet him, Phil took notice. He waited till Myra left to make his entry.

  I pick up the ball cap. Garrison must have made this for the announcement. That’s why he was leaving. He knew we’d all be a part of the mainframe come Monday with no option to logout. When that happened, he knew they would find out what he did. I can only wish that Myra gets that chip to the news.

  14 Myra

  My father has always been someone I admire and respect. I love to sift through my memories and see the times that we shared together. Especially the ones when I couldn’t even talk or walk yet. I can literally access memories when I was just two weeks old when I want to. It is something that is very special in our time. And I never take it for granted. People of past decades would have loved to have had these types of capabilities. To put it in perspective, what would one of the Emperors of Rome had thought if they could have saw themselves on a polaroid piece of film? It would have been mind blowing, right? Yeah, I think what we have the people of just two decades ago would have went crazy over. It will be sad if this all has to come to an end.