by Chaim, Moran
“Good luck,” the man said.
The elevator started to rise and the red light dimmed.
“One last thing,” she whispered, “I’m not your tour guide, so look at the view but ask me nothing.”
The opening above us dilated and I could see the sky for the first time. It was radiating a majestic red, pink and purple. Like nothing I’d seen before. I didn't know it was pollution that made the light break that way. We walked out of the platform onto a dry piece of land with rocks scattered all over the place.
And then I saw it. It was just as Isaac has showed me on my first day. I was standing in a circle of grey colored poles that was surrounded by a high fence. You could see the erosion marks on the poles from withstanding the heat and sand blasts. Each pole had four laser guns at different heights facing each direction, constantly panning left and right with an irritating rusty sound. Two cameras sat atop each tower, one facing inward and one outward. A zeppelin balloon was connected by a wire above each tower, with a wind turbine inside it. I couldn't say how big the circle of poles was, but it was huge. Inside sat hundreds of solar panels, all facing the sunlight at the same angle. Some had cracks and some were totally shattered.
The air was extremely humid. Sweat was dripping into my eyes forcing me to blink every few seconds. I breathed through my nose and was sweating like a racehorse. Hot wind was blowing from the west, shooting sand through the air. There were no trees. I could hear no other sound other than the humming of the A/C units and the turbines above us. I could have marveled more but Viti had rushed me causing me to get stung by the cactus suit. I started to bleed. She shouted that I would get used to it.
“Are you sure you're supposed to do this while you're pregnant?”
“See anyone else here?”
After we reached the closest tower she approached a metal box and opened it with a key. One of the guns lowered when she turned it to the left. She replaced it by opening the harness that held it to the tower. It didn't seem difficult at all.
“Wait till one of this puppies break and you have to climb up there yourself to open the harness.”
I started to have trouble breathing, as if the sand was filling my lungs. My eyes were stinging so badly that I could barely keep them open, and I almost tripped on a rock when I tried to turn around and go back inside. I tried to see if I could spot any buildings on the coast line where Tel Aviv used to be but I got a sand blast to the mask. It felt good to be outside, but not physically. It was like a boot camp in hell. I wanted to drink so badly and breathe clean air. Yet I felt like I accomplished something.
Then, Viti collapsed on the ground and started shouting and breathing fast.
“What happened?”
“…contractions…I'm not supposed…”
“What's wrong with the baby?” I asked.
“Take me inside…idiot!”
She was screaming so loud I wondered if anyone could hear us. I tried to carry her by the armpits.
“Watch it!” She screamed.
I dragged her on the ground. She was heavy, and screaming and getting scoured by the Cactus suit. She didn't deserve this.
“Get me to the Clinic!”
At least she had mounted the gun already.
I managed to drag her to the platform and it automatically lowered us. A medical team was waiting with a stretcher on wheels. I guess they saw us on camera. They put her there without removing the cactus suit.
My lungs hurt. I was bleeding beneath my suit. Rough start.
Chapter 9
When I got to the clinic, Dr. Manu was there talking to Viti and her husband.
“Thank you, frosty.”
She held my hand and started crying.
“I almost lost him.”
“You'll be fine,” her husband said. “Everything will be just fine.” He then thanked me, too.
“I spoke with President Padma. They’re going to find someone else to train you in the meanwhile,” Viti said.
Manu was smiling at me in a suspicious way.
“So, I hear you got a job.”
“I did,” I said with confidence.
“Good for you. At least you have your luck.”
He had lost his guinea pig.
“Sorry I was being a little rough on you,” Viti said.
“That’s ok,” I replied.
She wasn't that bad actually. I had it worse during the army training. Way worse.
“I can do it myself.”
I looked Manu right in his puffy eyes.
“Gun tech, you, alone?” He laughed at my face.
“Yes. Diagnosing malfunctions is automated anyway. I'm more capable of going outside alone than anyone.”
“A dangerous proposal from someone who was found unqualified for technical positions,” he said, and looked at Viti, who shrugged. She was too tired to care.
“Talk to the president. I bet she'll say yes.”
“I doubt that.”
Manu looked at Viti for approval again, like I was crazy. And I was but I wanted to get back at him. The chances of me becoming a full time technician were zero but I had nothing to lose. Plus I hated him.
“He's a fast learner,” she said. “All the information is in the computer anyway. And I can guide him through here for awhile.”
“You’re both crazy, I won’t allow it. The former gun tech will replace you until you feel better or the new one takes the job. And you…” he looked at me, “You’re just the GTA and that’s lucky enough.”
“This just made me want to talk to President Padma myself. See you soon,” I said with a fake confident smile.
I left the clinic proud of myself. If I wanted to blend in I’d have to earn their respect. I must believe in myself first. And I think I just started to no matter what happens.
Before my date with Shanta I just walked around in circles in the main street looking at people. I had to give myself something to do or else I'd go crazy waiting. I tried to make the best of the situation and to progress my current status. But in most cases you just have to wait for a reaction or a change, because it’s not up to you. So I waited for Shanta.
She had told me to meet her at a festival in the simulation, but I didn't know what that meant. I hoped it was a type of a date. Since we’d be meeting in a simulation, showering in the real world didn’t matter, nor did changing my clothes. Since I couldn’t bring myself to eat after what I saw in the roach factory, my stomach growled and demanded attention. I tried to pace myself so when I'll finish circling the city I’d end up back in my room. It was 5 minutes before our date and I started to walk fast and funny like those competitive walkers at the Olympics.
I went inside the simulation and was automatically transferred to a grassy plain in the mountains. The sun was shining but it wasn't hot. So many people were there, all dressed in their white overalls. Dance music was playing. I can't explain what it sounded like but it was fast and people were dancing funny. There was a big stage and behind it a colorful sign read Holi Festival 2321. President Padma went on stage and the music was turned down. ‘Her Children’ hailed her. Why would they ever leave this place in favor of the surface when they could live here for free and always get what they want? Padma spoke about how many children were born this year and how efficient the systems became. About senior students that moved to their next role in the city. And then, surprisingly, she was speaking about me. Out of ten thousand people that were there, she chose to talk about me, the newbie.
“As you all know, we unfreeze a new storyteller every once in awhile, so we can pass on the knowledge about the old world and learn the morals of the previous generations. But this time we didn't welcome another grandpa, to our surprise.”
The whole crowd was laughing because she was charismatic and down to earth. She was a real leader and they loved her.
“The new citizen is actually here among us. Roy, could you come on stage?”
I was blushing. I didn't know why, I have never blushed.
By now all virtual eyes were on me as I walked through the crowd to the stage. I climbed the stairs and she opened her arms for a hug. We hugged for a second and I saw how massive the crowd was; young and old, short and tall, women and men.
“Roy is only nineteen and has a bright future in New Knaan. He shows great potential. He is the only person in this city that was actually a trained combat soldier.”
“I present you Roy, our new Gun Tech Assistant!”
The crowd exploded. I felt loved and appreciated although I hadn’t done anything yet. This place was becoming my home more and more.
Padma then took some yellow powder from a bucket near her feet. She clenched her fist and presented it to the crowd. She said something in a language I couldn’t understand and then threw the powder in the air. It shimmered in the sunlight. People were ecstatic and started throwing colorful powder at each other. The air filled with clouds of various colors, staining their white overalls. They came here to dirty themselves? What was that? Breaking the routine kind of thing? At the time, I didn't know it was a Hindu tradition that symbolized the beginning of spring and the victory of good over evil.
As I walked down from the stage I saw Shanta. She was there, all relaxed and colorful. She looked so beautiful.
“Hi, nice to see you again,” She shook my arm.
“You too,” I said.
“Are you excited?”
“Are you?”
“Yes,” she answered with a big smile, “I am going to show you some neat stuff. Sorry, show you some neat stuff.”
She turned away from the crowd and I followed her. While we were walking on the green plain I felt better and better; me, a defrosty, on a date with the president's daughter.
“I was outside today,” I said.
“Wow, how was it?”
“It's hard to breath. Sand blows in your face. It's hot, and the cactus suit is painful…”
“But it's real.”
“Yes, but this is real also,” I said.
“I mean, as opposed to this simulation.”
“Yes, but you know, you can't compare the two becau—”
“—can I show you something?” She asked with excitement.
“Sure.”
I soon found myself on a white tropical beach wearing a tee shirt and shorts. Shanta stood next to me wearing a Hawaiian looking grass dress. We were standing on the sand but it was elevated; we were on a giant sand castle.
“Did you build this?”
She nodded her head and smiled.
“This is awesome.”
“You want awesome? Wait till you see this.”
A blink after and we were standing on a top of an Orca whale, riding on its back while it was swimming against the waves. Shanta was holding onto a leash that was connected to its head. I held her waist. I felt the rubbery whale's skin under my feet. Salt water splashed in my eyes each time the whale leaped over another wave. I felt Shanta's waist bones and the soft skin around them. She looked back at me and smiled. The sun lit up her eyes and a wet lock of hair rested on her face.
“This is what you do every day?” I shouted.
“Sometimes,” She smiled. “Sometimes I do this—”
She pointed upwards.
I heard a screech in the sky. I tried to see where it came from but the sun was in my eyes. Out of nowhere a figure blocked the sun, becoming bigger until I could see it. It was a dragon. It reached down with both its legs and caught us. I was scared even though I knew everything I experienced was part of the simulation. The dragon held us gently and flew away. I saw the Orca diving in the sea beneath us as we rose higher and further away. The wind was blowing in my face. I looked at her, smiling.
“This is so fun,” I shouted.
“Yes, but don't you notice something?”
“Like what?” Everything was perfect.
The dragon started to descend quickly into what seemed like a jungle. My stomach was in my throat, though I knew I was physically in my bed. It felt so real and so scary.
“Can you slow down?” I asked.
“Too fast for you?”
The dragon started to swirl in the air like a corkscrew, descending even faster. I started to get dizzy. I closed my eyes and told myself it wasn’t real, yet I could still feel the pull of gravity and the wind in my face.
“Don’t wake up, you sissy.” She held onto me.
“Just stop it. It’s not fun anymore.”
In a second, the dragon had let go and dropped us from the sky.
“You asked for it,” she shouted during the free fall.
I screamed. I'm not ashamed to say it but I screamed like a little girl. Even though I knew it wasn’t real, when a dragon drops you over a jungle you are allowed to shit your pants. We landed inside a big blue lake surrounded by the jungle. The water was so clear. I opened my eyes to see Shanta swimming up with me. We both reached the surface of the water at the same time, breathing and smiling.
“We couldn't actually drown if I stayed under, right?”
“Of course not, it’s a simulation, dummy.”
“I know, I know, just thinking aloud.”
“So you don't notice anything weird?”
We started swimming back to shore.
“Like riding on a whale and flying with a dragon?”
“No, I mean that there's no one here but us.”
“Oh. What so weird about it? It's your world.”
We sat on the sand, by the water. I decided I didn't want my clothes to feel wet so I turned them dry in my mind.
“It can get lonely here sometimes.”
“But you can invite other people to share your simulation, can't you? Like you just did with me.”
“Yes, but people are not like that. Everyone has their own little fantasy world, which is perfect for their taste. They set the rules and the atmosphere. Now, why would you let anyone else decide how your simulation looks like if you can control it by yourself? You can always get what you want. The constant pleasure directly to your brain is addictive. You don't know fear, loss, or anxiety. Everything is open and bright, not like Knaan's concrete walls. You might think it gets boring after awhile but it actually gets more and more fun. As long as you immerse yourself and forget about the physical world, you reach new extremes. You get addicted to them, despite never being able to truly share the same experience with another person.”
“What if people do get lonely?”
“They create companions, like I have a whale and a dragon. Doesn’t have to be human, right?”
“And you're trying to say that all this amazing experience is bad?”
“Not bad, but lonely, not human, not organic. People who don't speak to someone in reality for so long become less human. They become like addicted babies.”
“But isn’t it better than living inside concrete walls only? How do you keep everyone sane?”
“Let me tell you about ‘sanity.’ It starts when you're a baby. You're put in the simulation after only three months. You can't control anything because you're still a baby. Your parents don't have to touch you or play with you physically. Everything is done by using the simulation. And if they have to work, you're left with a virtual nanny. During twelve years of school you're taught in a virtual class along with other real people. You're not obliged to meet them outside. Whenever you get time alone you dive in by yourself. Some play together but generally when people become older, they become more different and independent. You don’t need friends or parents to help you fulfill your wishes. You can do anything by yourself in the simulation and it becomes addictive. When your service to the city is done there's nothing else to do around but stay inside 24/7 in a magnificent self-centered fantasy world. Why would anyone go out?”
“But I've seen people out.”
“That’s just a tiny percent of the actual population.”
“But it also keeps the security, like your mother said.”
“There was a power outage, I was six mayb
e. I finished school and I was playing with my pony-unicorn. Not only did the simulation stop, but the main street was in complete darkness. So did the air conditioning. It was hard to breath. I wanted my mommy but she was working, and since I was only six I didn't remember how to get to her office. I was afraid. It was so dark and people were shouting and making scary voices. That day I understood how fragile this city is. I couldn't trust it anymore. We're so dependent on our systems that at any minute this city could become a death trap, because we’re so wrapped up in each of our own fantasy worlds that we don’t know how to interact and solve real world problems.”
“You don't sound like the president's daughter when you speak like that.”
“She doesn’t know I speak like that.”
“What about your father?”
“Nobody knows, probably dead.”
“What happened?”
“When I was four he was sent to help the southern city.”
“Sent outside?”
“Yes. He was one of the senior engineers and the city in the south couldn't repair their security systems. So he went out though never got there.”
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s ok. I don’t remember much of him.”
“Still, the city is safer than the outside.”
“But for how long?”
“Does your mother know what you feel?”
“Of course not, that would ultimately screw her up.”
I sighed deeply. I got myself between the daughter and the mom.
“Let's go out,” she said, “I want to show you something else.”
“As long as you don't plan more free-falls.”
I moved my butt closer to her and leaned over to try and kiss her. She immediately stood up and looked at me in a serious face. Was I wrong to try? Maybe there are different customs for that here.
“Do you trust me?” She asked.
“Sure...” I said.
“Don’t hesitate. Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“I trust you, Roy.”
“Well, great.” I was surprised to hear that, knowing I didn't do anything to deserve it.
“Then let's wake up. Meet me next to the gym in two minutes.”
