BEYOND THE PALE: ( The Outlander )

by Gil Senan, Senan

  “That would be very irregular Major. We have already interrogated him, and he has failed so far to provide us with any details of his community.”

  “That would be because he has no community Sir. His settlement was suppressed in a Ranger operation a year ago. He was away at the time, and he has been on his own since. They were called the Rosina community. It should be in your records,”

  “Oh that is true; we did take all of those people. Well actually we had to cull them on account of their population. I guess it wouldn’t be skin off my nose to grant you and your department this little amnesty Major. We will of course have to still conduct his induction process. That is a full medical following quarantine, and then registration as a citizen. That is still a lengthy process. Including quarantine, the process should take maybe six weeks.”

  “Sir, could you excuse quarantine in this case. The man has been in my company and I have just had a clean bill of health.”

  “Okay Major; be it on your head. You can take custody of him in two weeks. Oh and remember that you and Interior owe me one.”

  Chapter Five

  River heard the Major’s baritone voice getting closer outside of his eight foot by four foot padded white cell. There was no furniture other than a single bunk, and no windows. This Spartan environment had been his home for some weeks now, and he felt trapped and purposely kept in the dark regarding his future. The artificial light which was left permanently on was confusing his body clock and he had lost track of how many days he had spent here. He sensed a certain danger in his circumstances and he wanted to get far away. Therefore when the door opened, and the Major walked in escorted by a Ranger, River experienced a feeling of joy, as if he were being rescued by Nathan. He was surprised to see him in such good health and he showed no signs of his injuries at all.

  ”Hello River, Listen to me,” said Major Carlson with the emphasis on the word 'listen'. River understood and acknowledged the Major but said nothing. “I have explained to these fine Rangers your role in helping me,” continued Carlson, “And they have agreed to release you into my custody so that you can continue to assist me as a potential agent and asset.”

  Again River just nodded and stood up to take Major Carlson's outstretched hand.

  “River,” Carlson paused for emphasis, “I am going to need your cooperation here. You see the usual process of turning an outlander into a New Denver citizen can take several months. I intend to fast path you through that process but you must agree to cooperate with me and observe any rules and regulations that I will educate and instruct you in,” River nodded yet again but still said nothing. “River, this Ranger will need to hear your compliance. Do you accept these terms?”

  “Yes I do,” stated River.

  Everybody seemed happy now and the Ranger told them both to follow him to the reception in order to complete the interim administration.

  There was an awkward feeling in the air as the duty sergeant tapped away on a handheld device seemingly completing some online form and authority transfer. His stumpy fingers were having difficulty finding the correct characters, whilst the Major was finding it difficult just to stand there. River correctly assumed that the situation was uncomfortable for him. As they waited together at the duty sergeant’s desk, they often looked at each other but didn’t speak.

  “I am going to need a second name to complete this. I cannot just process him as River, and so far he has refused to supply any other name.”

  “River, do you have a surname?” enquired Nathan.

  “No, I already told them that I am only known as River. River is not even my name. It is just how other people refer to me. You people from the citadel rely too much on names as if they are labels that you cannot function without. Nor are they a measure of your character.”

  “So you were named as a child; people labelled you. I do not see the difference!”

  “I was not named River as a child. I was named Eli after my father, but the people in my mother's tribe noticed a different character in me. They saw a ‘river’ whose course can bend, but whose destination remains true,”

  “Yes very meaningful I am sure,” said the desk sergeant sarcastically. “But we can use your father’s second name, what was that?”

  “I do not know, he left when I was a child.”

  “Then I am putting him down as Citizen Eli River, unless you guys want to go back to his cell and think some more about it.”

  “No that is fine sergeant,” said Nathan who was keen to move on.

  After a short while, the duty sergeant acknowledged that authorisation had been approved and he asked River to come over to a redundant piece of machinery on the other side of the room. He asked River to insert his arm up to the elbow in a recess, and warned him that it might sting. It did, and River yanked his arm out afterwards noticing the puncture wound in his forearm skin.

  Realising that the process was nearly complete, Major Carlson gave River a carrier bag with some clothes in them.

  “Here try these on. They belong to my son. They might fit you until we can find you something better. I am going to take you shopping when we are done here,”

  “What is wrong with what I am wearing now, “complained River, “or the clothes which I wore, when I came here.”

  “I don’t want you walking around with me looking like some convict. Nor do I want you standing out like a sore thumb,” The Major’s tone was non negotiable. So River started awkwardly pulling on the trousers and sweatshirt. He chose this opportunity to seek an answer to one of his numerous questions. “What did that machine do to my arm?”

  “I will tell you outside,” Carlson promptly replied “Hurry up; we need to get out of here.”

  River got dressed but was finding the ill fitting clothes and footwear uncomfortable. He didn’t complain but his body language did instead. He followed the Major through the automatic door and they headed to a lift which took them down to a lower concourse which was expansively large with a high ceiling. This was much busier and appeared to be at street level. There were a number of public citizens sitting down waiting for their name to be called to a few interview & enquiry points. It was manned by a small number of staff wearing standard business attire. Major Carlson and River headed briskly for the main entrance passing two Rangers acting as sentries, and then they were outside. The Major didn’t look back until he reached a taxi stand on the other side of the street and then noticeably relaxed a little.

  “We have a notoriously bad relationship with them” The Major stated, gesturing towards the Office of the Environment which they had just left.

  “Who is the WE?” asked River.

  The major replied with some pride “WE are the Office of the Interior. We handle all policing and security issues for the metropolis. They handle anything outside. I have some respect for the Rangers; they are a potent military force, but the rest of the ‘Enviro’ have an over inflated opinion of themselves and they are always poking their nose into Interior's business. That was one of the reasons why I didn’t feel comfortable talking to you in there.”

  “What are the other reasons?” River astutely enquired.

  “River, Things are…”-Carlson paused whilst seeking to find the right words. River had noticed this to be a repetitive characteristic of the Majors.-“…not the same here inside the metropolis as they are on the outside. There are different standards, and degrees of privacy here. There is a certain degree of what you say, and what you do, and what you are concerned with, being monitored,”-Major Carlson struggled to find the correct words. It seemed as if he was expressing something that was obvious but also hidden in plain sight. -“I am part of that process; I help monitor people, situations, and organisations. Everything is recorded in some fashion. It is all about the collecting and processing of that information. If you have nothing to hide, then there is no priority given to monitoring you. Those that do have something to hide, often try to hinder our collecting of information. When we discover that, it
is like a Major indicator for us to give priority to monitoring you. Usually we will find something, and then we either stop a crime, or stop some inappropriate political activism. The system works, but it has its downsides.”

  “And those are?” asked River.

  The Major looked like he wanted to explain but couldn’t. He stared at River for a moment and then seemed to have reached a personal decision. “Give me a moment” he asked, and then drew his taser weapon and held it firmly against his right knee and then squeezed the trigger. The Major grimaced in pain and momentarily collapsed. River tried to grab hold of him to support him, but Carlson gestured for him to stand back. It took a minute for Carlson to be able to compose himself and be able to talk, and perhaps another couple for him to be able to walk on that leg. As soon as he felt able, he turned to River and said “Forget the taxi, let’s go for a walk, and a talk.”

  River looked confounded by Carlson's actions but he fell into stride beside him as they set off in the direction of the nearest shopping mall. His focus darted from one strange sight to the next, but he listened intently as Carlson spoke. “What I wanted to say was that the downside, to which I referred earlier, is that I too can become a target for monitoring. I have to be careful in my associations, and how I conduct myself, and in what I openly express. That taser shock will have managed to shut down a device within my leg which is capable of recording and relaying our conversation. This is only a temporary effect while it resets and reinitialises. It won’t be online for about 30 minutes so we can talk freely.”

  “Good because I have many questions.”

  “Ask away,” prompted the Major.

  “I want to know when I can leave here and go home?”

  “Officially you cannot leave the metropolis once you have been processed into a citizen” stated the Major bluntly. “But I owe you a debt River, and I do intend to repay that. I will find a way to re-unite you with your brother and your family,”-River looked like an immense weight had been lifted off his shoulders.-“You will have to be patient and you will have to trust me,” Carlson continued. “You are going to have to spend a little time in the metropolis with me as a guest of my family, and when it is feasible, I will take you 'outside' with me, and you can then just slip away.”

  “I would be honoured to meet your family Nathan” replied River. “It might be nice to spend a little time here before I leave.” River was talking whilst his gaze still darted from one sight to the next like a cat being taken for a car ride. “I have never seen such things as those that pass for normal here. I would like to learn more about how citadel people live,” River paused then asked “I have a question Nathan. What caused the pain I felt earlier when the Ranger put my arm in that machine. What did that machine do to me? You told me you would explain this.”

  It was beginning to dawn on the Major, the sheer depth of River’s lack of comprehension concerning the facets of modern living that everyone else took for normal. He momentarily studied River who seemed so out of place here in this advanced technological urban setting. The way he talked, and even the way he walked portrayed him as an outlander. He decided to educate River one question at a time. -“That machine at the Enviro put a small spore into your arm which will act as your identity pass whilst you are in the metropolis. It will embed in your body where it acts as a Radio Frequency Identity emitter which transmits your name and address, your permits and privileges. It serves many purposes; It can gain you entry to your home, your vehicle, it allows you to spend money, it inoculates you from decease, and it even acts as a contraceptive. We all carry something similar inside. It is mandatory and it is replaced by a new injected implant during our yearly medical examinations which are also mandatory.”

  “Why do I need a contraceptive,” asked River. “And why do you feel the need to mess with body’s natural cycles, rhythms and functions.”

  “All citizens have this. It prevents accidental pregnancies. In New Denver, we impose strict birth control,” explained Carlson. Our population has to remain under two million, and the easiest way to do this is to limit every citizen to one child.”

  “But you have two children” corrected River.

  “A citizen can apply for a license to have a second child. This is a city state privilege which can be awarded to some. There is also a childbirth lottery for applicants who do not get permission initially. Our present population is over a hundred thousand below maximum capacity, so we have some flexibility within the bounds of the population cap.” The Major wanted to change the subject but he could see that River was fascinated. “Look River, this is not a confidential or classified subject. I can tell you more about it another time, but right now I only have maybe 15 minutes before my processor implant comes back on line. I suggest we use this time for confidential discussion. Do you have any other questions?”

  “I still seek an answer to my last one,” retorted River

  Carlson ignored this and continued, “So let me explain some crucial points that we cannot discuss later. Firstly, my wife, my son and my daughter cannot know that you intend to leave New Denver, and neither can they know that I intend to assist you. I do not want them to incriminate themselves. Do you understand?” River nodded acceptance. “The same goes for anyone else. I am your only confident in this regard,” River nodded again. “You are going to have some restrictions in your freedoms, but mostly you will be free to come and go as you please. You will need money to purchase items, and I have provided ample funds to your account to cover daily expenses.”

  The back street which they were walking along appeared to be heading towards a service depot rather than a shopping mall, but Major Carlson ushered River into a small non descript foyer and thence into a lift. He had selected the fifth floor, and soon the door opened onto a quiet recess of an immense public space, which was the mall. The architecture was beautiful and breathtaking. There were enormous supporting columns and wide arches with a massive dome high above. In fact the Ceiling was so high, that its detail was out of focus. The mall was like a cathedral to a blossoming religion of consumerism. There were many people milling about, and their styling and costumes varied greatly. There were three mezzanine floors looking down upon the ground floor, which in turn became its own mezzanine floor, looking down on some basement levels which were restaurant areas. River wondered whether this entire expanse he was viewing was only the fifth floor or whether it encompassed all the floors from the 4th to the 8th. He asked the Major whom reliably informed him that this was just the 5th floor and that the four floors higher up were equally immense but served different purposes.

  The Major hated shopping, and so he wanted to cross this off his to do list first. He took River up an escalator to the first floor mezzanine where a man’s clothing outlet that he approved of, was located. As they walked through its wide open entrance, River felt a breath of tranquillity overcome the manic selling environment outside. Carlson took him to the back of the store to see the shop manager whom the Major was on first name terms with. It became apparent that the Major had pre-arranged this appointment; it also seemed likely that he bought most of his own clothes here. The retail manager was a middle aged man of diminutive stature. He took a long look at River, assessing his height and build and also noting his present ill fitting clothes. He understood that impatience and a general dislike of shopping were pressing concerns on the Major’s mind. So he had obliged by pre-preparing a selection of clothes and shoes that were waiting for River in a private changing room. River was told to try everything on, and see which he liked, and was then left to his own company amidst the ensemble of Jackets, clothes and shoes. Everything he put on was a perfect fit. This should have surprised River, but he had now reached the point of plausibly accepting any new surprises. Thanks to the Environment Office, River’s entire physiology, including full medical and dental records were already on file. The Major had simply forwarded the relevant fitting information ahead to the shop manager.

  River left the changin
g room wearing the outfit which he felt most comfortable in. His choices were vindicated by both men who interrupted chatting to each other to look over. The Major told him to keep the outfit on, and to choose another outfit and a pair of shoes to go. Once he had done this the Major settled the bill and they left the store to continue shopping.

  The next destination on the Major’s shopping itinerary was an audio visual entertainment superstore. The sight of all the neon and illuminated hardware inside the store had a spellbinding effect on River. He was stunned by the optical illusions offered by holograms, walls that acted as screens, and all the illuminated circuitry on show. They were not new in concept to him, but he had never before actually seen such devices that his elders had talked previously about. They had talked about the downside and failings of such technology; but seeing it first hand, it now seemed pretty impressive and exciting to him. Whilst River followed behind him in some kind of mesmerised trance, the Major knew exactly what he was looking for and he made a selection and purchased his item. Whilst River stood in the background clutching his numerous bags of clothes, the Major was un-boxing his item which appeared to be a pair of glasses. He was fiddling with the frame as if making minute adjustments and the sales assistant was helping him fine tune those adjustments.

  “River come over here and try these on” Nathan beckoned from the counter. The sales assistant had already concluded the purchase, but was now keen to provide after sales help. He placed the glasses on River’s head and stood in front of him ready to make any necessary modifications. As River looked through the lenses, everything appeared as normal. They did not alter, nor correct his vision, but the sales assistant next slotted a small thin disk into one of the small pocket pouches on River’s newly purchased trousers. It seemed to be a snug fit as if this was the correct purpose for the miniature pocket. After about 10 seconds, a visual overlay appeared on the inside of the lenses which he was wearing. The readout was blurred at first but seemed to auto adjust its focus.