Sector Seven

by Kaden Sinclair

  Along with the struggles that had led to governmental changes and the advent of Techs had come the need to calm nature. Coastlines and deserts became entirely too hostile to ignore. Ungainly growth of cities had left the natural world in peril. Concrete and steel had struck at the heart of nature, covering vast stretches of once beautiful land in a growth that appeared cancerous.

  Strangely, the congregation of the human species toward unification of government also triggered a recognition of its own monstrous divergence from the natural world. Like a sea urchin covering a mass of spines with Caulerpa for camouflage or a moth evolving color patterns to match the bark of a tree, architects had begun to incorporate human structures with the natural world. Where there had once been asphalt and glass, now huge towers of metal were draped in vines and woody masses of rooting trees. Buildings were designed with cupola containing pockets of diverse micro-biomes.

  Transport had been moved underground for delivery of materials and for transferring personnel between complexes and offices during the workday, allowing above-ground transportation to be for leisure and general use when going to or from work to home or out on the town to eat and enjoy life.

  Fish swam in scattered pools designed to be part of cooling systems that sat at the foot of many structures; these pools were used too for runoff control and to hold water reclaimed from the runoff. Birds nested in adapted environments that allowed them to flourish. Huge areas between buildings, dedicated to wildlife, remained relatively free of human transport vehicles, which had gone underground. Such large swaths of land held numerous species, ranging from the smallest bacillus to felines and canines.

  Bio-degrading of waste had evolved into something of an art, rendering most offal harmless, if not helpful—a panacea for a poisoned world. Most waste contained harmless materials which, in clever ways, bound themselves to more harmful environmental materials, capturing or altering them. In some cases, this trash fertilized or nurtured the plants. Buildings had their own chambers to dispose of and degrade the garbage into something used on exterior surfaces to help grow their protective shells.

  Not truly a perfect balance, to be sure, and certainly the buildings disrupted the natural order, but they had become an odd hybrid of technology, one their makers used in the hope of restoring balance, a cry to nature proclaiming man knew it had become a monstrous defacement on the natural world, but wanting badly to be a thing of beauty without the sacrifice of self-destruction.

  Oddly, nature seemed to accept this and micro environments—which previously seemed doomed to fail—changed in unexpected ways, resulting in working biomes. Animals adapted to live amongst humans, plants found niches and flourished.

  Species originally not part of the master plan found their way into various niches and firmly entrenched themselves. The insect and plant world adapted, taking advantage of man’s desire to give nourishment to a burgeoning hybridization of man and nature. What followed was citizens becoming societal harbingers of steadily growing eco-areas. People seemed to feel a sense of peace and contentment, knowing they contributed to this hopeful reversal of a failing Mother Earth. Green and growing things, urged by humans, began to push out and cover the cancerous cities of the past. Citizens suddenly found themselves contending for space in which to proclaim their own nurturing talents.

  Still, these structures presented only a small hope for an ever-advancing and technologically spellbound world. Carefully crafted areas often fell to industry, which required morphing the space to improve efficiency.

  The advent of the “nannies”, societal vernacular for the nanotechnology which had permeated all organic life in various ways, truly began blurring the lines man had tried to draw between himself and nature. Almost all humans were riddled with millions of small robots, designed to care for the frail shell of their humanity. In turn, humans had adapted this technology to the natural world, controlling breeding and reproduction, as well as migration of animal species during times of industrial disruption, preserving much of many once-fading species.

  Mankind dreamed of such a thing as manipulating reality, and this technology truly brought the human species closer to complete control of their surroundings. Like all things technological, the instructions to all nannies were handed to the Techs. Now, they not only controlled all automation, surveillance, and operations, the Techs controlled all life except that of humans, ensuring survival, and also ensuring there’d be no conflict. A lion, for example, would never attack a human, because it would be governed by instructions given to it via a sea of nanobots that obeyed the Techs. Bees built nests where they were instructed, plants grew where they had been determined to best thrive and not compete. It was a level of control that some of the population greatly feared. Only strong edicts preventing abuse by the Techs kept society from rebelling against this power.

  In a way, which should have been easily predicted, there were those who sought to use this newfound control for personal gain. The lure of the power that came with such manipulation became too strong for those attuned to power. All the new technology meant it was possible to shape the world to their vision, imposing restrictions they knew were morally wrong, but ones they were willing to ignore if they gained power. This willful disregard of what was best for the entire population meant believing they would be enacting the will of a supreme being, or some held the belief they, themselves, were a form of divinity. Like all such delusions, this thinking was accompanied by a paranoia, a foreboding sense they must further enhance and consolidate their power in order to retain it. It meant losing trust in others and closing out any voices of reason.

  Society had so far capped such grabs for power, bringing them down when necessary by sheer force of will and numbers. For this reason, the struggle for those who sought control meant they must dominate the minds and thoughts of those who would dissent. Those people who sought to seize power began to believe, with heretical fervor, that they must take over everything to prevent mankind from slipping into moral decline.

  • • •

  Jason breathed a sigh of relief as he coded his personal key onto the door of his apartment. For the first time, he felt protected by the small living quarters. Once inside, he slumped against the door and took a shuddering breath as fear coursed through him. He disabled his biosuit with a quick tap over the insignia emblazoned over his heart.

  Finally, he stripped to the waist, exposing the musculature of his body in the living room mirror. He pulled out the kerchief, which bore a small stain from the blood of his cut and ran a quick analysis. As he’d thought, an unknown compound showed up in his blood sample. Surely it had dissipated out of his bloodstream by now, but its presence in the sample reinforced his belief he had been manipulated. Taking a moment to get a glass of water, he pressed the cool glass against his forehead while he called Monica.

  “Hey, Jason. What’s up?”

  Keeping his voice calm, he let himself fake a smile, so his false calm would be detected as if real. “Just thinking about our conversation yesterday. You’re right, I think going to an old-fashioned movie would be great.”

  A slight pause on the other end indicated to Jason she’d decoded his statement.

  “Okay, cool. Great, in fact! I’m actually not doing a lot tonight, so I’ll head over. Consider it a date. See you in a few.”

  “Great. See you soon.”

  “Oh, and Jason?”

  For a moment he feared she would say something incriminating. He went cold.

  “You better put out.”

  He laughed in surprise. Good old Monica, he thought.

  Without further conversation and without waiting, she disconnected.

  For a moment, Jason stood there, glass pressed against his face, heart racing. It would take her half an hour to arrive. Just enough time to shower and calm himself.

  After moving through the small living room and setting the glass on the kitchen counter, he walked into the bathroom and stepped out of his underwear, starting the water
for a shower. Before he managed to step in, however, the door sounded, announcing a guest and making Jason turn in surprise. How had Monica arrived so quickly? She must have been just outside. He draped himself in a towel and shut the water off.

  As he walked over and started to open the door he said, “Wow, speedy! Didn’t know you were in the area.” When the door opened, it wasn’t Monica. Instead, Director Faust strode confidently into Jason’s apartment.

  “I didn’t realize you were expecting me, Doctor Emerson.” He swept into the room in his usual imperious manner. “Perhaps your prescient ability to know I would be here should result in testing to become a Tech? You seem to have an uncanny knack for knowing things you shouldn’t.”

  Jason stammered. “Director, I . . . uh, sorry. I expected my friend, Monica.”

  “I jest, of course. Clearly, I’m interrupting you.” He raised an eyebrow, eyeing Jason in his towel. “A female guest? My information on you may have been incorrect. I was under the impression you preferred male company.”

  Jason felt himself blush and he coughed delicately. “Uh, no. No, you’re right. She’s just a friend. I haven’t had male company in a long time, so it makes the point moot. I didn’t realize my sexual orientation interested you.”

  “Really? Of course it does. I would think you would have assumed all things are of interest to me, doctor. I’m a curious person, and I like to know my staff.”

  “How may I help you, Director?” Jason clasped one hand tightly on the towel. He glanced briefly toward the open door of his bedroom but refused to change back into suitable clothes.

  “I won’t intrude long. I just wanted to give you some news first-hand.”

  Jason felt himself breathing heavily, glad his hormonal and emotional states weren’t readable. The timing for stripping down to shower couldn’t have been better. He walked over to lean against the wall to imply a sense of calm he didn’t feel.

  “First, I want you to know we are doing everything we can to stabilize Dr. Reid.” Jason’s heart felt an enormous surge of pressure from anxiety, a tightening that felt like the clenching of a giant hand. Oh god. Susan.

  “She’s been horribly damaged by the crash, so we aren’t sure we can save her.” He drew a deep breath, which seemed contrived. He stared intently at Jason. “I think you should know; the outlook is not good.” He paused. Jason couldn’t speak. His eyes drifted over the familiar shape of the lamp and table at the end of his couch. “We also know what happened, thanks to the new augmentation system we imposed, though it would have saved her if fully integrated into the community. The illegally operated delivery truck and the driver have been apprehended.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe people would still try to manually operate machinery in this day and age, just to save a few hundred dollars. Well, it’s just sad, isn’t it? It will cost them everything.”

  Faust didn’t seem at all sad and Jason felt like a mouse trapped by an overfed cat that toyed with him, watching him for his reaction.

  “Maybe you should sit down, Jason. You look pale.” Faust’s eyes narrowed. Making a medical assessment by visual cues was something nearly unheard of and it appeared Faust couldn’t get a proper read on Jason. Without the bio-suit feedback, Dr. Faust could only guess where Jason’s emotions lay. Jason’s fear for his safety would have been too great to hide, but Jason played it off as shock at the news about Susan. His thoughts were jumbled, but he knew he had to dissuade Faust from discerning his misgivings about the current consolidation of power.

  Jason desperately wanted Faust gone. Monica’s presence would reveal his newfound suspicions, so Jason needed him gone before she arrived.

  Mustering control, he reacted as he suspected he should. “Susan! Oh no. I hadn’t heard there was an accident.” Stupid! Of course not. It just happened. Faust seemed to accept this as nonsense words expected from someone in shock. Jason let his eyes tear up and he dabbed at them. “I’m okay. Thank you.”

  “I’m sorry, Jason. I know you worked closely with her. Ironically, we were seeking her out to talk to her about the issues she expressed with the new rules and about the tenure of the Council. Had we acted on this faster, called her in to allay her fears, she might not have been injured by this senseless and flagrant disregard for safety. I know this will affect you.” Faust’s eyes appeared probing, calculating.

  Jason looked away again, toward his kitchen, not wanting eye contact.

  “Yes, I . . . yes, she worked with me a lot. For the most part, I had a lot of respect for her.”

  “For the most part?”

  “Well, shit. Goddamn it. She couldn’t see the value in the visual augmentation and it’s ironic. The visual augmentation could have saved her if implemented sooner. She couldn’t see the bigger picture, and this just proves the benefits.” Jason played this off so it would align with what Faust needed to hear to leave him the fuck alone.

  “Yes. I suppose I hadn’t thought of how the new system would have helped.” Then, seeming reassured, he held up the package he’d been holding. “Jason, I realize this is bad timing and you won’t appreciate this right now, but I had intended only to bring you good news.” Faust handed a thick envelope to him. “This is the new project documentation. Highly classified.” Faust backed up a bit, giving Jason space, edging toward the door. “In order to keep this as secret as possible, I wanted to deliver this personally to your home.”

  Jason accepted the envelope numbly but said nothing.

  “I know it will take you a while to overcome the loss of Susan.”

  So, now Susan’s demise was guaranteed. Jason suspected as much. Susan might already be dead.

  “When you’ve had some time, please read over things carefully. Like I said, I need you. Your expertise will be a critical piece in negating the side effects of our newest discovery.” Then, as if sharing something among equals, he added, “We are compensating you well, doctor. I know the size of your research funds and associated bonus will bring you out of your grief.” He smiled.

  Jason forced himself to smile too, allowing the impression he had become motivated by self-interest.

  Dr. Faust finally turned to leave. Faust certainly had a rich acquaintance with ambition, and Jason’s pretended character flaw served to calm the Director. Reaching for the door, Faust turned his head, and a look came into his eyes that Jason couldn’t read. “Jason, I want to give you as much time as you need to grieve for Susan. But I hope you will consider the import of this research and I look forward to you joining the team as soon as you can. I considered delaying this, in light of the current situation, but I simply cannot. The Council itself is eager for this research to proceed. Very eager. I hope you’ll consider joining the team quickly.”

  With another feigned smile, Jason opened the envelope and made as if he couldn’t really keep from scanning the documents immediately. Faking an interest he could not bring himself to feel, he carefully set them on his reading table. “I’m sure I’ll be joining the research team soon, Director. I’m more inclined to work now than ever. I’m sure Susan would understand. Approve, even.” He felt sick.

  The Director shook Jason’s hand in farewell, as if shaking hands with a man in a towel wasn’t abnormal. “Bye then. See you soon.” The door slid closed behind him as he strode out of the room.

  Jason slumped against the wall next to the door, his towel crumpling under one leg. Clutching his head in his hands, overcome with suppressed anxiety and despair at the loss of Susan, he cried. He was still holding his head in his hands when the door chimed again. Without getting up, he twisted and slapped his left palm against the electronic security panel just above his head. The door opened, admitting Monica.

  He heard her pause in the doorway for a moment when she saw him on the floor. She quickly entered the room and let the door slide closed. He looked up, feeling tears streak down his face.

  “Jason?” She stared at him for a moment. “Sweetie? What’s wrong?” She grabbed a chair and slid it over so she
could sit in front of him, leaning forward to place her hand on the side of his head and covering him with the towel.

  “Oh god, Monica! I’m an idiot.”

  She waited for more. When he said nothing, she bit her lip momentarily. “I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me. What happened?”

  He took another breath, trying not to sob. Monica waited for him to find his voice.

  “I never got a chance to say anything about the imposed augmentation edict. I didn’t have to. My co-worker and friend, Doctor Susan Reid, voiced your opinions at work today. She tried to warn me. Immediately after, I was summoned. Faust and his cronies called me in and strictly analyzed me for any sort of agreement I might have with her opinion.”

  He wiped the tears from the back of his hand.

  “They were so obvious! They wanted to make sure I didn’t agree in any way.” He sat up more fully, pulling the rest of the bunched towel from under him and wrapping it tightly. “Monica, they were there in less than fifteen minutes to grill me. They triggered my suit to disperse a new chemical that made me freak out and throw me off balance so I’d admit my fears to them. I barely had time to react to the other information. They’ve passed a resolution to allow permanent appointment of the current governing Council.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, so Susan told me the government Council positions are to be made permanent. Or at least until the governing members resign or are forced out due to health reasons.”

  “What the hell? What is going on? Jason, this is worse than I feared.”

  For once, he had to nod in agreement. “And now . . .” He couldn’t finish.

  “What? Please don’t tell me it gets worse. Did they already select the positions? Is it the existing set of members or new ones?”