He smiled again. “It surprises most of my staff when I greet them the first time, so I am quite used to it. Most people don’t expect to ever meet me, and even if they do, I don’t believe they expect me to speak to them, especially by name.”
Freya still could not meet his eyes, but did manage to nod.
“Freya, I choose my personal staff very carefully. Surely you understand why I must.”
“Yes, Mr. Statesman,” she muttered, surprised that she was even able to say that.
“I have had my eye on you since you were 13 years old. It is my preference to meet every member of my staff the moment they arrive, as I believe one can gain much insight by looking into a person’s eyes, far more insight than what can be gathered with all our intricate test scores and video surveillance,” he admitted, with a soft, knowing smile.
Freya could see he was being direct and genuine, and she detected a soft hint of threat in his statement, but she simply stood quietly, still staring at the floor and listening to his every word.
“Having staff in my home is a matter of national security, so I like to know I have chosen wisely.”
Freya nodded again, still unable to meet his gaze. “Yes, Mr. Statesman.”
“First things first, Freya. You simply must call me Victor.”
Her eyes bulged. She was unable to hide her shock. She had never heard his given name before, and she wasn’t sure anyone among the general citizenry even knew it, since everyone always referred to him as the head of State or Mr. Statesman.
He chuckled again. “It is my name, after all. Let everyone else refer to me by title, but my home staff and I have a different relationship. I like to think of you all as part of my family, and all relationships are built on trust. We are a tight-knit community of our own.” He walked closer to her, rested his hands on the balcony, and looked out at the trees. “Do you enjoy the view?”
Freya looked again at the trees and the garden and decided she had never seen anything so beautiful in her life. “It’s just… It’s spectacular.”
He let out another soft chuckle.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” she said, then paused, not sure if she should say more.
“I’m sure you’re wondering about the purpose of it all?”
She finally looked at him, in utter disbelief; it was as if he had read her thoughts.
Victor laughed again. “As I told you, I have been observing you for a long time. I know you, Freya. I know how you think. Tell me, when working in the greenhouse, did you ever fear that there were not enough plants to produce the oxygen required for our population?”
Freya had never thought about that before. She knew the fans in the greenhouses brought fresh oxygen into the buildings, but she’d never wondered about the supply and demand. “It hasn’t really come to mind.”
“This is not the only forested area.” He nodded. “It’s all part of our delicate ecosystem, the one that keeps us all alive. This is why you are here, Freya. Your civil duty will now be to help protect this precious ecosystem, to monitor it, to help it grow.”
Once again, Victor startled her, this time with information. She had never shown any interest in the scientific side of agriculture, in monitoring ecosystems. Why did they choose me for this, if they know me so well? she wondered, looking down at the floor and suddenly feeling even more afraid. She could not tell the head of State about her worries, as she didn’t want to contradict a man of his standing.
“There is an old belief, Freya, that you should consider. Call this a crazy thought by an old man if you must, but please listen to me. While never scientifically proven, it has been said that plants flourish when they are in the presence of certain people. It is almost as if the plants know when they are truly loved, and they grow better because of it,” he explained. “That is why I chose you. I want you to care for the plants in my home and on the grounds, because I know you will really care for them.”
Freya looked around again, almost consumed by panic at the vast, open space.
He chuckled a little more. “Of course, you will have help. This is a huge responsibility, not fit for one person alone.”
She nodded, but still found it impossible to speak. It would take some time to get over the shock of being chosen for such an important task. Then again, she was almost getting used to the State stunning her. Their plans always seemed to differ from the life she envisioned for herself. Looking back over the grounds, she felt humbled. She was so unbelievably lucky to be chosen to work here, as most of the citizens lived their whole lives without seeing such beauty. She was frightened and a little overwhelmed by her new role, but she was there, and chose to do her best to enjoy it and see it as a privilege.
“Please take a seat, Freya. Someone will come around shortly to provide you with instructions,” he said, gesturing to a very large table.
“Yes, thank you, Mr…er, I mean, Victor,” she said nervously, offering another slight bow.
He smiled knowingly, looking amused. “That’s a good start, and you will get used to it soon enough,” he said, then walked back inside.
Freya walked over to the table. It was very large, like everything there, and she counted twelve seats. One chair was far bigger than the rest, so she figured that was for Victor. She sat in one of the smaller seats, one that faced the garden. The table seemed a bit out of place, as if it belonged in a great meeting hall and not outside, near the garden. As she thought about that, she remembered that the whole place was actually encased in glass, not really outside at all, even if it held the illusion of such.
“Hello, Freya, and welcome to the State House,” a female voice said from behind her.
For the second time that day, Freya jumped in surprised. She turned around and saw a pleasant-looking woman, with a kind expression on her face.
“I’m Chastity, and I will take you through your orientation today.”
When she approached, Freya instantly noticed her blue eyes. Most people had brown eyes like Freya or sometimes hazel, but she had never seen blue. She was slightly taller than Freya, and she wondered if that was why she felt Chastity held an aura of authority about her. Her hair fell just past her shoulders, and even with wearing it down, every single hair hung neatly into place.
Chastity was holding two tablets in her hand, smaller than any tablet Freya had seen before. She placed one face down on the table in front of Freya and unfastened a strap. “Freya, please place your hand here.”
Freya placed her hand on it and looked up at her.
Chastity watched for a moment, and when a light flashed on the back of the tablet, she attached the strap, securing Freya’s hand to the tablet. “All set. Now let’s get started.”
Freya lifted her hand and looked at the tablet. It offered options she had never seen before.
“This is now your tablet, and it will only respond to your hand. Simply place your hand against the back to turn it on and remove your hand to power it down. I will show you were the docking station is. You should return it there every night before you leave.”
Freya nodded in understanding.
Chastity stood. “Good. Let’s take the official tour then.”
They proceeded to walk around the structure, and Freya continued to marvel at all the space. Chastity told her what rooms to pay attention to, the ones containing plants, and referenced the map on the tablet. The schedule on the tablet correlated to the building, telling her exactly what time she was to be in each room and how often. Chastity showed her how to record everything on the tablet and informed her that data would be collected and processed by the team of scientists. They walked the grounds, and Chastity showing her the wide array of vegetation, explaining what needed to be done and documented. She then led her back to the large table on the balcony and encouraged her to take a seat.
“It’s time for our afternoon meal. You can either wait here or come into the kitchen.”
“I would actually like to see the kitchen, if that’s okay
.”
“Of course! I’m sure you are still curious about this place.”
Chastity led the way into the kitchen. It was big but not as big or busy as Freya had expected. There was a cook preparing their plates, a little shorter and curvier than most females Freya knew, but she looked kind. Freya saw two large, rectangular objects she had never seen before, so she walked a little closer to get a better look. They were about the same height as she was, and she reached out to touch them, wondering about their purpose.
“I take it you’ve never been in a kitchen before, dear,” said the cook.
“No, I haven’t. What’s this for?”
“Those are refrigerators. They keep food cold, so it doesn’t spoil,” said the cook, then opened one and took out some vegetables. “You know, back before the State, most people had one of these in their homes. It was a terrible waste of energy, if you ask me. Everyone with their own fridge, cooking their own food! Can you imagine?”
Freya couldn’t, and shook her head in disbelief.
The cook laughed, and her soft middle jiggled slightly when she did. “I say, people used to do the craziest things. I’m Amaia, by the way.” She smiled and handed Freya a plate of food.
Freya introduced herself, thanked Amaia, then carried her plate back to the balcony. Chastity had taken a seat at the table but had not yet touched her meal. Freya sat down next to her and waited for some indication if she should eat or wait also.
“It’s best to wait a bit for others to join us,” said Chastity. “It’s more polite.”
Freya nodded and sat in silence, just waiting and hoping her food wouldn’t get too cold. Chastity looked at Freya’s tablet, and Freya suddenly realized it was still strapped to her hand. She took it off and tucked it behind her back. Amaia walked in with a tray of plates and set them down, and several people soon joined them. Each nodded at Freya, but no one said a word. No one touched their food either.
Suddenly, to Freya’s astonishment, Victor walked in and took a seat at the head of the table. “Everyone, I would like you to meet Freya,” he said, “our newest member of the household. I am sure you will all do your part and make her feel welcome. Now, dig in before it gets cold!”
Freya sat back and watched; no one took a bite until after Victor started eating. The only thing more surprising to Freya than the head of State dining at the same table as his house staff, was he was also eating the same food. Her tour around his house and grounds had made it clear that he was privy to a much more lavish lifestyle than most, yet there he was, humbly eating the same ordinary meal as the common people. There was not even a portion of meat for him, and she wondered if his food was rationed, just like everyone else’s.
A male had walked in just after Victor, dressed in a Security uniform that was a different color than Colin’s. The man seemed to notice her gaze. He looked to be a man in his late thirties, with angular features. “I’m James, the head of Security for this sector,” he said, “in case you are wondering about the uniform.” Then he looked around the table. “Freya was just coupled with one of the members of my team. Isn’t that right, Freya?”
Freya flushed, and was nearly overcome with panic. She was afraid he somehow knew about their fight, but was even more terrified that he would say something to Victor or anyone else at the table.
“Young love? How exciting! How do you like him so far? Is he handsome?” Amaia asked.
Freya’s face instantly warmed to an even deeper shade of red, and her jaw clenched involuntarily.
“Colin can be a bit of a handful at times,” James answered for her. “I’m sure Freya will keep him in line though.”
That embarrassed her even more, and it gave her the impression that he definitely knew about their arguing. She felt a little bad for Colin, as she couldn’t even imagine how much harassment he had to be enduring at work, thanks to all the eavesdropping.
Amaia seemed to pick up on the meaning behind her silence and rather red face. “Poor dear. You know, when I first met my partner, I couldn’t stand him. It took us a while to, well, let’s say get acquainted. Eventually, I fell head-over-heels in love with him, but it didn’t happen immediately. Sometimes these things take time, luv.”
Freya could not help but dart a look over at Victor; she could not believe Amaia just shared this information in front of the head of State.
“Did you ever call him a babbling idiot?” James asked and began to laugh. To Freya’s surprise, Victor joined in also. Her stomach suddenly felt as if it might explode, yet she felt winded at the same time. “You made a valid point, Freya. That kid talks too much.” James added.
Everyone at the table began to laugh.
Freya’s face was still redder than a tomato, but she did manage to relax a little when she realized she wasn’t in any trouble. “I don’t suppose he’s having the best day of duty today,” she said and almost giggled.
“No worse than he deserves. Don’t get me wrong. Colin’s a good kid,” James said, smiling broadly. “His mouth is the biggest problem. I must say, though, that I was a little surprised to see the two of you blow up so quickly. I just had to watch the video, to see that smug, arrogant look get wiped off his face.”
“I’d like to see that. Can you send it to me?” asked Victor. Freya had just taken a bite of food and almost choked on it. “We’ve got a feisty one on our hands here, folks! Everyone best stay clear of Freya when she’s in a mood.”
Freya, struggling to recover from choking, looked over at Victor, bug-eyed. He was nothing like she imagined he would be, and she couldn’t believe he was so down to Earth.
“It’s all in fun. Don’t you worry, Freya. As I told you, we’re family here. Everyone pokes fun every now and then.”
Freya nodded and returned to her meal. She was still unsure how to feel about this, but she certainly felt much lighter than she had since getting off the train.
Everyone finished their meals and made light conversation, till Victor stood, wished them all well, and left the room. They all got up at that point and briskly made their exit, heading toward their respective duties.
Chastity led Freya back outside and gave her a very lengthy tutorial on the features and uses of her tablet. There was so much information to take in, so much to learn. Freya had been taught proper documentation and records management in her education, but she had never paid particularly close attention, as she never thought she would find herself relying on that knowledge.
“Well, it is not yet finishing time, but I think your head is rather full, so I will send you home early today.” Chastity led her over to a room that held the docking stations for the tablets. “Leave your tablet here, and you can pick it up when you arrive tomorrow morning.” Once the tablet was situated, she led Freya to the front door, but instead of opening it, she pushed a button on the wall. After a moment passed, a green light came on, and she opened the door. “This door cannot be opened without Security clearance,” she explained. “Remember that, for it is important to keep the head of State safe. We never know what lunatic could try to get him.” She then guided Freya out the door. “Rest up, and we will start fresh tomorrow,” she said, and the door closed, with a distinctive locking sound.
Red lights automatically illuminated to show Freya the way out. The whole place was something of a confusing labyrinth, she was glad for the assistance. After a short while, she made it back to the apartment and pulled out her tablet, only to find a message in her inbox:
Freya 117:
It is a requirement that you take part in physical activity a minimum of three times a week. You are welcome to use the facility every day if that is your preference. Proper clothing and footwear are provided for you and can be found with your other uniforms. These are equipped with tracking devices to monitor your activity, as well as guide you to the right facility.
Regards,
The State
Freya went into the bedroom to look for the workout clothing. The shoes were unlike any others that ha
d ever been provided for her. She quickly found the top and bottoms and decided to change out of her work uniform. Part of her felt she should wait for Colin to finish his day, so she could invite him to join her, but a larger part of her felt like going without him. The head of State knew she was not enthralled with the match, so she didn’t feel the need to keep up appearances for the cameras anymore, and there was great freedom in that.
She walked to the elevator, and it opened without her using the scanner. She stepped in, and it carried her to the underground. When it opened, she saw a red-light path in the hallway. She also saw a red light flashing on her shirt, so she assumed it was all part of the tracking system, communicating with the security system. She traveled a long walkway and arrived at another elevator that opened automatically. She stepped in and felt it rising for what felt like a very long time. When the doors opened, she was amazed once again.
The State Series Box Set Page 11
