Chapter Seventeen
He didn’t see it at first, but something flashed as he stared down between the bubble cars and plasma screen advertisements. In between two buildings, in what looked like an access road, a vaguely outlined figure of a man was thrashing his arms up and down. At first, although later he didn’t know why he had thought it, Jay thought he was beating out a tune perhaps, on a drum, but as Jay continued staring, although it was difficult to pick out details from where he was, Jay began to notice that the man was standing above another figure, and the other person was desperately trying to defend himself or herself. He or she was obviously in a lot of pain.
Jay pulled himself away from the window and retreated to the safety of his apartment. Once inside, he switched on the video wall and flicked through several TV channels. Why, he wondered, didn’t anyone show that kind of thing on TV? Why was the news restricted to local politics and information about new products. Nothing bad ever happened on TV, apart from in the violent films they showed.
Now Jay knew he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to suggest meeting Aimee that night. What he had seen from the window of his building had shocked him, and he would need more than a few trips to the swimming pool in the basement before he would be able to even think about venturing out further.
That evening, aimee phoned him after he had finished eating one of the pre-packaged meals he usually ended up buying. Before she phoned, while he had been eating, he had been wighing up whether to tell her about his excursion that day. As it happened, later that evening, when she rang for the second time and they started talking, it came up naturally in the conversation. But the first time that evening they talked about something else.
‘I saw Cliff at work today, and asked him about his experience outside.’ Aimee said.
‘Cliff? Who’s Cliff? I don’t remember him.’
‘Oh, perhaps I didn’t tell you his name. He’s called Cliff Brooks. You remember I told you that one of my patients was fond of telling stories about life outside, and that he claimed he actually lived there for a while?’
‘OK. Now I remember. Yes, the storyteller. What did he have to say?’
‘Well, it was very interesting. He actually told me that he still goes outside from time to time. Can you believe that? He wouldn’t tell me how he manages to get in and out of the city, or where the exit/entrance is, but he was full of stories about the outsiders, and he managed to convinve me that there exists, or at least existed a community out there.’
‘But, how is it possible? Are you sure he isn’t making it all up?’
‘Well, I don’t think so. I think he used to work for the City Guards, and he said that one of the roles of a certain branch of the City Guards is to regularly go outside, at least just outside of the city.’
‘Why would they have to do that? And why would your patient continue to go out?’
‘çI can’t answer that last question, but the first...? Well, it’s obvious really. I just didn’t think it through before. The ex-insiders, who are evicted , well...they can’t just be left there in the tunnels or outside their buildings. That’s where the City Guard comes in. They pick them up, and take them away in theri vans. That much I knew already.’
‘Ah, yes, you told me how many of the ex-insiders are given a home and food in return for taking part in science experiments.’
‘That’s right. New drug trials, or whatever. Well, that’s just a small part of them. The lucky few, I guess. My patient, Cliff, well he told me that all the ex-insiders are given a medical check when they’re picked up, and only the ones that are considered healthy or interesting specimens are given the opportunity to take part in the scientific trials.’
Aimee sighed, and leaned back in her chair and paused a while, staring into Jay’s eyes. She was still dressed in her work clothes. A dark green suit. An identifying badge was pinned to her left breast. She obviously had wanted to talk to Jay as soon as possible, and didn’t wait to get changed.
‘Go on’ Jay urged her.
‘Well, it seems that the others are all transported outside, and unceremoniously dumped in various places. They’re left to get on with it, to survive however they can. It’s almost like the City saying, “we’re giving you a chance. Now get on with it.”’
‘How generous of them.’
‘Yes, I agree. Anyway, it seems as if the City Guard became curious about whether many of these “outsiders” actually managed to survive for long, and so, according to Cliff, they started up a special observation unit, Cliff said he ended up being part of this.’
‘It doesn’t sound very coherent to me. Why would the City be so interested?’
‘Well, they didn’t like the idea of large groups of outsiders forming a community that could later rival the City. Imagine if they managed to survive and formed a group large enough to mount an attack on us? You can see what danger that would result in?’
‘OK, you’ve convinced me. So, what did your patient actually get to see?’
‘Well, Cliff said that he did indeed find some communities. It appears that the brighter of those who were released outside had made their way to the remains of the old cities that used to exist, before the Age of the Problems.’
‘You mean when the plants and animals all started dying, and the people in these places started dying off?’
‘That’s right. The City has renamed this “The Age of the Problems” just in case you didn’t know.’
‘I didn’t, actually.’
‘Well now you do.’
‘So, what else did Cliff have to say?’
‘Well, it seems that a lot of these people had managed to build themselves shelter in the old cities, and could live there, although it wasn’t clear what they were actually surviving on. Cliff said that it was obvious that there were still some species of animals left that they were able to feed on.’
‘Interesting, but I don’t see how...’
Jay was cut off abruptly by an alarm coming from Aimee’s apartment. Aimee then suddenly said:
‘I’m sorry, Jay. I have to go. It’s work. I’ll try to ring you later.’
The connection was broken and Jay was left staring into the dull violet screen of the vidphone.
1,119 words this chapter
12,312 words in total
Jay pulled himself away from the window and retreated to the safety of his apartment. Once inside, he switched on the video wall and flicked through several TV channels. Why, he wondered, didn’t anyone show that kind of thing on TV? Why was the news restricted to local politics and information about new products. Nothing bad ever happened on TV, apart from in the violent films they showed.
Now Jay knew he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to suggest meeting Aimee that night. What he had seen from the window of his building had shocked him, and he would need more than a few trips to the swimming pool in the basement before he would be able to even think about venturing out further.
That evening, aimee phoned him after he had finished eating one of the pre-packaged meals he usually ended up buying. Before she phoned, while he had been eating, he had been wighing up whether to tell her about his excursion that day. As it happened, later that evening, when she rang for the second time and they started talking, it came up naturally in the conversation. But the first time that evening they talked about something else.
‘I saw Cliff at work today, and asked him about his experience outside.’ Aimee said.
‘Cliff? Who’s Cliff? I don’t remember him.’
‘Oh, perhaps I didn’t tell you his name. He’s called Cliff Brooks. You remember I told you that one of my patients was fond of telling stories about life outside, and that he claimed he actually lived there for a while?’
‘OK. Now I remember. Yes, the storyteller. What did he have to say?’
‘Well, it was very interesting. He actually told me that he still goes outside from time to time. Can you believe that? He wouldn’t tell me how he manages to get in and out of the city, or where the exit/entrance is, but he was full of stories about the outsiders, and he managed to convinve me that there exists, or at least existed a community out there.’
‘But, how is it possible? Are you sure he isn’t making it all up?’
‘Well, I don’t think so. I think he used to work for the City Guards, and he said that one of the roles of a certain branch of the City Guards is to regularly go outside, at least just outside of the city.’
‘Why would they have to do that? And why would your patient continue to go out?’
‘çI can’t answer that last question, but the first...? Well, it’s obvious really. I just didn’t think it through before. The ex-insiders, who are evicted , well...they can’t just be left there in the tunnels or outside their buildings. That’s where the City Guard comes in. They pick them up, and take them away in theri vans. That much I knew already.’
‘Ah, yes, you told me how many of the ex-insiders are given a home and food in return for taking part in science experiments.’
‘That’s right. New drug trials, or whatever. Well, that’s just a small part of them. The lucky few, I guess. My patient, Cliff, well he told me that all the ex-insiders are given a medical check when they’re picked up, and only the ones that are considered healthy or interesting specimens are given the opportunity to take part in the scientific trials.’
Aimee sighed, and leaned back in her chair and paused a while, staring into Jay’s eyes. She was still dressed in her work clothes. A dark green suit. An identifying badge was pinned to her left breast. She obviously had wanted to talk to Jay as soon as possible, and didn’t wait to get changed.
‘Go on’ Jay urged her.
‘Well, it seems that the others are all transported outside, and unceremoniously dumped in various places. They’re left to get on with it, to survive however they can. It’s almost like the City saying, “we’re giving you a chance. Now get on with it.”’
‘How generous of them.’
‘Yes, I agree. Anyway, it seems as if the City Guard became curious about whether many of these “outsiders” actually managed to survive for long, and so, according to Cliff, they started up a special observation unit, Cliff said he ended up being part of this.’
‘It doesn’t sound very coherent to me. Why would the City be so interested?’
‘Well, they didn’t like the idea of large groups of outsiders forming a community that could later rival the City. Imagine if they managed to survive and formed a group large enough to mount an attack on us? You can see what danger that would result in?’
‘OK, you’ve convinced me. So, what did your patient actually get to see?’
‘Well, Cliff said that he did indeed find some communities. It appears that the brighter of those who were released outside had made their way to the remains of the old cities that used to exist, before the Age of the Problems.’
‘You mean when the plants and animals all started dying, and the people in these places started dying off?’
‘That’s right. The City has renamed this “The Age of the Problems” just in case you didn’t know.’
‘I didn’t, actually.’
‘Well now you do.’
‘So, what else did Cliff have to say?’
‘Well, it seems that a lot of these people had managed to build themselves shelter in the old cities, and could live there, although it wasn’t clear what they were actually surviving on. Cliff said that it was obvious that there were still some species of animals left that they were able to feed on.’
‘Interesting, but I don’t see how...’
Jay was cut off abruptly by an alarm coming from Aimee’s apartment. Aimee then suddenly said:
‘I’m sorry, Jay. I have to go. It’s work. I’ll try to ring you later.’
The connection was broken and Jay was left staring into the dull violet screen of the vidphone.
1,119 words this chapter
12,312 words in total
posted by blog-efl at 15.11.04
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