Human Again: A Dystopian Sci-Fi Novel (Cryonemesis Book 1) (5 page)

“
Ok
,” he said, “
see the smoke?”

“Yes.”

I saw a smoke pillar in the distance. He must've created that himself.

“
That's the finish line. Ready?”

“Yes.”

A big red “3” appeared in front of my face. Then a “2” and a “1” and then a buzzing sound, and we started to run. He was fast but I knew I could keep up. I was already warmed up so I had the advantage. I opened a margin in front of him and felt the wind hitting my face. He smiled and looked forward like a hawk on a rabbit. Then he ran like hell. I was so surprised that I almost forgot to run. I had to pace up and try to reach him. I was three feet behind him, then four and five and six. By the time he got to the finish line I already gave up. My heart was racing and I was breathing heavily. My muscles were sore and I was sweating like a pig. I took the helmet off and I saw his stupid smile. It seemed like no effort for him.

“
So that’s the famous soldier.
”

“What are you talking about?”

“
You don't look like a soldier and you don't run like one.
”

“Who do you think I am?”

“
Everyone knows who you are. But I know you can’t help us. Don't worry soldier, next time you'll win, maybe.
”

“Help who, how?” I asked.

“
See you,
” he said, and left the gym.

“Wait, tell me how?” I tried to follow him but I couldn’t spot him in either direction.

I was confused and beaten by a teenage boy. That little prick. Maybe I was indeed too slow for this place.

Chapter 6

I came back to my room and went into the shower. I’d mastered the washing routine: ten seconds of water, followed by the soap spray, and then ten seconds of water to rinse it all out. Then air dry with germs. It wasn't pleasant at all. Since I didn't yet know how to get a fresh pair of overalls I had to dry my sweaty one and wear them again.

I sat on my simulation bed and saw the other people in the room lying in their permanent state of assimilation. I assumed Isaac’s wife was also among them. I couldn't see their faces under the bed cover but their body posture seemed calm. I wondered what might happen if he tried to open the bed and free her. It might be too traumatic for her. Who knows what life she had built for herself in there? Maybe she was young again and just started a whole new family. Maybe she lives in the twenty-first century Venice or Hawaii. Maybe she went back to her childhood home. It didn't sound so bad. It's better than being a plumber, a cleaner or even a storyteller. I had no stories in me anyway.

Oh wait. I have one. Don’t die and go to the future. The climate is horrible and you'll be forced to live underground and clean toilets all day. How’s that for a life lesson, kids?

Isaac came back looking for me. He studied my face and remained standing.

“Not what you hoped for?” He asked.

“No.” I shrugged.

“What kind of ‘No’?”

“I got nothing; I can't do anything in this place.”

“Did he say why?”

“I am not fast enough and my logic isn't strong enough. So I am left with plumbing, cleaning and laundry. Which is by the way something you didn't explain to me, and now I'm sitting in my stinky overalls after running in the gym.”

“You went to the gym?”

He raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah, why?”

“No one goes to the gym.”

“So, you were about to explain laundry.”

“Oh yes,” he said, and pulled a drawer off the wall. He handed me clean overalls and I changed in the shower. I gave him the dirty one and he put it in another drawer.

“Anyway, you can still be a storyteller if you want.”

“Or assimilate. President Padma has already presented me with that option.”

“Yes, you were about to cross the line. It’s good they caught you. You could have gone to trial for sneaking outside. Or worse, been hurt or killed.”

“I was already killed, remember?”

He couldn’t reply to that. It wasn’t his fault and I
was
being nasty to him.

“I’m sorry, I know it’s not your fault I’m here, I just have no one else to vent to.”

“That’s ok.”

“They revived me in this concrete prison without me even wanting it, and then threaten to assimilate me if I escape. How do you keep sane around here?”

“You won’t understand.”

He wasn’t impressed by my anger. And why would he? He’s so wise and old, he’s beyond anger.

“Tell me, because I sure need some sanity these days.”

“It’s an old Buddhist saying I tell myself every day.”

“Buddhist? You?”

“After your time, when economies collapsed, more people started to get interested in that.”

“So what do you say?”

He turned serious.

“Well?” I pressed him.

“I shall grow old, get sick and die. I can't escape aging, sickness and death. Everything I said or did is my sole responsibility. Everybody I know and cherish will fade away in time. Everything is connected. Everything changes. Control is an illusion.”

I was overwhelmed.

“It’s the most depressing saying I've ever heard.”

“It’s relieving if you think about it.”

“I don't think so.”

“Trust me, it works.”

“You know, I just thought I’d grow up to do something more important. In the real world.”

“This is the real world now and storytelling is important. You pass on knowledge and morals to the kids so when they grow up they don’t screw everything up like we did.”

“Stories didn't seem to help us not screw things up.”

“Well, it’s too late for us. But when these people will come out to the surface, they will be smarter.”

“If they come out.”

“Listen, you can go to pre-training or basic training and learn everything from the start. Then you can get retested ten years from now just to become somebody who sits in front of a computer all day and manages a quantum system. Sounds exciting, right?” He asked, sarcastically.

“But at least I'll be doing something that helps people, like security or technical stuff.”

“I don't know what to tell you. Quantum computers or not, you'll be still sitting in front of a screen monitoring the systems like three hundred years ago. They don't let you monitor the systems from inside the simulation for the obvious reasons.”

I sighed. I felt like I was a burden on Isaac and this city because I didn't fit in. I had to be explained everything like a child. I wasn’t even physically fit to be a guard.

“Anyway, I came here to tell you something else entirely.”

“Now what?”

“President Padma wants to meet you. I think she has another job for you.”

Excitement started tingling in my chest.

“Just ask yourself this,” he added, “do you want to directly affect people or do you want to affect the systems that affect people?”

Chapter 7

I sat in a waiting room outside the president's office. It was built inside the inner ring of the city. The waiting room was much nicer than the grey corridor. The concrete was painted white and had majestic looking illustrations on it. I sat there for quite awhile, while a security camera remained fixed on me. I assumed they had cameras to monitor everybody around the city. I bet if they detected anger in your simulation they would follow you outside to make sure you didn’t act stupid.

A girl wearing yellow overalls came in the waiting room. She looked at the closed door and then at me. For a split second I swear she looked like Hadar, but then again I knew I couldn’t yet fully trust my mind. She had brown hair that was held by a rubber band or some future thingy. She had a darker skin tone than me and light green eyes, high cheekbones and full lips. I didn't know why, but I started to get nervous.

“
Hi,
” she said, smiling.

“Hi,” I said.

“
Are you here for the president?”

“Yes I have an appointment.”

Appointment? She's not a doctor. Why was I nervous?

“
Cool.
”

“Can you talk slower? I am still not used to your speed.”

“Oh...”

Her face lit in the most beautiful way, like she was expecting to see me or something. I felt welcomed by her smile.

“…you are the soldier.”

“Yes,” I admitted.

She sent her hand for a shake and I shook her arm like Isaac taught me.

“What's your name?” She asked.

“Roy.”

“Roy? I never heard that name before. Didn’t they give you a new name?”

“Who was supposed to?”

“I don't know, someone that handles new names. Defrosties always have new names.”

“Actually I only met three people so far, not including the doctors.”

“Ha, I heard about that. Was it scary at the beginning?”

“Yup.”

“So, It's up to me to find you a new name,” she said.

“I don’t really want a new one.”

“Don’t worry I’ll find you a new one after I get to know you.”

She wanted to get to know me?

“So how did it feel to die?”

Wow, that was blunt.

“I was frozen the whole time. I don't know.”

“No, at the moment you were killed, how did it feel?”

She was so direct it made me uneasy. It was like she was interrogating me.

“I don't remember.”

“Try.”

“Why?”

“I am interested. I never asked a former soldier how it was to die.”

“I don't want to remember that moment.”

“Why, isn't it interesting?”

“I didn't want to die and if I remember it, it will hurt again.”

“So? You're here now. It can’t hurt you.”

“It will because I lost family and friends…”

“Then I will be your friend, is that ok?”

“Well, yeah. You didn't tell me your name.”

“It’s Shanta.”

“Shanta, like Shanti?”

“Quite similar, have you heard it before?”

“I just know the word.”

“It means ‘Peaceful.’ What does ‘Roy’ mean?”

“It's a biblical name, meaning 'My Shepherd'.”

She started giggling.

“Shepherd? Like sheep? Who is your Shepherd?”

“God, I guess.”

She giggled more.

“Why are you laughing?”

“I imagine god is holding you on a leash, shepherding you while you eat grass.”

“That's not what a shepherd does. Didn’t they teach you that in school?”

“They teach us about climate and technology and ethics and whatever we need to survive. Not about old times name meanings.”

“You don't study the bible?”

She giggled again.

“We do, we study that religions helped to destroy the world.”

“I thought it was pollution and heat.”

“Yeah, but religions made people blind to the truth.”

I didn’t know what to say about that. It wasn’t a time for a debate.

The door opened and two guards with dark blue overalls came out and greeted Shanta. The president then came out.

“Mom, the soldier is here to see you,” she said.

Mom??? I just had a talk with the president's daughter and made a total fool out of myself?

“Again, nice to meet you Roy.”

“Nice to meet you.”

We shook arms and she was pleasant.

“So I see that you already met Shanta. Do you mind if she comes in with us? I invited her to get to know you.”

So it wasn't a coincidence she was here, and so friendly.

“Sure.”

We all went inside and sat on little couches that looked like they were made of thick plastic-like fabric. There were four screens on the wall displaying different graphs and numbers. On the other side of the room was a window that showed a view of the coastline.

“This is…normal,” I said, pointing around the room.

“I try to keep my room as simple as I can so I can concentrate.”

“Is that a real window?”

“No that's just a screen showing me the view from any security camera I choose. I like to be reminded of the outside.”

“Nice.”

“So let’s start anew shall we? Tell me a little bit about yourself.”

“I don't know where to start.”

“Anywhere will be fine.”

“So my name is Roy, but Shanta told me that I need to get a new name. I am 19, or 319 depending on how you calculate it.”

They giggled a bit, though it was an awful corny joke they've must have heard a thousand times from people like me.

“I was born in Tel Aviv and you know, I feel that if I start talking about my past I'll just start crying again so I'd rather not.”

“That's understood. Let me tell you a little bit about myself and this place. I've been president of Knaan for over twenty years now. This place is a miracle. Everything here is designed to be self-sustainable until we can go back to living outside. But this sustainability is delicate. Everything has a part to play. For example, there mustn’t be violence and friction between people. Also, there mustn’t be an over consumption of resources. That's why everything is regulated and automated by our systems. “

“I see.”

“Like I said yesterday, I consider all residents my own children. So the most important thing I can say to you is try to fit in as well as you can. Find your place and play along with others. If you get that, you'll feel at home again and everything will be just wonderful for you.”

She looked at Shanta and smiled, “That's why I asked Shanta to guide you and welcome you.”

But how do I make her like me for real?

“Thank you, I intend to do the best I can to find my place. But when I went to get tested—”

“—say no more. Another reason I invited you here was to offer you a special job only few can do. I feel that this might be something you will be perfect for.”

No laundry? No toilets? No way!

“What is it?”

“We have an intelligent security system that operates automatically on the outside. But like any other system, sometimes it experience malfunctions and erosion. I'm offering you an important role in being a Gun Technician Assistant, which means retrieving broken guns from the outside and installing the fixed ones.”

I almost shouted ‘
Hell yeah!’

“Is that what happened before?”

“Those guards worked outside the safe zone to maintain our water pumps. You’ll be only working within the gun circle, so you’ll be covered by our systems. Nothing has happened to a GTA within twenty years of my service.”

I wasn't pleased with unnecessary danger after already dying once, but it wasn’t new to me either. On the other hand, it was an important job. Plus I would get to see the outside world, like I wanted.

“GTAs mostly go out at night. We have special suits for protection just like you saw. You will learn how to dismount the guns quickly so the rest can be done inside. You are the most highly trained person here in combat and stressful conditions. This job is perfect for you, and I'm sure you're curious about the outside like most defrosties are.”

“What about the ‘Purists’?”

She paused for a second to think.

“Like I said, you will wear a special suit and our security system will be running at all times to keep you safe. I'm not saying you'll be out there every night, but whenever the security of this city is in jeopardy, you'll be expected to quickly get us back to full capacity. This job can save a lot of lives, Roy.”

I looked at Shanta, and she was smiling like she was excited for my new role. It got me excited, as well. I could be someone that people needed here, and I’d get to go outside while no one else could.

“Do you know what our most precious resource is?”

“Water?” I immediately answered.

“Think harder.”

“Electricity?”

“Security. It’s security that keeps all the systems running and it keeps people relaxed and happy. We feel secure if everything goes according to plan and expectations. People need to know that they are safe, and it’s better if they even forget about it. That’s how we can achieve less stress, less fighting, less unpleasant events. Think about your job as maintaining order and sanity by providing security.”

I wasn’t really debating; I knew I had to take it.

“I agree,” I said with pride. “Thank you.”

“Thank you Roy, for choosing to be a part of this miraculous city,” she said, shaking my arm gently. “Don’t hesitate to come to me with anything that bothers you. I consider you one of my children.”

“Thank you so much. I hoped I didn't have to be a storyteller.”

“We were all surprised to see a nineteen year-old coming off the ice. It took us a day but we found you a more suitable job. Don't pay attention to that test. It was a horrible idea to begin with for a defrosty.”

“Can I ask you for something?

“Sure.”

“Could you check what happened to my parents? Doctor Ashish told me there might be information in the other cities but he couldn't determine their status.”

“Yes, I'll check with him immediately.”