2084: Slavery Resurgent

The commercial telepathy signal that cut in as a dream ended had eventually been adjusted to a tolerable level, however, the provider appeared to be gradually upping its strength. Franklin was once again sleeping fitfully.

Due to the sophisticated equipment involved and high costs in energy, telepathy was a one-way affair in 2084. Technological innovations would someday make two-way telepathy practical, but Franklin’s only recourse at 3 AM was to stick his head out of an open window and shout, “Turn that signal down!,” hoping in vain that someone at the Telepathy Transmission Provider’s Building at the end of the block would take pity on him and do something that would let him get back to sleep.

As soon as the Provider’s office opened at 8 AM, he lodged a complaint in person. The clerk at the counter politely informed Franklin that their contract was with the landlord. Franklin was merely an affected third party. It was a complicated matter that could not be settled overnight.

Feeling dejected, Franklin walked home. He no longer needed the $20 discount in his rent that was part of his lease. “Time to move,” he said to no one in particular. He could afford and felt he deserved better.

* * *

“Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.” - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

One week later, precisely at eleven, Franklin went to the office as requested by Hiram Nasov to make a progress report. Mr. Nasov sat at his desk drumming his fingers against an ancient upside down keyboard while humming a popular ballad from a previous decade. He was noticeably happy, the corners of his mouth ever-so-slightly upturned in the semblance of a genuine smile.

This was definitely out-of-character for Hiram. His face usually bore a sour look that could curdle milk. As of late, Franklin had been worrying about his boss. He resembled nothing so much as Ebenezer Scrooge after having been visited by the ghosts of Christmas. However, since it was nowhere near the Holiday Season, Franklin suspected the change in demeanor was due to hormonal imbalance, drugs, or a combination of both. Since it was improper for him to be judging his boss, he filed it away in the recesses of his mind for possible future reference.

In hindsight, Franklin’s guesstimate was baseless. Which was not very surprising, considering that Franklin could never have stuffed his big feet into Hiram’s shoes, much less have walked a mile in them.

Hiram motioned for Franklin to be seated in the pink fiberglass chair and began, “Are the two new janitors working out? Have they caused any problems?”

“There was some friction at first, but I had a talk with them and they listened to reason. Lately, I have been whipping them into shape,” Franklin answered.

“Figuratively whipping or literally whipping?,” asked Hiram with a smirk while casting his eyes downward.

“Figuratively, of course,” Franklin retorted. “I’m not a monster.”

“Frankly, either way would be fine by me,” confessed Hiram. “I never would have hired them, but my wife kept pressuring me. Those two idiots are the bane of my life. I put them under two different supervisors and had identical results. Dope smoking, time sheets falsified, abuse of sick leave, surveillance scanner mooning, buffer surfing, insulting clients, making inappropriate gestures towards women, two hour lunches; you name it, they did it, knowing full well they were breaking the rules. They lack respect for anything or anyone. Warnings, suspensions, legal actions, forfeiture of pay, mandatory drug rehabilitation clinics, transfers to other locations – nothing short of firing fazes them.

And then you come along and all of a sudden, they want to get along. I want to know your secret, my wife wants to know your secret, her father, the Chief Executive Officer of this company, wants to know your secret. The missus is telling everyone that you, and you alone, have accomplished the impossible. Stern disciplinarian, martinet, provocateur of personnel; the Board of Directors can only suspect how you do it. One thing for certain is that our company needs a man with your skills. We’ve seen the transformation you made in the two most slovenly slackers ever employed by this company. Thanks to you, I’m a happier man.”

“It was nothing, really,” denied Franklin, feeling uncomfortable as he attempted to shrug his shoulders while sitting in a hard-as-hell, rigid, pink fiberglass bucket chair.

“You are being overly modest,” Hiram declared. “Modesty has no place in business. Always take full credit for everything you and your subordinates have achieved that is, was, or will be of benefit to your employer. The Chief Executive Officer decided to put you in charge of entry level management training for the United States and Canada. Your salary will be commensurate with your abilities. Also, mid-level managers, such as yourself, receive stock options and profit sharing. All moving expenses to Las Vegas, Nevada, will be paid by the company. We have booked a suite for you and your assistant, George 99,689,794, at the Eclipse Resort where you will be conducting a series of seminars.” George 99,689,794 will assist you in demonstrating effective methods of discipline and, should it prove necessary, will act to enforce your authority. I understand you foresaw an unpleasant reaction by subordinates to your unusual methods and programmed the trainee to back you up. Everyone on the Board of Directors was impressed. They voted unanimously to reward your initiative. Your promotion is effective immediately. Sign and date the contract on the lines highlighted in yellow,” Hiram instructed Franklin, as he shoved the necessary papers across the desk.”

“Franklin stood and began signing the contract. Several pages later, he paused and asked, “Do I get a copy?”

“Don’t trust us?,” asked Hiram Nasov, grinning from ear to ear. “You’re learning. Never trust anyone in business. I will have a secretary make you both a paper and a digital copy before you leave the office.”

Franklin resumed reading each page of the contract before he signed it. He had Hiram explain a confidentiality clause to him before placing his initials next to it.

When Franklin finished signing, Hiram summoned a secretary to make copies of the contract. It took mere seconds for her to complete the assignment.

“There are a few more things we need to cover,” Hiram stated, the somewhat disconcerting grin gradually dehydrating into his usual serious aspect. “One of the clauses in the contract has a drug test provision. George 99,689,794 was tested yesterday. Now, it’s your turn.” Hiram stood up, walked past Franklin, and opened the door. In walked a phlebotomist wearing a white lab coat. “Sam will be taking blood and urine samples,” instructed Hiram, as a vestige of his grin returned. “This provides us with evidence that any behavioral changes were not drug induced.”

Franklin was silent while Sam pricked a vein and withdrew two vials of blood. Then Sam accompanied Franklin to a restroom and watched as Franklin urinated into a sterile urine cup.

Samples in hand, the mobile phlebotomist and Franklin parted ways, Sam presumably returning to the laboratory from which he worked and Franklin, although not having been specifically told to come back to Hiram’s cramped office, reluctantly did so anyway because he knew it was the right thing to do.

Knocking on the office door, Franklin entered and took a seat without waiting for an answer. As he suspected, Hiram was on the phone, oblivious to everything else around him.

“Two first class tickets on tonight’s hyperloop to Las Vegas?,” Hiram’s voice was rising, “that is expensive. Why not wait until tomorrow and have them drive there? What’s the rush?”

(long pause)

“Yes, I understand. I will book them on the redeye. Come hell or high water, I will make certain they get there tonight. Later, the company will have to pay any penalty involved in breaking their respective leases plus boxing and shipping their personal belongings to Las Vegas. You do realize you are shanghaiing my best team? Without them, the Los Angeles office might not meet this quarter’s goals.”

(short pause)

“That’s probably a mixup by some dimwit programmer on your end. It makes no sense for the automaton to be paying seven times as much for rent as his supervisor. Are you sure it’s not the other way around? Quit griping. You want the two of them, then pay up the leases. It’s as simple as that. I need to get off the phone so I can book the tickets.” Hiram threw his phone at the door. As usual, it didn’t break. In fact, it never did. Modern cellphones were virtually indestructible. Top of the line phones came with a lifetime guarantee. Throwing phones was Hiram’s way of letting off steam. His psychiatrist had recommended it. Franklin bent down, picked up the phone, and placed it on the desk. He felt relieved that Hiram was back to being his normal, grumpy self.

“George 99,689,794 and you are going to board the 11:15 PM hyperloop to Las Vegas tonight. Be at the terminal 30 minutes early, go to the counter, and present them your identification. Two first class will have been reserved in your name. A shuttle van from the Eclipse Resort will be waiting for you at the other end. The company will terminate your rental leases and pay to have your belongings boxed and shipped to you in Las Vegas. Any questions?,” asked Hiram.

“Why so soon? What is going to happen to my new hovercar? Las Vegas has a high cost of living. George 99,689,794 needs a company expense account. Don’t worry, I will monitor it and restrict it to essentials,” Franklin assured his boss.

“You will be replacing the spokesperson at a seminar that was scheduled months ago. The Chief Executive Officer wants you to inform people that in order to keep the company competitive in the 22nd century, the Board of Directors has come up with a plan to phase out human janitors and replace them with cost- efficient automatons,” explained Hiram. “The decision is likely to provoke controversy. Some people fear change. We believe that you, having had success with integrating automatons into the workforce, can best allay those fears. Also, two observers from the government’s Supreme Soldier program will be there. They saw the tape of you and George 99,689,794 facing down an armed opponent. Inability to foster loyalty in an automaton was the reason the Supreme Soldier program was shut down. This Administration wants to reinstate it. But they can’t do that if George 99,689,794′s ‘demonstration of loyalty’ had anything to do with drugs. That is why we tested both of you for drugs.”

“Tomorrow morning, your hovercar will be loaded on a flatbed truck and delivered to you at the Eclipse Resort. It has already been arranged,” Hiram reassured Franklin.

“Setting up an expense account for George 99,689,794 should not be a problem,” Hiram speculated. “However, it needs to be approved by the Board of Directors. They appear to be willing to pay most any price to get you to act as the point man for the radical changes they are making in the company. That way if it goes wrong, they can blame you. Because you are an upstart outsider, the Board of Directors could dispense with you at will without worrying about the consequences. That’s a worst case scenario. But I prefer to look on the bright side. If the changes prove to be a success and automatons turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to this company, you will become the man of the hour. You could be the next Chairman of the Board and accomplish wonders. When that occurs, do not forget who started you on your way. Now get out of here! We both have a schedule to keep.”

Standing up, Franklin halfway pivoted to face the door, before turning back to ask, “How is George 99,689,794 getting to the terminal? Do you want me to pick him up?”

“I will take care of it. I am sending a hovercab to his residence. The fare will be prepaid, including a ten percent tip,” promised Hiram. “Go, you don’t have much time to prepare. Think about what you will say at tomorrow’s seminar. It might help to make an outline.”

Franklin went home to his studio apartment. Despite its lack of amenities, he was going to miss the place. Resort living didn’t hold any appeal for him. However, he had signed a contract, it was too late to be having second thoughts. He packed the one bag he would be taking with him. There was still three hours to go before it would be time to take a hoverbus to the hyperloop terminal. He decided to take a short nap. When he awoke, he was covered in cold sweat. Although Franklin could not recall dreaming, he was certain he had gone at least once into rapid eye movement sleep because he remembered the commercial telepathy that invariably came after each dream. It had been a recruitment advertisement for dilithium miners on Io. The only requirements were good physical health and to be under forty- five years of age. He was tempted to pursue the off-world job, rather than go to the seminar in Las Vegas, but the temptation vanished as quickly as it had come. A responsible person met his commitments, regardless of consequences. Franklin could not bring himself to renege on a commitment.

It was a tad early to go to the hoverbus stop, but Franklin liked to give himself a margin of error in case something unforeseen happened. He rode on the Number 6 hoverbus for nine blocks, then transferred to the Number 11 hoverbus which took him to the hyperloop terminal.

Franklin entered the terminal through a massive airlock which kept the atmospheric pressure within the terminal at two-thirds that of the outside air.

Once inside, Franklin went to the ticket counter and asked for the two first class tickets to Las Vegas, Nevada, that had been reserved in his name. The ticket agent behind the counter said that it was Hyperloop policy for all passengers to be microchip scanned to establish identity. Franklin rolled his eyes, smirked, then requested to speak to her supervisor. Two minutes later, her supervisor authorized a retinal scan whereby Franklin was able to prove he actually was who he said he was. He still had to sign a receipt, after which the ticket agent slid a rectangular manila folder containing two envelopes across the countertop. He slit the envelopes open and consigned the two tickets to an inside coat pocket.

* * *

“It is by presence of mind in untried emergencies that . . . a man is tested.” - Abraham Lincoln [1864]

Franklin took a seat in the hyperloop waiting room. At this time of night, there were plenty of empty seats from which he could choose. Trying to relax, he downloaded a science fiction novel onto his cellphone. He had reached the end of the first chapter when his cellphone began to buzz, indicating an incoming call.

“Franklin, I will be arriving at the hyperloop terminal more than a half hour late,” George 99,689,794 declared apologetically.

“What happened? Are you alright?,” Franklin asked suspecting the worst.

“The hovercab driver would not allow me to be a passenger in his vehicle. He said automatons are diseased subhumans, not fit to associate with human beings. When I told him I wanted to speak to his supervisor, he gave me a rude hand gesture and left. Rumi called the taxi company. They apologized profusely and dispatched another hovercab. Is there a later hyperloop?,” George 99,689,794 inquired.

“No, but it’s my responsibility to think of a way to get out of this predicament. Go to the ticket counter and have them page me as soon as you arrive,” Franklin requested. He quickly glanced around the waiting room, noting several red emergency levers spaced at intervals along the opposite wall. He came up with an idea. It was a long shot, but this was an emergency and he was desperate. He stood and walked to a long hallway that led to the restrooms. He walked halfway down the hallway until he reached an area that wasn’t covered by scanners. An adjacent red lever read, “PULL FOR EMERGENCY” and underneath it in smaller print, “pressure leaks, fire, or other hazards.” Surely, the situation confronting Franklin qualified. He had to come up with a way to delay the departure of the redeye for at least 30 minutes. He took a deep breath and pulled the red emergency lever. An alarm began buzzing at five second intervals. A short time later, an announcement was made over the loud speaker system, “Remain seated. Please, do not panic. This is a test of our emergency procedures. Follow the instructions of firemen and emergency technicians. Since it is merely an unscheduled drill, we do not anticipate a long delay. Hyperloop will continue to operate. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Franklin did an about face, returning to the waiting room as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Firemen milled about the terminal, searching for pressure leaks. Someone turned off the alarm. Forty minutes later the firemen left. Several minutes later, Franklin saw George 99,689,794 approaching the ticket counter.

Franklin ran up to the automaton and warmly embraced him. “I was worried you would not get here in time,” said Franklin, as he pulled the automaton toward the passenger capsule which a line of people were waiting to board.

First class was luxurious. Ample legroom, fully reclining seats, complimentary champagne, and their choice of shrimp kabob, orange duck, or venison for a midnight meal. Perhaps the best thing about first class as far as they were concerned, was that nobody was so gauche as to gripe about an automaton sitting near them.

Although the passenger capsule was moving in excess of 325 miles per hour, there was almost nothing to indicate that it was in motion – no significant changes in landscape, no clacking of iron wheels on steel rails, and no bumps – just the digital dials, gauges, and instruments being monitored by an engineer in a control compartment at the front of the capsule. The hyperloop was essentially a giant pneumatic tube that transported people across hundreds of miles in less time and at considerably less expense than a jetliner.

Franklin was tired and fell asleep after downing two glasses of champagne. George 99,689,794 took a slick magazine from a pocket on the back of the seat in front of him. An article about hyperloops captured his attention and he began reading:

“Hyperloop One, connecting Los Angeles and Las Vegas, was opened for commercial passenger service in 2081. Hyperloop is the brainchild of billionaire inventor/investor Elon Musk, who had previously fathered Pay Pal and Space X Corporation. It has shuttled thousands of people millions of miles on time and without a major mishap.”

“Following the much heralded success of Hyperloop One, Elon Musk inaugerated Hyperloop Two in 2083, connecting Seattle to San Francisco. Hyperloop Two incorporates safety features learned in operating Hyperloop One, including a viscous self-sealing lining which inhibits pressure leaks and a revolutionary airbrake.”

“Hyperloop Three, connecting Tokyo with Nagasaki, Japan, is scheduled to open in the Winter of 2086 with free wi-fi internet and first run in-transit movies. Contracts are being negotiated with Singapore, China, Russia, and Abu Dahbi.”

“Thank you for choosing Hyperloop. It’s the fast, inexpensive, and quiet way to travel.”

A stewardess brought a blanket for Franklin. He was snoring, but not annoyingly so. George 99,689,794 shut the magazine and put it in the back pocket of the seat in front of him.

The engineer announced over a loudspeaker that the capsule had crossed the California border into Nevada. Hidden panels in the passenger capsule’s walls slid open to reveal digital slot machines. The noise from the slot machines woke Franklin.

Turning toward George 99,689,794, Franklin asked, “You want to play?”

George 99,689,794 raised his eyebrows and replied, “I am not tempted to do so. Slot machines give terrible odds. You might as well flush your money down a toilet.”

A stewardess took their orders for the midnight meal. Franklin ordered venison and George 99,689,794 ordered orange duck with brown rice. Ten minutes later, the same stewardess came back with their meals.

After several bites, George 99,689,794 complained, “This was reheated in a microwave oven. And the brown rice is imitation. Real brown rice is harvested by Native Americans in canoes in the shallow waters of the Great Lakes.” The automaton made a face as if he had swallowed something disgusting.

“You’re confusing brown rice with wild rice,” Franklin rebuked. Brown rice is white rice that was hulled, removing most of the nutrients and leaving the bran, germ, and a few vitamins. Wild rice is a misnomer. It is actually any of four species of grasses grown in wetlands in Minnesota and China. Yes, the meals are cooked in advance and then reheated, similar to the way they do it on jetliners. Obviously, Rumi spoiled you. Eat your meal.”

“While you were snoring, I was thinking about what I should do after I regain my freedom. I lost my investment broker license. Perhaps it is better that way because it keeps me from making the same mistake twice,” George 99,689,794 remarked. “What I have been thinking about lately is something I garnered from hearing you complain about one-way commercial telepathy. It seems to be a near-sighted, crass, commercial use – or more aptly an abuse – of a revolutionary, breakthrough technology.”

“I could not agree more,” said Franklin, recalling the sleepless nights in which an out-of-adjustment signal caused him to toss and turn, sometimes breaking out in a cold sweat.

“Years ago, when I first became an investment broker, a man approached me seeking funds for a telepathy communications startup. It sounded like a potential winner. I wasted 30 minutes watching a power point presentation. There is evidence that in our distant past before language was developed primates had the ability to communicate for short distances by means of telepathic imagery. With the advent of language, it faded away until nowadays all that is left is a few low key image receptors straddling the spinal cord buried within the upper midbrain that hardly amount to much. But if a way could be found to amplify the low frequency signals being transmitted by our midbrains, we could read each other’s thoughts. However, the idea would take a lot of research and development before it could become a reality,” George 99,689,794 maintained. “They had to come up with a fast way of generating income to cover the analysis. I suggested putting amplifiers in baseball and football helmets that could improve teamwork in the big leagues, but it was too far fetched. I believe they eventually settled on making a quick buck from commercial telepathy. Mea culpa.”

“It’s coming. It’s only a matter of time until multi-way telepathy is perfected,” Franklin predicted. “What we need to do for now is to come up with an outline of what what I should say and do at tomorrow’s seminar.”

“I am way ahead of you,” George 99,689,794 asserted. “While you were asleep, I made a three page outline.” He passed it to Franklin. “You’re stepping up to the big leagues. Don’t worry, you will most likely hit a home run your first time at bat. You’re a Most Valuable Player destined for fame and fortune.”

“Or I could swing and miss three times at sucker pitches and I would be lucky if the owner let me return to minor league ball,” Franklin speculated.

The capsule came to a smooth stop at the hyperloop terminal on the northern end of the Strip in Las Vegas and the engineer announced over a loudspeaker that the time was 1:00 AM and the temperature was 93 degrees Fahrenheit outside.

The first class passengers disembarked before the rest. They walked across a concrete platform, passed through an airlock, and went down thirteen steps into an almost empty parking lot littered with discarded clear plastic cups. The hot, humid night air stank of urine, vomit, and stale beer. A derelict climbed out of a dumpster near where a shuttle van waited to take them to the Eclipse Resort.