2084: Slavery Resurgent

“Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.” - Mark Twain

Tuesday was overcast. Since the seminars were held indoors, Franklin did not pay it any attention. However, when lightning struck a nearby condominium, he thought about canceling the seminar scheduled to start in an hour, but on second thought it was too late to reach everyone who would be in attendance. In the end, it turned out to be a desert electrical storm with more noise than rain. By the time Franklin and George 99,689,794 walked to the seminar, it had already blown over.

Before the second seminar began, Franklin took the lectern off the stage and told George 99,689,794 to turn it on its side and place it in a storeroom.

The audience was filing into the auditorium in twos and threes. Franklin saw that they had brought spiral notebooks with them and were prepared to take notes.

“Welcome to the second in a series of three seminars. At the first seminar,” Franklin began, “You met my assistant, George 99,689,794. All automatons are altered male human beings. A question was asked at the end of our last session for which I did not have an answer. Would the young lady who posed that question please stand up? According to my sources, there are not any female automatons because the legislation authorizing the automaton program excluded women. However, there is a case before the Supreme Court that challenges that provision of the law.”

“All automatons are named George and given a serial number instead of a last name. This practice dates from an earlier era in which all black railroad employees were called George as a sop to white Southerners who had previously referred to them as boy. Make no mistake: slavery has always had a role in the United States from colonial times onward. The crueler aspects have been removed. I have heard it said that convicted felons deserve to be enslaved. If you buy that malarkey, we might as well sell you the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and the myth that all automatons volunteered for the program. Slavery is what it is. No amount of window dressing or political propaganda can justify exploitation. However, I will say that in its present form it is benign when compared to that of Greece, Rome, Egypt, and other slave societies.”

“At the start of the first seminar, you will recall that I introduced George 99,689,794, my assistant, to you. But I did not tell you much about him, other than that he saved my life by disarming a knife-wielding attacker. George 99,689,794 was born in New York, a perfectly normal human baby. His parents, Patrick and Naomi Kline, named him Simon. He went to public school and won a scholarship to Harvard, eventually earning a MBA. After graduation, he worked as an intern for the equity firm of K.K.R. Several years later, Simon Kline was hired by Goldman Sachs as an investment broker. Thirteen years later, Simon founded the hedge-fund investment LLC of Kline & Associates. Clients reported earning a 30 percent annual return on their portfolios, a figure that brought in additional investors,” Franklin claimed. “The SEC noted irregularities which were investigated by the FBI. He refused to rat on his associates and was subsequently arrested for operating a Ponzi scheme. The trial lasted thirteen weeks. Because Simon would not disclose what he had done with his wealth, a federal judge sentenced him to twenty years in jail. Rather than languish in prison, Simon Kline volunteered to be transformed into an automaton, a process which entailed chemical castration, a frontal lobotomy, memory deletion, and reprogramming. Simon Kline became George 99,689,794. The government then sold him at auction to the highest bidder.”

“My assistant, George 99,689,794, whom you see before you, is by no means a mindless moron. To prove it I’m going to ask you a number of questions,” Franklin announced. “How many of you are proficient pianists? Don’t be shy. Please raise your hand if this applies to you. [short pause] There are two of you. Alright, how many of you are multi-millionaires?” The audience burst into laughter. “Nobody? What about the lady in the front row dressed in a black, low-cut gown and high heels. Judging by the diamond necklace you are wearing, you must be rolling in dough.”

The woman stood up to address Franklin. “I greatly appreciate your generous assessment of me and my attire. Humorist and author Mark Twain said ‘Clothes make a man’ or in my case, a woman. However, my jewels are zircons, not diamonds. I’m a month late on my hovercar payments and four months behind on my rent. If there are any sugar daddies among you, please make yourself known. I’ll make it well worth your while.”

“Thank you,” chuckled Franklin. “In a world full of deception, I find your honesty refreshing. It reinforces my self image – that of a piano player in a whorehouse unaffected by the corruption which surrounds me. Getting back to the subject at hand, how many of you can speak seven foreign languages, four of which you speak proficiently? [short pause] Nobody? Don’t feel bad, neither can I, but my assistant can. In fact, George 99,689,794 is a pianist who performed at Carnegie Hall when he was eight and grew up to become an investment broker who amassed a multi-million dollar fortune before he was thirty. That’s quite an impressive resume. No doubt it alters your perception of what an automaton is capable of doing. Do not make the mistake of treating them as machines. They are altered human beings. If you want them to do a good job, you must set a good example and earn their respect. Never forget for a moment that you, as a supervisor, are judged by how well your crew works. You will reap what you sow.”

“Just as human beings are each individuals with varying traits, skills, and characteristics, so are automatons. Treat them with dignity and respect and they will respond in kind. Berate them, abuse them, ridicule them, or hit them and you will most likely regret it. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” Franklin advised. “Be stern, yet fair. Don’t play favorites.”

“Automatons depend on public transportation. While that does not present a problem on the East Coast, it can be a hassle in Los Angeles and other cities on the West Coast. I usually offer the automatons I am training a ride home. It is not that far out of my way and it gives me a chance to learn more about them. And it wouldn’t cost you that much to take one to lunch once in a while. Although automatons receive reimbursement for food and housing, it doesn’t amount to much. Nobody works hard on an empty stomach.”

“If you are not a tough guy, don’t act like one. Automatons are largely recruited from the ranks of career criminals. They know real thugs and can readily spot a poseur. Believe me, poseurs never prosper,” counseled Franklin.

“Because he is a real automaton, George 99,689,794 is better qualified to answer your questions about automatons. Without further ado, I will yield the floor to my distinguished colleague,” Franklin declared while exchanging places with his assistant.

“Good afternoon. It seems I’ve been drafted to host a question an answer forum,” stated George 99,689,794. “Let’s start with the gentleman in the eleventh row with his right hand raised.”

“Yes, Mr. Pierce told us that automatons receive a stipend for food and housing, but he didn’t say how much. Is there also a clothing allowance?”

“The food and housing allowance varies from state to state. At the start of the transformation process, the government issues each of us three T-shirts, three jump suits, three pairs of boxer shorts, four pairs of socks, and two pairs of boots. When I left the reprogramming facility, they issued me three more T-shirts and a baseball cap,” George 99,689,794 declared. “As far as I know, there are no other allotments. [short pause] The woman sitting to the left of you has a question. Let’s hear from her.”

“Are you a slave for life? I’m having a hard time understanding why you or anyone else would volunteer to become a slave.”

“Yes, it’s supposedly for life. However, it’s possible to appeal a conviction or obtain a presidential pardon. Because I am not a violent person, my chances of surviving a long-term sentence weren’t good. My lawyer suggested the automaton program as an alternative to prison,” George 99,689,794 said. “I still think I made the right choice.”

After answering four more questions, George 99,689,794 saw Franklin drawing his index finger across his neck, indicating it was time to end the session. George 99,689,794 thanked the audience for their avid participation and closed the session.

“How do you think we are doing?,” asked Franklin afterwards.

“It could have been worse,” George 99,689,794 remarked as he grimaced and shook his head from side to side.

“Two sessions down and one to go,” calculated Franklin while pouring a glass of water. “There is no way of knowing what the higher-ups think of our presentation. We’ll just have to wait for the reviews.”