2084: Slavery Resurgent

“For decades, the men at Area 51 thought they’d take their secrets to the grave. At the height of the Cold War, they cultivated anonymity while pursuing some of the country’s most covert projects.”

Annie Jacobsen

Franklin received a wake-up call from the Eclipse Resort front desk at 6:15 AM. He cooked a breakfast of sausage and eggs for his assistant and himself. Rebecca had called the previous evening with good news. The government was anxious to talk to Franklin about his method of instilling loyalty in automatons.

Rebecca had arranged for Franklin and George 99,689,794 to fly from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas to Homey Field with a shuttle flight of morning shift government workers, however, they were not allowed to bring cameras or recording devices with them. Franklin and his assistant would be guests of Representative Udall (Republican-Nevada), chairman of the House Budget Committee who was also touring the facility.

* * *

“I’m afraid. . . that fascism will come to America in the name of national security.” - Jim Garrison

“We are forty minutes early,” commented George 99,689,794 as Franklin parked the hovercar at the airport.

“Excellent, we have ample time to check-in and meet our host, Congressman Udall. I would rather be early than late. I do not know what he looks like. It may take us some time to tell which one of the passengers is him,” Franklin stated as he touched a symbol on the dashboard which swung open the gull doors on either side of the vehicle.

As Franklin and his assistant were on the tarmac approaching the shuttle plane, they were met by Congressman Udall’s aide who sent them back to the terminal to obtain security badges. After being photographed, they were fingerprinted and given a retinal scan. When the Transportation Security Agency official saw that Franklin hadn’t been microchipped, he made Franklin strip naked. The ensuing cavity search was overly thorough to the point of being demeaning.

“Are you OK,” asked George 99,689,794, “you look stressed.”

“Stress isn’t the half of it,” Franklin summarized, “that TSA guy gave me a cavity search. I think he enjoyed it.”

“We will have to hurry or we are liable to miss our plane,” said the assistant.

Franklin and his assistant reached the shuttle plane just as the hatch was closing. The ground crew was about to rollback the ramp, but waited until the two crazy individuals running across the tarmac, screaming and waving their hands, got aboard the plane.

The Congressman’s aide gave them a clipboard bearing two non-disclosure agreements which both of them read, initialed in six places, and signed in two. The purpose of the document was to prevent them from disclosing to any and all third parties anything concerning the Top Secret government facility which they were going to examine. Next, Congressman Udall’s aide, whose laminated identity badge revealed his name as Edward Stevenson IV, ushered Franklin to an aisle seat at the back of the plane next to a federal marshal.

“Can’t I sit next to my assistant?,” Franklin asked.

“I am sorry, the seating plan was prearranged. Representative Udall made arrangements for your assistant to sit next to him in the front of the plane. I trust this won’t inconvenience you. It will only be a twenty minute flight. The Congressman wants to hear about the transformation process from an automaton who has experienced it firsthand,” explained Edward Stevenson IV.

Franklin was dumbfounded, but he felt that it would be useless to argue. George 99,689,794 retraced his steps to the front of the plane and sat in the seat next to Representative Udall. The assistant introduced himself prior to shaking hands. “Your aide said you wanted to talk to me,” remarked George 99,689,794. “My boss and I are indebted to you for permitting us to join you on this investigative junket. How can I be of service?”

“Far too often government facilities that are being investigated show Congressmen what they want them to see and keep the rest hidden. I certainly do not want to be played for a fool. That is where you come in,” said the chairman of the House Budget Committee. “Since you are an automaton, I presume you have been through the transformation process. Were you convicted of a felony? Did you volunteer to become an automaton? If so, was it to avoid serving a prison sentence? Please give me the details. Everything you disclose to me and my staff will be held in total confidentiality. There will be no repercussions.”

“I was the Chief Executive Officer of a hedge fund. Back then, my name was Simon Kline. Thousands of investors got rich by following my advice. In 2082 the stock market experienced a downturn – economists refer to it as an adjustment – and the government blamed it on me. They prosecuted and convicted me of a felony for running a Ponzi scheme. Because I did not want to become a casualty of prison violence, I volunteered for the automaton program,” maintained George 99,689,794. “In a way I’m glad I did it. Since I had no history of violence, I didn’t have to undergo a frontal lobotomy. However, the technicians did their best to brainwash me. I believe the government refers to it as reprogramming. As for what they might try to hide from you, I have never seen it, but there was a rumor that there are Top Secret medical experiments taking place involving clones, cyborgs, and genetic monsters in a cavern beneath the lowest level of the underground facility. There is a small crematorium on the opposite side of Groom Lake where the lab technicians burn the bodies of people who did not survive transformation. I am telling you this in strict confidence. This is the kind of place where folks mysteriously disappear and are never heard from again.”

“I remember the Kline stock fraud trial. It was in the news for a month. You were the man who stole the life savings of widows and pensioners, weren’t you?,” Representative Udall inquired.

“When a person buys stocks, he stands a better than average chance of profiting from his investment, that is, the odds are in his favor. In 2081, investors in my hedge fund received a 36% return on their money. I was hailed as the Guru of Wall Street. But in 2082 the Exchange made a 12% adjustment downward which analysts referred to as a minor recession. Some people panicked. They took a loss despite being advised to buy when stocks are low and sell when stocks are high. Smart investors held on to their portfolios and received an 11% return in 2083,” explained George 99,689,794. “I let investors know in advance that all transactions involve risk. Most of our clients come to us – it’s not like they show in the movies, high pressure sales is a thing of the past. We offer no inducements because we do not need them. Allow me to compare a hedge fund to a Las Vegas casino. In a casino the odds are stacked in favor of the House. Over the long haul, the casino wins big time and the gambler loses everything, his self respect, his family, and everything he owns. That’s why we have Gamblers Anonymous. With hedge funds both the brokerage and the investor win in the long run. I never cheated anybody. You politicians needed a scapegoat. I was railroaded.”

“Whoa!, just hold on a minute. I take you on a tour for free and this is how you repay me? You can’t contrast a brokerage with a casino. That’s like comparing apples to oranges. Brokerages deal in investments whereas casinos deal in entertainment; it’s a whole ’nother ballgame,” Congressman Udall castigated the self-righteous automaton. “Las Vegas is similar to Disneyland, with the exception that it caters to adults. Fourteen percent of Nevada’s Gross Domestic Product comes from tourism.”

“I apologize profusely. It was not meant to be taken personally by you. I was merely trying to point out that hedge funds offer a terrific investment opportunity. According to the Wall Street Journal, stocks and bonds give higher returns than gambling, bank deposits, Certificates of Deposit, and land,” said George 99,689,794.

“We will be landing soon so let’s deal with the matter at hand,” proposed the Congressman. “I am terribly interested in what is going on in the underground cavern and the crematorium. My security clearance is Ultra Secret, yet no one briefed me about them. The NSA and FBI will be watching me like hawks. They will most likely attempt to steer me away from any clandestine ops. But I doubt if they will keep a close eye on you. Anything you can discover will be greatly appreciated. My aide informed me that you are appealing your conviction. I can put in a good word for you. In addition, we have a Republican President. If you will help me in documenting any illegal activities at Groom Lake, I will recommend you for a presidential pardon. Be safe, be careful, and do not get caught. There have been a number of suspicious disappearances from Area 51. Something they don’t want the public to know is going on here.” Congressman Udall reached into a vest pocket and brought out a rectangular object the size of a matchbox. “Take this camera. It is made of a graphite composite so it won’t trigger a metal detector. Push the ends together to snap a picture. It focuses best at four feet from the target.”

A voice came over the intercom, “We are flying at 20,000 feet, preparing to land at Homey Field. Please return your seats to the sitting position and fasten your seatbelts. After we come to a full and complete stop, please remove your luggage from the overhead compartment.”

[long pause] “This is your captain, Lazlo Morales, speaking. I hope you’ve enjoyed your flight on Air America Flight 666. Join us again soon. The outside temperature is 96 degrees with an 8 percent humidity. The wind is from the southeast at 16 miles per hour. Please watch your step as you disembark. We thank you for choosing Air America.”

Departing the plane was like stepping into a blast furnace. The sun beat down relentlessly. Franklin was not halfway down the ramp when he began to perspire. A few of the workers opened parasols to safeguard their skin from the sun’s rays. A shuttle bus awaited them 75 feet from the bottom of the ramp to drive them the final four miles to the Top Secret facility on a dirt trail that led straight across the bottom of the dry lake. Franklin and George 99,689,794 sat next to each other on a pleather bench seat at the back of the bus.

“You stink,” remarked George 99,689,794 as he made a face.

“Sorry, I forgot to use deodorant this morning,” Franklin stated.

They both stared at a flat, unbroken moonscape that stretched from the rear window of the bus to the faraway horizon where shimmering heat waves created an illusion of water. Dual rear tires left a cloud of dust in their wake. A dust devil appeared in the distance and vanished as quickly as it came. Nary a cloud disturbed the uniformly blue sky. The monotony of it all caused Franklin to nod off, but he awakened when the bus reached its destination and came to an abrupt halt.

The shuttle bus parked a few feet away from what appeared to be a metal outhouse. A quarter mile away there was a cluster of five quonset huts, a flagpole with a large 51 state American flag, and a tall microwave tower with seventeen dish antennas attached, glistening like ornaments on an aluminum Christmas tree. Adjacent to the quonset huts was a solar electricity farm. Since there were no transmission lines coming from it, George 99,689,794 assumed that the electricity generated by the solar farm was for local use. He wondered what would require such vast amounts of electricity. Were there technicians in white lab coats secretly cloning automatons in the underground cavern?

What Franklin thought to be a metal outhouse turned out to be one of the entrances to a subterranean facility. After everyone got off the bus, the workers went through the entrance one at a time while Franklin, his assistant, Representative Udall, and the aide gathered in a group in front of the man who would be their tour guide.

“Good morning, I’m Clarence Moore, the Assistant Director for the Groom Lake Automaton Development project. In everyday usage we are referred to by our acronym, GLAD. This is a Top Secret facility, so we don’t give tours, but today we are making an exception for our distinguished visitors, Congressman Udall of Nevada and his staff. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir.” As a matter of protocol, Mr. Moore takes a step forward and shakes the Congressman’s hand. “I am sorry the Director could not be here to meet you, but he will be joining us for a buffet lunch in the cafeteria. In the meantime I will be your tour guide. First, a word of caution. Because the facility is primarily below ground, we will have to climb down a number of steel rungs embedded in a concrete shaft in order to access the top chamber. Please descend one at a time. Wait until the previous person reaches bottom before you begin your descent. I’ll go first so that I can help anyone who needs assistance. Courtesy dictates that the Congressperson goes second. Following that, you can work it out for yourselves.”

Eighteen minutes later, the last person touched bottom without a mishap. “I’m guessing there is a larger entrance somewhere nearby,” remarked Congressman Udall. “It would be difficult to get equipment and supplies down a small diameter shaft.”

“An astute observation,” commented the Assistant Director. “It is obvious the citizens of Nevada made the right choice when they elected you to represent them. There is a larger entrance with a freight elevator at the other end of this complex. But we used the original entrance dating from the early 1970′s when it was built as a bomb shelter for security and aesthetic reasons. Terrorists would have a hard time accessing GLAD through it; plus it reminds us that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. We must not forget that the enemies of democracy would use any means possible to destroy us, including weapons of mass destruction.”

“Since security is a priority to GLAD, why isn’t there an armed guard at the entrance?,” questioned Congressman Udall.

“There were three armed Military Policemen stationed at every entrance until August 2065. That was when we replaced them with cameras, scanners, metal detectors, and pressure plates. Two MP’s are constantly monitoring this facility and a hundred yard perimeter surrounding it from the security room in back of you. Bombproof titanium partitions automatically seal off thirty foot sections of this complex when an alert is sounded. Would the Congressman care to see a demonstration of our security system?,” inquired the Assistant Director.

“That won’t be necessary. I’m convinced you have taken better than adequate precautions. We’re not here to waste your time or try your patience,” Congressman Udall declared as he took a cellphone out of his breast pocket to check for messages.

The group went forty feet down a hallway and came to a giant pen housing men in yellow jumpsuits. Three tiered bunk beds lined two walls. A third tiled wall was lined with stainless steel toilets, sinks, and showers. Two burly men armed with batons and stun guns stood guard at the gate to the pen.

“In front of you is GLAD’s detention center where convicts live while they are being reprogrammed, genetically and surgically altered, tested for infectious diseases, and, in some instances, chemically castrated. Contrary to popular belief, processing is catered to the individual. For example, an inmate convicted of a white collar crime without a history of violence or aggressive behavior does not necessarily need a frontal lobotomy while a serial rapist would definitely be chemically castrated,” clarified the Assistant Director. “GLAD turns career criminals who are a menace to society into productive members of the community. No one is forced into becoming an automaton; they volunteer for it rather than rot in prison. For some it’s a blessing; the first time in their sorry lives that they are at peace with themselves. As chairman of the House Budget Committee, Representative Udall can appreciate that GLAD is one of the few government agencies that operate at a profit. We enable Washington, D.C. to balance the budget while lowering taxes. And we have a 91 percent public approval rating. That is eight points higher than any other agency in the federal government and sixteen points higher than the President. God willing, we’re fast becoming an American institution. All this in less than five years. I am proud to be part of GLAD. For me and my co-workers, it is not just a job; it is an opportunity to make a change for the better.”

“Those are impressive statistics,” agreed Congressman Udall. “I would also like to know how often the transformation fails to achieve the desired results. In addition, what happens to those who are rejected?”

“The rejects are returned to prison to serve out their sentences with a letter from the Director of GLAD sent to their parole board commending the felon for his desire to breakaway from his criminal past. I don’t know the exact percentage, however, I am certain it is less than one percent. One case in particular comes to mind in which a confessed mass murderer had a lobotomy, but still proved aggressive. The prison didn’t want to take him back. We ended up transferring him to an East Coast maximum security prison where he had a stroke and died four months ago. The Director feels terrible about it,” the Assistant Director stated, keeping a straight face regardless of the falsity of what he claimed was the Director’s sentiments on the death of an infamous mass murderer.

The group continued down the corridor for 100 feet and came to a plexiglass enclosed spotless white room with blue double doors where technicians in immaculate lab coats programmed convicted felons who lay prostrate on stainless steel gurneys.

“This is GLAD’s Programming Center,” declared the Assistant Director. “Here, you can view our technicians altering behavior patterns, employing both electronic and genetic techniques. I like to refer to it as fine tuning. We are destroying the negative characteristics that motivated these individuals to seek a life of crime and replacing them with positive characteristics that will transform them into productive members of the community.”

“By my count there are upwards of hundred sixty people being transformed right now in the Programming Center and not one of them is a woman,” observed George 99,689,794. “Have you ever transformed a woman? Are there any female applicants? Also, I don’t see any straps on the gurneys. When I was being transformed, I was strapped down to gurneys at every stage of the process. Why the change?”

“You are correct,” admitted the Assistant Director. “GLAD has yet to transform a woman into an automaton. However, we are equipped to do so. We haven’t because Congress won’t let us.

Three bills were introduced in the House – one was sponsored by Representative Udall – and none of them passed. I’ve got a stack of applications from women felons on my desk, but I am required to reject them. I suspect that Congress will eventually change their minds because crime is at record lows and GLAD is running out of male applicants. Scarcity means higher costs and less revenue for the government. Congressman Udall is in the forefront of the movement to secure equal rights for female felons. The Director decided it was inhuman and unnecessary to strap prisoners to gurneys while undergoing transformation. Besides, the process is faster and more effective when felons are relaxed. We are here to do a job, not to pass judgment or to punish. With time, we progress. The transformation process is less stressful than when you underwent it. I regret any pain I or any member of my staff may have caused you.”

“Is this the place where convicted felons are brainwashed and coerced into submitting to slavery?,” asked Franklin.

“That is one hell of an allegation. I resent your assertions. This is the United States, not North Korea,” exclaimed the Assistant Director. “Everyone undergoing transformation volunteered for the process. GLAD is doing them a favor. They are practically pleading for us to rectify the behavioral difficulties that resulted in longterm incarceration. Believe me, we are here to help, not hurt. The Penitentiary Movement started in the 19th Century. It sought to reform prisons by eliminating torture and humiliation. Rehabilitation came to replace punishment as the rationale for incarceration. Although laudable, the vision proved impractical and was abandoned in the late 20th Century. Reformists failed in their goal to reduce crime and recidivism because it was an idea that was ahead of its time. The necessary tools had yet to be invented. In 2065 advanced technology made rehabilitation possible. Years later, the government instituted GLAD to great public acclaim. Crime declined, recidivism fell to less than four percent, and our national economy benefitted tremendously.”

When the group left the Programming Center to walk down the corridor approximately 75 yards to an operating room, George 99,689,794 lagged behind and secretly took some photos with the small graphite composite camera that Congressman Udall had lent him. Having no experience with clandestine activities, George 99,689,794 broke out in a sweat which only got worse as he ran to catch up with the group.

“This is GLAD’s operating room. Unlike the operating rooms in most hospitals, it is as large as a warehouse. Using partitions, our surgical teams can conduct six operations simultaneously. Sixty-two percent of the operations performed here are frontal lobotomies, ranging from trans orbital lobotomies to prefrontal lobotomies, depending on the type of aberrant behavior which needs to be remedied. In addition, our surgeons implant large time release capsules in the abdomen that chemically castrate rapists, pedophiles, and assorted varieties of sexual predators who will no longer pose a threat to society. GLAD guarantees that duly convicted felons transformed into automatons at this facility are docile and subservient. Our group will be ascending a tube escalator to a gallery overlooking the operating theater. Please maintain silence. Should you feel nauseated, press the ‘blue down button’ at the top of the escalator and it will reverse direction. Calmly wait in the corridor until the rest of the group descends,” counseled the Assistant Director before getting on the escalator.

Nausea is far too weak of a word to describe what Franklin felt following fifteen minutes of observing what was going on in the operating theater. Blood spurting from severed arteries, lasers burning holes in craniums, and patients vomiting green bile – it seemed like a frightening scene from a particularly gory horror movie, the difference being it was stark reality unfolding below him. Suddenly, everything went black and he passed out. The Assistant Director and Congressman Udall picked Franklin up and carried him down the escalator. George 99,689,794 saw it as an opportunity to clandestinely take a few photographs before following them down the escalator. George 99,689,794 reached into a pocket of his jumpsuit and took out a pint bottle of water which he slowly poured on Franklin’s face. Regaining consciousness, Franklin stared at the people gathered around him. At first his vision was blurry and he did not seem to know where he was, but he soon began to focus and before long he stood up. In the interim the Assistant Director had summoned a doctor who examined Franklin and pronounced him “fit as a fiddle.”

* * *

“Conscription is the vitality of a nation, the purification of its morality, and the real foundations off all its habits” - Napoleon Bonaparte

“After all that walking, you must be famished,” their tour guide, the Assistant Director of GLAD, assumed as he addressed the group. “We’re going to be joining the Director for a buffet lunch at the Food Court. Afterwards, we will be descending to Level Two for the final portion of the tour.”

Sixty feet down the corridor, they came to the Food Court. The Assistant Director, George 99,689,794, and the Congressional Aide sat at one table while Congressman Udall, the Director, and Franklin sat nearby at another.

“Welcome to GLAD, Representative Udall,” Director Mary Ann Lynde greeted the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, vigorously shaking his hand in what appeared to be a genuine gesture of friendship. “I’ve heard so much about you. It’s great to finally meet you in person. GLAD is grateful for the increase in funding your committee authorized us in fiscal 2084 and we are looking forward to more of the same in fiscal 2085. As you know, we intend to revamp the Supreme Soldier Program now that Mr. Pierce has discovered how to solve the ‘loyalty glitch’ that made Congress terminate the program two years ago.” As she spoke, she reached across the table and shook Franklin’s hand a little less vigorously than she had shook Congressman Udall’s hand. “I need you to come work for me. Whatever your current employer is paying you, GLAD will double it. You’ll be in charge of Behavioral Development. I intend to give you free reign with authority to hire and fire as well as set policy. From what the National Security Agency and Homeland Security tell me, you’re a stern disciplinarian who has learned how to earn the respect and loyalty of others. Welcome aboard!”

“Wait a minute,” responded Franklin. “I need time to think this over.”

“Don’t take too long, son,” warned Congressman Udall. “Under the Universal Service Act of 2082, the agency can declare you a ‘necessary asset’ and draft you for three years of peacetime service or ‘for the duration’ in time of war,” he chuckled, “I may be jesting with you, son, and then again I could be serious. No matter how you slice it, it is in your best interests and those of your country to troubleshoot for GLAD. We’ve invested billions of taxpayer dollars in the Supreme Soldier Program. It is your patriotic duty to help the program succeed.”

Franklin looked the Congressman straight in the eye but didn’t say a word. This went on for almost a minute until the Director broke the silence, “It’s a big decision. Congressman Udall and I need to go to my office and discuss some matters in private. Please excuse us, Mr. Pierce. This won’t take long. When we return, the tour can resume.”