You Forgot 'What If?' (Solarpunk Protopia Fiction)

Part 3: Bean Tower

"The world will be what we make it."

- Kate Marvel

.....

With a belly full of fresh bread, bean-scramble, and smooth, decadent tea, I only switched between three outfits before I left the apartment. When I was just hanging out with my family or seeing other Sinklings, I loved wearing quirky t-shirts and new designs from fabric artists. But I wanted to ease Sinclair into our artistic community, and my puffy harem pants and graphic tee would only further cement his "cult" impression of The Sink.

I finally settled on some light beige pants, a gray t-shirt with a subtle beanstalk design, and beige jacket. Each was made from The Sink's leftover plant fibers, which would've ended up as compost, but thanks to the Bean Tower's own scientist and inventor, Val Vanni, it became a lightweight, breathable fabric instead. Sinclair wouldn't think the fabric was 'radical,' but the ensemble gave me a surge of confidence and pride for The Sink and my own Bean Tower.

With kisses and well-wishes from each of my morning-waking partners and metamours, I left the apartment with a smile. Heading towards the elevators, I passed a large, dim computer screen embedded in the shiny white walls, and a small, flat, rectangular robot, humming along the floor.

"Oh, no, buddy, what happened?" The little bot stopped as I crouched down next to it. A piece of its light blue outer covering had cracked, and one wheel wobbled underneath. It might've been kicked or, more probably, stepped on, as it made its cleaning route through the building. Tilting my head, I checked the sticker on top of it for its name. "Don't worry, Pinto, we'll get you fixed up." I gave it a gentle tap and returned to the dim computer screen I'd passed.

With a tap, the screen lit up. "Hello, how can I help?" a cheery voice greeted me. A series of options appeared under the written greeting, large and bright on the screen.

"Hey, Beanie baby, one of our robots needs a repair," I told the screen.

"Not a problem. Do you know the robot's name?" it responded.

"Looks like little Pinto got stepped on. It's not terrible, but it's got a wonky wheel. It should probably be looked at soon."

"One of our repair technicians should be able to take a look at Pinto today. Thanks for reporting this repair! Would you like to leave your name, so the repair technician can contact you, if needed?"

"That's okay, I'll talk to Colin later today. Thanks, Beanie."

"You're welcome. Is there anything else I can help with?" the computer cheerily asked.

"Not at the moment. See you later!" I went back towards the elevator, passing injured Pinto again. "Don't worry, little buddy, you'll get fixed up soon!" The robot buzzed slowly onwards, vacuuming and sanitizing the floors. I knew it couldn't understand or react to niceties, and neither could Bean Tower--whom I affectionately nicknamed Beanie, which had caught on surprisingly fast--but it felt better to care for them, so I did.

Making my way down the elevator, Beanie provided the weather report, railcar outages--none--and the local news. It was going to be a warm, sunny day with no traffic hiccups, and the Bean Tower farmer's market was going to be held later today, as usual.

"We're also celebrating Kate Marvel's 85th birthday at the Little Corner Cakeshop on the fifth floor, all are welcome," Beanie went on. "The Bean Tower's Brainbuds face off against the Flower Tower's Fuschiaforce in the chess league today. The Bean Tower knitting group, silent reading group, student painter's group, teen's basketball group, and children's swimming group meet today. The Sink community elder's group would meet today, but the meeting has been postponed so group members can attend Zeke's birthday party."

"That's nice. I didn't know it was her birthday today, I'll try and stop in. Beanie, were there any problems reported yesterday or this morning in the Bean Tower or the rest of The Sink?"

"This morning, a resident reported Pinto robot has been damaged--"

"Bigger problems; any fights, illnesses, or counseling sessions requested?" I asked. If something more serious had been reported, especially in Bean Tower, my appointment with Sinclair was about to look a lot different.

"A counseling session, a domestic dispute, balcony damage, and an irrigation system leak has been reported in other towers," Beanie replied.

"Okay, thanks." To try and support individuals' privacy, I knew Beanie couldn't tell me any more specifics. But if the community advocates in other towers needed my help, they knew how to find me. It sounded like a pretty mellow day for The Sink and Bean Tower, though. "Is the lightrail to the main station on-time?"

"It is on-time!"

"Perfect. Thanks, Beanie." The doors opened and I stepped out, onto the ground floor. "Talk to you later!"

"Have a great day!"

....