ZERO (Complete)

Chapter Forty-One

It was midday. The sun was shining and birds were chirping. With the crew reunited, they followed the exuberant mayor as he took them on a tour of the community. He spoke proudly about what they had built. They were escorted by a six armed guards. It wasn't clear if they were there to protect them, or to keep them in line.

On the inside of the walled city was a calm and peaceful vibe that made everyone feel relaxed. It was a stark departure from the hyper-connected city in which the group was accustomed. It was clean, quiet, and integrated with nature. The greenery did more than just add a natural aesthetic, it purified the air and invited wildlife. Had it not been for the large cement wall that towered over the city, it would be a place many of them would consider living.

The wall was adorned with colourful murals all the way down and although it was hard to ignore, after a while, they sort of got used to it.

"Our population is roughly 500,000, spanning over one hundred square kilometres," the mayor said, "We have lots of space, but we have more of small town vibe than an industrial city. It's pleasant and quaint, which is just the way we like it. One of our proudest achievements is that we are entirely reliant on clean energy and produce a very small carbon footprint."

"Who founded this place?"

"The city has existed for nearly a century before we arrived, but it didn't become what you see today until after the war. Machines built the wall to protect against outside threats. During the war, it became a refuge for woman, children, and those who were not interested in fighting. As word spread of this little oasis, we began attracting more and more individuals with a wider range of skills. Now we are so coveted, that many people apply to get in, but only a few are selected. It's like winning a lottery for many people. We also do an inventory of what skills we need much like a company does, and then seek those individuals out. We are highly selective of who we allow to live here with us."

"Do people work?"

"They can if they like. As with any society, there are a certain amount of things that need to get done for it to function... garbage collection, road maintenance, that sort of thing, but we have robots for most of those tasks. We grow our own food and produce all of our own materials so we are completely self-sufficient. At any time people are permitted to leave and travel as they would in any other city, and of course they bring items back with them."

The old city was truly something to behold, a complete throwback to the 1980s, like stepping into a virtual world or time machine, experiencing what life must have been like over one hundred years ago. A place completely devoid of many of the luxuries of modern technology was not only a rarity in this world, it was something none of them had ever experienced before. There were no neon lights, no holograms, nothing hovering or whizzing by overhead.

The streets had people going about their day as one would expect to see in any city. The buildings were small and the roads had very little traffic. The cars and fashion were also outdated, seemingly coming from a bygone era.

Whenever they walked into a store or restaurant, that's when the stark contrast was even more apparent. They had cashiers instead of automated billing, they had aisles filled with household items instead of on demand 3D printers, and in place of virtual experience facilities, they had libraries filled with physical books.

"I'm noticing a lack of modern technology," Arlon commented. "Is that by choice or..."

We have technology, but it's limited. We don't have internet or television, or smart devices. Most of us have phones, but not the portable kind."

"Computers?"

"Some people have basic computers, nothing fancy."

"What do people do for entertainment?"

"The city has a lot of artists and creatives who are free to nurture their talents. So as you may expect, we have live music, poetry, plays, stand-up comedy, you name it. We also have roller rinks and arcades for the kids, bowling, fields and arenas for sports, theatres... There's never a shortage of entertainment or things to do here. You know, it's hard to believe, but there was a time before all this modern technology existed and people got on just fine."

"How long does the average person stay here?"

"We've had people come here before the war, get married, have families, and their kids have never seen outside of the walls."

"That's a shame."

"Again, to each their own. Nobody is forced to be here. They're free to leave any time. So if they don't travel, I suppose that's their choice."

"If people don't work, then how can they even afford to leave, let alone travel?" Maxim asked. "Do you use the same currency as the rest of the world, or do you have your own?"

"Money is not the main lubricant of our society. We all just help out where we can. For the most part, we are happy and free as you can see for yourselves. We don't tolerate harm in any way, and we are strict about who gets in. We want to protect this place and preserve this way of life for as long as possible. But aside from that, we have very few rules."

"Notice he didn't really answer the question?" Allie whispered to Maxim.

"It's truly a remarkable community you all have here and it has been a pleasure having you show us around," Maxim said. "But eventually, it will be necessary for the population to increase. To maintain this self-sufficiency, you need biodiversity. How do you address that issue?"

"Right, well, I mentioned we have strict rules about immigrants, but also with people having families."

"How do you mean?"

"We have a law preventing just anyone from having a child. All children need to be approved by the state."

"That seems impractical, not to mention unethical," Allie said. "Who is the state to tell people what they can or cannot do with their bodies?"

"It's okay if you want to have a baby, or ten... you just can't live here and do it. But, let's not get too hung up on the rules, there are some other things I really want to show you."

The tour continued and everything seemed pleasant and normal; however, they were never allowed to roam free and explore on their own. They were always chaperoned by guards. Some had suspected that the mayor was only showing them a certain side of Citadel and there was a dark underbelly to it all. Slave labour perhaps, cloning facilities, or maybe the rumours were true and they really were a slaughterhouse for the fringe.

After a few hours, they stopped for lunch and were taken back to their accommodations. They were provided hot showers, warm meals, and a fresh change of clothes. For being held captive, they were treated kindly.

As it was communicated to them, the expectation was that they could stay overnight, but then they had to leave in the morning. If any of them wanted to return one day on a more permanent basis, they would need to apply and undergo an invasive evaluation process that could last several months. If they qualified, they would be granted temporary residency. Any proven infraction would result in immediate exile. Eventually over time, they could earn a permanent placement in the city and all their food, healthcare, education, and accommodation would be taken care of.

As appealing as that sounded, none of them had any desire to come back.