Chapter 5
Friday, March 13
Scott awoke refreshed at 10:30, but shocked that he had slept so late. He immediately instructed the computer to track Eric down.
“Scott, how are you settling in?” Eric asked.
“Fine, really. I overslept a bit, but probably needed it. I was just trying to figure out what I should be doing,” Scott seemed to be asking.
“Doing? Whatever you like, Scott. I can make some suggestions, but it’s totally up to you.”
“Well, I’d like to see what I can do to…”
“First, Scott, I would suggest going to the virtual catalog and ordering whatever you want or need for your home and get it the way you like it – make it something you are comfortable with. Then, and only then, would I worry about doing anything else. Your home is most important, Scott. From there, you could tour the facilities, search for job openings or whatever, but I’d personally suggest a nice, long rest in the pool. You shouldn’t be in a hurry here, you don’t have any bills and any work you do will technically be volunteer work. Don’t get me wrong, I expect that everyone we recruit has a passion for their work and will gladly volunteer, but nobody is required to work.”
Scott was still skeptical, even if just slightly, of many things, including work requirements. “Do people actually not work here?” he curiously asked.
“Sure, there are a few – mostly spouses with children. But I believe there are a handful of others who only work a few hours a month and lay about, bar-hop, go dancing, or whatever.”
“A handful? Out of half a million?” Scott asked, disbelieving.
Eric laughed, “We do have an incredible screening process, Scott.”
“Rightly confident in it, are you?” Scott chuckled.
“We’re not perfect, but we try to be,” he answered evenly.
“Well, what kind of jobs do we have here? Like do newcomers take out the trash or something?”
“You’ve probably noticed that your trash receptacles do not have bags?” Eric asked.
“Uh, I did notice that last night. Why?”
“Whenever it becomes full, or after 24 hours, whichever comes first, it will slide down into our trash system where nearly 100% of it is converted to energy, the container is then sanitized and returned, all completely automated. But we do have jobs in sanitation if you’re interested, Scott. We have maid services, at least. Street cleaners are robots, so you can’t have that job. There are quite a few mundane tasks that our creative thinkers haven’t quite managed to automate yet, but they’re disappearing fast. It’s kind of sad, though – many people seem to enjoy the so-called lower-grade jobs and perform them as extra duty or take vacations from their usual tasks to do them. It’s impossible to get a waitress job right now, for example. But, other than those few extreme cases, you can pretty much design your own job. You can volunteer as little or as much time as you like to whatever type of job you like or for which you believe you’d be best suited. You can even create your own job. I suggest you take your time exploring that market and focus on settling in first. Until a position catches your eye, of course. We believe one who is passionate about their job will always do better than one who isn’t.”
“Law enforcement?” Scott asked.
“Seriously, Scott, do you really think that is what you’re best at, or would like the most?” Eric challenged.
Scott was visibly shaken by the question. “That’s about all I’ve known my entire adult life. My father was a Florida State Trooper, my brother a Miami city cop.”
“You’ll find that we do have a sheriff and several deputies, but we have never had a murder or theft. About the only action they see are occasional fights over lovers or, and this is the worst, accidents at plants. That’s the only real investigative work ever done, and it’s usually scientific in nature, not criminal.”
Scott sighed, “I really don’t know what I could…”
“Listen, Scott, lots of people have found new careers here, and lots have stayed in their field. You can pick whatever you want and try it out. You can test drive as many jobs as you want until you find one you like. You might be a great programmer, electrician, mining engineer, construction worker, F-18 Fighter pilot, or even a waiter. Hell, Scott, my babysitter is turning 18 soon and has been training to be a missile technician, maybe you could take up babysitting.”
Scott laughed. “I have no patience for kids,” he stated firmly.
“My point is, Scott, there’s more than one option, probably more than a thousand.”
“You must have brought me here and paid me so much attention for a reason, Eric. And I don’t believe I’m going to be your new babysitter,” Scott suddenly realized out loud.
“Well, Scott, I always do have my opinions and ideas, but, as we’ve discussed, nobody’s perfect. I do, as you suspected, usually only give special attention to those I see as capable of specific positions in the administration or other critical areas of this place, but I prefer to let them find it on their own. As I’ve said…”
“You’re not perfect,” Scott filled in for him.
Eric smiled, “Yes, I’m not perfect, and I’d hate for my predictions to reduce your happiness and excitement of being here.”
Scott had expected a sales pitch of some kind. “Not even a nudge in some direction?” he asked.
“Oh, I think the position, if it’s a match for you, will stand out. If not, there’s always babysitting. I don’t want to be responsible for urging someone to take a position they aren’t fully dedicated to and enthralled by.”
“Babysitting? Hah.”
Eric grinned mischievously, “Who knows, Scott, under your instruction, perhaps one of my sons or daughters could grow up to be the first president of our new nation.” He added a chuckle that made Scott wonder if he was serious. “Scott, settle in first, check employment at your leisure. I’m sure something will stand out for you quickly.”
Eric seemed so confident, and Scott had already seen how happy everyone was, so he decided to trust him. “OK, I’ll do that. Thanks for the advice.”
“No problem. Any time you need, just call – for any reason. Perhaps you could join us for dinner tonight and we can discuss the place, maybe familiarize you with some more things?”
“Dinner? With you and your family? Sure, I guess so. I’d really like to meet some of the other people here though.”
“How about if we have dinner with the kids, then go out to meet some people? What do you like to do? Bowling? Pool? Rock climbing and miniature golf? We have them all...”
Scott laughed; it was basically all of his favorite social things to do. “Interesting guesses, Eric. I still say it’s unfair that you know so much about…”
“No longer are you at a disadvantage, Scott, my entire life history and bio are at your fingertips now, as well as everyone else here. So, what do you say?”
Scott thought a moment, “OK. Dinner, rock climbing, and putt-putt?”
“Sounds like a plan, Scott. Is 5:00 good for you?” Eric asked.
“I have no pressing engagements at the moment.”
“Excellent. I’ll call and ask Karla to fix dinner for seven. She barbeques some mean spare ribs.”
“Gee, my favorite, how did you ever guess?” Scott mused sardonically.
Coolly, Eric simply concluded, “See you at 5:00, Scott.”
Scott looked around at his plainly decorated house. “Guess I’d better spruce up the place a bit,” he said to himself. He opened the holo-computer, where he easily found a utility which would allow him to simulate decorating his entire house in full color 3-D of incredible detail. By 2:30, he had finished designing his new study, with an array of computer equipment, volumes of books, and reference materials. His bedroom already had every comfort he needed: a TV, bed, dresser, and a computer terminal. Simple. He decided to keep it that way. He had never bothered to decorate his apartment – mainly because he didn’t have the disposable income it would take, and therefore had never paid much attention to what “style” would feel comfortable. He’d leave that project until he had a chance to figure out what he liked.
He submitted the plans for his study, and ordered some clothes – the standard issue he had received upon his arrival was only enough for a couple days. After placing the order for his clothes, he took out his only pair of swim trunks and headed for the pool, planning to relax a while before going to Eric’s.
Scott had just stepped into the massive pool when the doorbell chimed. He walked over to the nearest terminal and accessed the communication system, which showed four uniformed peop1e standing at his front door. “Hello?” he said.
A small woman with a ponytail hanging out of the back of her ball cap answered, “Renovations.”
“Renovations? What do you mean?” Scott asked.
“The equipment you ordered, we’ve come to install it,” she answered as if he were silly for not knowing.
He had just placed the order half an hour ago. “Already?” he asked, stupidly.
“You didn’t schedule a specific time and date, so we assumed you wanted it as soon as possible. Is this not a convenient time?”
“Wow, that’s fast,” he commented, still not able to believe the incredible efficiency. After all, he’d only experienced the bureaucracy of the FBI, where the smallest request for supplies required a requisition in triplicate, signatures from two department heads, and usually a delay of several weeks, or even months.
“We see no reason to delay. We fill the order and install it, sir. Shall we come in?” she asked politely.
He pushed the button to open the door, feeling slightly embarrassed that he’d made them wait. “Certainly, come in,” he told her, and they began shuttling boxes inside.
Seconds later, another man arrived with a package full of all the clothes he had ordered. Still marveling at the speed of delivery, he went out to meet this man and finally decided to just have the clothes remain in the box until the renovation crew was done, and instructed the delivery man put the box in his bedroom.
Scott then went to the small woman, for she seemed to be in charge, “How long will this take?” he asked. They had already piled 20 boxes in or around his study.
“About 35 to 40 minutes. Is that ok?” she asked.
“Sure! Wow, you people are good,” he said with raised eyebrows. “I don’t suppose I could do anything to help?”
She looked him over. “Finish your swim, Mr. Carver,” she said with a smile.
He smiled back and did just that.
By 4:30, the crew had finished and Scott was climbing into new clothes, getting ready to go to Eric’s for dinner. He stopped in his new study to take his fancy computer system for a test drive.
He sat down and started looking through the local sites first, using the wireless network, quickly coming upon the job site and perusing it. But he spent more time playing with the functions of the computer itself, learning how to split views between computers on his giant screen and then trying voice commands.
It took no time to figure out how Eric held so many chat sessions at once – the voice recognition software easily translated on the fly.
He glanced at the clock and realized it was almost 5:00, so he left his study and rushed to Eric’s home.
Eric’s babysitter, Karla, answered the door with the twins anxiously bobbing behind her. They were all three dressed elaborately, as if ready for a formal occasion, despite the twins’ messy fingers – which looked like they’d been dipped in barbeque sauce.
“Umm, I’m sorry, no one told me this was a formal affair,” he stuttered, looking down at his plain jeans and T-shirt.
“Oh, no. Brandy and Breanna like to pretend, that’s all. Come in. Mr. Williams is in the living room and the food is almost ready,” Karla answered brightly, nudging the girls aside.
“Hi, Mr. Carver!” one of the twins said.
“Hi there, young lady, who’s the lucky prince tonight?” Scott answered the girl, who beamed a 1000 megawatt smile back at him. Karla led him into the living room and quickly scuttled off to the kitchen with the girls close on her heels.
“Have a seat,” Eric said, glued to the TV.
“Big East tournament?” Scott asked, seeing the basketball game being played in life-size detail on the huge screen.
“Yeah, best there is,” Eric commented.
“Glad we have cable here,” Scott chuckled. He sat down and they watched about ten minutes of a close game, each cheering their favorites and questioning the abilities of the referees when a call wasn’t to their liking, until one of the twins came in and announced that dinner was ready.
“Thanks, honey. Go tell John and Matt,” Eric instructed, rising to his feet and motioning Scott to join him.
They all gathered around the dining room table, overlooking the pool. Scott checked out the lush garden and admired one of the waterfalls. The three girls filled glasses for everyone then sat down. The youngest son, Matt, started saying a prayer and everyone bowed their heads, Scott last – his family had never practiced any formal religious rituals. When the prayer was finished, Matt looked up and said, “Let’s eat!” Nobody delayed on that order, all gladly digging in.
A few minutes into their meal Karla looked up and asked, “What did you do on the outside, Scott?”
“I was an FBI agent,” Scott swallowed quickly and answered.
“Cool!” John blurted. “Did you catch a lot of bad guys?” he asked, bright eyes shining expectantly in anticipation of exciting adventure stories.
Eric grinned at Scott – he could tell Scott wasn’t used to children.
“Yeah, I caught my share, I guess,” Scott answered modestly.
“That sounds exciting,” Karla commented. For the first time, Scott realized the girl was flirting with him.
“Sometimes it was. What do you all want to do when you grow up?” he turned the topic around.
John answered first, “I’m gonna be an astronaut! I want to be the first human to settle on an extrasolar planet!”
“Extrasolar?” Scott questioned.
“That means a planet from another solar system,” he explained.
“I don’t see that happening in our lifetime. We haven’t even made it past the moon yet…” Scott said, and then remembered his conversation with Eric.
“Oh no, we have plans for starships that can make it to the nearest solar system in about 25 years,” John told him. Scott looked shocked. “I’ll show you sometime if you like?”
“That would be very interesting, indeed,” Scott accepted.
The youngest boy cut in, “I’m going to be a doctor.”
“That sounds like a great thing to do,” Scott told him, for lack of anything else to say.
“I’m going to be working on missiles and missile defense systems in a couple weeks,” Karla spoke up.
“That really sounds exciting,” Scott said to her.
“I’m going to be an architect. I want to design underwater buildings, floating cities, and space homes,” one of the twins, he was guessing it was Breanna, revealed.
“Fascinating!” Scott remarked.
“Yeah, I’ve designed lots of neat things so far. My favorite is a floating community where you can connect with other floating buildings and move around and stuff. I plan on refitting it for space instead of water, though,” she added.
Impressed, Scott said, “Incredible! Are you sure you’re only nine?”
The girl shrugged and smiled, “Daddy says we can do anything if we put our mind to it and study and practice it.”
“Your dad is a very wise man, Breanna.”
“I’m gonna be the first female president of the new United States!” Brandy spoke finally, as if saving her dream until last for dramatic effect.
“Good! I bet you’ll be the best president we’ve ever had,” Scott praised her.
Eric grinned and winked at him, making him wonder if he was actually serious about the babysitting gig.
John asked, “What are you planning to do here, Scott? There’s no FBI here.”
“I really haven’t looked much yet…”
“What do you like to do?” Breanna asked.
Eric just sat back and watched the conversation.
“I… really don’t…”
“Do you like animals? You can be a vet,” she suggested.
Scott laughed, “You, a nine-year-old, are going to be some space-bending architect and you ask me if I want to be a vet? I don’t stand a chance here, you’re probably a hundred times smarter than I am,” he joked.
“Well? Have you ever had any pets?” she continued seriously.
“No, I mean not since I was about your age…”
“You should get a cat. You look like a cat person,” Brandy decided.
“A cat?” he puzzled out loud, thinking that with all the turmoil boiling in the world right now, this nine-year-old genius kid was telling him he should get a cat? “I don’t think I have time for a cat, Brandy.”
“What? You don’t even have a job. A cat can really make you feel good. And you’re a good person, and good people always like cats, not dogs, cats are for gentle, caring people, like you,” the little girl informed him with complete sincerity.
He smiled. “Can we even have cats here?” he asked.
“Yeah, we have three,” she said, quickly pointing to one he hadn’t noticed sprawled out on the floor. “When we get done eating, we’ll take you to get one!” she told him, looking to her dad for confirmation.
“If he wants,” Eric said, shrugging.
“Sure, why not. But I’ve never taken care of a cat,” he voiced his concern.
“We’ll show you what to do,” Karla offered.
“I thought you were going home after we eat…” Eric started.
“Can’t she come with us, daddy? She likes to go rock climbing and golfing too!” Breanna pleaded for her.
Eric looked to Scott, who answered, “I don’t mind at all.”
The girls all cheered.
“I guess that’s that, then,” Eric finally said, and the girls cheered even louder.
“You must be a great babysitter,” Scott teased.
Karla blushed. “Thanks,” she said graciously.
True to their word, as soon as dinner was completed and the table cleared, the girls led Scott directly to the “Kitty Kastle” where they quickly found two particular cats that met with their high standards – one black and white, one gray – who both seemed to absolutely love him. The girls insisted he liked them too, but he wouldn’t admit it. He gladly adopted them both, though, and allowed the twins to name them “Milly” and “Kasha.” They then detoured to Scott’s home to show him the basics of feline care, before heading to the rock climb.
After three hours of rock climbing and miniature golf, Eric’s clan and Scott left for the long walk home, six full sections away.
As they ambled along, John asked Scott soberly, “Do you think I’ll make a good astronaut?”
“You certainly climb well and you’re a great golfer, and you’re very bright. Astronauts have to be both athletic and smart, so I’d say you have a good shot,” Scott replied.
“Do you think I’d make a good architect?” Breanna asked. All the kids suddenly seemed to crave his opinion and approval on everything.
Scott laughed, “I can’t tell anything about that from the way you climb or putt,” he joked, “but all of you are extremely intelligent, coordinated and determined. I doubt you would fail at anything you try to do,” he added sincerely. Each of them glowed with pride.
“We owe that to our dad,” Matt said.
“Maybe the determination, but the rest you owe to your mother – like the good looks,” Eric said modestly.
“What? You’re smarter than anyone on Earth, Mr. Williams!” Karla declared.
“He’s definitely not athletic – that we had to get from mom,” John allowed.
“How about you, Mr. Carver?” Brandy asked.
“Umm, I think you each have me beat all around.”
“Except me,” Karla determined sadly.
“You’re a wonderful young woman, Karla,” Eric defended her.
“I came in last in rock climbing and everyone but Breanna beat me at golf,” she admitted dourly.
“You didn’t come in last on the rock climb, Karla, you didn’t finish at all!” John teased playfully and she chased him around a flower bed.
“John has a crush on her,” Brandy explained soberly to Scott while Karla tried to catch the boy. Tilting her head and eyeing Scott critically, she inquired, “How old are you, Scott?” Reaching a decision before he even had a chance to answer, she solemnly added, “I think you and Karla would make a great couple.”
Karla stopped chasing John around and glared at Brandy. Scott was slightly embarrassed, too, “Sorry, Brandy…”
“You got a girlfriend?” she persisted.
“No, but I’m 26 years old,” he answered, glancing at Karla, who seemed somewhat displeased.
“That’s not too old – Karla will be 18 next week. My mom was nine years younger than my dad. They met when she was 19 and he was 28, right Dad?”
Eric nodded, wincing painfully at being reminded of their mother.
“Besides, she’s not that bad at everything. She can dance better than anyone I’ve ever seen, she cooks great, she can fix anything, and beats the crap out of John at video games,” Brandy prattled on, pumping Karla up.
“Brandy, let’s leave the adults alone,” Karla suddenly said, extending her hand hopefully for the little girl to take, her face bright crimson.
Brandy reluctantly obeyed, but wasn’t finished embarrassing her sitter and blurted further as she was dragged away, “She has the hots for you, Scott!”
As the kids ran ahead to gather around an indoor lake, Scott and Eric slowed their pace a bit. “You have quite amazing kids, Eric.”
“Thanks. I really owe that to their mother. I’ve never been real pushy as a parent about anything but work and learning. Karla has done a lot in the last few years to give them all the affection they need.”
“You really miss her,” Scott stated.
“Yeah,” Eric said, staring off absently.
“How much of this was done because of what happened to her?” Scott asked bluntly.
Eric stopped. “She died four years ago – we started this over 20 years ago…” he started defensively, and then relaxed a bit. “Sorry, you’re probably right in assuming that I blame the government for her death, and I admit that may have something to do with my determination to carry out those plans, but we set those plans in motion years before she was murdered and...” he paused a few seconds, judging Scott carefully, finally deciding he could trust him with the rest, “—and I already avenged her.”
Scott perked up, “Oh?”
Eric nodded solemnly. “Yes. The deaths of those terrorists in 2006, all 28 of them – the ones no one could figure out how they all died and finally decided it was a rival terrorist group that killed them? That just happened to be everyone who was present and involved in my wife’s abduction, torture and murder. It wasn’t coincidence at all,” he revealed.
“You?”
Eric nodded. “Yes, tracked them all down. I hired the best. They were well worth it, in my opinion, in more ways than one,” he answered evenly, betraying no emotion. “Do you approve?” he curiously asked Scott.
Scott thought a moment, and then responded, “I would have probably wanted to do the same thing.”
“But would you have actually done it?”
“I don’t know,” Scott answered honestly.
“You don’t like people taking the law into their own hands, do you?” Eric further pursued.
“No, not particularly. But then again, in a situation like that, who else would do what needed done? I know what you’re getting at, Eric, and I agree. Everyone else is giving them a pass, thus condoning the actions and path they are taking. The government certainly wasn’t doing anything. I’m sure you felt if you didn’t punish them, who would? It seems very appropriate here, doesn’t it? Is that what you’re asking?”
This caused Eric to smile sadly. “You don’t think I enjoyed the power or righteousness?” Eric questioned.
“No. At one time I did believe that of you, but now I think you sincerely detest it. You’re just willing to do what it takes. You don’t strike me as bloodthirsty or power hungry. That’s why I think you’re perfect for the job.”
“That, I think, is the greatest compliment I have ever received. Thank you,” Eric said graciously.
Scott and Eric finally caught up to the kids, who had decided they should all go to a movie on the way home. The movie was over at 12:30, and they stopped at Eric’s house first, since it was the closest.
“Will you walk me home?” Karla asked Scott. “It’s just past your house, less than two blocks.”
“I, uh, thought it was safe around here…” Scott pointed out.
“It is. I’d just like to talk to you, if that’s ok?”
Scott imagined she had ulterior motives, and looked to Eric for support. Eric just shrugged and smiled. “OK, no harm in that,” Scott decided.
“Kids, run on inside,” Eric ordered when they reached his steps.
“But we want to say goodnight to Karla!” Breanna protested.
“Then say good night and go inside,” Eric called her bluff, knowing she just wanted to be included.
“Good night, Karla,” she pouted. The other kids echoed her.
“Good night. I’ll see you all tomorrow,” Karla answered.
The kids politely said goodnight to Scott as well, and went inside, leaving the two men and Karla on the porch.
“You got to see a little more of the city tonight – what did you think of it?” Eric asked.
“Besides the obviously incredible feat of building it?” Scott asked.
“It is beautiful and amazing, isn’t it?” Karla commented.
“You put a lot of thought into it. I noticed how each unit is self-contained like a community, and also works in conjunction with others for the total city effect – like you have to travel to reach certain attractions,” Scott praised.
“Oh, I had very few of my ideas actually go into the final designs of the place. That, we owe to many who collaborated on the project over the years,” said Eric.
“Like I said, those were the obvious things. What really struck me is how everyone seems to gel – like neighbors in a small, out of the way town – like they all know and like each other. I’ve never felt so comfortable in a crowd in my life. So many people interacted with us like we were all family tonight. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like…”
“Utopia,” Karla completed for him.
“Yeah.”
Eric snickered slightly, “Perhaps that is owed to the psychological screening process our people put together. Funny you should say that, though, because there’s a petition going around to name the city ‘New Utopia’ when we take the country back.”
“You don’t like to take credit for much, do you?” Scott noticed.
“Only when it’s due…”
“I’ve had this argument with him, Scott. Give up now. Mr. Humility never lays claim to his triumphs and always takes blame for anything that fails,” Karla told him with a touch of concern in her voice.
Eric put his hands up in a wide shrug while Scott was pondering the maturity of Karla’s statement. “He’s certainly not afraid to let a 17-year-old put him in his place, either,” Scott teased him.
“I’ve always surrounded myself with people smarter than I.”
“See! He’s even modest in accepting his humbleness!” Karla joked.
“You two should run along, your parents may be wondering where you are, Karla.”
Karla grinned, “This is how he admits you’re right, by the way, Scott, so you can recognize it in the future,” she playfully jabbed Eric’s shoulder, then reached out and gave him a hug. “He knows I don’t have to check in with my parents. See you tomorrow, Mr. Williams.”
“OK, Karla. You two be careful now.”
“Careful? I thought it was safe?” said Scott.
“Safe, yes, but full of diversions. I’m worried that you might find something fun and I’ll have no babysitter tomorrow. I’ll talk to you in the morning. I’m sure you’ll find something of interest by then,” Eric said enigmatically.
They all said good-bye and Scott and Karla turned to leave. Eric watched them go until they were out of sight.
“He really admires you,” Karla said after they had walked a few yards out of earshot in silence.
Scott laughed.
“What?” she asked, confused.
“Oh, nothing,” he dismissed, grinning, amused with his thoughts.
“Did I miss something?” she insisted.
“It’s just that when I was arguing online, I attacked him as egotistical. Now I see that was completely off. I was so proud of my assessment, too.”
This time Karla laughed. “Yeah, slightly off,” she declared sarcastically.
“You have an extreme capacity for humility as well, you know?”
“Me?” she didn’t seem to believe it.
“Yes, you,” he confirmed.
“How do you get that?” she asked, puzzled.
“Well, if you don’t mind me saying…”
“Go ahead.”
“For one thing, you’re obviously extremely smart and very mature, but you spend your time babysitting and you say you plan to be a mechanic…”
“Missile technician, but those are the things I love to do! I adore children, and fixing things gives me the greatest feeling of accomplishment,” she said defensively.
“I didn’t say it was a bad thing. I admire it, really. I mean you could probably do so many things that are in high demand and make incredible amounts of money…”
She giggled.
“What?”
“You don’t understand, Scott. Here, we do what we enjoy most and earn the same. I enjoy fixing things. I’m not the best at it and it’s not what I do best, but it’s what I like the most. Babysitting is really my second choice, but it’s the only thing that I enjoy that I’m allowed to do until I’m 18. You may be best at nuclear physics or quantum theory, but really hate them, and really suck at basket-weaving and love it. So you could be a basket weaver and enjoy yourself. Nine times out of ten, you would become great at it since you truly enjoy it and are dedicated to it,” she explained.
“I see now. Sorry.” He did suddenly understand, and although Eric had already said the same thing to him, he never took the time to fully grasp the idea. “So, what are you really best at?” he asked curiously.
“Nuclear physics and quantum theory,” she answered casually.
“Wow! Impressive. That’s quite a load at 17,” he gasped.
She shrugged, “I just understand mathematics. So, what are you best at?”
“I… I really don’t know for sure. I’ve always been in criminal justice.”
“But you don’t enjoy it, do you?” she asked knowingly
He shook his head, “No, not really. At least not anymore.”
“That’s why you’re not married then!” she spontaneously erupted.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Sorry, I mean you were probably trying too hard to devote time to a job that wasn’t pleasing to you, so you kept trying so hard to enjoy it that you had no time for any other emotional attachments…”
Scott was amused, rather than angry. “Let me guess – your next best skill is psychology?”
“Sorry, tact is my worst skill, but you’re close – psychology is fourth. I didn’t mean…”
“It’s OK. You make a lot of sense. I’m not offended by the truth. I appreciate it, honestly. How do you know all of these things at such a young age?” he asked.
“There are tests you can take – they’re on the employment site. Want me to show you?”
Scott hesitated briefly, but agreed. “That sounds interesting. How long will it take?” he asked curiously.
“Not too long to check it out, but it may take a while to do the tests. Want to do it now?”
He contemplated the idea a moment, Karla seemed a little too anxious to him. “How about tomorrow – it’s kind of late?” he answered.
“Oh, please. Quit being a chicken. There’s no reason to be afraid of me, I won’t bite,” she said hotly, defending her intentions.
“OK, but you have to be at Eric’s in the…”
“I’m a big girl, Scott. Let me worry about that, OK?” she assured him.
They stopped at Scott’s house and Karla quickly showed him where to find all the tests, and explained a few tricks to browsing the job sites after he took the tests, but the tests themselves seemed too long to do at the moment.
“See, that wasn’t so bad. Now you can take me the rest of the way home. Or we can go dancing?” she suggested.
“Dancing? I don’t dance, Karla, sorry. You don’t want to hang out while I take these tests, do you?”
Quickly she said, “No, they take quite a while and some of it’s personal anyway. I can walk myself home if you want?” She didn’t like the idea and hoped the night wasn’t over already. She started to get up.
“No, I’ll go with you. I promised.”
Karla smiled triumphantly, “Thanks, it’s not far, but maybe we can find another ‘diversion’ before we get there,” she said suggestively.
Scott blinked, “Is that flirting you are doing there, Karla?”
She turned slightly red, “Um, no. I’d just like to do something else tonight and thought you might too,” she answered innocently.
“What’s between here and your house?” he asked.
“Well, there’s a dance club, a skate park and a water park, but there’s a varcade just past my house,” she informed him excitedly.
His eyebrows perked up, “An arcade? I haven’t been to an arcade since I was your age.”
She laughed, “I said varcade, with a V. This isn’t the type of arcade you went to a decade ago.”
“Varcade?” he tested out the word curiously.
“Virtual arcade. It’s the coolest!”
Scott jumped to his feet, “That does sound fun. I’m in,” he told her, “but we are stopping to tell your parents first.”
She shrugged. “OK,” she said, rolling her eyes, “but I’m not a little kid.”
After meeting the parents, who confirmed that Karla was trusted to be out late, Karla showed him the most incredible experience of his life. With all the realism of actually being there, he experienced everything from first-person shooting games to deep sea treasure hunting. They didn’t leave until 4:00 in the morning.
Friday, March 13
Scott awoke refreshed at 10:30, but shocked that he had slept so late. He immediately instructed the computer to track Eric down.
“Scott, how are you settling in?” Eric asked.
“Fine, really. I overslept a bit, but probably needed it. I was just trying to figure out what I should be doing,” Scott seemed to be asking.
“Doing? Whatever you like, Scott. I can make some suggestions, but it’s totally up to you.”
“Well, I’d like to see what I can do to…”
“First, Scott, I would suggest going to the virtual catalog and ordering whatever you want or need for your home and get it the way you like it – make it something you are comfortable with. Then, and only then, would I worry about doing anything else. Your home is most important, Scott. From there, you could tour the facilities, search for job openings or whatever, but I’d personally suggest a nice, long rest in the pool. You shouldn’t be in a hurry here, you don’t have any bills and any work you do will technically be volunteer work. Don’t get me wrong, I expect that everyone we recruit has a passion for their work and will gladly volunteer, but nobody is required to work.”
Scott was still skeptical, even if just slightly, of many things, including work requirements. “Do people actually not work here?” he curiously asked.
“Sure, there are a few – mostly spouses with children. But I believe there are a handful of others who only work a few hours a month and lay about, bar-hop, go dancing, or whatever.”
“A handful? Out of half a million?” Scott asked, disbelieving.
Eric laughed, “We do have an incredible screening process, Scott.”
“Rightly confident in it, are you?” Scott chuckled.
“We’re not perfect, but we try to be,” he answered evenly.
“Well, what kind of jobs do we have here? Like do newcomers take out the trash or something?”
“You’ve probably noticed that your trash receptacles do not have bags?” Eric asked.
“Uh, I did notice that last night. Why?”
“Whenever it becomes full, or after 24 hours, whichever comes first, it will slide down into our trash system where nearly 100% of it is converted to energy, the container is then sanitized and returned, all completely automated. But we do have jobs in sanitation if you’re interested, Scott. We have maid services, at least. Street cleaners are robots, so you can’t have that job. There are quite a few mundane tasks that our creative thinkers haven’t quite managed to automate yet, but they’re disappearing fast. It’s kind of sad, though – many people seem to enjoy the so-called lower-grade jobs and perform them as extra duty or take vacations from their usual tasks to do them. It’s impossible to get a waitress job right now, for example. But, other than those few extreme cases, you can pretty much design your own job. You can volunteer as little or as much time as you like to whatever type of job you like or for which you believe you’d be best suited. You can even create your own job. I suggest you take your time exploring that market and focus on settling in first. Until a position catches your eye, of course. We believe one who is passionate about their job will always do better than one who isn’t.”
“Law enforcement?” Scott asked.
“Seriously, Scott, do you really think that is what you’re best at, or would like the most?” Eric challenged.
Scott was visibly shaken by the question. “That’s about all I’ve known my entire adult life. My father was a Florida State Trooper, my brother a Miami city cop.”
“You’ll find that we do have a sheriff and several deputies, but we have never had a murder or theft. About the only action they see are occasional fights over lovers or, and this is the worst, accidents at plants. That’s the only real investigative work ever done, and it’s usually scientific in nature, not criminal.”
Scott sighed, “I really don’t know what I could…”
“Listen, Scott, lots of people have found new careers here, and lots have stayed in their field. You can pick whatever you want and try it out. You can test drive as many jobs as you want until you find one you like. You might be a great programmer, electrician, mining engineer, construction worker, F-18 Fighter pilot, or even a waiter. Hell, Scott, my babysitter is turning 18 soon and has been training to be a missile technician, maybe you could take up babysitting.”
Scott laughed. “I have no patience for kids,” he stated firmly.
“My point is, Scott, there’s more than one option, probably more than a thousand.”
“You must have brought me here and paid me so much attention for a reason, Eric. And I don’t believe I’m going to be your new babysitter,” Scott suddenly realized out loud.
“Well, Scott, I always do have my opinions and ideas, but, as we’ve discussed, nobody’s perfect. I do, as you suspected, usually only give special attention to those I see as capable of specific positions in the administration or other critical areas of this place, but I prefer to let them find it on their own. As I’ve said…”
“You’re not perfect,” Scott filled in for him.
Eric smiled, “Yes, I’m not perfect, and I’d hate for my predictions to reduce your happiness and excitement of being here.”
Scott had expected a sales pitch of some kind. “Not even a nudge in some direction?” he asked.
“Oh, I think the position, if it’s a match for you, will stand out. If not, there’s always babysitting. I don’t want to be responsible for urging someone to take a position they aren’t fully dedicated to and enthralled by.”
“Babysitting? Hah.”
Eric grinned mischievously, “Who knows, Scott, under your instruction, perhaps one of my sons or daughters could grow up to be the first president of our new nation.” He added a chuckle that made Scott wonder if he was serious. “Scott, settle in first, check employment at your leisure. I’m sure something will stand out for you quickly.”
Eric seemed so confident, and Scott had already seen how happy everyone was, so he decided to trust him. “OK, I’ll do that. Thanks for the advice.”
“No problem. Any time you need, just call – for any reason. Perhaps you could join us for dinner tonight and we can discuss the place, maybe familiarize you with some more things?”
“Dinner? With you and your family? Sure, I guess so. I’d really like to meet some of the other people here though.”
“How about if we have dinner with the kids, then go out to meet some people? What do you like to do? Bowling? Pool? Rock climbing and miniature golf? We have them all...”
Scott laughed; it was basically all of his favorite social things to do. “Interesting guesses, Eric. I still say it’s unfair that you know so much about…”
“No longer are you at a disadvantage, Scott, my entire life history and bio are at your fingertips now, as well as everyone else here. So, what do you say?”
Scott thought a moment, “OK. Dinner, rock climbing, and putt-putt?”
“Sounds like a plan, Scott. Is 5:00 good for you?” Eric asked.
“I have no pressing engagements at the moment.”
“Excellent. I’ll call and ask Karla to fix dinner for seven. She barbeques some mean spare ribs.”
“Gee, my favorite, how did you ever guess?” Scott mused sardonically.
Coolly, Eric simply concluded, “See you at 5:00, Scott.”
Scott looked around at his plainly decorated house. “Guess I’d better spruce up the place a bit,” he said to himself. He opened the holo-computer, where he easily found a utility which would allow him to simulate decorating his entire house in full color 3-D of incredible detail. By 2:30, he had finished designing his new study, with an array of computer equipment, volumes of books, and reference materials. His bedroom already had every comfort he needed: a TV, bed, dresser, and a computer terminal. Simple. He decided to keep it that way. He had never bothered to decorate his apartment – mainly because he didn’t have the disposable income it would take, and therefore had never paid much attention to what “style” would feel comfortable. He’d leave that project until he had a chance to figure out what he liked.
He submitted the plans for his study, and ordered some clothes – the standard issue he had received upon his arrival was only enough for a couple days. After placing the order for his clothes, he took out his only pair of swim trunks and headed for the pool, planning to relax a while before going to Eric’s.
Scott had just stepped into the massive pool when the doorbell chimed. He walked over to the nearest terminal and accessed the communication system, which showed four uniformed peop1e standing at his front door. “Hello?” he said.
A small woman with a ponytail hanging out of the back of her ball cap answered, “Renovations.”
“Renovations? What do you mean?” Scott asked.
“The equipment you ordered, we’ve come to install it,” she answered as if he were silly for not knowing.
He had just placed the order half an hour ago. “Already?” he asked, stupidly.
“You didn’t schedule a specific time and date, so we assumed you wanted it as soon as possible. Is this not a convenient time?”
“Wow, that’s fast,” he commented, still not able to believe the incredible efficiency. After all, he’d only experienced the bureaucracy of the FBI, where the smallest request for supplies required a requisition in triplicate, signatures from two department heads, and usually a delay of several weeks, or even months.
“We see no reason to delay. We fill the order and install it, sir. Shall we come in?” she asked politely.
He pushed the button to open the door, feeling slightly embarrassed that he’d made them wait. “Certainly, come in,” he told her, and they began shuttling boxes inside.
Seconds later, another man arrived with a package full of all the clothes he had ordered. Still marveling at the speed of delivery, he went out to meet this man and finally decided to just have the clothes remain in the box until the renovation crew was done, and instructed the delivery man put the box in his bedroom.
Scott then went to the small woman, for she seemed to be in charge, “How long will this take?” he asked. They had already piled 20 boxes in or around his study.
“About 35 to 40 minutes. Is that ok?” she asked.
“Sure! Wow, you people are good,” he said with raised eyebrows. “I don’t suppose I could do anything to help?”
She looked him over. “Finish your swim, Mr. Carver,” she said with a smile.
He smiled back and did just that.
By 4:30, the crew had finished and Scott was climbing into new clothes, getting ready to go to Eric’s for dinner. He stopped in his new study to take his fancy computer system for a test drive.
He sat down and started looking through the local sites first, using the wireless network, quickly coming upon the job site and perusing it. But he spent more time playing with the functions of the computer itself, learning how to split views between computers on his giant screen and then trying voice commands.
It took no time to figure out how Eric held so many chat sessions at once – the voice recognition software easily translated on the fly.
He glanced at the clock and realized it was almost 5:00, so he left his study and rushed to Eric’s home.
Eric’s babysitter, Karla, answered the door with the twins anxiously bobbing behind her. They were all three dressed elaborately, as if ready for a formal occasion, despite the twins’ messy fingers – which looked like they’d been dipped in barbeque sauce.
“Umm, I’m sorry, no one told me this was a formal affair,” he stuttered, looking down at his plain jeans and T-shirt.
“Oh, no. Brandy and Breanna like to pretend, that’s all. Come in. Mr. Williams is in the living room and the food is almost ready,” Karla answered brightly, nudging the girls aside.
“Hi, Mr. Carver!” one of the twins said.
“Hi there, young lady, who’s the lucky prince tonight?” Scott answered the girl, who beamed a 1000 megawatt smile back at him. Karla led him into the living room and quickly scuttled off to the kitchen with the girls close on her heels.
“Have a seat,” Eric said, glued to the TV.
“Big East tournament?” Scott asked, seeing the basketball game being played in life-size detail on the huge screen.
“Yeah, best there is,” Eric commented.
“Glad we have cable here,” Scott chuckled. He sat down and they watched about ten minutes of a close game, each cheering their favorites and questioning the abilities of the referees when a call wasn’t to their liking, until one of the twins came in and announced that dinner was ready.
“Thanks, honey. Go tell John and Matt,” Eric instructed, rising to his feet and motioning Scott to join him.
They all gathered around the dining room table, overlooking the pool. Scott checked out the lush garden and admired one of the waterfalls. The three girls filled glasses for everyone then sat down. The youngest son, Matt, started saying a prayer and everyone bowed their heads, Scott last – his family had never practiced any formal religious rituals. When the prayer was finished, Matt looked up and said, “Let’s eat!” Nobody delayed on that order, all gladly digging in.
A few minutes into their meal Karla looked up and asked, “What did you do on the outside, Scott?”
“I was an FBI agent,” Scott swallowed quickly and answered.
“Cool!” John blurted. “Did you catch a lot of bad guys?” he asked, bright eyes shining expectantly in anticipation of exciting adventure stories.
Eric grinned at Scott – he could tell Scott wasn’t used to children.
“Yeah, I caught my share, I guess,” Scott answered modestly.
“That sounds exciting,” Karla commented. For the first time, Scott realized the girl was flirting with him.
“Sometimes it was. What do you all want to do when you grow up?” he turned the topic around.
John answered first, “I’m gonna be an astronaut! I want to be the first human to settle on an extrasolar planet!”
“Extrasolar?” Scott questioned.
“That means a planet from another solar system,” he explained.
“I don’t see that happening in our lifetime. We haven’t even made it past the moon yet…” Scott said, and then remembered his conversation with Eric.
“Oh no, we have plans for starships that can make it to the nearest solar system in about 25 years,” John told him. Scott looked shocked. “I’ll show you sometime if you like?”
“That would be very interesting, indeed,” Scott accepted.
The youngest boy cut in, “I’m going to be a doctor.”
“That sounds like a great thing to do,” Scott told him, for lack of anything else to say.
“I’m going to be working on missiles and missile defense systems in a couple weeks,” Karla spoke up.
“That really sounds exciting,” Scott said to her.
“I’m going to be an architect. I want to design underwater buildings, floating cities, and space homes,” one of the twins, he was guessing it was Breanna, revealed.
“Fascinating!” Scott remarked.
“Yeah, I’ve designed lots of neat things so far. My favorite is a floating community where you can connect with other floating buildings and move around and stuff. I plan on refitting it for space instead of water, though,” she added.
Impressed, Scott said, “Incredible! Are you sure you’re only nine?”
The girl shrugged and smiled, “Daddy says we can do anything if we put our mind to it and study and practice it.”
“Your dad is a very wise man, Breanna.”
“I’m gonna be the first female president of the new United States!” Brandy spoke finally, as if saving her dream until last for dramatic effect.
“Good! I bet you’ll be the best president we’ve ever had,” Scott praised her.
Eric grinned and winked at him, making him wonder if he was actually serious about the babysitting gig.
John asked, “What are you planning to do here, Scott? There’s no FBI here.”
“I really haven’t looked much yet…”
“What do you like to do?” Breanna asked.
Eric just sat back and watched the conversation.
“I… really don’t…”
“Do you like animals? You can be a vet,” she suggested.
Scott laughed, “You, a nine-year-old, are going to be some space-bending architect and you ask me if I want to be a vet? I don’t stand a chance here, you’re probably a hundred times smarter than I am,” he joked.
“Well? Have you ever had any pets?” she continued seriously.
“No, I mean not since I was about your age…”
“You should get a cat. You look like a cat person,” Brandy decided.
“A cat?” he puzzled out loud, thinking that with all the turmoil boiling in the world right now, this nine-year-old genius kid was telling him he should get a cat? “I don’t think I have time for a cat, Brandy.”
“What? You don’t even have a job. A cat can really make you feel good. And you’re a good person, and good people always like cats, not dogs, cats are for gentle, caring people, like you,” the little girl informed him with complete sincerity.
He smiled. “Can we even have cats here?” he asked.
“Yeah, we have three,” she said, quickly pointing to one he hadn’t noticed sprawled out on the floor. “When we get done eating, we’ll take you to get one!” she told him, looking to her dad for confirmation.
“If he wants,” Eric said, shrugging.
“Sure, why not. But I’ve never taken care of a cat,” he voiced his concern.
“We’ll show you what to do,” Karla offered.
“I thought you were going home after we eat…” Eric started.
“Can’t she come with us, daddy? She likes to go rock climbing and golfing too!” Breanna pleaded for her.
Eric looked to Scott, who answered, “I don’t mind at all.”
The girls all cheered.
“I guess that’s that, then,” Eric finally said, and the girls cheered even louder.
“You must be a great babysitter,” Scott teased.
Karla blushed. “Thanks,” she said graciously.
True to their word, as soon as dinner was completed and the table cleared, the girls led Scott directly to the “Kitty Kastle” where they quickly found two particular cats that met with their high standards – one black and white, one gray – who both seemed to absolutely love him. The girls insisted he liked them too, but he wouldn’t admit it. He gladly adopted them both, though, and allowed the twins to name them “Milly” and “Kasha.” They then detoured to Scott’s home to show him the basics of feline care, before heading to the rock climb.
After three hours of rock climbing and miniature golf, Eric’s clan and Scott left for the long walk home, six full sections away.
As they ambled along, John asked Scott soberly, “Do you think I’ll make a good astronaut?”
“You certainly climb well and you’re a great golfer, and you’re very bright. Astronauts have to be both athletic and smart, so I’d say you have a good shot,” Scott replied.
“Do you think I’d make a good architect?” Breanna asked. All the kids suddenly seemed to crave his opinion and approval on everything.
Scott laughed, “I can’t tell anything about that from the way you climb or putt,” he joked, “but all of you are extremely intelligent, coordinated and determined. I doubt you would fail at anything you try to do,” he added sincerely. Each of them glowed with pride.
“We owe that to our dad,” Matt said.
“Maybe the determination, but the rest you owe to your mother – like the good looks,” Eric said modestly.
“What? You’re smarter than anyone on Earth, Mr. Williams!” Karla declared.
“He’s definitely not athletic – that we had to get from mom,” John allowed.
“How about you, Mr. Carver?” Brandy asked.
“Umm, I think you each have me beat all around.”
“Except me,” Karla determined sadly.
“You’re a wonderful young woman, Karla,” Eric defended her.
“I came in last in rock climbing and everyone but Breanna beat me at golf,” she admitted dourly.
“You didn’t come in last on the rock climb, Karla, you didn’t finish at all!” John teased playfully and she chased him around a flower bed.
“John has a crush on her,” Brandy explained soberly to Scott while Karla tried to catch the boy. Tilting her head and eyeing Scott critically, she inquired, “How old are you, Scott?” Reaching a decision before he even had a chance to answer, she solemnly added, “I think you and Karla would make a great couple.”
Karla stopped chasing John around and glared at Brandy. Scott was slightly embarrassed, too, “Sorry, Brandy…”
“You got a girlfriend?” she persisted.
“No, but I’m 26 years old,” he answered, glancing at Karla, who seemed somewhat displeased.
“That’s not too old – Karla will be 18 next week. My mom was nine years younger than my dad. They met when she was 19 and he was 28, right Dad?”
Eric nodded, wincing painfully at being reminded of their mother.
“Besides, she’s not that bad at everything. She can dance better than anyone I’ve ever seen, she cooks great, she can fix anything, and beats the crap out of John at video games,” Brandy prattled on, pumping Karla up.
“Brandy, let’s leave the adults alone,” Karla suddenly said, extending her hand hopefully for the little girl to take, her face bright crimson.
Brandy reluctantly obeyed, but wasn’t finished embarrassing her sitter and blurted further as she was dragged away, “She has the hots for you, Scott!”
As the kids ran ahead to gather around an indoor lake, Scott and Eric slowed their pace a bit. “You have quite amazing kids, Eric.”
“Thanks. I really owe that to their mother. I’ve never been real pushy as a parent about anything but work and learning. Karla has done a lot in the last few years to give them all the affection they need.”
“You really miss her,” Scott stated.
“Yeah,” Eric said, staring off absently.
“How much of this was done because of what happened to her?” Scott asked bluntly.
Eric stopped. “She died four years ago – we started this over 20 years ago…” he started defensively, and then relaxed a bit. “Sorry, you’re probably right in assuming that I blame the government for her death, and I admit that may have something to do with my determination to carry out those plans, but we set those plans in motion years before she was murdered and...” he paused a few seconds, judging Scott carefully, finally deciding he could trust him with the rest, “—and I already avenged her.”
Scott perked up, “Oh?”
Eric nodded solemnly. “Yes. The deaths of those terrorists in 2006, all 28 of them – the ones no one could figure out how they all died and finally decided it was a rival terrorist group that killed them? That just happened to be everyone who was present and involved in my wife’s abduction, torture and murder. It wasn’t coincidence at all,” he revealed.
“You?”
Eric nodded. “Yes, tracked them all down. I hired the best. They were well worth it, in my opinion, in more ways than one,” he answered evenly, betraying no emotion. “Do you approve?” he curiously asked Scott.
Scott thought a moment, and then responded, “I would have probably wanted to do the same thing.”
“But would you have actually done it?”
“I don’t know,” Scott answered honestly.
“You don’t like people taking the law into their own hands, do you?” Eric further pursued.
“No, not particularly. But then again, in a situation like that, who else would do what needed done? I know what you’re getting at, Eric, and I agree. Everyone else is giving them a pass, thus condoning the actions and path they are taking. The government certainly wasn’t doing anything. I’m sure you felt if you didn’t punish them, who would? It seems very appropriate here, doesn’t it? Is that what you’re asking?”
This caused Eric to smile sadly. “You don’t think I enjoyed the power or righteousness?” Eric questioned.
“No. At one time I did believe that of you, but now I think you sincerely detest it. You’re just willing to do what it takes. You don’t strike me as bloodthirsty or power hungry. That’s why I think you’re perfect for the job.”
“That, I think, is the greatest compliment I have ever received. Thank you,” Eric said graciously.
Scott and Eric finally caught up to the kids, who had decided they should all go to a movie on the way home. The movie was over at 12:30, and they stopped at Eric’s house first, since it was the closest.
“Will you walk me home?” Karla asked Scott. “It’s just past your house, less than two blocks.”
“I, uh, thought it was safe around here…” Scott pointed out.
“It is. I’d just like to talk to you, if that’s ok?”
Scott imagined she had ulterior motives, and looked to Eric for support. Eric just shrugged and smiled. “OK, no harm in that,” Scott decided.
“Kids, run on inside,” Eric ordered when they reached his steps.
“But we want to say goodnight to Karla!” Breanna protested.
“Then say good night and go inside,” Eric called her bluff, knowing she just wanted to be included.
“Good night, Karla,” she pouted. The other kids echoed her.
“Good night. I’ll see you all tomorrow,” Karla answered.
The kids politely said goodnight to Scott as well, and went inside, leaving the two men and Karla on the porch.
“You got to see a little more of the city tonight – what did you think of it?” Eric asked.
“Besides the obviously incredible feat of building it?” Scott asked.
“It is beautiful and amazing, isn’t it?” Karla commented.
“You put a lot of thought into it. I noticed how each unit is self-contained like a community, and also works in conjunction with others for the total city effect – like you have to travel to reach certain attractions,” Scott praised.
“Oh, I had very few of my ideas actually go into the final designs of the place. That, we owe to many who collaborated on the project over the years,” said Eric.
“Like I said, those were the obvious things. What really struck me is how everyone seems to gel – like neighbors in a small, out of the way town – like they all know and like each other. I’ve never felt so comfortable in a crowd in my life. So many people interacted with us like we were all family tonight. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like…”
“Utopia,” Karla completed for him.
“Yeah.”
Eric snickered slightly, “Perhaps that is owed to the psychological screening process our people put together. Funny you should say that, though, because there’s a petition going around to name the city ‘New Utopia’ when we take the country back.”
“You don’t like to take credit for much, do you?” Scott noticed.
“Only when it’s due…”
“I’ve had this argument with him, Scott. Give up now. Mr. Humility never lays claim to his triumphs and always takes blame for anything that fails,” Karla told him with a touch of concern in her voice.
Eric put his hands up in a wide shrug while Scott was pondering the maturity of Karla’s statement. “He’s certainly not afraid to let a 17-year-old put him in his place, either,” Scott teased him.
“I’ve always surrounded myself with people smarter than I.”
“See! He’s even modest in accepting his humbleness!” Karla joked.
“You two should run along, your parents may be wondering where you are, Karla.”
Karla grinned, “This is how he admits you’re right, by the way, Scott, so you can recognize it in the future,” she playfully jabbed Eric’s shoulder, then reached out and gave him a hug. “He knows I don’t have to check in with my parents. See you tomorrow, Mr. Williams.”
“OK, Karla. You two be careful now.”
“Careful? I thought it was safe?” said Scott.
“Safe, yes, but full of diversions. I’m worried that you might find something fun and I’ll have no babysitter tomorrow. I’ll talk to you in the morning. I’m sure you’ll find something of interest by then,” Eric said enigmatically.
They all said good-bye and Scott and Karla turned to leave. Eric watched them go until they were out of sight.
“He really admires you,” Karla said after they had walked a few yards out of earshot in silence.
Scott laughed.
“What?” she asked, confused.
“Oh, nothing,” he dismissed, grinning, amused with his thoughts.
“Did I miss something?” she insisted.
“It’s just that when I was arguing online, I attacked him as egotistical. Now I see that was completely off. I was so proud of my assessment, too.”
This time Karla laughed. “Yeah, slightly off,” she declared sarcastically.
“You have an extreme capacity for humility as well, you know?”
“Me?” she didn’t seem to believe it.
“Yes, you,” he confirmed.
“How do you get that?” she asked, puzzled.
“Well, if you don’t mind me saying…”
“Go ahead.”
“For one thing, you’re obviously extremely smart and very mature, but you spend your time babysitting and you say you plan to be a mechanic…”
“Missile technician, but those are the things I love to do! I adore children, and fixing things gives me the greatest feeling of accomplishment,” she said defensively.
“I didn’t say it was a bad thing. I admire it, really. I mean you could probably do so many things that are in high demand and make incredible amounts of money…”
She giggled.
“What?”
“You don’t understand, Scott. Here, we do what we enjoy most and earn the same. I enjoy fixing things. I’m not the best at it and it’s not what I do best, but it’s what I like the most. Babysitting is really my second choice, but it’s the only thing that I enjoy that I’m allowed to do until I’m 18. You may be best at nuclear physics or quantum theory, but really hate them, and really suck at basket-weaving and love it. So you could be a basket weaver and enjoy yourself. Nine times out of ten, you would become great at it since you truly enjoy it and are dedicated to it,” she explained.
“I see now. Sorry.” He did suddenly understand, and although Eric had already said the same thing to him, he never took the time to fully grasp the idea. “So, what are you really best at?” he asked curiously.
“Nuclear physics and quantum theory,” she answered casually.
“Wow! Impressive. That’s quite a load at 17,” he gasped.
She shrugged, “I just understand mathematics. So, what are you best at?”
“I… I really don’t know for sure. I’ve always been in criminal justice.”
“But you don’t enjoy it, do you?” she asked knowingly
He shook his head, “No, not really. At least not anymore.”
“That’s why you’re not married then!” she spontaneously erupted.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Sorry, I mean you were probably trying too hard to devote time to a job that wasn’t pleasing to you, so you kept trying so hard to enjoy it that you had no time for any other emotional attachments…”
Scott was amused, rather than angry. “Let me guess – your next best skill is psychology?”
“Sorry, tact is my worst skill, but you’re close – psychology is fourth. I didn’t mean…”
“It’s OK. You make a lot of sense. I’m not offended by the truth. I appreciate it, honestly. How do you know all of these things at such a young age?” he asked.
“There are tests you can take – they’re on the employment site. Want me to show you?”
Scott hesitated briefly, but agreed. “That sounds interesting. How long will it take?” he asked curiously.
“Not too long to check it out, but it may take a while to do the tests. Want to do it now?”
He contemplated the idea a moment, Karla seemed a little too anxious to him. “How about tomorrow – it’s kind of late?” he answered.
“Oh, please. Quit being a chicken. There’s no reason to be afraid of me, I won’t bite,” she said hotly, defending her intentions.
“OK, but you have to be at Eric’s in the…”
“I’m a big girl, Scott. Let me worry about that, OK?” she assured him.
They stopped at Scott’s house and Karla quickly showed him where to find all the tests, and explained a few tricks to browsing the job sites after he took the tests, but the tests themselves seemed too long to do at the moment.
“See, that wasn’t so bad. Now you can take me the rest of the way home. Or we can go dancing?” she suggested.
“Dancing? I don’t dance, Karla, sorry. You don’t want to hang out while I take these tests, do you?”
Quickly she said, “No, they take quite a while and some of it’s personal anyway. I can walk myself home if you want?” She didn’t like the idea and hoped the night wasn’t over already. She started to get up.
“No, I’ll go with you. I promised.”
Karla smiled triumphantly, “Thanks, it’s not far, but maybe we can find another ‘diversion’ before we get there,” she said suggestively.
Scott blinked, “Is that flirting you are doing there, Karla?”
She turned slightly red, “Um, no. I’d just like to do something else tonight and thought you might too,” she answered innocently.
“What’s between here and your house?” he asked.
“Well, there’s a dance club, a skate park and a water park, but there’s a varcade just past my house,” she informed him excitedly.
His eyebrows perked up, “An arcade? I haven’t been to an arcade since I was your age.”
She laughed, “I said varcade, with a V. This isn’t the type of arcade you went to a decade ago.”
“Varcade?” he tested out the word curiously.
“Virtual arcade. It’s the coolest!”
Scott jumped to his feet, “That does sound fun. I’m in,” he told her, “but we are stopping to tell your parents first.”
She shrugged. “OK,” she said, rolling her eyes, “but I’m not a little kid.”
After meeting the parents, who confirmed that Karla was trusted to be out late, Karla showed him the most incredible experience of his life. With all the realism of actually being there, he experienced everything from first-person shooting games to deep sea treasure hunting. They didn’t leave until 4:00 in the morning.
