The Cost of Hope

Day -01: Preparation

Grubosh cubes weren’t the best tasting food and I suppose that’s the idea, but at least we had plenty of them. The pale white cubes with tiny Gs on all 6 sides were easy to store, which is why I obtained so many. I stuffed the last of the water purification trodes into the second duffle bag as I heard a noise in the front room. I grabbed the bags and quickly threw them into the closet.

“Sarah… Is that you?”

I didn’t hear a response, which worried me. She should’ve ben back by now for sure and she definitely would respond if she heard me. “Ana, Lock closet doors”.

I told Sarah that we needed more time to prepare for our trek across Arkansas but she insists that her contacts won’t wait for us much longer. I spent nearly 5000 pesottes to purchase supplies over the last 6 months hoping that we wouldn’t raise suspicion. I had heard that SABER spies carefully watched everyone in the city and looked for suspicious activities to include strange purchases – like survival gear.

The ethereal image of Ana appeared in the room. Her pleasant but synthetic voice with French accent was always comforting. “Closet door locked, monsieur. Would you like for me to initiate security protocol 7X-42, sir?”

“No, it’s too soon. Who entered the habitat?”

“Unknown, my sensors detect motion in the front room, but life signs are undetectable.”

“Shit. They may be onto us. Is your network still isolated from the city?”

“Qui, monsieur. As per your instruction. There is no way that the Security and Border Enforcement Regiment could hack into my CPU. Multiple firewalls exist to prevent this and all systems have been within chronic barrier for the past 6 months.”

I sit down on the 1000 thread count Egyptian cotton sheet spread over the bed and ponder what could have happened to her. “This does not look good. Ana. This does not look good at all.”

“What doesn’t look good at all?” I head a voice seemingly come out of nowhere and turned quickly to see my wife Sarah standing in the bedroom doorway.

“Holy crap! Don’t do that. I almost had a heart attack.”

Sarah chuckles as I walk over and kiss her cheek. She smelled so good even with the strange black liner she was wearing. I always loved her hair and soft dark skin. She removed her backpack and set it on the floor.

“Is this it?” I asked her. “Looks kinda heavy.”

“It’s very light but it’s also hot in this thing. I guess that’s good since we’ll be outside when we breach the perimeter. You didn’t hear me come in did you?” She smiled at me and walked over to the closet.

“I did actually.”

Sarah turned and looked at me with a shocked expression. “Really? You heard me enter? How?”

“If it’s any consolation Ms. Banoby, my sensors were unable to detect your life signs at all and only barely detected your motion.” Ana was always good at anticipating peoples’ feelings. Not bad for a computer-generated holographic interface system.

“Well, then I guess we will just have to be quiet tomorrow, won’t we, Ana? I got one for you too, Sean. AND one for Rachel.”

“Does she even need one?”

“She’s alive isn’t she? Can I go see her?”

“Not now. Soon though We’re doing all of this for her, you know?”

“Yeah….it’s still going to be hard living off of the land once we get to Oceania.”

“I know but think of all the others that suffer because of SABER and the GRA. This might be surviving but it’s not thriving. I just think we should wait a little before making our move.”

“We can’t. Ron will meet us outside the perimeter as planned and we’ll make the trip to California to catch the ship but we gotta be there on time. Satellites won’t be able to see us but patrols will, especially in the day time.”

“We’ll move at night only. I got everything we need. Over 150 grubosh cubes. CLOSET OPEN” I pull out the bags and place them on the bed.

“Ewww, those things are disgusting. Can a girl get a turkey and provolone on rye with some Grey Poupon?”

“You want some caviar with that your highness?” She laughs. “Yeah, if you’ve got any, whiteboy.”

“Taste bad? Yes, but it’s got all of the fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that we’ll need. I got deposit coils for Rachel too.”

“Water?”

“There’s plenty of radiation contaminated water along the way but I’ve got purification trodes. Can remove up to 5 kilograms of radioactive particles safely from water samples. We won’t be thirsty. You got the suits and Ron has the weapons outside of the city.”

“Right…I also got you something else.”

“Something else?”

“Yeah…”

I see the expression on her face and realize that she is a bit concerned so I sit down on the bed.

“What else is there?” I ask.

“Promise you won’t get upset?”

“How about this…I promise I won’t yell at ya.”

Sarah sits on the bed next to me and reaches into her pocket. “Ana, play Save the Best for Last by Vanessa Williams.”

I laugh a little bit but I’m a little amused. This was our favorite song when we first started dating before the Great Collapse. We would eat at family-owned places like Davie’s or Berger’z Joint and then dance to whatever the playlist selected based on our proximity to each other and pheromone output. I heard those music machines can tell when you’re in love just by taking a sample of your voice when you speak to someone, but I didn’t need a machine for that. Still, the song it selected when we first made love was spot on. I’ve always loved this song by Vanessa Williams. I think she is actually still alive and living somewhere in Ashbutron, New Zealand. She’d be at least 100 years old by now though.

“It’s sterling silver. Minerals are hard to come by.” Sarah reveled a small heart-shaped locket with silver chain. “It actually separates into two half hearts. See?” She separated the halves of the locket to reveal that both of them have small chambers each with a single key capable of opening both chambers. “I had it specially made.”

This must have cost you a lot. You could’ve spent the pesottes on more food, tools, medical supplies or even used it as bribe money! Getting out of the city won’t be easy.”

“We’re practically rich here, Sean, but what good is it if we can’t give something to the next generation?”

“What good is it if we’re dead?! Ana, pause music. We should be spending every bit of money on survival strategies and not trinkets!”

“This is more than just a trinket, Sean. It’s hope for Rachel. It’s a message to the future that some of us gave up everything so that we could have . . . well…everything. Everything that matters anyway.”

“How much?”

“How much does everything matter?”

“Yeah…how much?”

Ana’s holographic image vaporized into the room leaving my wife and I alone.

“1072…”

“Are you serious? We could’ve bribed a sentry for that kinda money. We could’ve purchased a rifle, night vision goggles, an encrypted GPS. You wasted our money on nothing.”

“Just open it. I want you to write something for Rachel and lock it inside of your half. I’ll do the same. We’ll give it to her when she’s …”

“This is bullshit…I can’t believe you did this. This decision could get us killed.”

“I don’t know if it will or not but I know that I love you. I love our child. And I want to be free to love the two of you without being watched whenever we leave the house or having our purchases monitored, or being told not to have any children, or having to give blood samples every fucking week just to prove that we are healthy enough not to be processed into grubosh cubes to feed the poor. I’m so sick of this!”

“Come here.” I stand up and embrace her tightly. I realize that this meant more to her than I thought and she was expecting a different response. I hope she understands that I’m just trying to keep us alive. “I love you too.” I look down into her eyes and take my half of the trinket. “What shall I write?” I ask.

“Whatever, you think she’d like to know. You don’t even have to tell me what it is.”

“Gotcha. I assume it’s water proof too and air tight. She won’t be able to read it for a while.” We both chuckle.

“Yes, but one day she will.” She pulls a black Bic pen out of her pocket and hands it to me. I’ll leave the key with you too, Sean. There’s only one, ya know so don’t lose it.”

“What am I, 10 years old?”

“Sometimes you act like it, whiteboy.” She pushes me onto the bed and removes her top shirt.

“Oh, yeah? Ana resume music.” Sarah jumps on top of me and kisses me slowly to the tune of Save The Best For Last.

“Sure we have time for this, baby?”

“We better make time for it because after tonight, we won’t be this comfortable again for a very long time.”

“Good point.” I smile and unhook my belt.

Day 00: Moving Out

The perimeter was essentially a wall of concrete 15 feet high, but it had multiple entry and exit points to facilitate trade between the Global Restoration Authority’s different sanctuaries. The GRA reps say their goal is to encourage repopulation of the planet from 720 million back to at least 2 billion and protection of the ecosystem to prevent another Great Collapse and food shortage but that is not their only goal. They clearly wish to subjugate some while only allowing specific people to have babies and even then, children are taken away and raised by the state. Well, I’m not going to have my daughter raised by some asshole trained by the state to brainwash offspring. We are getting out of here.

“Is your scrambler suit on underneath?” Sarah asked.

“Yeah.” I replied. “I also had Ana initiate protocol 7X-42. Automatic payments for food and supplies will continue to go to the habitat as if we were still there. Email and text messages will continue to go out to friends and family members on a routine set to match out activities over the last 6 months.”

“Great. I’m gonna miss Ana though.”

“I’ve a copy of her subroutine personality saved on a parcel drive. If we ever gain access to a computer system with holo interface, we can upload her there but we gotta get past these jerks first. It’s a shame we didn’t bribe at least one of them to distract the rest.” I point out the guards on the wall looking outward.

“Really? You gonna go there now?”

“Sorry. What’s done is done. I won’t bring it up again. Listen…sensors can’t detect us with the scramblers on. All we gotta do is make it over the wall and meet up with Ron. You ready, baby?”

“I’ve never been more . . . “

I attached the supplies to the bottom of the rope on this side of the wall and then tied the other end to my duffle bag as I began to scale the wall. “I’ve been watching the perimeter for months. We have EXACTLY 47 seconds before the light passes this region so climb fast. Move!”

We both had been exercising to prepare for the climb but lifting weights and running on ellipticals is not the same as actually climbing a rope even with the wall for support. Plus this equipment was heavy as was Rachel. I hope she was doing okay on Sarah’s back.

I made it to the top with about 20 seconds left to go. “Sarah, common.” My wife was near the top so I grabbed her hand an pulled her up to the top of the wall. “We just gotta get the supplies up now and head west. Start pulling.” We both pulled as fast as we could to bring up the bags when suddenly, we head an alarm.

“Oh, shit is that us?!”

“I don’t know, keep pulling, baby. We still have time.”

“Sean, I think that alarm is us. Take this.” She hands me her half of the locket and removes her backpack. She places it on the wall top right in front of me. “You’re faster and stronger. Get to Ron. He’ll be waiting for you.” She kisses me on the lips and starts to cry a little. I hear the alarm is getting louder as I look into her light brown eyes. “I love you Sean.” I felt her body stiffen and a mist of blood appeared in front of me. It was so silent. I didn’t even hear a shot. I stuffed the blood-stained locket into my pants and grabbed the heavy backpack with our daughter. It seemed to be untouched by any bullets. I fell down from the wall without the supplies and ran as fast as I could with Rachel to the coordinates.

“Fuck. What the hell went wrong?! The lights shouldn’t have seen us. They must have been listen to us in the house or maybe caught on to the supply purchases. Stupid!”

My wife was certainly dead by now and I was moving quickly to the rendezvous point but I did feel a bit sluggish myself. I had 100 meters to move in the cold Gorgia night air. I felt myself slowing down but I can’t give up. I must make it. For Sarah and my daughter.

“One day…you’re gonna ask about your mama…just remember…she was ….the bravest of us…she was the one that said we needed to leave, Rachel. We need …. you to be free…to actually …. live, my daughter. One day…. you’ll know …. the truth…

I felt really sluggish and my vision seemed to be fading. Everything was getting blurry and then I heard a voice. “Sean! That you?” A man with a rife seemed to teleport out of the shadows and into my blurry view. I couldn’t see him very well but it sounded like Sarah’s brother, Ron.

“Oh my God, Sean. You’ve been shot.”

“Oh…that …explains a lot….doesn’t it?” I chuckle as I feel my body getting colder.

“I’ve got a first aid kit in the truck but we gotta move now man. Why did Sarah stay behind?”

I pausd for a moment before answering and look him in the face. “She thought…it would be…best…if she …remained …at the habitat…to reduce…suspicion...she’ll join us … later.” I smile at Ron and pat his shoulder. “She’s … just fine, man. Doing better than….I am. There’s no…. time to tend to ….my wounds but … I need you to do something for me.”

”What do you need, brother?”

I pull the Artiwomb very slowly out of the backpack and uncover it. “Ron looks past the glass at the small 6-month old fetus and smiles. Is this my niece?”

“That’s her. That’s … Rachel. She will … be ready in about … 3 months. The Artiwomb will … take care … of her just keep her .. inside of it and … deposit the feeding coils … every week. Get her to … Oceania. Get her to freedom.”

“I will brother.”

“Ron lifted up the Artiwomb and bag of feeding coils and began to walk away. I could barely see anything at this point but I could hear his steps. “Wait! I forgot … something. You need … this, Ron.”

I pulled out the 2 heart lockets and snapped them together. “Her mother … wants her … to have this … and the key. It opens … both chambers. It’s for … her eyes only…you understand?” I could taste my own blood a little at this point.

“I do, Sean. When she is old enough, I will tell her where it came from but I can’t just leave you here, I can get you to…”

“No…just…go…I’ll only slow … you down and cost you …..more food. Go…as long ….as she survives…we survive…”

The last thing I remember hearing was the sound of a vehicle moving away. I probably won’t survive out here for long. With Sarah gone I’m not sure that I even want to. “Don’t worry, Sarah...I’ll be … joining you soon, baby. I’ll be … joining you soon.”

Day 34,700: Oceania

“Chloe, where did you put the cucumber slices? You know those help me stay cool in the summers.”

“Sorry, grandma, they in the crisper unit not the fridge”.

“I see. You kids with your technology. You wouldn’t have lasted a day back when I was coming up.”

“You use that hologram all of the time. And who’s a kid, grandma? I’m 33 years old.”

“Like I said, kids.” They both chuckled. “You’ll be getting married soon though. I remember when I was a bride. You’re great granduncle Ron, gave me away to Sam. They were both good men.”

“Didn’t uncle Ron bring you here in. You never told me the whole story.”

“That’s because I don’t know the whole story, my dear. I just know that I was gestated within an artiwomb, which was not very common in those days.”

“Were people having children the regular way. You know, mothers going into labor?”

The old woman removed her cucumbers from the crisper and walked over to her favorite velvet sitting chair in the living room.

“Actually, people weren’t having kids at all in some places. It was against the law as was writing ideas against the government. Was called Global Restorative Authorization or something to that effect. Hell, you could barely take a piss without them knowing when and where the piss would land and what the temperature, color, and chemical composition of it was. Cameras everywhere. Privacy was almost nonexistent … at least that’s what uncle Ron described to me.”

“So what happened.”

She stared outside the window and smiled as she watched children playing soccer in the grassy field. “I’m not sure entirely. I just know that…my parents sacrificed a lot to get me away from there and to some place where I could live freely, which brings me to the bride to be. Sit down…I want to give you something, Chloe.”

The old woman pulled out a sterling silver-heart-shaped locket and placed it into Chloe’s hand. Grandma this is nice but . . . I’m not a little…”

“Shhhh … this is the only thing besides that damn old artiwomb in the garage that my parents ever gave to me.

“What about the holointerface program you refuse to give up?”

The old woman rolls her eyes. “AND that too, yes. But I think this might be the only thing that matters other than keeping me alive of course.” She hands Chloe the key.

“I don’t have much time left on this earth, Chloe. I want you to read what’s written within the locket and give it to your daughter or granddaughter when she is born. It’s the only thing that I ask of you.”

“Of course, grandma.”

“I’m tired, girl. I’m gonna go get some tea to drink with these cucumbers. Don’t lose that, you hear?”

“What am I 10 years old, grandma Rachel?”

“Compared to me…you might as well be child. No go…and make me some greatgandbabies! ANA!”

“Yes, madame?” A tall, skinny holographic female appeared in the room besides the old woman.

“Play some music for me…something…old school.”

“Selecting music based on your previous viewing and listening choices, madame. Enjoy.”

Chloe chuckles and unlocks the heart locket compartments.

Mom

Daughter, never confuse survival with living. Your freedom to express yourself without fear Is what I’ve wanted most for you because I live every day without it but if you are reading this, it is because you live every day with it. I love you.

Dad

Hi, Rachel. your mother and I love you more than the world. We could not see you born legally so we risked it all to give you life, my daughter. As long as you and your descendants survive, we all survive. P.S. Your mom bought this locket instead of food. Can you believe it?