Wretched, Offer Reish [novels for teenagers .TXT] 📗

the ties between government and the Industry (mainly the Camp owners, who were the richest and most powerful people in the Industry, and they were the ones who called the shots), and to the unfairness and injustice this caused. People realized that the weakest links in this whole realm of the Wretches- the people- were being shortchanged and used. They cried out, and they vowed never again to close their eyes in the face of injustice. Sure, it was easier to just shut one's eyes and turn the other way as if nothing wrong was happening, but it wasn't the right thing to do.

Dr. Joshua's part in this whole operation was, well, Leonardo didn't know exactly, but they all knew that he called himself specialist in Wretches' neurological responses to external stimuli. According to Steve, this meant he researched how different things in the environment affected the Wretches and made recommendations to the Industry about how to change the environment in order to improve the Wretches (or how to change the Wretches to be more suitable to the environment). In any case, being a specialist for the Industry- especially a senior one- was an extremely desirable position and in very high demand, so whatever Dr. Joshua said with respect to his work was accorded great esteem by the family. And very conveniently, the latest developments, which caused great havoc in government and the Industry in general, seemed to have barely affected Dr. Joshua. What a simple man he was, with such power and influence in the palms of his hands, but still not blinded by his own personal gain at the expense of others!

"I saw you guys at the Demonstration", he rasped to Hailey when he bumped into the family on the 4th floor just outside the elevator (Leonardo grinned again at the sound of this wonderful phrase- The Demonstration). He said this as a student who has cheated on an exam confides in a friend- with more excitement than guilt, and always suspecting that the wrong person might find out if he weren't careful.

"You were there?" Hailey whispered back, appreciating the sensitivity of the situation. Even Leonardo understood it- for an important employee in the Industry to go the Demonstration was certainly not something that the Industry would be happy about.

Dr. Joshua nodded with a mischievous grin on his round plump face. "It was something, wasn't it?" And the moment his glance drifted over to Leonardo, Leonardo couldn't hold in his zeal and he raised his hands in the air and blurted out: "You're awesome!"

Dr. Joshua held out a short thick hand for Leonardo to jump and high-five. "You know, they're not happy one bit in the Industry with what's happening. It's going to make things run a lot less smoothly, and they say it's going to cut short-term profit by 10-20%." Even this was said without the slightest trace of concern- the doctor sounded almost mischievous. And he immediately explained why: "But only the big shots care about it. I think it's great- help those who need it, why not?"

"Aren't you going to have to give up your second servant?" Steve asked, as though trying to make Dr. Joshua doubt his own nonchalance. It was true that most industry employees were provided not one but two free servants per household, and that it looked as though the Existents' campaign would prompt Industry policy-makers to revoke this privilege.

"I already have. To say the truth, I really didn't need two- nobody really needs two. They would just wander around the apartment duplicating each other's work."

"So why does the Industry provide so many employees with two?" Hailey wondered.

"It's simple. Their production has become so cheap that the Industry doesn't mind increasing supply. Sand Blowers have always maintained that getting more than the common people did keeps the employees happy even if they have no use for the surplus, and that it generally encourages an increase in demand for more Wretches."

Sand Blowers was the nickname given to the most important cogs in the machine that was the Industry, who were charged with publicity, marketing, campaigning, and everything that had to do with the image of Wretches in the eyes of the people. The name had its roots in one of the earliest and most famous of image campaigns ever undertaken by the Industry, in which a Wretch was depicted as buried under the ground in the middle of a barren desert with nothing but hot sand surrounding it. The Wretch is wounded, filthy, and much uglier and more savage than modern Wretches. Then, a man who was later recognized as the pioneer of the Industry in the city is seen marching toward the pathetic, sand-covered brute, digging it out of the scorching ground and blowing the sand off its huge, furry body. The Wretch sees the blinding light of the sun for the first time and allows its savior to carry it away to a beautiful oasis in the desert. It was this campaign that established the robust image of the industry as a savior or at least a beneficiary of Wretches. Another meaning that the name eventually took on is, quite appropriately, the gist of the Sand Blowers' duty: to blow the sand away from the eyes of the people so they could see the Industry and the Wretches for what they really were: a terrific service to the people. Sand Blowers were just about at the top of the food chain in the Industry, far higher up than Trainers, who were in charge of training and educating young Wretches before they were put on the market; the Inspectors, who were responsible for inspecting and verifying that the different Camps complied with the rules and regulations that governed them (and who often befriended Camp owners), and many of the other different positions in the Industry. They were second only to Camp owners, who were typically the richest and some of the most powerful people in the city. And they were revered not only for their status and wealth, but for the cleverness and perspicacity that were associated with their work.

The average person in the city didn't know this, but the Industry consisted of five different kinds of areas, each with it own designated purpose. They were separated from each other, but were normally located in proximity to each other (sometimes in the same large compound), and were always at the outskirts of the city, walled in and insulated from the environment. The first Camp was the Production Camp, where Wretches were bred or replicated. This was where breeding female Wretches, or Outlets, were held from the moment they started producing until their production rate went below a certain point, at which point they would be removed and replaced.

The second Camp was where young, or newly produced, Wretches were educated, trained and modified for their future functions. These were known as Training Camps and served as a short-period transit stop for most Wretches.

After completing the training stage, most Wretches were moved to Storage Camps, where they were kept whenever they were off duty inside the city. Another option was for them to be transported to Conversion Camps, where they took part in the food production process (the Industry supplied 35% of the city's entire food supply).

Finally, sick and spent Wretches were cared for in Recovery Camps. Recovery Camps were large, domed compounds completely insulated from the outside in order to prevent disease spread and allow the introduction of special substances that had been cleared from the city.

This rough outline of the structure and operation of the Industry was, it should be repeated and emphasized, more than the average man knew. Any man who knew more than this was almost inevitably an employee of the Industry or a very well serviced politician. And there was no real need for anyone to know more, since things were working smoothly and once the issue of fairness would be addressed, everyone would be happy.

Three

3

 

The report of an explosion at a small power plant in the Eastern part of the city provoked a great deal of concern and curiosity in the whole city. Fortunately, a large group of Wretches were sent to control the area, extinguish the flames and test the suspicions of possible gas leakage that could put the safety of the residents of the area in danger, including the family. The operation was swift and effective: an initial team was sent to completely seal the area off by laying down a giant rubber dome over the plant. Then the flames were put out and a large team of Wretches was sent inside to clean the air of a methane leak that had indeed been detected (it wasn't clear how cleaning the air was undertaken exactly, but the bottom line of the report was one: the leak had been controlled and any concern for the safety of the people had been removed).

"Fortunately, the quick and effective response to the event has allowed the city's Control of Hazardous Substances department to boast another casualty-free operation. Damage in property is estimated in the tens of thousands, including minor damage to the plant's main generator and all gas tanks, and fifty-five Wretches expired from inhalation of hazardous substances", stated the final live television report from the event.

"Is that justice?" Leonardo, who was at the chess table and had somehow managed to listen in (and concentrate) at the same tame, wondered.

"What do you mean, baby?" Hailey said as she rose from the couch and headed to the kitchen to prepare an early dinner before the night's big event.

"That there were no casualties. Because someone who doesn't do anything wrong shouldn't suffer or die, right?"

Hailey stopped and squinted at her son in full appreciation of the question. "Yes, that's justice. Justice handed down to the people from God."

"But I thought people make justice."

"Oh, no. God makes justice; people's job is to follow and respect it."

Leonardo didn't like this answer. He didn't understand who God was and why people acted so differently when they spoke about him. And he was afraid to ask, because he thought his mom didn't really know who God was, and then he'd have to ask Father Lockworth. He didn't want to ask Father Lockworth. Anyway, in case God really was responsible for justice and thanks to him justice had been done and nobody died from the explosion and the gas leak, Leonardo joined his hands the way he saw people who wanted to talk to God do, and mumbled:

"God, thank you for giving us justice."

But he soon forgot completely about God and the explosion and even about the white pieces poised better than ever to execute their queen's instructions. Instead, he thought about that evening- it was only two hours away now- when the real queen would tell the people what was going to happen and where justice was standing. He thought about that moment when she would find him in the crowd again, and that it was going to be unforgettable.

Indeed, it was an event that provoked an unprecedented level of expectation in the entire city. That evening, two major events were going to merge into a single burst of excitement and festivity that would change the face of the city.