Copyright 2011, Michael A. Losh
An expanded excerpt from the novella "Dissolution Day".
Magnus and Tread pedaled out of Oaktown on familiar Owen and Shiawassee roads with six other cyclists, lead by a precocious ten-year old. Magnus carried an old map with which he planned the course that would take them south and around the old city of Detroit before they headed East at Dundee toward Monroe. Several potential hot spots were marked on the map. At White Lake Road, the ten-year old and another boy stopped. The younger said, "I need to go back here. Good Luck! Bring us back some cool stuff!"
"Thanks buddy," said Magnus.
"Okay. All's well."
"All's well, boys." Magnus still felt awkward using the phrase. It was not used where he grew up.
The remaining group pedaled on past Runyan Lake. Sixteen year-old Chip and nineteen year-old Catch were non-citizen associates of Oaktown who often did salvage excursions with Magnus and Tread. They offered to guide them as far as Hartland. Also in the group were Stone and Crystal. Stone was a long-time friend of Tread's, and had become a fast friend of Magnus too after Magnus was taken in by Tread's family. Crystal was the only female in the group this morning. Magnus teased Stone and Crystal today, trying to get them to admit to being a couple, but they only smiled, or made half-hearted excuses for why they couldn't. Stone was apprenticed in the building trade, and would be likely confirmed as a full citizen later in the fall, as he was the son of a current citizen and had a promising career. The fact that Crystal's parents worked full-time within Oaktown as servants conferred a slightly higher social strata to them than those who worked outside, but Crystal's place in the community would only be secured if she were to marry a citizen. Perhaps Stone was not ready to commit yet? Obviously, both of them were being coy.
Magnus's own situation was somewhat different. In the Pre-Dissolution years, his parents lived in Clarkston where they owned and operated a substantial restaurant corporation. Following Dissolution, the period of lawlessness destroyed the Corvers' business. Then a militia from Pontiac became more organized and aggressively pushed into areas like Clarston with better timber and water resources. Several of the displaced families founded a settlement that eventually became Oaktown on a lake in an old state park near Fenton. Magnus was born there before its fortification walls were raised. To escape the local strife, the Corvers moved westward to Benton Harbor where his father become a captain of a cargo sailboat. Many years later, his father was lost on Lake Michigan and presumed dead. More recently, after Magnus's mother died, he made his way back to Oaktown. His name and knack for salvaging and fixing things like bicycles helped him gain a temporary home with Tread's family. However, the town's Committee of Selectmen did not offer him automatic citizenship; he would have to earn it like any other associate, by finding a viable career in the community and doing well in the Dissolution Day Challenge games. The games were held during a festival in early November that commemorates freedom from the former federal government. During his first year in Oaktown, he caught the attention of a young woman in a well-respected family, the daughter of a former Selectman. It didn't hurt that she was beautiful and sincere and a little naive. Last summer, things looked like they would neatly fall into place with Sarah. By winter, things were a mess. Although he did very well in parts of his first Challenge, he lost his temper at one point and made a bad impression in a few other ways. He also suspected the fact that he had only attended the Church of Oaktown much and had not produced a reliable tithe was also held against him. Lastly, he hadn't handled the letdown of not being selected for citizenship well, which put a major strain on his relationship with Sarah.
Now Magnus was on a trade venture with Tread that was stunningly ambitious. He was going to Monroe, source of area-wide radio broadcasts and an apparent bastion of high-technology. In their broadcasts, Monroe offered a special kind of two-way radio, a "packet radio" that could relay encoded information over wide distances. The packet radio would allow Oaktown to join the 'Packet Net Alliance' and coordinate long-distance commerce, exchange information, and even retrieve information from Monroe's electronic library. According to citizen Thompson, the device could bring back the astonishing technology of the Pre-Dissolution stories. The Committee of Selectmen were intrigued and had commissioned Magnus to acquire one. Mayor Clark had fronted the gold and copper that would be needed to pay for it and a letter to be taken to Monroe.
The paving of the highway was still somewhat intact and they made good time. They occasionally saw farm wagons pulled by horses or oxen hauling fertilizer or equipment. The people nodded politely but didn't try to talk to them. By late morning they stopped short of the checkpoint north of Hartland. They rested and shared food. Catch pointed to the checkpoint. "Those are good guys at that one. Ask for Doug and if you mention my name, you can probably get through with just a bit of food."
"Be careful, okay?" said Crystal.
"We just need to cover about seventy more miles, trade for the radio, and make it back safely. What could go wrong?" explained Magnus with sarcastic nonchalance.
"Not to mention become heroes to the people of Oaktown and win back the trust of Sarah Holdings and her family," Tread added. Magnus threatened to smack him.
"No really!" Crystal repeated and hugged both Magnus and Tread.
"We will, don't worry," Magnus reassured her. "Don't forget, I got all the way from west side of Michigan on my own before. Now Tread will help."
Stone added, "Well, good luck. It won't be the same around town without you guys." He also hugged them.
"So, you won't propose to Sarah or anything when I'm gone?" Magnus asked.
Stone shot a glance at Crystal, and blurted out, "No man, not me!" Then he laughed.
"Okay, that's it then. Time to go on our own, Tread. Ready?"
"Ready."
Magnus said, "All's-well guys." They all echoed the sentiment and then parted ways.
--
Catch was right about the first checkpoint. Doug was a big but friendly older guy. At the mention of Catch's name, he called off the junior sentries. Magnus offered a cloth pouch of walnuts and Doug readily accepted. He warned them of some other places far down the road. Magnus and Tread thanked him and set off to the south. The checkpoint sentries on the other side of the village watched them suspiciously, but didn't try to interfere.
By late afternoon they reached Whitmore Lake and scouted out a good place to sleep away from its small enclaves. Magnus showed Tread how to disguise their bikes and camp unnoticed. They didn't make a fire, but did eat a little from their supplies. They spoke quietly in the growing dark, swatting mosquitoes.
"Are you bummed Sarah didn't come with us?" Tread asked.
"Yeah. Well, no, not really. I mean I'm not surprised. I guess I didn't really think it through. If the Oaktown rangers had come after us, we'd be racing and hiding the whole time. Maybe not so fun."
"Yeah, how long can you out-pedal fast horses?" he asked chuckling.
"Well, I can all day, but you? I don't know..."
"Shut up."
Now Magnus chuckled. "No, this will be momentous. Think of what Monroe must be like! Somehow, they just... make all this stuff. Like the way people back in town make bread from wheat, Monroe makes a whole thing like a radio out of, I don't know what, dirt?"
"Heck if I know."
"Well, we can't go in there acting all surprised and astonished, like we never saw a city. You got to act like it is not so impressive, got it?"
"Why?"
"Because they may not want to deal with a couple of farm kids. We need to represent a successful town, see?"
"I guess. At least we have that letter the Mayor wrote."
"Right, just act like everything you see is no big deal, that we do deals all the time. I can do the negotiating."
"All right. I'm wore out and the bugs are bad. Let's sleep."
"Okay man, goodnight."
"'Night."
--
The next morning Magnus and Tread ate some nuts and dried fruit. They drank water from metal canteens. To help replenish it, they filled glass bottles that were mostly clear, but were painted black on one side. The bottles were placed in a rack on their bicycles so the sun could shine through the glass and heat the water. Over the course of a day of cycling, the heat and sunlight would render bugs and toxins in the water harmless. After the water cooled back down, it could be added to the canteen and the process repeated.
They rode for a few hours to the outskirts of Ann Arbor. They paid a toll in copper north of the city. Along the highway, various vendors had set up little shops and stalls. Most of them were selling old salvaged items. There were stalls with tools, and machinery parts, and a bewildering variety of electrical and electronic components. Some had old clothes and bedding. Some had old dinnerware and kitchen utensils. The only vendors that seemed to have any business this morning were selling food or drinks: fresh sprouts, or spiced cooked oatmeal, or fresh eggs, or aromatic herbal tea. The oatmeal and tea smelled good but they pressed on.
They came to a bookseller. He was removing tarps covering random-looking stacks of books. He had a very dark complexion but white hair and beard. He noticed and motioned them over. "Hello friends! Come and look. You want something in particular?" His speech seemed a little odd, not the way people talked where Magnus grew up, or Oaktown, for that matter.
Magnus considered the question for a moment and shot back, "You have anything on bike maintenance?"
"Yes, I do here somewhere... Orwell, Paine, Pauli, Pauling, ... Plato, oops too far. Pirsig. Here you go."
The man handed Magnus a small book _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_. "Zen? What's Zen?"
"Oh, that's difficult to say but easy to recognize when you be it."
"See it?" asked Tread.
"No, be it. You've got to be it to see it. Understand?"
Magnus shook his head and opened the book. He thought of himself as a good reader, but this book was chock-full of words. "Where's the diagrams? How can you have a book about maintenance and not have a picture of the parts to fix. What's it about?"
"Gumption. Sticking with something until its done. It's also an 'inquiry into values' like it says on the cover."
"Values?" asked Magnus. "Did you actually learn to fix any bikes with this?"
"Um, not really. But I did enjoy reading it very much."
Magnus said, "Please, don't you have anything that is practical?"
The man pointed to a stack of thick books. "Dissertations! Good thick paper, good for starting fires. Or crinkle it up a lot and it's good for wiping your backside, if you know what I mean. There's a whole bunch of them stockpiled back there." He pointed over his shoulder to a far-off tower that was nearly white in color.
"No, that's not what we need right now, I guess we should move on." Magnus returned the book.
Tread suggested, "How about Weather? A book about weather might be useful."
"Frost! Robert Frost! His name has weather right in it, and he wrote poems about the countryside and the weather. Give me a moment... Frost? Flemming, Frank, Freud. Shoot, I can't find it. Never mind."
"Good luck with your business here."
"Good luck to you two, too!" the strange man replied and laughed at his little joke.
--
Magnus and Tread pedaled on around the east edge of Ann Arbor, then proceeded south. The remains of former homes that had been deconstructed and salvaged were initially numerous, then grew more scattered and sparse as farm fields and timber stands became more common. Clouds moved in and grew darker.
"Rain's comin'," said Tread as he pedaled, slowing slightly so Magnus could come up beside him.
"You don't need a book to tell you that," Magnus observed. "I'd like to find a good place to camp before it starts."
"Agreed."
They two continued to cycle as the wind picked up. They soon came upon a stand of timber with what looked like an abandoned open-sided barn with an intact roof. They pulled their bicycles under the roof. Underneath there was scrap metal that looked old and firewood that looked and smelled as if it were just cut.
Tread stated the obvious, "Smells fresh. Stay alert."
"At least it should be a good shelter."
The young men chewed on venison jerky and dried cranberries as the rain started. They drank the remainder of their stored water. After the rain washed the roof for a while, they refilled their canteens and glass bottles.
"'Accept the gift that is given'," Tread quoted from Pastor Clark and took another swig.
--
The rainy and blustery afternoon became a damp and breezy night. Magnus and and Tread decided to take turns sleeping while the other served as the lookout. There was little traffic. Later, Magnus was shaken awake by Tread. Tread whispered, "Listen!" At first, Magnus heard nothing but insects, then he heard something he hadn't heard in a decade, maybe longer.
"A motor vehicle!"
They both took positions behind the piled wood and looked toward the sound. Soon they saw lights and more clearly heard the rumbling sound of the vehicle's engine. As it passed their hideout, they noticed the tires were lifting a spray of water and creating a trail of mist. It seemed incredibly loud. It passed without slowing. Several minutes later, it could no longer be seen or heard. "Going to Monroe?" Tread asked. Magnus shrugged. They both sat quietly for several minutes, listening for the vehicle to come back, or another to come by, but nothing did. Tread pointed at the moon, visible occasionally in thinning areas in the cloud cover. "We should probably wait until that quarter moon sets before we take on the checkpoint."
"Good idea."
A few hours later, the moon was down and the night was quite dark. The clouds had become patchy and the breeze still blew. Their eyes adapted to the dark, but they knew they had to cycle carefully to avoid potholes and debris. Eventually, they saw a glimmer of candlelight. They approached as close as they dared on the bicycles, then pulled off into the brush along the side of the road. Magnus set off to investigate the checkpoint. Even as tall as he was, Magnus was thin and could gracefully move through the brush. He found a fence perpendicular to the road, ensuring the checkpoint was truly a bottleneck for traffic. The swinging gate looked like it did not quite reach the fence post on the right side of the road. If Magnus and Tread rode accurately enough, they should be able to streak right through that gap. One guard was pacing back and forth along the gate. Magnus very slowly and quietly crept up to the shack. He peered over the windowsill into the candle-lit room. He immediately saw a guard sitting at a table, head down on his arms, seemingly asleep. He saw another sleeping on a cot. Magnus lowered himself and crept around the corner to another window. From there he could see a second cot with a sleeping guard. So, three asleep and one awake. Magnus liked those odds, but the heavy-duty crossbows he saw next to the men were intimidating.
After returning, Magnus explained the situation and suggested they just wait for the lone guard use the latrine. Tread agreed and they very slowly moved closer along the edge of the brush along the right shoulder of the roadway. They found a good spot where they could keep out of sight and observe the guard at the gate. Magnus peered through a small nautical-style telescope. They waited over an hour, but eventually the guard moved away from the gate. He seemed to lean into the shack then walked into the brush. Magnus waited several seconds, but could not see anyone coming out. Magnus tapped Tread and whispered in his hear, "Now! Let's go." They lifted their bikes, heavy with cargo, out of the brush and set them on the roadway.
They pedaled smoothly to avoid making mechanical noises and hoped the breeze would mask the tire noise. They nervously looked at the faint glow from the guard shack. They heard a door bang, which must have been from the latrine. They didn't have much more time to slip through unnoticed. About ten yards from the gate, they turned to focus on the gap to make sure they got through at speed. Closer, closer. Tread slipped through first, followed immediately by Magnus. Through! Magnus felt his pulse pounding in his ears, making it hard to listen for any response from the checkpoint, but he could hear nothing from behind him. He looked back over his shoulder and thought he saw movement by the gate, but he heard no voices or alarms. They made it! After another mile or two, they stopped and pulled their bikes off the road so they could relax and rest until daylight.
Their travel south toward Dundee was uneventful. They saw a few other people riding horses or bicycles along the same road, but no one paid them much attention. By evening, the traffic on the roadway increased somewhat, so they took a side path quite a ways to find a secluded site to camp. The next morning, they passed through Dundee itself. It did not have a controlled checkpoint, but it had several sheriff types carefully watching traffic. Magnus and Tread turned east onto Custer Road. They now noticed fewer horses and rather more people on bicycles. As they were leaving Dundee, they saw an oncoming tandem bicycle: two people seated one behind the other pedaling in perfect synchronization. Magnus laughed at first when he saw it.
"Look at that Tread!"
"My kind of place!"
"Suppose I could get Sarah to ride with me on one of those?"
"Ha ha! That would be awesome."
"If only I could get her off those horses..." Magnus didn't need to finish the thought. All of Magnus's cycling friends knew things were awkward between horse riders and cyclists.
It was not long before they saw more tandem bicycles and cyclists pedaling three-wheel vehicles with cargo beds. Custer Road followed the River Raisin and provided beautiful vistas, especially now with many trees coming into flower. By early evening Magnus and Tread had pedaled up to a large checkpoint. Although it was not even close to dark yet, the checkpoint was illuminated with brilliant lights, certainly electric. Far beyond the checkpoint, the young men could see a very tall tower seemingly made of sticks, with several flashing red lights on it. They couldn't even guess what such a high tower was for. The checkpoint provided a portal through a tall metal fence that ran left and right as far as Magnus could see. There was a walkway along the top and Magnus could see soldiers patrolling it. They had rifles in their hands. Real firearms, not just crossbows.
The checkpoint had two gates. One had a sign reading "Residents & Workers" over it. The other had a sign reading "Visitors." Magnus and Tread stepped off their bikes and pushed them up to the queue of people for the visitor gate. Magnus watched the people going through the other gate. They held up the back of their hands to a metal box, waited for a green light to flash, then proceeded to another set of guards who inspected their bags and packages. In his own line, people were carefully patted down. Crossbows were being handed over to the guards. Tread looked anxiously to Magnus.
"Relax and remember, act like it is no big deal."
Eventually Magnus and Tread reached the front of the line. "Hand us your weapons and blades," the guard said curtly. Magnus and Tread handed them the crossbows. The guard suppressed a smile. "Um, these almost don't count. Okay, we will tag these anyway. You can collect them with the claim ticket when you leave Monroe." The guard held each crossbow to a second guard who attached a paper tag to each, then tore off half of each tag and handed them to Magnus and Tread. The torn half had a number written on it. The second guard disappeared with the crossbows. "Blades?" the first guard reminded them.
Magnus and Tread held out their knives. The guard held a measuring stick along their blades and found them within the allowed limit. The guard motioned them to the next stage of the checkpoint, where all their belongings were carefully inspected. If anyone noticed the carefully wrapped gold and copper, they did not let on. They went to the third stage of the checkpoint. A serious-looking man was seated at a desk. Beyond him, Magnus noticed an elevated observation post with a man dressed in a crisp uniform who definitely looked different from the other guards. Maybe he was a Sino-Capitalist! The man at the desk said, "Good evening. What is the reason for your visit?"
"Business. We are hear to buy a radio."
The man marked something on two stiff sheets. "Name for each of you? Spell it slowly." As Magnus and Tread spelled their names, the man wrote on the sheets. "Where are you staying in Monroe?"
Tread and Magnus looked at each other. "I don't know yet," said Magnus matter-of-factly.
"Are you staying with a specific resident?"
"No."
"Then you must stay at the Visitor Hotel. It's about two hundred yards inside this gate." He marked something on each sheet, then folded and tore off a portion of each and handed it to them. It had markings next to the words for "Business" and "Visitor Hotel". It had another kind of writing too, in letters that Magnus did not know. Sino-Capitalist writing? "You must keep this card at all times when you are in Monroe. You are approved to stay forty-eight hours. The shopping area opens at eight AM tomorrow morning. Enjoy your visit. Next!"
Magnus and Tread pushed their bicycles into the city itself. The pair tried hard to not gawk at what they saw, but it was unbelievable how many lights there were and how variety of sizes, colors, and placements. They noticed many vehicles rolling by not rumbling and smoking from an engine.
"How can you have a motor vehicle with no motor?" asked Tread discretely. "It's like magic."
"Old technology magic. Electric motors can be really really quiet, you know."
On the way to the hotel, they walked their bicycles past several restaurants. Magnus made a sweeping gesture. "This is what my parents did back in Clarkston, back before I was born."
"So many different smells. Wonderful!" enthused Tread.
The man behind the desk inside the hotel frowned a little at Magnus and Tread as they walked their bicycles in. He checked their visitor cards and recorded information. He demanded several ounces of copper for the key to a room with two beds. They soon found the room, which was the size of a small cottage inside. The pair marveled at the multiple electric lights and the sink and the shower and the overall cleanliness. It took several minutes to figure out how the properly control the flow rate and the temperature of the water in the sink and the shower. They took turns at washing up in the shower. Neither Magnus nor Tread could remember a more luxurious feeling than the hot water in the shower washing away the accumulated sweat and soaking into their sore bodies. Next they washed some of their dirty clothing. They figured out how to extinguish the lights and crawled into their beds. They further marveled and how smooth and soft the beds were. Magnus wondered about the strange buzzing and humming noises and the clanging in the distance, and hoped that they would not keep him awake much longer, but before he could really complete that thought, he drifted off into an especially deep sleep.
The next morning, Magnus and Tread woke and found a small tray with fresh bread rolls and unfamiliar orange fruit. They eagerly ate the bread and tried to bite into the fruit. It's skin was tough and extremely sour and bitter, so they cut the fruit with their knives and ate the tender flesh inside, which was slightly sour but very sweet and delicious. They washed in the sink and collected their belongings. After walking their bicycles out, they returned the key at the front desk and also asked where the shopping area was located.
Before they went to the shopping district, however, they decided to ride toward the shore of the great inland sea, Lake Erie. As they rode, they noticed the many workshops and larger buildings that emitted strange squealing, grinding, and banging noises. They could see a motorized wagon bring a heap of salvaged scrap metal into a large building. Smoke was pouring from a very tall chimney and there was a burning smell in the air. They got closer to the shore and could see see a massive group of buildings with two tall, round, and wide towers with a very unusual curved profile. They also saw a port area with enormous ships. One had several thick cables and pipes connected to it. A high metal fence topped with sharp wire surrounded the port and was patrolled by many soldiers in identical uniforms with rifles. As they got closer, one of the soldiers told them, "Move back and stay back. This is a restricted area."
Magnus and Tread nodded and veered off. Magnus said to Tread, "Let's head back to the markets." They cycled to the road the desk clerk at the hotel told them about. The shops there had a wide variety of goods. Their signs were written in both normal and the foreign-looking writing. Eventually they found a shop that had the word "Radio" painted on the window. Magnus and Tread stopped, unhitched the pannier bags with their precious metal, and went inside.
The shop had three types of radios displayed on the shelves. Some of radios were sounding the Monroe broadcast. "Can I help you gentlemen?" the shopkeeper asked.
"We hope so. We want to buy a packet radio," Magnus said.
"Oh, this is not the right place for that. We only have broadcast receivers here."
"Is there another shop nearby?"
"No, not exactly. Don't you know that packet radios are carefully distributed? Not just anybody gets one. You need to go to the Broadcast Office."
"Where is that?"
"At the base of the big antenna. You can't miss it." The shopkeeper gestured in the general direction they had seen the spindly tower the night before.
Magnus and took a quick glance at each other and smiled. "Thank you, sir."
"Good luck, gentlemen."
Magnus and Tread rehitched the pannier packs and pedaled off toward the antenna tower. They soon understood how truly enormous it was. It was tied to the ground by very long cables at multiple heights. They realized the tower was not constructed of wood sticks but metal girders. The Broadcast Office building was the size of several large homes and was surrounded by a security fence. They approached the guard at the gate and asked if this was where one could buy a packet radio. The sino-looking guard asked, "Where are you from?"
"Oaktown."
"Do you have documentation?"
"Yes, hold on." Magnus found the letter from Mayor Clark and presented it to the guard.
He reviewed it and said, "Your visitor cards, please." After the pair handed over the cards, he said, "Wait here," then the guard ducked into the guard shack.
"Like we are going anyplace without cards." Tread said privately to Magnus.
"Shhh."
The guard seemed to be talking into a device. He held up the letter and appeared to read parts of it out loud. He paused as he listened and then came back out to the gate. "You may proceed into the office. Park your bicycles there and enter that door." He handed back the documents then opened the gate. The young men pushed the bicycles through the gate to the indicated location and took their pannier bags inside the building.
Within the main door were two soldiers standing at attention. The lobby was a large room with polished stone flooring and walls that echoed as they approached a high counter. Behind it was a stunningly beautiful young sino woman. She smiled and said to them, "Good morning gentlemen. Your visitor cards please." They handed them to her. "Please wait." She pressed a button on her counter and said, "Our visitors from Oaktown are here."
A disembodied male voice responded, "Escort them to Conference Room Two."
"Certainly," she replied and smiled at Magnus and Tread again. "One moment." She continued to smile until the door behind the counter opened and another, even more beautiful sino woman appeared and walked around the counter. She was wearing a well-tailored skirt and jacket and pointed shoes with spiked heels. "This way, gentlemen."
Magnus whispered to Tread, "I could get used to this!" Tread just scowled at him, then fell in behind them both. But he had to admit to himself that this city and these people, especially this particular woman, made quite an impression. After walking down a short hallway and reaching a particular door, the woman opened it and turned to face them. "Please take a seat here." After they sat, she asked them, "Would you gentlemen care for some water or hot tea?"
"Yes, tea would would be nice," Magnus said.
"Yes, for me too," Tread added.
"Certainly." She walked to a counter built into the wall, put loose dried leaves into a small pot, then poured steaming hot water from a black pitcher into it. She put the pot onto a tray with two delicate-looking white cups. She brought the tray to the table, which was large enough for at least a dozen people. However, only one other chair was seen, on the opposite side.
"Won't you have some with us?" Magnus asked. "What is your name?"
The woman smirked slightly and bowed. "No, thank you, Mister Corver. You may call me Miss Yu."
"Oh I will miss you!" Magnus gushed.
Tread elbowed him, then leaned over to whisper very quietly, "'Act like it is not so impressive'?" Then aloud Tread asked, "Are we meeting with you, Miss Yu?".
She poured tea into each cup, lifted each cup on a saucer and placed it in front of Magnus and Tread. The tea had a light color and a faint sweet aroma. "No Mister Smith, but it is my pleasure to stay with you until the Director arrives."
Magnus lifted the cup to his lips and carefully and took a sip. He sniffed it deeply and took another sip. "This is delicious. What is is made from?"
"It is authentic Sino-Republic tea, flavored with Jasmine. I am gratified that it pleases you."
Tread took a sip and said, "Hmm, this is good." Miss Yu smiled and lowered her eyes and stepped back from the table. Then Tread turned to Magnus and said, "Rather fancy for a radio shop, isn't it?". Then he turned back to Miss Yu and asked, "Will the Director be long?" She smiled and shook her head no. Magnus and Tread finished the first cup of tea.
Magnus started to reach for the pot, but Miss Yu stepped back to the table and said "Please allow me." She poured another cup of tea for each. This time, the tea was a much deeper color. They waited a bit for it to cool and tried the second cup.
"It only gets better!" Magnus exclaimed. Tread narrowed his eyes a bit when he could catch Magnus's attention, hoping he would catch the hint.
Another door opened and three men walked in. The first man walked right up to the table as Magnus and Tread stood up. The man was dressed in a impeccable suit with a necktie, the type Magnus had seen in old books. Miss Yu announced "Gentlemen, this is the esteemed Director Guo. Director, please meet Mister Corver..." and she paused so Magnus could shake the Director's hand, then said, "and Mister Smith, of the community of Oaktown." The men exchanged polite greetings and sat down.
"I am told you came to purchase a packet radio and join the Packet Net Alliance."
"Yes. The Mayor and Chairman of the Council of Selectmen in Oaktown commissioned me to acquire one to join the Alliance." Magnus presented the letter from Mayor Clark.
The Director handed the paper back to one of the assistants standing to the side of his chair.
"We are not familiar with Oaktown."
"It is close to Lake Fenton." Magnus explained. The Director did not immediately respond, so Magnus added, "It has about three thousand people, citizens and their families."
"And it's very well fortified," Tread added.
One of the Director's assistants took notes. The Director said, "Your community is smaller than those we usually admit to the Alliance. I presume you know the benefits. Do you understand the full costs?"
"Two pounds of gold or twenty pounds of copper, right?" Magnus said.
"That is part of it, but not the most important part. You must provide a technician who will install and operate the packet radio. He or she will receive comprehensive training for a minimum of four weeks here. Perhaps more, if needed."
Magnus could feel Tread stare at him, but Magnus stayed calm and replied, "That is reasonable."
"Next, each packet radio site is obligated to report certain information on a regular basis, such as population counts and food production levels."
"Information sharing is expected," Magnus replied. Tread silently thought, Hey, that's getting a bit personal.
"Next, and this is the part that some potential alliance members reject, the recipient must provide ten 'Servants of the Cause' initially and ten more each year thereafter."
Magnus was silent a while and said, "Hmmm. Would you explain what you mean by that, exactly?"
"I mean, exactly, that each Alliance member must send ten people who will work for us, each year. Where they work and in what capacity is determined through mental and physical tests. There are many work roles: factory worker here in Monroe; patrol guard in one of the New Canton cities on the West Coast; or Foriegn Legion soldier fighting alongside the Sino-Republic forces against the Beijing regime. Workers will be treated well, although some work is dangerous, of course. Assuming they survive, they will be released after a five year service."
Mangus felt a little flushed. "These other terms were not stated in the broadcasts. Where do you propose we get ten people each year to send you?"
The Director leaned back in his chair. "That does not really concern us, as long as they are manageable. Perhaps your community has people who struggle to find work and are hungry. Perhaps you have too many prisoners. We often find that criminals are productive servants, with the proper training and management. They need not be volunteers, if that your worry, Mr. Corver."
"It is a high price, especially for a small community."
"Perhaps you see it that way, but you have also seen the magnificence of our city, of what our atomic power can achieve. This colony and this region will eventually join the Sino-Republic. Our great war of capitalistic liberation has cost many lives, Mr. Corver. We need the weapons and armored vehicles that are manufactured here, but most of all, we need more people to reach our destiny. Your community could be a valued member in this great enterprise."
"I am not prepared to meet your price today."
"Understood. We will extend your passes while you consider the opportunity. You may return later if you have further questions, or to sign the contracts. We hope you join us! Good day, gentlemen" With that the Director rose and offered his hand for a handshake. Magnus and Tread stood and hesitantly shook the director's hand. Briskly, the Director left the room, followed by his two assistants.
"Would you like to finish your tea, gentlemen?" Miss Yu asked.
"No thanks," Magnus said.
"Certainly. This way, when you are ready."
--
They left in silence. Their visitor cards had been modified to allow them to stay three additional days. When they were away from the Broadcast Office, Tread asked, "What are we going to do now?"
"I don't know. I guess you got to really buy into this thing. Maybe we should find out how they actually treat workers. I'll investigate Miss Yu." Tread rolled his eyes. "No, I think she really likes me!"
"Forget her. It's an act."
"If we can't get a packet radio, I suppose we should go back with something."
"What else should we get? It's the Mayor's metal."
"Let's check the rest of the shopping district."
The two browsed the stores in the shopping area. The most impressive product they found was a supply of medicine that could treat almost any kind of infection or fever. A large supply cost a few ounces of gold. At a bicycle shop that shamed him in comparison to his parents' shop they found many reasonably-priced replacement parts that were impossible for Oaktown to manufacture. After their shopping, they returned to the Visitor Hotel.
After locking their bicycles and purchases at the hotel, they returned on foot to the manufacturing district. They walked past many large buildings siting within high security fences with lights on, laundry hanging from many small windows. They soon found a bar that seemed lively and went inside. The crowd in the bar comprised multiple races. Maybe more sino people than local. Magnus went up checked the menu. They ordered fried fish and two shots of the liquor, which was very strong. Soon the fish arrived and they enjoyed eating the crispy meal. They ordered another round of drinks. At the same time, a young woman came up to the bar in coveralls. She looked sino, but also local. Mixed parents? She was ordering drinks.
"Excuse me, miss. Do you work in the factories?"
"Um, yes. Why?"
"We are trying to find out if our town should send you some workers. If we buy your drinks, will you give us the honest truth?"
"Yeah, sure. Join us over there." She pointed to a table with two other women and a man, all wearing matching coveralls.
Magnus paid the bartender and he and Tread took drinks over to the table. The first woman said, "I'm Jean. That is Tam, and Mary, and Ron. You are?"
"I'm Magnus and he's Tread. Hi."
"Everyone, these guys bought us a round. They want to know about work conditions."
Tam said, "We're all supervisors. We make sure the workers do their job, and don't goof off or goof up. We make rifles and other equipment for soldiers."
"How many hours each day?" Tread asked.
Tam replied, "We have two ten-hour shifts. I mean, one group comes in and works ten hours, then a second group of workers come in and also works ten hours."
Jean raised her shot glass and said, "I propose we toast our nosy visitors. Cheers." They clinked shot glasses and tossed down the fiery drink.
Tread spoke again, "Do the workers have to work every day?"
Jean said, "No, they get Sunday off. Nice for us too. Buy us another round?" Magnus motioned to the barkeeper to bring another round of shots.
"But do they have to stay inside the fences even then?" Tread continued.
"Yes, of course, they need to fulfill their five-year term," Jean answered.
"Are they really released after that?" Magnus asked.
"Yes, but some of them stay on as supervisors. Tell them Mary."
"Yes, I didn't like work at first, but then it became easier. And I don't have any other life outside anyway. So I stayed. At least I know what a worker's life is like."
"What happens to workers who do goof off?" Tread inquired.
Ron said, "That's my area. I assign them scut work in the factory, something nasty. If they don't shape up, I send them to the nuke ship to do some refueling work. If they don't do that right, they get sent to Shanghai for bootcamp."
"Bootcamp?" asked Tread.
"Military training for the Foreign Legion."
"Does that happen often?"
"No. The factories are expanding now. We need more workers here, and most of them perform adequately. We don't have a lot of problems, actually."
When the new round of drinks came, Magnus lifted his shot glass and said, "To meaningful work. Cheers!" Then he turned to Jean and said, "Now tell me a little about yourself, Darling." Jean laughed and told him about growing up in Monroe, how her Father was a Sino-Republic soldier that met his mother here, how she only had a few happy memories of those first years with her father, how she was sad and lonely the next five years after her father returned to Hong Kong and her mother constantly worked, how she went to the Sino-Republic sponsored school, how happy she was when her father returned for another five-year assignment, how she studied industrial arts in school and graduated with honors, and how she had recently received her supervisor position at a unusually young age. Another round of drinks was ordered. Magnus told his old but thrilling stories of his solo trek across Michigan after his mother died. Tread tried to explain what small town life was like with almost no electricity. Even though Tread had been enjoying the conversation, he started to to grow uneasy when the workers suggested all of the towns in Michigan would soon be contributing to the Sino-Capitalist cause.
Tread spoke to Magnus privately. "Magnus, let's go."
"Aw, these folks are fun."
"What would Sarah think?"
That sobered Magnus up noticeably. "Yeah, get me out of here."
"Sorry people, Magnus and I need to get going." Tread said to the other four.
"That's too bad," said Jean. "Hope you come back soon with some recruits!"
"Nice meeting you and good night!" Magnus said.
--
Magnus and Tread left Monroe the next morning with headaches from last night's drinks. While they waited at the main checkpoint gate, they noticed a flatbed truck arrive through a gate almost one hundred yards away and pull into a fenced area. Many people were sitting on the truck bed. Soldiers with guns directed people off the truck bed and into a building. They were mostly teens and adults in their twenties, dressed in a wide variety of styles. Tread observed, "They could come and start taking masses of our people away from Oaktown. How could we prevent it?"
"I don't know."
"It worries me."
"Come on. These people like you. Didn't Mary try to kiss you?"
"Magnus, we've got to warn the Committee," Tread said definitively.
"Oh, don't be so dramatic."
The line had reached up to the checkpoint guard. "Visitor cards, please, and claim tickets if you have any," the guard said. Magnus and Tread complied. Several minutes later, another guard walked over with their crossbows. Magnus and Tread packed them and pedaled off.
Tread wanted to cycle back to Oaktown as fast as possible, but Magnus insisted on scouting out the Dundee area for a few extra days. He guessed that the Committee of Selectman would not accept the terms for the Alliance and so he might have to leave Oaktown and find a new place to live, with or without Sarah. All the while, Tread said he felt like someone was watching and following them. Magnus refused to believe it.
After Magnus was satisfied he understood the Dundee area well enough, the two made their way back to Oaktown, reversing their route over a few day's time. All the while, Magnus and Tread debated joining the Packet Net Alliance; Magnus for, Tread against. "An Alliance too costly," Tread called it. They never reached a consensus. It would be the Committee's decision, just as with Oaktown citizenship and his only realistic chance with Sarah. He wondered how it would turn out.