“Oh, sweetie. If only the human psyche was that easy to explain. Depression may seem simple to those who have never experienced its depth. It affects us in different ways. But one thing is for sure; if it goes untreated for too long—it’ll push you under and crush you once you meet the bottom.”
They’ve walked all the way to the stone wall that stands at the end of the Chip-Center’s fenced-in yard. Nurse Saarinen stands away from them, talking into her invisible headset. With her AR-glasses on, she types fiercely into the CS Kaarina has not yet seen or used. Maybe she never will? No. She can’t lose all hope. She needs to trust the system.
“And those who are in the west?” Kaarina says, thinking of the man inside her head. “What about them?”
“Hm. Well, first, their social evolution is happening at a different speed than ours. In some places, mass-shootings, bombings, and The Race War took down the civilization extremely fast. It was bloody, chaotic, violent. People suffer from severe PTSD, panic attacks, anxiety. They remain aggressive toward other people, isolating themselves even after they’re chipped and entered into the CS. Their response to the happiness-pills is slower than what we see here in the east.”
“Can you believe this maniac? Trust the system…. trust my ass! The pills don’t work, they never will, mostly because I ain’t ever eating that shit. Kay, you gotta dump this bitch now, before she brainwashes you and turns you into one of her sheep.”
Kaarina remains quiet.
“And then there’s the plague. Starvation. The great fires down south. War inland. The people up north here are less aggressive, less violent toward one another. This gives us hope. We are the future.”
Kaarina runs her hand on the stone wall, the damp moss ticking her fingertips. She thinks of her empty apartment in the suburbs, the horses she used to take care of at the barn not far away from her apartment. Will they make it, free and alone in the woods and fields? Or are they still at the barn, screaming their hunger, inviting predators?
“Now I’m not saying that the mass suicides our society experienced were any less devastating than the rest of The Great Affliction. But we have the right tools to control the damage. We can help this society to become whole again.” Doctor Solomon’s smile deepens. “You can help, Kaarina. Talk to people, tell them to trust the system. Help them see, cooperate. All we want is for them to feel safe. Better. And they do—it’s a win-win. Most understand that everything we do is for them. Their safety. Their health. Their happiness.”
Doctor Solomon leans against the stone wall. The name tag on her chest pocket rises and falls to the rhythm of her calm breathing. Kaarina is overwhelmed by a sudden urge to touch her—to hold her hand or lean against her shoulder. Images of her mother flash through her mind: lying there dead on a bathroom floor, a pill bottle still resting on her palm.
After sensing that Bill has seen this painful memory, she’s surprised he hasn’t commented on it.
The doctor looks up at the sky, a dreamy look on her face. “Our employment level is rising. People want to work and participate in the city’s success. Those who pedal the energy-generating bikes earn more chip credit than they can spend. Most get promoted to work at the Server-Center during their first year. Those who can’t pedal work at the Vertical Farming-Center, or the Children’s-Center. Our artificial insemination program is this close,” she shows a small gap between her thumb and index finger, “to reversing our near-extinction.”
What happens at the Children’s-Center? After The Great Affliction people stopped reproducing. Most chose to live alone without a partner or even friends–assuming they had any left. Her mother once told her it wouldn’t be too long until people wouldn’t even be able to reproduce. Whether they wanted to or not. Kaarina wants to ask the doctor about this, but she’s completely tongue-tied.
“The latest happiness research shows that people are more content than they’ve been since The Great Affliction. They’ve started to talk to one another again, building trust in the goodness of humankind. The chipping and the Happiness-Program has lifted us from the brink of extinction back to being an organized and coping society—dare I say, a successful society.”
The doctor spreads her hands, gives a little laugh. “The Pedal-Center threw their first annual party just the other week. They had a dance competition, can you believe it? Many employees of the Center participated. Everyone had cake and apple juice. The whole city is still talking about it. One day, sweetie, you’ll be part of this cheer.”
Tiny letters stand out on one of the stones. For a reason she can’t quite understand, Kaarina doesn’t want to lean over to read the carving. She fingers the surface, trying to feel out the carved message. Juokse pois tästä paikasta. It’s her native language.
“What does it mean, Kay?”
Careful not to talk to her new-found psychic friend out loud, Kaarina communicates with him with silent words. It says, “Run from this place.”
“See? I told you, I knew it. Your world is not any different from mine. It’s corrupt, wrong. You do need to run, to leave before—"
“And as fascinating and important as our history is, we’re here to talk about you and your future. Which is bright, by the way, did I mention that already? Yes, my dear, you are extremely lucky to be here. The Chip-Center is one of the most successful facilities we have. All its tenants have everything they could possibly ask for. No need to leave the facility. Nurse Saarinen gave
