Days passed. Walter took the classes on construction and maintenance, but he only listened with half an ear. In truth, he was looking to see who the best contractors were, how they were paid, what companies they consulted for…
And he found nothing. The people who were leading the classes all knew their stuff, and their credentials and experience were readily available to anyone who asked. In small groups, they taught each aspect of construction, from laying plumbing, to wiring solar panels, to working power tools.
Walter hadn’t noticed it at first, but the people here were sharp. They asked intelligent questions, they weren’t too shy or timid to handle the equipment; and they barely took notes. David had noticed his reaction and ascribed the mental discipline to ‘growing perfection in mind and memory’. Walter had been expecting something like that. After all, he’d expected science to break the death barrier, so improving faculties and ability was a relatively minor miracle.
He was also able to observe how people found help for maintenance of their own homes. The classes ran, day after day; and someone would quietly come by and outline a problem they needed help with. A senior student would volunteer, and they’d go back with the person in need. Often, one or two new students would go along with them. Walter was invited along once; but didn’t have much to add. A lunch spread was put out for the two or three volunteers, and Walter had never felt more out of place.
“A lot of people don’t ask for help.” David had told him. “They go to a lot of the classes, help out here and there; and the only thing they ask in return is the materials. It’s not uncommon for some people to want to build their own places solo. It’s a point of pride, for some.”
Walter was still tapping at the Terminal. “It just doesn’t feel… safe. It still feels like amateurs, being taught casually, and then just asking around. In fact, that’s exactly what it is. Doesn’t seem right, for constructing a whole world.”
“We’re safer than anyone has ever been.” David said simply. “And the only point you got wrong was how ‘casual’ it appeared. Trust me, people are paying attention. They’re acquiring life skills for their own homes, after all.” David looked over Walter’s shoulder a the Terminal. “Who are you looking for?”
“My old business partners. If you’re serious about ‘everyone’ coming back, then I have to take advantage of the ‘talent pool’, and quickly.”
“Why?”
“There is always an Apex, there is always a Lower-Class. It’s a basic law of nature. You have a civilization here. There has to be poor people, and there have to be wealthy. And if there’s no necessity in money; then the currency is something else. Reputation, rank, number of pets for all I know. But someone makes a choice about how the world is to work, and then others are put to work making it happen. That’s the way it’s always been, that’s the way it’s always going to be; that’s the way it is.”
David studied him a moment. “You know what? I’d like to get my father in on this conversation? He’s a Tribulation Witness. I think someone who was there on both sides of the The Big Day might speak with more… authority on the subject.”
Walter nodded, pleased. “I agree.”
~oo00oo~
Atxi was starting to figure out how things worked. The Centre had several classrooms, all of which had access to huge varieties of information. Each classroom was more or less the same. An auditorium shape with seats in a semi-circle, elevated to give everyone a view of the teacher. Some of them were even outdoors; but they always included the Terminals. Atxi had been watching clips and recordings without limit, putting together a huge puzzle in her mind.
Atxi noticed a buzz around the Dorms that she hadn’t heard before. There was a sense of anticipation in the air. She asked Kasumi about it, and the Japanese woman smiled. “A friend of mine is coming through with her family later today. Her name is Isobel. She was Returned a few years ago, found her family again. They live in Caravans, on the move. They’ve seen more of the world than you have; and they make their contribution by making deliveries.”
“I thought communications were instant now.”
“They are, but just as we have people from the whole timeline here, we have technology from all eras too. Most people will always prefer a letter. A letter from someone is a very powerful thing, Atxi. It’s something they held in their hands when they thought of you. It’s a captured, preserved moment of what they wanted to say to you, and never say out loud.”
Atxi did a double-take at that little speech. “Who are you writing to?”
Kasumi coughed a bit. “Just a friend.”
~oo00oo~
“Why would I be in this part of the world?” Atxi asked. “It took some doing, but… I’m in Europe. I was born, and died in South America. Is that what you call it?”
Kasumi nodded. “We haven’t figured out the order yet. But every Returnee is met by someone, chosen by name. I’ve heard tell about families being reunited, lifelong friendships, even relationships being started.”
“Really?” Atxi blinked, thinking of Irsu.
“Don’t read anything into that.” Kasmi said, reading her mind. “A lot of the time, the pick is as beneficial to the Greeter as it is to the Returnee.” She could see Atxi wasn’t that convinced, and kept going. “Back in OS, there were fairly specific rules for JW’s about what was ‘appropriate’ between men and women. A single brother or sister usually had a third party present. It wasn’t any lack of trust, but it discouraged gossip; and make sure others were not made to feel uncomfortable in any way. In this world, nobody’s ‘unchaperoned’, ever.” She gestured at the sky to make the point. “But the truth is, we’ve finally managed to close the gender gap in a lot of ways. The friendships you make here can last, literally, forever; regardless of gender or marital status.”
Atxi thought for a moment about the gossip surrounding her mother and Huitzilin. “I hope so.”
(Author’s Note: There’s no specific passage in the Bible to speak on this subject. In ‘Just See Yourself’, I had unmarried pairs spending time together unsupervised. At first it was purely as a storytelling device. I find that male/female interactions have good rhythm; even platonically. I made a reference to the fact that in the New World we're never 'unsupervised', ever; but it wasn't a major deal.
When I wrote ‘Now On Earth’ I continued the pattern because it was useful as a tool to answer specific questions, like the return of a marriage mate, even centuries later; or to consider the generation gap; like when a man from the 1300's has trouble with the idea of a woman professor.
When writing this book, I seem to have fallen into the same pattern; this time based on personality conflicts. I wanted to make it clear: Nobody behaves inappropriately in these books, and there is no specific scripture to address the issue, but in the New World according to my imagination, a person is met and taught by whoever has the best chance of getting through to them, for any reason; totally independent of gender or marital status. I'm not pairing up my characters; I'm building mentor/ee relationships and friendships that are not concerned with taboos of any culture in any time period.)
At that moment, a call went up, and Kasumi smiled broadly; leading Atxi outside.
A row of large covered wagons came up, pulled by large horses. A dark haired woman in a homespun dress jumped down lightly. “Hello, everyone!”
There was, as always, a large reception of people. Atxi could tell at once who the newcomers to the world were, because they were hanging back a bit. The experienced brothers were all coming closer, embracing the people from the caravan.
Kasumi was in the latter group, and pulled Atxi along with her. “Isobel!”
“Kas!” The dark haired woman wrapped Kasumi in a tight hug. “I thought that was your name I saw on those envelopes. Last I heard, you were in Australia. Don’t you ever sit still?”
“Look who’s talking.” Kasumi drawled. “I have post?”
“Two for you, Kas. One from your mom, one from Hugh. I won’t make mention of the fact that you told them where to find you; and not me.” Isobel made the delivery. “Don’t you and Hugh talk by Holo every day?”
“Not every day.” Kasumi shook her head, totally guileless; before reaching for a letter in her own pocket. “Oh, and I have one to send back to Hugh, too.”
“You’re rhyming.” Isobel teased.
“It’s his name.” Kasumi hissed, a little embarrassed, and Atxi suddenly found that she missed her sister very much. Kasumi noticed her reaction, and made introductions. “Isobel Baptiste, this is Atxi. She was only just returned a few days ago.”
“Really?” Isobel grinned at Atxi. “Feel like you’re trying to swim up a waterfall?”
“Something like that.” Atxi nodded.
“We’ve all been there, Sister.” Isobel promised. “Remember, this is the easy part. The hard part is: you can’t claim ignorance forever.” She smiled wider, showing perfect teeth. “But the very best part? Is what happens after that. Believe me, I know.”
“Isobel was one of my Blue Letters.” Kasumi explained. “She only made her choice recently; and then her family came back.”
“None of my family are here.” Atxi murmured.
“They will be.” Isobel promised. “And when they are, you’ll be like me: The only one in the family that can tell them what’s happening. I’ve met a few families where it happened in that order.” She smiled a bit. “Funny, but I never thought my da would listen to me about something like this.”
“How’s that going, by the way?” Kasumi asked.
“Better than I thought it would. “Dad’s not used to having people throwing a party every time our Caravan comes to town. That alone is proof of God to him.”
Atxi started to say something, when the dark-haired woman ducked back into her Caravan, and emerged with another letter. “Atxi. I thought that name sounded familiar. I have post for you, too.”
“I’ve been here less than a week.” Atxi blinked. “Who could be sending me things?”
“I would never read your mail, sister.” Isobel promised. “But I do know where it came from. There was a man with a nice looking ship who ferried me out to the Islands so that I could make a few deliveries. When he found out where I was going, he asked me to deliver one to you.”
“James ferried you?” Atxi repeated, oddly pleased to know the Pirate was still in the area, and taking on jobs.
“I think that was his name, yes.”
~oo00oo~
Hitch Thorne sat with Walter as David made them coffee.
“I wasn’t even a little bit interested in the Jehovah’s Witnesses when David was born.” Hitch explained. “Then the accident happened, and I lost my kid and my wife at the same time, spent six months physical therapy trying to use my hands again…” Hitch looked over. “Actually, come to think of it, it was your legal firm that represented the hospital.”
“What?” Walter blinked.
“When the Insurance Company tried to refuse payments, your firm was the one telling the Judge that my ‘Red Dye Allergy’ was a pre-existing condition that disqualified me.”
Walter scowled. “Look, before you-”
“Hey, I’m not mad. It’s not like you kept me from getting here. My wife and kid are back; what else is there?” Thorne waved it off instantly. “But there I was, bankrupt, limping around my house, trying to pack my kid’s teddy bear and my wife’s make-up kit into boxes; about as done with life as anyone could be, when…” He rapped his knuckles on the timber armrest of his chair.
“That’s when they found you?”
“Yup.” Thorne nodded. “And I told them to get lost. I told them with a powerful amount of cussin’ mixed in, and slammed the door hard.”
Walter laughed.
Thorne nodded. “I wasn’t about to let anyone take advantage of my misery to get a donation to anything. But the magazine they were holding had a question on it: ‘Why?’ written in big bold letters.”
“The Eternal Question.” Walter nodded.
“I shopped around in a dozen different churches, temples… Trying to find an answer that made sense. Not a fairy tale, not something that would make me happy. I wanted something that seemed like actual fact.” Thorne snorted. “Every single one of them had some variation on ‘God’s Plan’ as their reasoning; or even ‘God’s Punishment’. If my wife had some secret sin worth killing our son over, I had no idea what it could be. One or two even suggested it was punishment for something I did, myself.”
“I never thought much of that, even before I found out I was dying.” Walter agreed.
“I mentioned this to some people I worked with. I was lucky to get a job bussing tables, with my arms messed up, but when I told them about the ‘punishment’ angle, a co-worker showed me James 1:13. ‘For with evil things God cannot be tried, nor does he himself try anyone’.” Thorne shook his head. “Imagine my shock when I found out my co-worker was a Witness.”
“Their message appealed to you more?” Walter guessed.
“I told you; I didn’t want ‘appealing’. But it ticked all the boxes. A loving God, a rational explanation for evil, and a hope that didn’t involve sitting around on clouds in places I had no interest in going.” He sipped. “And more importantly, they had focus.”
“Focus?”
“Ask any JW, and I mean any of them in the world, what kept them going in their bad days, and they’ll all have the same answer: Hope for the Future. The message they preached kept getting more and more hurried and pointed, the closer and closer we got. I’d never seen a Church tie themselves to a timeframe that tightly, or put all their hopes on one thing only.”
“What was it?” Walter asked, honestly not knowing.
“All this.” David put in. “The world we’re living in now.”
Walter almost answered, eyes going dark and distant again.
“I know. It still seems like a naive dream to you. Truth was, it seemed that way to me too, once. Back in OS, the Witnesses were told to always ‘keep their eyes on the prize’.” Thorne explained. “But back there, and back then? The Prize was so far out of our experience, it was almost impossible to do that.” He gestured at Walter. “I told you, I wasn’t looking for a fairy tale. And at the time, promises of Eternal Paradise seemed to fit that bill. Then an Elder told me to look at what I had seen already, and compare that.”
Walter frowned. “I’m… not sure I’m following.”
“JW’s had the shortest learning curve.” David put in. “People who arrive here have to deal with the fact that nobody uses foul language anymore. The JW’s didn’t have that problem, because cleaning up their language was part of becoming a Witness.”
David’s father nodded. “Racial bias, gender bias… A lot of points in history, these things were a matter of law, let alone a taught behavior. Telling a former slave that he is equal to his former master, and vice-versa, under God’s Rule? A hard thing for them to wrap their heads around, but the Witnesses didn’t have that problem.”
“Money was a bias too.” David added. “I told you that my father and his Generation came into this world with less than what they could carry. So did you. But the world back then would have trouble with the idea of the Overseers taking a turn scrubbing toilets like everyone else.” This comment was said with a smile, but Walter winced at the point being made. “The Witnesses didn’t have a problem with it, because they were following that policy long before coming here.”
“Political bias.” Hitch ticked off on his fingers. “Plenty of people want to know who’s in charge now. A King, a Queen, a General, a President… Plenty of people identify themselves by whoever they voted for, or what issues they cared about. The idea that there are no countries left is hard to wrap their heads around. But the JW’s didn’t have that problem, because they were already practicing that neutrality.”
“You can pretty much pick your division. Military Stance, Religious Denomination, class distinction, even favored sports team.” David summed up. “The Witnesses had a very different view on all of these things, long before God put his foot down and put the world in whatever order He had intended it to be in.”
“And there was a learning curve for us, too.” Hitch said quickly. “A lot of us expected Paradise to look different, be organized a certain way… But in a very real sense, JW’s had been training their people from the first study on to be ready for this world, by living as closely as they could to its rules before they ever got here. But this world works, Walter.” He spread his hands wide to Walter, making his case. “We know it works, because it’s been how we’ve done things. Even in OS; we lived according to our beliefs, and it worked amazingly.”
“Well… Then how does it work?” Walter demanded. “I mean, who pays for all this? Hard work isn’t fun; that’s why it’s called work. If work was fun, you would have to pay for it; instead of being paid for it.”
“Donations, mainly. Most people donate time and effort. There is still money, but cost of living is nearly non-existent once you’re established, so people don’t mind donating their surplus. Everyone gets trained in construction, since they build and keep their own homes too. Money is for luxuries that go beyond enjoyment of the world itself, and the company of the people in it.”
“But where do you draw that line?”
“That scripture everyone showed you about building your own home? That was a promise in scripture. So was food, life, health, clothing, spiritual provision… Some things were added to that list by our own choice when we were setting up the world; including transport, communications…”
“To illustrate; if you want to travel, you can. Lodging will be provided for you in every community. Nowhere is off limits. There are no borders or papers required. But if you want to travel by private plane, you’re going to need to find one and work out a deal to use it.”
“Right, but what is the source of these… guarantees?” Walter pressed. “Someone’s responsible for keeping the lights on and the water hot. Where does the funding or the provision come from?”
Hitch looked at his son. “Should we show him?”
“I don’t know. The shock of it might do him in.” David said wryly.
~oo00oo~
Atxi hadn’t met Walter yet. But they both stayed in the Dorms. So while the house was being built, she helped Hannah with some of her chores. The woman kept bees, near an area they were using to plant trees.
“I don’t know if the Aztecs had honey as part of their diet…”
“We do. Did.” Atxi nodded easily. How can they not know?
Hannah handed Atxi a crate full of wooden frames. “Good then. Come along.”
Atxi hadn’t seen anything like the bee-hives before. Two dozen large wooden boxes, that stood straight as she did. And a cloud of bees buzzed around each of them. Atxi recoiled instinctively, but Hannah walked straight through the bees with a smile.
Hannah wasn’t wearing any protective gear, or using any special equipment to protect herself; but she didn’t hesitate as she levered the nearest case open, and started sliding out wooden panels, thick with beeswax and dripping with fresh honey. Atxi took them one by one, and handed a fresh wooden panel back. Hannah swapped them into the hive, and moved onto the next one. Atxi could see the bees circling her, but she waved them away like they were harmless flies.
Hannah noticed her scrutiny. “Back in OS, I helped out on a city farm that did this once. They spent ages suiting up before they went out to the hives. Trust me, this is better.”
“You’re not worried about them stinging you?”
“Nope. And they’re not worried about me swatting them.” Hannah smiled at the bees as she lifted the lid on the next hive.
“Does your God protect them all?” Atxi asked, genuinely curious. “I know you don’t hunt or slaughter animals; but does that extend to killing insects?”
“I’ll be honest, I haven’t heard anything official on the subject.” Hannah said lightly. “But I do know that there’s a verse in the Gospel about how ‘not a sparrow falls without God’s notice’.”
Atxi waved a hand back and forth. “But what if you accidentally squish a bug now? Is that a sin?”
“People still make mistakes, Atxi.” Hannah nodded. “But isn’t it terrible when a simple mistake you don’t even think about costs you some terrible price? Something you can’t take back or make right? Well… We don’t fear those mistakes anymore.”
Hannah turned back to the hives, and Atxi felt the Device she’d been gifted buzz in her pocket. She had a new message.
~oo00oo~
An hour later, the frames had been stripped of the wax, and had the honey spun out by hand-cranked centrifuge. The tank they’d been spun in was polished metal. Atxi had seen metalwork before, but nothing like this.
“Want to try some?” Hannah tempted, when she noticed Atxi’s pensive expression. “Something wrong?”
Atxi lowered her voice, keeping private. “When I first got here, I got a message from a woman named Drew Thorne. Said she was an antropoi… and anthropis…”
“Anthropologist.”
“That was it.” Atxi nodded.
“How can you say ‘Huitzilopochtli’ so easily, and trip on ‘anthropologist’?”
Atxi waved that off. “I got another message this morning that I don’t understand, while we were out with the bees. I can follow most of the writing now, and it’s someone who says he’s a ‘Movie Director’. I don’t know what that is.”
Her head tilted. “A Movie Director called you?”
Atxi pulled her Device out to show the message. “Said he was planning a movie about my time period, and he wants to know, once I’m ‘settled in’, if I’d be willing to visit his planning sessions and tell him what he’s gotten wrong.” She put the device down. “What’s a ‘Movie’?”
“Those moving pictures they show on the Screens, and at the Meetings? Imagine one that goes for a few hours and tells you a story.” Hannah explained. “It was a huge industry back in OS. Thousands of people, telling thousands of stories to millions upon millions of people watching.”
Atxi struggled to grasp this. “I can’t imagine.”
“You don’t have to imagine.” Hannah said warmly. “We have movies here. I’ll call a movie night, have everyone around to watch with us.”
“Why are all these calls coming in so fast?” Atxi simpered. “I don’t know anybody.”
“Atxi, right now, you’re disconnected. This is a world where people prize their connections to each other. They will save your life.”
“Can movies do that too?”
“In a way.” She promised. “I remember, back in the first century after A-Day, there was some question about entertainment. A lot of it was bad stuff. Trashy stuff, really. We wondered if anyone would bother with making movies again, but the truth is people make movies for the same reason they make music. Something in them wants to get out.”
“Even ‘trashy stuff’?” Atxi challenged. “I didn’t think this world tolerated such things anymore.”
Hannah laughed. “I remember when some of the Ancient Romans came back, and asked what we do for entertainment. We showed them movies, and they were bored. I asked Flauvius what they did to kill a weekend when he was around. He told me that he knew where all the best Orgies were, and on special occasions, he’d take his kids to the Colosseum and watch hungry lions rip apart the early Christians. What can I say? No matter what our own standards are, this world is hard to shock.”
~oo00oo~
Walter had followed David and Hitch to a large room at the Centre. Unlike every other room Walter had seen so far, this one had a door that stayed closed. But it wasn’t locked, and David led the way in. With all three of them, it was actually a little cramped. There were rows of boxes, each of them only the size of a breadbox. Each one had a number on the front.
“This is the most basic way to do it.” David explained. “Most of it is handled digitally. We have banks and such, and it’s possible to set up automatic transfers. A basic wage handles the cost of living expenses, and you know that most of the living needs are freely given, or very cheap.”
Walter looked over the boxes carefully. “What are they?”
“Contribution boxes.” Thorne explained. “Back in OS, the Witnesses handled all their expenses by voluntary donations. They never passed the plate around, because that would let the others in the Congregation know how much they were or weren’t contributing.” He gestured back at the end of the room, where the doorway was covered by a heavy privacy curtain. “You’ll notice there’s nobody observing us now.”
David gestured around the boxes. “Each of these has a cause to support. Farmers need equipment, here’s their fund.” To illustrate the point, he dropped a few coins in the box. “And over there, wages for laborers. In a world where people don’t have to work all their lives just to keep from starving to death; the hard labor jobs are actually the most profitable.”
Walter just shook his head. “Are you serious?!”
“You said it yourself. If work was fun, they wouldn’t pay you for it.” Thorne smiled. “I was there at The Conference when we hammered out the economics of this world, Walter. I remember someone, I think it was Benedict, gave the final word on the matter. He said ‘Hunger has been our motive for far too long’.” He gestured around. “People will support a cause that they care about.”
“Why would people care about any of these causes?” Walter scorned, finding that idea offensive. “The reason money and power were the same thing? It’s because it defines your responsibility. If it’s not your job to dig ditches, you won’t get paid to dig ditches. You think people are going to dig them anyway? Self interest is the only cause that motivates people. That’s why there are so many laws regarding taxation.”
“There were.” Hitch corrected absently. “How much easier it is, in a world where everyone is just... honest about such things.”
“Walter, isn’t it in my interests that the storm drains never overflow?” David countered. “Isn’t my world a better place if there’s music? Isn’t my life more fun if there’s variety? Isn’t it in my interest to live in a world where everyone has everything they need?”
“Of course it is, but the reason there was taxation at all was because people didn’t know what was needed, and didn’t care enough to check, either.”
“Not anymore.” Hitch explained. “Everyone is informed of where their money goes when they give it. The Cost of Living is significantly lower in a world with no armed forces, or nations and politicians at all. Ditto for medical care, funerals; police and security of any kind…”
“Every year, we get an accounting of what’s been spent and where. It’s a public announcement in each community.” David added. “What’s needed for the general public, like the Meeting Centres and the plazas, or a library? They have their funding from one of these boxes. If there’s something specific a person wants to contribute to, they can add a note telling the people responsible what it’s for. We’re all taught how to maintain our homes, that includes our budget. There are still banks, of course. People who live forever know the value of saving for something long-term. We just do the math and figure out what’s fair to give to whatever cause is in need.”
“Just like that?”
“It’s not a new idea.” Hitch put in. “Back in OS, a lot of non-profit places like museums and charities had contribution boxes of their own. This is just an upgraded version of that.” He gestured around. “Infrastructure, like power generation and water? Most of that is broken up by household. You’ll have noticed that every home has its own solar panels and such. Things that can’t be done at a household level, like sewerage infrastructure, or communications; they also have funds that everyone can contribute to.”
“Seems like a lot of baskets to put your eggs into.” Walter commented.
“But everyone adds something.” David countered. “It’s a basic fact of life: People will perform a task that needs to be done; they’ll spend more time on something that they want to get done; and they’ll spend their leisure time on what they love doing. If something isn’t necessary, important, or enjoyable; then why do it?”
“People aren’t going to give away money if they don’t have to.” Walter said, yet again, and with unwavering certainty. “Especially to people they don’t know.”
“We always have.” Thorne countered immediately. “Back in OS, where being homeless and hungry were very real possibilities; the Society told us where our contributions went. There were no fees or dues for being a JW. They showed us footage of Conventions being organized, the printers rolling every day... Disaster Relief, in particular. Something that never stopped getting more and more expensive as the world started coming apart.” He gave Walter a hard look. “Cost of living then was ridiculous. Depending on where you lived, it was virtually a death sentence to get sick, or to lose work. But not once, in an organization that prioritized spiritual learning over financial security, did the funds for our brothers ever run out. Not for a second. Not once, did the support for our Preaching and Teaching ever run dry.” Thorne let that thought sink in. “Because those people, even the ones we’d never met, were our family. Family supports each other.”
Walter said nothing.
“More importantly, why would we become less generous to our brothers now, when we’re certain to have our own homes, food to eat, and no risk of sickness and old age? Laborers were pulled from impoverished areas in your world. This is a world without disposable people.” David put in. “There’s your kind of ‘feeling secure’ and then there’s ours. I haven’t missed a meal in over a century.” He put a few more coins in another box to make the point.
“Alright, let’s come at this from another angle.” Walter tried again, angrily wanting them to understand how blind they were. “When I built a new construction project, like a tower? I needed investors. They wanted to know what their money would be getting them in return. After that, there were permits, safety regulations, clearance from the city… If I wanted to build something like that now, where would I get permission?” He gestured out the door, as if to gesture at the whole world. “You guys build big things. Someone has to tell you where to build them? I’ve heard people talking about starting a Space Program, or an Underwater City. Who do they talk to?”
“There are Surveyors, of course. It’s basic manners to make sure you aren’t going to be ruining your neighbors’ homes and land. Everyone gets an allotment for themselves. I’ve heard of three or four people trading their land allotments with someone else to get a large area for them to collaborate on.” Hitch thought aloud. “Most of that is handled by the Judges, but that’s administration more than anything else. Beyond that, you start a fund and make your case. If people wanna help, they will. If not, then you can still put the pennies aside over a century or three. If you care that much, sooner or later you can follow your cause.”
“Just like that?” Walter blurted.
“Just like that.” David nodded simply. “Almost every problem and task can be solved by time. If only two people share a dream; they’ll find each other; even if it takes a hundred years.”
“And that just... works?” Walter was trying to process this, and it just wasn’t happening.
“It has for two centuries and counting.” Hitch nodded.
“Longer than that.” David added. “Talk to some of the people alive in Bible Times. They’re here too. Contributions, tithing, and volunteer labor was how the Temple, the Walls; all of Jerusalem was rebuilt. And more than once, I might add.”
Walter went still. It was like he’d been pole-axed, rocking back and forth on his feet, though his posture was rigid. Whatever he was thinking, it had him completely brainlocked.
“Walter?”
“It’s… It’s all voluntary?” Walter croaked. “No laws? No regulation? No taxes?”
“...oh dear.” Hitch sighed, disappointed.
“People have their food and board taken care of automatically, so the old minimum wage means nothing now…” Walter breathed, his brain exploding with the possibilities. “Nobody gets sick or hurt, so Health and Safety regulations mean nothing…” A smile, the first genuine, heartfelt smile finally came across his face. “A client base that won’t even age out, and the lowest cost overhead that any business will ever have! It’s perfect! It’s just-wait, where are you going?”
David and his father had traded a look, and turned to go. David looked back at him. “You aren’t there yet.” He said simply. “But you will be.”
“I know you think it’s all about greed.” Walter heard himself say, struggling to make himself understood. “I wasn’t always wealthy. I mean, I was born to it, of course, but my father was quite insistent that inherited money wouldn’t get me enough respect. Not if I was going to work at the Company. So he had me start in the mail room, work my way up.”
“Did you?”
“No. A year later, I had left, cashed in my trust funds, and started my own company. My point is, father was very determined that I gain an appreciation of how the whole system worked; given that he had to rebuild from his own bankruptcy once; before I came along.” Walter turned away from the Contribution boxes. “So when I say that people wouldn’t give pennies away, I know what I’m talking about. For people like… well, like everyone I’ve met here, pennies were the difference between eating, and not.” He gave David a serious look. “You know what else I learned?”
“Oh please, educate me.” David drawled.
“I learned that when you don’t have money, life is hard.” Walter said, as though it was the most important line in Gospel. “I learned that when you have money, people will open doors for you, literally. If you have money, you get offered the best rooms, the best food, people to carry your bags; bring you clothing without needing to shop for it… Even in Church, I had a reserved seat in the front row; and consultation on the Sermon; and I was an atheist. But I donated enough money to keep the Church open when God was apparently content to let it close. When you have money, people will beg for your abuse, let alone your help.”
“You know that’s not the same thing as real respect and friendship, right?”
“Oh, I’ve seen that too.” Walter nodded. “People who lose their fortunes and are immediately cast out? That’s what happens when you lose your wealth.”
“You liked convenience.” David nodded.
“Everyone likes convenience.” Walter countered. “And that, I have finally realized, is the key.” He grinned triumphantly. “In the old days, you made your fortune by grabbing up a necessary resource. Something people couldn’t live without. You get that, they’ll give you everything they’ve got, just to survive.” He lead the way outside. “But in this world, where everyone has their needs met, conveniences are the only way.”
“Has it occurred to you that if there were fortunes to be made, in any way, like the old days; there’d be some billionaires out there already?”
“A Thousand Years, right?” Walter said with certainty. “We’re what? A quarter of the way through that? Less? Trust me, they’ll be here. But I’m here already. So I have to move fast.”
David and Hitch had that look again. Pure pity.
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