Edict 42

Chapter 12 - Frank

Frank was laying on the couch looking at the ceiling when two voices broke the silence in the house.

“Daddy, daddy!” the two voices gleefully shouted as they came towards him.

Frank's eyes turned to see his two grandchildren looking at him. They had never once called him grandad since their father had died in an accident nor had he forced them to. The two children were twins they had black hair with a willow peak just like him with green eyes from their mother. They both carried pins on their arms and gloves on their hands. They were both still in their pajamas.

Sam and Lily two beautiful children, they were his inspiration to continue working. They may have found the cure to live forever as they claimed but it didn’t help him feel youthful one bit. He wondered if he would be able to retire? No legislation had so far been put in place for these changes and the news was filtered with information on what best to do. It seemed to have the politicians and the world stump on how best to adjust to the changes especially with the upcoming workforce and those who were bordering retirement, to begin with. In the end, it just turned into a bunch of noise from parties' executive orders, repeals, executive orders for executive orders. Making everything swing back and forth like a game of snakes and ladders.

Frank like them had gloves on his hands too that ran up to his shoulder like a sleeve. Even though he had been told he was immune to the parasite, he still couldn’t afford to take any chances so he took the best precautions that he could.

Their mother, Frank thought as he ran his hand over his face birthing these two children was the best thing that she had ever done. He was more sure the woman was in the harder region of the city. If he wanted to he could easily find her but he didn’t want to.

She was extremely determined about empowerment and fighting against what she deemed as an abuse of government power. The two of them could of course never see eye to eye. She saw Frank as a mere lapdog of the government with the way things are playing out in front of him maybe she had a small point about one thing, the government system needed to be evaluated. Still Frank believed once he got the ball rolling the truth would come out even if he had to push it to the media, that change would happen. The people wouldn’t let it sit quiet, that’s why he joined the force as a police officer, to serve and protect.

“What have you two been up to?” Frank asked.

“We’ve been playing with the robot,” Sam said.

“It doesn’t understand us, it keeps saying the same thing,” Lily replied.

“Yeah, that’s robots for you, they only know a certain amount of words to do what they suppose to do. Maybe in the future, they will make more kid friendly versions.” Frank said as he got up. “ You’re hungry?”

“Yes, I am hungry,” Sam said.

“I don’t want any of the CFGs,” Lily said.

“So what do you want?” Frank asked already knowing the option was going to burn a hole in his pocket.

“Chick Mint,” Lily said, her hands slyly covering her face.

“I want Chick Mint too!” Sam exclaimed with a big smile on his face.

Anything outside of the CFGs costs a lot more than what the average person would be able to afford. The taste and quality were far more superior, he would have to relent here. He had been putting it off for days.

“Okay go put on some clothes both of you, we’re going to get some of that fast food dribble. Note that you won’t be full either and if you want anything else it will be to come back here and have these CFGs.”

“Okay, I won’t ask for anything else,” Lily said, as he heard the two rushing up the stairs.

Frank turned on the TV there was still nothing new to go on, despite the family placing up signs to locate Alina. The police and the media seemed both reluctant to even mention the name even in passing. He was surprised that he was still allowed to work the case especially since he knew the secret police were involved they had to be sure the investigation wouldn’t uncover anything and were going to push it off his table after a certain amount of time. How much time did he have? He didn’t even know which direction to go at the moment. Frank noticed that both the Senator and the interviewer on the screen both had pins on their shoulders it was a very common sight but it still always caught his eye. He wondered if it would ever be something to fully go away but then would that mean immortality too?

The woman’s voice thundered on the TV, “Senator, the Governments across the world still are unable to come to a decisive decision on what to do with all of the many births and low deaths ratio. Sad as it is with people not dying the workforce is not depleting and with immortality full in effect no one might be even retiring. It has left many high school students seeking any form of work that they could find believing that most jobs in the system are already too full and won’t become vacant anytime soon.”

“Yes, it is a tricky matter that the government is facing especially since many people that once depending on farming as an income years ago are now on the bread line so to speak. It’s hard to balance democracy with the changes that would need to be laid down for the future to come.”

“It’s been close to about 40 years though. Does it take forty years to set out a progressive plan to go forward?” the woman asked.

“These laws have been in place for a long time from the founding of many countries. Even with legislation, we are still coming to grips with many things, we don’t even know at this point if we are fully immortal or not just because it was claimed to be by the father of immortality.”

“But Senator, has it not been proven and shown statistically as off now that we have many people still alive past one hundred and twenty years? More than any record in human history we also have far fewer deaths and that’s where the problems lie. None of the governments around the world have a feasible plan to deal with the future what to do with the upcoming workforce and how to handle the issue of birth and birth control and the many that aren’t even chipped into the system.”

“Again like I said, people may be immortal but that might only be in the name. Yes while many of our citizens and those around the world are. The people that have been living past those ages have also been experiencing the problems that come with it. Yes, the Manere Parasitus has been prolonging human life at the end of the day it’s a parasite. It's only keeping the functions it needs to go on living. Therefore life threatening disease or anything that may make the host die it fights to protect the body that is all it's interested in. So in the end eventually people may reach a point unless a later solution comes that it might be a pain to continue. That’s one of the reasons we have not wavered retirement. It’s still a very grey area and we can’t be too hasty to rush anything.”

Frank flipped the channel. There was nothing else on the TV except for ads about the new CFG2. They were promoting the hell out of that product in how cost-effective it was for the ordinary man.

“Bostic Lab.”

There was something there. Something shady about that company, Dr. Matters, and the secret police.

He picked up his phone and called Mark.

“Hello,” Mark said on the other end.

“Mark, can you go with Sally and pick up the laundry.”

“You have a particular time for it to be collected?” Ryan asked.

“No, just get it done today for me, thanks.”

“No problem.”

Frank pressed out the phone, he knew that their phones had to be tapped and they created a code for them to both understand what the other would be doing. Now he would be able to at least have eyes on what Dr. Matters were up to, he needed that. He might be the piece to solving everything right now. Was Sally a good choice though to tag along? Frank wondered.

He heard the thudding on the steps as the children came running down the stairs fully dressed and Lily with a smile on her face. This girl was determined to have this fast food.

#

“Chick mint, Chick mint, Chick mint!” two voices shouted in the back seat.

Frank knew it was nothing but an artificial flavouring to make them believe the taste of what the good stuff used to be. They would never have that experience of tasting a burger and calling for another one with a side of fries. Getting an ice- cream and getting a brain freeze. Those were times he had taken for granted and now times that he wouldn’t get back.

He had to settle for CFGs, the cheaper meals for the everyday man. Better Food Production (BFP) and Greater Alternative Choice (GAC) where his budget could afford. Several articles pointed to how bad CFGS actually were but many people took them anyway and of course, with the parasite inside them they felt safe. Frank didn’t really have that luxury and only took them when there was no alternative. He was probably far more likely to die. Although he was told he had all the good side effects without the risk, he didn’t feel that way at all.

Frank saw Chick Mint in front of him and pulled into the car park. He could have gone to the drive through but it was a good alternative to get the kids out of the house. Back in his time, they had a park on the outside which the kids could play on when the parents got the food. Now it's more of samples at the side with many bright looking colours to attract the child to want something and gouge the parents pocket.

The building was red and white a sign flashed between its specials of the day and what was upcoming for the week. Of course, with no display, capsules were never something to make a man’s mouth water. They used fancy fonts and wordings and names that sound appealing to capture the masses.

From the time they stepped inside that marketing trick had worked on the left Frank saw tons of children by the sample centre. They all looked like addicts, he knew the flavours were intoxicating for most children who weren’t familiar with flavour except that bland stuff that they had grown up on.

The parents on the other hand overlooked them with fear within their eyes. One lady, in particular, was trying to get her daughter to come away from the display. The policy of try as many as you want and with no one there to tell them stop, made it easy for the children to bug their parents when they were finished with the sample tasting. The sight made Frank chuckle. At least he didn’t have to worry about that for Lily and Sam. He turned back only to find the two children were no longer beside him, he stared in disbelief as they stood with the rest of the children having a taste of the samples.

Frank placed a hand on his face. “Sheesh not you guys too.”