An Adventure to Utopia

Chapter 2

N 1

I am happy as always. No, not really. But I should be. What reason is there that I should not? All days of my life are the same – merry and fruitful days – everybody around has the same day. Isn't life more exciting when nothing is different? When there is a never ending, stable and consistent monotony? I should smile a big, wide grin right now. But for some reason I cannot. But this hardly a thing worth noting, is it?

What ought I to do right now? The same thing as yesterday – oh, what a wondrous day it was – but maybe a little different.

I have work today. I don't mind that. I have two jobs, one a managerial position in a robotics company and one in Levitating Buildings ™'s Sanitation department. Today, I will work the latter. I wear my overalls. They are of the highest quality and I washed them myself two days ago. I wash my face also and comb my hair; I am usually scruffy looking but I like giving it a try.

I glide my sky-shuttle to the building I was asked to report to. I walk inside, where everyone in the classic blue overalls stood, and they smile in greeting to me. I am bit late actually, to be honest, but no one would ever censure me. Not that I take advantage of that though.

"Hi Bob," I say. To the large chunky man, who wears big burgundy spectacles and has a walrus like moustache which he dyed green, his favourite colour.

"Oh! Hello, dear 7891! How are you today?"

"I'm very well, friend. I am excited for work."

Bob nods with a wide smile. He is always understanding. He is my boss, but more importantly, he is my friend. One of my best friends.

I work on alternate days for either of my jobs. Am I paid for my work? What is the role of money in our society?

Well, it does exist and we do use it, but there is the custom of civility that takes precedence over any hard reflection of quantitative amounts of any item, whether monetary or real. Everyone works, and everyone likes working! And the work we do is what produces the stuff we consume in society.

It is interesting that your society takes the indirect route in economics. It is unfortunate actually. You all, largely, work in a manner that jobs are created, so that people get the wealth they can to buy the services they produce in these jobs. Whether the job is directly labour or service or ownership of the productive means. The wages or returns or other forms of compensation for their services will then be what matters so they can enjoy the stuff they produce. You secondarily focus that the jobs are producing the stuff that is consumed.

Here we look at things more directly. We manage the jobs that people have so that the wealth in the commune is produced in good quality and efficiency, and then it is only very natural their pay or compensation which is egalitarian will enable them to buy these things. In a way, we look at the actual physical stuff that is wealth that is produced rather than the financial and monetary distribution of that wealth that already exists.

We need not worry that there aren't enough jobs because of a recession so that people don't have the means to buy their sustenance or leisure and that it can't contribute to a further output for everyone to consume. We focus that the output is already produced. And everyone has the means to consume them.

We are only limited, therefore, directly from physical restraints – but we more or less surpass them. We've got the best technology and the best means of creating stuff from the natural resources we have.

So, we have to work in the sewers of the 38th flow of the 2,564'st tower of the 56th sector of the planet. Our dear old Earth!

I walk down the sewers with Bob, of this floor… it was a little away from the main corridor of this building… there is work to do. Work, which we all enjoyed. One technical stuff of another technical stuff was broken; I don't want to burden you with the details of our beautiful sewage machinery; not that I don't love this landscape of my work, but because it will be too tedious for you to decipher – I'm not a good communicator after all.

"Everything all right, 7891?" asks Bob.

"Oh yes," I say. "What is happening around this sector by the way? Sorry, but I've been quite preoccupied in my mind."

"Well, they're renovating one great wall around here."

"Ah yes, this was known as the Great Wall of China in Antiquity. And it was built in their antiquity."

"Yes, indeed. You are much better in history then me, 7891," he makes himself blush in the typical humility of our society.

"It was burnt down," I say. "I've heard… from somewhere stories of how it was used to pour gas in huge machine sprays on either side of this land…"

Suddenly, Bob's face was close to losing its smile. It didn't, because this sudden shock of conversation to him caught him off guard.

Oh, why am I thinking about… that history… of that Middle Age time. Why is my mind being obsessed? Why am I thinking so negative?

Quickly, I change the conversation, "There's a birthday party coming up! I'm very excited. It's for Mr. Bins."

"Ah, I've met him a few times. He's a charming old man. Have you?" He seems so very relieved, it looked, by my new sentence.

"Alas, no. I've never had that privilege. However I will still attend. Everyone in our district has received an invitation."

"Oh, yes," he says. "Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend. I've bought my son a new video game. I want to be with him when he plays it."

"Why don't you think of starting a family?" He asks me.

"Ah!" I say. "Well, I don't really know...I suppose I will... soon."

"I definitely recommend it," he says.

We finish mending the machine. Then we finished manually managing that machine to dispose of the sewage of that apartment complex.

N 2

I lie in a coma for a few days. I open my eyes – I am in a hospital. There is blood spilling onto the walls. Why… I can faintly reason… did I survive?

Ah! I find a surgical instrument on the side table, but, someone pounces in front of me and says, "DON'T."

Why should I listen to him?

But… I see others with no legs, no arms, no eyes and no mouths.

Why should I be so special to get this privilege? I put it back and lie down. I faint, but I glance a look at that man – he has no cheek and he is round – how that was possible, I did not know and he nodded at me. I just blinked as a diminished reciprocation of his acknowledgment.

N 3

Romeo lived a normal life. He was a content, if inquisitive mind; yet he could manage company. He had to. It was his job to work with others.

The year and date was 26th August, 682 ACE (After Establishment of the Communes). It was a Monday.

The building where his office was not the tallest building; it was moderate and modest – like many others. History was at that time not really a very academic institution – his institute was an exception – and more of an artistic interest. Ancient History that is. Medieval History was not spoken of.

Romeo walked in, unlocked the main door with his eyes and sat down to work. Presently, he just had to write a few articles for the institute's magazines. They were a few who read them, but only a few.

There was a conference scheduled for an hour later. Romeo wondered what it was about.

Nonetheless, an hour later, he sat in the conference room. His boss Jos'ph began by greeting all the four distinguished academics. They were also his very dear friends.

"Troan, Romeo, Lora and Samuel. Congratulations to all the work you have done so far! You ought to clap for yourselves."

"And for you, Jos'ph," said Lora.

Jos'ph bowed deeply. And applause by all the academics filled the room.

"Now we ought to get down to work. Work, which we all enjoy.

"Romeo what is the nature of your study? You have decided to specialise in this field. A very commendable commitment! Not all of us wish to restrict ourselves to any time period. The public wants knowledge as art and they are not able to connect themselves within it if it is contained within a narrow context. But I have not been able to understand it quite comprehensively."

"Well Jos'ph, my interest is rather obscure; we must realise this. And it is one scant attention has been paid to. What I am studying are the Late Middle Ages."

The people in this room were for better or worse accustomed to very predictable conversations that they felt gave them security, harmony and happiness. Romeo's answer was not a reply they had expected. They seemed somewhat perplexed, even.

"I see. But Romeo, what exactly can we learn from this study? We can study the artistic achievements of the Ancient Era.

"We can…" Jos'ph paused as if he were about to say a disconcerting thing, which he was, really.

"… Understand from our mistakes in the middle ages."

As expected, tension filled the room.

"But there isn't much to be garnered from your study… my dear friend."

"I do know what you mean, but if I am to be frank…" said Romeo, "This institution is an academic arena and has an ethical responsibility to simply garner understanding… for its own sake and end…"

Samuel felt the need to same something. He was not sharp, but clearly he was curt. "Or is this not your personal inquisition, Romeo?"

"I confess a large part of my desire does stem from there, yes… but my friends… we need to broaden our understanding…. Our society must have, at least the choice, to know his or her history."

"Of course you are right, Romeo. Continue this study. But, do not expect much interest in it…" Calmly replied his boss.

"That is an understatement Jos'ph. Who would want to read or learn about this period?" continued Samuel, rather persistently as noted by Jos'ph, Romeo, Troan and Lora.

"If there is even one person who desires to know, Samuel, that is enough." Poignantly defended Romeo.

Samuel merely nodded, as if he did not care much; as if he vivaciously respected his friend's desire to study what he wanted. But he did care.

"My dear friends," said Jos'ph in an appreciably sincere attempt to bring back liveliness and energy.

"Lora, tell us about your research,"

And the other four listened to her attentively.