Evolving

1

Things used to be a lot different than they are now or at least that’s what my grandfather

says. The thought that we all used to live together without divisions once upon a time is really hard to believe. I mean how can the Prians survive in Inuas or Tekas or how can we the Inuians survive in Prias - I think our chances of surviving in Tekas are pretty good - or better still how can those Tekians survive anywhere apart from their fancy life.

      We live in 3 divisions - Prias(not really advanced in anything), Inuas( we are developed industrially) and Tekas( they are technologically advanced)- with different rules, different living conditions, means of survival, just different lives in general. The only similar thing all 3 divisions have is the representative meeting that is held every 3 weeks in any of the divisions which is always projected for all to see. 

      In each division we have a representative that helps to keep the peace and send our requests to other divisions. The divisions don’t care how you select your representative as long as you provide a new one every 6 years. Here in Inuas, there is a smaller chamber with specific people selection that discuss the matters of our division and relay it to our representative. I guess you can call that our government. 

      I have always wanted to visit the other divisions just to know what it feels like to live in their world but going to other divisions is difficult except you have specific means. 

In Inuas everyone is branded with the symbol of a wheel to show that they belong. 

       Everyone calls me Streak cause I’m fast at everything I do but I honestly don’t understand why I am never punctual to work. My boss Prescott probably hates me for that but can’t do anything about it cause I’m good at my job and I always try to make up for lost time. 

       I make a motion to block my ears as the bus turns into the street that houses almost all our factories. This is the busiest part of Inuas. We are known to be the most populated division now imagine the crowd of people trying to shuffle their way to their various places of work. The factory streets are the messiest of all - not that our streets are less messy at any point - its highly polluted.

Anyone who is trying to make a living has to be here from sun up to sun down in order to earn something. The factory owners don’t care about our healths all they want at the end of the day is maximum output.

 Factories sited side by side are in constant competition well its more like the owners are -  for the highest output per day 

 ‘Textile’ I shout out to the driver a second too late as he made a turn away from my stop.

‘Hurry and get off I’ve other places to be’ he replied grumpily as the bus came to a stop.

I got off the bus and made my way into the factory. 

‘Erm… where is that going to? Hold on who asked you to move those?’ People are moving packed goods and I have no idea what’s going on.

 Did I forget something? I don’t believe I did so what the hell is going on?

‘Prescott asked us to get the latest textile ready for exportation. Apparently the Tekians are coming in for a trade today’ Jean the new worker replied and continued on her way.

      s**t, Prescott had told me about that like 2 weeks ago

‘Hey, hey’ I heard someone yell from the distance. I simply rolled my eyes and ignored it. I knew that voice all too well. It was Gwen. 

I find it really hard to dislike people but with her, it just comes naturally probably because she thinks I’m incompetent and wants my job. I get that we are doing what we have to do to survive out here but why would you go so far as to sabotage my efforts every freaking time. I hate it when I feel like I have to prove myself to anyone about anything. 

Prescott and I are friends so he’s got my back covered but with her constantly on his neck about my position even I can feel the pressure. Hold on I just want to be clear about something, by saying Prescott and I are friends I don’t mean friends friends I mean just friends as in he is an older-guy-trying-to-hang-with-the-young-crowd kind of friend and my job kind of depends on  it so yeah when he so weirdly asked me to be friends with me I couldn’t say no. 

‘Hey didn’t you hear me calling you?’ she asked getting closer to me 

I honestly try to keep the peace around here so even when thinking of ways to murder her I have a portray a calm sweet front. I don’t want to give my boss a reason to complain. When I think about the whole situation with Gwen it upsets me because even with the title upgrade (not that there are special goodies attached to it) we still receive the same pay. 

Putting on one of my I’m-disgusted-by-your-presence-but-unfortunately-don’t-have-a-choice smile I turned around. 

                   ‘Oh hi Gwen, I didn’t see you there’

                   ‘Of course you didn’t ’

 I wish I could wipe out that smug smile off your annoying face

                 ‘Do you need my help with something?’

                 ‘God no…’ she replied raising her pitch slightly higher like it was impossible for her to need my help. I’m waiting patiently for when this urhhhh will need my help. It’s going to be an epic site. I wonder if she has ever had to plead for anything before. Just the thought of her begging me for something, anything so desperately made me smile satisfactory 

               ‘....Prescott has been asking about you all mor… What are you smiling at? Not that I care or anything’ 

      ‘Oh trust me, you don’t want to know. Speaking of Prescott, where is he?’

‘I believe you can find him well on your own’. And like that she was gone. 

Cursing under my breath I went to face whatever Prescott had in store for me. I’m sure he’s gonna take it easy on me since we are friends, right? I mean I have only been late every single day of my life but what are friends for right?

********

‘So Dad I have been thinking, since I have tried out business training and I seem pretty good at it maybe I can juggle it with….’

‘Don’t you dare finish that sentence Aaron’

‘But I…’

‘It’s like you said, you are pretty good at this whole business thing so why not just go into it fully. I mean that’s what you are being trained to do. You are finishing your training in a month and you will be assigned to do something worthwhile…’

‘That’s what I’m saying I don’t…’

‘Want to hear it. I’m a representative and my son will not go around slacking. We all pretend here that our jobs are equal but we all know that’s not true. I don’t want any of your tech nonsense corrupting your brothers mind and as long as I’m the man of this house, my house….’

‘It’s just like you said dad the man of this house and I don’t stay here anymore so technically, I’m only telling you this out of curtsy and probably because mom asked me to. I hate disrespecting you but….’

‘But nothing. I don’t think you understand me so let me rephrase my statement. No son of mine is training under any job apart from business and since you are almost done, you better not disappoint me SON. I have a meeting in the next 20 minutes so I can’t drop your brother off. You should drop him off on your way and bring Diane for dinner. Now that’s someone who appreciates my words’

 I give up!  With all these stupid rules in play I really can’t wait to become 21. 

‘Alright dad’

‘Give your mum my love. I’ll call her once I get my meeting over and done with’ he said as he made his way to his transportation pod.

‘Mason, buddy it’s school time’

‘So now you guys have time for me. We are never going to make it I’m already 5 minutes late. Where is dad? Nobody ever listens to me aarggh’ he ranted as he dragged himself towards the door 

Again with the dramatics. I love my younger brother but sometimes he acts older than his age and it’s kinda weird for me. 

‘Dad has a meeting so he asked me to drop you off so I thi…’

‘Of course he did. Well, shouldn’t we get a move on it?’

‘Yeah sure. I just have to deliver his message to mum. Hold on a…’

‘You do realise you can ask Dro to do that in the pod on our WAY right?’

‘Right’ 

Dro is the highly advanced robot we use for our tasks. It’s in our biometric codes on our wrists ( that’s how Tekians are identified)  in our home systems, in our pods, it’s practically everywhere.

‘Hello Aaron, Hello Austin...’ my dro - Cam - greeted us as we entered into my pod

‘...Austin I’ll get you to school as fast as possible but Aaron you are going to be late and round face Eric…’ Austin turned to look at me ‘... will get upset and might report you to Robert and…’

‘You altered parts of your dro again?’ Austin asked as Cam yapped on and drove us towards Austins school

‘Not altered. It’s more like upgraded him. I can have a nice conversation with him, I restricted dads access to him a tiny-winny bit and other stuff’

‘You’ve also allowed certain languages dros shouldn’t use did you forget to include that?

‘That is classified under other stuff’

‘Uhm, I also want mine like that too.’

‘When you get your personal dro I’ll make a few changes’

‘Austin we have arrived at your school. Now hurry on out so that Aaron isn’t too late’

‘He is too loose’ Austin fired at me as he got down 

‘Just get me to the training site Cam’

‘Okey’

‘Cam play back my conversation with my dad from “give your mum…”. Record from “my love to over and done with”’

‘Done’

‘Substitute her for you and replay’

Replaying : “My love I’ll call you once I get my meeting over and done with”

‘Send to mums dro’

‘Sent. We are arriving at the training site now’

‘Cam try not to talk out of turn and just stay quiet else I’ll have to remove your upgrades’

‘Are you tryi… You have an incoming video call from Diane’

‘Accept’

‘Obviously, I mean you not picking your girlfriends call is like so…’

‘CAM!’

‘Right, out of turn again I’m just gonna…’

‘Hey babe, where are you? I peeped in your floor but I couldn’t find you. Eric was about to start some lecture’

‘I’m pulling in now.’

‘Alright. I’ll see you around then. Love you’

‘Love you too. Hold on D’

‘Yeah?’

‘Dad wants you over for dinner tonight’

‘Oh Alright we will leave together then’

‘Probably’

‘What do you mean pro…’

‘Babe I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you at lunch’ with that Cam hung up. 

‘C’mon buddy get moving’

‘I know I know’ I replied as I alighted from my pod.

********

‘Where are you coming from at this hour and where is your sister? I have told you several times to stay away from the junk yard. Those items there are bound to corrupt your  thinking. The garbage from Tekas is just that garbage…'

'It's a lot better than what we have here' Penelope muttered

'Something you want to add Penelope?'

I immediately turn to Penelope and give her a knowing look. At times like thus its best to just agree with mother or else she will drag out this topic  again. My sister and I go to the yard because that's where things from Tekas and Inuas come  through. Things that are of no use to then anymore.

I mostly just find them fascinating. We don't have such things here in Prias. Sometimes I wonder what its like being from any other  division. What kind of foods do they eat, what type of clothes to they wear, how do they move about. Rumor has it that there are things that transport people about in Inuas and much more interesting  ones in Tekas.

The only interaction we have with the other divisions apart from the council is during trading season.

We provide life stock and other raw materials to Inuas in exchange for various things we need here in the division. We have never had an interaction with Tekas. Trading always takes place at the boundary gate

'I need you to go and ask Anne if she would still like to use the loom today. I need to clean it and get it ready for tomorrows work.We are making new cloths for exchange tomorrow',she said the last part with a little more excitement than necessary. 

Mother make cloths on her loom that Father built her. She only allows close friends to use it. It's her dream that Penelope and I will one day take over the cloth making trade.

'The council are gathering tonight so I need you girls to hurry back so that we can listen to the meeting together'

'Yes mother', I replied before Penelope could say anything silly.

**||||**

'You should really stop talking when she's trying to make a point, its only going to cost us more time'

'I know, I know. When are we going to check out the things we brought back'

' Tomorrow after mother has taught us a little more about looming'

'What more is there to learn? We do the same thing everytime. You know how much I dislike looming' 

'We don't have a choice, its either that or…'

'I've told you, I want to learn to build things like father does'

'That is not a job for a woman'

'Well, I'm not a woman… yet. So I think I can learn a thing or two from him. No one wants to sit all day working their a*s off looming'

'Pen! Language'

'Oh please, its just the two of us I don't think our shadows will mind a little curse word here and there' 

'We don't know if someone else is on the path. Let's hurry, I can see the light from Anne's house from here. I don't want to miss the meeting'

'No body does'

*******

"At the council meeting"

The three representatives from each division are seated. The meeting usually begins with the representatives showing their brand for all to see 

Jake shows his brand - the bar code on his inner wrist - to show he belongs to Tekas, Ian shows his brand - - to show he belongs to Inuas and Max shows her brand - a spindle in a circle tattooed on her inner wrist - to show she belongs to Prias.

'Our last meeting we discussed about the trading routes..' Jake began 

'What about them? I thought we already settled this. We keep using the old routes only with  the addition of two personnel to the convey' Max interjected 

'I agree with her'

'You always do' 

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'You know, word has it that Prias and Inuas have a secret trade ongoing, you know away from prying eyes'

'I can assure you, no such thing is going on' Ian replies with a light laugh

'Whatever you say. Tekas will like to propse again that Prias allow them search their lands for areas that are fertile for industrial development'

'That isn't exactly your divisions forte and seeing as you would need to cross Inuas to Prias I demand that we be kept in the loop of all these dealings'

'This doesn't concern Inuas'

'The hell it doesn't. I'm sorry about my language' Ian said apologising mostly to the Prians

'I don't understand why there has to be an argument of this because Prias will never agree to anything of such. We do not want your machines and gardgets in our division corrupting the minds of our young ones..'

'Enlightening them you mean. Making them curious about what else is out there. I mean if you don't want any of our development you shouldn't have made the trade with Inuas for the radios you use'

'Those are strictly to keep us informed about the meetings and you know it'