Unknown Depths

Chapter 4: Grand Words

Diane shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she and the others invited were gathered in one place. The host was nowhere to be seen and Diane was sure this whole thing was some sort of sick joke. Even if she is not a fan of their societal social strata, she is no fool to see this project of WIC is aiming for social chaos.

There is a reason why the twelve districts were divided into four major parts. One was that they are distinctly similar in terms of their economic situation and the people more or less have common attainments in their own professional fields. And the other is that this whole system is what has made their society for so long.

Everyone in this whole city is judged by the main brain the moment they are born. Regardless of where and who your parents were, should you fail the criteria, you will be separated from each other. And even if you safely passed these criteria at birth, at the age of 7 you will face another test that will threaten your stay in the district you are born in. It was called a ‘Compatibility Test” by the main brain, and since their known history it has separated so many children and parents since then.

Everything that is related to the overall progress of the city is under the full authority of the main brain. Birth, marriage, and even social structure were something the main brain controls. The prime example was Diane’s parent’s life story.

Diane’s parents were both of District F in their lifetime. They meet together under the arrangement of the main brain and become a family under the supervision of the main brain. All their three children were fortunately not separated from them at birth and their children were able to stay with them at least before their ‘Compatibility Test’ came. Everything was perfect, only that they left so early and the two of their children were diagnosed to be mentally unsuitable for society. Although their end was rather unfortunate and sorry, no one could deny that, compared to others, they were lucky.

Because most families were not able to stay long with each other at all. Many children were ripped away from their parents early on, while many of the remaining who were not taken away were later on sent away for failing the tests. Thus, making a clear division between districts under this generation to generation practice.

But the group of people here definitely does not show the same similarities.

District A-C is well-known for having a fair, unblemished, and aristocratic upbringing. They are the most perfect and good-looking people in the whole population of Butterfly City. Micheal, whom Diane came to know sometime before, came from there.

Districts D-F, were also similar to districts A-C. But they fell short in height, skin tone, and elite-minded upbringing. Due to this fact, they are mainly like people who have passed the selection criteria of the main brain, they are lacking in noble-like education and are characterized by their drive to excel to prove themselves. Oftentimes, the most extremes of the rather well-off portion of their societies come from here.

District G-H is where people with more muscles and well-developed limbs. The moment they are identified to be suitable to live here, most of their lifestyles are geared towards their development in strength, agility, and anything related to their bodies that will be useful in the businesses in these districts. It is no surprise even the youngest of the people there has more muscles than any other group in the whole city.

And Districts J-L were the land of rejects. It was a cruel place for those who did not fit the aesthetic of the other districts and those who were deemed useless by the societal judgment of the main brain. Most of them are disfigured or have some cannot be hidden blemish on their skin, a usual feature of those who were taken away from birth. This was the reason why Diane was careful not to let her ill-intentioned peer know about her scars. It is simply too easy to frame her using her ‘sullied’ appearance as a reason for discrimination and possible banishment if used well by wrong people.

There are at least a pair of people from each district here at this hotel. Diane could see that they were also uncomfortable being in the same area. Even if they did not have much prejudice against each other personally, the awkwardness and inability to cope with the sudden situation is hard.

Diane tapped her bracelet to communicate with Anna, who was now her closest confidence. She used codes like before because she cannot bear to speak out in the silence that has wrapped them all. Anna also replies in the same manner by using the bracelet’s vibration to convey her replies.

It might be that Micheal, whom Diane was remotely familiar with in the crowd, could no longer take the stiffness of the mockery of a gathering, approached her, who was determined to be part of this hotel’s decorations. He walked to her with the elegance of a noble prince in the tales that were once told to them as a child. His actions bring all the attention to the two.

“Nice to see you again,” Micheal said as he handed her a drink. “Care for a drink?”

Diane, out of politeness, accepted the drink and ceremonially took a sip. Micheal’s gray eyes looked at her action in appreciation before he began making small talk. If the guy did not give off a dangerous feeling inside of her, she would have fully liked him going out of his way for them to communicate.

“Cut the chase Micheal.” Diane said as she took a glance at the crowd who were learning from the guy’s actions. They were mingling, awkwardly it may be, they were trying their best. “Our last meeting should have told you that I prefer staying away from you.”

“That’s too bad to hear,” Micheal said with a fake pain in his face. “But I’m afraid we have to stick together now more than ever, Diane.”

Diane made a brief change in expression hearing that before smoothing back into indifference. She has found so many odd things in this place and she has the feeling that this man has also seen things as she did. The man might know more than her and is doing all this to maximize whatever he wants to obtain.

Thinking of her potentially becoming a tool man to this aristocratic man made her blood cold.

“What do you mean? Why do we need to stick together at all? Wasn’t there quite so many other options you can take as a partner if you’re looking for one? For example, someone from the same district as you. Heard that people who live where I believe you hail from know each other. Or have at least heard of each other.” Diane spoke as well as she could.

“Oh? Where do you think I came from?” Micheal had a spark of curiosity in his eyes.

“District A.” Diane said, not offering any other addition to her answer. Saying that, she also made it a point to not meet the guy’s eyes at all.

Micheal did not make a sound at her guess, silently confirming her speculation with silence. After all, other than how they take themselves and how perfect those in district A are, they are also known to never make a lie. Too proud to make a deceit, but they make up this upright trait of theirs with cunningnes and slyness. Opting to hide more things than telling something not true.

“Seeing as you are quite a tricky person, how about we make a deal of sorts?” Micheal spoke out. “I can see you are quite a smart and observant person to have seen through things. So, instead of me beating around the bush, I believe this will make you more accepting of my approach.”

“Then what do you propose, kind sir?” Diane replied as she hid her clenched fist hidden away from Micheal’s vision. Wariness comes deep in her heart as the man leans on and whispers his proposal.

Their exchange, of course, did not escape from people’s eyes, but it did not arouse too much from them. There were similar happenings in the crowd that they did not care as much. Though it was a different thing, the cameras were faithfully recording all their actions.

Suddenly, a hotel staff came and ushered all guests to be seated now, telling them that their host had come.

Diane reluctantly nodded at Micheal, who smiled like a cat with cream. The man made sense and she is helpless as unease swallows her in. It can be said her accepting the man’s partnership was a way to anchor herself from her own monsters, so she is not really losing much in this collaboration.

On the stage was the familiar man with the bluest eyes standing. He is Ivan Vladmir, CEO of WIC company and the one who has invited them all to gather in this place. Currently in his sixties, looking only at his late-twenties, courtesy to the longer lifespan and life expectancy in their technologically advanced society.

“Good day to you all.”, addressed the man as he attached a small mike to the collar of his shirt. “Forgive me for being so late at this lovely party and, as well as not meeting you all at an earlier time. To make up for it, I’ll be sending you all some gifts for your rooms that will be useful later on.”

Ivan was a good speaker and quite a charmer. With a few more words from him, the room’s mood was under his control and he easily killed any dissatisfaction they had previously brewed from his little blunders. And Diane, who hears them all with cautiousness, does not like how all of this is going.

“...I know you all are curious as to what we are doing here and what the invitation entails.” Ivan gestured to an assistant to set open the prepared presentation on the screen behind him.

“You see, WIC has selected random people from all districts for a special reason. And this reason was to explore new things for the development of our city.” The screen shows various images of our city. “But as you can see, there has been a growing trend in the recent development in all aspects of our home sweet home regressing. For years, many companies have been doing their best to stop this trend. Unfortunately, there is no stopping them at all. Am I right about those who reside at the forefront districts?”

Micheal can be seen nodding from where Diane was. In fact, she could see other people reacting to the man’s words, whom she all identified as those aristocratic and noble elites of their city. Idly Diane wonders how worrisome things actually are with them showing some reactions to the CEO’s words.

Ivan on what he was speaking by telling them the gradual decay in talents as well as the harder and harder inability to make a breakthrough in many fields. At some point, the new disease found in the lower districts was a result of the said degressing of everything. If nothing is done, other problems will come and eventually risk everyone’s lives.

“....regrettably, the said disease is spreading despite the strict handling of it. Are we going to wait for the worst to happen? No, we cannot afford that time to come.” Ivan eyed each and everyone of them like some dying man placing his hope on the children before him. “So I pushed forward this project to the main brain in hopes of a breakthrough in this regression. Thankfully, the main brain allowed it and here we are gathered together under its arrangements.”

As if on cue, they clapped their hands at his dauntless words. Diane was somehow touched at his care for decaying society as he put it in. If she had not known better she might have become a brainless follower, but she knew very well not to believe in everything that had been being said.

There will never be lies in his words for sure.

Only that there are many things hidden beneath those aspiring words he said.

To heartedly believe in him was being a great fool waiting for s*******r. Wasn’t her past boss like this too? Look where and how she is now that she is no longer his prized employee. Jobless and, by now, knew that to cover his blunder of firing her indiscriminately, he made sure she would not be hired in a short period. Or how another two months passed by and no one has hired her under the mainbrain’s optimization algorithm.

The screen behind Ivan no longer showed the city. Instead, it showed a hospital-like facility that Diane was very much certain to be newly made. It has an uncanny resemblance to the asylum her siblings were in, but a slightly greater end than that. Ivan introduced it as a training facility of sorts to let them in for some training and education if possible. Excitedly, he told them that they were what would save everything.

“....I have talked too much and there might be questions from you, please don’t hesitate to voice them out. Just tap your foot three times to activate the mic in your seat.” Ivan said.

Micheal, who was probably the most purposeful man here, directly tapped his foot to ask his questions. They were pointed as Diane expected them to be. If it was directed at her, she might stutter and have some hard time answering the guy’s curiosities. But Ivan can be said to be an experienced person. He calmly answered them and he hadn’t shied away at all.

Diane looks at the farce of a question and the answer they are making with an impassive face. Inside her head, her mind was already running to make ample preparations for the ‘training’ Ivan was telling them. She thinks that things are not what they seem and that the real purpose of this grouping is something else.

But perhaps other than her, no one is questioning some absurd points in this whole thing. Everyone is so used to the main brain guaranteeing their lives that they hardly question what else they could be. Ivan bringing up and telling them that the main brain agrees with his proposition is already a sound explanation that everyone needs.

Ivan, later on the next day, gave them a tour of the facility he was telling them about. Each of their personal guides drove them to the place with a rather advanced type of car that Diane usually does not encounter on the road. Enjoying the rare instance, Diane did not forget to take a picture and send it to Vivian.

Reaching out, she absent-mindedly touched the necklace where she placed the pills she asked Vivian for. With the special nature of this ration, it was generally placed in boxes then later on turned into a small dimensional nano chip. Something about it should not be snatched away by others. After all, it was designed to be the most desperate type of food there is. As long as the chip was not touched in a specific way or the biometrics saved was recognized, it would not release whatever it held.

As for the technology involved in this thing, Diane knew the theory but did not study much as the main brain made her study more on finance and management than pure science. It was already lucky enough that Diane knew about it before she was completely cut off from knowing about it deeper. If she remembers it right, it was a direct product of spatial research from a few generations ago. To when exactly she cannot remember it anymore.

Diane placed the said chip in her necklace as it was something she was never without. This was something her parents had commissioned for her and her siblings. It was made from a special material that most people in their generation were not familiar with, but held a special meaning for the older generations. Her parents died before they could answer her curiosity in regards to it, but knew enough that no one would take it away from her easily.

So, even though she will be stripped of most of her accessories, this one necklace will not be taken away, even with the main brain.

As she stepped out of the car that serviced her, Diane saw Micheal seemingly awaiting her in the entrance. Remembering the deal between them, Diane went near him after she exchanged a few words with Anna. The man gave a small smirk as he offered a hand to her like a gentleman he was raised to be.

Giving her hand, Diane did not know that in the future there was only this man she could lean on and trust. That the warm hand she held on this day was the only warmth that made her hold on to her then fleeting sanity.