A descendant of the rock pigeons of old still circled the old bank building, before flying back to the squat and disappearing from sight for me. Inside of the Nirvana Ecstasy building I looked away from the window and back at my two fellow conspirators, who just seemed to have given me the rather big task of reanimating of the human race. Evelith was deep in thought, and Velia sipped quietly from her mint tea from actual plants, expanding on what she had just said.
“Don’t overdo yourself. You don’t have to throw everything away that you still have. Keep on doing your job as long as possible. You need funds. It’s important that enough of us have funds now. Don’t forget: Most people don’t live that long after they lose their jobs or are out of funds for another reason these days.”
That one was new for me. I looked at her in horror, and then at Evelith.
“What do you mean?”
My surprise seemed to surprise both of them. “Well, tell me, what will happen if you stop working?” “Hmm, if I take a day off the robots just fill in for me and take over my shift. Work happens but without me.” She nodded. “And if you’d stay away for longer, or quit your job altogether?” I sighed. “For the factory there would be no problem. But for me there might be. My job doesn’t pay that much. If I skip work for an octoweek I’m out of funds.” She looked at me, anticipating something but I kept silent until she asked the next question. “And what happens then?” “Well, then I’m not able to pay for food, or enter my ap€artment through the fundlock, so I suppose I’m homeless.” Se looke me straight in the eyes now, and was rather serious. “Have you seen any homeless people lately then? Or doesn’t it ever happen that people lose their jobs?”
I scratched my head, unable to answer.
“Old prez Enom has made sure that almost every building has a fundlock. That means that without funds you’re locked out of every building that need funds to enter, and you can’t buy anything anyway. You’ve lost everything, you can’t even eat. You probably can’t even reach your own stuff that you still have, being locked out of your apartment when your rent hasn't been paid, and having no place at all to move it to. The only thing you have left is the clothes you wear. And probably your screenphone with which you can’t reach anyone anymore, since your subscription to the interwebs is over without funds, and you can't message or call anyone either. So you can’t see anything at all but a load of adverts for diverse Thanatoria at that moment.”
She paused to let her words sink in. This was new for me, but went even further. “And if one is as isolated from other human beings as you were until yesterday, young man, there really is nowhere to go at all. Except for that one place from the adverts. All that’s left is choosing the nirvana of non-being. And why not? You’re free to do that, self-determination and all… It’s a logical step. Real Freedom for everyone in life and in death!”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
I was looking away from her now, and I might have looked pale in my face when I finally faced her again “The Thanatorium? Forced to go there? That can't be? I thought euthanasia was always a free choice, and no-one would ever be forced to end their life. That’s what I’ve been taught. All the slogans. Self-determination and empowerment: be in charge, take your own control over death and life, and all that stuff… Freedom!” Evelith nodded. “Oh yeah baby, that’s the propaganda indeed, and if people believe that, they’ll easily fall for the services of the euthanasts, or rather the soulless robots that took their place.”
“That is horrible.”
I shook my head in disbelief. She wasn't affected by her words like I was, and neither was Velia. “Maybe, but it’s also just business as usual. This world is mostly run by robots and machines on autopilot, and has been for decades. The infocreen has been doing mostly reruns with the same old speeches from baldie for at least 12 years now, so there’s not even a government left. This whole world is farce with nothing behind it.”
I had emptied my tea, and now nibbled on one of the leaves. It was still tasting strongly of menthol while I was trying to process all this new information. “I had no idea at all. I was just doing my job. I lived as they had taught me. I believed the infoscreen. I chatted with the AI-bots and followed the programs. I…” I stood up, and wanted to say more but I couldn’t. I finally fell on my knees, and I stared at the 2 women in disbelief, finally realising what all the things that I’d been hearing yesterday night actually meant.
The apartment was silent for a while, except for the breath of three people. Outside clouds were gathering again. “Are… Are you sure that there is hope left? How can you still live and smile if you know all these things? Evelith? You were happy this morning when you woke. Why?”
“I was happy because I saw something in you that gave me hope for the first time in years. Even though I knew it would be hard to tell you all of this. But please, believe us that there is hope as long as one of us is here. There has to be hope!”
Her words sounded good, but I didn’t see it at all. All my life has been a lie, the world I’ve been living in was Hades or worse. But it was good indeed to at least have friends now. I fell into her arms and started crying. If I would’ve looked outside now I would have seen two enormous black birds, circling around the temple of Acosmia while the rain started pouring down. But I didn’t see anything and I wouldn’t have cared at that moment anyway.
No-one said much for a while while she held me. I had never felt so human.