“So why did you call me? Are you having second doubts and want to come back because of the bubble burst?” asked commander Rub. It was the next day when he was able to return the holo-call.
“No regrets, I just wanted to ask you about policing in Neo-Tokeyo since I know you used to live there. “
“Are you planning on going there to look for a job?”
“Yes, I was told it was a good place to look for that type of work,” said Arron.
With all the new technology advancement and new products coming out every few months the use of high tech was becoming even more important to everyday life in the megacity.
With all the new tech and advancements in cybernetic implants strengthening normal people, there were many new crimes committed. As to not be overrun with lawlessness, the megacity had a robust police force that strived to stay one step ahead of the criminals.
“I guess you could do worse, but even if they are desperate for more police they won’t just take random people off the street.”
“Do you know anyone that I can contact to get an interview with the police?”
“I know one of the police chiefs. I’m sure if I ask he’ll at least give you an interview.”
“That would be a great help if you could!”
“I’m sending a document over to you. Put it on a secure datapad when you get it.”
Arron’s NerViz notified a second later that he had received a new document. He opened a menu on his wrist datapad and selected the transfer option before flicking the blinking document towards his old secure palm-sized datapad.
“You’ll need this document as added proof that you are who you say you are.”
“Isn’t a scan of my NerViz cloud chip enough to show my identity?”
“Most of the time, but there are still a few ways to fake or mask an identity. You need to be prepared when you go to the megacity. It is nothing like your small country town or anything you have seen before. You can interact with almost everything and they can interact with your NerViz cloud chip as well. The ads are everywhere and mostly hit or miss.”
“Thanks,” said Arron. He gave a salute to his former commander before swiping his hand left to end the call.
Arron had already informed his parents of his plans. They were reluctant to have him leave again with not even a year passing since he had returned home. His parents agreed that if he got a full-time job in the megacity the extra money he could earn would be a great help with keeping the farm running.
He only had one more person to call.
He pressed his childhood friend’s holographic name and started a call.
“Hey, I’m busy with life. Leave me a vid and I’ll get back to you.” Unfortunately, Arron was unable to reach her and only got a pre-recorded answering-holovid.
“Hey Mel, I’m heading to the megacity for a possible job, so we won’t be able to hang out much anymore. Give me a call when you can so we can talk more,” said Arron recording a quick Holo-video message.
***
Arron waved Goodbye to his parents as he stepped onto the MagLev train. It took him a few seconds to make his way down the narrow pathway and find his seat.
When he found it he was happy to see it was one of the several thousands of window seats and not one of the aisle seats.
There was a man already sitting in the aisle seat next to him. He had his face buried in his unfolded E-newspaper as he silently read the early morning news.
“Excuse me,” said Arron as he tried to squeeze by the man without disturbing him too much.
A short time later the MagLev finished receiving all the new passengers and shot off at a high speed towards its next destination, Megacity Neo-Tokeyo.
Arron’s attention was glued to the window as he watched the large plots of farmland pass by. Many of the fields had more bots walking and hovering in them than humans. They were all working on getting the fields ready for the spring planting which was a very important time of the year.
Arron had already made sure that all the preparations on their farm plot were finished before hopping onto the Maglev.
As he watched the passing landscape he was able to catch glimpses of areas that still showed the effects on the land from the [Troubles].
“Hmph…country bumpkins and their low tech,” muttered the man next to Arron.
Arron ignored the man. He had already been told by Commander Rub that those living in the megacity considered it torture to live in what they called the ‘Low tech slums’ of the countryside.
Arron thought it was a bit harsh and didn’t think it was anything like that.
It wasn’t that far behind the tech used on the military bases he had been at. So he thought it was just people turning up their noses at things they did not like or didn’t know enough about to form a proper opinion on it.
As the MagLev headed towards Megacity Neo-Tokeyo, they passed by several towns. The closer they got to their destination the towns turned into cities with larger buildings and more activity of hundreds of hover vehicles driving around.
He was even able to see a giant black factory that took up several tens of acres. It was surrounded by a fence that was made up entirely of electricity and the receptor poles. He could see the flowing yellow gold electricity constantly flowing in many waves from each of the poles.
This was Arron’s first time personally seeing the Relearning camps for the [Troubled]. He had only seen a few clips of them on the news. He craned his neck to see even more of the Relearning camps.
Through the flowing electric fence, he could glimpse a few thousand people wearing grubby clothes exiting and entering the large factory.
They were the [Troubled] who had been sent there to work off their debts and crimes.
The large factories were active 24/7 and created many of the parts needed for the high-tech equipment and tools used in the megacity.
In one of the KNN news segments on the relearning camps, the news anchor Kommy had called the [Troubled] people useful idiots, who needed to be taught the proper way of life.
The [Troubled] lived a hard life.
“God help us all,” said Arron as he sat back in his seat.
The man next to him folded his E-newspaper and looked at Arron.
“This your first time to the Megacity Neo-Tokeyo?” asked the man who had a plain forgettable face.
“Yes,” was all Arron said.
“I don’t know what laid-back country town you’re from but in the megacity, all laws are enforced. Including several that you may be unfamiliar with. You better watch what comes out of your mouth. As one of the Office of Reasons motto succinctly put it, ‘Words are Violence’.”
“Why do they have more than one motto?”
“Geez, you really are a country bumpkin. They have more than one motto because three different branches make up the Office of Reason. You have the white-suit agents who are the office workers, the black-suit Normalizer field agents, and the Gray-suits that do ‘Stuff”.”
The man grew tired of talking to the clueless Arron, so he flipped open his E-Newspaper and shoved his face back between the two pages, once again ignoring Arron.
Off in the distance, Arron could just start to make out a large cone-shaped building rising high into the sky even passing into the clouds.
As the MagLev shot forward the building grew larger and wider with every second.
From the size of a skinny skyscraper to the width of the large factories, until it finally covered all that he could see and was even wider and taller than many natural mountains.
This was Megacity Neo-Tokeyo.
The MagLev turned and headed directly towards towering walls that were made out of millions of tons of Para-Concrete and Parasteel.
When the MagLev reached the walls it did not stop or pass through one of the opened glowing entrances but instead began climbing perpendicular up the walls of the Megacity.
The sudden change in direction caused Arron’s stomach to lurch as he clung onto a handlebar next to him. His body was now pressed into his cushioned seat.
“Cheeh… bumpkin…” muttered the man next to Arron, when he saw him gripping onto the handlebar for dear life.
Several white flashes passed by his window but he was too busy holding on to the handle to take notice of what it was.
Several minutes later with another jerk the MagLev flattened out its accent and came to an abrupt halt as it passed through a bright white light covering the entrance in the massive city wall.
“We have arrived at our destination. Welcome to the fourth level of Neo-Tokeyo.”
