Kindled, Part II: Leo Drops Truth Bombs
The truth hurts
“You’re the one the streamliners are chasing!”
“J’accuse!” Lenny said and laughed.
“What?”
“Nevermind. I forgot how little humor you Kindlings have.”
Kindlings? Lev didn’t respond. He was starting to formulate a plan. He had thrown his visor onto the couch only three feet away from where he was standing. Maybe if he kept Lenny distracted he could retrieve it, turn it back on, and contact the enforcers.
“Why are you here? What do they want you for?”
“They want me because I know the truth. They want me because I want to set you free!”
Perfect. Get the animal-man ranting, get the visor, contact the enforcers and life goes back to normal.
“What do you mean, set me free? I was doing just fine before you barged in and shut down my whole apartment.” Lev crossed his arms. When Lenny started talking again Lev took a step backward towards the couch behind him.
“You only think you are free. You think the whole world is living in happiness, totally provided for. That the Corps have created the utopia that man has dreamed of since the dawn of time.”
“I’m no idiot. Of course, I know that there are problems. People make contract breaches and some of them end up dying. Sometimes it isn’t their fault. It isn’t a perfect system,” Lev took another step backward, “but it’s a hell of a lot better than what came before it! I mean, the elimination of poverty alone is worth a few innocent lives!”
Now Lev found himself ranting and wondered if the animal-man’s insanity was contagious. He took one more step backward.
“I know what you’re doing. You can go ahead and grab your visor and call the enforcers. I won’t stop you. Just do one thing first and then you can call your precious authorities and end this whole thing.”
“What’s that?”
“I want you to take a good look at me, Levy.”
Wait, Levy? The way the animal man had said it struck at something within Lev. It was very familiar. Levy stared at Lenny as the man transformed from animal-thing into something more civilized.
Lenny changed his posture from the upright, sure-footed dynamic bearing of an athletic animal to the less intimidating pose of a modern man. His spine became slightly sloped, his shoulders rounded. His whole body slouched. Lev watched in horror as the man’s breathing degraded from the full ecstatic breaths that he had normally to shorter and more shallow little puffs. The man’s clear, alert eyes dulled and he looked slightly downward.
Then he spoke, with a more hurried cadence and a nasal voice.
“Hey, Levy. How’s the ole’ Depo of Reality Enhancement treatin’ ya?”
“Leo???”
“That’s right. Back from the dead. I mean, not really. I was never dead.”
“What the fleek? Were you a spy the whole time? I’m turning you in!”
“No, you idiot! I wasn’t a spy. I was who I said I was, I’m just different now. I’ve seen too much. Lived too fully to ever be like that man again, that limp man you saw flitting around the office.”
“I thought you were streamlined! Did you get taken to a contemplation space instead? Why aren’t you — “
“They were going to streamline me but I escaped. You kindlings have amazing technology but you aren’t all that alert.”
“But that was a year ago. Why are you back?!”
“I came for you, Levy. I came to tell you the truth because you are the reason why I almost got streamlined in the first place. Your seed of doubt caused me to go through hell. You started my adventure, my quest for truth, and I found the truth, Lev — I FOUND IT! I know how this whole world is being run. Everything you know is a lie!”
“Okay, so what I’m hearing is, you were almost killed and then you went crazy. I know you have a gun, and that I should probably not upset you, but think about it. Would a sane person come back to the place that tried to kill them?” Lev paused to let that sink in then he said, “I think you need help. Maybe if we get a lawyer he could have you admitted to an Amazon MD mental facility. Once you’re in there you might be safe.”
“Nope. You really have no idea what you’re talking about or how anything works. Describe for me what the world is like. What is it like for people worldwide?”
“This is insulting, but you have the gun so I guess I’m answering your questions.
“Okay so, depending on where you live in the world things are managed by either Amazon or Alibaba. They make sure to keep employment, infrastructure, and quality of life optimized for as many people as possible. Not everyone can have my lifestyle. Some have to be sanitation workers and a few even have to work in factories, but most everyone can afford to eat and most have shelter which is much better than it has ever been in human history.”
Leo was nodding with a knowing smile on his face. He clearly knew exactly what Lev would say and was very satisfied with himself for knowing better.
“What?”
“What if I told you that most of the world was in poverty. That there are two general classes of people, the consumer class which lives in a mild, comfortable world, and a slave class that is barely clinging onto life?”
“You know that isn’t true, and you know that I can find out first hand if it’s true or not.”
“Because everyone can basically travel anywhere they want to, right? Okay, now is the moment of truth, Levy baby. I said that you’d get a chance to call the authorities so pick up your visor and make a choice. Either you call the enforcers and have me apprehended or call Amazonia Air and ask them to book you a flight to AMZ Yemen.
“If you choose the second option please be so kind as to turn your visor’s camera off, I don’t want to be caught just yet. Also, please do put the call on speaker, I would love to hear this!”
Lev stood there for a few seconds and then took a long look at Leo’s face. He placed the visor on his head and turned off the camera. Leo smiled.
“Alexa, call Amazonia Air.” Lev cleared his throat and activated the speakerphone.
“Amazonia Air, good morning Mr. Eliphas how may I help you today?”
“I want to travel.”
“I am very happy to hear that. Where will you be enjoying your vacation days?”
“AMZ Yemen please.”
There was a long pause.
“So I am reading the dossier on Yemen and it looks like this isn’t a good time to go there. It’s the rainy season, everything is shut down and there are giant mosquitos everywhere. How about you try again in a few months?”
“Err, okay. I’ll call back then.”
“We look forward to it. Have a great day.”
Lev wanted to punch the stinking grin off of Leo’s face but he was just too depressed to move.
“So it’s all a lie?”
“Yup.”
