Dreams Ltd (13 page)

Laroche watched my reaction with a guilty smile on his face seeing right through me.

“It wouldn’t have helped you, Shereen. All the bracelets and static counters have the owners names registered on them – there is some sort of code system inside. If you’ve tried to show this particular counter at the border you would have been thrown into a jail immediately and imposed a huge fine. It’s a bad idea to mess with them.

The air left me like a deflated balloon. I see...And Laroche was right - I would have definitely tried to do that if I’d known what was inside the parcel. I silently thanked God for saving me from such a mistake and looked at Christopher’s happy face with envy.

“I’ve been waiting for this for so long!” he said gently stroking the black plastic surface of the counter. “It’s been three months since Helen left Tally and I’ve been waiting for this to arrive every single day since then”

Laroche glanced at his bracelet and laughed happily.

“This one is now showing one thousand points as well! They must connect to each other. I can’t believe I can go to the border whenever I want - even right now – and take a bus into the outside world!”

He was almost dancing around the room holding the little device while I was being eaten alive by the bile and frustration. When can I celebrate my freedom like Christopher? Nobody knew that. If only the Corporation would come and help me...

“Still, how did you get it?” I asked, fearing that Laroche will start packing his belongings on the spot and flee, while I’ll still be here with a bunch of unanswered questions and a heavy weight that was now on my heart after the words “they won’t come after you, do not wait for it” came out of his mouth.

“I had one million and sixty three thousand dollars in my bank account – all my life savings, and the Corporation was the only chance for me to get out of here since I’d never earn enough points for the freedom myself. Helen - the woman I met three years ago, she agreed to help me and contacted them after she’d left Tally. I don’t really know all the details but obviously one million was enough for them to accept my offer and provide me with the counter. I can’t believe they actually sent it to me!” he repeated, admiring the shimmering screen.

“So, they took your million and then gave me four hundred and fifty thousand dollars and the parcel to deliver to you. Thus, they’ve received five hundred and fifty thousand dollars in profit for doing absolutely nothing! What a fucking brilliant way of life!”

I couldn’t help being angry at myself, at Laroche and at the Corporation altogether at this moment. Their system appeared to be flawless. With its powerful connections and opportunities the Corporation was taking from some and giving to others. I assumed that faking a counter was not an easy task but if they knew which strings to pull they might have got it for peanuts and ended up with a huge profit for themselves. Yes, flawless.”

“Are there any points on your old counter?” I asked as I could feel some unformed plan being born in my head.

“No, I was in minus. Pretty much from the beginning I had a negative score and never been able to collect even a hundred.”

“Why is that?”

“Shereen, you must understand - nobody would benefit if the prisoners were leaving the area. There are hundreds of productions established here and goods are being exported to the “outer” world. The city government doesn’t pay any real money for the labour. Many people, especially those who committed serious crimes work from dusk till dawn just to get some food and without any hope of ever being released. And believe me, for the Commission it's a very profitable business - they get cheap goods and clean the cities from the criminals. So Tally - it's just an illusion of a more prosperous prison life, which in fact is a never-ending servitude. In a normal prison you’d spent a few years and get out whereas here you’ll live and work for the rest of your life”

I sat in silence, frozen like an iceberg, all my thoughts have vanished. There was only emptiness and chilliness left in my head as if in an abandoned freezer in some warehouse. That was probably my reaction to a shock. Then I heard Christopher’s voice as though it was coming from miles away.

“Shereen, is there anything I can do for you when I get out of here?”

Feeling as if I’ve just woken up I looked into the face leaning over me.

“Yes, I have one favour to ask you. Please, find one person for me if you can. His name is Alex... Alex Viver.”

The fourth day passed the same as previous three days - in a haze. I either wandered aimlessly around the room or sat on the balcony for hours, looking at the mountain which suddenly seemed unattractive to me. I was too afraid to leave the apartment - what if I lose my last points? The food in the fridge was disappearing and a pile of biscuit wraps, used tea bags and meat scraps were building up in the bin. Soon I’ll run out things to eat and I will have to go to the shop. Then I must search for a job and start a new life in the predatory unfriendly Tally.

Laroche had left Tally and was celebrating his freedom. The Corporation never contacted me again. I was aware that it might never happen in the future but was still holding hope and continued nibbling on biscuits which sugary taste was now firmly stuck in my throat. Hundreds of different scenarios were flashing in my head but all of them had one idea in common: a man in a black suit knocks on my door and says “Shereen Moore? Your mission is completed; the car is waiting for you. Please, follow me...”

I pictured myself going to the black car with tinted windows. How exciting would it be to get a breath of fresh air in Klendon-city (despite the fact that Tally’s air was actually much cleaner); the air filled with the smell of flowers and grass. How wonderful would it be to see the familiar streets, to see Linda throw her arms around me (not that she would ever allow herself anything like that, but it was so nice to imagine), to dive into the familiar everyday routine. It will be a new me - a brand new person with no debts or obligations who has, strangely enough, almost forgotten about Alex.

Usually I reproached myself but this time I did it half-heartedly and without really any anger for myself. I almost didn’t think about Alex in the last few days. My constant anxiety pushed petty obsolete problems out of my mind and left me with the current worries, emptiness and bitterness. What’s the point in thinking about Alex while I am here? I wasn’t able to find him “there” so why should I worry about him while I am in Tally? My powerless tears will corrode my mind like acid but they won’t help me cope with the new situation, find a job or collect enough points to get out of Tally.

The sun got tired of gilding the orange mountains peaks and was now rushing to take refuge somewhere behind them.

“It’s been a long day at work even for you, sun. Tell me how many points you earn every day for rising up and shining in the sky?”

I sighed and dropped my head, looking at my interlocked fingers. It’s time to face the truth - I’m completely alone and there is nothing to hope for, I have to accept my new life, I have to give it the best I can and to hope that it won’t bite me in the arse.

I glanced at the last rays of sun, shining through the orange rock and got up from the chair. Getting drunk was what I wanted to do. At first this idea seemed weird to me but after some time it felt more and more appealing. I can allow myself to do that once in a while - tomorrow my life will change for good, I’ll have to leave this safe cavern and see what I am made of. Will I fail straight away or will I be able to fight on? But all this will happen tomorrow and today I wanted to celebrate the bitter crash of all of my hopes and dreams as well as the last evening of being unemployed.

An unemployed hacker, my inner voice immediately mocked me.

Yep, a hacker. I chuckled and tried to remember where I put my purse with money when I suddenly recalled that my “purse” was now hanging on my wrist. Damn it! I swore out loud, slammed the door and headed to the “Supermarket №2” thinking of all the tortures I’d send on the young Kenneth if he dares to open his covered in lip-balm mouth.

I got back home with not with the usual bottle of wine or martini, but a bottle of whiskey. The reason for it was quite prosaic - I wasn’t about to start celebrations and enjoy the taste of alcohol, I just wanted to get pissed and forget about everything for a couple of hours. I took out what was left in the fridge: a few slices of ham, pickles, piece of cheese and put it on the table. I then found a whiskey tumbler in the cupboard and thanked the previous owner for taking care of it.

I opened the bottle, cringing from the smell, poured some whiskey in the glass and drank it in one big gulp. Then I bit off a piece of cheese and hiccupped, reminding myself of an experienced alcoholic. Another shot went down straight after.

“This way I’ll get drunk very quickly. I’ll go down faster than a rollercoaster wagon”

But being a very determined person who certainly wanted to forget their own name I had another shot and trying not to look at the bottle, filled my glass up once again.

Alcohol was slowly spreading out inside my body, turning a tight bundle of nerves into a burning ball as I was pensively looking at the cracked white paint on the ceiling. What will my heart ask for next? Singing?? A conversation? Or crying on someone’s shoulder trying to prove that I was never a bloody hacker? Wow! That would definitely make an interesting plot for a cheap book that every decent citizen should keep in their loo.

In order to keep up with the buoyant tempo of getting drunk I prepared to down the poured whiskey but at this very moment I heard a knock on my door. I put the glass on the table and frowned - has the shoulder to cry on come to my rescue?

I crawled off the sofa and opened the door.

As I opened the door I saw Jenny staring at me; she looked at my face and then at the bottle of whiskey which for some strange reason I had in my hand. Jenny’s mouth opened in astonishment and she chuckled.

“Wow!”

I also glanced at the bottle and feeling under the influence of the alcohol buzz, answered without any hesitation.

“What do you want?”

“Are you celebrating something?” She stretched her neck out trying to see what was on the table and who else was in the room

“I am not celebrating anything; there are no men here and no jam.”

Normally I would’ve been shocked by the cheek but tonight I didn’t give a damn about politeness.

Jenny, however, didn’t seem too offended.

“I am not after any jam.”

“Really? What are you after then?”

“Nothing really, just a chat...”

She was jibbing at the door, obviously surprised by a severe change of my attitude and mood.

“Come in.” I nodded. “Let’s have a drink.”

As Jenny headed towards the armchair I found a second glass in the cupboard and filled our glasses with whiskey. I didn’t hang around waiting for her, drank mine and ate a piece of cheese.

Before drinking hers Jenny stared at me for a while then downed her shot and also took a bit of cheese.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you? What’s happened since the last time we saw each other?”

I was silent not knowing what to say.

“We’ve not seen each other for a few days and you are already getting drunk by yourself. Did you have a barney with somebody?”

“I don’t have anybody to have a barney with, since I don’t know anyone here.”

“That’s what I thought as well. So why would you do this then? You look like it’s your own funeral.”

I turned away feeling hollow and depressed and still not knowing what to say.

“Tell me! You’ll feel better if you share…”

I looked at her wondering what her reaction would be if she discovered the true story. Can I trust her? Is there anyone I can trust? I sighed not being able to come to any decision.

“Something went wrong... you know, I thought I’d get some help but I didn’t.”

“Help with what?”

“Help with getting out of here.”

Strangely enough Jenny didn’t start bombarding me with any questions; she just took the bottle and filled up the glasses.

“We all hope that someone will help us out and even though some people have good contacts on the outside and some have a load of money, the truth is - when you are in Tally - you are completely alone.”