The Smiths and Joneses (36 page)

              Wolf stands to take over the discussion, “I’m sure the one question that’s burning on everyone’s mind is the video issued by Anonymous last week. Sharon, please be completely honest with the audience, when you go shopping are there lines of people waiting to buy everyday products?”

              “Wolf and everyone watching, there are sometimes when people have to wait in line, as I’m sure there are everywhere in the world for products and services which are in high demand. I can’t remember the number of times I’ve waited in line to eat at a special restaurant or in a line for a hot new movie. There are times when some products may be in short supply for a variety of different reasons. To be fair to everyone, our stores ration their inventory. If they didn’t ration them, one person could buy up the entire inventory and resell it at much higher prices. It’s possible that some people had to wait in the line to get their ration, when they didn’t get theirs they had to return another day. I’ve read history of similar rationing for gasoline in the USA in the early 1970s. There really isn’t any difference between us and anywhere else where there may be spot shortages. I’ve had to wait in line at times. I’m sure almost everyone has had to wait in a line at some point, or another.

“On the other hand, look at the progress we’ve made in the previous twelve years. We built a country on the equality for all. We honor each person for who they are. We have one of the world’s best education systems. We’ve reduced pollution; we’ve reduced global warming, helping to save the entire planet. We, as a nation, have reduced the amount of energy each of us uses. What other country can make similar statements?”

Wolf’s phone pinged; he looked at the text message and smiled, “Great coaching job on Mrs. Smith.” Signed President Bloomberg.

Sean turns to face the camera, “Sharon, I’ll agree with you, in that we’ve all stood in lines for movies and restaurants, but for toilet paper?”

“Sean, how do we know for a fact this is what they were waiting for? How do we know that a delivery truck didn’t breakdown someplace? In order to keep our costs low we operate on a ‘just in time’ logistics process for almost everything. Most times this works out very well, sometimes the delivery schedules are a little off, and people have to wait. I remember as a little girl going on a car trip with my parents; we ran low on gasoline, my father found a gas station; however, they were out of gas, and their delivery truck was late. We had to wait over an hour for the truck so we could fill up and continue our trip. Spot shortages are more normal than most people realize. Why don’t we take the camera crew to the local shopping center to see what the shelves look like?”

Joan realizes the entire discussion was a set up to force Sean into bringing the camera crew to the food store she was in not even an hour ago. She knows why the other women told her to fill her shopping cart, when the camera crew leaves Joan realizes the store will surely be empty. She debates trying to talk to Sean before they enter the store; she had to find a way to get to him alone.

Sean responds to Sharon, “I think that’s a great idea. Wolf, what do you think?”

Wolf smiles knowing Sean took the bait “hook, line and sinker,” he smiles responding, “I agree, I think we should be able to visit the local food store and others very easily. We’ll use the handheld cameras. I suggest we pack up and leave as soon as possible.”

Sean smiles, “It’s agreed, let’s roll.”

The Smiths and one cameraman goes into one vehicle while Sean, Wolf and another cameraperson go in another. Joan unsuccessfully tries to get close to Sean to whisper in his ear. She thinks the world is about to get suckered, and there’s nothing she can do about it.

A third vehicle with support people speed ahead, enabling images of them pulling into the shopping center to be recorded. The local security staff looks at the commotion wondering which VIP is coming to their store.

The two broadcast vehicles pull into the parking lot. The camera people set up recording every step and discussion of the Smith family with the two hosts. Sharon is smiling to herself thinking this will place her in the best graces with the government enabling her to move into the VIP position of life. If she can pull this off, she knows her family will have a bright future. Wolf is smiling because he knows what they are going to find inside the store, and how it’s going to discredit Anonymous. Sean is wondering why Sharon and Wolf were so eager to take the shopping trip unless they already knew it’s a setup. Sean’s gut starts to tell him he’s walking into a trap. He’s stuck in his own suggestion, so he continues, knowing he has to find a way to show the truth.

Joan finally gets close enough to whisper to Sean. “Sir, I was here earlier buying Sissy some puppy supplies; the stocked store is a sham, it’s not the way it usually is. The women who were shopping when I was here told me to stock up because no one knew when the store would be stocked again.”

“Joan, I thought so, I’m going to try to find a way to break through their hoax. Make sure my mic stays hot.”

“Will do.” They walk into the store to see happy smiling faces. Every shopping cart is filled with food; there are only a handful of people waiting in line to check out. The group looks around seeing clean floors and spotless products on the shelves. Sissy looks around saying, “Look, the shelves are full, I’m going to see if they have my peanut butter and cereal.” She runs off looking for her favorite foods. Sharon says, “Please ignore her, I don’t take her shopping very often; she likes the adventure.”

Wolf nods, smiling.

Sean looks at Wolf whispering, “What game are you playing here? A seven year old doesn’t lie. She’s not used to seeing the store filled. Everything is too new and fresh. Not a spec of dust anywhere, they were expecting us. You set the entire show up. This isn’t an average food store. This is a sham.”

“Quiet. Please don’t ruin it for the Smiths.”

“Wolf, we were to be showing the real life in the LSA and USA, this is a crock of shit, it’s not real. I’m going to prove it too.” 

“How are you going to do that?”

“You’ll see soon enough.”

Sean walks away from Wolf, who is already walking arm and arm with Sharon through the store; they’re selecting different items from the shelves discussing them. Sharon shows the large selection to Wolf, she explains how many of the brands are different from those in the USA, but the foods inside the packages are the same or of a higher quality due to stricter government inspection programs. Sharon explains various symbols on the packages, low sodium, low fat, increased vitamins, and extra protein. Sharon explains that the usual advertising slogans are not allowed on food packaging. Nor can any food item be directed to any specific group of people or age segment. People buy the foods they like to eat and are healthy for them; they don’t buy foods based on false advertising slogans. Sharon points out that almost all of the packaging is the same. The government sets the standards for food processing and packaging. Every package is dated with the factory or farm marked on it. The recommended daily intake of the specific food product is marked in bright red on the face of the package.

Sean and Joan slip off to find the stock room where they hope to find the truth. Joan motions to Sean she’s found the doors. Sean and a camera person slip into the back room where they find empty shelves and a large truck being unloaded. Sean asks one of the inventory clerks, “Hi, my name is Sean, is this a normal Monday here at the store?”

“What, are you kidding me? We’re usually out of 75% of everything on Monday morning. We got ten truck loads in overnight. We were called back to work to fill the shelves and to keep them filled until the camera crew left.”

“What happens when we leave?”

“Most of the goods will be loaded back on the trucks and sent to other stores or to a government warehouse.”

“What time do you think this will happen?”

“Couple of hours at the most.”

Sean turns to Joan, “Stay behind with a camera crew, record them removing the items from the shelves and loading the trucks. Can you do this?”

“Yes, won’t Wolf realize I’m gone?”

“No, the only one who might miss you is Sissy, I’ll talk to her. I’ll tell her you’ll return to help train her puppy soon.”

“Thank you, I don’t want to disappoint her.”

“I’ll fix it. This should take some of the wind out of Wolf’s sails.”

Twenty minutes later the phony shopping trip ends, the three vehicles return to the Smith’s home. Everyone is happy having proven Anonymous’ video was a lie. Only Sean knew what was coming.

In the storeroom of the food store, the clerks are removing the products from the shelves, loading them back into the trucks they were delivered in. The few shoppers left in the store race around the shelves to grab what they can before the trucks are loaded and returned to the central warehouse. The entire scene is recorded and uploaded to the broadcast truck. Sean is tapped on the shoulder to alert him to the video feed. He smiles and nods to the technician.

Wolf is wrapping up the discussion when Sean steps forward saying, “Wolf, Sharon, I want to thank you for the very informative shopping trip. It was indeed very informative. In fact, I’d like to show our viewers what happened at the store shortly after we left.” The video starts, it clearly shows the filled shelves being emptied, being moved to the waiting trucks. People are shown running from aisle to aisle grabbing whatever they can before everything is removed. Sean continues, “This clearly shows the entire shopping trip was a show, it was all propaganda, a grand government lie. There are shortages in the LSA, looking at these videos, it’s clear that almost every item is in short supply.  How do you explain this?”

“Sean, how can anyone accept this video as fact? How do we know it wasn’t staged by your people in the USA to sway public perception?”

“Wolf, wait for it, here it comes,” Joan is shown talking to the stock clerks who tell her they are following the orders given to the store by the DepLIES. They explain they were called in the middle of the night to stock the store and were ordered to strip it when the cameras left.
Wolf’s face turns very pale when he sees Sean’s video.

Wolf says, “Sean that’s no proof of anything. You could have paid those people to say anything. “

“Wolf, we’ll let the viewers decide.”

Sharon tries to change the subject, “Would anyone like to discuss the upcoming holiday?”

Wolf responds, “Sharon, that’s a good idea. Why don’t you tell everyone about the upcoming holiday?”

“Happy to, we have a Monday holiday once a month to celebrate different aspects of our lives here in the progressive LSA. This month we’re celebrating our future, our children. Monday is Children’s Day. Schools are closed; parks and playgrounds are opened. Movies are free for the day. Most parents have off and are strongly encouraged to spend the day with their children. We celebrate our next generation.” 

Sean asks, “Sharon, why are the movie theaters free?”

“Some of the parents may have to work; the movies are free so parents can drop their children off for the day. They show children’s movies all day, back to back. It’s a safe and secure place to watch our children while also providing our children with a special treat.”

“I see, so on a holiday for children, many parents park their kids in a movie theater all day. Doesn’t that sound a little crazy?”

“Not to me.”

Wolf continues, “Sharon, how’s Sissy’s puppy doing, we haven’t seen her tonight.”

“One of your sound engineers had a great idea, she suggested we place the puppy in the laundry room. She’s offered to help Sissy train her after the program.”

“That’s very nice of her. I hope she’s able to help with the training.”

‘I’m sure she will be a big help. None of us have ever had a puppy, we’re lost in what to do.”

“Puppies are much easier to train than children.”

Chapter 21

President Bloomberg meets with his strategic action group. “Sean caught on to our little sham in the market. We need something to shift the people’s view of us. I’m open to suggestions.”

The Director of the DepLIES says, “Mr. President, I suggest we provide the USA something other than us to focus on. We have said we protect our children; the children are our future. We protect our food supply and have government inspections. I propose we provide the USA with a problem they can’t handle. We can inject some of their children’s snacks with a mild poison. Since only their children will get ill, it’ll show the world our system is better at protecting our children than theirs.”

“Is there any chance it can be traced back to us?”

“No, I’ll use trusted agents already in the USA.”

“Will any of the children be killed?”

“Mr. President, we can adjust the amount of poison to make them sick, not enough to kill them. Not unless they eat too much of their loved snacks, which is why so many of them are so fat and out of shape.”

“Do you have a written summary of your plan?”

“No sir, I thought it best not to put it in writing.”

“Good idea. How many of their children will get ill?”

“I propose a few hundred in ten or more of their cities, this will spread their forces very thin looking for the cause and who infected their food supply.”