Veles, page 28
And I knew I couldn’t let her stay.
“Please, Pari,” I said, stepping towards her and holding the sweater out further. “I’m asking you to go. You’re not leaving me. Go home and take care of your kid. Make sure that she’s set for tomorrow. I’ll only stay long enough to do what’s mandated; you can deal with the rest tomorrow with Eduardo when he comes in. Besides – I’m the one with the day off tomorrow, so it doesn’t matter if I stay late because I can sleep in.”
Pari hesitated, and I could see her searching my face for signs of resentment. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” I said, and she finally nodded, then finally took the sweater from my hand.
“Thank you, Delilah,” Pari sighed in relief as she tied her thick dark hair into a messy bun on the top of her head. “I promise that Eduardo and I will make it up to you tomorrow by taking care of the rest. Only complete the necessary forms, promise?”
“I promise,” I agreed, smiling at her as I watched her quickly pack up her purse and locate her keys from her cramped desk.
“I owe you one!” she called over her shoulder as she raced towards the exit.
“No, you don’t!” I hollered back even though I knew she likely wouldn’t hear it because the door was already swinging closed. Silence filled the small office as the latch of the door clicked into place, and I let out a heavy sigh. I stood there for a moment, running my hand through my hair and tilting my head up toward the ceiling as I let out an exhausted breath. “Well – I guess I better get started.”
It was difficult not to groan in frustration as I began the tedious task of filling out the Ministry forms. They were long, convoluted, and half of them were entirely useless – almost as useless as the small fine that the company would receive for the spill. Everyone knew that the fine did nothing to prevent these sorts of things from happening again. Worse than that, though, was that I knew the contractor who had messed up would be hung out to dry, and that wasn’t fair. Even though the incident was his fault directly, the problem was so much bigger than that, and he had been set up to fail.
The company had started the twelve-hour shifts a few weeks ago when we had fallen behind schedule due to extreme heatwaves – which, in and of itself, was ridiculous. Blazing heat in August and September had become commonplace in this area over the last two years, and yet the project planners still liked to pretend it was abnormal. So now, the shifts ran seven days a week with a night crew and a day crew. Our efficiency had dropped. Our injury rates had soared – which was not only normal, but it was to be expected, especially since a lot of the crew were picking up extra shifts to try to earn more money or to cover for their buddies when someone fell ill, or a relative died of NORVIX.
The contractor who had messed up was one of those guys.
I knew him. Well, I didn’t know him, but I knew who he was, and I knew what he had been through. His son had cancer, his wife had died two years ago, and according to Pari, today he had been covering a shift for a friend whose wife had just passed away. The man was exhausted. He was doing what he needed to do to survive, and he had been trying to do the right thing, but he hadn’t been fit for work. His foreman had allowed him on the crew regardless because he knew that the guy needed the money, and he didn’t have anyone else to fill the position.
I shook my head as I began inserting images and attaching the documentation required to back up my report, knowing that this would not be the last one I would fill out before this work was over. Then, as per my habit when working alone, I popped in a single earbud and used my phone to stream the latest news.
‘The new Food Stamp Program has been criticized for not properly taking into consideration special needs, dietary restrictions, and marginalized groups that face greater difficulties in obtaining access to approved grocery stores. These are just a few of the growing concerns associated with the new program, the disorganized rollout, and the refusal of the federal government and UNC to clarify how long the restrictions will be in place. At this point, residents have complained that many have been turned away for not providing the proper documentation to obtain their stamps, while others have allegedly managed to get double the rations by falsifying their documentation. Authorities are looking into the matter, but at this point, there is no talk of additional security checks being put in place.’
I snorted, bitterness surging through my chest as I thought about Bob and how he was probably one of the individuals cheating the system. Honestly, most of the people that I worked with were likely culprits. Why was it that the people who had the most agency were the first ones to try to take more than their fair share? I suppose it had something to do with them never having shared before or never having struggled and gone without. The idea of being short on food was probably terrifying for them.
‘Yesterday the federal government confirmed that stores are allowed to continue selling unrestricted items, as per global Bill G-1345 approved last month, but they will be required to provide full and transparent documentation to log the receipt and sale of all items that fall under the Food Stamp Program restrictions and are delivered by the Federal Agricultural Reserve.’
‘Local shop owners are protesting the requirements, saying that they have not been given any hard guidelines on what is required for proper documentation and that they have not been given any auxiliary funding to cover the costs of implementing the program or installing upgraded security measures. Just last week, a local shop owner in the downtown core, who wished to remain nameless, indicated that he had purchased a gun in order to protect his business after a friend of his was robbed and his products stolen. CKPX News correspondent Mark Wong is following up on the story, and we will have more for you tomorrow.’
This was going to end in violence. As if the theft, muggings, and break-ins weren’t enough, now the stores were being targeted. I could hardly blame the shop owners for feeling the need to take action, but I doubted it would go over well if that man actually shot someone.
‘In addition to the controversy regarding the Food Stamp Program, the UNC has faced both criticism and praise for finally taking action in their continued battle against HUANEE and the group’s violent tactics. Over the last month, the alleged environmental organization has made four more attacks, devastating infrastructure, injuring hundreds, and causing a full work stoppage at several manufacturing sites across the globe as companies struggle to address security concerns. It was one such attack that finally pushed the UNC to accept a draft proposal backed by over fifty countries which would allow authorities across the globe, including the United National Armed Forces, to arrest, detain, and question, without the need for a warrant, anyone suspected of being involved with HUANEE.’
‘Many, including members of the public, are praising the ‘Autonomous Defence’ Bill, saying that it is high time that the UNC took action to put an end to the chaos being caused by HUANEE on a daily basis, especially coming on the heels of the organization’s latest online fear-mongering.’
‘After an attack that left a battery manufacturing plant on the west coast devastated, the United States formally condemned the group’s actions and allocated additional resources to their defence sectors to deal with the issue. The U.S. Secretary of Defence made a live announcement just thirty minutes after the attack, in which he vowed to hunt down and prosecute every person involved.’
‘The response from HUANEE was not only unexpected, given the group’s usual silence when called out in the media, but it was also confusing and deeply disturbing – and it has sparked outrage across the globe. Just a few short hours after the U.S. Secretary of Defence made his announcement, HUANEE issued the following statement: “All of humanity will face holy prosecution by our god, and he will show you no mercy.”’
‘Many conspiracy theorists claim that this statement confirms the association of HUANEE and their symbol with that of Veles, the god of the earth from Slavic mythology. However, many other religious groups have claimed provenance as well, including an extremist church from Don Haven, who just yesterday claimed that this is confirmation of the coming of the rapture and that the symbol used by HUANEE is irrelevant.’
I paused, my hands hovering over the keys as I rolled my eyes. It certainly wasn’t the first time that a religious group had made proclamations about God’s wrath lurking on the horizon. Those claims have been made on the daily since NORVIX broke out. HUANEE’s symbol had always tied them to Slavic mythology, but for people to think it meant anything deeper was beyond ridiculous. HUANEE’s statement would undoubtedly upset people.
‘In general, the claim has been widely rejected and condemned by religious groups across the globe. Many are standing in unity against the environmental group, claiming that not only is HUANEE using religion as an excuse to justify their violence, but that they are also disrespecting the Slavic pagan religion by misappropriating the symbol of Veles and tarnishing it with their acts of terrorism.’
Saw that one coming.
‘As always, HUANEE refuses to answer any questions issued to the group, and all attempts to contact them have been futile, so it is unclear what they were hoping to accomplish by releasing the public statement. At this point in time, the statement has only caused more people to back the UNC and the newly proposed bill. Yet despite this, there are still many countries, lawyers, and human rights activists that are speaking out against the proposal.’
‘They are concerned that the Autonomous Defence Bill was drafted too quickly, that the words are too vague, and that it lacks any substantial ties to the HUANEE situation, which could allow governments to use it for other purposes. New Zealand’s Prime Minister expressed concerns, stating that the bill is being pushed through under the guise of responding to an emergency, but that the real intent is to return overarching power back to the nations, with no accountability for law enforcement and no set end date for the dangerous capabilities that would be granted under the bill.’
‘Many experts agree with the Prime Minister, noting close similarities to a bill proposed nearly ten years ago which had been very narrowly defeated by majority vote. They are urging the public, national governments, and UNC council to look past the immediate stressful conditions and to examine the bill with an unbiased eye, as they believe that the bill has nothing to do with HUANEE and is instead a step that could build the foundation for oppressive dictatorships in several UNC nations. Their concern is that, if passed, the bill could lead to selective population control efforts, a larger wealth gap, and the means for countries to push their own agendas unchallenged while diminishing the authority of the UNC.’
‘Regardless of the concerns, G-1348 is pushing forward for review, and it is expected that the bill will be voted on in the upcoming weeks.’
I listened as the news anchor began to discuss the most recent tsunami in Asia that had devastated several small islands. The UNC’s Global First Aid response teams were deployed to help, but as of midnight, the death toll was already in the double digits with hundreds of others missing. I thought about the attack on the battery manufacturing plant that wasn’t far from here and how it seemed like the attacks were working their way up the west coast in my direction. I thought about how the Food Stamp Program and its pathetic rollout had made life so much more difficult. With the extended hours I was working, most of the restricted goods were gone by the time I got to the grocery store, and I had been left picking through the bruised and nearly spoiled food remaining.
My stomach growled as if to emphasize the point. I hadn’t packed dinner, so it had been over twelve hours since I had last eaten, but given the barren condition of my fridge, I knew there would be little to eat when I got home. I had some bruised peaches and a few cans of beans left that I had been hoping to stretch for another few days. I let out a sigh as I finished the final form and uploaded it to the Ministry’s reporting site. It was almost 2:00 am; it would be near 3:00 am by the time I got home, and yet, despite that, I knew I needed to force myself to go to the store first thing in the morning, or those beans might very well be the only thing I have for another full week.
“And no one will care,” I sighed as the website dinged to signify that the report had been successfully uploaded.
With that done, I could go home, but completing the work had hardly felt like an accomplishment. I saved a backup copy to our server, already knowing that when I returned two days from now, my boss would probably be pissed that I had been so honest in the report. He was a fan of only giving the absolute minimum information that they asked for, and he always tried to downplay things. I was the opposite, but I would deal with that when the time came.
I gathered my belongings from my desk in silence, placing my phone in my purse and continuing to listen to the news as I grabbed the sweater that I had brought in case the office was too cool. I tried to ignore the agitation that was inching through my body as the anchor started to talk about the latest forest fire that had broken out.
There weren’t many forests left to burn. Just like with the Ministry fines, decades ago, the forests used to mean something, and the fines had been significant. Humanity had started to accept responsibility for its role in the planet’s decline, and the UNC was formed to govern a unified effort to change. The majority of nations joined it, and those that refused united as the Sovereign Federation a few years later. Things looked brighter for a while: firm laws were passed, and money was put into research and technology – but then, things changed again, and this time it was for the worse.
Twenty years ago, the wrong person got elected, the existing laws were removed and modified, the narrative was altered, and small wars started to break out in the countries that bordered the Sovereign Federation. Priorities shifted. Scientific research was silenced, misinformation became commonplace, and the inequality in wealth and resources had grown so large that it became an unavoidable conclusion that someone had decided only certain pockets of humanity deserved to survive.
Perhaps someone in charge had realized that the UNC’s efforts weren’t enough, that even though the majority of the world had unified and were attempting to change – it still wasn’t sufficient to save us, and so they sought to pin the blame on our so-called ‘enemy’. It grew worse as resources became more scarce and the pilot projects to improve wildlife and ocean health failed. Fear was transformed into a tool, the most effective weapon in the UNC’s arsenal – once people were sufficiently afraid, they became blind to the erosion of their principles.
That – or they didn’t have it in them to care anymore.
Everything was falling apart, and I could feel my body beginning to sag under the weight of the voice in my ear as I left the small office and made my way toward the gates. I tried to keep my face impassive as I waved goodnight to the new security guards and pushed my way through the turnstile. The company had hired them after the HUANEE attacks had started, and they were nice people, but as I said goodnight, I only felt the uneasy knot in my stomach grow tighter. I tried to focus on my steps, pushing down the wave of emotion that seemed to be brewing beneath the surface as I navigated my way through the cars toward the eastern lot where I had left my vehicle.
It was hot, and my clothes were already sticking to my skin as I moved. I could have just left my sweater behind because there was no way I would need it tomorrow. The air felt stagnant and dead; I could hear the thrumming noise of construction behind me and the dull buzzing of the old lights that lit up the pathway. If these changes to the weather kept up, soon autumn would no longer be a season, and we would go straight from scorching hot summers to dry, freezing cold winters in the blink of an eye.
I stared at the abandoned garden beds that lined the path and felt my heart sink further as the news anchor droned on about the war in the east and how UNSA had still not managed to regain communication with the Viking Outpost. The Prospect was growing closer, and the crew was doing everything that they could to remain optimistic, but UNSA had already started to prepare a new shuttle with additional supplies because they suspected the worst. A long time ago, the company used to plant flowers in the garden beds in the spring, and they would last throughout the summer. Now, flower gardens were a thing of the past. No one bothered with them, and I wasn’t sure that I could remember what they looked like.
The grass was brown and mostly dead during the summer – and that was assuming that there was any grass at all. Most people had taken to transforming their entire yards, if they were lucky enough to have one, into crowded vegetable gardens in an attempt to provide food for their families. Often the effort was in vain; most seeds didn’t grow because of their modified genes, and even if you could manage to sprout some life in the hot and barren soil, people would steal it from your yard – if the animals didn’t get it first.
The number of times that I had seen people chasing ragged-looking rabbits and rats from their yards with a shovel was unbelievable. City police were swamped by calls of violence and burglary. Theft had become so common that even I had taken to placing a pole in the sliding door of my balcony after my apartment complex reported several break-ins.
People were getting desperate.
I frowned as I reached my car, my heart aching in pain as thoughts of my last encounter with Ren floated to the front of my mind. I hadn’t seen her since July when we had played that stupid game. I had talked to her once on the phone since, but her schedule at the hospital was busy, and with my twelve-hour shifts, we hadn’t been able to meet up. The uneasy feeling between us had remained, and while I didn’t like being on bad terms with her, I had no idea how to fix it.
