As bad as the State programs were, there was occasionally a twist of unintended justice. One of Darren’s friends, Barney, told him a very entertaining story about his sudden rise to the upper social class. It was particularly encouraging, since the portion of the population allowed in the upper social classes was limited.
Why such a limit mattered had long before been forgotten. At a point of ridiculous many decades earlier, some government policy advisory board had arbitrarily decided that the number of people in the A and B classes should be capped at a total of twenty percent of the population. Arbitrary, because no one could give a decent explanation as to why four fifths of the remaining population should be dumped into lower classes.
But it was the law, and had been for decades. It kept the rich, rich. It kept the labor communes full of slaves. It ensured a continual supply of babies becoming property of the State. It kept all kinds of lucrative deals being made with the State in hopes of one poor schmuck after another moving up a notch or two in the social ladder. The Economy had never been better.
No matter how it was sliced, there was limited room in the upper class. Someone moves up, someone gets bumped. And not at the discretion of a human panel of sympathetic experts who want to see justice done. Nope. Computer algorithms impersonally did it all. Like the spin of some cyber slot machine. Your number’s up, or three lemons.
As Sean plodded along in life as a twenty-four year old medical field professional, he found himself with a decent SIN Score and a B3 class position. In fact, he’d been a B3 all his life. And there was no reason to think he wouldn’t soon be getting married, moving to B1 status, then eventually into the A class through some deal making. Who knows, maybe a baby or two from whatever willing breeding bitch he could find. She had to be a looker though or it wasn’t worth it.
Shawna was the perfect mate. The fact that their names were so coincidental “seems like a sign” she had said on their first meeting. If you were stupid enough to believe in signs, Sean had thought. And, my oh my, what a looker! Blond, big boobs, athletic build, wide hips, has a paying job. On his first date with her, he’d managed to get a full scale hologram shot of her in a short skirt which he then forwarded to all his male friends, asking their opinion on the potential breeding material. “Three thumbs up,” they all had replied.
In no time he had proposed to Shawna. She couldn’t have been happier to be engaged to this dashing man of upstanding social status. Everything was pointing upward for Sean, three thumbs, family expansion, financial and social status. It really was looking hopeful. Except for the Barney thing.
Barney was a C1, and had just been accepted for a Buy Up program through his employer, Quivering Beef Packing Co. At nineteen years old, he lived with his C class parents who insisted he take this opportunity. “We’ll financially support you during your probation period, Barn,” his dad told him while his mother nodded her head in agreement. She added, “All you have to do is make it six months, honey, and you’re a B3. The whole world will open up to you.”
Barney knew he was fortunate to have such loving, decent parents. He knew he would make it. And he did. As his last day of probation ended, he celebrated by taking his parents out to dinner using the meager change he’d made working on the side.
That same day was Sean and Shawna’s wedding. As she undressed that evening, Sean secretly shot a full scale hologram of her naked. He quickly forwarded it to his friends. “See what you’re missing?” was the message he sent.
The first reply was, “Looks like you’re about to work on your ticket to A class. Hope she gets pregnant this month.”
In the morning, Barney checked his class rating. B3. He thanked and hugged his parents.
Sean and Shawna woke up in each other’s arms the first morning of their honeymoon. “Welcome to B1,” Sean said, reaching for his palm screen.
As he projected the image above the bed where they lay, she screamed. “C3. C4? What the hell, Sean? I thought you said we were going to move up in class.”
The thrill of the honeymoon was quickly over! All of a sudden, in their seemingly perfect life they were only one mistake away from D class, or a pregnancy away. And Shawna was pregnant. Like what had happened to Darren and Amber, being pregnant in the C or D classes dropped people even lower in class. Sean and Shawna soon were bumped down to D class.
Maybe the system had some justice after all. Even accidental justice was better than none.