Chapter 4 Facade
Perfect Plan
Darren and Amber immediately did their normal routine for returning from the outside or anywhere in public. They carefully walked to the laundry room where they removed their clothes and put them in the washer, and this time along with their newly purchased baby clothes. Then they vacuumed the floors, furniture and their hair. Next they took showers. After showers they vacuumed the floors again. Finally, they got dressed in clean clothes.
“So what do you think of my idea?” Darren said in a quiet voice.
Amber signed inwardly. “How would you know to go about tricking our Chips?” she replied, feeling the small bump under the skin on her right hand, about the size of a grain of rice. “A lot of people have tried it, and we hear all the time about how they end up serving time in the communes.”
“Yes,” Darren responded, “but I’ve also heard that for every one person caught, four were able to successfully increase their SIN Score.”
Amber signed out loud this time. “How could there possibly be any accurate data on that? There isn’t. What you’ve probably heard is government propaganda to keep people doing stupid things so they can continue to increase their captive workforce.”
Darren was quiet for a few moments. “Yes, I know you’re probably right about that. But from the research I’ve done on the history of cybercrime, it was often estimated that up to eighty-four percent of cybercrimes were never detected. The government just simply could not monitor and catch them all, only a relative small percentage.”
“And so,” Amber quickly added, “you want to play the odds of one out of five getting caught?” She paused and thought about what she just said. “Maybe those odds aren’t so bad. If that number is even remotely accurate, maybe it could work. But that would be only if there are legitimate ways to trick the Chip.”
“There are,” said Darren.
“Such as?” she asked.
“For starters, I’ve been talking with someone at work who has a ‘conversation band.’ It looks like a wrist-watch. He wears it on his right wrist at night or whenever he isn’t in public. It transmits a prerecorded inaudible conversation signal with key words designed to add positive SIN Record data. He’s been wearing it for three months already and his class changed from D2 to C3. The class change has been accepted by the public scanners. He’s says in six more months it could help him jump from C class to B,” Darren explained.
Everyone’s class level was easy to check since everywhere people went in public and anywhere they did a transaction there was always a scanner with display screen or audio. And those scanners were used to maintain order, as well as provide a form of preferential “take a number” whenever there were lines.
In public transport stations, grocery stores, doctor offices—everywhere—people were segregated by class at the lines, the elite getting favored treatment. If someone got into the wrong line, the monitors would beep loudly and an annoying pre-recorded female voice would sternly discipline the idiot by loudly repeating, “Return to your proper class zone,” until the wanderer physically moved away. The embarrassment of “the voice” was enough to make people wary of being in the wrong line or trying to sneak.
“Where did he get it? Has it actually worked on anyone else?” Amber questioned.
Darren replied, “He made it himself and this is the first time he’s tried it. But like I said, he’s actually seen its effect in the public scanners already. This thing has real potential. He said he could make me one. Would cost a week’s wages…”
“We can barely afford to buy baby supplies,” Amber cut him off. “How can we afford anything extra, especially now? And why would he want to help you?”
“He said we could pay a little each month. He’s not in a hurry. In fact, he’s also working on some other ideas and said maybe I could help him in getting materials and that could offset some of the cost,” Darren said.
“And he agreed to help me,” he continued, “after I showed him an image of you.” Darren smiled.
Amber did not smile, but looked concerned. “It sounds too easy, too good to be true. And are you serious about showing him my image? Was it one of your holograms? Hopefully not one you’ve done while I’ve been pregnant. And what is he anyway, some kind of pervert?”
Darren didn’t respond to the questions.
Amber actually was a little flattered, because she knew what the whole picture sharing thing meant. Guys would often “offer” their girl, in jest, as part of a deal and show off a picture or image of her. If the girl was attractive, that would supposedly help cinch the deal, even though there was no expectation concerning her. In reality, it was just yet another way for guys to gawk at pretty girls.
Amber kept thinking to herself. This was the first time Darren had actually followed through with details and a specific plan for how to do something like this. Maybe he was on to something. Finally, she said, “Sorry, Darren. I do trust your judgment. If you’re confident it will work, and not get you into trouble, it may be worth a try.”
Stoked, Darren enjoyed the rest of the evening with his pregnant wife.
The next day, Darren left for work with what little extra cash he could round up, with Amber’s blessing to buy a conversation band. One thing that the B, C, and D classes had to be concerned with was how much cash they were carrying at any one time. Generally, they were expected to pay for everything electronically so that a record of all purchases would exist. But small amounts of discretionary cash were allowed, more for B class, less for C class, and still less for D class.
All paper money and coins were equipped with a transmitter. The scanners that were everywhere would total up the cash that everyone carried, compare it to allowable limits, and alarm if the cash carrying threshold was exceeded. Not only would this cause another loud, repeating, embarrassing reprimand from the stern pre-recorded female voice, “Your cash exceeds your allowable limits,” but it would be noted in the person’s SIN Record as well. Depending on the amount of cash being carried, it could be immediately investigated and confiscated.
Darren was careful never to carry more cash than allowed. In fact, Darren was careful to obey all the rules, so as not to cause any red flags in his SIN Record. Many people in the lower classes felt a sense of hopelessness and anger toward “the system.” Many people didn’t care about their SIN Score, didn’t see an improvement in their life no matter what they did, so they did whatever they could get away with. Not Darren.
He was by no means a goody two shoes, though. Born into an A1 class family in the banking business, Darren took his elite status for granted much of his youth and into his teenage years.
As a teenager, he had experimented extensively with “safe” drugs and alcohol. “Safe” drugs were marijuana and its by-products, mushrooms, LSD and several others, all legalized half a century earlier. Nevertheless, although legal, use of any alcohol and “safe” drugs still had an adverse effect on the SIN Score depending on the concentration and frequency of use. Darren’s SIN Chip had detected these chemicals often in his bloodstream, and his Score felt the effects of the drugs as much as his brain. Darren’s history of public intoxication, fighting, and causing a disturbance also hurt his Score.
During his teenage years Darren got two girls pregnant (this had no effect on his SIN Score, but the girls’ SIN Scores were affected). His female addiction also had him frequenting a female escort service, which did offend his SIN Score.
By the time Darren was twenty years old, his A1 status, which he had been born into, had dropped to C1. Voluntary service in active military duty for two years brought him up to a B3.
At age twenty-two, Darren was dismissed honorably from military service. On his first night out in the bars to celebrate, he’d met Amber. She was eighteen, a single D4 mother with a two year old son.
Most guys of any kind of social class status would not even associate with a D4. But there was something
about Amber that fascinated Darren. Despite being a gorgeous, tall, exotic looking brunette with piercing blue eyes, her intellect immediately captivated him.
He’d strolled right up to her in the bar that night and said, “Hey. I’m Darren. I just got out of the military. Haven’t been able to party like this for two years. Know any risky ways to have some fun around here?”
The first thing she ever said to him was in reply to his ridiculous introduction. “Well, first, only morons take risks,” she said. “And, second, I don’t talk to morons.” They ended up talking for most of the evening and not even really partying, like the out of control craziness that a lot of Darren’s buddies were exhibiting that night. But Darren was having more fun than he’d had, well, ever. Amber wasn’t like any girl he’d ever met.
He found out that she was a D4 when they ordered their first drinks. While taking their order the drink server’s scanner alarmed and started yakking about a D4 carrying too much cash. She was totally not embarrassed and simply leaned over to Darren and, smiling, said, “D4 has nothing to do with real class, or money.” He could see that.
“So you have a kid?” Darren asked her while they sipped on their beers.
“Yes, a two year old son, Bryan. The father was never really interested, I guess. But I didn’t want to give up the baby like so many of my friends have, even though it would have made my life a lot easier. So I stayed living with my parents and they’ve helped me a lot. Now, I just work and try to be a good mom.”
Darren studied her face as she talked. She was genuine. And not like any girl he’d ever dated or even met. She looked so hot too. Darren wanted to go home with Amber that night, but when he suggested they go to his place for one last drink she told him, “You haven’t earned anything yet.”
He was hooked from the first date. It wasn’t long before they were seeing each other nearly every night. After three months of dating he asked her to move in with him. She said she wouldn’t unless they were married first. With her, it wasn’t a matter of morals, but the legality of it. She had little to gain financially or socially by moving in with anyone, especially giving up the support of her parents.
But as a B3, Darren would have a lot to lose by marrying a D4. Still, he told himself that one way or another he’d get her out of her parents’ house, where she was obviously stuck because of her social status. Plus, he was crazy about her.
Six months later, they were married. Darren gave up a lot of privileges. The bump from B3 to C3 as a couple meant a position and pay cut at his job as a diesel engine mechanic. It also meant he wouldn’t be buying a house any time soon. But it was worth it to finally bring Amber home to their apartment.
As a diesel mechanic, at least Darren had a job in an in-demand field. Diesel engines were used for everything from personal and public transport rigs, home and commercial electrical power systems, to big machinery. It didn’t matter that they were dirty and inefficient compared to the wind farms from decades earlier that had spread like a cancer to pick up the slack from the world’s depleting oil reserves. The wind farms had generated sufficient affordable “green” electrical energy to nearly render the common gasoline powered automobile extinct by the 2040’s.
But by the mid 2060’s, the largest oil reserve ever discovered in history had been found in eastern Canada. This cheap energy source made diesel fuel the undisputed standard from then on. A whole new industry was re-born around the diesel engine. Even sixty-five years later there was still no debate about using any alternate energy sources. Good for Darren, because his job was in demand and he already had experience in this field.
Darren and Amber’s flat was expensive. Childcare for toddler Bryan wasn’t cheap. Amber’s job at a nearby grocery store didn’t pay much, even though she initially got a pretty good pay raise after getting married because her SIN Score had increased so much. But money was tight.
Their tight money situation didn’t stop them from wanting another child, though. Darren wanted to wait a while, but Amber easily got him to agree. She was good at getting him to do just about anything. Within two months of their marriage ceremony in Darren’s parents’ back yard, Amber was pregnant.
As a result of the pregnancy, their Score dropped to D1 as they expected it would. It was automatic. They didn’t even have to report the pregnancy (and wouldn’t have right away even if they were required to report it). No human had to be involved. Amber’s SIN Chip sensed the hormone change, transmitted the data to her SIN Record, and her SIN Score immediately dropped.
With the lower SIN Score came the automatic decrease in their wages too, as they expected. Darren and Amber had even more trouble affording everything that their young family required. Amber got more hours at work. Darren took on another part time job at a news agency, in addition to his already full day as a diesel engine mechanic.
Their parents helped them out some financially, but secretly since it was frowned upon. If the D class couldn’t support themselves, they were supposed to sink into oblivion.
Darren had a plan, though. And as he made his way to work that day—the day he’d gotten Amber’s blessing to put a down payment on the conversation band, he suddenly had a flash of genius.
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