***
Carl reeled from both space-sickness and the shock of finding out that his way of life was all a sham. His eyes burned from the afterglow of the strange lighting that had been aboard the spaceship. Ava stood in the doorway questioning him about what happened during his disappearance. Carl told her the truth at length.
“It was all a dream,” she said afterwards. “You stumbled into the wrong square and fell asleep. It's the third time you've done that this month.”
“It wasn't a dream.”
“Of course it was.”
“It's all of this that is the dream,” said Carl, motioning to the square within which they dwelled. He accidentally smacked his hand into the wall, as the total lack of space did not usually permit very many motioning gestures or other random physical acts to pass by without at least a minor injury taking place. “We've been tricked into slaving away on these deluxe houses while we spend all our own time cooped up in these tiny cubes. The alien told me everything.”
“You know I don't believe in aliens.”
“How do you explain the spaceship that crashed into the side of our cube?” asked Carl.
“Look at this,” she said as she turned on the news-screen, the 24 hour provider of all important cube-dwelling information.
“...Cube #8667 from the southwest district had a bit of excitement today,” prattled the pleasent news-anchor. “7 dead and 3 maimed when a bizarre combination of factors caused 4 seperate squares to be shaken right off their normally indestructible foundation. Everyone knows that personal objects are mostly outlawed due to a limited amount of public space. This did not stop the occupants of the four affected squares from having recently ordered, acquired and stashed several dozen burlap sacks of rare fertilizer. What they intended on growing and why they couldn't do so with local fertilizer is unknown. The fertilizer proved to be a silent killer. It contained a colony of microscopic organisms who found themselves in a new environment and parasitically attracted to the nutrient-rich Cube foundations. These bugs went on to devour much of the surrounding support-beams, which are a solidified pulp-mixture made up of tree-leaves and toxic aluminum-waste byproduct. The squares were left so precariously perched that a strong gust of wind might have sent them crashing to the far-away ground. Yet because they appeared undamaged, everyone went about their business. Then just days later a minor earthquake localized directly below Cube #8667 occurred. The vulnerable squares were tossed as easily as the unwanted playing blocks of an incorrigible child. Had the victims not chosen to bring illegal objecs into their homes they would have been spared by the quake just as the rest of the stable non-parasite infected squares were. What mystified witnesses most was the unexplainable presence of bright flashing colored light at the exact moment of the earthquake. This has been explained by a rare sighting of Aurora Borealis. It is likely the simultaneous occurrence of Aurora Borealis, earthquakes and foreign parasites will not happen again for hundreds of years, therefore everyone is encouraged to go about their lives with confidence in safety. If you knew one of the 7 killed, you are encouraged to help ease your grief by putting in a few extra hours of volunteered overtime at work. Nothing clears the mind better than hard work. If you knew one of the 3 maimed, you are encouraged to promptly pay their hospital bill. You should also remind them this is what happens when you break the Personal-Property Law by hoarding too much illegal fertilizer. Don't forget to tip your surgeon.”
Ava clicked off the news-screen.
Carl decided to give up on Ava for the moment. He stepped into the hall and knocked on the door of the adjacent square. He was going to explain to his neighbor Cuthbert, a carpenter, about how if they all just left their squares and moved into the houses, there’s nothing anyone could do. His neighbor looked nervously from side to side as Carl pitched the insane idea.
“Live in the houses?” Cuthbert asked, baffled.
“Yes, live in the houses,” confirmed Carl.
“But what would we do with all that extra space?”
“We would live in that extra space.”
“I don't know,” said Cuthbert. “Seems unnecessary to me. Doesn't seem right. Our squares have just enough room to sit, stand or lie down. What more does one need in life?”
“It's the principle!” said Carl. “We work hard to build these houses and then no one ever uses them! They just sit there...totally empty, forever in mint condition!”
“You shouldn’t say those kinds of things to me anymore,” said his neighbor.
“Why?” asked Carl. “Are you going to call the authorities?”
Cuthbert went back into his square and did just that.
The Authorities did not take kindly to the threat of house-occupation. As punishment Ava was taken away to live in an undisclosed country. It would be 1 year before Carl could apply for another pairing. Until that time he was forced to move into a 5x5 square. Half the people, half the space. Made sense.
***
Carl Jang stood at the back of the sink truck. He looked at his co-workers, at his boss and at the countertoppers inside, taking a break instead of finishing their prep work. He imagined how deep down he knew they all felt the same as him, but none of them would listen. He then thought about the look on Ava’s face as he had tried to explain the aliens' conversation with her. Nothing would change. They would keep building the same houses. The houses would remain empty. And the growth would never return, no matter how many more hours they worked for how much less money and pretty soon even the squares would be gone, but no one would do or say a thing. The houses would remain empty.
Carl Jang would keep lifting sinks until his fingers went into the spasms, then he would have to volunteer for a life re-assessment transfer. And a younger sink installer would take over his square and his job.
You can’t go around complaining about things you can’t change. And if there’s one thing you can’t change it’s the fact that houses have got to be built, and they’ve got to be invested in. Especially if things are ever going to grow again.
Carl Jang wrapped his hands around the sink.
“Aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!”
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