A voice that carried a hint of artificial origins had begun to inform a man sitting quietly at a desk in the corner of an all but bare room that he had been cleared for entry. Razi had been quarantined to this room for what seemed to be ages but in reality, it was only 2 weeks.
This was common practice for the Utopia of Charity as there was still no test that boasted accuracy of 100% confirmation of its recipients being clear of that sinister chameleon-like virus of the past decade. It was finally time Razi had began his descent into the fabled Utopia he had spent his entire life yearning to see. As a child, his imagination would run rampant as to what was contained behind those pristine walls bordering his city. It was finally time he got to see with his own eyes what his dreams had been trying to create for all those years.
A wall panel opposite the door he had entered 2 weeks ago slid open, the sound of depressurized air released as he felt a cool breeze run across the surface of his face. It seemed even the air here was somehow different than the outer city he had grown up in. As he entered this new room the panel had slid back down in place and a familiar sound of air being pressurizes followed. There he stood in a room the size of a walk-in closet with a glass security door to his left and rows of fresh-pressed clothes hung to his right sitting behind clear glass.
There was a shower head symbol on the security glass and the voice from earlier sounded, “Please bathe and choose the clothes that fit your taste. You may discard your current clothing in the bin within.”
After opening the door it revealed not only a shower but a steaming bath the size of a king mattress. As he took a breath in his nostrils were filled with a pleasant mix of herbal scents.
The now-familiar voice echoed, “Take as long as you’d like in here. Enjoy the soothing and regenerative properties of the bath after you have rinsed yourself.” As the voice faded an almost mesmerizing soundtrack slowly began to fill the silence. He decided that he would take the advice and would make use of the facilities.
After nearly an hour of relaxation, he had finally felt ready to proceed. The clothes that awaited him fit like a second skin and were made of the most comfortable material he had ever felt. The shoes seemed sturdy yet light as a feather. He admired himself in the reflection of the mirror as he donned his new outfit. He had put on a pair of Augmented Smart sunglasses that could have been designer, they fit his face like a glove.
They revealed a graphic of a handprint on the wall in front of him. The voice now coming from the glasses instructed him to place his hand there when he was ready to proceed and not to forget his other accessories including a plain-looking ring and what seemed to be an entirely different model of the watch than he was used to seeing in the outer city.
He placed his hand over the graphic and the panel slid open silently revealing what seemed to be a museum of fine art. Murals decorated the walls and intricate sculptures were spread throughout his field of view. It was like nothing he had ever seen in his life. That same style of mesmerizing sounds could be heard faintly in the background. The tint of his sunglasses had faded to clear glass and as he looked around text began to enter his field of view, “Welcome to Charity” it began to pan upwards and more words appeared before him, “Enjoy the site of some of our residents most beautiful creations.”
He wandered the area in a childlike state of wonder. Slowly moving from sculpture to sculpture, one mural to another simply admiring the work and basking in the appreciation of these masterpieces. In these precious moments, it seemed that time was both at a standstill and passing unnoticed, the feeling always changed between each breath.
“Was this the kind of thing true peace of mind could help bring into existence?” he thought to himself.
As abruptly as his trance-like state started it seemed to vanish as his stomach had awoken his mind from his musings. A low rumbling seemed to echo throughout his body. He had no idea how long he had spent in this room but he was filled with a feeling of hunger.
Almost reactively the voice he’d grown accustomed to hearing chimed in, “If you are ready for your next meal please proceed to your left and follow the arrows to your next destination.”
Blue arrows appeared on the ground through the glasses lenses directing him to a hallway he had simply thought was part of one of the murals. They lead to the end of the hall where another panel like the first he saw with the same graphic. He set his hand on the augmented graphic that populated his vision, where a doorknob would typically be placed.
A man looking to be in his mid-30s with a well-groomed beard greeted him with a perfect smile. “Welcome to Charity. Razi how are you feeling? I hope you found everything to be to your liking.”
Razi, returning the smile, “I’ve never felt better nor thought that I would experience such feeling of peace and calmness in my most sought after dreams,” the man seemed to be please with this answer. A rumble from his stomach broke the silence.
“You flatter us, yet you haven’t even eaten. How about we talk more over a meal?” The same perfect smile filled the man's face as he finished talking and began to lead Razi to a table a set up a few yards away.
A platter with fresh fruits, cheese, and even meat awaited them at the table. The man informed him this was merely the appetizer so a not to satiate his hunger entirely. Both men began to dig in and easy conversation followed as they discussed small things and got to know each other.
Razi had learned this man was called Rain and he was one of the first citizens of Charity, he was appointed director of their protective order once the news had broken of the first utopia collapsing. As he explained the founding of his order he assured Razi those are but worries of the past now, we were slow to begin our expansion and that was what saved us in the end.
The main course arrived. A plate filled with cooked vegetables, decadent slices of meat, and steaming bread slathered in soft butter. Razi was thankful for Rain’s earlier warning to not fill up on the charcuterie. Rain explained how all the food was grown through sustainable means and the meat was a creation from their scientific food lab as to not harm any animals.
Razi was amazed after taking a bite, “Cruelty-free and delicious, now that’s a combo I can get used to!”
A knowing smile populated Rain’s face as he began to eat as well. Once the meal was finished an herbal tea and gourmet chocolate covered strawberries were brought out. He was almost speechless, it had been years since he had eaten them and his excitement was almost palpable.
“These are my favorite!” He nearly shouted.
“Oh really? Great minds must think alike, nothing comes close to these guys,” Rain pleasantly spoke as he bit into a large strawberry. “Help yourself we have plenty where those came from.”
Both men enjoyed the silence commonly known to those who are thoroughly enjoying their food. Once they had both satiated their dessert stomachs and finished the teapot, the time for the real conversation had started.
“Now we will begin to go over what it means to be in our Protective Order, for starters we simply refer to ourselves as R.I.G. We are the Respect Initiative Group. It will be your job to uphold our morals and hold those both inside and outside these walls to a standard of respect we expect from our to-be-citizens as well as our current citizens. You will mainly be stationed in the outer city in the beginning, the inner walls rarely need any enforcement by our organization, as you know it is not the same case for the neighbors circling the city.” Rain paused leaving Razi an opening to inquire about what he said.
“I expected as much, it doesn’t seem like much unrest would well up in a place like this, I’ve seen first hand how it can be out outside these walls and that is why I chose to join this organization, RIG. I would like to stop the chaos caused by the lifestyle of those in the outer city. I don’t want those who are simply looking for a better life to fall to the hands of those who merely take advantage of the systems you have placed on the outside. Community meals every day of the week, unlimited energy use, and even fruit gardens that are stockpiled with additional food. All free of charge, some people come just to exploit the kindness you have given to those in waiting.”
That knowing smile flashed once again, “The fact that you have realized all these things and more importantly noticed those people of exploit is why you have been accepted. You always followed what we stand for without any directive, that is why I chose you to join us. Now rest up, your Superior Artificial Intelligence Gathering Assistant, you can simply refer to as Saiga, will guide you to your initial quarters until we have completed your household to your specifications. You will find a program you can use in these quarters to design your home to your liking and we will take care of the rest from there. Orientation will begin tomorrow so be sure to rest up and prepare,” he paused a moment, “Saiga please wake Razi once he has completed his REM sleep cycles and we can begin after he finishes his morning routine.”
Rain then placed his hand over his heart and gave a small bow, “I apologize but I must get going so any more questions can be directed toward Saiga. It will be a pleasure working with you and feel free to admire the art exhibit at your leisure.”
Rain walked to a nearby panel of the wall and placed his hand where a doorknob would be, the ring on his hand lighting up a small line of blue going through the middle of the band. The panel opened and closed behind him as he walked away almost as if he seemingly disappeared from existence.
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