- Good evening.
- ...
- Good evening!!
The red-haired specimen sitting opposite me was staring dreamily out the window, completely ignoring the valuable client. Finally something clicked in her brain (or maybe I imagined it), the lady turned, glanced at the eyepiece, let out an embarrassed "oik" and switched on the translator. - Oh, sorry, I didn't notice you right away. You see, I don't work here...
We get it. You're just looking out the window. - That is, I don't work at all. It's still nice to receive a benefit just for being Especially Smart of the 8th degree. I'm passing through from Melbourne to Brussels, with a transfer in Nizhnevartovsk, traveling, thinking, I want to get the next degree. And I came into IEC out of old habit, I myself once traveled through them on Work&Travel. Back when I was studying at the foreign language institute. Back when it still existed.
So, a long time ago. Language institutes and the like were abolished about 10 years ago, when the translator was invented (Multilingual Inter-species and Inter-race All-frequency Mind-Translator, a small useful little box).
Meanwhile the redhead kept chattering:
- ...from the window there's such a wonderful view of the Essence of Being... I just popped in, thought I'd chat with former colleagues, forgot today is a day off, but if you have questions, I'll gladly answer...
A day off. And I was wondering where everyone had gone? Although how should I know, in my life I never had a calendar or such days off. - What a lovely dog you have!
- That's Bill.
- Nice to meet you. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself, Katerina. And you are participant number... may I have your details? Aha, X24, Biological Code 453A, Index of Intelligence 12. Any questions about the Work&Travel program? Ask, don't be shy.
- Actually my flight is tomorrow. And I'm still hesitating where to go: Los Angeles or Alaska...
- Why do you need that Alaska? Only the mosquitoes are happy there. You want to go where there are more people, right?
- I don't want to. I have to.
- You have an excellent job offer, you'll be promoting science...
- I will. And I'm also afraid of getting fat. It's that kind of job, food all around, constant temptations, fast food...
- Don't worry, you'll have enough physical activity. And besides, you're going there not to eat, but to work, and for new impressions, of course.
- Not for the money.
Money didn't really worry me at all, and the chance to see the world was unique, maybe the only one in my life. Ten years ago would they have let me abroad? Only illegally, and that's dangerous, the life of an illegal is worth nothing. On the infamous Alaska, where the mosquitoes are, two of my fellow-countrywomen were recently squashed, just like that, for no reason. And I'm going with honor, having a microchip implanted that emits an ultrasonic (or some kind of) signal, so everyone around knows: I'm a Work&Travel-2029 participant and moreover a Citizen of the World, don't be rude and don't touch. - Do you know the rules of conduct?
I mouthed by rote: - Always go everywhere with companions, hand over acquired samples to the employer on time, do not disclose commercial secrets, do not be rude, do not spit, do not jump around like a madwoman...
The last items I was bad at. - And most importantly: don't lose the microchip with your personal data!
- Lose it, how could I. It's implanted in the neck solidly.
At the airport I met a new, God knows how mutated, biological species - the Very Polite Talkative Border Guard.
- Good day, may I take a picture of your biofield...
By all means, even an imprint of the left hind paw, just let's finish the formalities faster. - You are X24, Biological Code 453A, Index of Intelligence 12?
- Yep.
- Are you going to work in Los Angeles collecting biological information?
- Uh-huh.
- Lovely! Is the dog coming with you into the cabin?
- This is Bill. My guide. Trained, sort of...
The dog gave me an unfriendly look and turned away disdainfully.
As for me, such guides should be isolated. From decent society.
- Will you be declaring anything..? Ah, I see. Do you like to travel light?
- As one Greek philosopher used to say, omnia mea mecum porto.
The Very Polite Border Guard fell silent and looked at me rather nastily. Like a soldier at a louse, one might say. I smirked and headed for the gangway. - ...have a pleasant flight!
...she made herself comfortable in the airplane seat, mechanically fastened the belt and took a deep breath...That's how they write in novels (probably), I did neither the first, nor the second, nor the third, and out of boredom began to reflect on the historical-political context of my trip.
This whole mess started in 2012, while everyone expected the end of the world, hiding their heads or whatever they cherished most in the sand, because of a fatal mistake in the elections in that very country I'm flying to, the Country Not At All Suffering From Megalomania, the president turned out to be a woman. A feminist, a pacifist, a Greenpeace activist, etc. etc. Maybe it would have been okay, but the world community was completely unprepared for such a development and merely watched in bewilderment as Miss President (who also turned out to be Especially Smart to some extraordinary degree) methodically seized power.
After such a turn in the political course, a matriarchy was finally and irrevocably established in the country, for the first time in so many thousands of years. At first the Little But Proud Countries reluctantly joined the Country Not At All Suffering From Megalomania, and then, happily, the Countries That Nobody Asks At All. Now on the planet there is effectively one state (borders still exist for now, but that's temporary, the President hasn't gotten around to everything). And in general, there's sheer chaos everywhere.
Spaceships don't roam any expanses, commodity-money relations haven't been abolished, and people still die for the despicable metal. True, much less often, because the most greedy for such death were shot at the dawn of the new power, solving the planet's overpopulation problem in one fell swoop (this act of humanity was for some reason not widely publicized). The problem of nuclear weapons was also solved, burying them somewhere behind the White House and marking the spot with a pebble. Just in case. The President abolished bureaucracy and the armed forces, introduced mandatory fitness on Tuesdays, quite successfully greened the planet and slowed technological progress. Humanity slightly degraded, but, in my taste, became all the more charming because of it.
Well, I don't care much about all that anyway. More important is that Miss President, as the most active Greenpeace figure ever, equalized the rights of all humans and animals, including any species, subspecies and other families. Everyone moves freely where they want, no one exploits anyone (well, or almost no one), interspecies exchange of experience takes place, thanks to the mind-translator this is easy. And anyone who wants to travel and is ready to bring benefits, promoting world science or plowing black soil, regardless of the number of legs and Index of Intelligence, can come to IEC and become a Work&Travel participant. Whether you are a horse, or a cow, or a mountain goat.
Or a flea, Biological Code 453A, Index of Intelligence 12.