The Facility: Cheap Labor Has Been Redefined

By Clifford Beck

It is the year 2059 and Portland, Maine, like so much of the world, has become largely a war zone of crime and poverty. Resources are all but gone. And as the swan's song of civilization rapidly come to a close, the government develops a plan that officially does not exist. It is a plan designed to exploit the world's last remaining resource - t

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clifford Beck
• Release date: Jul 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088218211

Book preview

1

The Facility

By Clifford Beck

Copyright©2012Clifford Beck

All Rights Reserved.

Copy Editor - Nanine Chace - Ortiz

For My Brother, Randy

The end may justify the means as long as there is something that justifies the end.

Leon Trotsky

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 1

The year is 2059. Most of the world’s governments have collapsed, and current estimates put the population at about ten point five billion. The global economy has gone belly-up, while the European Union has become splintered into separate economic states – each reverting to their own independent currencies. This was done as a last ditch attempt to keep the planet from falling into the dark ages. Everyone thought it would work, but the damage had already been done and recovery seemed impossible. People were living from hand to mouth using whatever means necessary, and society now teetered back and forth somewhere between survival and a protracted war.

Overpopulation, poverty, and threats of war weren’t the worst that had occurred…fresh water had become a precious and rare commodity. It started in the developing nations. Fifty years ago, most Third World countries were experiencing large scale protests over water and power shortages. At the same time, thirty-six states in the United States were considered ‘water stressed’.

Things were much worse now, with wars being fought over water and terrorist groups attacking any villages that were even suspected of having water. It was not unheard of to read about people in the Third World killing each other, even neighbors, to protect or steal a source of water. They only thing they were guilty of was trying to survive.

In the United States, whole cities had turned into deserts – Los Angeles, Dallas, Albany, St. Louis. The list grew every year while the states along the continental divide were still trying to suck the last few drops of water from the ever dwindling mountain runoff. It wouldn’t be long before even Denver would become an abandoned ghost town, another casualty of a planet that was slowly turning to sand. In congress, the usual bickering and partisanship prevailed; finding a solution would be impossible without teamwork. No one was willing to even consider that the human race was in the process of passing on. We had become victims of our own greed, selfishness and unchecked indifference towards a planet that gave us life, a planet that we had successfully managed to kill.

Due to conditions in the Third World, the influx of illegal immigrants skyrocketed and in spite of new legislation designed to keep their increasing numbers in check, they just kept coming. Maybe they believed that they had a better chance of survival in the states – after all, anything was better than being shot for standing near a well. And if they couldn’t get into the country through the airline network, they’d sneak across the Canadian border. Eventually, the President was forced to close the borders and in time, Canada would follow suit. Even the wealthy began to feel threatened when their kitchen taps began to do nothing more than trickle out a few drops of discolored water. In the early twenty-first century, the most valuable commodity was information – data. Now, it was water.

But the American attitude had not changed, and the country was still heavily divided into the haves and the have-nots. The poor were even poorer, while the wealthy still acted like a bunch of spoiled brats, refusing to make any contribution to the nation’s circumstances that might be seen as selfless. This attitude would change when even they would experience the symptoms of the countries dehydrated condition. So, a project was organized by the development of a private corporation, funded by the wealthy, in order to construct a number of industrial desalination plants that would be built up along the east and west coasts. They would tap into the oceans, using a pipeline system to feed the country’s reservoirs. Most people believed that those who were funding the project did so out of selfishness. And even though we had essentially isolated ourselves from the rest of the world, the country seemed to take a long awaited sigh of relief.

But with the U.S. population at 600 million, it was too little too late and reforestation was seen as a complete failure. No one was able to grow trees in the sand. So, out of panic and greed, the wealthy pulled their money from the project and the desalination plants remained as local industries. The outcome was that areas surrounding wealthy enclaves would benefit from this technology and because it had now been turned into privately owned utility companies, only those who could pay the high rates would water. This left most of the country, once again, without adequate water and congress again began debating possible solutions. This time they consulted some of the greatest minds in science and technology. They reached out to places like MIT, Cal-Tech, RPI and the Navy’s marine research division and a ‘water summit’ was held. It was quickly determined – and to no one’s surprise – that there are simply too many people and too few resources. And when the country closed its borders, many countries cried foul, freezing trade agreements and threatening to go to war. Only one possible solution stood out. However, many – even republicans considered it unthinkable. It was proposed by Dr. Simon Farnsworth, a demographics expert, who stated that a page be taken from the internal policy of China’s one child per family rule. This seemed like a viable solution, even though many in congress complained that the U.S. was now modeling public policy after the largest communist country in the world. But after some time, people came to the belief that this radical departure from what was held as constitutional would be very good for the country. And miraculously, every member of congress was on board with the idea, but the public was not. As a result, rioting escalated and protesters claimed that their constitutional rights were being violated and once again, America lay at the edge of anarchy.

Another possible solution was debated. This was such a radical idea that any discussions were held at a secret location, far from the prying eyes and ears of the press and without the approval of congress or even knowledge of the president. Republican congressman Stanley Rhye organized a secret meeting to be held outside Washington at the now abandoned Andrews Air Force base. He had contacted a small group of the country’s top genetic scientists, who proposed an idea of their own – a national birth control program. This program would be operated under the guise of a new ‘well baby initiative’ and completely funded by the federal government as a way of screening both new and prospective parents for genetic anomalies that might affect their offspring. The details of the plan seemed flawless, but there was one small issue that needed to be resolved. What about those who failed the screening process?

Chapter 2

Congress Street was noticeably busier than usual and people filled the street as well as the sidewalk. They quickly walked around moving cars and ran across traffic – everyone seemed to be in a hurry. If you stood in one place and just listened it was easy to notice that the typical Maine accent was no longer part of the Portland human-scape. Outsiders and the passage of time had rendered it extinct. Fifty years ago, Maine had a hard working mostly white population. Over the years, there was an influx of immigrants, people of a races, creeds and colors from far off places. But when the world fell apart, Maine – for all its’ hard working ethics – slid downhill with it and many people found themselves living well below the poverty line. In the downtown district - every hour on the hour - every person would stop, their eyes rising up to the Key Bank jumbo-tron. Congress Street would become frighteningly silent, save for the one voice that everyone wanted to hear. The news was not only broadcast around the clock, but streamed live by satellite. Everybody watched in horror as the video played out on the immense screen. The images had been distributed to the entire world by Al Jazeera, an Arab television station with several broadcasting sub-stations scattered throughout the middle-east. They were always trying to make some grandiose statement that usually amounted to nothing more than a bit of saber rattling. But this time was different. This time, the country would be sent into a state of shock as the jumbo-tron displayed the scene of a small well somewhere in Yemen. It was surrounded by children as well as women clutching their infants – all had been shot on sight. The area was crowded with armed men wearing scarves around their faces and angrily babbling in Arabic. One held up a half-filled bottle of slightly sandy water and pointed a pistol at the camera lens while yelling threats to a, more or less, civilized world. He then turned back and fired on the dead women and children, as if words were somehow not enough.

Everyone was frozen in place as the horrific images and the sounds of gunfire deeply engraved themselves into the minds of all who watched. But as disturbing as it was to watch, many were unable to pull their eyes away. As the video came to a close and the news anchor tried desperately to maintain his composure, the silent air of Congress Street gradually became overshadowed by quiet weeping. Humanity had somehow managed to achieve a new low point that many saw as a portent of the future. One of those people was Edward Blake, who was standing near a hotdog stand when the video footage began. He watched with both amazement and horror as the images unfolded before his eyes. Tears slowly ran down his face and he became so involved in what he was seeing that, for a brief moment, he forgot where he was. Near the end of the video he suddenly gasped as though he’d seen the devil himself. And perhaps he had, but now he realized with blinding clarity the direction the world was truly taking and what some people were willing to do for half a bottle of dirty water.

Jesus Christ! he said to himself. What the fuck is wrong with these people? I’ll tell ya what’s wrong! a voice answered.

It was the hotdog vendor. He preferred to be called ‘Teddy’ and appeared to be about forty five years old.

Teddy had worked this part of Congress Street for years, right across from what used to be the Portland Library. You wouldn’t have thought so, but he actually made a livable income from selling hotdogs, sausages and soda. Bottled water was expensive so he didn’t usually didn’t stock it. Edward slowly looked over at Teddy – his thoughts still haunted by what he had just seen.

What? he replied. Those people? Teddy answered. They’re fuckin’ animals! If it were up to me, I’d go over there and kill every one of those motherfuckers!

I’m …. sure a lot of people feel the same way, Edward commented.

Goddamn right! Teddy said as he pointed at Edward with a pair of hotdog tongs. I mean …how much fuckin’ courage does it take to shoot a bunch of kids? That’s right…none! Those people are fuckin’ pussies.

Well, Teddy, said Edward. I’m glad that there’s someone around here with the balls to say what everyone else is thinking.

Hey! Teddy replied. Don’t I always tell it like it is? Edward now found himself looking at Teddy with a kind, patient face and nodding gently.

You always do, he said.

Edward began to walk away as Teddy made one more final angry proclamation.

Fuckin’ right! Teddy then turned back to his hotdog cart as Edward made his way up Congress Street.

He stopped at a local convenience store near the intersection of Congress and Forest Ave. to pick up a newspaper and a pack of ‘Blue Flames’. The manufacturing of tobacco had been outlawed about ten years earlier, so even cigarettes went digital. The insurance companies had organized their own lobbyists and were able to buy enough congressional votes to make the growing of tobacco illegal. With this new legislation, the insurance companies were able to save billion in healthcare payouts to doctors and hospitals. Naturally, they would not lower their premiums. As for the tobacco companies, the government replaced their plantations with marijuana fields. They would be funded by the government, but managed by the executives who formerly ran the tobacco industry and would operate closely with pharmaceutical companies.

Continuing to watch the news on the LCD screen in the convenience store Edward commented to the clerk, God, we are so fucked!

Depressing, isn’t it? the clerk said. Imagine what things will be like in another fifty years.

Well, Edward said. I’m not so sure I wanna be around for that.

Ya know, the clerk reacted. Watchin’ this bullshit makes me think I’d be better off living in the woods somewhere livin’ off the land - just me and my own thoughts. Edward turned to the clerk with a slight smile. That’s not a bad idea, he said.

He left the convenience store and got on the number four bus to the Rosemont district which now lay as the border between Westbrook and what was referred to as the ‘Portland war zone’. The buses now ran on ethanol and were constructed with heavy gauge steel and ballistic glass. The driver drove as quickly as he could so as to get through Portland without being fired on. Edward got off on the far side of the Rosemont district just a few blocks from Capisic Field. It was getting dark and he quickly made his way to his house, going in through the back door. Gang warfare and looters had begun to slowly encroach further into the Rosemont district. This prompted Edward to fortify their front and back doors as well as the first floor windows. He had also recently purchased a gun. He always knocked on the back door first as it had been agreed that a specific tapping rhythm be used for safety. He would then unlock the door and walk in.

Chapter 3

Edward was happily greeted by his wife Ajna who worked in an emergency clinic in Westbrook. She was a strikingly beautiful woman in her late twenty’s with curves that would make an hourglass jealous. She arrived in the U.S. from India with her parents when she was a child. Eventually, she attended Harvard Medical School and did her residency at Maine Medical Center. After becoming licensed as a practicing physician, Ajna decided to stay and put down roots. When they met, Edward was working as a banking analyst at TD AmerAsia. He studied at Vermont College in Burlington and upon receiving his Ph.D. in finance took the first job that was offered to him and found himself working for the Chinese. Seven years ago, U.S. intelligence reports revealed that in order to collect the debt owed to them, China had made plans to launch a neutron bomb attack against every major city and military installation in the country. With eighty-five percent of the population dead, they would simply cross our borders and take control of the country’s infrastructure. When this intelligence reached Washington, the president tried to open a dialog, but the Chinese demand at least forty percent of their loan money, or they would go to war. So, the U.S. gave in and turned over control of forty percent of the banking system to the Chinese government. It was now required by TD AmerAsia that Edward learn Mandarin, as he would have to occasionally go to high level meetings at corporate headquarters in Beijing. Now, he was in Portland with the girl of his dreams, living what most people would call ‘the good life’. They were, however, looking for a place further outside Portland, away from the not so distant sounds of gunfire. They had spent many sleepless nights peering out of the front windows with a paranoid anxiety that the nearby street violence might explode at any moment. Occasionally, Edward would discover one or two new bullet holes that had penetrated the siding on the front of their house.

Ajna came bounding down the stairs and threw her arms around him, kissing him passionately on the mouth.

Well, Edward said. You seem rather excited today. What’s up?

I think I found us a house! she replied.

Really? Edward inquired.

They had been looking for a new house almost since moving into the Rosemont district. The realtor showed them the house during the quietest part of the day, telling them how safe the area was. It wasn’t soon after moving in that they realized everything the realtor had told them was an outright lie. So, they made it a point from then on to stay away from the front of the house.

So, let’s take a look, Edward said. Did you find it on the internet?

Yes, she responded.

I even looked at the area with Google Earth and the neighborhood looks beautiful.

Alright, Edward replied. Did you look at the outlying area?

I did, Ajna answered. It looks a bit suburban.

Great! exclaimed Edward. Let’s take a look.

They sat down together in front of their computer’s 3-D touch display. It was beautiful. A traditional white two-story house that had been built during the late twentieth century – it was the quintessential family home.

Wow! Edward said guardedly.

He knew that if something seemed too good to be true, it probably was.

When did it go on the market?

Last week, answered Ajna. Edward hesitated a bit.

What’s wrong? asked Ajna. It’s perfect!

Well, alright, Edward said. Let’s think this through a little. Who were the last owners?

An elderly couple, Ajna answered.

She had become somewhat irritated with Edward’s hesitation.

Ed, we have to get out of here. We can’t even walk around in our own house!

I know, Edward responded. It’s just that buying a new house isn’t something you just jump into.

Ed, Ajna retorted. Listen to yourself. There are fucking bullet holes in the front of the house. And how many times have we had to listen to sirens all night? It feels like it’s getting closer every day!

Edward paused again.

I’d like to see the inside, he said.

Ajna grinned slightly, turned back to the display and touched a button that read ‘Interior View’.

Tah dah! she said.

Edward leaned toward the display and studied each image.

Well, he said. How can we pass this up?

Ajna excitedly rose to her feet and threw her arms around him.

Thank you, she quietly said in his ear.

They made eye contact and smiled at each other.

Now, we can finally have a family, she said.

Her face lit up like the sun whenever she talked about having children. Edward was all for the idea, but was firmly against trying to raise a family so close to the war zone.

Yeah, Edward whispered. So, who do we call to make an offer?

I thought you’d never ask, Ajna answered. It just so happens that this realtor’s website is biometric. We can make an offer right through their site and instead of a signature you give them a thumbprint. It gets confirmed through the Maine D.O.T. database, and they send you a confirmation e-mail. Sounds simple enough, Edward replied. So, let’s make an offer.

Ajna’s face blushed with joy and anticipation as Edward investigated further.

They want two hundred thousand for it, Edward said. Well, there’s only one way to do this – bid high.

They agreed to place a bid of two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars on the property. Edward placed his thumb on the white biometric square and within about an hour received a confirmation e-mail.

Three days later, their offer had been accepted, and a contract had been e-mailed to them. All that was required was another biometric thumbprint—this time from both of them. The inspection came soon after and everything checked out. One week after closing, they found themselves moving in. They had to hire a moving crew, but had some difficulty finding one that was willing to go into the Rosemont district. However, they did eventually find one.

They settled into their new house, putting up with nothing more than a few creaks that were typical of an older home. They were surrounded by small families and a few elderly couples. Ajna felt very much at home, starting a garden and getting involved in a few small craft projects. She was well within her comfort zone and Edward took great joy in seeing his wife’s personality blossom, knowing that they were now living someplace that truly felt like home. Even at work, they both felt as though a weight had been lifted off their shoulders.

Chapter 4

Maine was the first state to adopt the new ‘Well Baby Initiative’ and would be operated and funded by the federal government. The program ran in the same building as the now defunct Maine care. Renovations included the addition of a loading dock and bays for two ambulances. The renovations were explained by the need for immediate emergency transportation. Unbeknownst to state and local officials, the ambulance drivers were federal agents, and although they were certified paramedics they’d been given a very different set of orders that had nothing to do with saving lives. The state of Maine, lacking competent leadership since the end of 2009, believed every word and no one asked any questions. In order to maintain their federal subsidies, no one in the state dared to question them. The state and local officials would remain ignorant of the facts that the agency did not exist on paper and carried an agenda that was beyond the unthinkable.

Shortly after the program was introduced to Maine, the state passed legislation that required all new parents to be screened. This included couples who were planning to have children. Census records would be checked every year for those who had children without going through the screening process, and they would also be screened. The state still had no idea what was really going on. Those who passed their screening would be allowed to have children and those who did not … Well, with over 600 million people in the country, who would miss a few? After all, people disappear all the time.

The new ‘Well Baby Initiative’ was now receiving statewide press with newspaper articles, radio broadcasts and television and internet placement. Every town and city was blanketed with flyers and applications, along with a statement of requirement from the state governor’s office. It was now official, and some people were scared, not knowing if there would be a next step or if this was something that might get beyond the state’s control. The last thing people wanted was to be told was whether they could have children, and many believed that it was their God given right – and nothing in the constitution that guaranteed people the right to reproduce. Naturally, a few people quickly came to believe that, like the banking system, their rights were now being defined by China and that the ‘American Way’ was rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Most people quickly discounted them as paranoid fanatics.

Chapter 5

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and Ajna was up early tending to her garden. The July heat was three degrees warmer than the record set four years ago, but the smog index was surprising low. Ordinarily, there wasn’t much activity in the neighborhood, but today people were out walking and children were out playing. The end of the month marked the beginning of the rainy season, and it would last for about two months. People got out whenever they could before being forced back inside by high winds and downpours. Edward was just getting up as Ajna was returning from her garden. He was making a pot of coffee and just before opening the bag he noticed that in small print it read ‘Grown in America’. Due to fifty years of climate change it was now grown in places like northern Maine, the southern slopes of Mount St. Helen's as well as the sides of what was left of Mt. Rainier.

Ajna went to the kitchen sink to wash the dirt off her hands.

So, how did you sleep? Edward asked.

Slept like a baby, Ajna replied. I have to say, ever since we moved here, I’ve been sleeping really well.

Edward nodded in acknowledgement.

Yeah, he replied. I feel like we can finally live our lives.

Me too, Ajna said as she walked up to Edward and put her arms around his waist.

She backed away quickly with a smile and said, Hey, let’s go to South Portland beach. We can take our scuba gear and check out the ruins. Wouldn’t it be cool if we could find the lighthouse?

That would be awesome, wouldn’t it? Edward said. And what was the name of that lighthouse?

I think it was called Portland Headlight, Ajna replied.

Well, Edward started. If we want to beat the crowd, we should get going.

So, while Ajna was busy packing a lunch, Edward brought up their scuba gear. He checked the tanks and regulators, making a close inspection of the hoses and mouthpieces. Everything looked great, no rust or cracks in anything. But, he double-checked Ajna’s gear, as he didn’t want to miss even the smallest thing. They were both certified divers, but Edward had the most experience.

They parked their car a few yards from where the road had broken and collapsed beneath the water. Rising ocean levels and erosion had their toll and eventually leveled the area that was, at one time, called Cape Elizabeth. The wealthy of that area tried everything they could and no expense was spared. They hired engineers and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars building an enclosed sea wall. But, a hurricane slammed into the coast and Maine took a direct hit. At the same time, the tide came in and left the sea wall in ruins. After that things went from bad to worse and Cape Elizabeth became eroded away into the ocean, leaving South Portland as beachfront property. Most of the roads were gone and the houses that once stood as symbols of wealth had been washed out into the open sea.

Neither of them had been diving in this area before, as it was usually closed to the public due to abnormally strong rip tides and frequent storms. After putting on their weight belts and strapping on their tanks, they again checked their mouthpieces and regulators. Everything was in perfect working order. They dived in from a sitting position off the edge of the broken road and swam toward the ruins of Cape Elizabeth. The water was unusually calm and clear, giving the ruins a haunting stillness. Some remained partially standing, with their windows blown out by the ocean’s power. Occasionally, Edward and Ajna would find a still standing fireplace – a stubborn monument to the destructive forces of time, as well as a planet in the process of evicting its tenants. After ten more minutes, they discovered an enormous pile of rubble and rock ahead of them. They surfaced for a moment.

Where are we? Ajna asked.

There used to be a land mass here, Edward answered. I think I was called Portland Head.

The erosion there was brutal and over time as ocean levels rose, the waves grew more powerful, causing the rock wall to collapse. It was not long after this that the rapid erosion quickly undermined the land the lighthouse stood on. Then, one night, a loud crack was heard followed by a rumbling sound and Portland Head as well as the lighthouse were gone. On last inspection, the lighthouse was still intact, in spite of being half buried in mud and encrusted with sea life.

They slowly made their way toward the top of the lighthouse. The water was calm, but the bottom was somewhat murky as loose pieces of seaweed swayed back and forth with the ocean's current. Edward pointed to his tank gauge, reminding Ajna to do the same. They gave each other a thumbs’ up and continued toward the top of Portland Headlight. The windows surrounding the once beaming light had long since shattered when erosion sent the spire crashing into the sea. However, the Fresnel lens still lay intact, just inches beneath the mud. They gently waved away the mud that had collected inside the black framework where the light was once mounted. Suddenly, they saw something that caught the sun’s shifting beams. It took several minutes, but they had managed to uncover the slightly cracked face of the lighthouse lens. Again, they gave each other a thumbs-up while nodding their heads in excitement. Edward pointed up toward the surface and they both and they both made their way up. Upon breaking the surface, they removed their mouthpieces.

That is so cool! Ajna exclaimed. What do we do with it?

I don’t think we can remove it, Edward said.

After Cape Elizabeth essentially fell into the ocean, the state declared the area that was Portland Headlight a historic site, and it became highly illegal to remove anything from it.

We should cover it back up! Edward said.

Ajna nodded in agreement, and they returned to where the lens lay half buried. Their tanks were beginning to run low, so they quickly covered the lens with several inches of mud. They wanted to be sure that no one else would find it.

They began to return to the section of broken road where their car was parked. Their tanks were too low for them to swim back through the ruins, so they breast stroked their way back.

Do you think anyone will find it? Ajna asked.

I don’t know, Edward replied. Usually, the current and weather keep people out. They started home after loading their scuba gear in the trunk, continuing to talk about the dive site.

Are there any more places to dive nearby? Ajna asked.

There might be an old Navy wreck not far off the coast, Edward answered. Let’s check on the net when we get home.

Upon returning home, they both noticed for the first time that there were no bullet holes in the front of their house. Ajna looked over at Edward with a smile.

What? Edward inquired.

Nothing, she answered. I really love this neighborhood, she said after a slight pause.

As Ajna was in the shower, Edward busied himself by bleeding their scuba tanks in the backyard. After he was finished, Edward went inside and washed the oil off his hands. Ajna was just turning off the shower as he sat down to turn on the television. He sat down just in time to catch the news, and his eyes quickly widened in disbelief.

You’ve gotta be kidding! Edward said as Ajna was coming down the stairs. What’s up? she said, as she continued toweling her hair.

Listen to this! Edward said.

He turned the volume up as the news announcer outlined the state’s new ‘Well Baby Initiative’. They both sat in disbelief as the announcer continued informing viewers that the program’s screening process was both necessary and mandatory.

Are they fuckin’ kidding? Edward exclaimed. They’re going to make everyone get screened?

It sounds like only people who are having kids have to go through this, Ajna said.

Okay, Edward replied. Let me get this straight. If we want to have kids, ‘we’ have to get screened. What does that have to do with a healthy baby that hasn’t even been born yet? They continued watching the news as the announcer moved on to the next story.

Just the parents, Edward said. But not the baby.

Well, Ajna began. Hospitals and doctor’s offices already do lab work on newborns.

Yeah, but why should the parents be screened? Edward asked. "And why is the state saying that