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ysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the June 2, 2020 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from ng_moonmoth, readera, curiosity, and wyld_dandelyon. It also fills the "Question / Request" square in my 6-1-20 card for the Cottoncandy Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with ng_moonmoth. It belongs to the Kraken thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.
"The Evolution of Society as a Whole"
[Monday, June 20, 2016]
Just over a year after Thalassia
formed, the Global Looking Glass
requested permission to visit and
make a human rights report.
Thalassia accepted, and that
brought Deepu Balakrishnan
out to the teleport pad.
The teleporter dropped off
a blonde woman who wore
a black sarong and a T-shirt
that read, No one shall be held
in slavery or servitude; slavery
and the slave trade shall be
prohibited in all their forms.
Deepu heartily approved of
both the slogan and the fact
that she had actually dressed
for the tropical climate, unlike
last week's World Bank guest
who'd refused to remove his suit
and wound up in the infirmary
with a case of heat exhaustion.
"Hi, I'm Abrial Rennes from
the Global Looking Glass,"
she said, holding out a hand.
"Deepu Balakrishnan, liaison,"
he said, shaking her hand.
"Welcome to Thalassia."
"It's beautiful," Abrial said
as she looked around at
the sapphire water beyond
the floating habitat that made up
Sierpinski City. "I'm so excited
to make the observations for
the first human rights report
about Thalassia," she said.
"What about everyone else?"
Deepu asked, tilting his head.
"What do you mean?" Abrial said.
"Well, we have plenty of primal soups,
some animal soups, a few other types
of nonhumans like the mystics, and
of course the Blackguards," he said.
"I've heard of the other groups, but who
or what are Blackguards?" said Abrial.
"Do you remember that pod of orcas
who attacked a boat full of whalers?"
said Deepu. "They moved here, and
they call themselves the Blackguards."
He pointed to where they were assisting
with the placement of a new module,
a small triangle covered in green.
"Is that rice?" Abrial asked.
"Looks like it," Deepu said.
"We want to grow at least some
of our own food, and a team is
working on salt-tolerant rice."
Once the orcas had it in place,
they chittered at the human team
on land to lock in the position.
"That's ... unexpected," said Abrial.
"That's typical here," said Deepu.
"We do a lot of things differently than
other countries -- although the Maldives
next door also recognizes cetaceans
as persons. Their whole navy
consists of two whales."
"I remember that from
the news too," said Abrial.
"All right, I guess I'll have to add
a nonhuman rights section to
my report ... I have no idea
where to start, that's not
my area of expertise."
"Just make a note for now
and consult with someone
who studies animal rights,"
Deepu suggested. "Put that
together with your training and
you should be able to come up
with an approach that works."
"That's a good idea," Abrial said,
making a note on her tablet computer.
"May we walk and talk? The more I
can see of your country, the better."
"We can walk around here," Deepu said,
waving at a sidewalk that widened into
a little plaza with vendors selling
food, flowers, and other things.
"This is nice," Abrial said.
"Is it all this good, though?"
"You're welcome to visit
the public places and see for
yourself," said Deepu. "However,
a lot of places are private, and
some are downright dangerous."
Abrial frowned. "That's not
a good sign," she said.
"The Maldives used to have
a general rule that tourists
couldn't visit private islands
without a direct invitation,"
Deepu pointed out. "We
have reasons to protect
our citizens' privacy."
"Oh, like Bhutan," she said.
"They have limited tourism
too. Something like that
might work for Thalassia."
"Bhutan?" said Deepu.
"I spent a month there in
the Get a Life program,"
Abrial said. "They invented
Gross National Happiness.
Does Thalassia use that?"
"I'm not sure. I can check,"
Deepu said. "We're still
in the process of shifting
from organization to nation."
"Well, do people here seem
happy in general?" said Abrial.
She looked around. "Most of
the ones I see are smiling."
Deepu rippled his fingers.
"That's complicated," he said.
"We have a beautiful new home
and a great support system, but
almost everyone here came
out of serious hardship."
"Oh, shit," she said. "Israel."
"We are NOT Israel," said Deepu.
"First, we don't have millennia
of communal trauma. Second,
we recognize the potential for
traumatic stress and offer care
as needed. Third, our neighbors
gave us this ocean territory."
"I'd like to hear more about
mental care options," said Abrial.
"Health care is among the topics
that Global Looking Glass measures."
"We have a wide range of treatments
available, which include ordinary and
superpowered ones," said Deepu.
"For what percentage of your citizens?"
Abrial asked. "Some countries brag up
their social programs, but then they
only cover a small number of people."
"Everyone, of course," said Deepu.
"Thalassia has 100% coverage of
health care, education, and pension."
"That's impossible," Abrial said.
"No country could cover all that."
"We weren't a country until
just recently," Deepu pointed out.
"We were an organization, and
nobody else wanted to take care
of us, so we took care of each other."
Abrial winced. "Sorry," she said.
"Okay, let's break it down. How do
you have complete health coverage?
Plenty of countries have nationalized
their health care, but it still has gaps."
"All right," Deepu said. "Have
you heard of a health nexus?"
"Yes, my husband and I belong
to one," said Abrial. They crossed
the space between one module and
the next, bobbing softly on the waves.
"We invented that idea," said Deepu.
"Every doctor, healer, counselor, and
other provider belongs to the nexus, so
all their offerings are covered. Clients
can choose whatever they want."
"How do you pay for all that?"
Abrial said, staring at him.
"I don't know the details,
but I can put you in touch with
someone who does," said Deepu.
"Contributions are on a sliding scale.
Most people chip in a lot if they can,
because some of that goes toward
research and development, and we
get to try all the new releases."
"A universal nexus, wow,"
said Abrial. "I've been wishing
we could share one among
international nonprofit groups.
Médecins Sans Frontières
is a nice start, but that's for
locals in need, not for staff."
"We can help you set that up,"
said Deepu. "We offer all kinds
of tech support to start a nexus."
"Tempting, but I'm not allowed
to take favors," said Abrial.
"It's not a favor," Deepu said.
"You want to observe how
our health system works.
This way you could do
that from the inside out."
"Good point," said Abrial.
"Okay, get me a contact
for setting up a nexus, and
someone who knows about
overall funding and coverage."
Deepu typed on his tablet computer.
"Do you want something for research
and development, too?" he asked.
"Like what?" Abrial said. Her hand
brushed a stand of tropical flowers.
"Are you familiar with flushies?"
Deepu said. "Aunt Flo settled in
the Maldives, but didn't start there."
"Oh, I got some of those on safari,
once!" Abrial said. "They're great."
"The first factory is due to open in
September," said Deepu. "Meanwhile,
there's a private supply. I could introduce
you to Aunt Flo so you'd have a comparison
with what we do here. She's always looking
for new playtesters. We have plenty of
adventurers, but not many who do safaris."
"I can't," Abrial said. "I'd have to put it
in the fair disclosure section, and that
goes at the top of the report. If I mention
menstruation, most men will quit reading."
"So call it research and development of
health supplies," Deepu suggested.
"That would work," Abrial said.
"Releasing flushies worldwide will
be a huge help to women everywhere."
"That's the plan," said Deepu. "Like
the Maldives, we're interested in
projects that most other countries
won't even consider for funding."
"Can you back all this up?"
Abrial asked as they turned
a corner. A sea breeze flung
spray at them, sparkling in the sun.
"That depends," said Deepu. "We
take privacy very seriously, and
a lot of people won't want to talk
with you. We don't have many of
the national measures common
in other countries, just because
we haven't been a country long."
"Won't talk, or aren't allowed
to talk?" Abrial demanded.
Deepu waved a hand at
the other pedestrians.
"Try anyone," he invited.
Abrial walked over to
the nearest man, who had
tiny horns on his forehead.
"Hi, I'm Abrial, and I'm from
the Global Looking Glass --"
"Fuck off," he said, and left.
"Well, that was rude," Abrial said.
She turned toward a woman
with light brown skin. "Hi --"
"I not talk to authorities,"
the woman said, and
then hurried away.
"Hey, are you really with
the Global Looking Glass?"
another voice asked.
They turned to see
a Korean boy with hair
streaked in shades
of blue and teal.
"Yes, that's true,"
Abrial said. "Why?"
"I'm Do-hyeon, and I'm
on a diplomatic team,"
the boy said. "My team
and I would love to talk."
Abrial raised her eyebrows.
"Aren't you a little young for that?"
He looked to be in his mid-teens.
Do-hyeon laughed. "We just
formed up and started training
a year ago," he explained.
"We're not working yet."
"Thalassia is a good place
for people interested in
diplomacy," said Deepu.
"The Maldives next door
gets a lot of visitors from
all around the world."
"Yes, I'd like to talk with
different people about
their experiences here,"
Abrial said. "I'm pleased
to meet you, Do-hyeon."
"Let me start a schedule,"
said Deepu. "Do-hyeon,
what does today look like
for you and your team?"
"We're free after lunch,"
Do-hyeon replied.
"All right, I'll book you
a slot in the afternoon,"
Deepu said. "Let's see,
this will do for the nexus.
I'm including a wander slot
so you don't feel railroaded,
Abrial. What do you think?"
She looked at the schedule
with a few blocks filled in, then
tapped the Accept button.
"Do-hyeon, I look forward
talking with you and your friends
later," said Abrial. "I'm working on
the first human rights report, so
think about those issues for me."
"What about everyone else?" he said.
"Oops," said Abrial. "My assignment
was human rights, and I just learned
there's more going on here. I'll need
to work up something for the rest."
"Oh, you want Mephista for that,"
Do-hyeon said easily. "She has
a lot of skunk traits, very mellow."
"That sounds like a big help,"
Abrial said. "I'll see you soon."
As Deepu and Abrial returned
to their walk, Deepu said, "I may
have another option for you
in terms of finding people
willing to talk to you."
"At this point, I'll take
what I can get," she said.
"I can post it on the job board,"
Deepu said. "I've got a budget
for supporting your project, so I
can put it up at our base pay for
safe gigs. There are always
people looking for new work."
"Sure," said Abrial. "Speaking of
work, what's your unemployment rate?"
"Thalassia has 0% unemployment,
hunger, poverty, and homelessness,"
said Deepu. "We don't waste potential."
"But you just said people would be
looking for work," Abrial protested.
"Okay, we have two basic types of
work," Deepu said. "Some people
take a permanent job. Others like
to go from one assignment to another,
sometimes wildly different things. But
everyone willing and able to work has
plenty of opportunities to choose from."
"I thought you were supervillains,"
Abrial said. "You're coming across
better than most countries do!"
"Some of us are, some of us
aren't," Deepu said. "I made
a terrible supervillain myself."
"What? Why?" Abrial said.
Deepu sighed. "When I was
twelve, my family tried to stop
people from lynching Muslims.
My father was killed and I fled.
Kraken picked me up, so I tried
using my superpower in combat,
but my control is poor. I was
bad at it and I hated it," he said.
"Then what happened?" she said
as they crossed to another module.
Deepu rubbed a hand through
his black hair. "Kraken helped me
figure out what I'd like to do, then
sent me to college in San Diego. I
majored in International Studies with
a minor in Changemaking," he said.
"How did you get your job, then?"
Abrial asked. "It seems interesting."
"I got an invitation," said Deepu.
"It sounded like an exciting job, and
I still like reaching out to Muslims,
so I pounced on the opportunity."
"Wow," said Abrial. "I'm glad
you found something to do,
even if it doesn't involve
using your superpowers."
"Mostly I use them to show off,"
Deepu said. "Would you like to see?"
"Yes, please!" Abrial said, clapping.
Deepu walked to the nearest seaphone
and began typing in a message.
"What are you doing?" Abrial said
as she leaned over his shoulder.
"Asking if anyone's hungry,"
he said. "The seaphone sends
a message in Morse code.
Cetaceans understand clicks,
so it's easy for them to learn."
Several dolphins and an orca
popped up next to the module.
I'm going to blast some fish,
Deepu typed. Warn everyone
away from this area for a minute.
The orca ducked underwater.
The green light lit on the seaphone,
and the orca reappeared with a splash.
"Stand back," Deepu said, and began
gathering energy. It formed a swarm
of tiny balls that crawled over his skin,
merging into large ones that suddenly
raced away and detonated in the water.
Several large fish floated to the top.
Deepu waved at his aquatic audience
so they could go enjoy the bounty.
"That was amazing," said Abrial.
"I've never seen anything like it!"
"Stick around here, and you'll
see a lot more," Deepu predicted.
His stomach growled. "Now I'm
hungry, though -- that burns calories."
Abrial turned in place. "That sign
says lunch," she observed, pointing.
"Perfect," Deepu said, and hustled
toward the waiting food cart.
Just as they arrived, an orca
pulled up to the edge of the module,
towing a flat of edible seaweed.
"One moment," the vendor said
as he hauled the flat onto a table.
Saltwater rained onto the deck,
running back to the ocean.
"The deck is slanted,
not level?" Abrial said.
"It has to be," Deepu said.
"We get a lot of rain here,
so it has to go somewhere,
and even where there's soil
it doesn't reach very deep."
"What flavor of lunch tower
do you want?" the vendor said.
Deepu looked at the menu
and said, "Tuna poke seaweed
with pineapple-lemon agua fresca."
"Tuna poke seaweed, but I want
cucumber-honeydew mint for
my drink," Abrial said. "Deepu,
put your wallet away, I'm buying.
You showed off for me, after all."
It wasn't very expensive, because
the main ingredients were local;
only the fried wonton strips on top
and the seasonings were imported.
It really was a tower, too, bright green
on the bottom and dark red in the middle,
with crunchy golden strips on the top.
"How do they make this?" Abrial said.
"Lunch in a can!" the vendor said.
"Watch while I set up the next batch.
These have to chill a while to set."
He cut off handfuls of seaweed
and crammed them into metal rings,
then topped that with cubed tuna.
When the rack was all full, he
lowered it into a chest refrigerator.
"That looks easy enough that I
could make it at home," Abrial said.
"You want the recipe?" the vendor said.
"People pay me for convenience, not
because this stuff is hard to make."
"Yes, please," said Abrial, and he
sent her a file with pictures and text.
"Let's sit down and eat. There are
picnic tables," Deepu said, pointing to
a cluster of standard and accessible ones.
They sat down, and Abrial clicked
her fingernails against the table.
"What is this made of?" she said.
"High-density recycled plastic,"
said Deepu. "The Maldives has
a nanotech processor chewing through
their old garbage island, and they're
selling slabs of this stuff cheap. It's
fantastic, it barely weathers at all."
"May I take a picture?" Abrial said.
"I was warned to ask first."
"Go ahead, just check to see
that the background doesn't
catch anyone else," said Deepu.
She snapped a picture of him at
the table and a closeup of its top.
As soon as she finished, Deepu
dug into his lunch, shoveling in tuna
and seaweed as fast as he could.
"This is really good," Abrial said.
"I love Hawaiian poke, but I've
never had it piled like this, and
the contrast makes it better."
Deepu savored his lunch,
washing it all down with
a pineapple-lemon drink.
"So about that job board,"
Deepu said. "Can you describe
what you want in 100 words or less?"
Abrial hummed thoughtfully, then said,
"Wanted: interviewees to discuss
the pros and cons of Thalassia for
a Global Looking Glass report."
Deepu typed it in. "Posted to
the online board," he said.
"Do you have a physical one?"
Abrial wondered. "Some places
still do, but others don't bother."
"We have one because we need it,"
Deepu said. "Not everyone here
can or wants to use a computer.
Would you like to see the board?"
"Yes, please," Abrial said as she
scooped up the rest of her lunch.
Deepu led the way across
several neighborhoods. "Here,"
he said, opening the door.
The bulletin board was
covered in bright pieces
of paper, half-hidden by
several people in front of it.
Deepu used the nearby printer
to run off the want ad, then
tacked it to a blank spot.
"New gig?" said a black woman
who had four gizmotronic limbs.
"Yes, I'm hoping to interview
people about life in Thalassia,"
said Abrial. "Interested?"
"Sure," the woman said.
"I'm Technisha. What does
your schedule look like?"
"Fairly open," said Abrial.
"Most folks tell me to fuck off."
Technisha laughed. "Well,
that's supervillains for you --
they're fresh as a morning egg."
Deepu brought up the schedule
and found a time for Technisha.
By then several other people
had crowded around the want ad,
so Deepu and Abrial moved away.
Abrial started reading the ads
at the far end of the board, and
Deepu peeked over her shoulder.
---------------------------------------------
Imping technician
Can you repair broken feathers?
Help injured fliers in our clinic.
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
Personal submarine tester
(+ hazard pay)
Advanced swimming skill,
Invulnerability, or Adaptation
a plus. Must be able to pilot
various types of watercraft.
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
Two positions to fill:
* Coral garden frame welder
* Propeller safety cage designer
Knowledge of metalwork and
geometry both essential.
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
Biological sample provider
Do you ooze? Gizmologist
seeks samples of exudates
with superpowered effects
for possible duplication. Pay
includes 5% of royalties on
any patents developed.
---------------------------------------------
"Are they serious?!" Abrial yelped.
"They better be. People here get
very annoyed if anyone pranks
the job board. It still happens,
but it's rare," said Deepu.
"What are you looking -- oh."
---------------------------------------------
Wormhole wildcatter
Are you easily bored?
Come scout the unknown
in alternate dimensions!
(+++++ hazard pay)
---------------------------------------------
"It looks legitimate to me,
though I can see why you
might wonder," Deepu said.
"What do you have in the way
of occupational safety here?"
Abrial said, looking worried.
"Super-Gizmologists, Gizmologists,
Super-Intellects, informed consent,
hazard pay, and the right of adults
to do as they wish," said Deepu.
"Also an excellent benefits plan
in case of injury or death."
"I think I need to call OSHA,"
Abrial muttered. "I keep finding
things that need credentials
completely outside my range."
"Do you want to see if we have
any current or former members?"
Deepu said. "OSHA is good,
but they don't always understand
zetetics, and that can be a problem."
"Put it on the list, please," said Abrial.
"Worker safety is a known concern."
"Just be sure to specify that some of
our citizens like this range of jobs,"
Deepu said. "Here, why don't we
cover up the contact information
and you can take snapshots of
the want ads themselves?"
"Good idea," said Abrial.
They used scraps of paper
to blank out the details, and
she snapped some pictures.
"Hey, you wanna get a shot with
some people in it?" Technisha said.
"That'll show we're interested."
"Yes, please," said Abrial. "Does
anyone else want to pose for pictures
to be used in a human rights report?
Back view, looking at the job board,
and you can choose whether or not
to give your name for the report."
The small crowd quickly sorted
itself into volunteers and people
who got out of their way.
Most of the volunteers
gave their cape names,
and Abrial took the pictures.
"Thank you all for your help,"
she said. "If you just got here,
I posted a want ad for people
to interview about life in Thalassia."
More shuffling ensued as people
huddled back around the board.
"By the way, does anyone have
problems with unemployment
here?" Abrial wondered.
Technisha stared at her.
"Uh, no," she said. "You are
literally standing in front of
the best job board in the world.
How could anyone be unemployed?
Unless they can't work, but that's
different. There's support for it."
Everyone else just shook their heads.
"Okay, thanks for the confirmation,"
Abrial said. "I'm finding it hard
to believe, but I'm thrilled if
that's actually true here."
After that, Deepu and
Abrial went back outside.
She looked out over
the interior harbor.
"The buildings look
different," she observed.
"Does that mean anything?"
"Sometimes," Deepu said.
"We use several basic styles
of multipurpose buildings,
just so people don't get lost
in a sea of endless blobitecture."
Abrial laughed. "Bless you.
I'm giving your architects
bonus points for that."
"You can see that many of
the base pads are empty or just
have grass," Deepu said. "Later,
we'll add more housing as needed."
"That's efficient," Abrial said,
making a note on her computer.
"It's necessary, because we
can't build everything at once,
even with speedsters and lots
of gizmology," Deepu said.
"Earlier, you claimed to have
no homelessness," Abrial said.
"Correct," said Deepu. "A lot of
people come in with nothing -- I did,
I was a street rat when Kraken found
me. So we give them a place to stay
and whatever else they need."
Abrial covered her mouth.
"I am so sorry," she said.
"It was a long time ago,"
Deepu said. "I'm better now."
"So ... you were pointing out
the sights?" Abrial prompted,
trying to dispel the awkwardness.
"Yes, I was," said Deepu. "Now
look over the shape of the city."
"It really is a Sierpinski snowflake,"
Abrial said. "I read about that."
"Okay, each neighborhood is
a triangle. Six of those make
a village. Six villages add up
to make a city," Deepu said.
"So it grows with you," Abrial said.
"That's the idea," Deepu agreed.
The little hexagons tend to be
multipurpose buildings. Typically
the ground floor has a public use
like retail, coworking, restaurants,
makerspace, and so on. Above
that lie the residential floors."
"That's a common pattern,"
Abrial said, looking up at
the nearest hexagons.
"Beyond the regular things,
each village also features
one unique element. Behind us
lies the Agora, which looks like
two triangles stacked together."
Abrial twisted around. "Okay."
"Across the interior lagoon to our left
is the Spiritual Center." Deepu pointed.
"The big dome has an interfaith house
of worship while the smaller ones are
churches for individual religions. There
are also several others scattered around."
"Like what?" Abrial wondered. "You
already have seven, which is a lot."
"Pagans prefer to worship outdoors, and
the Secular Personists insisted on putting
a contemplation room in the Science Building,"
said Deepu. "Remember your skepticism
about our lack of food insecurity? We
have a Pastafarian kitchen and cafeteria."
"That would do it," Abrial conceded.
"I'll need to document that, though."
"The Pastafarians will preach at you
until you puke," Deepu warned her.
"Show up with an empty belly. They're
used to feeding speedsters here."
"Well ... at least I'll have plenty of
opportunity to walk it off," Abrial said.
"That's the spirit. We have boardwalks
everywhere," Deepu said. "Next, past
the Spiritual Center is the Health Center,
shaped kind of like a paramedic star."
"I see that one," Abrial said.
"Straight across from us,
that big pile of blocks is
the Learning Center,"
Deepu said. "It covers
all ages for now. As we
grow, we'll branch out
into different schools."
"That makes sense,"
Abrial said with a nod.
"Then the set of cubes
is the Cultural Center,"
Deepu said. "It has
a lot of different parts."
"That sounds interesting,"
Abrial said. "I'll visit later."
Deepu added it to her schedule.
"Immediately to our right, the last one
is the Athletic center," he said. "It
has six wings like the Health Center,
but the roof curves in like a bowl."
"To catch rainwater?" Abrial guessed.
"Most of our roofs do that, one way
or another, but yes, that is among
among the better ones," Deepu said.
"We have interconnected systems
linking water, food, waste, energy,
and so forth to create as close
to a closed loop as we can."
"Impressive," Abrial said.
"Few cities do that well."
Deepu shrugged. "For us,
it's really just an expansion of
ship life," he said. "We're
used to keeping close watch
on resources and recycling."
"That makes sense," Abrial said.
"What about the rest of it? You
said that you don't have poverty,
that everyone is provided for."
"You saw the job board,"
Deepu said. "We offer
fair and equal pay for
people's hard work."
"What about those who
can't work?" Abrial said.
Deepu sighed. "We have ...
no small number of those,"
he admitted. "Many of us do
dangerous work, and others
have come from terrible places."
"Yeah, I saw that," said Abrial.
"At least you're aware of it."
"We don't pressure people to work
if they can't, but we try hard to find
something for everyone to do,"
said Deepu. "It's not healthy
for people to stay idle, it tends
to make them feel worthless,
even if they are loved."
"I can't argue with that,"
Abrial said. She turned
in place. "Gosh, you have
some great accommodations."
"Saw those, did you?" said Deepu.
"While it's impossible to accommodate
everyone in the same place, we try
to make our spaces easy to use.
Most of the area is either boardwalk
or smooth floor. We use ramps or
elevators more than stairs. Can
you find a map and use it?"
Abrial looked around,
spotted the nearest kiosk,
and walked over to it.
"Close your eyes and try
to use it," Deepu suggested.
"How am I supposed to use
this thing if I can't see it?"
Abrial demanded.
"Would you like audio
interface?" the kiosk said,
then repeated the question in
German, Esperanto, and Arabic.
"Okay, you get bonus points
on inclusivity," Abrial declared.
"This would be an easy place
for old people to get around."
"We have some, despite
the dangers," Deepu said.
"We've been around for
a long time, just not here."
"So how do you handle
your seniors?" Abrial asked.
"Our benefits package includes
a pension, enough to keep
everyone above the poverty line,"
Deepu said. "Of course, we have
to extrapolate that using data
from other places, since we don't
do things the same way here."
"You want people to have
the option of living well
somewhere else if they
want to," Abrial guessed.
"Some do," Deepu said.
"Support here is an option,
not a requirement, after all.
We have a number of places
run by current or former members
for people who want out, whether
due to age, injury, or interest."
"That's good to know," Abrial said.
"All right, you've given me sunshine
and roses. Tell me something that
doesn't work well here, or problems
you have worse than average."
"Substance abuse," Deepu said
without hesitation. "Any time you
have damaged people, some of
them will try to numb the pain with
whatever they can get their hands on.
Add zetetics to the mix, and you can
imagine how much worse that is here."
Abrial shuddered. "Well, I asked."
"Then there are other physical issues
that come with superpowers and
dangerous work," Deepu said.
"We also rescue a lot of people,
and not all of them get restored
to original function -- you've met
Technisha, for example."
"Yes, and she seems to be
doing well," Abrial said.
"She is, but not everyone is
that lucky," said Deepu. "In
the Maldives, researchers on
Red Island are trying to find drugs
that work normally on redheads."
"That's real?" Abrial said, startled.
"I thought that was just a myth."
"It's very real and very terrifying
for the people it affects," Deepu said.
"Not all redheads have that issue with
anaesthetics not working very well, but
a lot of them do. Soups in general
just can't count on drugs working right,
so we have to search for alternatives."
"I'm glad someone is," Abrial said.
"Everyone deserves proper care."
"They do, but it's hard when
most soups refuse study,"
Deepu said. "I understand
why, but I thank the gods
for redheads, who don't have
that fear and may learn things
that other soups can use."
"You buy the line about
redheads as crayon soups?"
Abrial said. "It seems a stretch."
"They make compelling arguments,"
Deepu said. "Not only is the hair color
exceptional, it connects to body quirks
similar to what other soups have, and
it also correlates with a higher frequency
of certain abilities including Fire Powers,
Second Sight, and the Bardic Gift."
"Huh," Abrial said. "I didn't know
that the powers matched up like that."
"Superpowers do all kinds of odd things,"
Deepu said. "That's one reason we have
a lot of mental issues here, too. It's not
just the high rate of trauma, it's that
superpowers can upset people
and generally complicate life."
"Can you estimate the rate of
mental issues here?" she said.
"No, but it's most of us," Deepu said.
"Visit the Health Center and ask them
about depersonalized information --
they'll probably give you that."
"Thank you, I'll do that later,"
Abrial said. "Schedule it, please."
Today's schedule was getting full,
but Deepu found a slot for that.
Checking the electronic want ad,
he found dozens of responses already.
"You're going to need at least a day for
interviews, probably more," he said,
showing her the tablet screen.
"I have plenty of time," Abrial said.
"So far, I haven't heard about
any human rights abuses.
Is that an issue for you?"
"Well ... some of us are
still supervillains, which tends
to involve violence," Deepu said.
"I'm not sure how that will work out
with the shift in status, and people
probably won't talk about it much,
but you can always watch the news."
"I'll look into it," Abrial said.
"Thank you for your honesty."
"Some human rights issues
do affect soups disproportionately,"
Deepu said, nodding at her T-shirt.
"We're targets for human trafficking,
since super slaves are super valuable."
"That's appalling," Abrial said. "I'm
sorry to hear about your hardships.
If you need help, just ask -- I have
contacts over a huge range of
humanitarian organizations."
"Who would work with us?"
Deepu asked dryly.
The look on her face
suggested that Abrial
was mentally crossing off
some items from her list.
"Well, I can find someone,
I'm sure," she said firmly.
"Then thank you for the offer,"
Deepu said. "Work on your report,
and I'll ask around to see whether
anyone wants to take you up on it."
"I can already tell that this is going to be
the strangest report I've ever written,"
Abrial muttered. "Thalassia is not like
any other country I've seen, and
I've been all over the world."
"The reason we're not like
other countries is because we
haven't been a country for long,"
Deepu said. "Everyone else either
grew so slowly that they built up
a lot of baggage, or they got
shoved together in a crisis."
"Like Israel," Abrial said.
"NOT like Israel," said Deepu.
"That put traumatized refugees
on stolen land, which has caused
no end of trouble. We made
our messy merger about
a century ago, and since then
we've become an organization
with a consistent structure."
"So more like a military than
a nation," Abrial observed.
"Kraken was founded
by the surviving crews of
two wrecked submarines --
one German, one American --
back in World War I," said Deepu.
"So yes, the fundamental structure
has military background, but we
are not all military anymore."
"You seem to be doing
a great job here," Abrial said.
"The multilingual signs are lovely."
"Oh, we had such a debate over that!"
Deepu said. "Our main languages have
always been German, English, and
Esperanto. We had to add another
for the Maldives, and argued over
Dhivehi or Arabic. Eventually Arabic
won because it has more speakers here,
with the stipulation that it may change."
"Well reasoned," Abrial said. "I'm
delighted to see more people
investing in Esperanto, too."
Deepu grinned. "If we have
accomplished nothing else, we
made Esperanto a world language,"
he said. "The only thing it lacked
was official recognition across
multiple countries, and we got
the Maldives to add it there."
Abrial whooped. "Sukceso!"
Deepu waited until she stopped
hopping around the boardwalk in glee.
Then he asked, "So what do you
think of our new nation so far?"
Abrial looked around at the city
floating serenely in the blue water,
surrounded by chattering cetaceans.
She watched the mix of people --
some with unusual colors or shapes --
mingling comfortably together as they
walked or played games on picnic tables
or read books under the palm trees.
"The right to development is the measure
of the respect of all other human rights.
That should be our aim: a situation
in which all individuals are enabled
to maximize their potential, and
to contribute to the evolution of
society as a whole," Abrial said.
"In that regard, you're doing well."
"Thank you," said Deepu. "I'm
glad that you came to visit."
"So am I," said Abrial. "Now,
let's find somewhere I can
sit down and look at responses
to the want ad that we posted."
Deepu laughed. "Turn around,"
he said. "That's what the Agora is for."
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its character, location, and content notes appear elsewhere.
ng_moonmoth, readera, curiosity, and wyld_dandelyon. It also fills the "Question / Request" square in my 6-1-20 card for the Cottoncandy Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with ng_moonmoth. It belongs to the Kraken thread of the Polychrome Heroics series."The Evolution of Society as a Whole"
[Monday, June 20, 2016]
Just over a year after Thalassia
formed, the Global Looking Glass
requested permission to visit and
make a human rights report.
Thalassia accepted, and that
brought Deepu Balakrishnan
out to the teleport pad.
The teleporter dropped off
a blonde woman who wore
a black sarong and a T-shirt
that read, No one shall be held
in slavery or servitude; slavery
and the slave trade shall be
prohibited in all their forms.
Deepu heartily approved of
both the slogan and the fact
that she had actually dressed
for the tropical climate, unlike
last week's World Bank guest
who'd refused to remove his suit
and wound up in the infirmary
with a case of heat exhaustion.
"Hi, I'm Abrial Rennes from
the Global Looking Glass,"
she said, holding out a hand.
"Deepu Balakrishnan, liaison,"
he said, shaking her hand.
"Welcome to Thalassia."
"It's beautiful," Abrial said
as she looked around at
the sapphire water beyond
the floating habitat that made up
Sierpinski City. "I'm so excited
to make the observations for
the first human rights report
about Thalassia," she said.
"What about everyone else?"
Deepu asked, tilting his head.
"What do you mean?" Abrial said.
"Well, we have plenty of primal soups,
some animal soups, a few other types
of nonhumans like the mystics, and
of course the Blackguards," he said.
"I've heard of the other groups, but who
or what are Blackguards?" said Abrial.
"Do you remember that pod of orcas
who attacked a boat full of whalers?"
said Deepu. "They moved here, and
they call themselves the Blackguards."
He pointed to where they were assisting
with the placement of a new module,
a small triangle covered in green.
"Is that rice?" Abrial asked.
"Looks like it," Deepu said.
"We want to grow at least some
of our own food, and a team is
working on salt-tolerant rice."
Once the orcas had it in place,
they chittered at the human team
on land to lock in the position.
"That's ... unexpected," said Abrial.
"That's typical here," said Deepu.
"We do a lot of things differently than
other countries -- although the Maldives
next door also recognizes cetaceans
as persons. Their whole navy
consists of two whales."
"I remember that from
the news too," said Abrial.
"All right, I guess I'll have to add
a nonhuman rights section to
my report ... I have no idea
where to start, that's not
my area of expertise."
"Just make a note for now
and consult with someone
who studies animal rights,"
Deepu suggested. "Put that
together with your training and
you should be able to come up
with an approach that works."
"That's a good idea," Abrial said,
making a note on her tablet computer.
"May we walk and talk? The more I
can see of your country, the better."
"We can walk around here," Deepu said,
waving at a sidewalk that widened into
a little plaza with vendors selling
food, flowers, and other things.
"This is nice," Abrial said.
"Is it all this good, though?"
"You're welcome to visit
the public places and see for
yourself," said Deepu. "However,
a lot of places are private, and
some are downright dangerous."
Abrial frowned. "That's not
a good sign," she said.
"The Maldives used to have
a general rule that tourists
couldn't visit private islands
without a direct invitation,"
Deepu pointed out. "We
have reasons to protect
our citizens' privacy."
"Oh, like Bhutan," she said.
"They have limited tourism
too. Something like that
might work for Thalassia."
"Bhutan?" said Deepu.
"I spent a month there in
the Get a Life program,"
Abrial said. "They invented
Gross National Happiness.
Does Thalassia use that?"
"I'm not sure. I can check,"
Deepu said. "We're still
in the process of shifting
from organization to nation."
"Well, do people here seem
happy in general?" said Abrial.
She looked around. "Most of
the ones I see are smiling."
Deepu rippled his fingers.
"That's complicated," he said.
"We have a beautiful new home
and a great support system, but
almost everyone here came
out of serious hardship."
"Oh, shit," she said. "Israel."
"We are NOT Israel," said Deepu.
"First, we don't have millennia
of communal trauma. Second,
we recognize the potential for
traumatic stress and offer care
as needed. Third, our neighbors
gave us this ocean territory."
"I'd like to hear more about
mental care options," said Abrial.
"Health care is among the topics
that Global Looking Glass measures."
"We have a wide range of treatments
available, which include ordinary and
superpowered ones," said Deepu.
"For what percentage of your citizens?"
Abrial asked. "Some countries brag up
their social programs, but then they
only cover a small number of people."
"Everyone, of course," said Deepu.
"Thalassia has 100% coverage of
health care, education, and pension."
"That's impossible," Abrial said.
"No country could cover all that."
"We weren't a country until
just recently," Deepu pointed out.
"We were an organization, and
nobody else wanted to take care
of us, so we took care of each other."
Abrial winced. "Sorry," she said.
"Okay, let's break it down. How do
you have complete health coverage?
Plenty of countries have nationalized
their health care, but it still has gaps."
"All right," Deepu said. "Have
you heard of a health nexus?"
"Yes, my husband and I belong
to one," said Abrial. They crossed
the space between one module and
the next, bobbing softly on the waves.
"We invented that idea," said Deepu.
"Every doctor, healer, counselor, and
other provider belongs to the nexus, so
all their offerings are covered. Clients
can choose whatever they want."
"How do you pay for all that?"
Abrial said, staring at him.
"I don't know the details,
but I can put you in touch with
someone who does," said Deepu.
"Contributions are on a sliding scale.
Most people chip in a lot if they can,
because some of that goes toward
research and development, and we
get to try all the new releases."
"A universal nexus, wow,"
said Abrial. "I've been wishing
we could share one among
international nonprofit groups.
Médecins Sans Frontières
is a nice start, but that's for
locals in need, not for staff."
"We can help you set that up,"
said Deepu. "We offer all kinds
of tech support to start a nexus."
"Tempting, but I'm not allowed
to take favors," said Abrial.
"It's not a favor," Deepu said.
"You want to observe how
our health system works.
This way you could do
that from the inside out."
"Good point," said Abrial.
"Okay, get me a contact
for setting up a nexus, and
someone who knows about
overall funding and coverage."
Deepu typed on his tablet computer.
"Do you want something for research
and development, too?" he asked.
"Like what?" Abrial said. Her hand
brushed a stand of tropical flowers.
"Are you familiar with flushies?"
Deepu said. "Aunt Flo settled in
the Maldives, but didn't start there."
"Oh, I got some of those on safari,
once!" Abrial said. "They're great."
"The first factory is due to open in
September," said Deepu. "Meanwhile,
there's a private supply. I could introduce
you to Aunt Flo so you'd have a comparison
with what we do here. She's always looking
for new playtesters. We have plenty of
adventurers, but not many who do safaris."
"I can't," Abrial said. "I'd have to put it
in the fair disclosure section, and that
goes at the top of the report. If I mention
menstruation, most men will quit reading."
"So call it research and development of
health supplies," Deepu suggested.
"That would work," Abrial said.
"Releasing flushies worldwide will
be a huge help to women everywhere."
"That's the plan," said Deepu. "Like
the Maldives, we're interested in
projects that most other countries
won't even consider for funding."
"Can you back all this up?"
Abrial asked as they turned
a corner. A sea breeze flung
spray at them, sparkling in the sun.
"That depends," said Deepu. "We
take privacy very seriously, and
a lot of people won't want to talk
with you. We don't have many of
the national measures common
in other countries, just because
we haven't been a country long."
"Won't talk, or aren't allowed
to talk?" Abrial demanded.
Deepu waved a hand at
the other pedestrians.
"Try anyone," he invited.
Abrial walked over to
the nearest man, who had
tiny horns on his forehead.
"Hi, I'm Abrial, and I'm from
the Global Looking Glass --"
"Fuck off," he said, and left.
"Well, that was rude," Abrial said.
She turned toward a woman
with light brown skin. "Hi --"
"I not talk to authorities,"
the woman said, and
then hurried away.
"Hey, are you really with
the Global Looking Glass?"
another voice asked.
They turned to see
a Korean boy with hair
streaked in shades
of blue and teal.
"Yes, that's true,"
Abrial said. "Why?"
"I'm Do-hyeon, and I'm
on a diplomatic team,"
the boy said. "My team
and I would love to talk."
Abrial raised her eyebrows.
"Aren't you a little young for that?"
He looked to be in his mid-teens.
Do-hyeon laughed. "We just
formed up and started training
a year ago," he explained.
"We're not working yet."
"Thalassia is a good place
for people interested in
diplomacy," said Deepu.
"The Maldives next door
gets a lot of visitors from
all around the world."
"Yes, I'd like to talk with
different people about
their experiences here,"
Abrial said. "I'm pleased
to meet you, Do-hyeon."
"Let me start a schedule,"
said Deepu. "Do-hyeon,
what does today look like
for you and your team?"
"We're free after lunch,"
Do-hyeon replied.
"All right, I'll book you
a slot in the afternoon,"
Deepu said. "Let's see,
this will do for the nexus.
I'm including a wander slot
so you don't feel railroaded,
Abrial. What do you think?"
She looked at the schedule
with a few blocks filled in, then
tapped the Accept button.
"Do-hyeon, I look forward
talking with you and your friends
later," said Abrial. "I'm working on
the first human rights report, so
think about those issues for me."
"What about everyone else?" he said.
"Oops," said Abrial. "My assignment
was human rights, and I just learned
there's more going on here. I'll need
to work up something for the rest."
"Oh, you want Mephista for that,"
Do-hyeon said easily. "She has
a lot of skunk traits, very mellow."
"That sounds like a big help,"
Abrial said. "I'll see you soon."
As Deepu and Abrial returned
to their walk, Deepu said, "I may
have another option for you
in terms of finding people
willing to talk to you."
"At this point, I'll take
what I can get," she said.
"I can post it on the job board,"
Deepu said. "I've got a budget
for supporting your project, so I
can put it up at our base pay for
safe gigs. There are always
people looking for new work."
"Sure," said Abrial. "Speaking of
work, what's your unemployment rate?"
"Thalassia has 0% unemployment,
hunger, poverty, and homelessness,"
said Deepu. "We don't waste potential."
"But you just said people would be
looking for work," Abrial protested.
"Okay, we have two basic types of
work," Deepu said. "Some people
take a permanent job. Others like
to go from one assignment to another,
sometimes wildly different things. But
everyone willing and able to work has
plenty of opportunities to choose from."
"I thought you were supervillains,"
Abrial said. "You're coming across
better than most countries do!"
"Some of us are, some of us
aren't," Deepu said. "I made
a terrible supervillain myself."
"What? Why?" Abrial said.
Deepu sighed. "When I was
twelve, my family tried to stop
people from lynching Muslims.
My father was killed and I fled.
Kraken picked me up, so I tried
using my superpower in combat,
but my control is poor. I was
bad at it and I hated it," he said.
"Then what happened?" she said
as they crossed to another module.
Deepu rubbed a hand through
his black hair. "Kraken helped me
figure out what I'd like to do, then
sent me to college in San Diego. I
majored in International Studies with
a minor in Changemaking," he said.
"How did you get your job, then?"
Abrial asked. "It seems interesting."
"I got an invitation," said Deepu.
"It sounded like an exciting job, and
I still like reaching out to Muslims,
so I pounced on the opportunity."
"Wow," said Abrial. "I'm glad
you found something to do,
even if it doesn't involve
using your superpowers."
"Mostly I use them to show off,"
Deepu said. "Would you like to see?"
"Yes, please!" Abrial said, clapping.
Deepu walked to the nearest seaphone
and began typing in a message.
"What are you doing?" Abrial said
as she leaned over his shoulder.
"Asking if anyone's hungry,"
he said. "The seaphone sends
a message in Morse code.
Cetaceans understand clicks,
so it's easy for them to learn."
Several dolphins and an orca
popped up next to the module.
I'm going to blast some fish,
Deepu typed. Warn everyone
away from this area for a minute.
The orca ducked underwater.
The green light lit on the seaphone,
and the orca reappeared with a splash.
"Stand back," Deepu said, and began
gathering energy. It formed a swarm
of tiny balls that crawled over his skin,
merging into large ones that suddenly
raced away and detonated in the water.
Several large fish floated to the top.
Deepu waved at his aquatic audience
so they could go enjoy the bounty.
"That was amazing," said Abrial.
"I've never seen anything like it!"
"Stick around here, and you'll
see a lot more," Deepu predicted.
His stomach growled. "Now I'm
hungry, though -- that burns calories."
Abrial turned in place. "That sign
says lunch," she observed, pointing.
"Perfect," Deepu said, and hustled
toward the waiting food cart.
Just as they arrived, an orca
pulled up to the edge of the module,
towing a flat of edible seaweed.
"One moment," the vendor said
as he hauled the flat onto a table.
Saltwater rained onto the deck,
running back to the ocean.
"The deck is slanted,
not level?" Abrial said.
"It has to be," Deepu said.
"We get a lot of rain here,
so it has to go somewhere,
and even where there's soil
it doesn't reach very deep."
"What flavor of lunch tower
do you want?" the vendor said.
Deepu looked at the menu
and said, "Tuna poke seaweed
with pineapple-lemon agua fresca."
"Tuna poke seaweed, but I want
cucumber-honeydew mint for
my drink," Abrial said. "Deepu,
put your wallet away, I'm buying.
You showed off for me, after all."
It wasn't very expensive, because
the main ingredients were local;
only the fried wonton strips on top
and the seasonings were imported.
It really was a tower, too, bright green
on the bottom and dark red in the middle,
with crunchy golden strips on the top.
"How do they make this?" Abrial said.
"Lunch in a can!" the vendor said.
"Watch while I set up the next batch.
These have to chill a while to set."
He cut off handfuls of seaweed
and crammed them into metal rings,
then topped that with cubed tuna.
When the rack was all full, he
lowered it into a chest refrigerator.
"That looks easy enough that I
could make it at home," Abrial said.
"You want the recipe?" the vendor said.
"People pay me for convenience, not
because this stuff is hard to make."
"Yes, please," said Abrial, and he
sent her a file with pictures and text.
"Let's sit down and eat. There are
picnic tables," Deepu said, pointing to
a cluster of standard and accessible ones.
They sat down, and Abrial clicked
her fingernails against the table.
"What is this made of?" she said.
"High-density recycled plastic,"
said Deepu. "The Maldives has
a nanotech processor chewing through
their old garbage island, and they're
selling slabs of this stuff cheap. It's
fantastic, it barely weathers at all."
"May I take a picture?" Abrial said.
"I was warned to ask first."
"Go ahead, just check to see
that the background doesn't
catch anyone else," said Deepu.
She snapped a picture of him at
the table and a closeup of its top.
As soon as she finished, Deepu
dug into his lunch, shoveling in tuna
and seaweed as fast as he could.
"This is really good," Abrial said.
"I love Hawaiian poke, but I've
never had it piled like this, and
the contrast makes it better."
Deepu savored his lunch,
washing it all down with
a pineapple-lemon drink.
"So about that job board,"
Deepu said. "Can you describe
what you want in 100 words or less?"
Abrial hummed thoughtfully, then said,
"Wanted: interviewees to discuss
the pros and cons of Thalassia for
a Global Looking Glass report."
Deepu typed it in. "Posted to
the online board," he said.
"Do you have a physical one?"
Abrial wondered. "Some places
still do, but others don't bother."
"We have one because we need it,"
Deepu said. "Not everyone here
can or wants to use a computer.
Would you like to see the board?"
"Yes, please," Abrial said as she
scooped up the rest of her lunch.
Deepu led the way across
several neighborhoods. "Here,"
he said, opening the door.
The bulletin board was
covered in bright pieces
of paper, half-hidden by
several people in front of it.
Deepu used the nearby printer
to run off the want ad, then
tacked it to a blank spot.
"New gig?" said a black woman
who had four gizmotronic limbs.
"Yes, I'm hoping to interview
people about life in Thalassia,"
said Abrial. "Interested?"
"Sure," the woman said.
"I'm Technisha. What does
your schedule look like?"
"Fairly open," said Abrial.
"Most folks tell me to fuck off."
Technisha laughed. "Well,
that's supervillains for you --
they're fresh as a morning egg."
Deepu brought up the schedule
and found a time for Technisha.
By then several other people
had crowded around the want ad,
so Deepu and Abrial moved away.
Abrial started reading the ads
at the far end of the board, and
Deepu peeked over her shoulder.
---------------------------------------------
Imping technician
Can you repair broken feathers?
Help injured fliers in our clinic.
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
Personal submarine tester
(+ hazard pay)
Advanced swimming skill,
Invulnerability, or Adaptation
a plus. Must be able to pilot
various types of watercraft.
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
Two positions to fill:
* Coral garden frame welder
* Propeller safety cage designer
Knowledge of metalwork and
geometry both essential.
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
Biological sample provider
Do you ooze? Gizmologist
seeks samples of exudates
with superpowered effects
for possible duplication. Pay
includes 5% of royalties on
any patents developed.
---------------------------------------------
"Are they serious?!" Abrial yelped.
"They better be. People here get
very annoyed if anyone pranks
the job board. It still happens,
but it's rare," said Deepu.
"What are you looking -- oh."
---------------------------------------------
Wormhole wildcatter
Are you easily bored?
Come scout the unknown
in alternate dimensions!
(+++++ hazard pay)
---------------------------------------------
"It looks legitimate to me,
though I can see why you
might wonder," Deepu said.
"What do you have in the way
of occupational safety here?"
Abrial said, looking worried.
"Super-Gizmologists, Gizmologists,
Super-Intellects, informed consent,
hazard pay, and the right of adults
to do as they wish," said Deepu.
"Also an excellent benefits plan
in case of injury or death."
"I think I need to call OSHA,"
Abrial muttered. "I keep finding
things that need credentials
completely outside my range."
"Do you want to see if we have
any current or former members?"
Deepu said. "OSHA is good,
but they don't always understand
zetetics, and that can be a problem."
"Put it on the list, please," said Abrial.
"Worker safety is a known concern."
"Just be sure to specify that some of
our citizens like this range of jobs,"
Deepu said. "Here, why don't we
cover up the contact information
and you can take snapshots of
the want ads themselves?"
"Good idea," said Abrial.
They used scraps of paper
to blank out the details, and
she snapped some pictures.
"Hey, you wanna get a shot with
some people in it?" Technisha said.
"That'll show we're interested."
"Yes, please," said Abrial. "Does
anyone else want to pose for pictures
to be used in a human rights report?
Back view, looking at the job board,
and you can choose whether or not
to give your name for the report."
The small crowd quickly sorted
itself into volunteers and people
who got out of their way.
Most of the volunteers
gave their cape names,
and Abrial took the pictures.
"Thank you all for your help,"
she said. "If you just got here,
I posted a want ad for people
to interview about life in Thalassia."
More shuffling ensued as people
huddled back around the board.
"By the way, does anyone have
problems with unemployment
here?" Abrial wondered.
Technisha stared at her.
"Uh, no," she said. "You are
literally standing in front of
the best job board in the world.
How could anyone be unemployed?
Unless they can't work, but that's
different. There's support for it."
Everyone else just shook their heads.
"Okay, thanks for the confirmation,"
Abrial said. "I'm finding it hard
to believe, but I'm thrilled if
that's actually true here."
After that, Deepu and
Abrial went back outside.
She looked out over
the interior harbor.
"The buildings look
different," she observed.
"Does that mean anything?"
"Sometimes," Deepu said.
"We use several basic styles
of multipurpose buildings,
just so people don't get lost
in a sea of endless blobitecture."
Abrial laughed. "Bless you.
I'm giving your architects
bonus points for that."
"You can see that many of
the base pads are empty or just
have grass," Deepu said. "Later,
we'll add more housing as needed."
"That's efficient," Abrial said,
making a note on her computer.
"It's necessary, because we
can't build everything at once,
even with speedsters and lots
of gizmology," Deepu said.
"Earlier, you claimed to have
no homelessness," Abrial said.
"Correct," said Deepu. "A lot of
people come in with nothing -- I did,
I was a street rat when Kraken found
me. So we give them a place to stay
and whatever else they need."
Abrial covered her mouth.
"I am so sorry," she said.
"It was a long time ago,"
Deepu said. "I'm better now."
"So ... you were pointing out
the sights?" Abrial prompted,
trying to dispel the awkwardness.
"Yes, I was," said Deepu. "Now
look over the shape of the city."
"It really is a Sierpinski snowflake,"
Abrial said. "I read about that."
"Okay, each neighborhood is
a triangle. Six of those make
a village. Six villages add up
to make a city," Deepu said.
"So it grows with you," Abrial said.
"That's the idea," Deepu agreed.
The little hexagons tend to be
multipurpose buildings. Typically
the ground floor has a public use
like retail, coworking, restaurants,
makerspace, and so on. Above
that lie the residential floors."
"That's a common pattern,"
Abrial said, looking up at
the nearest hexagons.
"Beyond the regular things,
each village also features
one unique element. Behind us
lies the Agora, which looks like
two triangles stacked together."
Abrial twisted around. "Okay."
"Across the interior lagoon to our left
is the Spiritual Center." Deepu pointed.
"The big dome has an interfaith house
of worship while the smaller ones are
churches for individual religions. There
are also several others scattered around."
"Like what?" Abrial wondered. "You
already have seven, which is a lot."
"Pagans prefer to worship outdoors, and
the Secular Personists insisted on putting
a contemplation room in the Science Building,"
said Deepu. "Remember your skepticism
about our lack of food insecurity? We
have a Pastafarian kitchen and cafeteria."
"That would do it," Abrial conceded.
"I'll need to document that, though."
"The Pastafarians will preach at you
until you puke," Deepu warned her.
"Show up with an empty belly. They're
used to feeding speedsters here."
"Well ... at least I'll have plenty of
opportunity to walk it off," Abrial said.
"That's the spirit. We have boardwalks
everywhere," Deepu said. "Next, past
the Spiritual Center is the Health Center,
shaped kind of like a paramedic star."
"I see that one," Abrial said.
"Straight across from us,
that big pile of blocks is
the Learning Center,"
Deepu said. "It covers
all ages for now. As we
grow, we'll branch out
into different schools."
"That makes sense,"
Abrial said with a nod.
"Then the set of cubes
is the Cultural Center,"
Deepu said. "It has
a lot of different parts."
"That sounds interesting,"
Abrial said. "I'll visit later."
Deepu added it to her schedule.
"Immediately to our right, the last one
is the Athletic center," he said. "It
has six wings like the Health Center,
but the roof curves in like a bowl."
"To catch rainwater?" Abrial guessed.
"Most of our roofs do that, one way
or another, but yes, that is among
among the better ones," Deepu said.
"We have interconnected systems
linking water, food, waste, energy,
and so forth to create as close
to a closed loop as we can."
"Impressive," Abrial said.
"Few cities do that well."
Deepu shrugged. "For us,
it's really just an expansion of
ship life," he said. "We're
used to keeping close watch
on resources and recycling."
"That makes sense," Abrial said.
"What about the rest of it? You
said that you don't have poverty,
that everyone is provided for."
"You saw the job board,"
Deepu said. "We offer
fair and equal pay for
people's hard work."
"What about those who
can't work?" Abrial said.
Deepu sighed. "We have ...
no small number of those,"
he admitted. "Many of us do
dangerous work, and others
have come from terrible places."
"Yeah, I saw that," said Abrial.
"At least you're aware of it."
"We don't pressure people to work
if they can't, but we try hard to find
something for everyone to do,"
said Deepu. "It's not healthy
for people to stay idle, it tends
to make them feel worthless,
even if they are loved."
"I can't argue with that,"
Abrial said. She turned
in place. "Gosh, you have
some great accommodations."
"Saw those, did you?" said Deepu.
"While it's impossible to accommodate
everyone in the same place, we try
to make our spaces easy to use.
Most of the area is either boardwalk
or smooth floor. We use ramps or
elevators more than stairs. Can
you find a map and use it?"
Abrial looked around,
spotted the nearest kiosk,
and walked over to it.
"Close your eyes and try
to use it," Deepu suggested.
"How am I supposed to use
this thing if I can't see it?"
Abrial demanded.
"Would you like audio
interface?" the kiosk said,
then repeated the question in
German, Esperanto, and Arabic.
"Okay, you get bonus points
on inclusivity," Abrial declared.
"This would be an easy place
for old people to get around."
"We have some, despite
the dangers," Deepu said.
"We've been around for
a long time, just not here."
"So how do you handle
your seniors?" Abrial asked.
"Our benefits package includes
a pension, enough to keep
everyone above the poverty line,"
Deepu said. "Of course, we have
to extrapolate that using data
from other places, since we don't
do things the same way here."
"You want people to have
the option of living well
somewhere else if they
want to," Abrial guessed.
"Some do," Deepu said.
"Support here is an option,
not a requirement, after all.
We have a number of places
run by current or former members
for people who want out, whether
due to age, injury, or interest."
"That's good to know," Abrial said.
"All right, you've given me sunshine
and roses. Tell me something that
doesn't work well here, or problems
you have worse than average."
"Substance abuse," Deepu said
without hesitation. "Any time you
have damaged people, some of
them will try to numb the pain with
whatever they can get their hands on.
Add zetetics to the mix, and you can
imagine how much worse that is here."
Abrial shuddered. "Well, I asked."
"Then there are other physical issues
that come with superpowers and
dangerous work," Deepu said.
"We also rescue a lot of people,
and not all of them get restored
to original function -- you've met
Technisha, for example."
"Yes, and she seems to be
doing well," Abrial said.
"She is, but not everyone is
that lucky," said Deepu. "In
the Maldives, researchers on
Red Island are trying to find drugs
that work normally on redheads."
"That's real?" Abrial said, startled.
"I thought that was just a myth."
"It's very real and very terrifying
for the people it affects," Deepu said.
"Not all redheads have that issue with
anaesthetics not working very well, but
a lot of them do. Soups in general
just can't count on drugs working right,
so we have to search for alternatives."
"I'm glad someone is," Abrial said.
"Everyone deserves proper care."
"They do, but it's hard when
most soups refuse study,"
Deepu said. "I understand
why, but I thank the gods
for redheads, who don't have
that fear and may learn things
that other soups can use."
"You buy the line about
redheads as crayon soups?"
Abrial said. "It seems a stretch."
"They make compelling arguments,"
Deepu said. "Not only is the hair color
exceptional, it connects to body quirks
similar to what other soups have, and
it also correlates with a higher frequency
of certain abilities including Fire Powers,
Second Sight, and the Bardic Gift."
"Huh," Abrial said. "I didn't know
that the powers matched up like that."
"Superpowers do all kinds of odd things,"
Deepu said. "That's one reason we have
a lot of mental issues here, too. It's not
just the high rate of trauma, it's that
superpowers can upset people
and generally complicate life."
"Can you estimate the rate of
mental issues here?" she said.
"No, but it's most of us," Deepu said.
"Visit the Health Center and ask them
about depersonalized information --
they'll probably give you that."
"Thank you, I'll do that later,"
Abrial said. "Schedule it, please."
Today's schedule was getting full,
but Deepu found a slot for that.
Checking the electronic want ad,
he found dozens of responses already.
"You're going to need at least a day for
interviews, probably more," he said,
showing her the tablet screen.
"I have plenty of time," Abrial said.
"So far, I haven't heard about
any human rights abuses.
Is that an issue for you?"
"Well ... some of us are
still supervillains, which tends
to involve violence," Deepu said.
"I'm not sure how that will work out
with the shift in status, and people
probably won't talk about it much,
but you can always watch the news."
"I'll look into it," Abrial said.
"Thank you for your honesty."
"Some human rights issues
do affect soups disproportionately,"
Deepu said, nodding at her T-shirt.
"We're targets for human trafficking,
since super slaves are super valuable."
"That's appalling," Abrial said. "I'm
sorry to hear about your hardships.
If you need help, just ask -- I have
contacts over a huge range of
humanitarian organizations."
"Who would work with us?"
Deepu asked dryly.
The look on her face
suggested that Abrial
was mentally crossing off
some items from her list.
"Well, I can find someone,
I'm sure," she said firmly.
"Then thank you for the offer,"
Deepu said. "Work on your report,
and I'll ask around to see whether
anyone wants to take you up on it."
"I can already tell that this is going to be
the strangest report I've ever written,"
Abrial muttered. "Thalassia is not like
any other country I've seen, and
I've been all over the world."
"The reason we're not like
other countries is because we
haven't been a country for long,"
Deepu said. "Everyone else either
grew so slowly that they built up
a lot of baggage, or they got
shoved together in a crisis."
"Like Israel," Abrial said.
"NOT like Israel," said Deepu.
"That put traumatized refugees
on stolen land, which has caused
no end of trouble. We made
our messy merger about
a century ago, and since then
we've become an organization
with a consistent structure."
"So more like a military than
a nation," Abrial observed.
"Kraken was founded
by the surviving crews of
two wrecked submarines --
one German, one American --
back in World War I," said Deepu.
"So yes, the fundamental structure
has military background, but we
are not all military anymore."
"You seem to be doing
a great job here," Abrial said.
"The multilingual signs are lovely."
"Oh, we had such a debate over that!"
Deepu said. "Our main languages have
always been German, English, and
Esperanto. We had to add another
for the Maldives, and argued over
Dhivehi or Arabic. Eventually Arabic
won because it has more speakers here,
with the stipulation that it may change."
"Well reasoned," Abrial said. "I'm
delighted to see more people
investing in Esperanto, too."
Deepu grinned. "If we have
accomplished nothing else, we
made Esperanto a world language,"
he said. "The only thing it lacked
was official recognition across
multiple countries, and we got
the Maldives to add it there."
Abrial whooped. "Sukceso!"
Deepu waited until she stopped
hopping around the boardwalk in glee.
Then he asked, "So what do you
think of our new nation so far?"
Abrial looked around at the city
floating serenely in the blue water,
surrounded by chattering cetaceans.
She watched the mix of people --
some with unusual colors or shapes --
mingling comfortably together as they
walked or played games on picnic tables
or read books under the palm trees.
"The right to development is the measure
of the respect of all other human rights.
That should be our aim: a situation
in which all individuals are enabled
to maximize their potential, and
to contribute to the evolution of
society as a whole," Abrial said.
"In that regard, you're doing well."
"Thank you," said Deepu. "I'm
glad that you came to visit."
"So am I," said Abrial. "Now,
let's find somewhere I can
sit down and look at responses
to the want ad that we posted."
Deepu laughed. "Turn around,"
he said. "That's what the Agora is for."
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its character, location, and content notes appear elsewhere.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-10-29 03:40 am (UTC)I would so move there if I could...
Also, couple of details about redheads being soups that might have escaped your notice. There is a strong correlation between the genes for redheadiness and being tetrachromatic. Tetrachromatia occurs at about four times the average in the general population rate among redheads.
Related, but less known, is that a small percentage of redheads have a abnormally folded protein in the lens of the eye, that allows UV light though. Meaning they can see into the uV end of the spectra.
Current thinking is that redheads are not mutation of the base homosapians but actually have some genes carried over from the Devonsia sub-species who hybridised with H.sapiens Sapien, roughly about the same time as the neanderthal. It's believed that they were a mostly aboral species, living in heavily forested areas and with adaptations to match. Hence, seeing more shades of green, and into the UV spectra [both critical in foraging] as well as the well known red-headed trait of being sensitive to sunburn.. which is less of a problem if you live in the shade most of the time.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-10-29 01:39 pm (UTC)BRCA1 is tearing through the family, 3 known deaths to breast or related cancers including in males, and I lost count of how many people have active cancers right now. My brother is strawberry blond, and had sun poisoning to blisters. His kids, our first cousins' kids, all born with red hair, except the one with congenital hyperinsulinism, which sounds too close to maple syrup urine syndrome, also more common in Ashkenazi Jewish descent. https://www.jewishgeneticdiseases.org/diseases/maple-syrup-urine-disease/#:~:text=Maple%20Syrup%20Urine%20Disease%20Ib,intellectual%20development%20or%20neurological%20complications. All 6 of the first cousins (2 brothers' offspring) married non-Jews, but we seem to be popping out with all of the recessives, anyway.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-10-29 01:48 pm (UTC)It does make you wonder... I mean the eye sight thing is due to pigmentation genes in effect, optical dyes basically... the variances of which are the result of homobox genes being expressed differently I seem to recall. I would imagine that would affect other metabolic pathways as well...
Who knows though, I don't think anyone has done a study since redheads aren't exactly a recognised minority ethnic group.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-10-29 08:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-10-30 12:53 am (UTC)Thoughts
Date: 2020-10-30 01:16 am (UTC)They really are.
>> I hope they stay a just and healthy nation! <<
Healthy, yes.
Just ... is a matter of interpretation. They aren't uncivilized, but they are differently civilized than most people. That's going to play into how they develop as a nation, in the open, rather than working from the depths.
I think it will help a lot that they have President Latheef for guidance. He has to work with Islamic guidelines that don't always mesh well with the modern world. Thalassia has to work with supervillain culture that doesn't always mesh well with everyone else's ideals.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2020-10-30 01:34 am (UTC)Fairness has to do with balance. Holding to (and correcting) laws, agreements, and self-natures is an act of honor. Benefit to participants and those affected is good. Managing health is what justice is for. If any of those get out of balance with each other, the health of the whole is more important - but the whole is made of its parts, a gestalt, and ill health in the parts should be addressed so that the whole *and the parts* have good.
If it takes a supposed supervillain to keep justice, well, then that's what it takes. Not that such a thing should be common! But good can live in anyone's deeds, if they let it.