Saving Eden by K R S McEntire

Author:K R S McEntire [McEntire, K R S]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-01-23T16:00:00+00:00

The sun was starting to rise over the settlement. Jesse took Angela through Millennium Park on their way back. Angela enjoyed seeing her reflection as she walked under an enormous mirrored sculpture Jesse called “the Bean.” A few other people were in the park: a father and child playing tag and a man putting various trinkets on a blanket to sell them to passers-by. Angela took in the man's hair, bright green, and his face, covered in tattoos.

“When more of your freedom is getting taken away, the more you want to feel like an individual. A lot of people are turning into mod-freaks,” Jesse said. “People have been getting more tattoos, piercings, and skin treatments than ever. The new popular ones are eye-color changes, eye tattoos, and skin-color changes. It’s a visual way to flaunt your money, if you happen to still have any. The lead singer of Piano has fake, bright red skin. Rain likes it, but I think he looks like he has a permanent sunburn.”

Angela laughed, “But how could they possibly do that?”

“If you have money, you can pretty much do anything,” Jesse explained. “Did you know that before the war, scientists figured out how to slow down aging? The oldest man lived to be 201 years of age. But no one has money for things like that anymore. But, tattoos . . . tattoos are something that today's rich can afford.”

“Doesn't everyone get the same amount of credits from the Watch?” Angela asked.

“Yes, everyone gets an equal amount of rations from Kane, but we still buy and sell to each other. Some people are better equipped to earn more credits on their own. The rich have goods and resources that help them make extra money.”

Angela tried to imagine what it meant to be rich in a world with so little, but she had no point of reference.

“How do you become rich?” Angela asked.

“If I knew that, I would be rich,” Jesse laughed. “It’s old money mostly. You needed money to survive the war, to buy food and try experimental medicines. Then, you needed money to buy cures when those drugs did not work. Today’s middle class is yesterday's well off. The one positive thing that came out of this is it has taught people to be more cooperative. Back then, people thought their money would keep them safe, and many opted to live alone rather than in community with others. After the war, the survivors all migrated back to these large settlements to help each other out. We found that we need each other to stay alive and share resources. If you think about it, it is kind of beautiful that for humanity's survival, we have no other option than to stick together. We are better together, don’t you think?”

“Of course,” Angela said. “I have always wanted a community.”

Jesse walked over to a man with a long, white beard who had started cooking hot dogs over a fire and was attempting to sell various food items to passers-by.

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