The Brave New World - 171 A Message From Above

Following the total and irreversible death of all electronic equipment with a processor chip, Kirk dug out the answering machine from the basement and to his amazement, found that the cassette tape hadn’t become demagnetized in the meantime. The answering machine still worked the way it was supposed to; it had been made at a time when people made and bought products that would last for many years. It was a Panasonic Easa-Phone made at a time when Japan was still trying to prove to the world that it made quality products. It wasn’t exactly bulletproof, but it came close.

Kirk was very fond of his father’s old answering machine. However, its blinking light filled him with apprehension. He was long past the age when people called just to have a pleasant chat. That kind of thing disappeared with the onset of his thirties, the age when everyone began to become aware that they would die one day, and that it was time to squeeze life for all it was worth. Any man past forty years of age only opened his mouth when it was in his interest to do so.

It wasn’t any different for women. Their deceptively mindless chatter concealed a multitude of stealthy probes, sent to discover what the other party wanted to hide. Joyous, honest conversations were what made being young so special, so nice. Of course, there were other advantages, too.

Kirk sighed sadly – at one time, he could get it up and shoot his load half a dozen times in a single day, well okay, a day and most of the following night! He was lucky if he could do that a couple of times a week, now. Once a week seemed to be the new, or maybe rather the old standard.

He still needed to get his rocks off once a week, though. If he didn’t get it once a week, he became testy and generally unpleasant to everyone he came into contact with. Kirk thought briefly about his housekeeper who gave him head on Saturdays in the New World, and shuddered. He’d picked a plain-looking housekeeper to avoid suspicion. Well, if he didn’t change the housekeeper for someone better-looking, soon enough there wouldn’t be any grounds for any suspicion. As it was, he always thought about Debbie when the action took place. Otherwise, there would’ve been no action at all.

Kirk became aware of the fact that he’d been purposefully distracting himself from listening to the messages left on his answering machine. He approached its winking light, and stretched out a hand to press Play and there was great sadness in the way he did that: almost as if he was about to put a flower atop the coffin during a funeral.

Kirk paused the message playback with a violent prod that almost pushed the answering machine off his desk. Smelly soldiers, treacherous Mexicans, and now Penny! Fuck this senator shit.

Kirk froze. He was experiencing an epiphany. Senator sounded good, yes, it definitely sounded good. But suddenly, being a senator seemed to be a major pain in the ass. Did he really need it?

Frowning, Kirk paced his study, hands clasped behind his back. The elected government had been downgraded to the level of a janitor: keeping things as clean as possible, doing a lot of smiling, making lots of promises that weren’t going to be met. Running around and kissing the voters’ unwashed asses was a very high price to pay for something like that. It just wasn’t worth it.

True, in the past being a senator carried various advantages. But Kirk enjoyed many more, many bigger advantages as governor. Basically he ruled California in both worlds. And ‘senator’ was a honorific title. He would be addressed as senator even when he was no longer a senator, just like all those retired presidents and marshals and admirals.

He checked his watch. It was nearly nine o’clock in California. It would be nearly midnight in Washington. Never mind – I am a man of action, thought Kirk. He picked up his phone and dialed the number left by Penny. If he woke up Penny or interrupted some private business, so much the better.

Penny didn’t answer the phone for nine rings. Then his wife did, and Kirk was happy about that. He knew Penny’s wife hated Penny’s guts, and that he was speaking to an ally.

“I’m so sorry,” Kirk lied. “But I have to speak to the President immediately. It’s a matter of utmost urgency.”

His new ally, Penny’s wife, assured him she’d make sure Penny came to the phone. She sounded as if Penny was currently engaged in a task demanding utmost concentration, and would suffer greatly if interrupted. She sounded as if she was going to enjoy interrupting him to make him talk to Kirk.

Penny sounded hoarse when he came on the line. Kirk had the fleeting hope that Penny had choked on something when he heard Kirk was calling. Kirk said:

“This is Kirk Lander speaking, Mr President. I’ve just listened to your message, and of course I’m calling you back immediately. Sir, I am handing in my resignation as senator for California state.”

Penny was silent. Kirk held noises in the background: it sounded like the wife was pouring herself a drink. When Penny finally spoke, it was obvious he hadn’t been drinking water either. Penny said:

“I’m, aah, I’m not sure what you just said. You said…”

“I’m resigning, effective immediately. I’ll send it in writing. But I thought you’d appreciate being informed of it earlier.”

“Yes, of course, yes, of course,” said Mark Penny. “We can talk about this more day after tomorrow. I’ve arranged a plane ride for you. It’s, uh, picking up mail in Kansas City and Indianapolis, but you’ll still arrive by the evening.”

“I’m very grateful, sir, but it’s unnecessary,” said Kirk. “I am resigning with immediate effect. I should have done it the moment I was chosen the governor of California, and I beg your pardon for this oversight. The duties of a senator and a governor cannot be reconciled, it just isn’t possible. Besides, everyone would object to such an accumulation of authority in one person. And I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable, wielding so much power.”

This was Kirk’s lie of the century, given the fact that he’d die well before the century ended. But it still was a very powerful argument. No one would challenge that argument. Everyone thought that they were the best person in existence, and #1 on the list of candidates to rule the world. Everyone lied about it. Challenging that lie was like challenging humanity itself.

Penny had no choice but to accept, and he did. He covered his retreat with some hoarse-voiced pronouncements about duty and difficult times and the need for sacrifices. Kirk said:

“I understand that, Mr President. I’m not sure you understand a governor’s duties involve being two different persons in two different worlds simultaneously. I cannot continue attending to senatorial duties, as well. I can split in two but I cannot split in three. It just isn’t possible. Please accept my apologies.”

Mark Penny had no choice but to accept both the apologies and the resignation.

“I’m sorry,” he said. He sounded a little worried, but definitely not sorry.

Kirk said:

“By the way, is Libby Placek expected to attend this meeting?”

“She is,” said Penny. “She is actually flying on the same plane.”

“What plane is that?”

“It’s a Dakota. A DC-3. The most reliable plane ever made.”

“I wasn’t asking about the type of plane,” Kirk said. “I was asking whether that was the plane I was supposed to take.”

“Yes.”

Kirk wasted no time in reasserting he wouldn’t be on that plane; he stressed, once again, that he was resigning effective immediately. He had the thought that maybe he was passing on the chance to throw Placek out of the plane at suitable altitude. Those old planes had doors that could be opened anytime. But of course there were bound to be other people travelling on that plane… Witnesses and all that shit… No, that wasn’t a good idea.

The counter on the answering machine told Kirk he still had two messages left, most likely two shitloads of trouble to deal with. But he was tough. He could take it. He pressed the Play button.

The second message consisted of a long hiss recorded by a hesitant caller, someone too shy to speak. The third message featured the voice of Carlton Brock, who said:

“Kirk. Where the fuck are you? I called your office and some throwback said he was just the janitor and about to close up. Something important has come up. Whatever time you hear this, call me back immediately at this number…”

Kirk had to play back the message three times to write down the number provided by Brock. While he did that, his mind was busily speculating on the reason behind Brock’s call.

He dialed the number, and waited. After the fourth ring, a female voice said:

“Hello? Please identify yourself.”

Kirk recognized the voice. It belonged to Lea Panatella. He said:

“It’s Kirk Lander, governor of California. Carlton left me an urgent message.”

“Just a moment,” said Lea Panatella.

The moment stretched into three. Kirk was about to hang up and try again when Carlton Brock said:

“Hello? Kirk?”

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