GRAVING DOCK
by Michael H. Hanson
“There are people in the world so hungry,
that God cannot appear to them
except in the form of bread.”
- Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
Franklin Winston Alacord hopped off his requisitioned unirail transport and rode the quikwalk to the front gate of Protek's Newark storage facility. Several hidden scanners quickly confirmed his identity and routed him past miles of formidable laser-wire fencing. As he pondered the day's scheduled routine, Franklin found himself half-listening to the canned-greeting which accompanied any and all visitors to this particular Graving Dock. The AI projected the voice of a sultry middle-eastern woman which brought a smile to his face. It had only been a month since he had inspected a brand new Dock Facility in the People's State of Iran.
“Protek solves all oxidation problems,” The AI spoke aloud. “Here at its Newark Mothballing Facility.”
Traveling at twenty miles an hour, Franklin realized he was at least ten minutes away from the cad-yards and decided to act the part of the tourist and listen attentively.
“From neurological lay-up to protecting cardiovascular rigs, Protek has a unique ability to build a varied oxidation protection system that meets the needs of a complex bio-storage facility. Protek can assist with microanalysis, parts installation, long-term monitoring, and project management. Protek systems are environmentally safe and allow complete access to mothballed product. Recognized around the world as the leader in long-term lay-up, Protek can simplify your mothballing process and ensure its success.”
Franklin smiled as he passed the venting shafts of the facilities' fusion reactor. It amused him to no end that the Iranians insisted on wind- and solar-power generation at their desert installation. Something about using Allah's gifts as opposed to man's science.
“The U.S. military,” the AI continued. “As well as major commercial replacement companies have turned to Protek for 'mothballing' valuable assets. Numerous government studies have demonstrated that protecting against breakdown allows reactivation without the failures typically experienced after long periods of inactivity. Likewise, active and important assets can greatly improve their 'mean time between failures' if protected against deterioration when standing idle. For 20 years, Protek has been the leading company in this field.”
Franklin wrinkled his nose but did his best to ignore the unkind stench which arose from hundreds of yards of compost reclamation pits which were required by government law for all product disposal. One minute later he was passing through a lush botanical garden, no doubt one of the three new recreational facilities granted workers after their last union negotiation.
“Each year,” the AI continued. “Millions of dollars are wasted when inventoried product fails because of poor fueling maintenance or collision-based deterioration. Protek specializes in designing preservation programs for product storage. From heated and ventilated free-range warehousing to unique stacked cold storage, Protek can show you how to protect product cost-effectively, while retaining accessibility. Preserve your stored assets, eliminate unnecessary replacement costs, and avoid downtime problems with a Protek product storage system.”
The quikwalk intersected with a huge glass-fronted skyscraper. A split second before Franklin's forehead would be crushed beyond all recognition, the large glass wall split apart and he was carried forward and down a speeding escalator. So far, during his entire five mile journey through the facility, he had yet to see a single human being.
The voice of the AI, however, had managed to follow him inside
.
“Product stored for long periods at traditional medical sites, or inactive in previous-century basic-warehousing while waiting for reactivation often become inoperable and thus lose substantial value. Likewise, active equipment in hostile environments may deteriorate while in use from the effects of moisture, chemicals, and other environmental factors. Protek can provide cost-effective methods, which are environmentally safe and allow both fast and easy reactivation. Protek's expertise can eliminate repair costs, or protect the value of your idle assets.”
Franklin found himself standing before a huge pair of stainless steel doors. The words “Graving Dock” were emblazoned in tall glowing letters.
“Entrance.” Franklin stated authoritatively. ”Access level B1. Surprise inspection. Badge number 18362554. Alacord. Franklin W.”
The doors split open and Franklin was carried forward.
In moments he found himself looking down onto a vast courtyard easily covering ten square miles. On closer inspection he could see thousands of human beings milling about aimlessly, occasionally bumping into each other as if they were sleepwalking and couldn't wake up.
“Protek annually saves the world hundreds of millions of dollars through the proper rationing of medical, food, water, heat, electrical, and available land reserves.” The AI continued in an upbeat manner. “Active with every branch of the U.S. Unified Medical Board, Protek has created unique systems to provide continuous long-term protection for stored surplus humans.”
Franklin rode the elevator down to ground zero and quickly walked among the zombified population of the Newark Graving Dock. He pulled out his personal hand-comp and began typing in the usual stats. Visible contusions. Visible degradation. Visible necrosis, and the list went on. Lack of conscious appetite allowed for minimal nutritional support and so the vast majority of the walking/stumbling brain-dead were quite slim, even gaunt, in appearance. This particular herd seemed about average, but Franklin still took his time walking back and forth across the courtyard, making every effort to examine the majority of the surplus cadavers that made up its population.
Franklin's hand-comp beeped several times and he looked up to see his grandfather Frank, all white-eyed and drooling, standing a mere ten feet away. Like all of the herd he wore a standard grey coverall. A quick exam showed that he was doing okay. Bruised elbows. Minor scratches on nose. His hair was disarrayed and his fingernails needed trimming. Nothing to write home about. It took every ounce of Franklin's willpower to hold back the holocaust of anger and hatred that bubbled inside his soul. To all surveillance he was the same calm placid investigator who stopped by once a year.
“Though false rumors of a cataclysmic perimeter failure in Protek's Brazilian Graving Docks still circulate on the net, we can assure you that security has never been better.”
“Not so false,” Franklin mused. "That several thousand innocent victims did complain to anyone who would listen to them." The docking facilities in South America had proven to be a minor nightmare for the company. Many suspected sabotage, specifically to the mainframe's software, but nothing could be pinned down or identified. The government-run press had quickly smothered all but the faintest of leaks.
“But still,” Franklin thought to himself. “How could you blank out the memory of a horde of rampaging, starving, half-mad human beings resorting to cannibalism at first sight of the civilian population?”
All of the surveillance recordings had eventually been destroyed...but not before Franklin was able to view them, and know that his first attempt at breaching Protek security had been a complete success.
* * *
Two hours later Franklin walked toward the exit and allowed himself the briefest of sighs. The childhood memory of Grandad Frank being dragged off while begging for mercy by two burly proctors still haunted him. Franklin shrugged off a chill and gritted his teeth in determination. He was fifty years old. He'd spent his entire life showing the world his appreciation for what Protek had accomplished over the past forty-five years. He thought back on the short history lessons which he often gave to elementary school children. At twenty-five billion and climbing, overpopulation had reached its Zenith on post-22nd Century Earth. The answer was brutal but decisive. Mandatory biological retirement for all over the age of 60, all infirm, those guilty of misdemeanor and above crimes, and most recently, the unemployed.
“And its not like we're not humanitarians.” Franklin said to the impressionable young minds which had filled a school cafeteria in a small town in West Virginia. “Its not like we up and kill everyone. Each person is given a mind-dowd which dampens all but the basic motor functions of the brain, so it is not like they are aware of their existence.”
Franklin had smiled down at a frightened looking child.
“And don't forget all the safety laws put in place to allow for emergency revival of any biological unit, if one would ever be considered an asset in time of need. And then of course there is the insane demand for organ donation in the medical field. Yep, keeping the unlife mothballed in this manner has many advantages. And thus the active storage of millions of retired humans needing minimal life-support ended up saving humanity billions of dollars in ever-dwindling natural resources!”
Franklin rode the quikwalk back to the front entrance as the last of the tour guide's speech petered out.
“Protek protected equipment is ready on demand.” The AI spouted enthusiastically. “A fact recently proven when the U.S. activated ten million involuntary reservists for the Fifth Gulf War. Department of Defense studies have repeatedly shown that cadaver storage can reduce overall recruitment costs by 30-50%. Today, government savings offset the cost of cellular protection by 10 to 100 times the cost of maintenance or replacement. In many circumstances, a Protek cadaver protection system will lower maintenance, storage, or operating cost by millions of dollars.”
Franklin reached the front gate and stood as if waiting for his transport. Knowing that the time had finally come, he pressed the engagement switch on the illegal device which he carried in his right pocket. In five minutes, the containment security of every single Graving Dock on the face of the planet would automatically shut down.
Franklin knew there was no place to hide. This was no Virtual 3-D Adventure. A complete security analysis would quickly reveal that he was the only person on the face of the Earth who had full access to all of the necessary systems. They would track him down in a matter of hours. And so he had decided that he would not even try to hide, but would stand where he was, a victim of the first wave. For such was the horror he was releasing onto the smug unforgivable public. An ocean of maddened starving cannibalistic humanity which numbered nearly one Billion.
A harsh shrieking alarm suddenly sounded from behind. In minutes, this was followed by the distant howls of rage and madness and hunger.
Franklin, the worlds greatest anarchist, smiled a ghastly smile at the horde of slavering crazed humanity and greeted them but moments before they tore him asunder.
“And I looked, and beheld a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.”
- THE END -