The Systemic Lands

Chapter 95: Day 216 (3) – Drugs

“Ken.” I stepped into his office at the back of the bakery for the first time. There were several tables with paper on them and people making notes. What were they doing? Regardless, I kept my gaze on Ken with only a glance at the two guards in the corners of the room.

“Michael, welcome. What brings you here?”

“We need to talk, privately.”

“Of course. I have a meeting room upstairs.” I followed him upstairs, Clarissa in tow. We entered the room, and I took a seat with Clarissa standing behind me.

“Two things Ken. First, this is Clarissa, she is working for me now. She will also be part of the constitution process to inform me of what is happening.”

“I see. Welcome Clarissa, I will make sure you are brought in as part of the group I am forming.”

“Thank you Elected Representative Ken.”

“Then there is issue two. Ken, what are you?” He appeared to be confused at that question, but I waited.

“I am one of the leaders of the city and a businessperson?” It sounded more like a question than an answer.

“A leader of the city. Ken, you are thinking too small. What are you about to help craft?” Again, he appeared to be confused, but I wanted to drive this point home. I swear people could be dense about the most obvious of things.

“Sorry, Michael, I am not following.”

“A constitution. You aren’t the ruler of a city. You are one of the leaders of a nation, answerable only to two other people. Tyrese and myself. Do you know why I am bringing this up?”

“No?”

“Ken, I don’t care what you did before on Earth. But some things that were done in a certain way, that doesn’t matter anymore. I know about the drugs Ken.” His eyes darted to Clarissa.

“You want a piece of the action, I am guessing?”

“Do I take action from the brothels and casinos?”

That was when he had a lightbulb moment. “No, you don’t. You don’t squeeze Tyrese for any of that.”

“If I squeezed, it would make him desperate and look to get crystals another way. It is the same with the drug business. I don’t give two shits if people want to stick things in their body, in any direction. What I do care about, is the possible crime wave it will start. Drug addicts do desperate things. I also know it can’t be removed or hidden, once it has been found out.”

“A government sanctioned monopoly,” he whispered in awe.

“Ding ding ding. Take a prize. Exactly. You are now the new Johnson and Johnson. Or Ken and Whatever. I don’t really care. Regardless, set aside a specific building or locations and that is the only place drugs are allowed. Anyone found dealing, making, or experimenting with drugs outside of that is a criminal. It will be taxed like the brothels based on what people buy from the store, but that is just on people going to the store. Not the business itself.”

“Yes, yes. That would be perfect, and I can advertise it as well. I was so worried for the longest time. People hear drugs and, well, you know.”

“I want a peaceful and calm city. I don’t want riots or having to get involved. Next time Ken, think about the long-term consequences. Because if the drug situation does get out of hand, I am going to you first. Not anyone hiding out in the city. Do you understand?”

“I understand.” I gave him a long stare and finally nodded slightly once he appeared to get nervous.

“Good.” I got up and left the room, Clarissa trailing behind me.

“You disapprove?” I asked her once we left.

“Drugs cause human suffering. So why?”

“Ever watch the tv show, The Wire?” I asked.

“No, I haven’t.”

“The premise is the drug trade in Baltimore. The police are underfunded, the politicians don’t want to help people only themselves once they are in power, and the normal people get shafted. Since I am in charge, I want to do better. One of the ideas in the show was a legalized drug zone. Force the drug dealers out and into one area. That way the rest of the neighborhood wasn’t dragged down.”

“You don’t think you can stop it?”

“Once learned, it can’t be unlearned, unless the city is purged. Which I don’t want to happen. I would rather have one big boss I can pressure, like Ken, and he will keep things under control.”

“Then the people?”

“Human trash. If people want to throw their lives away on drugs, then let them. But I can’t be bothered to help someone who won’t help themselves.”

“That is quite a harsh viewpoint, but I can see why you would have it.”

“What about you? What is your moral stance?” I asked.

“To kill the drug dealers and force the drug users into rehabilitation. But that is a bit harsh on my part. I just feel that compassion is needed to people who fall into that situation of using drugs.”

“Compassion equals death here. I suggest you kill it and let it stay dead.”

“Why?” I thought she realized, but I guess she didn’t truly realize the impending disaster heading our way. I now knew how the captain of the Titanic felt. The ship was going down, and I could only manage the result of the disaster.

“There is a population and housing crunch coming. Once it begins to hit, people will despair more and more. Drugs and people wasting away quietly is preferred to riots I have to put down.”

Clarissa was silent. “I see. Thank you for letting me know.”

“I won’t stop you, but my official position is no charity.” As I said this we came to a stop at the southern part of the city.

There were public shower buildings and new arrival housing that had been set up. There were several people sitting against the walls of the buildings not moving. I looked out at the depressed and forlorn faces. I didn’t like looking at a sight like this, but I needed to. I needed to remind myself of what giving into despair looked like.

“You don’t want to be one of them?” I asked Clarissa.

“No. That I am sure about. I make my own destiny.”

“Then remember, there will be endless streams of people like these ones, which will come into the city. Any charity will be swept away in the endless masses.” It was a numbers game in the end.

“Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire,” Clarissa said quietly. My gaze quickly snapped to her. She turned slowly to look at me.

“I don’t know if I can save myself,” I finally replied back.

“Compassion is not weakness.”

“But it creates the openings that will be exploited.”

“Then you deal with it and move on.”

“I can’t afford the distraction. The threats out there are innumerable and immense. Unless a person has the courage to go out there and face that, then they have no right to question my decisions. Do you understand that?”

“Yes. As long as I work for you, I will accept your rules. No charity. No questioning you. I may present alternatives however.”

“Good. I don’t need a yes man, or a yes woman.” I paused and then returned a quote at her since she had thrown a quote at me. “Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen, and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life.” This time it was Clarissa who stared at me.

“I…that was well said.”

“I would hope so. I didn’t just read fanfictions and game stories growing up. The first book is filled with quotes for every situation. But I prefer stuff that is a bit lighter nowadays, not like we have literature around here.” This place was a wasteland for any kind of culture.

“Should I consider this a secret?”

“I suppose. Better not to speak about me at all.”

“I understand.”

“Hey!” A middle-aged man spoke up and approached us. Everyone turned to look at him. It was like watching a car wreck for them. It was horrible, but you just couldn’t look away from the mess that was about to happen. I was wearing bad ass armor, and my actions yesterday should make it clear I wasn’t to be messed with.

“I am talking to you!” The man came to a stop in front of me and shouted at me. He didn’t move his hands, so no threat there.

“What do you want?” Clarissa spoke up.

“All those points spent on decorating your armor. We are starving here. You should help us out.”

“I suggest you apologize and leave.”

“I ain’t talking to you girly. You people think you can do whatever you want if you were in charge. Well if I had a sword, I would-“ My sword let out a clang as it hit the ground in front of him.

“I give you two options. The first is to apologize sincerely, which means to cut out your eye. The second is to pick up that sword and challenge me. That is what you wanted?”

“And that armor?”

“No. You mentioned a sword, you got a sword. Now pick. Apologize with an eye or pick it up.” He reached down and quickly picked it up while looking at me. He pointed my blade at me.

I rushed in. My left hand smacking his right arm to the side. I then delivered a punch to his gut. He collapsed wheezing and coughing. Blood began to come out of his mouth. I went and picked up my sword from where he had dropped it.

A guard rushed over. “Champion Michael, is there a problem?”

“This man challenged me. I am finishing the challenge.” I stabbed the blade into the man’s head, killing him. I then pulled it free and wiped it clean on the dead man’s shirt. The guard called over a couple other guards to dispose of the body. The depressed people just looked on. Pathetic, all of them.

“Would you have killed me before?” Clarissa asked.

“Yes. Yes, I would have.”

“All that over respect?”

“This place is like ancient times. You don’t go up to a man in armor and cuss them out. Modern society lets people cuss out their leaders, shout at them on the streets. I won’t have that here,” I spoke quite loudly, and I could see people listening in.

“Killing him?” Clarissa asked.

“Annoying. Incredibly annoying. If I crippled him, then he would be martyr to incite people. Killing him ends the problem right there. It is final.”

“Just for speaking their mind?”

“Yes. Remember what I said?”

“The only people who have the right to question you are those who put their lives on the line outside the city to explore the unexplored.”

“Exactly. People who sit around all day and can only complain. Well, back on Earth that would have been acceptable, or those people listened to in some way. Here where personal power is so disproportionate, they are less than trash.” I turned to leave, and Clarissa followed. It was harsh, but I could not compromise on this issue. That would just lead to ruin and disaster. Imagine insulting a nuclear missile, yeah, that wouldn’t go well. I guess I was truly a cultivator, since I was cultivating a certain mindset with the population.

“Thanks for going along with that.”

“A good secretary knows what her boss wants of her.”

“So, you were a secretary back on Earth?” I was surprised she didn’t say personal assistant. That was the politically correct term nowadays. Perhaps she had already picked up on the fact I didn’t care to get into the semantics of words.

“Yes. I have a master’s degree in communication and worked for a CEO at a Fortune 500 company.”

“Any company I know?”

“Maybe. But I would prefer to not have to speak about my previous employment. You asked me for confidentiality on yourself, well I had to sign a several NDAs where I worked.”

“I won’t pry, but now I am really curious, what company?”

“Blackstone.” I almost missed my next step at the shock. “You know of them.”

“Yes. Well, I am probably worse than most companies or governments.” I was in no position to judge anyone else. Especially not a company from Earth that no longer mattered.

“I doubt that. While you are harsh you have your morals.”

“Morals. I would call them hopes. Hope that people aren’t useless. Well at least not all of them are,” I gave Clarissa a look.

“I shall work hard to live up to that expectation. I do have a question, why do people only use their first names around here?”

“I was wondering that myself. I suppose everyone is a stranger and there are no really young or old people. So, no kids going miss or mister. I suppose when a doctor or someone with an inflated sense of self from a PhD in African Women’s Dance Studies turns up, then they will want to go by their last name.”

“African Women’s Dance Studies?”

“Well, what is a less useful PhD?”

“Interpretative Pre-Historic Women’s Dance Studies.”

“Point to you.”

“Let me just make a note of that. Oh wait, I don’t have paper or anything to write with. I also don’t have the points.”

“Fine. Fine.” I went over to the pillars. That was another 10,000 points spent.