A Choice of Lotteries – Part 3
Written by John Ink2Quill
www.ink2quill.com

Milan’ s had few customers on days like today when nice weather graced our city. It had the desolate feel of a business soon to open and fill with customers or a business soon to close its doors for good. Such was the effect of nice weather on the people of the city who craved it so much. Somehow people knew the arrival of good weather before the algorithms or weather forecasters did the way vultures smelled a dying person from afar before anybody set sights on them. It was common knowledge that once the weather forecasters announced a nice day on the screen all the nice parts of the city were already packed with people. Places like parks, boardwalks and the nicer areas of the city were the first to become overcrowded.

I would not be outside soaking up the healthy Sun today and that was fine with me. Today might just be the best day I’ve had in a long time and I was sharing it with someone I did not spend nearly enough time getting to know over the years. Today was a day when many things in my life would be set to right.

I smiled then sighed.

“You want to know which colony I chose to move to?” I said repeating what Betty asked with a smile I could not smooth off my face.

I took a sip of my ice coffee and Betty followed with a sip of her drink. I looked around to make sure no one was in earshot of us and mouthed the words “Oak Lotus”.

Betty drew back and frowned. “My. my. You are a strange one, Nali. Did you hit your head as a child or something?” She said.

I leaned closer to her so I could speak in a low tone. “Nobody thinks about Oak Lotus as a good place to start over but it really is the next New York City… when NYC was the shit.” I said carefully mouthing the words so she could read my lips if she did not hear me.

She put her hand over her mouth. “You’ve lost you damn mind.” She began. “First you pay for a lottery nobody wants, then you choose a prize nobody wants.” She thought out loud.

“No, no. You’ve got it all wrong.” I began. “I’ve thought this through.” I continued in a low tone just above a whisper, looking around then over at Kup and Drat to see if they caught our conversation.

“Oak Lotus has ambitious planting and water irrigation programs. They set up a sewage system and power grid for a town that is expected to grow into a city.” I said.

Betty’s round head rose from her shoulders and looked around like the periscope of a submarine looking around for enemy ships before sinking back down to rest on her shoulders. “Well if the two bots don’t hear us then we’re good.” She mouthed.

“Every newcomer is given a copy of the US Constitution as a welcoming gift.” I said in a tone that was almost a yell.

Betty’s shoulders rose. “You can get a copy of the Constitution right here. I’ll get you one if you want.” She said then her shoulders fell.

“There are no aggressive surveillance programs or bogus Gizmo autonomy either. And you can’t get denied important services or even be forced to accept services or treatments you don’t want.” I said in a tone that bordered on shouting.

“Yes but what about resources? Cities promise you the world but if they don’t have the resources then it’s an empty promise.” She said.

“That’s were my colony markers come in. I’ve noticed that colonies that don’t import water have lower death to birth ratios. That is one of my markers Betty. How well certain crops and plants grow is another one of my markers. I have a whole list of them.” I said.

Her big, brown eyes opened so wide I thought they would pop out of their sockets and and hit me square in the face. She nodded her head without speaking in what I assumed was her way of putting her thoughts together.

I waited long seconds for an opinion that was not coming. “Earth to Betty. New York City to Betty. Are you listening woman?” I asked.

She held up her index finger. “Wait. I’m putting my thoughts together.” She said.

I waited for several long seconds more.

“Nali, you rascal. You just might have something here.” She said.

I took a gulp of my coffee. If I was a saleswoman this would be closure. I was sure of it.

“Did you know that part of this prize is not only to move to the colony of your choosing, all expenses paid but it’s also choosing people who you want to come along.” I said.

“Don’t be foolish Nali. I’d never pass any medical. I have…” She began before I interrupted her.

“It doesn’t matter. There are no test or Gizmo approvals. I choose whomever I want and that’s that.” I said.

“Tell me about a few more of your markers, Nali.” She said.

I ignored her question. “Betty, I’m inviting you.” I said.

“I’ve lived on Earth my whole life.” She thought out loud.

“You’re coming with me to Oak Lotus. We’ll have clean water, healthy food, real autonomy..” I began.

Betty interrupted me. “We’ll have danger, people we don’t know and some of whom are possibly mean buggers, alien life, alien diseases and a hostile environment that needs taming.” She said.

Betty finished her tea. “What about war. We don’t have that problem here.” She said placing her empty cup and saucer on the table in front of her.

“There’s war everywhere except here because people have given up fighting for anything. There are no wars on sheep farms Betty.” I said.

“Yes, people here have given up.” She said.

“I’m convinced there is a better life for me and everyone I take with me out there.” I said.

A light bulb went on in Betty’s head. She smiled and nodded. “You know what? I wanna get the hell out of here too.” She said.

We raised our empty cups and had a toast to “being alive and a better life”.

No sooner had we put our cups down when a gust of warm air blew over my back from outside. Two men entered dressed in black suits and skin too smooth to be 100 percent organic. They walked over to Rusty who took a step back and sent the robots into the kitchen.

Rusty leaned forward and set his knuckles on the table. “I told you gentlemen that I am not looking for any more robotic help. I don’t want any deals or contracts so you are wasting my time.” He said.

“They’re passing a new law to compel owners of outdated robots to turn them in for recycling. It’s good for the environment. You will get fined for every day you break this law.” One of the men said.

“They’re trying to take Kup and Drat.” I whispered to Betty.

Betty answered with a nod.

“Well Nali. I think you just found more members of your away team.” Betty said pointing to the two robots whose heads stuck out the kitchen door watching everything.

<A Battle ensues and the robots must leave>

Written by John Ink2Quill

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