《Gamma 37》
1.
In A.F. 655, the stories of the events that occurred in London between that Alpha man, Bernard Marx, and that Beta woman, Lenina Crowne, were still mentioned here and there.
¡°Careful, you¡¯re being a Bernard,¡± one voice would whisper.
¡°You¡¯ll end up becoming a Lenina,¡± another would say.
No one in the entire World State wanted to become another example of the dangers of individuality, of thought, or of love. The stigma from the chatter machine of society were punishment enough. However, the State made such behaviors punishable by termination or reprogramming. Alphas and Betas were subject first to reprogramming then termination if the reprogramming regiment was not successful. Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons were immediately terminated. There was too much cost involved with reprogramming those lower beasts. It was far easier to eliminate and replace with the multitude of cloned specimens fresh out of conditioning.
As to avoid the possibility of becoming too self-reliant, all Alphas and Betas were assigned a Gamma to run their households. That way, Alphas and Betas would forget how to care for themselves further leading to a greater reliance on the State for their needs. Advances in Bokanovsky¡¯s Process resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of buddings an egg could produce in the hatchery. It simply became more efficient to clone more assistants for the Alphas and Betas. It was mandated by the World State that for each Alpha, the hatcheries would create two Gammas and two Deltas. For each Beta, the hatcheries would create two Deltas and two Epsilons. Alphas were assigned a Gamma and a Delta at birth. Upon job assignment, the Alpha would receive their domicile which included their assigned Gamma and Delta. Betas were assigned a Delta and an Epsilon in the same manner since Beta life requirements were not as unique as Alpha life requirements. In the 20 some years that passed since this law was mandated, the World State found that the nascent Pairing Protocols, as they were called, were running smoothly.
Josef Crowne worked in the Central New York Hatchery and Conditioning Centre in the Psychology Bureau. His Alpha stature afforded him many of the luxuries and freedoms that any Alpha was granted. He had a spacious three-room habitat. Two of the rooms, the living quarters and the bathing quarters, were dedicated for Josef. The third room, the worker¡¯s quarters, was dedicated to his assigned Gamma and Delta. The worker¡¯s quarters contained a kitchen for meal preparation and food storage, a storage for Josef¡¯s gray clothing as well as the green and khaki clothing for his Gamma and Delta respectively, and two bunk style beds for his Gamma and Delta. His Gamma took the lower bunk while his Delta took the upper as was the practice in all households. In the event the Delta rolled out of bed and killed themselves, it was far easier to replace a Delta than a Gamma. Gamma and Delta bathing occurred in the basement of the building in a communal shower and bathroom.
As mandated in each Alpha household, the current Gamma was assigned the task of meal preparation, laundering and dressing, and personal hygienic upkeep of their Alpha. The current Delta had to clean and disinfect all living and bathing quarters as well as maintain the upkeep of themselves as well as the current Gamma.
Even this far from the events that occurred in A.F. 632, Josef would often get teased about his name.
¡°Crowne. Are you related to that Lenina Crowne?¡± some would snicker at him. How preposterous the word ¡®related¡¯. No one was related to anyone in the World State. The first inconsistency is that no one was birthed. Everyone belonged to everyone. There were no relatives. The second inconsistency was that the preceding Crowne was in London whereas Josef was in New York. Crowne was a common name found all over the different sectors of the World State. The probability of any genetic connection was so infinitesimal that there was no bother even proposing such an idea. Regardless of the logical conclusions that could be made, Josef still suffered from the teasing.
Josef spent too much time pondering such ramblings. He was an Alpha, far superior to that Beta woman. He stared out from the window of his 198th floor room at the expansive New York skyline dotted with helicopters and hovercrafts. They all formed perfect straight paths through the canyons of the urban monoliths. His Alpha stature afforded him one of the corner habitats in the upper floors of his building. His building, like all the other buildings for habitation, was divided into sections. The top section, floors 151-200 were for Alphas. Floors 101-150 were for Betas; Floors 67-100 to unassigned Gammas; and Floors 37-66 to unassigned Deltas; and Floors 7-36 to unassigned Epsilons. Floors 1-6 were for the social activity floors for Alphas and Betas. The basement floors were for laundry services and Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon hygienic needs.
¡°Mr. Josef, your breakfast,¡± his Gamma stated placing Josef¡¯s plate of dairy and fruit rations on the table.
Josef¡¯s Gamma was known to him as Gamma 37. Gamma 37¡¯s full name was T-13-02-15-0636-G-37/72 which indicated his gender (T for male), his heredity (13th cloned batch), his fertilization date (February 15, A.F. 636), his Bokanovsky group membership (Gamma), and his individual number (the 37th embryo out of the 72 in the 13th cloned batch). Josef¡¯s Delta had a similar naming protocol. Josef was unconcerned with any of his Delta¡¯s identifiers. He simply called him my Delta. His Gamma, at least, was high enough in Josef¡¯s mind to have a proper name. Gamma 37 stood at five foot two, an average height for a male Gamma. He had a slim build. He had brown hair and green eyes that matched his State mandated green outfit. He was required to wear dark green trousers, a light green short sleeved dress shirt, a dark green necktie that matched his trousers, and a pair of black leather shoes. On his right forearm, he had his full name tattooed. He had a pleasant blank look on his face. He was not unpleasant to look at. In fact, Gamma 37 was rather average looking. His bright green eyes set him apart, however. The vast majority of Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons had brown eyes. In one in every hundred iterations, the randomness of error would create a green- or blue-eyed member of a cloned rank. This was due to fluctuations in fertilization or decanting which could not be avoided even in the most controlled settings.
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¡°Thank you, Gamma 37,¡± Josef said and waited for his Gamma to place the napkin in Josef¡¯s lap. Gamma 37 paused. ¡°Is there an issue?¡±
¡°No, Sir,¡± Gamma 37 replied. ¡°It¡¯s just that you have 20 minutes to be at the Conditioning Centre. Shall I liquidify your breakfast to have on your way?¡±
¡°Twenty minutes? Ford, why didn¡¯t you get me up earlier?¡± Josef stated barely holding in his anger.
¡°Such language, Sir. Shall I put in a dose of soma to ease your tension?¡± Gamma 37 flatly replied.
¡°No, no, I just need to get ready,¡± Josef said getting up from the table. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±
Gammas oversaw the hygiene of their assigned Alpha. This meant that it was the duty of the Gamma to bathe and dress their Alphas. Had Josef existed during more modest times, he would not have liked this scenario. However, he was accustomed to this ritual that his modesty in this regard did not exist. He raised his arms so that Gamma 37 could quickly undress him and lead him into the shower. Gamma 37 activated the temperature regulator on the shower and motioned for Josef to enter. Josef stood under the water briefly to get wet. The water turned off. Josef raised his arms to allow Gamma 37 to lather the soap and scrub Josef¡¯s body vigorously with a stiff brush. Once he was fully covered from head to toe in soap suds and scrubbed down, Gamma 37 activated the shower again for Josef to rinse off. Gamma 37 carefully dried off Josef and applied a thin layer of moisturizer all over Josef¡¯s body. He dressed Josef in his regulation gray clothing. Gamma 37 inserted the dental cleaner device that brushed Josef¡¯s teeth instantly. Josef spit out the toothpaste and rinsed the residue from his mouth. Gamma 37 parted Josef¡¯s shiny black hair and combed it all back.
¡°All done, Sir. I will get your breakfast ready,¡± Gamma 37 stated and took Josef¡¯s plate into the kitchen to create a smoothie.
¡°Very well,¡± Josef said looking out the window.
¡°Do not worry, Sir. I estimate that you will arrive with one minute to spare,¡± Gamma 37 stated with a pleasant smile.
¡°I hope your estimate is correct,¡± Josef huffed. Gamma 37 disappeared into the kitchen and came back within a couple of minutes.
¡°I took the liberty to go ahead and give you a dose of soma,¡± Gamma 37 said as he handed Josef his breakfast cocktail.
¡°Fine, fine,¡± Josef said dismissively. One soma was not going to hurt. It was just enough to ease his tension this morning. Josef could not believe the lax nature his Gamma had about getting him up in time to eat his breakfast. It was a very careless move on his Gamma¡¯s part. One that would not go unreported.
Josef arrived at the Conditioning Centre just in time to start his research on Inter-Group Dynamics or the study of the permanency of one¡¯s status. Can a Beta become an Alpha? What is it that causes such desires? In fact, his research was more on how to prevent group disillusionment. The State sponsored his research to prevent what was called ¡°yearning¡±¡ªa dissatisfaction with one¡¯s class assignment. He was tasked to study dissidents and the personality traits they all shared that lead to yearning.
¡°Just in time, Josef,¡± his co-researcher, Bernard Stalin, noted.
¡°My Gamma did not get me up in a proper time,¡± Josef said feeling the subtle calming effects of his morning soma.
¡°Is this a reportable offense?¡± Bernard asked.
¡°If it happens again,¡± Josef said looking at Bernard intently. Josef was not sure if he wanted to file a complaint or not. He was certain whatever occurred with his Gamma to make his eyes such a brilliant shade of green must be to blame. Josef was not ready to retire his Gamma yet. Josef¡¯s inquisitive nature made him want to study his Gamma to see if there was any significant correlation between his eye color and any anomalous behavior.
Bernard nodded and went back to reviewing his book of statistics. Bernard Stalin was a tall blonde Alpha. He had a muscular build accented by his tight clothing. Josef was average height for an Alpha standing at 5¡¯10¡±. His build was average. Josef¡¯s steel gray eyes were further accentuated by his black hair and darker features.
If the system were still in place, Bernard would be an Alpha Plus. The World State abolished the plus and minus system. It was too complex and led to too many intra-class conflicts. Too many Alpha Pluses held their status over Alpha Minuses resulting in factionism. This certainly went against the principals of Community, Identity, and Stability. Plus and minus status used to be determined by one¡¯s occupation. Since Bernard would be a Plus, so would Josef. None of that mattered anymore, however.
¡°How are we with our correlations?¡± Josef asked his peer.
¡°I am almost finished with calculating the differences between the Beta and the Gamma groups,¡± Bernard replied.
¡°Excellent,¡± Josef responded.
¡°Are you interested in going out with me and Betty?¡± Bernard asked.
¡°Betty? Didn¡¯t you just go out with her last week?¡± Josef asked opening his notebook of equations.
¡°We did. But we had such a great time, we are going again. She¡¯s a particularly pneumatic specimen,¡± Bernard replied with a sly smirk.
¡°You know, you¡¯re going to get some folks talking if you continue with her,¡± Josef said.
¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have several other options at my disposal. It¡¯s just good communal fun,¡± Bernard laughed.
¡°I suppose so,¡± Josef said as he went over an equation.
¡°What about you?¡± Bernard asked.
¡°I¡¯m not seeing anyone at the moment,¡± Josef quietly said.
¡°And you warn me about my behavior! What¡¯s it been, three weeks?¡± Bernard said making a mark in his data so as not to lose his place.
¡°It¡¯s been four,¡± Josef replied. ¡°I just haven¡¯t been that interested in any prospects.¡±
¡°You may need to see a counselor about that and get a soma updose. One dose takes away ten damns,¡± Bernard said quoting the repetitions in conditioning classes.
¡°That¡¯s what they say,¡± Josef responded. The truth of the matter was that lately none of the Alpha or Beta women were attractive to him now. It was natural to be as promiscuous as possible. Advances in contraception and disease control made it virtually impossible to conceive in the old ways. Annual inoculations took away any risk of a sexual transmitted disease. There were no repercussion for being with as many partners as one could handle. Despite all of this, Josef still found little interest in the females of his social circle. He had always felt this way to a certain degree, but his lack of interest had become stronger over the past few months.
¡°What about Susan? I hear she¡¯s got a thing for you,¡± Bernard replied raising his eyebrows.
¡°Susan,¡± Josef thought. Susan with the thin hair and the toothy smile. She was a Beta and a vacuous gossip. There was nothing about her that Josef found attractive. ¡°She¡¯s a little below my class.¡±
¡°Yeah, Beta girls are like that, but I hear she is skilled in all the arts,¡± Bernard joked. Josef laughed but only superficially. Bernard¡¯s comments about women were brutish but typical of the male species today¡ªonly interested in how pneumatic a female is. Josef looked at Bernard and wondered just how pneumatic he was. Wouldn¡¯t that be a scandal! The brut becoming the receiver. Josef laughed but then quickly blushed at the thought. He immediately went back to his equations to clear his mind.
2.
¡°What do you think of Josef Crowne?¡± Betty asked as she smoothed her jet-black hair down over her left eyebrow. Betty Bokowski was a Beta working in the Hatchery in the Inoculations Department. She was responsible for ensuring that all embryos were vaccinated against the old diseases that plagued humans since the beginning of time¡ªsmallpox, polio, measles. She was 5¡¯6¡±, an average height for a Beta. Her curvaceous figure snuggly fit into her mulberry outfit. Beta women were mandated to wear dark mulberry skirts with lighter blouses. They were also required to wear dark mulberry kerchiefs and black patent leather shoes. She reapplied her dark red lipstick and gave herself a smile to ensure no lipstick was on her perfectly straight teeth.
¡°Josef Crowne¡¡± Fran said examining the line of her gray skirt and blouse. Francis Lenin was an Alpha in charge of creating vaccinations for the newer diseases that sprung up since the founding of the World State. She was currently working on a vaccine for a new coronavirus that has surfaced over the past couple of years. She was small for an Alpha woman standing at the same height as Betty. Fran¡¯s blonde hair was tightly fashioned into a bun. Her pink skin glowed under the glaring fluorescent lights. Even though Fran was an attractive woman and took pride in her looks, her vaccine development took precedence over her looks. ¡°Josef Crowne,¡± Fran repeated. ¡°The same Josef Crowne that works with your boyfriend?¡±
Betty looked over at Fran. ¡°He¡¯s not my boyfriend,¡± Betty said with a hint of annoyance.
¡°Watch your tone,¡± Fran replied. Betas were not supposed to speak in such a way. They were not allow to offend an Alpha.
¡°We are just having fun,¡± Betty said with a softer tone.
¡°Of course you are. But you should have fun with more than one man,¡± Fran said giving Betty a smirk.
¡°There¡¯s nothing serious between us. It¡¯s just nice to have something familiar for a little while,¡± Betty responded giving herself a final look.
¡°I know,¡± Fran said fixing the stray hairs that had escaped the tight bun. ¡°Josef Crowne is a guy I¡¯ve never really thought about.¡±
¡°He hasn¡¯t been with anyone in quite some time,¡± Betty said. ¡°I¡¯m sure he would appreciate the attention.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± Fran thought. ¡°I suppose I can see the draw with him. He¡¯s average for an Alpha aside from those eyes.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Betty said. ¡°They are just so piercing.¡±
¡°He¡¯s not devastatingly handsome, but now that you mention him, I could see myself exploring that option,¡± Fran replied.
¡°I wanted to mention him to you first before I pursued him,¡± Betty said. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be proper for me to take all the spoils.¡±
¡°You are so considerate,¡± Fran said sarcastically. An Alpha could get away with such a tone.
¡°So, you will get him to ask you out?¡± Betty asked giving Fran a look of anticipation.
Fran thought for a moment and then checked her outfit for any wrinkles. ¡°Yeah, I will ask him out.¡± She gave Betty a wink and a smile and exited the bathroom. Betty finished applying an extra layer of lipstick, smacked her lips together, and made her way out of the bathroom.
Josef could not wait to get home. His workday was like any other except there was a gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach. He did not know what was bothering him. All he knew was that he could not keep his mind on his data tabulations.
He had observed that subjects in his groups who experienced the highest levels of yearning also were more likely to experience what was called ¡°infatuation¡±. This was a strictly forbidden word to utter in public. There was a long list of forbidden words¡ªwords that, if spoken in public, would subject an individual to reconditioning. Many of the words on the list were so antiquated that the meaning of many of the words were lost to time. However, it was feared by the World State that removing any words would lead to a downward spiral of individuality and instability.
Josef had been working closely with the Bureau of Reconditioning. His research had become the foundation for many of the reconditioning protocols. When an individual was ordered for reconditioning, that person would be quarantined to a room in the Reconditioning Center. The individual would be exposed to electroshock therapies followed by a regimen of positive and negative reinforcements to clean the brain of unwanted thoughts and behaviors. The Reconditioning Center discovered a physiological set of predictors that could alert the staff to when a subject was about to have an unwanted thought. Initially, the subject would then be administered a set of painful shocks to quell the thoughts. Over time, once the subject associated the thought to a negative experience, the subject would be tested. The testing would involve a continuous shock to elicit desired thoughts. When desired thoughts were detected, the shock would end momentarily. The testing would last for hours at a time over several weeks. The final phase of reconditioning involved a system of rewards for desired behaviors. Reconditioning could last up to three months. If reconditioning was unsuccessful, the next option was termination in which the subject would be heavily sedated, and their life would be extinguished.
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Since Josef¡¯s job required studying the use of forbidden words, he, along with other researchers like Bernard, were allowed to utter words only in the context of their research. Josef had recently discovered that individuals who became infatuated with other members of society were almost always likely to experience yearning. Yearning came in many forms, but Josef found that, under these circumstances, individuals yearned to live their lives outside of society preferably alongside the subject of their infatuation. Josef noted that the word ¡°love¡± was spoken often with infatuated individuals. The problem was that infatuation was experienced among all classes¡ªAlphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons. In his interviews with subjects, he found that Alphas, Betas, and a few Gammas, became infatuated with people. Most Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons became infatuated with objects. His research so far allowed the World State to understand the symptoms of infatuations:
- Becoming obsessed with someone or something to the point of daily psychological consumption often bringing up the object of infatuation into conversation.
- Physiological responses that mimicked anxiety and/or anticipation when the object of infatuation was mentioned or thought about.
- Observed anxiety behaviors such as fidgeting, sweating, increased breathing, and flushing of the skin in the presence of the object of infatuation.
- Reduced efficiency in work behaviors.
- Reduced social interaction.
What was bothering Josef all day was like the symptoms of infatuation. However, the key difference was that Josef did not know what was causing him to experience these symptoms. These symptoms did not begin until Bernard started to talk about his dates with Betty and her sexual prowess. Josef experienced these feelings when Bernard talked about Betty. He certainly had no feelings for Betty. He had never even thought about Betty in any kind of way until Bernard began dating her. What was it about Betty that was making him so nervous?
Had it been Bernard¡¯s mention of Susan or his mention of Josef¡¯s stretch of time without dating? Josef wanted nothing more than to be a productive, efficient member of society. Perhaps, the thought of disappointing the World State by being without a lover for so long was causing him anxiety. Perhaps, it was not infatuation at all but just a fear of disappointing society. Everyone belongs to everyone. He was keeping himself from everyone, so his increasing anti-social behavior would eventually be cause for alarm.
When Josef entered his domicile, Gamma 37 emerged from the working quarters. Gamma 37 was perfectly presentable in his crisp clean green outfit. His bright green eyes and gently upturned mouth greeted Josef with a warm obedience.
¡°Good evening, Sir,¡± Gamma 37 responded. ¡°How was your day?¡±
Josef sighed and went to the table. ¡°Fine,¡± he replied.
¡°I sense some tension. Shall I prepare a cocktail for you?¡± Gamma 37 asked.
Of course, a soma cocktail would settle his mind enough so that he could figure out what was bothering him. Soma had long replaced all other intoxicating substances. It had no lingering aftereffects like the hangover of alcohol. Alcohol was only used now to dull the brains of Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon embryos allowing for easy subordination. Depending on the context, soma could either calm the nerves or stimulate the senses. It all depended upon the mood and disposition of the mind when taken. It calmed anxious minds and stimulated lackluster, depressed moods.
¡°That would be nice,¡± Josef answered. Gamma 37 entered the working quarters and emerged a few moments later with a tall glass of red liquid. Josef quickly consumed the sweet cherry flavored liquid and sat back. Gamma 37 had administered three doses of soma which was sure to ease Josef¡¯s mind. Josef sat back in his chair and waited for the effects of the soma.
As he waited, he received an incoming call on his hologram-o-phone. A picture of an attractive blonde female appeared in the air with the words ¡°Alpha Francis Lenin¡± under the picture. Francis Lenin from Inoculations. Josef knew Francis, or Fran as she like to be called, had created a vaccine for the most recent coronavirus that ravaged the efficiency of society a couple of years ago. She was certainly a highly sought woman. Josef answered the call.
¡°Hello,¡± Josef said at the projected image of Fran in front of him.
¡°Hello, Josef,¡± Fran said. ¡°I was calling you to see if you¡¯d like to go with me to the social event tomorrow night down on the first floor?¡±
Josef admired the straightforward way she started the conversation¡ªa classic hallmark of Alpha conversation. Alphas were afforded the luxury of being straightforward unlike Betas who subjected society to niceties and innuendos. The First Floor Social Event was a weekly gathering of the building¡¯s Alphas. It was analogous to the cocktail mixer from before the Great Reformation. The biggest difference is that, of course, alcohol was not served. The events always had an equal number of men and women in attendance to ensure that everyone was paired up at the end of the event. To attend meant you were required to leave with another person though not necessarily with the person you came. To further ensure evening pairings, those that did not leave with a partner of their selection were assigned one at the end of the event. For this reason, Josef rarely attended a social event.
The soma started to kick in. Josef felt an incredible sense of well-being and ease run over his body and mind. Without the soma, Josef would have hesitated several moments before answering. However, since his inhibitions were down, he replied promptly.
¡°Yes,¡± Josef replied and smiled.
¡°Perfect. Come to my place at 7,¡± Fran said cheerfully and hung up which made her projection disappear. The device dinged with an appointment on his calendar: 7 PM; Fran; 189-D¡ªher name and her apartment. Gamma 37 had been in the room the entire time of the interaction.
¡°I see you will need me to prepare your social outfit for tomorrow,¡± Gamma 37 replied.
¡°Yes, looks like I¡¯ll be on a date with Fran,¡± Josef said. Without hesitation, thanks to the soma, he further added, ¡°although I wish I were going on a date with Bernard.¡±
3.
¡°Good morning, Sir,¡± Gamma 37 said as he tried to wake up Josef. The soma from the night before hit Josef harder than he had expected. He had no awareness of Gamma 37 undressing him and putting him into bed. Josef was not able to eat his dinner last night, so he was starving for his breakfast rations.
¡°Am I running late?¡± Josef asked getting out of bed feeling fully rested and at peace.
¡°No, Sir,¡± Gamma 37 said. ¡°You are on schedule to arrive at your usual 15 minutes before work reporting. My sincerest apologies for waking you late yesterday.¡±
¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Josef stretched. ¡°No, it¡¯s not fine, but all is forgotten.¡±
¡°Again, my apologies, Sir,¡± Gamma 37 said as he stood at the foot of the bed looking down at the floor. The disappointed looked on Gamma 37¡¯s face indicated to Josef that his apologies were sincere. Gamma 37 was clearly regretful for his lapse in duty yesterday.
¡°Let¡¯s not let it happen again,¡± Josef stated looking at Gamma 37. Josef started to feel a touch of pity for this creature. He could not understand what was going through Gamma 37¡¯s mind. Josef wondered if Gammas were capable of feelings such as regret, disappointment, and shame. He had Gamma subjects in his research of yearning, but all those subjects were infatuated with material objects such as their own living quarters and nicer clothes. None of them desired to be Alphas. None of them showed signs of any Alpha emotions like love, existential crisis, or disillusionment. Josef wondered if Gammas could grasp such higher concepts. Something in the way Gamma 37 carried himself this morning gave Josef doubt about the simplicity of clones. He had a sense that there was more under the surface¡ªat least for Gamma 37.
¡°Are you upset with me, Sir?¡± Gamma 37 asked still looking at the floor. Josef did a double take at the odd question. Gammas were never concerned about how their Alphas felt about them. Josef assumed a more appropriate question for Gamma 37 to ask was if he was going to be reported. Was it possible for a Gamma to feel emotions?
¡°No, I¡¯m not upset with you, nor will I report this incident,¡± Josef replied keeping a suspicious eye on Gamma 37.
¡°Thank you, Sir,¡± Gamma 37 said and met Josef¡¯s eyes. Gamma 37¡¯s expression instantly changed to his usual pleasant expression. His green eyes sparkled in the sunlight.
Josef felt slight uneasy at the lucidity of Gamma 37¡¯s attitude this morning. He had never noticed Gamma 37¡¯s higher level cognition before. He was not sure if it had been present all along or if something occurred overnight in him. It felt as if he were interacting with another Alpha or, at least, a Beta.
Josef snapped out of his thought. ¡°I¡¯m ready for breakfast.¡±
¡°Yes, Sir,¡± Gamma 37 replied and cheerfully went into the work quarters to retrieve Josef¡¯s breakfast. Josef went over to the table and awaited Gamma 37. The skyline view from his window was magnificent today. There was not a cloud in the sky. The sun peaked through the buildings of New York.
Gamma 37 entered the living quarters and placed the plate of diary and fruit rations on the table. Josef took a seat and allowed Gamma 37 to place the napkin in his lap. Gamma 37 stood off by the bed while Josef ate his breakfast and looked over his daily itinerary. He had work from 8 AM to 5 PM and the social event with Fran from 7 PM until at least 10 PM. That would include any sanctioned sexual activities. It was likely that he and Fran would leave at 9 PM to engage. Since Fran asked him to the social event, it was almost certain that he would leave with her. As he ate his breakfast, a sense of dread began to overcome him. He began to obsess over whether he would be able to perform for Fran tonight. He could certainly request performance enhancing drugs; however, such requests required counselor approval. Sexual dysfunction was an indication of discontentment which always warranted psychological and physiological investigation.
It''s not that he had any physiological issues to prevent performance. He had desires and was able to gain erections. He just found it difficult to desire any Alpha or Beta women in his social circle. The last encounter he had was unsuccessful. The Beta woman that he tried with was Greta Londer which was 4 weeks ago. Even with her attempts, he had to feign extreme fatigue and bow out of the encounter. Since then, he entered an anxiety loop that prevented him from wanting to try again. While sexual promiscuity was not State mandated, social expectations frowned upon isolation.
As he sat eating his breakfast, he began to get nervous at the thought of performing sexually with Fran. He would have to think of something that would get him aroused enough to go through with tonight. Perhaps, he could sneak in a viewing of an erotic feely on his way to pick up Fran. The feelies always made Josef lose himself. He enjoyed the sight, sound, and other sensations that these motion pictures presented. Advancements in virtual reality allowed Josef to get lost in the experience.
¡°Shall I get you cleaned and dressed for work, Sir,¡± Gamma 37 said almost startling Josef.
¡°Oh yes, I¡¯m done with breakfast,¡± Josef said and got up from the table. Gamma 37 undressed and scrubbed him. Josef was ready for work with plenty of time to spare today.
Josef arrived at work with 10 minutes to spare. Today he was not in a rush, so he showed no signs of exhaustion. Bernard was at his desk reviewing some of the data from yesterday. He looked up at Josef and smiled.
¡°Good morning, Josef,¡± Bernard said and flashed Josef a wide smile. Josef stood at the door not knowing what to say. He was a little struck by how Bernard¡¯s eyes sparkled under the lights and by the way his perfect white smile glistened. Bernard was looking particularly handsome today. He had a freshly pressed shirt which clung to his muscular physique. His blond hair was slicked back but one lock fell over his eye. Bernard raised his chiseled forearm to run the lock back with the rest of his hair. A tingle surged through Josef¡¯s body as he stared at Bernard. Bernard wrinkled his eyebrow. ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡±
Josef shook himself out of his stupor. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m fine.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Bernard replied. ¡°We¡¯ve got lots of data to comb through today.¡±
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Josef walked over to his notebooks. ¡°We certainly do.¡±
¡°Are you going to the social event tonight?¡± Bernard asked.
Josef opened one of his notebooks of equations and made a mark on the page. ¡°I am.¡±
¡°Are you going alone or with someone?¡± Bernard looked over at Josef. Josef caught his glance.
¡°I am going with someone,¡± Josef replied.
¡°So!¡± Bernard exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯ve finally joined society!¡±
Josef gave a nervous laugh. ¡°I suppose so,¡± he replied and kept looking at Bernard. Bernard had resumed his data review unaware that Josef was observing his movements closely. Josef stared at Bernard¡ªogling the way he scanned the pages of data. Bernard¡¯s hair fell and hung over his forehead. Josef had a strong compulsion to go over to Bernard and run his hands through Bernard¡¯s perfectly groomed hair. What had suddenly come over Josef this morning? Yesterday, he thought Bernard was a brute, today he could not keep his eyes off his fit coworker. Bernard looked up catching Josef by surprise.
¡°Who¡¯s the lucky girl?¡± Bernard asked with a pleasant smile on his face.
Josef cleared his throat. ¡°Fran Lenin.¡±
¡°Oh, yeah!¡± Bernard replied. ¡°From Inoculations. I¡¯ve heard just how pneumatic she can be!¡± Bernard laughed but Josef remained serious.
¡°Please don¡¯t say that,¡± Josef replied and looked down at his equations.
¡°Pardon me!¡± Bernard said and went back to his data. Josef looked over at Bernard. Even though Bernard could say the crudest things, Josef still found it irresistible to watch his every move. The more he watched Bernard, the more Josef was enraptured with him. Bernard¡¯s top left little to the imagination of what was underneath. Josef felt himself wanting to know how muscular Bernard was. He had an overwhelming desire to run his hands over his bulging pecs and biceps. Bernard felt Josef¡¯s gaze and looked up at him. ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡±
Josef swallowed hard and exhaled silently. ¡°Do you remember when we were teenagers going through social conditioning?¡± Bernard looked off complying with Josef¡¯s request.
¡°Ah, yes,¡± Bernard reminisced. ¡°When we were taught everything we needed to know about everything.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Josef replied. Josef never minded the social conditioning classes where they learned how conduct themselves as Alphas in this world. Sexual relations were forbidden aside from self-exploration and relations with the same gender. Such exploits were not encouraged but were tolerated. What was not tolerated was sexual relations with the opposite sex. Children of that age did not know how society expected strict birth control measures to be followed.
¡°Why do you ask?¡± Bernard put a mark on his page and looked at Josef.
¡°Did you ever engage in relations with any of your male peers?¡± Josef asked nervously.
¡°Of course I did, didn¡¯t you?¡± Bernard replied without thought.
¡°Yes,¡± Josef replied. In fact, Josef had engaged in homosexual pursuits frequently. He unofficially had an ongoing relationship with a boy a year younger than he.
¡°What brought this on?¡± Bernard asked giving Josef a cautious side look.
¡°I sometimes wish I could have that again. It seemed so carefree. No one had any expectations,¡± Josef said wistfully.
¡°I¡¯m not following you,¡± Bernard replied.
¡°We are expected to pair with as many females as possible as adults. If we have relations too long with one partner, people begin to talk. That was never the case in social conditioning,¡± Josef said.
¡°Yes,¡± Bernard replied. ¡°But that was stuff we did as children. We are adults now. We must maintain stability and do what is expected of us.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Josef said. ¡°I just sometimes wish I could go back to those carefree days.¡±
¡°Now, you are being a Bernard,¡± Bernard laughed. ¡°Any more of this talk and I¡¯ll have to report you. You are yearning too much.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Josef said and blushed. ¡°Are you ever curious about relations with another man as an adult?¡±
Bernard gave a look of confusion and then laughed. ¡°By Ford, no! I¡¯m not a child.¡±
Josef looked down. ¡°No, you are not.¡± Josef went back to his equations. It was not a wise idea to continue this line of conversation. It was clear to Josef that Bernard would not be interested in such pursuits.
Fran was patiently waited by her door for Josef at 7PM. Josef had just left from watching an erotic feely. Virtually experiencing another couple engage in sexual activity had the anticipated effect Josef wanted. During the entire feely, he paid no attention to the female in the story. He was only focused on the actions of the male. If he could recall the male, he would be able to get through the social event.
He knocked on the door. Fran¡¯s Gamma opened the door, but Fran was right behind her Gamma.
¡°Hello, Josef,¡± Fran said. She was wearing a gray body suit that accentuated her svelte figure. Variations in wardrobe were allowed for social events; however, one always had to wear the color of their group. Josef had not changed and was wearing his mandated gray outfit. ¡°You didn¡¯t dress up?¡±
¡°No, I was running late from work and did not have time to change,¡± Josef replied. He was not lying. He went to the feely immediately after work and stayed for almost two hours getting in the mindset.
¡°Such dedication to the State!¡± Fran replied. ¡°Shall we?¡±
Fran and Josef rode the elevator down to the first floor where the social event was to be held. Inside, the room was packed with Alphas in search of a mate. Everyone was flirting with everyone in the room. Josef was shocked to see so much exposed cleavage¡ªso many bare legs. He had not been to a social in ages and forgot how much of an exhibition these events were.
¡°Would you like a soma cocktail?¡± Josef asked. He was not being polite to his date. He needed a little anxiety blurring himself.
¡°Yes please,¡± Fran said and unhooked herself from Josef¡¯s arm. Josef went over to the bar and order two cocktails. The bartender, who was likely an unassigned Gamma, poured two blue cocktails from a large pitcher. Josef went over to Fran and gave her the cocktail. He quickly consumed his drink. Fran had been talking with another Alpha male.
¡°Josef, have you met Thomas Golden? He works with me in Inoculations,¡± Fran pointed to Thomas. Thomas was a tall, heavy boned man with dark hair and dark eyes.
¡°Pleased to meet you. I¡¯m Josef Crowne. I¡¯m in the Psychology Bureau,¡± Josef extended his hand for a shake.
¡°Ah, what are you working on there?¡± Thomas asked.
¡°I¡¯m researching anti-social behaviors,¡± Josef responded.
¡°Fascinating!¡± Thomas exclaimed. ¡°And so noble of you.¡±
Josef smiled and looked around the room at the parade of mating rituals among the Alphas. Hands laid upon thighs. Women laughing at jokes. Men eyeing bosoms. It was beginning to get to Josef, so he finished the rest of his cocktail and awaited the effects of the soma. The conversations blurred into a steady droning. From across the room, he spotted Bernard engaging in conversation with a redheaded Alpha woman wearing a low-cut gray blouse and a matching gray skirt with a slit on the side. His hand was on her bare thigh. Bernard looked over and saw Josef watching him. Bernard raised his hand to wave and gave him a wink. Josef looked back over at Fran and Thomas. Even though the soma was starting to dull his anxiety, Josef wanted to escape the event. The display of flesh, the overt sexuality, and the noise were beginning to overstimulate him.
¡°Is this too much for you?¡± Fran whispered to Josef. Josef snapped out of his thoughts and looked over at Fran. She had a concerned look on her face. ¡°You haven¡¯t been to one of these in a while, have you?¡±
¡°No, I haven¡¯t,¡± Josef said and laughed nervously.
¡°Would you like to leave with me?¡± Fran said giving him a sly grin.
¡°We just got here,¡± Josef said.
¡°I don¡¯t care about socializing. I¡¯ve already decided I¡¯m leaving with you,¡± Fran said.
¡°That would be nice,¡± Josef said. Fran took his hand and led him to the elevator. Josef looked back and saw Bernard giving him a look of approval.
They reached Fran¡¯s apartment as the soma started to peak. Josef was feeling at ease. He started to think about the male in the feely and felt himself get aroused. He was ready for Fran although he thought about Bernard engaging in sexual relations with his peers during social conditioning the entire time he was with Fran.
4.
I hate these green eyes. All the other Gammas have brown eyes. Why was I cursed to be so different? All I want is to fit in like everyone else. All I want is to be of service to my Alpha like I was destined to. I know I serve Alpha Josef well. He doesn¡¯t treat me badly. I¡¯ve heard chatter from other Gammas how their Alphas yell at them and spit on them if their rations are late or not heated up properly. It¡¯s just something we talk about down in the shower room.
Alpha Josef never yells at me or spits at me. Sometimes he can be short and direct, but I know it¡¯s because he had a hard day in the lab. I¡¯m not sure what he does. It¡¯s not my place to know such things. All I know is that it must be hard work, because it¡¯s for the good of society.
What I do know is that my place in the World is to make sure my Alpha has everything he needs. I get him up every day and prepare his breakfast rations. I don¡¯t have to worry about lunch; he gets that at work. I operate the shower for him and scrub his body of the night¡¯s sweat. Getting his body clean above his chest is difficult for me. He¡¯s a quarter of an Epsilon taller than me so I have to get on a stool. Sometimes, I almost fall off the stool, but it is worth the risk.
I have to say, I never knew Alphas were so hairy. I don¡¯t have much hair aside from what¡¯s on my head. All the other Gammas are completely hairless below the neck. That¡¯s another thing I don¡¯t like about myself. I stick out among the other Gammas. I have body hair, I¡¯m a little taller, and I have green eyes. I hate that so much. I just want to be like the other Gammas. I sometimes will use Alpha Josef¡¯s razor and shave what little hair I have from my body. Every time I¡¯ve done that, it just grows back. I don¡¯t understand why that is.
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Every now and then, when I¡¯m dressing Alpha Josef, I¡¯ll be face to face with his hidden area and wonder if he uses it with his dates like we used to do in Conditioning classes. A few of my Gamma classmates would sneak off sometimes and show each other our hidden areas. Sometimes we would touch each other. All my classmates looked identical to each other except me. They would always want to touch me because I was different. They would always ask me why I looked different down there. I didn¡¯t think I was that different¡ªjust a little bigger. They would stare at me and then they would want to touch and do other things to my hidden area.
I never thought anything of it at the time. However, after Conditioning classes and assignments, we were never allowed to use our hidden area except for relieving ourselves of our waste. I still think about Conditioning classes a lot and want to make myself tingle like back then. Since I¡¯m so different, I want to do my best to please society. So, I try extra hard not to give in to the desire. I know the other Gammas don¡¯t try as hard as I do. I see them in the showers making each other tingle. I have to turn away because I don¡¯t want to give in to the desire. I know they stare at me¡ªwanting me to join them. But I don¡¯t. I can¡¯t!
I get a sense of pride when I see Alpha Josef dressed and ready for work. I know I served him well when he leaves with a smile on his face. I would do anything to make him happy because that is the only thing I am supposed to do. That is the only reason I am here.
I should stop thinking and sleep. If I stay up to late thinking, I will get up late and make Alpha Josef late to work again. I can¡¯t let that happen again. He was not happy with me, and I can¡¯t bear the thought of him not happy with me. Not again.
5.
Josef¡¯s pondering about Gamma 37¡¯s potential advanced cognition got the best of him at work. He searched in his data for Gamma case study interviews. He was able to find almost 50 interviews in the database. He spent the morning running the artificial intelligence program for synopses of the interviews. For the most part, the descriptions of interviews produced an underlying theme. Gammas were infatuated with gray or mulberry clothes¡ªthe clothes of Alphas and Betas respectively.
Josef came across one interview that involved a Gamma that had become infatuated with an Alpha. Josef pulled up the interview and was shocked to discover that the Gamma in the interview had bright green eyes just like Gamma 37. He listened to some of the dialogue with the Gamma. Josef discovered that the Gamma used such antiquated terminology as ¡°love¡±.
Josef has aware of the word ¡°love¡± but had never heard it in the context of infatuation. To Josef, love was a word used before the Reformation to describe an obsession with another person. The word had been long banned from the lexicon of society. Its use and meaning had disappeared from knowledge. Josef cross referenced the interview with a dictionary and an historical reference to find out more information about this word.
Love, it seemed, was a destabilizing emotion. Many rebels during the Reformation sighted their love for another person as a driving force to resist the ideals of modern society. Those that used love as a motivator refused to adhere to the communal nature of society. The idea that everyone belonged to everyone was preposterous for those in love. To those individuals, their love was expressed towards only one person¡ªnot all people. Love for only one person was a direct rejection of the tenets of the World State philosophy. The historical references cited that individuals would often ¡°die for¡± one person.
Josef wrinkled his nose at this idea. How was it possible for a person to be so infatuation with one person that they would subject themself to termination? What was the draw towards one person? What he found more perplexing was that this word, love, was uttered by a Gamma. How was it possible that a Gamma could utter such a high cognition? Gammas were conditioned to serve Alphas and Betas. Service was a Gamma¡¯s life goal. They were conditioned not to have higher cognitions. How did a Gamma have room in their simple mind for such concepts?
Josef reviewed the creation files for the Gamma in the interview. O-10-10-15-0633-G-7/72. A female Gamma created in A.F. 633. Gamma 7 was unassigned and worked in the laundry detail of a building a few blocks from his own building. Gamma 7 had ¡°fallen in love¡± with an Alpha male. The unnamed Alpha male lived in her building. She stated she would often find ways to encounter him in the building despite her work detail in the basement of her building. She was terminated because of her constant abandonment of her detail in search of the unnamed Alpha. Whenever she mentioned this Alpha, the sparkle in her green eyes illuminated the screen. The interview ended with a narrator stating that Gamma 7 was taken to the Termination Bureau after confronting the Alpha about her feelings.
Josef watched the interview again and tried to make sense of it. Why would a Gamma go to such risky extremes out of love? It was not stated in the interview, but, surely, the Alpha did not reciprocate her feelings. The tone of her voice reminded Josef of Gamma 37. He would often have what seemed like a wistful tone to his words. He had the same facial mannerisms of Gamma 7. It was as if there were some higher cognitions behind the eyes.
Josef reviews the creation file again for Gamma 7. One word caught his attention in the file. In the processing description, the word ¡°Reassigned¡± stood out. What did that mean¡ªreassigned? He decided to pull up the creation file of his Gamma¡ªT-13-02-15-0636-G-37/72. He was shocked to find out that in the processing description, he also saw the word ¡°Reassigned¡±.
He rubbed his eyes and looked up from the screen. Reassigned. Bernard was deep in an equation.
¡°Bernard,¡± Josef said. Bernard marked his page and looked up. ¡°I have a question.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Bernard replied.
¡°In a creation file, what does reassigned mean in the processing description?¡± Josef asked.
¡°Reassigned in the processing?¡± Bernard said and gave a perplexed look.
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¡°Yeah, reassigned during processing. What does that mean?¡± Josef asked.
¡°Hmm,¡± Bernard put his finger to his full lips. ¡°I think it means an embryo is reassigned a class.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not following,¡± Josef pressed on.
¡°Sometimes, the embryo is different, defective,¡± Bernard said.
¡°Defective?¡± Josef asked confused.
¡°Yes, too much of hormone X or not enough of hormone Y,¡± Bernard continued. ¡°The embryo is still viable, so it is given alcohol numbing to class it down a level.¡±
¡°So, a Gamma is numbed down to a Delta?¡± Josef asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Bernard said. ¡°The Gamma is given greater levels of alcohol and reassigned to a Delta. It is then conditioned as a Delta.¡±
¡°A Gamma is intentionally made a Delta,¡± Josef confirmed.
¡°Yes,¡± Bernard replied. Josef took a moment to digest this concept. Reassignment equals making an embryo a lower class.
¡°Does it only work downward?¡± Josef asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Bernard replied. ¡°All the conditioning in the world cannot make a Delta a Gamma. A lower-class brain cannot comprehend such concepts.¡±
Josef thought for a moment again. He then came to a startling conclusion. Gamma 7 had to have been a Beta and intentionally made into a Gamma. If that were true, then Gamma 37 was also a Beta that was downgraded to a Gamma. A chill went through his body. It could be possible that those instances of clarity that he observed in Gamma 37 were the thoughts of a Beta. That would explain why Gamma 37 was slightly different from all the other Gammas. He was intentionally downgraded in the hatching laboratory. He was intentionally damaged. Josef let out a gasp of shock.
¡°Is everything alright?¡± Bernard asked. Josef turned off the monitor of his computer.
¡°Yes,¡± Josef nervously said. ¡°I did not know reassignment happened.¡±
¡°It does not happen often and has to be approved by the Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning,¡± Bernard said.
Someone high in the ranks of the Hatchery had signed off on allowing a technician, probably a Beta, to damage one of their own.
¡°I was reviewing old interviews and came across a case of yearning in a reassigned subject,¡± Josef quickly said.
¡°I see,¡± Bernard said. ¡°I would not give too much time to that theory. Reassignment is such a rare occurrence that I doubt the Bureau would want to pursue any further research.¡±
¡°True,¡± Josef made a note. ¡°It¡¯s worth a notation in the research however.¡± Josef knew it was more than a notation in a research briefing. He had been serviced by an altered Beta this entire time. That poor creature robbed of his inherent potential.
Josef took his lunch break a little late. His research had led him into a rabbit hole. He lost all sense of time. Late lunches were acceptable for certain staff at the Bureau. Luckily, Josef was one of them.
Josef sat down with his lunch of protein and vegetable rations. There was no one in the lunchroom except a couple of other employees. Josef was fine with having a quiet lunch. He and Bernard almost always had lunch together. Today, he did not feel like dining with someone that blindly accepted biological tinkering. Today, he wanted to brood quietly even though he could not openly show his emotions on his face.
He finished his rations and got up from the table. Gammas assigned to lunchroom duty quickly cleaned up after him. Before he went into the restroom, he caught a familiar face. He ran into Fran on her way to the bathroom facilities.
¡°Hello, Josef,¡± Fran greeted as she approached Josef.
¡°Good afternoon,¡± Josef replied and smiled. He had not seen or heard from Fran since their encounter after the social.
¡°What have you been doing with yourself?¡± Fran asked eager to hear about Josef¡¯s day.
¡°I have been deep in my research,¡± Josef said catching a glimpse of the small gap between the buttons of Fran¡¯s gray blouse.
¡°So have I!¡± Fran replied as she placed a lock of hair behind her ear.
¡°I meant to thank you for taking me to the social,¡± Josef said putting his right hand in the pocket of his gray trousers.
¡°I did too! We will have to do it again sometime soon,¡± Fran replied pleasantly.
Josef looked nervously to the side. ¡°Do you have any plans tomorrow night?¡±
¡°Well, I do,¡± Fran replied. ¡°I have a few dates lined up with different men. I will not be available until next week.¡±
¡°Oh, I see,¡± Josef replied looking down at the floor.
Fran let out a little laugh. ¡°Oh, Josef. You silly man! I never see the same guy twice in a row.¡±
Josef laughed quietly. ¡°Oh, right. I should have known that.¡± How could he forget the social expectations? It was foolish for him to assume that Fran was not as promiscuous as everyone else.
¡°Don¡¯t be down about it. I just have a reputation to keep up,¡± Fran said placing her hand on his shoulder.
¡°Of course,¡± Josef said. Fran gave him a little smile and walked away. Josef remained where he was for a moment. Fran stopped and turned towards Josef.
¡°I¡¯ll look you up when I have made the rounds,¡± Fran said and walked away.
Josef entered the bathroom. Josef was upset. He was not upset that Fran was seeing other men. He was relieved that he would not need to attend an erotic feely before a date with Fran. At least for a while, he would be off the hook.
He was upset at the expectation that society placed upon him to be promiscuous. He was upset that he would never be given the luxury of being with someone familiar. It would be impossible to ever experience what the Gamma in the interview was talking about¡ªlove.