I was called by Sam in the middle of the day. It was my lunch period that I wanted to devote to my wife and my peculiar son, Ben. I swiftly kissed Caroline on the cheek, gave Ben a pat on the back, and quickly got out the house. What ever that had happen had better be important enough to drag me away from my family.
It was June 15, 1979, 5 years, 11 months, and 6 days since I had thought of this place.
It was a bright sunny day, a day that you would consider to be a day that was filled with excitement and joyfulness. I dodged hand shakes and nice gestures through the crowds of people that wanted to greet me in the streets. Zipping through them all, I was able to get to the newly installed highway tram. Suspended in the air on rails that attached to the sides of buildings, these trams made travel through the city more faster and comfortable. Meeting the usual conductor, I dropped 50 cents into the money box. He looked at me and smiled wide.
"Well good afternoon Mr. Mayor, where you headed?"
"Challston Avenue."
"Oh, you must have heard about all the ruckus that's going on down there."
"Yeah, I got a call from my secretary, says it's somethin' urgent."
"Yep, a whole lot of people have started to crowd around there."
"Hmm.... I hope it's nothing bad."
"Knowing this city sir, it probably is just a false alarm."
About 5 minutes later I was down in Challston. I tipped the conductor farewell and walked down the road to where all the commotion was. I spotted Samuel near a group of Officers and lightly tapped him on the back.
"What the hell is going on here Sam. Every ones in a frenzy."
"They should be, let me show you something sir."
Guiding me over to the middle of Challston, Samuel pointed his finger over to a white sheet that was separated off from the streets by barriers. Carefully crossing the barriers, I lifted the sheet to find a man lying on the ground dead. A bullet between the eyes. I jumped back a little and then looked at Samuel.
"Do you know what happened here?" I asked.
"According to the Officers there was a dispute between a white male and Mr. John Patrice here. They said that the white male called Mr. Patrice a derogatory name because of a poker game. This then led to a verbal stand off and then a physical confrontation. And now this."
"Anything else?"
"Uhh... no. Right now the Officers are questioning most of the coloreds...."
"I beg you're pardon?"
Crinkling up his noise, Samuel caught himself.
".....I mean, most of the Blacks."
Sighing, I cautiously left the crime barriers and walked over to the side walk, along with Samuel.
"Damn, first death in the city, can you believe that." I said.
"To tell you the truth sir, I actually can. And it will probably happen again."
"What?..."
"In a city like Argo, there needs to be more control on the citizens. Something like this could have been avoided."
"But so many restrictions is what I was trying to get away from, that's what all of us were trying to get away from."
"Sir, not to come off as being disrespectful or childish, but a society such as this, one that you have so rightfully created, will not be able to succeed if it goes down this path that it's going."
"So what are you trying to get at Sam?"
"What I'm trying to explain sir is that this city is going to crash and burn if something isn't changed. I suggest we fix it."
"You mean, you suggest I fix it."
Wiping the perspiration off his face with his handkerchief, Samuel gave me a startling look.
"I think we should talk on more about this later, somewhere more private, don't you think." Said Samuel.
"Yes, I think that would be more suitable."
Samuel then walked passed me hastily, while I headed for the group of Officers.
"Excuse me." I said to one of them.
The Officers all spun around to look at me with lit eyes.
"Yes sir Mr. Mayor?" One of them said.
"I need a full investigation on this murder, and I want a written document from all of this."
"Yes sir, we're on it!"
Walking over to a payphone, I slowly called home, after two rings Caroline picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hey honey it's me."
"Oh hey!"
"Hows Ben doing?"
"Well he isn't to happy about his father skipping out on lunch with him."
"Yeah I know, I've got to make it up to him somehow, today has been rough."
"Oh yeah, how did everything go?"
"Well... I'll explain when I get home."
"Okay then. Hows Samuel?"
"He's acting..... different. Like I said, I'll explain more on it when I get home."
"Alright, see you then. Love you."
"Love you too honey.... goodbye....."
YOU ARE READING
The Oddities of Mr. Shaffer
Bilim Kurgu"Many ask me how I made my creation. I simply tell them, I looked to the sky...." What if you were the mayor of a city? But not just any city..... a city in the sky. A city where everything was perfect and free will and peace existed. Could you...
