Harrison Grant, gazed at the distant ceiling barred by white light that shone on his strong, confident face from slender floor to ceiling windows flanking the walls. He sunk into a huge bed dwarfed by the size of the grand cream walls contrasting the empty blue sky.
He leisurely paced to the to the glass wall as barren mountains far below grew from the windowsill, a white speck stood alone in the brown grass reading “HOLLYWOOD” below a grey sea of concrete rose from the plains to create a mosaic of rooftops covered in solar panels that were bordered by highways. A female voice emitted from the intercom.”Your breakfast is ready. The weather today is sunny. Your meeting today is scheduled at 11:00 am.”
He dressed in a tailored black suit, and opened a thick wooden door to a room more grand than the last. The double height room resembled a blank canvas against an empty wall of glass that had two pillars cutting through the middle where at each one an imposing man in sunglasses stood. Harrison made his way to the kitchen. He pushed through the door to a screen that lit up when he moved into it’s vision. From it a newsroom was chatting about Emily Grant, the first lady, held a charity event for X research giving artificial limbs to children. The event took place in San Francisco at the Google convention center.
Harrison took the elevator up a floor to the roof of the California Republic’s new government buildings. a huge sky scraper nicknamed the “glass fortress”. When he stepped onto the roof the sun struck his eyes, temporarily blinding him. surrounded by guards shouting over the top of a helicopter “Mr President, we need to hurry. You are on a tight schedule.” He climbed into the black helicopter. Inside it was dark from the tiny tinted windows encased in armor.
He landed on a concrete building hidden by green hills that walled the the landscaped plateau where he was to have the board of commerce and economic development meeting. The meeting room had primary colors splashed across the walls. At the table in the center sat the representatives for the largest companies in California. Next to him was the CEO of Google Charles Porter. he spoke about his proposal to embargo the United States. And to stop the war with the Southern Union by 2050. Others argued about the universal living wage being too low. Or the unemployment rate was too high. By the end of the meeting nothing was decided and nothing was gained.
Harrison walked down the empty corridor to the atrium that displayed plaque reading National Mars research center across the wall. the front desk was abandoned behind it was a sculpture of a rocket that didn’t exist. Looking outside past the barren car park he longed to walk out into the lush green grass spread across the valley floor. He was locked behind heavy glass doors and two bodyguards so he turned reluctantly away towards the helicopter.
Back in the helicopter he sat alone holding his phone telling his wife Emily that he will not see her tonight. Instead he had to take a flight to New England to the North American Environmental Summit. At the airport the jet waiting for him was a Boeing 2A2. inside it was paneled with wood that was lined with leather seats. through a speaker a clear female voice spoke “Hello Harrison Grant the time is 2:26 the flight to New York will arrive at 6:12 Eastern daylight time. In time for a meal at “The Musket Room” shall I book a table?” “Yes thanks” he replied.
When he stepped out of the plane at 6:18 he put a white mask over his mouth and looked around at the dark empty airport populated by nothing but hazy lights. Harrison surrounded by an entourage of bodyguards sat in the back of an SUV that drove through the empty streets of Manhattan. Past Wall St there was light flooding from the trading floors onto the black street.
The next morning he woke in a five star hotel beside Central Park facing the founder’s statue on the edge of a walkway. At the summit the president of New England, Warren Richardson claimed that the rest of North America is not aiding in the improvement of the environment, that coal is still being burned and the Lakes District is increasing production on motor vehicles.
As he was about to continue a white head rose above everyone else. In a calm Southern drawl the man spoke.” Now hold it right there.” aided by an ornate cane the large man cruised to the front of the room.”How can we cease this mining? How can we prevent our honest hard working citizens from losing their livin’s. they will just be taken by robots or the un-pure. You uppity Yankees are nothin’ but talk. y’all start a ruckus with us and tell us that i’m gonna need to turn tails on my people! When you’re hidin’ from the rest of your country on your private island. I don’t think so!”
The day turned into bickering over who’s the worst country. When Harrison was sick of a room of angry men he slipped out the back and quietly walked out the front door of the hotel.
He walked across the empty street to Central park as his bodyguards scrambled after him. but he wasn’t worried a Manhattan travelers permit was hard to buy. Hidden from the view of skyscrapers by a breathing ceiling of leaves he strolled, his hands in his pockets and smelling the fresh scented air that engulfed him in the peaceful, living grounds.

Join the conversation! 1 Comment

  1. There are some intrusive mechanical errors in this piece. You would be able to spend an additional 30 minutes resolving these before a re-sub should you wish to present this piece as part of your final portfolio.

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