"Jerry Davis - Justification" - читать интересную книгу автора (Davis Jerry)

Notice to Mr. Dale Bently of 7892634 Vericruz Lane, Apt. 982e7,
Tuleburg California 95205-1252-08, S.S. #578-23-8493-X-4398:

IMPORTANT! This is your 5 year census notice! You must fill out
the accompanying form and essay and return to the Bureau (see
enclosed self-addressed envelope) before your deadline of
November 1st. Failure to complete or return the census will
jeopardize your status of citizenship.


My God! Dale thought. My God, I forgot all about this! What have I been thinking!?
He looked over the form and the instructions for the essay. The form itself only counted
for %10 of the evaluation. It was the essay that carried the weight. In big bold letters the
instructions read:

In your own handwriting, justify your existence in 500 words or less.

Letter held numbly in his hand, Dale walked to a window and looked out. The white sunlight
made everything glare in his eyes, causing him to squint. It looked so unreal, much less real
than the television screen. There was no color out there.
Dale looked down at the letter. He looked at the date. November 1st, it read. He had one
week.

#

The trolley rumbled and swayed over the old freeway foundations, steel wheels singing
against steel tracks as it whizzed out of Old Town and into the vast spread of cityscape that
covered the once vital farmlands. Tuleburg was now bigger than the L.A. basin, with Money
and Business drawn around the big space ports like iron filings to a magnet. The sprawl of the
California Central College campus was visible miles before the swaying green trolley reached
the station, giving the impression that the trolley was barely creeping along. This was pure
illusion, as they were traveling in excess of 70 miles per hour. Dale was standing, holding
onto a rail and squinting through the windows, when the brakes were applied. He was thrown
forward and would have gone tumbling had he not grabbed on with his other hand.
The walk from the station into the campus had him exhausted before he was anywhere
near his destination. He had a headache and he was dizzy and his legs felt like they were
going to collapse beneath him. The students milling about all looked impossibly young. He


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couldn't tell if they were 14 or 24.
One tower stood out from the rest. He entered and rested on a bench in front of the
elevators for a while, mentally preparing himself for the interview. Almost five years ago
Lagrange 5 Corp. had suggested he take up teaching --- he only hoped that it wasn't too late.
By teaching the young, he could easily justify his existence.
His watch beeped and said, "You'd better hurry up, your appointment is in five minutes."
Dale sighed, said, "Oh, shut up," to the watch, and wearily got to his feet. He touched the
button for the elevator and the doors opened. He stepped inside, announced his destination as