Paradigm Parallax: Part 2

I am halfway through writing the book itself but I figured I would share the rough draft of the other half of a chapter I shared on here. Another entry into the Harvest Moon series, excerpted from its sequel in progress - Tapestry of Time. If you missed the first part of this chapter click here to read it before continuing the second part below:

Paradigm Parallax: Part 2

The town was busy that morning with heavy traffic everywhere Carol went. The streets and avenues were filled with vehicles, mostly held up by the numerous construction project being conducted around the bay. The Hallows was prosperous and active enough place in her youth, but it seemed as if the town had been infused with new life since her departure. Many of the businesses Carol was familiar with were gone, only to be replaced by various franchises, novelty stores, and artisan boutiques. Diligent in her duties as a marine biologist, the young lady spent most of the morning in the Hallow Municipal Library, to gather further information on the town’s ecology and marine life. Cross referencing and verifying the data with other peer reviewed studies assisted in providing a thorough start to Carol’s project, but she also wanted to find some other texts while she was there. Reference materials in particle physics and astronomy that could help her understand the notes Lacey had left in the cabin – which was tucked safely away in her shoulder bag.

After spending a few hours at the library, the intrepid young scientist made her way to the clerk’s office. A four-story edifice situated inside city hall, it loomed in the middle of town like a sentinel silently keeping a vigil over the seaside community. The building itself was a colonial style structure that appeared misplaced in time, next to the new age establishments which popped up around it. With only a few other historical landmarks peppered throughout the area to keep it company, Hallowed Hall seemed to occupy its own place in the fabric of reality; firmly grounded in its sense of identity. The most significant sign of modernity on it being the automatic sliding doors, which coldly welcomed anybody who stepped inside the place, after they hiked up the massive stone staircase that fanned out into the courtyard below it. Carol studied the multiple rows of rectangular windows stretched around the perimeter of the building, as she tried to remember what floor the county clerk’s office was located. If they moved the office, I could always check the directory in the lobby, Carol thought to herself when she made it up the stairs. She was slightly taken aback, however, when she entered.

As if she had stepped into a portal that led her from the past and into an unfamiliar future, everything inside the foyer of the building was outfitted with various modern amenities. Instead of being greeted by a human receptionist people were met by tablet operated kiosks, and LED visual displays mounted on the walls near the ceiling around the waiting section of the lobby. This gave the interior of the structure a sleek but vibrant design, in contrast to the historical visage of its solemn exterior. It took Carol a moment to acclimate to the stark differences in ambiance before she approached one of the numerous digital kiosks. But another surprise awaited as she neared the device, when a translucent image appeared above it and startled the young woman.

A holographic image?! Carol was stunned by the azure display of monochromatic lettering which materialized in midair before her.

Welcome To The Hallow Bay City Center

“I have always thought of the hallows as more of a township than a metropolis,” she murmured to herself. I guess the future can find its way out to places like this too, huh? Suddenly, a series of tones chimed up from the tablet’s speakers before a recorded male voice spoke up in its place.

“-Say ‘1’ for appointments, ‘2’ for directory, or ‘3’ for operator-”

Carol hesitated for a moment. “Two,” she confirmed.

“-And what department would you like to find, Miss Sparks?-”

What the fuck!? Carol was completely taken aback! “How do you know my name?” Carol demanded from the electronic piece of equipment; marginally concerned over this surprising turn in events. The processing unit of the device’s hardware whirled inside the thin polymer casing for a few seconds.

“-Frequently Asked Questions:” the voice finally answered. “Our state-of-the-art facilities contain the most up to date in technology connected to the city’s public records and forums. When  a resident of Hallow Bay approaches a kiosk the facial recognition software from our camera system recognizes, and customizes, your experience here a the City Center. Hoping to create an enjoyable experience for all of its local visitors!-”

“I see,” Carol said alound but then thought to herself, it sounds like a cool idea, but it can become a severely invasive form of technology if abused. Although, this is the hallows, after all. Weirder things have happened.

“Permits and record keeping, I suppose?” The young researcher tried not to overthink the esoteric nature of the situation and decided to continue with the business at hand.

“-The public records office is located on the third floor. You can access the upper levels by the elevators at the end of the hallway, or you can take the stairs located next to the elevator doors. Thank you and have a wonderful day!-”

“You t-” Carol interrupted herself and shook her head, sheepishly. She left the kiosk and made her way towards the elevators through the bustle of foot traffic in the lobby. A parallax of paradigms in this town of ours. I nearly thought I was conversing with a real person! Carol snorted a little at the thought of it, while the elevator’s doors closed and ascended to the third floor of the building.

The upper levels were a completely different scene than the lower levels, however. The atmosphere seemed a little warmer and inviting when the doors opened and revealed a broad hallway that stretched the length of the building. Carol studied the stencil board directory hung up on the cream-colored wall to the left of the elevators, after she stepped out of the elevators and onto the charcoal tinted carpet of the third level. The young woman peered through the flimsy plexiglass case it was shielded by; fastened shut with a latch that would fall apart at the slightest hint of a breeze.

“‘Public records and permits, 221.’” Carol muttered aloud when she read the plastic stenciling of words and numbers. Each letter and digit stuck loosely into the dark background of the directory’s pegboard - slightly skewed and unevenly spaced. Her muted footsteps echoed dully inside the expanded vestibule as she made her way down the corridor to her destination. On either side of her the walls were adorned with paintings of the town’s founders, along with its history engraved on wooden plaques in between each portrait. Carol felt uneasy under the matte finish of their condescending gaze and could not help but turn her head away from them.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” In her effort to avoid looking at the wall hangings, Carol collided into someone and stumbled to the ground. “It’s you?!”

The young man she bumped into looked at her for a moment as he took a step back, bewildered. But then a look of recognition washed over his weather-beaten face.

“You’re Carol, right?” he gave an awkward smile when he reached down to help her up off the floor.

“Thanks for remembering.” Carol’s cheeks flushed a little, while she adjusted the hem of her blouse. “And you are…Taye?” He nodded. “What are you doing here?”

“I am here to renew my captain’s charter permit, first mate duties and all, according to him at least.” Taye rolled his eyes.

“In other words, errand boy,” Carol teased.

“Sadly, yes.” The young man looked down at his feet and responded with a mock look of shame.

“Well, I have nothing against errands boys. I believe they are an integral part of any high functioning society and should be treated with dignity, like everybody else.”

“Such a sophisticated view of class equality worthy of a suburban saint,” Taye chuckled as Carol shrugged her shoulders, indifferently.   

  “Deep down we are all a sack filled system of organs and fluids looking to live our best lives possible, so why shame people for it?”

“Good point.” Taye concurred.

“But why were you here standing in the hallway?”

Taye gestured to a picture hanging on the wall opposite the entrance to the records and permit room. “I got distracted with reading up on our town’s history.”

  “Oh, I see.” Carol frowned when she saw the portrait he was staring at.

“What’s the matter?” Taye asked, after he noticed the change in her demeanor.

“Well,” the young woman hesitated. “Debora Sparks, my great-great-grandmother.”

  “Really?!” Taye’s eyes lit up in surprise. “So, you are pretty much Hallow Bay royalty, huh? Woah! I did not mean to offend you or anything.” He immediately apologized when Carol’s dark eyebrows furrowed together, and she glared at him.

“It’s okay,” she exhaled, heavily. “Living in a town founded by a relative can be a frustrating experience. People expect you to live up to their legacy and you have to be this perfect little debutante all the time. It is either that, or, be viewed as some spoiled little rich kid people think is better than them.”

“All I see is a smart, intelligent, fluid-filled meat sack looking to live a life of her own.” Carol laughed a little after he simply shrugged his shoulders. “But maybe we should head inside before we lose the best seats in the house.”

The permits and records office were a sluggish sight that day, with only a few people to fill the waiting room chairs in the opposite corner of the door - and a sleepy employee posted wearily at his station in the front of the office. Although, the reduced square footage, created by the cramped layout of compressed wood furniture, cubicles, and beige colored drywall, made the tiled space feel awkward to maneuver around.

“You go first,” Taye motioned towards the counter when they entered the department. “I will take a seat over there and wait after you’re done.” Carol accepted his offer and approached the clerk at his desk.

“Excuse me?” She roused the man up from his half-dazed stupor. “I would like to fill out an application for permits pertaining to maritime research and surveys, please.” Carol handed over her driver’s license after he had yawned and asked for a form of identification.

“Do you have a drafted proposal of your project to attach with the paperwork?” The clerk looked over her card and typed her information into the computer on his desk. Carol reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out a stack of papers, organized together in a spiral binder with the title of her thesis in bold Calibri font on the cover. “‘Climate Change and Its Effect on Temperate Marine Life.’” He read it out loud after she handed over the proposal to him. The clerk slid Carol’s car license across the table to her in return. “It will take a moment to pull up the necessary forms in the system, along with filling out the preliminary information. Please take a seat over in the waiting area while you wait, and I will call you up, when we are ready for you to sign the papers.” The clerk motioned over to the corner where Taye was already seated. Carol thanked him and found a seat near her newfound acquaintance.

“I hope they are not as slow about processing paperwork as I remember everything else in this town tended to be.” Carol exhaled, deeply.

“It’s a lot faster than it used to be ever since the hallows got bit by the technology bug,” Taye rubbed his chin. “But the biggest drawback being a lack of skills if a network is down, or something glitches in the system. I think it is ridiculous to be solely dependent on digital technology without some kind of analog backup.”

“Sounds like somebody has taken a few trips around the block through the world of technology, sailor boy.” Carol quipped, impressed.

“It is more of a hobby than anything else,” Taye’s cheeks flushed a little and he averted his gaze to the ceiling. “Being first mate on a chartered ferry affords me a lot of free time. I find the sciences fascinating, so, I pick up a book every now and then.”

“I know a lot about marine biology and environmental sciences, so my knowledge of tech outside of what we typically use in my field of study, might be lacking.” Carol looked around at the other people in their seats - most of them had their eyes either glued to their phones or the LED display monitor that hung from the ceiling above them. “Although I do find it amazing, and a little disconcerting, of how dependent we have become on technology.”

“Do you know about the legend of the monkey’s paw?” 

“Never heard of it.”

Taye shifted in his chair to face her a little more. “It’s old-world folklore about a dismembered monkey’s hand that granted wishes to whoever possessed it.”

“It sounds like another version of finding a genie in the lamp scenario,” Carol surmised.

“Yes, except, these wishes always have the worst outcome for whoever wields its power.” Taye paused for a moment. “Imagine if you wished for a million dollars on a monkey’s paw, okay? And you wake up the next morning to find bags of money strewn around your living room, along with a group of thieves hiding in your house.”

  “I see what you are saying,” Carol tilted her head to the side and gazed pensively out of the window next to them. “In order to grant the wishes of its owner, instead of employing some form of abstract magic, this monkey’s paw enacts a twisted process of cause-and-effect.”

“Exactly! And I feel technology works in similar ways for society these days, where people have become slaves to its convenience.”

Carol looked around at the solemn expressions on the faces of everyone in the office around them. “I think I see what you mean.” No sooner had she spoken, though, a middle-aged woman a few rows ahead of them, with unkempt chestnut hair and a permanent scowl over her pallid features – dressed in a baggy T-shirt stretched over her slender frame, but with gray sweatpants Carol believed to be living up to its namesake – suddenly elbowed the person next to her.

“They finally got that crazy bitch!” She spoke in a harsh whisper at her companion.

“Who?! What are you talking about?” The lady’s friend, a thickly framed woman of similar age – with an olive complexion and attired more suitably for the occasion – was startled out of her television viewing stupor. 

“That Seabring girl,” the woman answered and tilted her phone towards the lady. “They found a body in the woods last night, and now they have the psycho girl who hangs around there all the time, in for questioning! Told you she wasn’t right in the head after that boy went missing…”

“Just because she lives in the woods doesn’t mean she had anything to do with it!” Her friend interrupted; a hint of annoyance laced in her tone. “Enough people have turned up missing around town, or even dead, without it having anything to do with her. Now, stop jumping to conclusions and let me watch this program in peace!”

“Whatever…” The lady in the sweatpants clucked her tongue in indignation but went back to scrolling through the app on her phone. “At least we don’t have to worry about her ruining the Fish Fry Festival this weekend. Dustin Jeiber is supposed to be performing and I bought a special pair of underwear ready to throw on stage for him to sign.”

“Oh no, did you hear that?” Carol moaned.

“What?” Taye glanced between her and the ebbing tide of conversation between the two strangers.

   “I have to go!” Carol abruptly stood up from her seat, and excused herself with her sincerest apologies, while she sidled past him and hurried out the door. Leaving behind in her wake a befuddled sailor seated in his chair.