Zu Works

Looking at the UPside - Part 2

"Ah, Marion is it? Sorry to keep you waiting pal, I'm Mr. Sheridan. I've been assigned to work with you now that the UP Department has been given your case. I see you've filled out some of the paperwork Karla gave you. Has anyone explained to you your current legal state?"

The boy was sitting quietly on the exam table, swinging his legs back and forth. He looked up after Ken's approach. He was a scrawny little thing, almost no meat on his bones and his brown hair was too long for his face but his clothes seemed in alright condition. Those had probably been supplied by the department for him though, so no credit could be given to his previous caretaker, Nadine, for that. Marion looked up at him with big eyes that seemed an almost unnatural blue.

"No, I mean yes, but I don't know exactly what's going on. The social worker yesterday said I'm a non-person now. Is that true?" Marion asked. His voice was quiet and unsure but calm.

"Well don't worry I'm here to try and explain what's going to happen to you. Your social worker is right; you are considered a non-person now so you've been brought here to the UP Department to be properly placed. Non-person isn't the proper political term for what you are though, technically, you're a U-Cit now. "

"Oh," Marion said before letting a silence fill the room. "Sir, if you don't mind me asking, why am I a U-Cit exactly? Have I done something wrong? I'm not a criminal or anything, sir, honest."

Marion's voice shook with a slight fear and Ken had to laugh. Children could be so ignorant sometimes. Of course the only non-persons Marion probably ever heard about were on the TV and such.

"Didn't your social worker explain it to you?" Ken said.

"Sort of but I don't understand. She said that Dad - I mean Randall- wasn't taking care of me anymore."

"Well the correct term is that he doesn't want you anymore. You're in grade four, right?"

"Grade five, Sir."

"Perfect! Well then you'll have done a small unit on law then. By legal definition, you are a person only if you're wanted. Now you're probably more familiar with the criminal cases. Adults who are frequent offenders or felons for example can be judged a non-person by a jury or can be signed off as unwanted by a petition of signatures. Non-persons aren't just criminals though, they include any minors who aren't old enough to support themselves and who haven't got a proper WP certificate. Without a proper certificate you're a liability to the country. All people have to be signed for at birth, it's called your Wanted Person certificate, or WP certificate for short. Any person or persons signing agree to take responsibility for you until you've reached a supportable stage and can be considered a person without the certificate."

"Oh, so Da-Randall- forgot to sign my WP form or something?"

"Not exactly. Randall did sign your form, but it was done under false pretences. He was under the impression you were his son but you're not. The court has exempted him from his duties to you and nullified his signature on your WP certificate. Since your birth mother, Nadine, didn't sign the certificate when you were born Randall's was the only signature on it. Now that he's exempt, you're an unwanted person, or an unwanted citizen: A U-Cit."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense," Marion reflected. "What happens to me now?"

"Well, these cases pop up all the time. It's why my department exists. Since you're not old enough to care for yourself we'll put you into one of the province's housing facilities until something comes up. That's why you filled out those forms, so we can put you in the system."