Josie's Coat

Quietly Stirring

I love breathing the fresh air on the tenth-floor balcony of HQ. It's like vitamins straight to my lungs. It's where a lot of dream-workers take their short breaks between shifts, or longer breaks if they don't have a client for the next one. (Of course, Jake usually finds something for the others on my team to do in that instance.) I might never see this place again. Not with my own eyes. Not even with a client's eyes. They'd have no cause to come here.

"It looks different from up here, doesn't it?" Ben leans his forearms on the railing and closes his eyes, ignoring the sight of the city bathed in the ember tones of the sunset for a chance to catch a respite in his own body. I know the feeling, usually. But closing my eyes might show me another dream. My own dreams never bring solace.

"It almost seems... beautiful. Good," I answer after a while. I don't want to linger on what I see below at the gates of HQ. There are fortunates there looking to buy people to cook and clean for them, and they can rely on the unfortunates rejected from dream-work to offer a steady supply of "manuals." Of course, we're rather cheap when we come from HQ. All those years on vitamins and training to control our fortunate clients' bodies make our svelte bodies rather unused to physical labor and the market prices the rejects accordingly. I shiver as I see a man with his head hung low led back into the city by a fortunate man who can't bother to look up from his wrist-mounted chrono screen as he walks away.

The breeze rustles through my oversized coat, making a rainbow shimmer in the air as I push my bangs out of my face. The billowing sleeves resemble wings. Part of me wants to try flying on that rainbow.

"How do you do it?" asks Ben.

"Do what?"

"You made a lot of money today." Ben nudges my arm with his. "Again."

I stare at the city of Canaan below me. "I... dream."

"You dream?"

"And I... see things."

Ben chuckles. "Dreams are just dreams."

I don't answer.

"Well," says Ben. "However you do it, that means more money for you, too."

I try to smile. I do. "When will I spend it? If this"—I spread out my arms to draw attention to the coat—"means I won't have another break again." I sigh and lean against the railing with Ben. "Face it. They only pretend we can earn enough as dream-workers to become fortunates. No one ever does. They'd only rather work here because the alternative—" I peer down as two women wait to get into a vehicle in the city below. Their new master stops to input his information into the wrist-mounted chrono screens they wear before leading them inside. All unfortunates must wear their screens forever, from birth to death. At least the fortunates can change theirs like fashion accessories.

"You'll be the first. And you absolutely will have a break again." Ben grimaces. "Jake wouldn't—" His screen flashes and Ben takes a look. "Sometimes I wonder if Jake thinks he's a fortunate, and I'm his manual." He looks over his shoulder at the rest of the team gathered near the doorway back inside. "Maybe you should come, too. They're not very happy with Jake's display back there."

"They're never happy when either of us does well," I mutter. "I'll be back inside shortly. Just let me... Let me breathe here."

"All right." Ben puts a hand on my elbow, and the coat zaps and burns my body at the touch. My heart is beating faster and my face flushes. "We'll see each other again, Josie."

"If you see me, it'll be on the slab in this coat. I won't be awake to see you."

Ben shakes his head. "You'll see me again, Josie. I promise."