CHAPTER 1
October 3, 2096
My name is Jessica Forma. I was born October 3, 2086. I was in a very special generation…the last generation. And to top that, I was the only one in this generation. The ambassadors of the International System of the World (ISW) passed a law that no one could have anymore kids.
But it was too late by then because my mom was already pregnant, with me a course. As you would guess I am an only child. It usually has its perks, but when you don’t have any body to hang out with that’s your age, you would prefer to have siblings.
I live in the city of Juju, in the sector of Wazzi, and in the country of Gonta. My teachers say it used to be Las Angeles in California, but not anymore it isn’t. California broke away from the United Sates in 2048, as did Hawaii and Alaska. Now, they are in the country of Gonta.
Also, we don’t have states, we have sectors. Personally, I like sectors better. The ISW says that countries with states have to use currency like the old days…ugh, that has to suck. It’s been like this since the ISW was founded in 2024.
But since I live in country with sectors, I don’t have to use that stupid old stuff. What was it called, again? Oh yeah…currency. With sectors your government can choose its own way with money. I think it’s because the ISW’s headquarters is located in a sectorous country, but my mom says don’t judge the government, so I don’t.
Anyway, Gonta has a very special way of paying for items. As soon as you turn eighteen or you get a job, you get a GG and a SG card. A GG card stands for general goods, and SG stands for, you guessed it, special goods.
With the GG card you can buy your groceries and clothing. With the SG card you can buy your toys, appliances, furniture, and bed spreads. You get unlimited spending with your GG card, but it depends on your job for the amount of money on your SG card.
If you don’t have a job you don’t get a SG card, but you do get $15.00 a month for you GG card. The government buys the houses for people, though and pays the electricity and heating bills, so that’s a perk. Now a days everyone eats healthy though. There is no candy, chips, or soda…nothing. But I don’t really care, everyone is healthy and in shape.
All food is organic and the government checks the factories to make sure the processing of the food is under their regulations. I never knew why the ISW did all of this. They gave us one heck of an life and none of the pressure was on us!
Well anyway, back to me. Since I am the only person my age, it’s like having my own personal tutor everyday. I’m the only person in my class as you could’ve guessed. The government didn’t want me to have trouble in school, so my same teacher moves up with me every year.
I feel kind of bad for teachers and people who have been studying hard to become one, since now there will be no more openings. They’ve been planning all their life to a teacher, and now their studies have gone down the drain. Also, the people who are already teachers lose their jobs once the age group they are teaching doesn’t need anymore schooling.
My teacher says that schooling has changed a lot over the course of the years. She said that people didn’t have to know what they wanted to do when they grow up until college. But now-a- days you have to know by the time you’re in fourth grade.
Preschool and up you don’t need to know. Everybody is just taught general subjects like math, reading, science, English literature, and spelling. But once forth grade hits, you have four months to figure out the rest of your life.
So many choices and so little time. Your teachers don’t start stressing about your future in forth grade; they talk to you all through preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and third grade. Every morning they ask, “What is “future” but right now?”
I’ve heard that quote since the day I was born…everyone has. That famous quote was written by Arthur P. Keedler. He was the main person we used to talk about in our reading and literature discussions. He wrote that quote at age thirteen and died the day after he wrote it.
I never quite understood why everyone looked up to him so much. I mean all he was to me, was just another average guy. He could be a guy that walks past me in the market everyday or even my mailman…it still wouldn’t make a difference.
He was famous, and to me, there was no apparent reason why. But because everyone else treasured his so called words of wisdom, so did I. Not because I was a follower, trust me I do things my own way, but because it was the law.
Another thing I’ve never understood was our laws. They force us to honor a man who died over thirty years ago, even if we don’t agree with his ways. They have complete control over our houses, if you get someone from the government pissed off, there goes your house.
Everyone thinks, “It’s the good life for me!” but I know something is up. I’ve felt uneasy about the government ever since… well forever. I see one of the smiling faces on a commercial saying how great life has been since the ISW was founded, and I just flip the channel.
It’s something about their smile, their eyes, the way they hold themselves. Everyone takes them to be perfect angles, but I don’t. They make laws that aren’t any fair and they can change anyone’s life by the snap of a finger (and it’s not usually for the better).
And with school, this one kid got a month of after school detention, and had to recite the ISW Pledge of Allegiance five-hundred times before he could leave. And just because he was mouthing the words onetime instead of reciting it. The ISW made it a law that, that be a punishment.
You start learning the pledge in preschool, and if you don’t have it memorized by the end of first grade, you have to take summer school to learn it. You might be thinking, “Well big deal, a pledge are you kidding me?” but you haven’t heard this pledge. It is three pages long and you have to learn it in the official ISW language, Habono. Yes I know it’s not a real language, well now it is. It’s not the official language in any country in the world. But the ISW wanted a unique way of speaking.
As you could have guessed, it’s my tenth birthday. Also, you can see I’m in forth grade. And now I only have about two more months to figure out my future. My teacher, Mrs. Tristy P. Calont, is really starting to push this whole decision thing on me.
I mean she is like a second mother to me, but I hate it when she pressures me. I’ve known her for five years, and she has never said Keedler’s quote so many times in a day before.
Tristy said that I don’t have homework today because she is assigning me a very special project. I’m sure I will like it because she always assigns very fun projects.
One time she told me that I would have to make a diagram of the earth. We went up in space so I could study all the features. I’m sure who ever reads this won’t be able to know the joy I went through. Considering the future will be much more extravagant.
My diary is actually a project itself. I have to write about how I feel about anything in here, and then when I’m older and there is no more room to write, I must burry it where someone, or something, else can read it.
I’m not sure that this project will be a success though. I am the last generation. No one will be able to ever read it. Being the last generation also has its downsides like this project. A waste of paper and a waste of my time. Tristy said this has been a project for generations so I must do it as well, so here I am, doing the project.
So as I was leaving class, Tristy told me about my new project. “This project isn’t one set in the curriculum already. I feel as though we have the need for it. I have checked with the ISW and they also believe this is a good idea also.”
I was bracing myself for the worse. If the ISW wants it, it must be bad. That the conclusion I made when I turned seven. “Yeah, yeah whatever. Just give me the assignment so I can go already.” I was in no mood to be dealing with the ISW. “Now watch your attitude young lady. Do you want to stay after class?” I just looked down and shook my head.
“That’s what I thought. Now to continue, your assignment is to think about the time where you had “butterflies” in your stomach. An educational time of course. Like was it when you were doing math, or speaking a different language.”
I couldn’t quite figure out where this was going, “Ok…” I said in a suspicious tone, “But why?” I asked. She just shook her head, “I’m sorry; I have been informed not to tell you why.”
Of course I couldn’t know why. It’s the ISW remember? Ugh, could this assignment get any stupider? When did I ever have butterflies doing something educational? The only time I could remember was when I accidentally invented a new technology for phones.
I was trying to win the school science fair with my wireless charger, and wound up figuring out how to make it so you never have to charge your cell phones. And then another time was when we were in space.
But I think I only got butterflies because I electrocuted myself and the sensation of being in space. I couldn’t have an attachment to the scientific world. Could I?
I began to think I was crazy because I kept hearing my name now. “Jessica…Jessica…Jessica!” Tristy was calling my name, “Huh, what? Oh…sorry.” I’d been spacing out. “Ok well do you have any questions about the assignments?” she sounded like she thought I was crazy. And that made two of us.
It took me a second to remember what assignment we were talking about. “Oh yeah, um is it a written essay or like…what?” I had no idea what was expected of me.
It looked as though she didn’t know the answer to my question. “Um well get creative, make a diagram or something. It doesn’t really matter; you just need to get the message across.”
So I nodded and began to exit the classroom. Before I could leave, Tristy stopped me. “And don’t forget about your time-capsule diary.” I turned around and smiled, “I won’t Mrs. Calont.”
Time-Capsule Diary Entry One,
Jessica Forma