The Age of the New
The heavy rain pelted down on the gloomy, fogged-in city. The colour of brick buildings in the distance quickly faded away in the driving shower, leaving the world drained to a dull grey. A small crowd on the streets trudged and scurried through the downpour, some holding newspapers above their heads as flimsy umbrellas.
On the street, a trolley rattled by, its wheels screeching as it came to a stop. An rough voice called out ‘Hastings and Granville’, drowned out by the dull, deafening white noise of the city. A group of shabbily-dressed Chinese workers filed out of the bus, and mechanically into an imposing, six-story edifice.
William Miller followed their motion, looking out through a glass window from inside a warmly-lit, high room in the Lynn Tower.
“Anyway-” the word was a command, “I am certain that you gentlemen can detach your eyes from the lovely day outside and return ourselves to the task at hand.”
William and the others returned to their seats on the long, rectangular table.
“As we know, the urban condensation projects have been largely successful, and energy generation is back on course. The ministers have stated in their latest release that the first-stage reconstruction is back on course, and the second stage- reestablishment of control over peripheral regions- is commencing...”
The young engineer’s mind was already beginning to drift. His pencil tip slipped onto his notes, beginning to sketch out the schematic that had been flitting around in his mind as of late. Surely his new turbines could work, once the workforce was-
“And that is the outline for the further specialization programs which we will be undertaking in the coming year. Your input is, as always, requested. Miller?”
“Ah... yes, the outline seems generally appropriate... from a mechanical standpoint...” William’s eyes shot around, looking for an escape. They settled on his paper. “I would, however, wish to add plans for a series of hydroelectric projects along the Fraser and Columbia Rivers in the southern interior. My organization has been working on several new... turbine designs which could be of great use for both generation-”
“Thank you, that will be enough. You may file your suggestions at my office after this meeting. Hutchins?”
William sank down into his chair, and stared out the grey window. The city had changed so much in the last 20 years. He had just been a child when the government had collapsed, when the war flu had taken away his mother and younger brother, when Vancouver was just a simple resource port. His teenaged years had been a struggle- his father sought to provide him with an education even as anarchy and war raged around the continent, sparing the city only out of merciful chance. The Technocrat Party had risen to power 12 years ago, promising order and a return to civilization. And order they had brought. A collection of technical experts from a wide variety of fields- science, architecture, engineering, agriculture, and more, sculpting a new society from the old.
It had not been hard for the well-armed and organized group to take control of large regions of disordered territory along the Pacific Coast, and later into the interior of former Canada. The effects of their policies were rapid. The return to order- at least in the cities- had been almost instantaneous. The cities had swollen, growing ever upwards. The bustling city was in the midst of a slow transformation, into what was widely regarded as the only possible future. A city of brick gradually being overtaken by a city of metal- of machinery, electricity, and industry.
William’s mind had once again returned to his plans. His age, at long last, was the one wherein mankind’s wildest dreams- and darkest nightmares- were all coming to life- and he was just the type of man to seize it.