Les Zigomanis Day of Futures
The Assembly The lobby in the Directory of Vocations building was gargantuan – that was the only word Zach Hoffman thought could describe it. It had white walls, high featureless ceilings, and display screens hung at regular intervals, showing vocational adverts and their educational pathways. Moving walkways, like they had at airports but quicker, zipped between the endless rows of benches, and there was the hint of antiseptic in the air, as if the Directory employed it to counter the daily turnover of masses and all their germs. Although there had to be at least a thousand seventeen-year-olds seated in the lobby, the collective conversation was kept to a quiet hubbub. It made Zach think of church, which was fitting since the Directory demanded the implication of piety, if not reverence. Of course, given how the Directory shaped lives, Zach didn’t find that surprising. He recalled reading in history books how people had once chosen their own vocations – or had let circumstance dictate their choices. He wished for that anarchy now. Zach scanned the faces of the other kids, seeing a range of emotions displayed – excited, nervous, scared, indifferent. Surely he couldn’t be the only one confused. He turned to Charlene, Harry, and Amy – the three friends he’d booked in with. ‘I'm certain the Directory will recognize my desire to become a lawyer,’ Charlene was saying. Her oval face was serious, and behind her rectangular spectacles, her eyes blinked owlishly. She’d tied her strawberry blonde hair back and worn a pale blue pantsuit with the intention of making herself look officious, but it only contrasted her youth. ‘I’ve taken every legal elective possible,’ she went on, ‘and I’ve read all the textbooks I could find. Yes, law will be a fulfilling career.’ ‘Cut the bull, Charlie,’ Harry said. Charlene’s eyes narrowed, and her jaw clenched. ‘Charlene,’ she said. A grin split Harry’s narrow’s face. He slumped on the bench until it seemed he might slide right down to the floor. Like Zach, he wore slacks, a shirt, and a tie, but unlike Zach, his shirt was untucked, and his tie hung loosely around his neck. ‘You're only chasing the big bucks, Charlie,’ he said.