January 2024 Short STory

Somchai Ambhom threw his cigarette out the plasma window, not caring whether or not it hit any of the hundreds of anti-gravity vehicles speeding by. It was nearly dawn and he ruffled the jet-black hair of his wife who was still slumbering. Far below, the land surface of the earth was completely covered by the endless sprawl of development and infrastructure. 

Somchai stepped onto a platform elevator which shot down in break-neck speed. Saying good morning to the guard on duty, he headed for the Mekong Delta, along with hundreds of other fishermen, each eager to start their morning’s catch. Espying an old derelict sign in Vietnamese, Somchai thought back to what it must be like for people living in separate countries all along Southeast Asia. Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand had all been amalgamated into one entity, called Precinct Twelve.

Finding his boat among the hundreds lining the pier, he got in, started the electric motor and headed out to the fish-filled waters. Throwing his net over the side, he painstakingly pulled it back, keeping whatever was sellable. 

Almost all the fish caught by Somchai were genetically altered, bred to be efficient animals that grew nearly three times faster than normal fish. Having nearly emptied the oceans of wildlife due to overfishing, these mutant fishes were raised in tanks and released into the ocean in vast numbers. Able to withstand vast extremes of heat, cold, acidity and pollution, they quickly became a staple for any fisherman looking to get a catch.

After a good day’s haul, Somchai returned to the pier and waited his turn to exchange his fish for credits on his phone. These could be used later to trade for food and other necessities. Looking at one of the bigger fishes in his catch, he saw something shiny in its mouth. Naturally curious, he opened the mouth and found a gold coin, with the image of a royal man imprinted on the back and a magnificent eagle on the front. Immediately Somchai hid the coin, knowing that being caught with any form of money in his possession would result in incarceration. But he also knew that on the black market, money was worth more credits that he or his wife could even dream of.

Giving his bucket of fish to the guard, he put forward his phone which was tapped to transfer the credits into his account. But as he was leaving the line, a hoarse, accusing voice called out loudly behind him.

“Whatcha gonna do with that gold coin buddy?” sneered a fat man, snickering with his other companions.

Two armed soldiers grabbed him and quickly found the coin in question. 

Several days later, being bruised and battered, the pitiful Somchai was forced to watch his coin being put into a machine which melted down and effectively dissolved the coin into nothingness.

One of the guards pulled his face close to his and whispered with a smirk: “money is the root of all evil.”