Indigo Ch. 8

Edward returned to Sam, handing her a small cup of coffee and a bagel. The pair walked into the courtyard of the main building. She quietly sipped her coffee and continued to contemplate the flood of information that was coming her way. Edward pointed out the raised beds and how they supplied the herbs and some lettuce for the dining hall. He discussed how the farms were capable of supplying the residents with food year round. He even mentioned how they had also really started to master commercial-style composting.

Sam, however, had very little interest in how eco-friendly this place was. She was not particularly impressed with their use of solar power, multiple bins for trash in the dining hall, and the overall granola factor he was presenting. As Sam became increasingly more distracted, her focus shifted to the man standing before her. He was obviously bored by the spiel he was giving. Yet he persevered, if not completely out of obligation. Sam could sense his annoyance and determination to get through the next bit of time and return to his normal life.

"Why don't you show me something you are a little more interested in?" she said after swallowing her last bite of bagel.

The black-haired young man smirked knowingly. "Of course my disdain for agriculture is obvious to you. It is really more James' area of expertise. He enjoys leaves, manure, and all manner of planet saving. Unfortunately that technology isn't going to make us a lot of money. I prefer to focus my energies where there is some profit to be made."

"I didn't have this place pegged as a for-profit outfit. Nor is there a lot of money to be made with an autistic boy creating visions of the perfect storm." Sam replied sarcastically.

Edward's demeanor turned quickly. The look on his face made it apparent that he did not appreciate her sarcasm on this matter. "I told you earlier that Taylor's program was a personal project. He deserves to be able to communicate. He deserves better than to be a judged by any of us."

Edward was tense and it was obvious that something Sam had said really offended him. She read his body language for a moment, and it reminded her of Rose's reaction the previous night.

He continued, trying to calm himself. "And I will have you know that some of our ventures are actually profitable. I believe that the best way to hide is in plain sight. I work to develop technologies for some large corporations. They think that we are working together. The Commune stays hidden under the guise of a secret test facility and we are able to stay connected with the rest of the world. Not everyone here agrees with me, of course. But it maintains their way of life, so most don't complain. At least not to my face."

He was obviously trying to lighten the mood, though he was having a hard time forgiving Sam for her poor choice of words. Edward turned from Sam and headed toward a door. It led from the courtyard into the building and through to the rest of the property. Sam took Edward's cue, and followed him silently. She realized that the judging and self-deprecating humor that helped her survive her eighteen months in a hospital weren't really going to work here. Rose and Edward had made it incredibly clear that these kinds of jokes were frowned upon.

"I really am sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." Sam tried to apologize.

Edward started talking again, as if he had been silently fuming over her unseemly comments. "It is not just me that you offend. A diagnosis really only serves to create expectations of behavior and advice on medications. They help the very people who don't understand, but rarely those they are identifying. We don't have any use for that here. No one that is here needs treatment."

She let the words sink in. "You can't be saying what I think you are saying… Most of the people who live here are mentally ill?"

"Again with the use of labels. No one here is sick." Edward said.

The reason Sam was here started to sink in. Despite Edward's belief in what he was saying, Sam did not actually feel any more comfortable with where this was headed. "So they were all misdiagnosed?"

"I am saying there is no need for diagnoses. The people who live here at The Commune are talented and amazingly gifted treasures to human society."

"You are saying there is no such thing as mental illness then and that everyone is fine?"

"That is not what I am saying. There are some individuals suffering in this world, but not what you would see filling most hospitals and treatment facilities these days. There are some people who have truly damaged neurological pathways that cannot be repaired. Otherwise, most people are healthy. Some are even more than healthy. They just need a new way to think about themselves and a society that understands their needs"

"Mental illness has cursed society for generations and it is lucky that we have been able to help so many people in the past few decades. I don't think some fresh air and a disregard for medical science is going to stop a pandemic."

"You feel that you were lucky when you were locked inside a sterile prison for over a year and had someone else deciding what was wrong with you?" Edward was testing the waters. He didn't think she had been ready to come here, judging by her resistance. However, Dr. Franklind had demanded that they drop everything and go find her. She was important. Edward was determined to figure out why.

Sam was silent. She had run away for a reason. She knew that she didn't belong there. A secret part of her also believed the words she said. If she had just stayed long enough they may have found the right medicines and she could have went home. She could have resumed a normal life. What she knew to be true and what she felt must be true, were again at odds, much as they had been her whole life. Sam couldn't respond.

"If you really believe what you said, you are indeed one naïve little girl." Edward said with an air of indignation.

Sam continued to deliberate, not saying a word to her antagonist. In the past twenty years there had been numerous journal articles and reports suggesting that most of societal ailments had been due to mental illness. Homelessness, poverty, and violence could all be traced to underlying psychological conditions. An increase in mental healthcare facilities over those two decades had nearly eliminated many of the largest of societies woes. In fact President Grant had run for multiple terms, with healthcare reform at the top of his agenda each time. Under his leadership, the United States had reached what they were now calling a Golden Era of societal health and prosperity. Streets were clean and people were happy.

Sam's thoughts were on fire. Edward was obviously convinced of the truth in his statements. He was not lying to her.

"Don't you think that's a little too much for her first day here?" a deep voice said behind the pair. He was grinning at them both. Sam turned to see a blonde, curly-headed young man standing behind her. His face was vaguely familiar, but with the chaos of the last few days made it impossible to place where from.

"She needs a quick education." Edward said coolly. He was not in the mood to deal with this today.

"The only person she is going to offend is you, or Dr. Franklind. Everyone else here has a much better sense of humor about the whole thing." He turned to Sam. "Don't worry about him. Feel free to call me a pathological liar any day of the week. It won't hurt my feelings."

As he turned to walk away, Edward looked back to Sam. "And that is Tobi. Resident pain in my a*s."

"You two don't get along I see?"

"He just fails to understand the seriousness of what we are doing here. He was a reasonably successful actor before he came to visit. Due to his high profile, Dr. Franklind persuaded him to stay and help us out. He likes to remind us at times of how little he needs this place."

Maybe that is why he looked so familiar. Sam thought to herself as she followed Edward out of the courtyard.

As the pair walked down the hill through the straightest path between the residences, Sam did a quick mental assessment. The homes were all well maintained, matching the main buildings in architecture and design. Some of the homes were two-stories, others were ranch-style style, but each individualized in some way. Based on the houses and infrastructure, there were probably around a hundred people living at The Commune. Yet she had only seen a handful since her arrival. Though it didn't make sense, it was almost as if the residents were all intentionally avoiding her path.

Edward and Sam passed in between the two largest buildings on The Commune and headed toward the circular building that greeted her last night. Carved into the stone above the door frame was a three-dimensional diamond shape.

"There is something you need to watch." Edward said, as he led her into the darkened auditorium.

James sat in the last row of the auditorium and stared at the back of her head. Her long brown hair pulled back in a messy knot along her neck and she was wearing the same jeans and black jacket she had worn since they found her. James had been determined to stay away from her first few days, but Rose had been so persistent about finding her, that his curiosity was piqued. Edward had not been impressed with her so far, but he was impatient and bitter. James, however, was intrigued. He didn't want to confuse her further, but he desperately wanted to know her.

As the video played, James was reminded of how much he had hated this when he arrived. They had tried to create a video that explained why The Commune was here, who they were, and what they were trying to accomplish to any new residents; an Indigo 101. However, it came across more like propaganda every time he watched it. Images of hospitals, prisons, G&G Pharmatech headquarters, and Capitol Hill all played over dramatic music. To those who were already indoctrinated, this was a highlight of their biggest fears and what they wanted to hide from. It served to solidify their resolve and empower them to reach their potential. To others, it was absolutely confusing. Why Edward had chosen to show her this, on her first day here, was beyond him. Knowing Edward, it was punishment for her comments earlier. Whatever the reason, it was cruel.

As the short film came to a close, Sam abruptly left her seat and ran toward the exit. James caught a glimpse of her as she passed. Her face was red and tear-stained. Following her out of the building, James found her kneeled over on the ground outside of the exit. She was sobbing deeply and trembling. Going to her side, James reached his arm around her small frame and pulled her up.

"This is not the place for a breakdown."