The Designation

Chapter Description: Richard is at the Designation Office and is asked to step to the side where we learn a little more about the society and the people in it.

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“Next!” The woman who had just helped the young man, now sitting at the far wall and talking to another stranger, looked up and smiled Richard’s way.

“Hi.” Richard said with what he hoped was a friendly smile.

“Name please.” The woman replied. Richard didn’t take offence, she was clearly very busy and needed to be as efficient as possible.

“Richard Divey” Richard said.

The young woman started tapping on the keyboard. Richard was hoping for that same smile that greeted the last person she had seen, but it wasn’t forthcoming. Instead of waving him off to the side, she kept typing, frowning a little, and then typing some more. The longer she remained silent the more anxious Richard was becoming.

Richard was about to ask if everything was alright when a door at the side of the lobby slammed open. There were shouts and exclamations, the sounds of feet dragging on the floor and a struggle as two burly men appeared, pulling a smaller man into the lobby. The room fell into a hushed silence as it seemed everyone turned to look.

“Get off me! No! There’s been a mistake!” The man was being practically wrestled into the lobby.

Richard finally got a good look at him through the crowd and gasped. The young man was thickly diapered with nothing but an infantile red shirt covering his upper half. He was still swearing and lashing out as the doors opened again and a man and woman walked out. The woman was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue whilst the husband had an arm around her waist looking very stoic.

“Mom! You know this isn’t right!” The young man yelled.

“I… Baby…” The mother didn’t seem to know what to say and fell into more sobbing.

The man and his parents were soon dragged out of the lobby and to the front door. Richard heard him pleading and begging for a second chance all the way until the door closed. He swallowed and turned to face forwards again.

“Apologies for that.” The woman at the computer said, “As I’m sure you can understand, some people are less than pleased about their designation.”

“Yeah…” Richard was shaken. He just wanted to get his Big designation and leave. He didn’t even want to stick around for the certificate, they could mail it to him.

“One moment, please.” The woman said as she picked up a phone and pressed a few numbers.

“Is there a problem?” Richard asked. The confidence he had walked in with had eked away the longer he remained in the building.

“Yes, I’ve got a Divey here. Richard Divey… Yeah, just asking about the numbers on his file because… Uh huh… Yeah…” The woman was talking on the phone and clicking around the screen occasionally, “And they’ve been double checked?”

Richard tried to ignore the anxiety that was twisting at his guts. She might’ve needed to clarify the numbers for any reason, he tried to convince himself, maybe they’re surprisingly good or something…

“OK, thank you.” The woman put the phone down and turned to face the computer again. She typed a few things and Richard waited, “Alright, Richard, could you go and sit over there please.”

Richard turned to see where the woman was pointing. It was the opposite direction to the young man who had been given the easy pass. The area the woman pointed to was where most of the young men and women were ending up, sitting and waiting to be called forwards through the doors beyond.

“I… haven’t failed, have I?” Richard asked. A lump forming in his throat.

“There is no passing or failing.” The woman’s professional smile was back, “Please, take a seat and you’ll be called in shortly.”

“It’s ju-…” Richard started.

“Next!” The woman called out.

Richard backed away from the desk. He looked over to where the young man had been sat, he was already gone. Turning to face forwards, Richard took a deep breath and walked over to the bigger waiting area.

There were a dozen people already sitting in the area that was screened from most of the lobby by cubicle dividers. Richard walked to an empty seat and sat down opposite a large television. He felt a little more at ease when he saw how many people there were, and how many of them weren’t too concerned. This was the usual process, not many people were designated Big or Little right away, most had to have at least a little testing and checking. At least he hoped that was the case.

“Quite a scene, huh?” A woman said to Richard. She jerked her head back to where the Little had just been dragged out of the building.

“Yeah…” Richard replied. He gave the woman his name.

“Sandy.” The woman replied, “Well, at least it gives us a better chance, right?”

“Does it?” Richard asked.

“Yeah.” Sandy replied. She put her feet up on a table that had a pile of magazines on it, “Not many are made Little…”

“Two percent, I think.” Richard muttered.

“Exactly.” Sandy stretched out and yawned, “So they should see fifty of us before there’s another one.”

Richard knew that odds didn’t work like that. However, it was a comforting thing to believe so he let himself fall into the comforting grasp of math that didn’t really make sense. He pulled out his phone and sent a text to his parents saying that he might be a little while. They had to tell Kate, Richard’s fifteen-year-old sister, what was going on. After the text was sent, Richard continued talking to Sandy for a little bit, he learnt that they shared the exact same birthday.

“Sandy Freeman.” A bearded man had opened the door and called at the name.

“That’s me.” Sandy said as she stood up. She looked down at Richard, “Good luck.”

“You too.” Richard replied. Another person offering him luck…

With nothing else to distract him, Richard turned to the television which seemed to be playing a dull informational video about what was going on. It had just looped to the start and a man in a suit, standing in front of a blue background was smiling at the camera. A graphic popped up showing his name to be Frederick Kline, apparently the Minister responsible for Designation.

“Hello, I hope you are having a good day and an enjoyable experience in the Designation Office.” Frederick said. Richard scoffed, “This department has existed for over twenty years now and has resulted in the reduction of unemployment, a reduction in wastage and, most importantly, a reduction in crime.”

Richard sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. These were the same justifications he had heard many times before, he knew there were opponents of the system that disagreed, but he didn’t care about politics. Any time someone started discussing anything vaguely political his eyes would glaze over. They started doing it right there in the waiting room, but he stared at the screen regardless, it wasn’t like he had much else to do.

“When the government of the time published the Case Review, named after the Review’s organiser, Hattie Case, it sent shockwaves through society. It showed that certain behaviours could be predicted by looking at things such as grades and childhood behaviour. Furthermore, it suggested that some people benefitted from a reduction in responsibilities to make them happier, and their community safer.”

If there was one thing Richard was aware of, it was that the Case Review wasn’t necessarily all it was cracked up to be. He knew the government relied on it and referenced it often, but he also knew that people had long held that the Review was flawed or biased. He didn’t know the reasons for the arguments though.

“The government decided that radical action was required. After much debate, the Designation Department was opened up as a new office of state. It was charged with making society safer, a job it has taken very seriously ever since it’s formation. Thus, we have developed tests that can decide where best to categorise everyone when they reach the age of eighteen.” Frederick’s smile was strangely unnatural in the way that all politicians looked like they had to be taught how to do it as an adult, “If you are watching this, chances are you are currently in a Designation Office and soon to find your own place in our society, either as a Little or a Big.”

Another man, with grey hair and bushy eyebrows, opened the door and called another person through to an office. Richard watched him go and wondered if the same thoughts that were occupying him was also going through the others’ heads.

“It is important to remember that whether Big or Little, you are still considered an equal citizen. There is no…” Frederick paused, apparently looking for the right words, “Wrong way to be. Being designated a Little shouldn’t be viewed as a failure or bad thing, the same way that being designated a Big isn’t a success. It is simply who you were meant to be…”

Richard’s mouth twisted in a small wry smile. He looked around and saw some of the others having similar reactions to the last piece of information. Richard shook his head and stopped paying attention to the TV.

Everyone wanted to avoid being designated as a Little like the plague. It was for good reason. Frederick Kline may have said that everyone was still considered “equal”, but it seemed very much like some were more equal than others. Littles were forcibly stripped of their adult responsibilities. They weren’t allowed jobs, or to live on their own. From the moment of their designation, they were no longer considered an adult.

Richard had seen documentaries and government produced propaganda showing Littles and it made his skin crawl to think about it. Kept in a permanent state of babyhood for the rest of his life, with no chance at appealing the decision or getting a reprieve. It would surely feel like getting a life sentence in prison.

Many of Richard’s friends had spent a lot of time over the previous few years trying to sus out how the system worked to make sure they were safe. The simple fact was that nobody knew exactly what factors were taking into account, what numbers were plugged into the algorithm, or anything else. There were just rumours and suggestions. Their teachers would always stress how important grades would be to your designation, commercials for local sport would talk about how important those activities were to have on record. It felt like as long as Richard could remember he had been hearing people tell him how to get designated as a Big.

“Strange…” Richard muttered to himself as he looked up at the ceiling, “How being Little is apparently fine and yet everyone is trying to tell you how to avoid it…”

“Richard Divey.” The voice made Richard jump as he quickly stood up.

Standing at the door with a clipboard was a young woman who seemed to be only a year or two older than Richard. As he approached, he saw that she had a nametag that said her name was Zoe. She gave him a professional smile and held the door open for him to step through.

“Third door on the left, Richard.” Zoe said.

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