It was difficult to accept not being at the top, but it was at least some comfort to know that I was designed a B-man in the new world order. In fact, as a B-man you are not allowed to admit that you dream about becoming an A-man; anyhow, it is nearly impossible, there are no more than 3% of the classified population in this group against some 12% B- and 85% C-humans. To this is added the unclassified who are not called D-men because they are not worth counting and also possesses no rights. Nobody counts them or could even count on them. Their number is kept lowered by high illness rates, connected to various vices like alcoholism and drug addiction.
The new society arose from differing demands to its various groups. In group A, one would find an increasing concentration of the economic power within few families. Almost half of the A-men have some relation to UNIHOCO (universal holding company) and the majority of C-men are occupied in this conglomeration of firms, while a larger part of B-men are employed by the state. We are all very satisfied with UNIHOCO, because it is difficult to imagine anybody being dissatisfied and still keeping his or her job. UNIHOCO owns all great industrial, mercantile and transport firms. Previously, it was forbidden to collect so many firms in a single concern, and a number of great firms competed against one another. However, as these had decided the new regulation and the majority of people were related to these firms, one way or another, it was not difficult just to change such a law, now a majority for it had been formed.
Our government is independent of UNIHOCO. It consists of B-men and even a few C-men and is elected completely democratically. The right to vote is connected to payment of tax, while the classless are characterized by not doing so. However, since the new regulation, UNIHOCO and the government have worked close together to everybody's well-being. UNIHOCO obeys the governments orders, which is quite easy for it since the government first examines what can be demanded before doing so, in order not to compromise itself, as it happened once they were not quite in agreement.
As a B-man, you must work for a long time and are pensioned only with the age of 75. This limit was newly increased from 72 years as it was shown that B-men lived an average of 18 years after being pensioned, a duration which it was impossible to finance with the advantageous health- and pension-insurance. When A-men are pensioned is up to them to decide, there are no strict rules for that. In contrast, C-men stop working already with 54 years, when they loose value for the working market, but then their social status is a different one. As a C-man, you have no demand for any great operation after the age of 50. Through deletion of certain prophylactic therapies, enough means were created to offer the survivors a decent evening of life. In all, the humans of the C-group are not so poor as this story could let one assume, and they possess enough means to buy or utilize the products which UNIHOCO produces and sells.
Only the classless are living in real poverty. Probably, if it was not renewed continually through people falling off the C-class, this group would die out all by itself. Here, one will find the asocial individuals who abuse anything they can get to get drunk or for other vices. A scientific investigation has confirmed that this group practically does not support society, worse than that, it even hurts the organized society through thefts and associated damages. The classless can sometimes be utilized for certain services and are waged off for that daily, since nobody knows if you will ever see them again. However, it deserved mention that Europe's classless people are much better off than those who merge South and East of its borders. Just a few years ago, great hordes from Africa turned up against Southern Europe and only stopped after the great massacre, which took place for the great wall which protects the desired continent from rioters from the South and East. Nobody knows how many were killed by this massacre, but it must have been quite a few, since it was the last attempt since then to break out from that prison of poverty and overpopulation, and it calls for quite a bit to impress these masses.
But back to my comforted existence as a B-man in the right part of the world. It was a good position to possess, now that I had turned seriously ill. As a B-man, I had good means for that which was to come. A C-man would not be offered the operation which was now necessary. Where would we end if all parts of humanity should be treated for any thinkable disease till late age? They had tried so in the 20th century until they finally realized that this calculation did not fit.
But then the shock appeared in the form of an official letter: With the projected strain, society did not recognize their ability to accept me in group B. After all, I had not paid enough to the insurance in the previous years. And with my reclassification to group C, I would loose both my occupation, my apartment and my possibilities for cure. This appeared to me quite illogical, incomprehensible how such a thing could happen. I was paralyzed, sweating and unable to defend myself against my destiny. There was only one possibility, and that arose in my distress:
I woke up from my dream. I looked at my watch, which said half past two a.m., but that did not prove anything. Then I got out of bed and found a calendar - and was finally sure to be back in the 20th century. After all, it was only a nightmare. However, I was troubled by the thought that it was perhaps a bit of a vision. Although I could enjoy good health again without any need for a known operation, I did not sleep much more that night. Only when I was approaching the time to get up must I have slept again.
Anyhow, I was rather late that morning. The rest of the family was already at the table and had called me in vain a couple of times. My daughter laughed at me and said: "Father always tries to be an A-man, but now he has turned a C-man: early to bed and late out of it!"
I produced a shy smile. Should I tell them how I perceived
this remark exactly today? Better not, visions of the future tends to act
fantastic and unrealistically, but later they just turn trivial.