Episode #4: Inconvenient Refugees 4: The council

Mar,26 2025

I was elected president of the council because I am the one who fought for the naturist free zones to federate. We didn't built a federation, instead, we made a confederation.

What's the difference? Well, we are more like the European Union than the United States. All I preside over is the council, not the union of our free zones.

And yet, the council isn't even located in my free zone. Now, let me clarify that. I am the administrator of my free zone, but I am not the president of my free zone.

When it comes to the internal matters of my free zone, I have a boss, and I report to them. When it comes to the council, there are things for which I am the boss, but usually, I report to the other representatives.

So, the council itself isn't in the free zone I live in. Instead, it's in the one to the north of mine, which I can go to, nude, via an overpass over the road between our free zones.

The road is in Costa Rica. The overpass, is whichever free zone you are coming from. I know, it's weird, but if I cross someone going the other way, we are in different free zones.

Both the free zone I live in, and the one next door, allow for free movement of citizens between both of our zones, for up to 72 hours in a row, but immigration is basically impossible short of marriage, and even then, it's rough.

We still have a guard on duty, Scott in our case, but mainly to prevent people visiting the other Free Zone from visiting us without proper authorization.

Scott is a good guard, so he still makes me use my fingerprint to pass the gate, but we have some small talk. His wife is pregnant, and all four of us, with another couple, were trying at the same time.

"I could feel the kick. Why don't you come over tomorrow? We just got from Lamb from some other zone, and your wife could help us cook it"

"Wait, like a whole lamb?"

"No, just some chops. Enough for the four of us"

"Nice, we should raise some. I'll ask if we can import a few"

"And who would take care of them?"

"We have some new Algerians. Maybe we can find some who can help"

"New faces? Sweet."

But I left, and crossed over. At this time, it's empty, but we have the hospital, and they have the University. We have teachers residing in our Free Zone teaching there, and they have nurses and doctors treating at our hospital. And that's not even counting the patients and students crossing over.

This overpass can get crowded, but now? It's empty.

I had Amanda send an emergency meeting request, so it's no surprise that Colin is already in the council room, in the university building.

My free zone is one of two American naturist free zones. Colin, is the member of the council for this British founded naturist free zone. He is a teacher on campus, and unlike me, he isn't the administrator, just a sort of ambassador. Henry is their administrator, but he is also the ruler, if you like, of their free zone.

As I get in, Genevieve, from the French Free Zone to the North of the British University zone, arrives, happy to see me.

I am one of the rare English speakers who learned to pronounce her first name right.

Her free zone is partly democratic, which is rare. And it's not because it's French. Apparently, most other French zones around the world are just as autocratic as ours.

The only affront to their full democratic process, is the role of minister of foreign affairs, which was held by Genevieve's father, and he passed it on to her.

She is only 22, but to underestimate her would be a fatal mistake. She is cunning, hungry for power, and the only person in the administration of her free zone with a guaranteed position.

"Dave, what is this emergency?", she says, using her sexy French accent. She can speak with a perfect British accent, but mostly when she is angry. When she needs something, she uses her obvious sex appeal.

"I'll tell you all when the others arrive"

She puts her hand on my shoulder. Something no other naturist would do, but she does it anyway.

"Can't I get a spoiler?"

"Energy talks, and a new demand from Costa Rica"

Her tone changes, as does her accent, she returns to her British one.

"Are they done extorting us? I mean, we are all sovereign zones"

"I guess they are not. We have tools, but we need to give a little"

Giovanni arrives, in a good mood. He is 70. Technically, he runs the Italian free zone, being Italian, but the zone itself is far from being Italian.

He acts like the dictator that he is, but he is jolly, positive and always has his inhabitants in mind.

His zone, is the most multicultural of us, and also, not coincidentally, the most populated.

What is unique about his zone, is that they run a huge cloud data center and as such, welcome naturist computer specialists from all over.

However, Giovani doesn't sign free circulation deals, but he isn't strict on visas, both incoming and outgoing. We figure that he just likes to listen to people asking for permission to go to the doctor or to study at the British University.

To his credit, he will sign a single visa valid for a whole degree, and in case of medical emergencies, lets his border guard issue temporary visas.

Everyone more or less likes him, and he is a voice of reason. A retired tech billionaire, he not only financed his free zone on his own, but also helped some of ours out of "being a good neighbor"

"Costa Rica causing waves again?"

"Sadly. Are Frederick or Ute coming?", I ask, but of course, no one knows.

Ute arrived 2 minutes later. She is the representative of the German free zone. They have a massive factory making machine parts, and it's not a fully dark one: there are workers on the factory floor.

They are the second-biggest exporter of the naturist free zones, after Frederick's zone, but we still have the higher profit margin from export due to our specialized work. We just, well, have less volume, but also fewer costs.

"Should we wait for Frederick? He never comes to these things", says Colin.

Frederick runs the other American naturist free zone, but it's vastly different from, well, any of the others. He runs a dystopia.

I told, you, free zones are sovereign nations and have the power of life and death over its subjects. Almost no free zone in the planet allows emigration. Once you are in, you are a prisoner of it. I am. I couldn't just leave my free zone, even if I wanted to. Costa Rica wouldn't accept me, and would send me back for trial for the crime of attempting to flee.

So why move her if we give up on our freedom? Because we gain in security. Some, like my wife and me, are committed naturists who saw our free zone, and it's charter promising freedom of work, freedom of speech and freedom of thought, along with healthcare and education possibilities for our kids, as better than fighting the current declining world.

But not everyone had that choice. Make no mistake, Illi didn't choose to join us because she weighted her options for her family, and figured it was the best place to raise her kids among a multitude of options. She was given, by Costa Rica, an ultimatum.

She knew she would be back on a boat, or worse, and that in the outside world, the chances of the four of them still being alive and well in a year were slim. Those that refused, felt more optimistic.

But then, there is Frederick.

Our founder believed in the freedom of the people. He, believes in capitalism, in that, those who have the capital, make the decisions.

He is an industrialist, and his company builds dark factories for other free zones. At some point, he realized he would have more power if he built his own free zone. A dark super factory. One that makes the robots and systems needed to make a dark factory.

His initial plan, was for him, his wife, his mistress, and his cook and servants to move into a free zone, under the pretext of helping him, and then, well, keep them there under his control.

He soon realized two things. First, he couldn't control his wife or his mistress. Second, he needed more people to do maintenance, and shipping, and ordering.

He left aside part of his God complex, and began recruiting employees and other residents, including teachers and such.

This problem, was how to find them? Good employees outside free zones prefer staying free agents. Good ones, in other free zones, are inaccessible to him.

If naturist free zones hadn't set up shop next to his, he wouldn't have turned his free zone into a naturist one. He saw how easily we could recruit naturists, and turned his free zone into one.

Some people apparently didn't comply, but his mistress did, and soon enough, his wife and their kids.

People began realizing that if they did become naturist, they would have more freedom, as such going to our hospital, or to the British University.

One by one, his residents became naturists, and he got naturist replacements for the others.

The reason we all hate him, is that most of our residents were actually naturists before moving to our free zones, except for the recent immigration, but that's blood on Costa Rica's hands.

Frederick just imposed it on everyone, and from our doctor's whispers, I feel like not everyone is happy there. Not just because of the naturism, but like, they have the least travel permissions, and most students study remote from their free zone.

He acts non-stop like his free zone is in competition with ours. He also doesn't socialize with his residents. He hides in his mansion.

"Ok, let's start", I say.

Everyone sits down. We each have our own chair, and on it, is always a towel with the colors of our flag on it. Not our actual flag...

"A few of you are aware of Costa Rica always pushing us to consume more electricity", I say

"No us!", says Giovani, laughing.

"Yeah, not all of us. But we are pushed. Well, we have a new immigrant, and he proposes a shared power grid"

"Interesting, how would it work?" asked Genevieve.

"In short, we each have a power meter at the door of our free zone. We would run power cables to reroute electricity, say, from my zone to Gionavani's. He would pay less, I would pay more, so he would compensate us, but, that way, we meet our quotas. Same with France, who gets pressure", I say, with Genevieve nodding her head.

"I like that", says Ute. "Our electricity consumption varies a lot month to month, so when it's high, they raise the quota, but they don't lower it when it goes back down. We'll sponsor the parts to get it done"

"Once connected, we would still negotiate one on one the exchanges, but it would have helped Genevieve when the cable supplying them broke last month"

"It would. To their credit, it only took 3 hours to fix"

"Still, it would take perhaps minutes?", I say, but I don't know how these things work.

We take a vote, and everyone is in favor. It's non-binding, but it proves that we agree.

"I have bad news, however. There is a reason we have a new immigrant"

"Not the Algerians", says Giovani.

"Yes, the Algerians. They want each of us to take 10 refugees at least. We have our 10, but I negotiated that if I could interview them, instead of 10 each, it would be an average of 10"

"What's the difference?", says Ute

"If we get, say, 4 more, that means that you could have only 6"

"We will take none of them", says Ute

"What?"

"Same here. Well, no. Perhaps a cook? Yeah. We'll take a family, cook, or something useful. Parents and their kids", says Giovani. I make a note that if I find a cook in a couple, with 4 kids, they are going to him.

We already have a cook, but she is our cook. Not his.

"Ute, we all need to do our part"

"My free zone, will take our 10, plus any pied-noir, and say, 10 more who speak French, to compensate for Ute", says Genevieve

"Sorry, what was that word?"

"Pied-noir? It's two words. In English, Black foot. If there are any Black foot, we will take them. "

"I don't know what that is"

She sighs. "Over a hundred years ago, Algeria was a part of France"

"A colony of France?", I ask

"No, a part of France. A province. Some white French people moved there, and not all of them returned when Algeria gained independence"

"Won a war of independence", says Giovanni, teasing her.

"Details", says Genevieve.

"So Genevieve will take my 10, good"

"Colin?"

"I need to think it over. If any are university teachers, just one in the family, we'll take the whole family. Otherwise, I don't know. Maybe a farmer or two?"

"So 10"

"Perhaps."

"This still means that need to cover Frederick"

"Why?", says Ute.

"What do you mean?"

"Tell Costa Rica that you handle us, but not his"

"Fair enough. So it's 50 refugees"

"I can help with the interviews", says Genevieve"

"I do them dressed"

"I can get dressed for it. I hate it, but I will do what is needed"

"I trust you both. Get me a good cook"

"Hey, I have a question for you all, who has lambs?"

"I do", says Giovani

"Could we raise some?"

"Not from ours. We want a monopoly. But I will set up a free export quota to compensate you for the help we get from your free zone. "

He seemed serious, so I thanked him.

I think it was a productive meeting. Everyone leaves, but Genevieve stays.

"When are the next interviews?". She says, back to her French accent.

"In about 2 hours, I think?"

"That late?"

"I think it will run into the night"

"Ok, your wife and I are about the same size. I know she has a dress or two, I know you two met the Costa Rica officials outside your free zone"

"She does"

"I don't want to walk home, let's go to yours, I like your wife. Maybe she sneaked more of that jello from the hospital".

She starts leaving, so I just follow her back to my house!