Glimpses of the Island

History Lesson

When the ship entered the harbor, before docking, a crewman had brought a message from the ship's purser, Ahmed, stating that Luisa's company had arranged transportation at the port and requested her to remain in her stateroom until he called. The crewman had taken her luggage. Luisa nervously sat on the edge of the bed, worried that she had been discovered, that somehow she had revealed her real identity while on the voyage from the Seychelles to the Island. A bump and then silence as the ship's engines shut down told her they had docked, but no one came to her door immediately. She was so wrapped up in disaster scenarios that when the polite knock on her door came about fifteen minutes later it made her jump. She got up and opened the door immediately.

Ahmed and another man were waiting in the corridor. "My apologies for the delay, Miss Vallardo. Ship's business, always busy when docking, I'm sure you understand." Luisa nodded, afraid to say anything. "May I introduce Mr. Rupert Townsend? Mr. Townsend is a representative of your company."

"Please to meet you, Mr. Townsend." Luisa extended her hand. To her surprise rather than shaking hands Mr. Townsend merely held it and gave a small, polite formal bow.

"May I say I'm delighted to meet you, Miss Vallardo?" He had a definite Australian accent. "If you are ready it would be my pleasure to escort you to our corporate headquarters. There are a few formalities that need to be addressed before you settle in. I have a car waiting." He stood back and gestured for her to precede him.

No uniformed police, no accusations, no demands that she explain her presence on the Island. It looks like I've pulled it off , Luisa told herself. "Thank you, Mr. Townsend, I'm ready. About my bags? And what about Customs? I have my passport here in my purse."

"Not to worry, it's all been taken care of. We don't have Customs here on the Island, and you don't require a passport. Right this way, if you would please follow me?"

The apparent laxness of the Island's entry procedures was puzzling to Luisa. For a place that seemed to value its secrecy so highly there appeared to be little in the way of security. Mr. Townsend must have been on the ship before since he knew precisely where to find the exit hatch that opened onto the dock. They wound their way through the lower part of the ship, but sandwiched with Townsend in front of her and Ahmed behind, she didn't have an opportunity to see much except empty corridors and a cargo hold packed with crates.

Leaving the ship was as simple as walking down a ramp from the open cargo doors to the pier. As promised a car was parked just beyond the cargo unloading area. Luisa didn't recognize the make. Before she could reach for a car door, Mr. Townsend opened the rear door for her. She could see a driver inside. Ahmed said his goodbyes and headed back to the ship.

The drive into town was uneventful. Sitting next to her Mr. Townsend pointed out various buildings and facilities on the Island. To Luisa it could have been a city in Florida or southern California. They left the highway and drove through downtown streets until they reached headquarters, easily identified by the large company logo on the side of the building. The car drove down a ramp to the basement-parking garage and pulled into a reserved parking space next to an elevator.

"I'm sorry to rush you," Mr. Townsend apologized as he led her to the elevator door, "but it's late in the afternoon and there are some people waiting to meet you." He held open the elevator door for her and punched a button when they got in.

Luisa started to ask him about the company, but he cut her off immediately. "Again my apologies, and I don't mean to be rude, but someone else will answer all your questions. We have certain procedures to follow."

Exiting the elevator he led her to an office at the end of the corridor. Luisa noticed several women, either passing them in the hallway or through an open office door, all dressed in what looked to be a uniform. Mr. Townsend discretely knocked on a door marked "Conference" before opening it. Inside was a table, with three chairs arranged on one side. Two women were seated on either side of the central seat. On the other side of the table was a single armless chair. Mr. Townsend pulled it out and asked Luisa to sit down. He took his place across from her.

"First, I'd like to welcome you to the Island and to the company. Allow me to introduce Mrs. Dornier, who also works for the company, and Mrs. Leeds from the Island's government. I'm sure you have many questions but if you could hold off for a moment perhaps we can answer some of the obvious ones. Mrs. Leeds?"

The woman on his left began. "Good afternoon, Miss Vallardo. My name is Anna Leeds, one of the members appointed to your oversight board." The woman speaking to Luisa was formal in manner and appearance, businesslike in every way. Every way but one, and that was a jarring reminder to Luisa, now Lois Vallardo, that she was in a place with very different rules. The once crucial difference, and the one she couldn't help but stare at, was the unmistakable metal collar around Anna Leeds neck.

"I'm from the Island's immigration agency, sort of an official greeter. I'd like to go over with you some legal details about your employment contract." Anna continued, "as the letter containing the job offer explained, you have accepted a position in this company's apprentice training program."

Luisa nodded in agreement. "That's right, as a technical writer."

Anna frowned at the interruption but continued, "You are correct. However, you may not be aware of the Island's laws pertaining to your position. I see you are from New York. Tell me, do you know much about the history of New England and the upstate New York area in the early 1800's?"

The question didn't seem to make any sense to Luisa. How did American history have any bearing on her job? "I'm sorry, but no, I only had the minimum in history at school. Excuse me, but I don't see the relevance. I wasn't aware a technical writer had to be a historian as well."

Anna smiled as she shook her head. "No, no, it was just a casual question. I asked as certain events back then have shaped current island policy. Let me explain.

"In the early days of the Industrial Revolution, the northeast US was the center of the textile industry in America. Automation in the form of water wheel powered looms was changing a largely rural area. One of the problems the mill owners ran into was a severe labor shortage. They simply could not hire enough men to keep up production.

"What could they do? There was an explosion in demand for their products. Sales were being lost to Britain because they couldn't keep up with demand. Finally the mills resorted to what had been the unthinkable up to then; they recruited farm girls, young women who would normally never be employed outside the farm.

"Now keep in mind what it was like then," Anna continued. "Women did not work in factories. They married and lived on their husband's farm. That was the only way for a proper young lady to fit into society. Parents would never allow their daughters to work in the mills.

"So the mill owners, desperate for workers, set up a social system that concerned parents would accept. The companies built and operated dormitories, saw to it the women stayed in at night, received a good education in the social graces and went to church on Sunday. In effect the company took charge of their lives until they married and left the mill."

The history lesson wasn't inspiring Luisa. What Anna had described sounded like paternalism at its worst. Luisa could make her own decisions about her life; she didn't need someone else to tell her what was acceptable.

Seeing there were no questions Anna continued. "And that brings us to the present. Here on the Island the company training programs, such as the one you signed up for, are structured much the same as those old textile mills. Your time will be closely monitored by designated company supervisors, such as Mrs. Dornier." Anna nodded toward the other woman facing Luisa. "Under island law you are required to submit to their authority and follow the set of rules for trainees." Anna slid a small book across the table to Luisa. "In here are the essentials you need to know." She put her hand on top of it before Luisa could pick it up. "I want to stress that what is in here is a legal mandate. It's the law, not just a bunch of suggestions. Read it, and learn what's in there.

"To misuse an old movie line, you are not in Kansas anymore. The social structure on the Island is not what you are used to back home. Don't let the similarities fool you. Here we all have well-defined roles. It is up to you to learn how best to fit into that role. The company will help, but in the end it is your responsibility."

Luisa had never been to Kansas, but she recognized the reference to The Wizard of Oz . In a way it felt like she was a Dorothy who had been picked up by a tornado and dumped in a dream world. Unfortunately, it wasn't a fantasy she shared with the rest of the Island's inhabitants. With some trepidation she picked up the book and opened it.

It was every bit as bad as she had feared. Uniforms, supervised free time, permission required for even the most trivial matters. She wasn't even allowed to leave the building on her own. Whoever had written the book must have come from a military school, and a school for twelve year olds at that. It might have been reasonable two hundred years ago, but not today. "Look, I'm an adult." Luisa threw the book down on the table. "I don't see why I have to do any of this. Why wasn't I told before I accepted the job?" She almost bit her tongue as the angry words came out. She was here to investigate, not get kicked out on the first day.

Anna slid the book back toward her and stood up. "Now you look. I don't know how or why you came here, but that's irrelevant now. I don't care if you find it acceptable or not, and neither will anyone else. This manual," Anna tapped her finger on the cover, "is the word you live by from this moment on. Get it through your head right now ; someone else sets the rules for us. You better show some respect for those in authority. The sooner you do the better off you'll be."

Anna sat back down. "Sorry, I get carried away. Things like this are very important to me. I didn't mean to snap at you. You're new here and there are so many things you don't understand yet. Please, read the book. You really don't have a choice, you know. The contract is for a year. You have to stay on the Island until it expires."

And there it was , Luisa thought, the words I really didn't want to hear. I can't leave. I can't just walk away. It doesn't look like I'm going to escape or be rescued either . She picked up the book again, resigned to reading it but determined to do as little as possible.

Anna nodded in approval. "Good. Now, a few points first. This is all covered in there but you need to know it right away. First, do not leave the building unless you are being escorted. That's very important. If you are caught outside on your own you'll be in serious trouble. Same for insubordination, do as you are told and don't mouth off.

"And always remember where you are, Lois. This is Isla Del Sur. The men are in charge, that's the reason women like us come here. There's no ambiguity about it." Anna touched the collar around her throat. "I know it's hard to adjust, but be patient and work at it. Who knows, maybe one day you'll find the man you want to call master."

It'll be a cold day when some man gets me to wear one of those things , Luisa vowed.

As soon as Anna stopped talking Mr. Townsend spoke up. "Thank you, Anna. I must stress the importance of what Mrs. Leeds has covered, Miss Vallardo. The company aggressively complies in full with all island regulations, as spelled out in that book. Mrs. Dornier will see you to your room and explain your schedule for the next few days. I would ask that you see her about any daily concerns that may come up. If you feel the situation warrants you may request a meeting with your entire oversight board, the three of us, by submitting a written request to your supervisor. For now I'll leave you in the capable hands of Mrs. Dornier."

That must have signaled the end of the meeting for he immediately stood up. Anna Leeds followed him out the door but the one remaining member, Mrs. Dornier, remained behind. From the expression on her face Luisa gathered she had not made a good first impression.

"First, we get you some uniforms, then a room assignment." Mrs. Dornier stood up, "and if there's time we can stop by your office. You've been assigned to the technical proposals section. Some friendly advice," she pointed to the small book on the table, "you better know that book by heart. I don't know why but the powers that be decided you are going to work for Kurt Goeren. He literally wrote that book, and trust me, he'll expect you to follow it religiously."