grand opening, Julio was standing near the entrance trying to get a look inside. A big sign over the door read “Money Chip Required for Entry.” He could see a pyramid constructed from bottles of Inca Kola just inside the door. A boy about his age darted into the supermarket and made a dash for the display. As soon as the would-be thief crossed the threshold, an alarm went off and lights began to flash. Before the boy could reach the soda, two armed guards grabbed him.
The boy had struggled against the guards. He kicked and punched with his free hand, but it was a losing battle. Finally, in a desperate effort to get free, the boy bit the arm of one of the guards. With that, both of the guards released the intruder and let him fall to the floor. But before the boy could escape, one of the guards pulled a black weapon from his belt and tased him.
Julio could still see the boy wriggling on the ground in pain as thousands of volts of electricity surged through his body. His eyes had looked like they would pop out of his head. Spit flew from his mouth. His scream sounded like it was stuck in his throat.
The guards had laughed and then hauled him off. All of the other customers passed in and out of the store ignoring the incident. Julio never saw the boy again.
Julio looked down at the small wound still visible between the thumb and forefinger of his left hand. He figured there was only one way to find out if the charity chip was working. He shoved his skateboard into his backpack and headed for the entrance. He wondered if he would feel some sort of electric shock or vibration from the chip when he passed through the narrow entrance to the store, but other than the lingering throb of the wound, he felt nothing. He cringed and waited for an alarm, but nothing happened.
He stood at the entrance for a moment and looked around. The size of the market was overwhelming. It was clean and well lit. Soft music played from overhead speakers. The shelves were stocked with everything from milk and mangoes to shirts and socks. Near the entrance and exit, he could see several armed guards with faces of stone, but the faces of all the other employees practically beamed.
“Can I help you?” asked a young woman in a store uniform.
Julio hesitated and then asked. “Where can I find a bottle of Inca Kola?”
“Aisle fourteen,” she answered as she pointed and smiled.
Julio thanked her and made his way through the shoppers to the beverage aisle. Just like he had seen before, he found a pyramid constructed from bottles of Inca Kola. He smiled and plucked a bottle from the display. On his way to the checkout, he passed down the candy aisle. How many times at the end of a long unfruitful day had he wished for the taste of chocolate? He grabbed a candy bar to go with his soda.
He approached the store exit looking for cash registers, but didn’t see anything. They had stations for bagging your goods, but no registers. The young woman that had greeted him as he entered the store was still at her position. He approached her and asked, “Where are the registers? How do I check out?”
“Oh, you’re a first-time shopper with us,” she said with a smile. “Sir, we use the latest chip technology to complete our transactions.” She pointed to the exit. “See those sensors that everyone is passing through?”
Julio could see what looked like a row of doorframes just before the exit. He nodded.
“As you pass through one of those sensors before the exit, they detect each of the items you have selected and charge your money chip accordingly. It is the ultimate in customer convenience. Shop. Scan. Enjoy.”
“How does it know what I have purchased?”
“Simple,” continued the clerk with a smile. “All the items in the store have been electronically tagged. The sensors pick up on all the items in your bags or on your person, automatically.”
Julio held up the bottle of soda and the candy bar. “You mean if I walk through one of
The boy had struggled against the guards. He kicked and punched with his free hand, but it was a losing battle. Finally, in a desperate effort to get free, the boy bit the arm of one of the guards. With that, both of the guards released the intruder and let him fall to the floor. But before the boy could escape, one of the guards pulled a black weapon from his belt and tased him.
Julio could still see the boy wriggling on the ground in pain as thousands of volts of electricity surged through his body. His eyes had looked like they would pop out of his head. Spit flew from his mouth. His scream sounded like it was stuck in his throat.
The guards had laughed and then hauled him off. All of the other customers passed in and out of the store ignoring the incident. Julio never saw the boy again.
Julio looked down at the small wound still visible between the thumb and forefinger of his left hand. He figured there was only one way to find out if the charity chip was working. He shoved his skateboard into his backpack and headed for the entrance. He wondered if he would feel some sort of electric shock or vibration from the chip when he passed through the narrow entrance to the store, but other than the lingering throb of the wound, he felt nothing. He cringed and waited for an alarm, but nothing happened.
He stood at the entrance for a moment and looked around. The size of the market was overwhelming. It was clean and well lit. Soft music played from overhead speakers. The shelves were stocked with everything from milk and mangoes to shirts and socks. Near the entrance and exit, he could see several armed guards with faces of stone, but the faces of all the other employees practically beamed.
“Can I help you?” asked a young woman in a store uniform.
Julio hesitated and then asked. “Where can I find a bottle of Inca Kola?”
“Aisle fourteen,” she answered as she pointed and smiled.
Julio thanked her and made his way through the shoppers to the beverage aisle. Just like he had seen before, he found a pyramid constructed from bottles of Inca Kola. He smiled and plucked a bottle from the display. On his way to the checkout, he passed down the candy aisle. How many times at the end of a long unfruitful day had he wished for the taste of chocolate? He grabbed a candy bar to go with his soda.
He approached the store exit looking for cash registers, but didn’t see anything. They had stations for bagging your goods, but no registers. The young woman that had greeted him as he entered the store was still at her position. He approached her and asked, “Where are the registers? How do I check out?”
“Oh, you’re a first-time shopper with us,” she said with a smile. “Sir, we use the latest chip technology to complete our transactions.” She pointed to the exit. “See those sensors that everyone is passing through?”
Julio could see what looked like a row of doorframes just before the exit. He nodded.
“As you pass through one of those sensors before the exit, they detect each of the items you have selected and charge your money chip accordingly. It is the ultimate in customer convenience. Shop. Scan. Enjoy.”
“How does it know what I have purchased?”
“Simple,” continued the clerk with a smile. “All the items in the store have been electronically tagged. The sensors pick up on all the items in your bags or on your person, automatically.”
Julio held up the bottle of soda and the candy bar. “You mean if I walk through one of
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