Mengliu headed east, through the deserted streets, to the foot of the mountain. There he found himself facing a complicated grey building. Two spires were raised like swords toward the sky. The heavy wooden doors were open, and on the arch above them was a carved relief. There was a stained glass window above the arch, with red and blue the dominant colours, and window frames of exquisite craftsmanship. He stepped inside. The hall was bright and spacious, under a cathedral-like dome engraved with an elaborate pattern. Light fell through the stained-glass windows, and the soft glow was reflected on the tiled floor. There was a solemn, religious atmosphere in the building, and a cold, lonely air about the hall. The crude columns were painted with dragons and phoenixes, and the carved images of curly-haired heads were distributed about the four corners of the room. The aisle stretched out straight ahead, as if it were a long tunnel through time and space. Mengliu moved deeper into the hall. The temperature suddenly dropped, and he began to shiver. Gradually, he felt the building changing. His footsteps sounded with a metallic echo, as if he were walking through a tin box. Then he seemed to sink, and the sounds were gone. The light dimmed, his vision blurred, and he was finally plunged into total darkness. The air was filled with a strong taste of the sea. Suddenly he felt dizzy, as if the hall was moving rapidly. This feeling lasted for several seconds, then he bent over and vomited. After what seemed like half an hour, his stomach was completely emptied of its contents. A hole opened up in the wall of darkness. His vision became clear, and a strong light fell on him, as if the sun was shining so brightly it made the surroundings dreadfully pale. His eyes were bursting with pain, and he covered them with his hands to block out the light. He heard the sound of a machine clicking. When he opened his eyes again, he was in a diamond-shaped space. The strength of the light above him had weakened, and turned into the soft light of a blue sky. Music floated like snowflakes through the air.
‘Mr Yuan, we welcome you to Swan Valley,’ said a robotic voice. At the same time a metal pipe with a coin-sized opening projected out from the wall and stopped right in front of Mengliu’s face. ‘You can see me through this periscope.’
Mengliu froze for a moment, then took hold of the metal pipe and peered through it. He saw, as if in a reflection on water, a blurred image of a machine control room. It exuded a charming orange glow, and was filled with green plants. There were buttons on the wall with mysterious writing under them. In the middle of the room was a large desk and what looked like a sofa with a person perched upon it. The person gestured to him, and told him that if he adjusted the dial beneath the periscope, he would see more clearly, and in even more fantastic colours.
As he adjusted the focus, Mengliu saw a figure sitting in a chair, with hair as green as seaweed. A white veil covered half its face. Its body was glistening, as if it was wearing golden armour.
The robot seemed to laugh a little, then reached over and pressed a button. The periscope retracted.
Mengliu heard a whirring sound from the machine as it went through its operations. All around him, various sorts of equipment now began to go into action. The instruments, meters, valves and control panels had all been polished until they shone. Electronic numbers jumped as the red screen flashed, and data was generated. A body of glowing spherical electronic bulbs rotated slowly on a screen, as the robotic voice issued from it.
‘Please have a seat Mr Yuan. I am very sorry that I haven’t had time to meet you until today.’
A man came out from a gap in the wall, his bald head shining. He pushed forward a Chinese-style armchair, then stood to one side, his body stiff and his hands folded at his waist.
‘Who are you? Why did you bring me here?’ Mengliu was not willing to sit. He looked around suspiciously.
The robot laughed and said, ‘Mr Yuan, your tone is a little unfriendly. You should feel honoured to come to our beautiful Swan Valley. You are timid and weak, and you lack ideals. But you also lack spiritual support. You need a resuscitation, so we can change your shortcomings and flaws. You will become a poet with impeccable character.’
‘If I am good or bad, what is that to you? I’m just an ordinary man, and of no value to you.’ Mengliu felt that the machine spoke with a style that was vaguely familiar.
‘Ha ha ha ha. Put aside your old ways of thinking,’ the robot continued, laughing. ‘If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will answer.’
‘Who are you?’
‘I am Ah Lian Qiu, the spiritual leader of Swan Valley.’
‘You are a woman?’
‘Sorry?’
‘A woman?!’
‘It does not matter.’
Mengliu was silent for a moment, then asked, ‘Why is sexual intercourse not allowed in Swan Valley?’
‘A single person can colour ten million years of history. That is to say, one good, great, perfect person is more beneficial than countless handicapped people, and those with lower IQs. Swan Valley strictly regulates fertility according to scientific principles. It guarantees a quality population, and that we will not produce useless citizens. So…’
‘So you seized upon excellent food, laid claim to blue skies, and captured perfection in humans…’
‘That is blunt, and rather unfriendly.’
‘You strangle human nature…’
‘It is logical to be inhumane. What use is humanity? Humane feeling is just a vat of paint. It will make a mess of everything. I am sure you can see how affluent Swan Valley is, how orderly. The people’s intelligence, their knowledge and spirit as well as their attitude toward life, are all to be commended. There is no desire, no greed, no selfishness or distraction, only good deeds. Swan Valley will be the most ideal place on earth.’
‘Yes. There is no resistance, only compliance. There is no self, only manipulation. People have been turned into robots. It is no different from castration.’
‘In Swan Valley, where everyone has ample food and clothing, how could there be any unhappiness? Who would object to such a comfortable, and agreeable life?’ When the robot had said this, it laughed wildly several times, as if it had revelled in this pleasure for a thousand years.
‘Then what do you want to do with me?’
‘To save you. To let you start over again as a poet.’
‘I am not a poet, and I don’t need saving. Please, let me go home.’
‘As far as I know, you are a good poet, but you are not the least bit patriotic.’
‘Nonsense. You would have no way of knowing what my feelings for my country are.’
‘Mr Yuan, if you were patriotic, why didn’t you join the protests all those years ago?’
‘I don’t know what you mean. I have my own way of expressing my feelings for my motherland. Moreover, things were not the way you think they were. What everyone knows is just their view…’
‘You are wrong. One has a clearer perspective as an observer.
‘You are like a frog in a well.’
‘I’m sorry. I meant to praise you. You keep away from messy complications. You are wise.’
‘I do not need to talk to you about such things. You’ve violated my personal liberties.’
‘I wonder. You live like farmers in a village with no church, and yet you talk to me of individual rights? Maybe you are thinking of that girl, Suitang? Don’t worry, we can invite her here, and hope that your genes match hers. Sometimes a prodigy…’
‘No, I’ve got no relationship with her,’ Mengliu said, raising his voice. ‘I don’t want to get married, and I certainly don’t want to father a prodigy.’
‘Ha ha. Mr Yuan, don’t be so quick to reject the idea. You will come to love Swan Valley, and you will make a comfortable life here.’