Free Monthly #14 Proclamation
A selection from 21st Century Short Stories
Introduction
I have no idea why, but Melvin was a fitting name for a villain in Emergence and in this short story which introduces him (okay I know why I have used the name but not why the name is so apt for the character). There is more to this character than meets the eye, and I can assure you, dear reader, that he is more than a singular dimension. But alas, I can only tease so much. I will leave you with this, however: Proclamation is a short story that begins to tie Melanie’s story line from previous short story drops into the main story in Emergence. Enjoy!
21st Century Short Stories | Proclamation
“There are too many Abnormals!” Melvin cried as the crowd cheered him on. I feigned to applaud but anyone who looked closely would notice that my wristphone was not jiggling with forceful clapping like everyone around me. “We are doing everything in power under the leadership of the All-Seeing Eyes to ensure they do not cause harm to you. We are doing everything we can to round up the Abnormals who were let loose by rogue elements of education system. Too many have caused more harm than good. Too many have gone against us!”
There was a lesser round of applause as jeers swept over the crowd. The booing died out quickly and Melvin looked down at the crowd. His eyes swept close to where I stood and continued. “It is my duty as an enforcer of the law to keep you safe. I shall continue in my duties to track down the escapees from the reservation, the criminal heathens that they are. I shall continue to root out the corruption of the Abnormals in South America and in Africa. I continue to work closely with the President of North America and the All-Seeing Eyes on these matters of life and death. It is with a heavy heart that I spent my time working so hard for you, my beloved friends. I am not superhuman, I am but a man. A singular man.” I felt a stirring in a few people as Melvin sneered the last sentence out. The notion that Melvin was only one and not many made those of us who had seen the videos wonder how he was able to solve so many problems across three different continents. No one dared to question it and we never said anything that could be heard by the microphone in our wristphone. It was too dangerous to speak such things.
“That is why I call upon all of you to do your duty to our great Absolutist Society and ridicule the Abnormals as you see them, to note where they live, to call our hotline that is provided in your government numbers on your wristphone. We will bring this crisis of Abnormals to an end. I promise you!” The crowd erupted at the last and I raised my hand along with the rest and opened my mouth, but I did not shout. I could not shout. It was revolting. “I beseech you, my friends, to continue to praise the All-Seeing Eyes and to continue doing your duty for our society. We have achieved many great things together. We have rooted out racism, we have defeated discrimination, and we will soon destroy the last threat to our society!”
On queue yet again, the crowd erupted and began to chant with the typical phrase, “All-Seeing Eyes!”
I could not help but to join in. Everyone began to look around to make sure we were all chanting. This was what he had to do to show our approval of the AI, the All-Seeing Eyes, the government that we instilled to save us from the threats of the past. The threats that Melvin claimed to still be dire to the survival of North America. I had heard it time and time again, but I could not see what he said was there.
The man in front of me made eye contact with me as we shouted out the half note of the chant. He smiled as we finished the eight notes to the phrase and he looked away. I punched the air with my hand for emphasis on each word. “Let us pledge to our government. Our protector. Our security. Our safety.” Melvin’s words carried over the chants and after several seconds he started the pledge with hand over heart. “We pledge allegiance to the government and the All-Seeing Eye, for which it stands, to protect and guide us, one people, indivisible with justice and security for all.”
Melvin exited stage right and a woman sprang up from a seat behind him and approached the podium. The people in the crowd waited patiently for her to speak. When she did, I thought I heard her voice waver as if she was concerned about something. “Thank you, Melvin, for your words of wisdom and strength. Thank you, people of North America, for coming here today. This rally is, as you all know, the end to the annual two-day celebration we North Americans have been generously provided by the All-Seeing Eye. It is a weekend of remembrance. It is a weekend of acknowledging our folly in our past. We celebrate the time we recognized the Abnormals for the threat that they are. We celebrate our rallying against their wicked ways during the Genetic Crusades. We brought an end to governments corrupted by man and by Abnormals alike. We have done many great things. My family played their part. I, Alexa, promise you that we will continue to play the role we have with the utmost care!”
The throng cheered for a short time before Alexa could continue. “I proclaim to all of you, that one day soon, we will have no need to program the All-Seeing Eyes any longer. It has been an arduous task, but the AI systems are still running core code that relies on our programmers. I assure you that we will have this issue resolved within five years!” More cheering from the assemblage ensued. Everyone knew from the first year of schooling that the programmers were chosen as selectively as possible to ensure that they would not enforce their will on the AI algorithms, but I had my doubts.
I, and several others, did not cheer at her news. We were old enough, wise enough, and could remember enough, to know that Alexa was lying. I recalled many instances throughout my life where the algorithms seemed to unjustly punish or promote those around me. Her lie was exactly what she had said the year before, and the same thing Fiona said three years ago when she participated in our celebration. The Absolutist Families never seemed to have the issue solved. The proclamation was a fib if nothing else. It made me curious as to what blockers they might have in such a conundrum of replacing core code. Could they not simply copy it and remove the need for human input?
“You. Come with us.” It was a gruff voice from behind me. I turned and saw two security guards had approached me.
“What?” I said reflexively. “I mean, why?”
“Come with us.” The gruff voice came from the squat man on the left. “Quickly now.”
I had no choice but to follow them. Whatever misunderstanding there might have been would be easier to solve if I listened to them instead of demanding to know what the charges were. The squat man led the way with the taller, skinner, guard follow me to make sure I did not stray. After a minute of meandering through the crowd, we exited at the back end where I saw several others I recognized as folks who did not cheer as Alexa mentioned the core code plan. By the time my wristphone beeped, I knew what was happening. I heard all the others receive the same notification. I shut my eyes as I lifted my arm up to read the screen. When I opened them, I read the words out loud for all to hear. “Stephen Monroe, you are being placed into custody of the All-Seeing Eyes for crimes against the society.”
The others nodded and said that was what their notification said as well. I glanced over to the guards and saw Melvin among their number. The last rows of the rally had turned to see what was happening and crowded in a half-moon shape around the guards who were talking to Melvin. We stood on the other side of the wall between citizen and security. I heard movement behind us and spun about to see military running up and pointing weapons at us.
Before I could react, I was shoved to the ground and my wrists were bound together behind my back. I was gagged and then hoisted back up to face Melvin along with the others. Melvin waited to speak until the last of us had been bound, gagged, and forced to face him. “You are all threats to society. You do not care about our government and how it functions. You will need to attend reeducation camps at once or you will be deemed permanent threats.”
I hear that there’s more drops of short stories the last Sunday of every month!