Cancel Culture

Section 1 - The Post Apocalyptic Dystopia

The sun rises slowly, again. The only time I have to myself. I spend it thinking thoughts of my own... thoughts punishable by death should they reveal themselves outside of my skull. Opinions of the human nature do not matter in society. Society is unified, I remind myself of this as I begin to smell the first drips of coffee brewing. 6:45 a.m. on the dot. Consistency makes for longevity.

One cup of coffee, one 30 minute shower, 5 minutes to make the bed, 20 minutes to get dressed and ready, 10 minutes to eat breakfast, 10 minutes to collect myself and return the materials and tools to the kitchen drop. 8:00 a.m. sharp the door opens, I walk out into the hallway to join my equals on our daily work labor duties. Our work clothes are worn in unity to signify the importance of the workforce and its ability to produce specific goals and objectives. All of which are important to the unilateral sustainability of the society.

Maleek falls in line next to me on our walk. The energy we share is acceptable to society, and favorable to our daily routine. Maleek is my shared community wall. We live the most similar lives to each-other. Meaning that our views of the sunrise and sunset do not differ in floor level, or location. However, it is trusted that Maleek is not the unique variable here. Any human placed into Maleek’s identifiable position and routine would be exactly the same. Maleek would not be missed, because anyone can be Maleek. We are all inevitably expendable per the society’s placement.

“Lainken, my equal, proud to walk to our work duty this morning.” stated Maleek. Maleek, like clockwork, states this to me every morning. Like clockwork’s assistant, I respond “Maleek, society’s seed, there is great purpose to our singular deeds.” Maleek smiles at my timely response, and continues to walk in sync with me. Step over step, our 10 minute, 2.75 mile walk to the work sector could not take us any longer. My thoughts begin to bleed into my view of the society, threatening my life, as I discretely wonder if I am the only one who feels time moving around me. Does Maleek think this walk goes by faster than me?

Society does not accept a difference in views, a difference in perception, nor the questions that trigger thoughts outside of the society’s foundational principles. I am grateful for the society, and it’s control over the human species. The DNA String Training & Educational Q2 of my life clock taught me everything that Maleek was equally taught. We both know and understand that we are human, we equally process information given to us in a manner that we are told to process it. A human that attempts to process information by questions of infinite possibility outside of the routines they are programed to sustain would see the termination of their life clock. This human who threatens the known society, is a threat to all life and the sustainability of our environment by suggestion of variables inconceivable to the reality which we are born into.

Maleek and I arrive at our work sector placement, finally. We scan in with the clockbot. Maleek goes before me, always, not to signify any importance or leverage in rankings. All orderly processes, and check-ins are numbered by the living quarters and units within each of the sectors throughout the society. “Training and Education Society’s Life Clock Quarters and Sectors, Society Sector #20, NEPT FR2dnaS2030Q3SSU20Maleek5.”, sounds off the clockbot in confirmation of Maleek’s morning check-in scan. “Maleek confirms a human species identity as Training and Education Society’s Life Clock Quarters and Sectors, Society Sector #20, NEPT FR2dnaS2030Q3SSU20Maleek5 numerical existence placement.”, Maleek sounds off in response to the clockbot to confirm and complete the clock-in process.

Section 2 - The Training & Education Sector

I step forward to begin my clockbot clock-in process, in line with the completion of Maleek’s. My tag is scanned, along with my eyes, and hand before the clockbot announces my confirmation, “Training and Education Society’s Life Clock Quarters and Sectors, Society Sector #20, NEPT MR1dnaS2030Q3SSU20Lainken12.”. To move forward, my mind prompts my calculated and trained response of, “Lainken confirms a human species identity as Training and Education Society’s Life Clock Quarters and Sectors, Society Sector #20, NEPT MR1dnaS2030Q3SSU20Lainken12 numerical existence placement.”. Our NEPT( numerical existence placement tag ) is the only form of difference and identification each servant of a society’s sector has been uniquely delegated. The NEPT evolves with the society’s time clock, as it is built upon the entrance and exit of each life clock quarter. Maleek and I are currently in our 3rd life clock quarter, and both of us were brought into existence during the DNA String of 2030. I am the 12th life of Lainken, where Maleek is the 5th life.

Maleek and I are educators in the 20th sector of society, Training & Education Society’s Life Clock Quarters and Sectors. We train those in their 2nd quarter of their life clock, DNA String Training & Education. I head the training for all MR1 NEPT lifelings. Maleek heads the training for all FR2 NEPT lifelings. The concepts, trainings, and educational structures that we exist within are learned and taught by my work sector. It is an honorable existence to have such knowledge pass through myself and into the next Q3 DNA String. I feel as though my purpose is greater than grasping, as education and knowledge seem to be the basis of the society’s structural foundation and formation.

Section 3 - Fleeting Minds Manipulate Reality

Class begins, as the morning dew starts to lift. Q2 lifelings are ushered into their immersive knowledge receptors. Each plug between human and machine is made with their unique NEPT. Once all are pending reception, the connection of energy begins to curate as a circuit heading out of my own being. Silence seems louder, as the buzz of information I have retained, begins to transport itself into each individual placement. I must be cautious with my thoughts, I must control the knowledge given to match the knowledge taught to me. Variances could transport misconceptions, and result in a batch termination.

Facing the window, I concentrate on my sector duty to translate the knowledge necessary of me. Distraction awaits, in all forms, unaware of my minds control over a meditative state... my focus breaks as a strange blue bird perches on the window seal to stare inside. “A Blue Bird?” I confusingly spoke out loud. The silence was broken, along with the focus and manipulation of energy. My curiosity spread like wildfire amongst the innocent Q2 lifelings. I immediately noticed them forming unique opinions about this blue bird, defining how they each felt about it, and whether they would change it or not, or if it could belong here in unity of existence with the only birds we knew... The black ones. Some were even questioning if it was a bird at all.

Only one definite existed in the room at this moment. A variant created a definite. The human species is not capable of an immediately unified self-taught conclusion to a variant that presents itself within the society. No matter the NEPT identity... There was still a flickering existence of individualism per human being. Variants present this existence of individualism with an opportunity to substantially grow and innovate differences. This is where the society’s structure and foundations begin to crumble, unprepared for the natural progression of a world we will never fully understand without first understanding, and embracing diversity. The ecosystems surrounding a human being, and their means to survive, thrive in life abounding with specific purpose. Where unity is lived through a collaborative, non-partial, unspoken order. Where the perception of reality is only ever fully grasped within the perceiving mind. Where knowledge purely stems and exists within one’s moment of immediacy of experience.

Section 4 - Immediacy of Experience

“Warning, receptor malfunction.” the sectorbots began to sound. Worry, and confusion took over the outward appearance of the lifelings. “Disconnect all NEPTs immediately!” I shouted. Unknowing of how I was going to handle this situation further, I began to act strictly upon instincts given to me, yet never utilized. The Society’s Government of Enlightenment Standards for Sustainability were surely on the way, as the bots began to signal a breach in society throughout the sector. I had no choice. These lifelings were of upmost innocence. The confusion on their faces reminded me of my own, then and now... Remembering when I am in my compound, alone, every evening. I open the window of the seal where the blue bird first perched. “Let’s go, NOW! Everyone out in an orderly fashioned!” I signaled all 6 lifelings out of the window, and instructed them to wait in a crouched position, holding hands, on the other side ( thank goodness we were on the ground floor ).

I left one note behind on my desk, hoping Maleek would receive it... I needed to know. It read, “Maleek, how does time seem to move around you? Slowly or Quickly or All in the Same?”. I knew I’d never get the answer for myself, but hoped the energy connecting us all would translate a communication for our journey destined ahead. Moving forward, I climb out of the window. “Now, we move forward quickly, quietly, and without question.” I instructed the lifelings. None of them spoke, none of them cried, none of them showed any emotions except strict obedience. Blindly, I began to lead them around obstacles of observance, to the edge of the sector, and eventually to what I assumed to be the edge of society. Suddenly I felt immersed in the basis of an entirely new society, a new outlook of life for myself, and these 6 lifelings.

The strangest thing began to happen as we neared the edge of society, each of our NEPTs began to fade from a golden, shiny, seemingly valuable identity. The gold quickly dissipating to a dull, silver, and worthless appearance. Identifiably only as the lack of color, instead of the unmistakable presence of it. “Look at that!” cried one of the 6 lifelings, excitedly pointing up in front of us, “The blue bird, it’s flying above us, with us!” another lifeling joined in. They began to idolize this blue bird on our path, as a symbolic conception of hope for the now unknown ending of their life clocks.

Section 5 - A Life in a Clocket

The weather is gracious on our way into the unknown. I see the horizon ahead, one I have studied so much from my compound unit’s window. On the horizon, a sign sits, signifying the end of the edge of society. As we approach the sign, a figure stands waiting for our brisk approach. The terrain is rocky, and dust filled, causing the lifelings to trip numerous times over one another. Time again began to slow, as the appearance of an alternate, yet foreboding reality reveals itself. Green becomes brown, as the life within an ecosystem tingling with species uncountable comes to a halt. Life is sparse as we approach the sign. Readable now, I begin to decipher its message.

“The edge of society, signals a freedom for the individual.” The sign read. Next to the sign, Maleek waited. She felt time move around her too, I knew it. As we all conjoined hands on the edge of society, we realized the world that expansed before us, was once filled with more, with diverse, with opinions, with culture. Maleek, filled with feelings... Removed her NEPT. The lifelings began to do the same. She was going to open it. We were never supposed to do this, for the promise of an immediate ending to our life clock. Nevertheless, her NEPT took the identity of a heart-shaped locket. It was empty, lacking sentiment. Symbolizing what used to be, and all yet to come.