Original Story: New_World_Order: Backstories

 ==A History Book==  

 

  History of the One-World Government:

 

    In the year 0000, the epoch of the calendar system used by the Aluminum Government, a baby boy was born with a mutation allowing him to read minds and communicate telepathically. This was Patient Zero. Over an unknown amount of years, years erased by governmental officials for reasons known only to them, Patient Zero's recessive mutated gene spread throughout the human species, giving birth to Readers. Readers were a haughty sort, their unique skills used for blackmail and larceny as much as they were used for solving crimes or reforming juvenile delinquents. During those forgotten years, Patient Zero's gene mutated, giving some Readers powers aside from mind reading. Some can influence the thoughts of others, manipulating their subconscious like a puppeteer. Some can induce powerful migraines in others. Some can manipulate what others see and hear. Some can knock out or even kill someone with a thought.

 

    Two influential figures also emerged during those forgotten years. Annoyingly enough, they're known only by nicknames. "Zeppelin" and "Rigid." "Zeppelin" was a Reader, and "Rigid" was not. Both were nihilists disillusioned with, at the time, the current political landscape of Earth. They held the opinion that the common citizen was so ignorant and brainwashed that they wouldn't notice if the world was clearly transitioning to something like a one-world government, sometimes called the "new world order" in conspiracy theorist circles. Even if someone were to notice such a transition, the rest of the populace would denounce them as cranks. Thus, "Zeppelin" and "Rigid" set out to prove themselves right, and they proceeded to recruit Readers, friends, family and corrupt politicians to their cause.

 

    "Zeppelin" and "Rigid" lived long enough only to see their attempt firmly gain root. The Aluminum Government arose years after their demise. Their ideals form the basis for the laws and rules of the Aluminum Government. How this all was achieved is ultimately unknown. Perhaps not even I want to know how it was all done. The government is officially run by non-Readers and according to some politicians, it's something of an in-joke and unofficial rule that Readers aren't allowed to run for any sort of legislative position.

 

    Now, I'm writing this little history lesson off of the assumption that you, the reader, are the common layman. Thus, some of this might seem like utter nonsense to you. You might look at the mentions of blackmail and crime in the above paragraphs and scoff. I don't blame you for doing so. Official statistics do say that crime is virtually gone. But the official statistic are wrong. Crime is all around you. The reason? The ideals of "Zeppelin" and "Rigid." Nihilists though they were, they certainly had good ideas for how to run a one-government state. One of those ideas was to make the populace feel safe by removing crime from the public perception. The scaly underbelly of this world is right under everyone's noses. The goverment hopes that you'll never see it, and I hope so as well. Crime is a horrid thing.

 

    Twenty-five years ago, in 0005, the judicial branch of the Aluminum Government introduced a new peacekeeping method. A secretive branch of the police force composed entirely of Readers, officially entitled Ivory Watch. The use of Readers allowed for crime to be stopped before it could even happen, or turn potential first-time offenders away from a life of skullduggery. The name Ivory Watch alone is enough to cause small-name crooks to run for the hills and mob bosses to shiver and cringe. From birth, most Readers are destined to join Ivory Watch. From birth, children are watched by undercover agents of Ivory Watch for signs of being a Reader. What these signs are is unknown, but factors for consideration do include consistently high grades and a smug, haughty attitude.

 

    Of course, not all Readers are destined for Ivory Watch. Some join other sectors of government. Some take security guard jobs.

 

    -To Be Continued-

 

 

==An Audio Recording==

 

"Hey there, love. You aren't looking too hot. I don't think you wanna ride on those stuffy buses."

 

    "Oh, uh... thanks for your concern, I guess. I wasn't actually planning on riding the bus. My apartment is a few blocks down."

 

"Really? Well, do you mind if I walk with you? The gas station I'm headin' to is in that direction anyways."

 

    "I suppose it isn't a problem."

 

"Alrighty then. Say, why're you clutching that laptop bag so tight? What's going on?"

 

    "Oh, I'm writing something. It's real important to me. I don't want to risk losing the laptop."

 

"Why's that? What're you writing?"

 

    "I don't want to say. Spoilers and all that, you know?"

 

"Oh, 'spoilers'. Yeah, sure. I'll go with that."

 

    "What're you trying to imply?"

 

"You look so flustered. I bet you're actually writing some sort of porno movie script."

 

    "I'm not."

 

"Then what're you writing? Why so secretive?"

 

    "That's none of your business."

 

"Hmph. You're no fun."

 

    "Sorry... I suppose I am a little tightly-wound."

 

"Apology accepted. I guess."

 

    "..."

 

"So, did you see the news?"

 

    "No, what happened?"

 

"Some government angency got hacked. A bunch of real secret files got stolen."

 

    "Really? Does anybody know who did it?"

 

"Well, not specifically. The government says it's definitely the same chap who did the cyber attacks on the twelth and the eighth. We've got ourselves a lone wolf hacker prowling about."

 

    "Ah."

 

"Is that why you're so nervous about the laptop? Afraid it's gonna get hacked?"

 

    "How could I be afraid about it being hacked? You just told me about the hacker."

 

"Well, excuse me for assuming you didn't miss out on massively important news twice in a row."

 

    "Hmph."

 

"Say, your face just scrunched up. What'cha thinkin' about?"

 

    "Can I ask you a question?"

 

"Hmm... sure, what's up?"

 

    "Does the term 'Patient Zero' mean anything to you?"

 

"'Patient Zero?' Hmm... 'Patient Zero,' 'Patient Zero...' Now that I think of it? Yeah, I suppose it does."

 

    "And what does it mean to you?"

 

"The first infectee of a plague?"

 

    "I see. You can cut the act now."

 

"Aww... but we were doing so well."

 

    "What do you want?"

 

"Come on, Justee, why can't we just talk, hmm? You know I like to roleplay."

 

    "It's Justinian. And you know I'm not a fan of you, Abigail."

 

"You say that, but I know you don't really mean it. I can tell. Some part of you deep down finds me charming."

 

    "What do you want?"

 

"Ugh, you're so to-the-point. You're no fun. I'll have you know I'm here to talk about what's on that little laptop of yours."

 

    "You already know what's on it."

 

"Yeah, so? You know what our function is. To deter crime."

 

    "I'm aware."

 

"..."

 

    "Keep yourself out of my brain."

 

"I'll give you this, Justee. You're good at what you do. You left no trace of yourself on those computers."

 

    "Why's that matter? You know I did it. Odds are your entire branch knows I did it by now."

 

"Oh, foolish little Justee. You don't give the government enough credit. Presumption of innocence is still a thing around here. My word or any other Reader's word alone isn't enough to get you whisked away to the ocean jails."

 

    "That doesn't stop your branch from trying to weasel confessions out of me."

 

"Well, I can't really defend that. For what it's worth, I don't really condone such actions. But regulation is lax. Not as lax as you believe it to be, though."

 

    "Hmph."

 

"You know, none of those documents you stole have top-secret information in them. If you really wanted to get them legally, you could've just made a Freedom of Information request."

 

    "You and I both know those never work for this type of data. Those things are just invitations to get someone marked for Reader-enacted stalking."

 

"Again. You don't give the government enough credit. What about that Aaron Molemann guy, hmm?"

 

    "Aaron Molemann happens to also be a high-ranking officer of Ivory Watch. He's the shill for the carnival game."

 

"Ooh, you're good. I'll give you that, I'll give you that."

 

    "So you admit--"

 

"Wait, wait, let me guess. 'So you admit Freedom of Information requests are essentially sting operations,' right?"

 

    "You know the answer to that question."

 

"So mean. I think I'm gonna cry."

 

    "Well?"

 

"No, I don't. You could've just sent in one of those."

 

    "It wouldn't have worked."

 

"How much is a good night's sleep worth, Justee? Is it worth it? Sleeping with one eye open in your little quest to reveal history, history that nobody really needs to know?"

 

    "I would think the populace has a right to know why things are the way they are now. Not just your sugar-coated, party-approved reasons, but the actual reasons."

 

"The sugar-coated reasons are the real reasons, Justee. Why can't you just accept that?"

 

    "They're only the 'real reasons' because the government says they are."

 

"Hmph. I can't comprehend why anyone would be so determined to die on the hill you're standing on."

 

    "Why's that?"

 

"Wouldn't it just be easier to accept what the government says? You don't have to do any thinking or illegal digging. Just let the politicians do the thinking for you. Your need for answers is satisfied, and the bigwigs up top don't have to worry about organizing more... 'watch teams' for people."

 

    "..."

 

"You wouldn't have to be so tense all the time. You could actually trust people. People wouldn't have to worry about you, Justee. Like your poor mother. I know she thinks you've gotten in league with some bad apples."

 

    "I can deal with people being worried."

 

"You say that. But I don't think you really believe it. Well... here's your house. Sweet dreams, Justee."

 

    "To you as well."

 

"Think about it, Justee. You could just turn yourself in, serve your time, and never think about all this again. Then you could relax."

 

    "And if I do decide to do such a thing?"

 

"Well... I might just decide to throw my weight around. Get you a lighter sentence, if possible."

 

    "Yeah, right."

 

"I'm here to deter crime, Justee. Not punish it. If I have to cheat the system to do so, I consider it to be within my authority to do so."

 

    "Good night."

 

"Sleep on it, Justee. I think you'll find the idea has more pros than cons. G'night."

whoop.mp4

"whoop.mp4" (Watch on YouTube)

 I made a video!