The Freedom Poster had changed everything.
Not for everyone... but for those who had laid eyes on the plastered men, each carrying 1 of the 7 letters that comprised the inaptly understood word of "Freedom" with its faded definition and symbolization of all that stood against the solidified standards of society as defined by Zanzari itself, it had become nothing but a curse.
In an attempt to guarantee against further dissidence, the Zanzari Office of Internal Affairs embarked upon a paranoia-motivated quest to destroy any feasible record of its existence. Despite the possibility of simply clearing it from the minds of the affected, the Harvesters feared the realm of the subconscious.
They knew Andrei had been a Harvester himself, and as such, had also been a student of the system he later came to despise. They feared he had placed 'Cues of Subconscious Recognition' upon the poster itself, effectively rendering all attempts at Selective Memory Prevention or Elimination invalid.
This left only one option, and nobody knew exactly what it was.
Sadie simply noted the absence of certain co-workers who never returned. Were she to ask as to their whereabouts, their very existence was always denied.
"I noticed Martin isn't in today. Is he ill?"
"I'm sorry Sadie, but whose Martin?"
"Head of the Company Verification Department. You worked under his administration for several years."
"I'm sorry, that name simply doesn't ring a bell. Perhaps you should return to your specified Locale of Labor before the Board decides to eliminate you for a considerable lack of contribution."
"I'm on my lunch break, Allan."
"Then go eat lunch. It's against the code to remain on active premises while on break."
Without saying a word, Sadie let her eyes draw down in hurt indifference as she turned towards the door. She missed Martin so much, and whilst maintaining an outward appearance of calm and composure, she felt close to dying inside.
Perhaps it was her fault he had disappeared. Perhaps she was next.
Her and Martin had seen the fighting in the sky, and had witnessed together the mysterious poster that had unlocked something inside each of them.
She had felt before, but had always used the prescribed medications to treat those feelings. The difference now, however, was that the medications no longer seemed to work, and she was forced to cope with hiding her illness or risk detection.
It was tough to do, however, as her and Martin had fallen in love.
And it wasn't the love of bondage that one felt towards Zanzari itself... it was a love of a single, individual, unglorified personality that would remain omnipotent regardless of everything. It had cursed Sadie to question the idea that these feelings were truly an illness... however, she was reverting to what she had originally been taught, now that the feelings were tearing her apart from the inside.
The same night of the fight and the poster, Martin and Sadie partook in voluntary intercourse. Using the guise that they were simply reciprocating, and remaining fortunately unnoticed amidst the absolute turmoil of the time, they embraced in something greater.
Something beautiful.
Something punishable by incarceration or death.
And 9 months later, Sadie gave birth to a baby boy. The Office of Reciprocity gave him the name of Kent.
Although Sadie would have much preferred the name Eric, she was happy that her son had received a reasonable designation.
Her son was now 17 and working 19 hours every day of the week like everyone else was.
Unlike his father and mother, he was placed in Sector 82-B working for the Office of Rational Interpretation as a Record Keeper due to his high grade-point average during his Academy years.
With Martin's mysterious disappearance, Sadie now began to worry for the safety of her son.
She knew something about the Freedom Poster had made her and Martin of a negative significance to someone somewhere, in some way. She was fully aware of the disappearances of others who had been present that morning so many years ago, and all the ads that ran encouraging people to turn themselves in, or report any individuals suspected to be suffering from sustained emotion.
Her son didn't feel, however.
He was normal and healthy... perhaps even entirely safe in that aspect.
A fraction of her burden was lifted as she worked all of this out in her dangerously overactive mind.
All she knew was that she, herself, had to continue her campaign of avoidance. She had to remain quiet, content, and indifferent, making exchanges with all individuals of administrative authority short, sweet, and to the point or risk their detecting her abnormal level of brain function.
She had already been stopped in her tracks by Peace Officers in the past who stated they could sense 'neural activity in excess of the natural amount.' She only escaped such close encounters by deliberately narrowing any thought down to only one single thing and politely replying with, "I misunderstand you, Officer."
But these thoughts and these memories would gain her nothing but another encounter if she didn't simply take a break for the time being and continue on with her job.
So that's exactly what she did.
It was midnight by the time she finally returned to her humble yet not-so private abode, and as soon as she entered the door, her Personal Communicator informed her of the 3 unread messages in her Electronic Inbox.
Taking a seat in front of her computer which was flatly embedded into the silver-black of the cold, metallic wall, she typed in her 12-digit password and clicked the Inbox icon.
The first message was something about a change in curfew from midnight to 11:30 due to a recent increase in crime in three of the four bordering Sectors. It also mentioned an increase in Officer Patrols throughout the entirety of Zanzari
The next message, however, began directly addressed to her.
DEAR SADIE; SERIAL NO. 5375-28-N
ONE OR MORE OF YOUR OFFSPRING (DESIGNATE: KENT; SERIAL NO. 5376-29-Q) HAS BECOME INVOLVED IN A LABOR-RELATED DISPUTE WITH AN OFFICIAL OF SUPERIOR STANDING. ZANZARI CONFLICT MEDIATORS HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION AS THEY SEE FIT.
YOU, AS THE NEXT OF KIN, ARE ENTITLED TO OFFERING POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS (PROVIDING YOU ARE OF THE 2ND TIER OR HIGHER; See Sect. 7, Ch. 4, Page 1276 of Citizens Manifesto for more information; Authorization Required). PLEASE SEND AN AUTHORIZED CERTIFICATE OF CIRCUMSTANTIAL INTERVENTION TO THE ZANZARI OFFICE OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS PRIOR TO ACTING ON THIS INFORMATION.
PLEASE NOTE: This message will delete itself within 24 hours.
-Z.O.I.A. Department of Labor Affairs
Chills now ran down Sadie's spine. It was a widely known fact that the Zanzari Conflict Mediators working for the Department of Labor Affairs wanted only one thing: to get everything to return to full working capacity; the people involved are always secondary details when it comes to the seemingly eternal perpetuation of 'the Greater Good.'
All workers are fully expendable.
In the event that a conflict has not been successfully mediated within 7 working days, both parties are noted to simply disappear. Presumably, they are incarcerated, or simply executed... whichever may seem more convenient at any given time. It's sort of like scrubbing away what may be the cause of greater problems in the future, as well as eliminating the weakest link; in this case, anything that impedes productivity.
But Sadie couldn't get involved with this. She would almost most definitely be detected as being a victim of sustained emotion and abnormal brain function.
But her son was an unfeeling and unthinking mechanism that was simply assisting in the movement of the bureaucratic gears of the Higher Administrations. Whatever conflict he may have encountered, the arrogance created out of his high Grade Point Average would act to block compromise or surrender on his part. It was his way, or no way, as far as he was concerned... and as a member of the 5th Tier, he wasn't at the whim of the same manipulative mind-tricks that were always played on the 1st or 2nd Tiers; the 'Labor Proletariat.'
This meant that he ran the very real risk of 'elimination.'
Feelings of motherly obligation began to wade their way into her consciousness. Whether it meant she would be detected or not, she had to save her only son.
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