"It is said that a society can be run on bread and circus. An old saying from civilizations ancient even to the old world. In newer times, the idea has been taken into consideration as a viable means of population control. It's simple, you provide necessities and entertainment, and the population will be too satisfied and, or, distracted to revolt.
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Unfortunately, education and enlightenment lessens the effect of this tactic. It only works on those that are kept selfish and unknowing. But education and enlightenment, the polar opposites, are also the seeds of innovation and competence, both important factors for a future past what is now.389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUuGguThDt
For what is humanity without innovation? A civilization that has stopped in its tracks. That is not what humanity is. We persevere and evolve!389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQn2TRZxPB
It's a fickle line to walk, to balance the ignorance and enlightenment. So that they are kept unknowing and pacified, but also competent enough to sustain the economy without the use of force. We have used force before, and it's a regrettable action. I hope we all feel the weight of each bullet that was fired. The line must be maintained in equilibrium.
It's a fickle line to walk, to balance the ignorance and enlightenment. So that they are kept unknowing and pacified, but also competent enough to sustain the economy without the use of force. We have used force before, and it's a regrettable action. I hope we all feel the weight of each bullet that was fired. The line must be maintained in equilibrium.
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I have but a simple dream. That one day, I will be allowed to release this speech to the public, a day where I am understood. Not as a leader, but as a human with limited choices, but the time is not there yet. So for now, these words are for you, my fellow academics, the last of our kind”.389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvI0GvmRCB3
He took a deep breath before continuing.
I have but a simple dream. That one day, I will be allowed to release this speech to the public, a day where I am understood. Not as a leader, but as a human with limited choices, but the time is not there yet. So for now, these words are for you, my fellow academics, the last of our kind”.389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvI0GvmRCB3
He took a deep breath before continuing.
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"I have been elected as the best of the best. And I will uphold the goals of my predecessors. It is our legacy to rise from the ashes. Together this will be achieved!" With that he stopped, bowed slightly to his audience and walked down from the podium to the applause of a small group of people.
"I have been elected as the best of the best. And I will uphold the goals of my predecessors. It is our legacy to rise from the ashes. Together this will be achieved!" With that he stopped, bowed slightly to his audience and walked down from the podium to the applause of a small group of people.
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Once down, he was quickly approached by one of the younger women. A lady in a fine, yet simple dress adored in simple jewelry. She smiled and said, "I never figured you one for speeches. It seems so..."389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRk2IsxiI0R
"...From another world?" The director hijacked her sentence.
"...From another world?" The director hijacked her sentence.
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"From another world exactly." The lad responded with a faint display of white. "You speak with idealism director, a trait not commonly found around here."
"From another world exactly." The lad responded with a faint display of white. "You speak with idealism director, a trait not commonly found around here."
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"Every last one of the people in this room are idealists my dear lady. They believe in our principles and have faith in both themselves, and hopefully now me as director. We stay idealistic to the idea that was born a long time ago, and we will guard it until the time of its fulfillment." He set his eyes into her, as needles to sew the words into her memory.
"Every last one of the people in this room are idealists my dear lady. They believe in our principles and have faith in both themselves, and hopefully now me as director. We stay idealistic to the idea that was born a long time ago, and we will guard it until the time of its fulfillment." He set his eyes into her, as needles to sew the words into her memory.
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She twitched her smile. "Well spoken. You do seem like you're so much older than you are. It's rare to have competence mixed with charisma and a position to use both. I'll be expecting great things from you, director." With that she gave him an alluring look, bowed and walked away.
She twitched her smile. "Well spoken. You do seem like you're so much older than you are. It's rare to have competence mixed with charisma and a position to use both. I'll be expecting great things from you, director." With that she gave him an alluring look, bowed and walked away.
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He observed her as she left. Who was she again? As the newly appointed director there were still a lot of people to get to know, and even more to remember. People that would be his advisors in the days that would be coming. Advisors. They were a special kind of people, in stark contrast to rest of Ancora, where minds were shaped to be as uniform as possible. These minds did not conform, and they were the greatest conspiracy of his whole society. The outcasts that came to an understanding of the necessary course, but only those that accepted. Those that didn't, well, those ended up as expected. To walk the dust.
He observed her as she left. Who was she again? As the newly appointed director there were still a lot of people to get to know, and even more to remember. People that would be his advisors in the days that would be coming. Advisors. They were a special kind of people, in stark contrast to rest of Ancora, where minds were shaped to be as uniform as possible. These minds did not conform, and they were the greatest conspiracy of his whole society. The outcasts that came to an understanding of the necessary course, but only those that accepted. Those that didn't, well, those ended up as expected. To walk the dust.
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It took only a moment for her to leave the room, and just then he got to who she was. Advisor of the sentinels. A most peculiar branch of the military. Very secretive as he had heard, but also very romanticized. He figured they held the same social symbol that knights held during the middle ages.
It took only a moment for her to leave the room, and just then he got to who she was. Advisor of the sentinels. A most peculiar branch of the military. Very secretive as he had heard, but also very romanticized. He figured they held the same social symbol that knights held during the middle ages.
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"Have you ever wondered about the name of our planet? Why it was given something so dreamy, yet so simple? Names are given for a reason, like yours, but what is its?"389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzm7yDuEDA
Her fathers words, or rather questions, had entered her mind again. They always did when she was here on the outlook over the little world she knew. She had yet to find the answer to that question, but she had promised herself that she would before her time was up. It was little, but it would have made him so proud if he could hear her say it.
"Have you ever wondered about the name of our planet? Why it was given something so dreamy, yet so simple? Names are given for a reason, like yours, but what is its?"389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzm7yDuEDA
Her fathers words, or rather questions, had entered her mind again. They always did when she was here on the outlook over the little world she knew. She had yet to find the answer to that question, but she had promised herself that she would before her time was up. It was little, but it would have made him so proud if he could hear her say it.
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Her father was gone, taken away by the faceless spirits, as people called them, over a year ago now. He had not cried or tried to flee as most others did. He had simply asked them to say goodbye to his daughter, to give her a final sentence of wisdom. "You might not get it now, but there is a reason. There is a reason for everything. Some reasons are good, and some reasons are bad, but I promise you on my life that this is a good reason." It forbade her from following her urge to exact revenge on the system, the ever so cruel and unjust system. She had respected his wish and quelled her anger.389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4YN480kfP
With those words said he had left the house with acceptance to his fate. His little girl was grown. Grown up into an independent woman with a mind of her own. He only hoped it wouldn't bring ruin, that the little spark he had so selfishly given her wouldn't light the city in flames.389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlRTcytpyt
The memories were always painful to her. And not merely because of the loss, but also because she knew she couldn't do anything with it. She felt useless and weak, which in turn had turned into anger and bitterness over her own feelings. There were no solution, just an attempt at acceptance.389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAG2qqv9MB
Her eyes had turned watery now, and she wiped them away as she put her vision upwards towards the sky. She noticed it had begun to turn away from orange, and was heading towards white. It was evidence of a new day. From the ground the sky would normally be too hard to witness, but from atop her fathers claimed nest of eagles, she could see it in all its wonder. It was a sight she would never tire off, nor ever forget the warmth of.389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2smdkdU8nr
But as many times before. The increased light meant a new day, and a new day meant a new day at the factory, with processed food for lunch, dinner and supper. She sighed and decided it was time to get up, her choice was minimal, and she hated it.
But as many times before. The increased light meant a new day, and a new day meant a new day at the factory, with processed food for lunch, dinner and supper. She sighed and decided it was time to get up, her choice was minimal, and she hated it.
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She got to her feet and brushed the dust that had taken rest off her pants. She knew it was really a futile attempt to get clean, but at least she could imagine it was something she was used to do. That her standards for dirty clothes were above the dirt on a high rooftop.
She got to her feet and brushed the dust that had taken rest off her pants. She knew it was really a futile attempt to get clean, but at least she could imagine it was something she was used to do. That her standards for dirty clothes were above the dirt on a high rooftop.
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She checked her phone on her arm for the time. To call the device merely a phone was a major understatement, another line from her father. A phone was, per the definition she knew, only supposed to be something one could call with, but this, device, possessed functionality way above a mere phone. Not that that stopped people from calling it a “phone” though, or as was now catching on “commy.”
From the rooftop she had to climb a long ladder down to reach ground level. The ladder was surprisingly solid for being that long, but that didn't stop it from swaying haphazardly in the wind. Fortunately there wasn't any today. That ladder had more than once done an attempt on her life with the wind as accomplice.
She checked her phone on her arm for the time. To call the device merely a phone was a major understatement, another line from her father. A phone was, per the definition she knew, only supposed to be something one could call with, but this, device, possessed functionality way above a mere phone. Not that that stopped people from calling it a “phone” though, or as was now catching on “commy.”
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Nobody bothered to check the dictionary for a correct term anyway. Most barely knew what such a thing was. She had yet to decide if she was blessed or cursed to know what a dictionary was herself.389Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtZEkXCbsbFrom the rooftop she had to climb a long ladder down to reach ground level. The ladder was surprisingly solid for being that long, but that didn't stop it from swaying haphazardly in the wind. Fortunately there wasn't any today. That ladder had more than once done an attempt on her life with the wind as accomplice.
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About halfway down, she stopped and pulled a filter mask and a pair goggles off from a belt on her overall. She kept her face as expressionless as possible as she pulled them on. They were hated by her, as most did, but it was better than coughing blood and going blind, her relationship with them was even more strained that though. They always itched and if used too long they had the uncanny attribute to create sores on her cheeks.
About halfway down, she stopped and pulled a filter mask and a pair goggles off from a belt on her overall. She kept her face as expressionless as possible as she pulled them on. They were hated by her, as most did, but it was better than coughing blood and going blind, her relationship with them was even more strained that though. They always itched and if used too long they had the uncanny attribute to create sores on her cheeks.
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After descending down to just a few steps over ground level she jumped off and caught herself by using her legs as suspension. She looked up towards the sky once more, but she could hardly see any of the white clouds now. She sighed and checked her arm. It showed 7:07, which meant that she had only around eight minutes to reach the factory. That was two minutes less than she usually did. She cursed and began running. Her brain tried to make this positive for some reason, coming up with the fun comment that she at least got to train her endurance this way.
After descending down to just a few steps over ground level she jumped off and caught herself by using her legs as suspension. She looked up towards the sky once more, but she could hardly see any of the white clouds now. She sighed and checked her arm. It showed 7:07, which meant that she had only around eight minutes to reach the factory. That was two minutes less than she usually did. She cursed and began running. Her brain tried to make this positive for some reason, coming up with the fun comment that she at least got to train her endurance this way.
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The road she used to get to the factory could in a general figure be described as shitty. It was full of holes and other imperfections. She found it ironic, that the government who was supposed to be "the best of the best," couldn't fix something as easy as the damned road. It was a real hazard to drive if you didn't know the roads in full memory.
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Damned politics, where did they pick their "candidates" anyway? It was not like there was any test for it, else she would have applied a long time ago, preferably before she had gotten all bitter. What a life that would be, to be able to shape and create. Improve and help. She would have purpose then, and maybe even understanding.
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Seven minutes and forty five seconds later, she had crossed almost the whole distance to the factory. To her surprise there were still people in the queue. Maybe some latecomers or maybe because the check-in machine had malfunctioned. Whatever it was, she decided it was mere luck. She pulled to an abrupt halt just as the last person went by the machine. Out of breath she fumbled with her arm and slammed it palm down on a blank surface on the machine. It was cold. A moment later a confirmation message appeared on the screen above.
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Identity confirmed
Cerulean Fern, age: 20
Occupation: PA Test technician, PA Factory 1
Work schedule: 7:15-16:00
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She preferred to use "Ceru." The other was too hard for people to remember and pronounce. It was her dad's idea to name her Cerulean. A sliver of the forgotten he had explained it as, whatever he meant by that. Cerulean was simply eloquent English for "blue." Maybe he meant the words left behind? She never understood how he had survived so long and yet kept the wonder.
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The confirmation message ended with a quick image of a yellow work-smiley and opened up the gate. The smiley was a kind of mascot the factory had. All work places had one assigned to them, they were mostly the same, but there were some small differences. This one held a screwdriver and worked on a suit. Apparently the smileys had used to have a big place in old world society if her dad was right, but she herself couldn't see why. They made her uncomfortable. Like you tried to sugar coat a barbed wire and call it candy.
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She paid it as little heed as she could and continued on through the gate. The whole factory was enclosed within a cage of high metal fence, and that was just before the security check point at the entrance to the facility itself. It made sense, since it was a military installation, but it made her feel trapped, a feeling that was reinforced when the gate closed with an audible sound.
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She kept going though, it was just another day, like the almost 3000 she had endured. Not like she had counted, that would be useless, but there were only so many days in a year so an estimate could be made. She preferred to not think about it.
