Thursday 8 July 2010

entry 1 - the town of kotaniku

The happy town of Kotaniku wasn't ready for the tragedy that ensued in that day, and neither was Daniel. For years he had been a working, trustful and until recently, respected citizen. He even had the city's' Medal of The Star, given to those that had been deemed worthy of speaking up in the public forums, years ago. His medal had been taken back recently, because of a commentary on the socioeconomic state of Kotaniku he gave at the SpeakUpTv citizen forum, but he felt that he could regain it, by proving his worth, soon.
That day, the day of the Great Kotaniku Massacre, when Daniel got up, dressed his anonymity mask and entered the streets on the way to his job, he was smiling and singing silly songs. Today was the day he'd get his Medal of the Star back. People waved at him and smiled back, even after the demedaling we was still likes and Daniel enjoyed it.
Once he got to work and plugged himself, started checking the normal amount of replies,and re-replies while he tried no make the coffee machine obey him. Someday he would have to complain about it. No coffee means no productivity. And that was not good, not good at all. The good mood was starting to turn into a bad mood. His brain-computer synapse sent a sign to his primary somatosensory cortex, a gentle caress inside his skull. He forced himself to twitch the left little finger (Lat. digitus mínimus mánus, Pt. mindinho, Fr. auriculaire, Wiktionary immediately translated and sumpreimpressed the information on his inner eye, as he had configured it to do), and a new message showed.
"Greetings fellow Kotanikuans.
Due to the recent social scandals, the Supreme Comity of Overlords regrets to inform that the bill #26/083 will be in effect starting this moment.
The Supreme Comity of Overlords hopes that the free people of Kotaniku acknowledge this news with the respect and education that so well characterizes them.
The Counselor for the Preservation of Citizenship of the Supreme Comity of Overlords, Mikel M.Vendor"
Daniel focused his thought on the bill's number and read the long text, trying to grasp his mind around the concepts. After deconstructing the political and techno-babble he got to the gist of it, and he lost hope in humanity.
According to the new laws, if a member of the Comity decided a citizen was unworthy of living in Kotaniku due to things said, he would 'exile' the citizen. There was no chance for defense, no warning, no trial. It was a Kotanikuan tradition that when a citizen spoke in manners deemed uncivilized, his words would be scrambled and a public warning would be sent. Only after that, if the citizen continued with the uncivilized behavior, would he be 'exiled'...
Daniel logged off, and for the first time in years he spent a work day away from the community. When his coworkers started to leave for home he wondered why had he not heard the signal, until he remembered his communication device was not turned on. He went out, into the streets once more, and turned it on. "27 new messages, it has been a calm day" he thought. On the top, the WORKDAY-EOF flag was shining, and so were the NEW-MSG and the PSA-WARNING ones.
He blinked both eyes for half a second to uncheck the WORDAY-EOF, and skimmed over the new messages. The PSA would be in 40 minutes, at the town square, so Daniel decided to go there and learn more about bill #26/083.
He exited the autopedescalator, and decided to walk there. He found the correct belt moved next to it until he reached the Supreme Comity of Overlords' Podium, with the old flag shining, with the big green K on the left, red side, the white slash and the long green field.
10 minutes later, the square was full with people and more kept arriving, as a member of the Comity climbed to the podium. The crowd, that had been speaking among themselves, checking their messages and sending other messages was silent as soon as Councilman Obadiah Groody lifted his hand.
"Fellow Kotanikuans, we gather here today to that wish former Councilman Paul Veit gets better soon. Paul, Kotaniku's hearts are with you!"
Daniel felt enraged. So enrage he neglected the new rules and screamed, load and clear "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?" - Every voice in the square went silent. Daniel continued "I came here to learn about the new rules, not to find out some old man has the FUCKING FLU!".
From next to the podium, another councilman dressed with the anonymity suit and mask, came next to him and said, so that everyone in the square could hear : "Daniel, you were once a respected citizen. You've been here almost since the founding of this city. Everyone here knows you. And because of that you think you can voice your opinions like that? You want to know about the new rules? This are the new rules : I condemn you to exile. Goodbye."
The unknown councilman pressed something in his gauntlet and Daniel's body disappeared.

From this point on, records are confusing. What really happened in that square was never officially retold, and Daniel, what was left of him, a mind inside a computer, not much more than a memory of a body, never understood more than what the newsletters said the next day :
"Yesterday the town of Kotaniku suffered a great tragedy. Enemy agents, living among us, tried to start a rebellion. Luckily the members of the Supreme Council of Overlords were fast to exile all those who oppose our peaceful way of live."

a drabble to begin

-Child, don't you dare look at me like that!
-Father, you should know by now that we don't stop.
-Child, I warn you. Daughter or no daughter, I'll have your blood.
-Come on and try.
The body was found later that week, blood everywhere. He was a
man in his early 30s. The location of the wounds would suggest he
was killed by a small person with a knife.
The apparent size of such person is consistent with the 4 year
old missing daughter.