Here's the latest installment of my current dark scifi project. This is chapter 27. If you're just tuning in, consider starting with chapters 1 and 2. Be advised that this work considers difficult subjects, including suicide. If you're in crisis, please seek help. Help is available here.
After resolving to dedicate his life to the service of the people, Hunter Domino began making all of his decisions by polling his supporters on Twitter. These supporters called him their network representative, and expected him to do outlandish things for their benefit, which he did. Part activist, part lobbyist, Domino created public spectacles and mostly got away with it.
Traveling with a three person production crew, Domino captured nearly everything he did on camera and broadcast it to the world. The media loved it. He became a great villain. Liberal outlets called him a white male colonizer. Conservative outlets condemned him as a woke degenerate who was probably conspiring with the enemy.
In the halls of government, the Domino Coalition began taking their orders from Domino and his Twitter followers. Overnight, the Coalition became the third American political party, and it just kept growing. In practical terms, this halted lawmaking, transforming longstanding bureaucratic gridlock into an impossible heap of impasse. For better or worse, the Hope Gazette's admission that they had printed government military propaganda received very little press attention in this new environment.
Reflecting on these things, Tom sat at a GSG meeting in Arlington, where he doubted he'd run into anyone he knew. For some reason, it was sometimes easier for him to talk about his issues with strangers than with people he knew. When it was Tom's turn to speak, he introduced himself and got right into it.
"Lately, I've been having a hard time with something and I just need to say it out loud," said Tom. "A couple of things, actually. First, there's an internet rumor about me being a CIA agent and it's bullshit but for some reason it really bothers me. That's one. But the bigger thing I'm running into is lots of negativity around situations I know I should be more compassionate about."
"Do you want to say more about that?" asked Wendy, the group's facilitator.
"It's like, everything's all fucked up, right?" said Tom. "The government's broken. Business are barely operating. The mental health crisis is totally out of control. And I feel like I've been patient with all of it. More than patient. That's part of what makes me a good interviewer. But lately, I'm just sick of everyone's shit. And it's starting to come out sideways. Today I almost lost it on some kid who made me the wrong coffee drink. I mean, what's wrong with me?"
"I know what you mean," said Frank, a man about Tom's age. "I live with older relatives and usually just give them a pass for their nonsense. Wreck the original wood floors and replace them with plastic crap from Menards, sure. Park cars on the garden beds, why not? Ruin the plaster ceilings I redid with amateur plumbing experiments, fine. Steal my tools, replace all the hand soaps with chemical garbage, whatever, you get the idea."
"You were speaking to Tom's share," said Wendy.
"Right, well, I'm stuck with them because I have special needs and can't afford to move," said Frank. "And usually I can keep my head down and put up with it alright. But lately, with everything going on, I feel like I'm at the end of my rope. Like if I have to deal with any more of their Boomer bullshit, I might totally lose it."
"I hear that," said James, a slightly younger man. "For me it's work. I literally had to leave the office today so I didn't blow up at my boss. He keeps acting like nothing changed after 321, making decisions that don't make any sense in the new environment."
"Amen to that," said Karen, a woman who'd been quiet after the introductions. "I can't afford to quit my job, but I feel like staying there is bad for my mental health. Sometimes I spend my whole break crying in my car."
"Can we try something a little daring?" asked Wendy. "I want to invite each of you to sit with the feelings you just shared, then go into these feelings and just ask the question: what is this connected to? Is there any part of me that this feeling is pointing to? Any part that needs more attention?"
"Part of me just wants to scream," said Tom. "What the fuck are all you people doing? Why can't I just be in love and do my job and live my life and not have to explain to some punk kid that there's no whipped cream on a fucking miel. I just want peace. My life is finally good. Why can't I just enjoy it?"
"That's good," said Wendy. "There's a part of you that needs peace. Maybe more space to process the good things that are happening. I wonder if there's a way you could maybe create the space for this in your life."
"I keep coming back to a dream I had," said Frank. "I was standing in my yard holding a wooden stake. That was the whole dream, and it was obviously telling me I had a stake in the house. I feel like that's why it bothers me so much that my relatives are ruining the property. Maybe I'm taking it too personally or something."
Later, as Tom left, he found James standing outside, leaning against the VFW building's wall. "Hey take care," said Tom.
"Yeah, okay," said James. "Listen, I could get in big trouble for this, but do you want to smoke a joint?"
Tom looked around instinctively, finding no one else nearby. "You know what?" he said. "Why not? Should we take a walk or something?"
They walked, passing the joint back and forth. "I know who you are, you know," said James after a few minutes. "And there's something I want to run by you."
"Fine," said Tom. "But remember, my tolerance for bullshit is low today."
"Fair enough," said James. "What if I told you that there's a high level program designed to manipulate events within this country as part of a long-term secret plan to control the population."
"Uhh, like COINTELPRO?" asked Tom. "Operation MHCHAOS?"
"More like the latter," said James. "With a mandate that goes far beyond espionage and into direct interference."
"Well, if it's a real thing, my first question is usually where is the evidence?" said Tom.
"Say I could get you evidence," said James. "Hypothetically. Would your network be willing to make it public? Would you personally be able to handle something like that?"
"If I can handle Hunter Domino, I think I can handle anything," laughed Tom.
"Don't be so sure," said James. "We're talking about the deepest end of the pool here."
"Deep, how?" asked Tom.
"Let me put it this way," said James. "The pandemic response was an op that went sideways. The program was supposed to unite everyone under a single version of the truth, preparing western nations for austerity in the name of climate change. Instead, we got the largest civil rights demonstrations in human history. Then 321 happened, which threw a monkeywrench into everything. But the program is ongoing. One of the next steps is introducing a new religion based on UFOs. But the whole thing is a shitshow, accomplishing next to nothing while completely ignoring constitutional rights."
"Wow," said Tom. "You do know that I'll need to verify any information you give me."
"I do know that," said James. "But, talking to you now, a dark thought just occurred to me. I only became upset about the rights violations once I realized that the program was performing poorly. Before that, I accepted the rights violations as the cost of doing business. What does that say about me?"
"Nothing good," admitted Tom. "But 321 made us all think. Made some of us better people. It gave me the courage to speak more truth and to make love a real priority in my life. Maybe it forced you to look at your ethics."
"Maybe you're right," said James. "I'll reach out with that evidence if I can figure out how to do it safely."
(Feature image from Pixabay.)
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