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#57
by
Cailean Darkwater
I leave this
chronicle as a warning to the future, if there is a
future. The infection spreads across the world,
corrupting all that it touches. I do not have the
power or courage to stop it, I do not know if
anyone does. I have seen it claim my friends and
family. I shall not let it claim me. Death shall
claim me: unsullied, strong, pure. The poison that
I have administered is quick and painless - death
before dishonour, you could say.
I have seen what the scourge has done to the world
and I do not wish to become a part of it. It is no
longer my world, but a mockery of all we held dear.
It started so very innocuously, as such
world-altering events often do. A routine arrest in
a little place you've probably never heard of.
OFFICER'S REPORT: August 17th. Vagrant; male,
black. No ID at time of arrest, no name given or
forthcoming from questioning. Ragged clothes, no
shoes, no money at time of arrest. Vagrant was very
happy, however, and very co-operative in nature.
Believed to be intoxicated: at least we can't see
why he would be so damned happy, considering his
circumstances; perhaps deranged? (cf. psych report)
When questioned about his incongruously happy state
(i.e. what drug he had taken), vagrant laughed;
stated "I got the TRUTH! You want some, man?"
Vagrant was subsequently searched again for drugs;
none found. Tests were inconclusive, seemed to be
clean.
How wrong they were. They just couldn't detect it,
that's all. If they would have gotten rid of that
vagrant then, they would have saved the world.
OFFICIAL MEMO, August 21st, from the desk of
Sergeant Murtagh.
Re: Prisoner #57. No officer is allowed within 3
feet of Prisoner #57. After the severe attitude
change of Officers Santos, Willoughby and Carter,
we believe that #57 still has a quantity of TRUTH
and is disseminating it - his continued state of
happiness testifies he has enough to feed his own
addiction as well as spreading it to others. If you
are exposed to TRUTH, you shall be dismissed as
have Santos, Willoughby and Carter. This is a
message for your OWN PROTECTION. Prisoner #57 is
dangerous and TRUTH is dangerous.
You see, it started to spread, like some inexorable
cancer. Just as hard to stop - no cure; a
suppression; a remission. But it still lay there,
like a silent serpent, to lunge when defences were
lowered. They tried, as I tried, but they failed,
as I failed.
OFFICIAL MEMO, August 25th, from the desk of
Sergeant Murtagh.
I have interviewed Prisoner #57 and after careful
deliberation I have violated my own orders.
Prisoner #57 has shared his TRUTH with me, it has
made me so happy, it has made my life complete. All
the officers whom I have dismissed I welcome back
with open arms; I apologize, please forgive me. All
of you, please visit Prisoner #57 yourselves but be
quick; since he will be released on the 28th. Join
me in happiness!
Thankfully, Sergeant Murtagh was quickly relieved
of command by Internal Security. Some noble
individual obviously reported his treasonous
activities to the proper authorities. Prisoner #57
was not released as promised. When Internal
Security stepped in and saw the threat to our great
nation, they locked down the precinct and had their
top scientists work on the nature of TRUTH.
Believing TRUTH to be some viral or bacterial
agent, Prisoner #57 was declared a biohazard and
was sequestered away in a hermetically sealed cell.
None of this took his euphoria away. This proved
how dangerous TRUTH was.
PROGRESS REPORT: Special Agent Wynn.
We have been compromised. The hermetic seals have
been sabotaged, we have infiltrators within our
ranks. Too many of our agents have gone rogue;
colleagues whom I have depended on for years
suddenly have changed their ways. A break out by
key infiltrators was attempted last night and
almost succeeded. TRUTH afflicted rogue agents seem
to be particularly peaceful and
non-confrontational. If they weren't I believe we
would all be dead by now. It's like we've been
invaded by hippies! More on this as it breaks.
(This, however, is Special Agent Wynn's last
report. He is believed to have gone rogue also.
Within the month all agents at the facility were
TRUTH-afflicted. All agents were removed for
detoxification and rehabilitation; a new squad of
Internal Security was deployed to secure Prisoner
#57.)
Something had to be done. TRUTH was spreading all
over the country; no one could stop its relentless
advance. Entire groups of people, everywhere,
without any definable connection with one another
were being addicted; calling themselves "Seekers of
TRUTH". They networked; they grew in strength, an
insidious infection upon our country. Fortunately
wiser, rational people held the reins of power and
sought to behead the viper before it could strike.
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: September 16th.
Due to his treasonous activities threatening the
social fabric of our fine nation, Prisoner #57 is
sentenced for execution by lethal injection on
October 3rd. TRUTH has been a scourge upon our
streets - everywhere can be seen the happy, smiling
face of the Seeker. Removing the leader of this
corruptive, criminal syndicate that promotes
widespread and frequent use of TRUTH should halt
this terrible plague which he has unleashed upon
us. Ladies and gentlemen; I promise I shall stop
the spread of TRUTH by any means necessary. My
government and I shall save you, loyal patriotic
citizens that you are, from exposure to TRUTH. And
I say to you; TRUTH has no place in this great
country of ours or anywhere else in the world.
A voice of sanity against the tide of madness.
The frequency of break-out attempts by the Seekers
intensified a hundredfold, they did not succeed in
Prisoner #57's release. Political groups argued in
court long and hard for his sentence to be revoked,
but a presidential decree has too much weight for
such insignificant attacks to make any difference.
Prisoner #57 was executed at his appointed time.
However the Seekers of TRUTH had gained in #57's
sacrifice the very model of a modern martyr - he
went to his death with joy suffusing his features -
we couldn't take that away from him, no matter how
hard we tried. I'm afraid that his rapture did make
me somewhat wistful, I hoped someday I would
experience such bliss, even for just a moment. But
that would mean accepting TRUTH - and I did not
want such taint upon my soul. I could not relate it
to anything I already knew, it was so different to
the established order. Perhaps I was just content
with what I had, unwilling to risk my worldview by
exposing myself to this TRUTH.
THE TIMES, October 27th
Although the President expected the death of
Prisoner #57 to paralyze the Seekers of TRUTH it
seems that membership of this strange group is
steadily increasing. Whole towns have joined this
seemingly tranquil movement. Peaceful
demonstrations have been held; BRING "TRUTH" TO THE
PEOPLE, one of their more popular slogans. It seems
the death of Prisoner #57, while meant to stop the
Seekers of TRUTH, has actually accelerated their
cause.
It was true.
We cut the head off the snake, not knowing it was
the Hydra of legend. A multitude of heads appeared;
too many cells of resistance to be put down. Racing
across the country like raging wildfire; spread to
all nations. We were the best hope of the world,
but we could not stop the power of TRUTH.
Too little, too late.
What is TRUTH? It must be very addictive, beyond
the siren's call of heroin or cocaine, luring away
these addicts to TRUTH. However, some have resisted
its enticing seduction, they speak of such terror
and agony that TRUTH has brought them, haunted
night after night by tortured dreams. TRUTH seems
to be a paradox, pleasure and pain hopelessly
combined together.
My children, my spouse, my friends. All joined the
burgeoning tide - all Seekers of TRUTH. TRUTH has
taken all I held dear away from me by their willing
surrender to what has possessed their souls.
I know they feel pity and sorrow for me because I
have not joined them; I feel pity and sorrow for
them because they have been warped and twisted to
unrecognizability by the TRUTH. They are no longer
what they were before, as I remember them.
The thing that pains me is that they are so happy.
They cry "TRUTH shall make you free!" and perhaps,
for them, it has. TRUTH has only brought me pain,
loneliness, ruin.
I can feel myself dying as I write this, mercifully
the torment will end soon.
Gentle reader, you have read my account. I chose to
refuse the offer of TRUTH. I am content with my
choices, because they are MY choices.
Whether you accept TRUTH or deny TRUTH is your
choice and yours only.
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