The System, Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Developmental Chaos

         James Goodwin and his family were watching their holo-screen one evening when a news update interrupted their show. “Attention Citizens, due to recent scientific discoveries, a new program has been approved to stop all crimes. The program can see what is going on in a 100 meter range and if a minor crime is committed, a cage goes down on the law offender.”

“That seems like a reasonable precaution.” Kilo Goodwin, the sheriff of Columbus, stated. “It will make my job a lot easier.”

         “What about when someone commits a major crime Dad?” James asked. “What will the program do than?”

         “We will just have to find out,” Kilo answered, “and hope that we do not commit one.”

         The next day at school the technology department leader explained how the program works. “The system has multiple security cameras to capture everything that is going on in its 100 radius than its artificial intelligence can recognize any crimes going on and when it recognizes a crime in progress the system drops a cage onto the criminal and sends in a report to the police to go pick them up.”

         “Mr. Lowe, what will the system do if it recognizes a critical offense?” James asked the leader, looking for some answers.

         “I was not informed in that matter,” Mr. Lowe responded, “let’s try not to find out.”

         Overnight the systems went up almost like magic and that morning when James woke up there were the security systems patrolling above the street. “I don’t like the look of this,” James thought to himself, “why wouldn’t anyone tell us what the system does when a critical offense occurs?” That day he saw 20 cars captured by the system and 30 people apprehended for minor crimes like shoplifting small items. That evening he went home to find Kilo sorting through some files. “What are you doing Dad?” James asked.

         “Well James, because of the system the government has less need for police officers so the Mayor has me going through the officers and firing half of the force.”

         “That sucks.” James said solemnly. The next month James went with his dad to the city consul meeting.

         “Due to the system’s abilities the crime rate has gone down 40%, but there are still a few crimes that the offenders are slipping in beneath the system, so we plan to upgrade the system to be able to hear and recognize threats and insults and then be able to punish them. Along with this upgrade we plan on upgrading the repercussions for all crimes. If there are any questions please address them now.”

         After the mayor had finished answering some questions James raised his hand to get the mayor’s attention. “Mr. Mayor, what are the repercussions of committing a serious or critical offense now, and what will the repercussions be after the upgrade?”

         “This information needs to be withheld from the public at the present moment due to the need for the element of foreboding so criminals can not find a way around the system. The criminals will find out the repercussions when they commit the offense. Let’s just hope that nobody will find out the repercussions and not do the offense.” The Mayor answered. After a few more questions the mayor left and the meeting was over.

         The next week the upgrades were complete and James saw even more people apprehended for crimes such as insulting the government and making threats about other citizens. The network of the system expanded into every possible location, from supermarkets, to schools, in apartments to around homes. The crime rate dropped significantly along with personal privacy rights. Just two months later the citizens were too afraid to talk due to the increased possibility of being apprehended.

         So day by day the city went along to work and home speaking only when absolutely necessary books about free speech were recalled and in their place books about America’s future were sent to every person. James went to the library very often where he and the librarian, a free spirit named Mrs. Borski, had coded conversations about the system’s faults and Mrs. Borski took James into the solid lead tornado shelter that the system could not intercept their conversations about the government and how America used to be.

         This went on three times a week or whenever James could go to the library. One day after school, James was very excited, he had just found another flaw in the system, whenever you spoke another language than the system had in its system the system could not understand what you were saying, so because the system only had English and Spanish programmed into it, if you spoke German around the system would not intercept the message even if you spoke bad about the government. Because James has taken German classes, and Mrs. Borski knew a lot of German, they could finally talk freely out in the open about their dislike of what the Government was doing.

         He scurried to the library and was not surprised when he saw the closed sign in front of the library. Mrs. Borski had a discussion with anyone who wanted to come and she must have gotten an appointment before James got there. So James sat outside the library doors until he noticed motion from inside the library. He than saw the one thing that he feared, the system had sent in a probe to the library and it had drilled a small hole into the area where Mrs. Borski was having her conversation. He flipped out his cell phone and texted Mrs. Borski, ‘Be wary of the eye that sees and the ear that hears, for it can be there, wither in the open or through a hole, the mole can be there’. James sent the message that warns Mrs. Borski that there is danger and hoped that Mrs. Borski had got the message in time.

         He saw the shelter door open and saw a look of terror come o her face when the system broke through and a grid like structure appeared above her. The grid moved slowly downwards and kept above Mrs. Borski whenever she tried to get out of the grids range. The grid finally made a capsule around her and even through the glass door he could hear the system say, “You have committed a critical offense by speaking insults towards the governments, withholding recalled books and secretly leading others to false beliefs about the government’s superiority. Do you accept these charges against you?”

         “I do not accept these charges due to the bases this country was built off of free speech.” Mrs. Borski replied to the system.

         “Free speech does not exist anymore,” the system replied, “your termination will commence now.” All of a sudden the grid capsule closed in around her and Mrs. Borski screeched as several thousand volts of electricity surged into her body. The grid disappeared and the system went away as Mrs. Borski’s body fell to the ground. James yelled and broke through the glass doors and knelt beside Mrs. Borski as she died.

         “James” Mrs. Borski said feebly “remember, learning never stops.” With that Mrs. Borski exhaled and the life went out of her. James looked up to see the system in his face and herd the system say.

         “You are now an accessory, you must be terminated.” The grid appeared above James’ head and started dropping down; when the grid was only an inch above James’ head the grid disappeared as Kilo kicked the system’s control panel.

         “Nobody is going to terminate my son,” Kilo said, “Let’s get out of here James.”

         “Ok Dad lets go” James replied. They ran to the vehicle and James looked at Mrs. Borski’s dead body one last time before they sped off to the dangerous future.