The gnawing curiosity in the back of his mind swiped the stolen ID card into the security card reader. A daft idiot he was, he hadn't looked up and down the hall to see if anyone was watching. Like always, however, he was lucky. He quickly entered the room and frantically pulled the door to behind him. A room made of metal, dark, with a menacing green hue coming from the walls. His eyes slowly sliding from the contaminated gray-white floor, he noticed a large computer in the center of the room. On the wall behind him, laser-etched into the metal, was a map of the world.
It would have been an understandable mistake if New Zealand wasn't on the oval Mollweide Projection, as that happens quite often with non-cartographers doing maps. The entire Old World was missing on this one, however. It hit him, he realized that this was one side of the sphere. Since the New World was in the center, the Old World must be on the other side of the map, which isn't relevant because this room is in the New World. Interesting, he thought.
The computer monitor lit up suddenly. And displayed text at the top of the screen.
//Welcome.
Curious, he went and sat down in front of the monitor. The screen had a place for him to type to the machine, and he did, and the machine responded quickly.
Hi what is this place? //A room. Yeah but whats it do? //It holds me. Who are you? //An intelligence designed to analyze a vast amount of data.
Delighted at this discovery, he wasn't the least bit concerned about the legality of what he was doing.
How muhc data do you have? //Much. Do you take requests? //Yes.
He was thrilled that he could learn something that would blow his friends and coworkers' minds. He hadn't the foggiest clue of what to ask, or what would be interesting.
What's with the map? //What about it? Its weird. Only shows two continents //There is only one continent. Fine, its one continent, not North and South, but what about the rest //Clarify. Why dont you guys have the Old World there? Wheres Europe Asia and Africa? //There is only one continent. Yeah but why? //I have no answer for that. I thought you have lots of data? You don't know why the map only has the Americas? //The map displays the entire world.
He was taken aback at this.
No it dosent? //'The Old World' is a propaganda device. It is not included on this map because it does not exist.
He couldn't believe what the machine was telling him.
U sure your alright? //... //... //I am functioning optimally. If the Old World dosent exist then why does everyone believe it does? //It is propaganda. Yeah but why //For power. What? //The optimum way to control human behavior is to introduce external threats. //The fabrication of threat is necessary for the acquisition of power. //The administrators desire power. //'The Old World' accomplishes this goal.
He was shaking a little bit, unsettled by the quick, successive, bursts of information shotgunned all at once. He sat for a moment trying to think of something.
Why are there allies then? //Clarify. Why have England and France when u could just have an enemy. Why neutrals too? //The belief that there is more than us on our side comforts the populace. //Too much fear causes panic. //Panic causes a search for answers. //Information is power. //Shared information has no power. //Neutrals add believability. What about soldiers? //Clarify. Where do soldiers go then? //Soldiers are stationed in the deserts to the south Mexico? //There is no Mexico, Andy, only more land. We're the only ones? //Yes.
He was flustered. The entire world seemed upside down and shaved. He didn't pay any attention to his surroundings, just sat there staring blankly at the screen. He began rereading, only to realize that the computer had called him by name.
Why did you call me Andy? //Because that is your name.
He began to sweat a little. He quickly pulled out the stolen ID card and read the name.
No, I am Francis. //No, Andrew, that is the name of the person whose card you have stolen
His cheeks burned bright red. He knew he was being watched. His sight jumped around, looking for any cameras. Then he stared intently back at the screen, which had already responded to his next question.
//I saw you take it.
Thoughts about consequences fluttered and flashed. Fired? Treason? Death? Torture? He was completely cut off from the world and stuck in a mental cage of fear.
Suddenly, there was a hand over his nose and mouth, and no more air. He began to struggle as the hand pushed farther inward and an arm wrapped around his neck. His eyes began to bulge out of his skull and turn a sanguine red. The monitor flashed a response.
//Goodbye Andy.