Forgotten Children Epilogue

5 years later

Alex and Luca where sitting under each others arms on the stairs of their house, in a former Angel City, when Liam crept behind them and threw a water-filled balloon at them. Luca jumped up, shouting  "Damn brat!", and started to chase Liam, laughing. "I`m not a kid, I turned 18 a month ago!", Liam protested and made everyone laugh. "Oh, little one, adulthood doesn`t depend on age but maturity", Nick answered. "But don`t worry, I`m totally a kid too." And as to prove it, he grabbed Liam from his waist and lifted the flailing boy on his shoulder.

"Alright kids, let`s calm down. Time to go to work.", Bill said jokingly with his "teacher`s voice".
Bill, Liam and Nick (who was studying psychology) walked through the city towards the school. There no longer lived as many Angels in the city as before, they had found work and set up their families around the country. However, the city had not died, as it had became the world's first money-free city. Also, all consensual relationships where accepted in the city, including polyamory and consanguinamory (consensual incest). The people in relationships also receive support and protection, they are even defended in court if necessary. This has attracted residents to the city, as well as the education of children according to Unschooling philosophy. Many are opposed to government schools` indoctrination and lying, but not everyone has the opportunity to teach their children themselves.

Tom headed to the construction site in the other side of the town, and Luca and Alex, who worked at home (Luca as an artist/author and Alex as a journalist), were left to sit on the sunny porch together.
They were happily unaware of the oil running out, the State`s excessive debt and the collapse of dollar, catastrophes which were looming in the future and would lead to a new nightmare.

Forgotten Children 22. chapter

I stood with a gun in my hand, ready to shoot, when I saw a 13 year old boy among the protesters and was shattered. Even though he had a scar in his cheek, from corner of his mouth to his ear, I recognized he was my cousin who had been taken 3 years earlier. But wasn`t he supposed to be in some institute, where people tried to cure him and where he worked for the society? Why he had a scar? What had happened to him? Slowly I started to understand, like fog had withdrawn from my mind.

The truth, which I had always known but refused to see, hit me straight in the face. I dropped my gun and buried my face into my hands, weeping. The other soldiers seemed to understand the same thing, and soon almost all of them had dropped their weapons. Battle, fear and torture was finally over. But what would happen next?

In the following days Angel Friends Society sent interviews of Angels on TV, and in a few days, almost all Americans were on their side. A week later, the authorities finally gave up, resigned and the Angels were freed. Mr. Shadows held a speech in Washington, which was also shown live on TV:

"Last week, we opened our eyes and saw the cruel world, a world where children are sold and kept as slaves. But I know that we will be able to work better. It's time for a new society. Society, which is based on cooperation and democracy, not regulations and control. For society without winners and losers, society where people take care of and respect each other. Never again will any person be regarded as a slave or treated as inferior. Never again will anyone be used as a tool for obtaining money or power. Never again will we close our eyes from the suffering of others, or let fear and hatred blind us. "

Why support full marriage equalty?

A Call to Solidarity

Most people are familiar with the struggle of gays and lesbians to have the freedom to marry in the USA and many other places around the world. Some people can remember the struggle for interracial marriage in the USA. When someone cites the freedom for polygamous marriage or consanguineous marriage, some people dismiss those ideas. As disappointing as that is, it is not surprising.

Some LGBT people don’t understand the desire for polygamous or consanguineous marriage, often because the LGBT people discussing the issue aren’t interested in such relationships, or they find the very idea of them repulsive, and so they don’t see why those other relationships should have the freedom to marry.

Likewise, some people may want the freedom to polygynous marriage, but don’t understand polyandry or grouping, or same-gender marriage, or consanguineous relationships, or even interracial relationships, and find those ideas repulsive, and so they don’t see why those other relationships should have the freedom to marry.

And there are people involved in heterosexual consanguineous relationships who don’t want to get married and don’t understand or are repulsed by same-gender relationships or polyamorous relationships, and so don’t see the need for those groups to have the freedom to marry.

There are people who experience Genetic Sexual Attraction (GSA) who refrain from acting on their feelings and want to stop other people from acting on their GSA, or they don’t believe in or condemn FSA (Familial Sexual Attraction, which is between people who were not separated like with GSA), and don’t understand the need for consanguineous marriage.

Like many heterosexuals, some LGBT people do not want to get married, and may struggle to see just how important the freedom to marry is.

There are interracial couples in the USA who have exercised their freedom to marry, something that would have been denied to them not long ago, who do not see the need for others to have their freedom to marry.

All of these people have something in common. They all face denial of their rights, discrimination, and sometimes worse in many places around the world just because they don’t pass the sex-negative, heterosexual, monogamous, “racial purity” or nonconsanguineous tests set up by those who want to force everyone else to conform to their narrow view of sexuality and marriage, or want to keep other people from having what they have.

It’s all a matter of fairness and equality. Equality just for some is not equality. A person has the right to not only have a relationship with, but marry the consenting person or persons of his or her choice. It is time to allow everybody to exercise this right. We can get there if we have solidarity. Don’t just stand up for your freedom to marry; stand up for the freedom for all to marry. Don’t just be an ally for a friend’s right to a same-gender marriage; stand of the rights of all. That’s true marriage equality.

You don’t have the like what other people choose to do. If you don’t want a same-gender relationship, or a poly relationship, or an interracial relationship or a consanguineous relationship, or you do not want to get married under any circumstances, that is your choice and you have that freedom. But you should support the rights of other people to choose for themselves. Love is love.

The next time someone says the freedom to marry someone of the same gender will lead to polygamy or incest, instead of throwing other people under the bus, respond with something like, “What’s wrong with letting consenting adults do what they want with each other? I support marriage equality, period. Would you want someone telling you that you couldn’t get married?” We need to let people know that it isn't okay to discriminate. We need to reach out to everyone who is seeking the freedom to marry and let them know they aren't alone.

In addition to fairness, marriage equality will aid the health of those who will finally be able to marry. It will add stability to their relationships and increase stability in communities.

There are people you know - people in your family, neighbors, coworkers, police officers, postal carriers, firefighters, teachers, people of all walks of life - who don't have the freedom to marry the person or persons they love. That's not right.

Let’s all stand up for true equality: full marriage equality.

Cyberpunk manifesto part 3

The System. Centuries-old, existing on principles that hang no more today. A System that has not changed much since the day of its birth. The System is designed to make it easy to accept what it tells you, and to make it hard to filter the Truth from the lies. The System is fascist, the System is deceptive, and the System is bureaucracy. The System is essentially the rule of the institution over the individual.

To persist, the System requires control, and in democratic societies it maintains this control by filtering people's view of reality through corporate-owned mass media and television. In essence, the System requires a form of thought control, but not in the science fiction sense. Instead, it achieves an effective enough manner of thought control by manufacturing consent. The large majority of the public has to "buy in". They have to believe that the news media give them an accurate picture of the world. And by and large, they do believe this. Everything the general public knows about the world, they know through the System.

Note that while some media outlets do actively promote a political agenda of domination and control, on the whole it is not through some grand conspiracy that this process (or any process of the System) functions. It is simply the way mass media is organized. Mass media is a machine that exists as a profit maximizing entity, and the most profitable news (and the cheapest news to produce) is recycled soundbytes and pre-packaged press releases from corporations and government.

Furthermore, people must be insulated from the creative process. They have to forget that they are able to produce craft as individuals independent of large institutions, and they must feel entirely dependent upon the system to provide them with what they need. It is mostly through the violation of this principle that many who work with computers come to free themselves, or at least come to see the System for what it is.

Despite being products of the System (for the most part), computers and the Internet enable humans to create individual works on a global scale: independent media, self-publishing, Free Open Source Software, computer music, computer art and graphics, and so on. Computers also enable independent people to communicate and build human-serving social structures outside of the System.

We fight for freedom of information. We fight for freedom of speech and press. For the freedom to express our thoughts freely, without being persecuted by the system.

Cyberpunk manifesto part 2

Society

 

The Society which surrounds us is clogged with concervacy pulling everything and everybody to itself, while it sinks slowly in the quicksands of time. However doggedly some refuse to believe it, it is obvious that we live in a sick society. The so called reforms which our governments so adeptly use to boast, are nothing else but a little step forward, when a whole jump can be done.

People fear the new and unknown. They prefer the old, the known and checked truths. They are afraid of what the new can bring to them. They are afraid that they can lose what they have. Their fear is so strong that it has proclaimed the revolutional a foe and  the free idea - its weapon.

People must leave this fear behind and go ahead. What's the sense to stick to the little you have now when you can have more tomorrow. Everything they must do is stretch their hands and feel for the new; give freedom to thoughts, ideas, to words.

For centuries each generation has been brought up in a same pattern. Ideals is what everybody follows. Individuality is forgotten. People think in a same way, following the cliche drilled in them in childhood, the cliche-education for all children: And, when someone dares defy authority, he is punished and given as a bad example. "Here is what happens to you when you express your own opinion and deny your teacher's one". Our society is sick and need to be healed. The cure is a change in the system.

Alex Foster chapter 6

I was sitting in the bed when Alex came inside. “What you are doing here?”, I asked. “I came to save you, but I`m not sure how to get you out. I really don`t want to shoot everybody.”,Alex said. “Do you have RFID tag like me?” I remembered that Alex`s colleague had put something in my neck and said they would always know where I am. “Yeah, in my neck. How you will get it out?”

Alex grinned: “I wont, but I can nuke it with microvawes. I`m sorry, this will hurt a lot, but It`s not dangerous.” and took plastic gun from his bag. He shooted my neck and I almost yelled from pain. It felt like my neck was on fire, but three seconds later it was over, and I didn`t have any burn or wound on my neck. “What the hell that was?!”, I hissed.

“I`m sorry, this is not meant to use on humans. This is advanced version from putting your schoolbooks in microvawe oven so you can ditch from school and go play ARG`s in streets, like we did in high school.” Alex said looking embrassed.

I sighed. “Okay, I forgive you, but lets get out of here. Don`say we have to run from here.”

“No we don`t, I have swoop board that Alex built, it`s twice as fast as regular swoop boards. Let`s just hope they don`t shoot the fuel tank or we will be in big trouble, or  should I say, in big explosion.”

Alex Foster chapter 5

Janus had given me the address of Morpheus, who was the admin of Hidden Wiki and also sold illegal weapons and fake ID`s. I didn`t really like him, I mean, I was thankful of his site, and what he wrote about the System was awesome, but I knew he sold guns to assassins who worked for politicians and many corporate owners used his laundry services.

Once I got microwave/laser gun from Morpheus, I started to pack for a getaway. I stuffed my self-built laptop, radiophone, voice changer and money in my backpack when someone knocked the door. “Hi, can me and my brother come with you guys? I really have to get Nika safe from our parents.”, Janus said from the door. Behind him stood skinny 11-year-old boy with light, slightly curly hair, hiding behind his back. In his eyes I saw sadness and pain, but also courage and warmness.

That didn`t suprise me, considering everything he has gone through, but what did was the patience and understanding I saw. That wasn`t too common even in adults, yet alone in a boy his age. Then I understood, he was Angel.

After the “Rebel of Angels” in 2030, Angels had got their civil rigts and no one was kept as slave anymore. Today it was almost impossible to tell who was Angel except from their personality, because of medicine that prevented their wings from growing.

“Of course you can, see you tomorrow here, okay?”

The next day at work I was really nervous. I was sure that my colleagues knew what I was going to do, and that any moment guards would come and arrest me. When it finally was 2pm, I was relieved and left my workplace. I walked down the underground corridors to the locked room where A`rya was kept. Getting into the room was easy, but how I would get her out?

Cyberpunk manifesto

We are those, the Different. Technological rats, swimming in the ocean of information.

We are the retiring, little kid at school, sitting at the last desk, in the corner of the class room.  We are the teenager everybody considers strange. We are the student hacking computer systems, exploring the depth of his reach. We are the grown-up in the park, sitting on a bench, laptop on his knees, programming the last virtual reality.

We are those that see reality in a different way. Our point of view shows more than ordinary people can see. They see only what is outside, but we see what is inside. That's what we are - realists with the glasses of dreamers.

We are those strange people, almost unknown to the neighborhood. People, indulged in their own thoughts, sitting day after day before the computer, ransacking the net for something. We do not have many friends, only a few with whom we go to parties. Everybody else we know we know on the net. Our real friends are there, on the other side of the line. We know them from our favorite IRC channel, from the News-Groups, from the systems we hang-around.

We are those who don't give a shit about what people think about us, we don't care what we look like or what people talk about us in our absence. The majority of us likes to live in hiding, being unknown to everybody except those few we must inevitably contact with. Others love publicity, they love fame. They are all known in the underground world. Their names are often heard there. But we are all united by one thing - we are Cyberpunks.

Society does not understand us, we are "weird" and "crazy" people in the eyes of the ordinary people who live far from information and free ideas. They deny us for we think like free people, and free thinking is forbidden.

Alex Foster chapter 4

Three days later, when we were playing and eating nachos, I got call from army lab. “What`s wrong? I still have four days off from work”, I asked. “I`m sorry Mr. Foster, but we have problems with hybrid. She is physically and mentally perfectly developed, but refuses to perform her tasks in simulation. Can you come and fix her?” Of course I had no other option than say yes, after all I was still just a student.

 

“Hi..”, I began to ask, until I realised that I didn`t know her name. “What`s your name?”

“I`m A`rya”, she said smirking, which looked pretty scary because of her long, snake-like teeth. “So A`rya, I heard you had problems with commanders. Why you didn`t perform your tasks in simulation?”

 

“Why I would kill man that hasn`t hurt anybody, just because they told me so? I don`t even know who they are, I certainly don`t think they are any better. They may have created me, but they don`t own me, and I don`t have any part in their war.” Then I understood, she was good person, and I didn`t want to turn her into murderer. But she was too intelligent and dangerous that they would let her go. I had to save her.

 

After I left work, I started to figure out what I would need to save her and run away. I already had swoop board, stun gas and hacking programme in USB stick that I could use to open electronic locks, but I needed money and some kind of gun. Money was easy, Frank had lot of BitCoins, so I only had to go to automat that changed BitCoins to cash. Then I went to see our friend Janus, who was Harlequin.

 

In Liberty Army,(that was main group of NTAO25), there was two kinds of members. Pathfinders like Frank, Echelon and I were developing better systems and informing others, while Harlequins were kind of like guards. They protected young members who didn`t yet understand the thruth about surveillance and System, and also activists in demonstrations.

Janus in Harlequin uniform

Alex Foster chapter 3

In high school I met Frank, clumsy and manic nerd, who soon became my best friend. He had had growth spurt in summer and was really awkward with his long arms and legs, but he was also best gamer in NTC and beat even many professional gamers. Maybe he could be world champion, had he not stopped competing only 3 years later, when he got tired of being a celebrity and got interested about game designing.

He still loved playing virtual games, though, and had teach a lot to Echelon and I. Last few moths we had played a game called Underground New York, where players were either members of gang or policies, fighting against each other, while trying to take the lead in own side. Best part of the game was that it wasn`t played only in game site, but around the web and in real life. Frank, Echelon and I were gang members, so in game we take part of street races, tuned up cars, shot policies and run away with swoop boards and motorbikes.

But that was only covert to Serious alternate reality game called Never Trust Anyone Over 25. In Never Trust Anyone Over 25, that was created by organisation called Sustainable, Anonymous and Free Economy (SAFE), players are fighting against abuses of authority, internet surveillance, and developing better systems, such as Project Schools, Resource Economy, Free Press... The players search and share information in Deep Web and Xnet, share music, books, games and programmes for free, and use hacktivism and jamming to defeat NSA.


We also had to look for information in Deep Web, use cheat codes and find clues in mysterious websites and streets, but because of Frank was very talented player and hacker, and we had many friends who helped us, we beat everyone.

 

 

Alex`s apartment in Underground eXperiment. I love that Matrix screensaver!

What is the Matrix?

Don't trust 'em as far

As you can throw 'em

Because as strong as you may be

You won't be able to move 'em an inch

But you don't have to believe me

Go ahead and be the corporate stooge

That they trained you to be

And then you'll see what you get for your loyalty

They call it, 'Down sizing'

But that's just a backhanded saying

For the phrase, 'We're gonna screw you

Until you're down on your knees'

In my opinion, The Matrix films provide the best metaphor our society has for understanding why organized evil and oppression are allowed to exist. The Matrix is not the physical world. As far as I'm concerned, the physical world is actually real and is in fact governed  by the laws of physics. Matrix is also not the Internet, despite what many seem to believe. The Matrix covers both these worlds.

So then, what is it? Well, that's complicated. Much like in the movie, it's nearly impossible to convey the size and scope of the Matrix to someone who doesn't already see it for what it is.  The Matrix is the social structure that enslaves humans to its will. It is the machinery of society that exists only to maintain itself, its influence, and its power independent of any human need.

It divides us from each other and ourselves through deception, and transforms us into servile engines of economic and political power. The machines that live off this power are institutions: large corporations, governments, schools, religious institutions, and even non-profit orgs. Every institution will reach a point in its existence where its primary function becomes self-preservation, instead of serving human need.

At this point it becomes a machine of the Matrix. For example, when they become machines, governments no longer serve people but instead seek to extend their power over them; corporations prioritize increasing shareholder value over producing quality products or otherwise serving the public good; schools view students as a means and not an end;  

and non-profits and charities spend more budget on fund raising activity than on their original focus. Inevitably all large institutions eventually become machines. They become too big for humanity.

You see it every day, everywhere

On the TV screen

Each time a different face or family

But it's always the same

"We worked here all our lives

Gave them everything we had

And now they say they're gonna move the factory

To a Third World country where the labor is cheap

But the fact, my friend, that you don't see

Is the money you spend on the goods they make

Supports their methods of abuse on the Third World scene

And in your very own backyard, yes, your country

So I won't be the consumer that they want me to be

Because the goods I own aren't going to set me free

So I won't buy that crap they want to sell me

Because the goods I own won't set anyone free

Lyrics from Consumer`s song by Anti Flag, ideas from Morpheus, smartest boylover in Deep Web :)