Monday 20 May 2019

Day 20 - 2020

Today's writing prompt from storyaday.org was 'Write The Same Incident From Three Different Perspectives'
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Sophia was stumped, after an announcement tone, like that of a hospital, airport and or train station interrupted the latest Taylor Swift song 'Democracy is dying' her screen switched to blue with a 'Warning!' from the government.
The government had bricked* her phone, the home button didn't work, she couldn't turn it off, it wouldn't swipe, any which way.  Just the blue message.
In some ways she was amused, having been somewhat IT Savvy in the past, she chuckled at the idea of the 'Blue Screen of Death'. A term the windows operating system used when it crashed.
Looking about her, it was odd, she could see other people on the train, looking at there screens with bewilderment on their faces. Her eyes locked with the cute suit sitting opposite her, he simply lifted his phone and showed her the same blue screen.
Looking to the iPhone in the hand of the older lady to her right, Sophia saw a red screen, the message looked the same from what she could see.
Again the announcement tone and Taylor Swift resumed her song. What was this about.  Her fellow commuters, puzzlement passed had reverted to the same zombie-like screen focus they had had before the message flashed up in front of them. It was as if nothing had happened.
As brief, as it was Sophia, was rattled. Was this a prank someone was playing.  Had the government really taken over control of the web, and worse identified her political views. Why would they do this?
Quickly unplugging her earpiece from the phone, she dropped it in her bag and made her way to the end of the carriage.  Unnerved, anxious. 
This wasn't right.  Should she use her phone to call Darren? If it was the government, would they be listening? She needed to know, to ask someone she trusted if they had a similar experience.

'Mate, did you get this?' Mick held up his phone, locked with a pink screen.  Darren simply responded by holding up his which was blue. They'd been sitting having a coffee on the corner of w41st and 9th avenue, something usual for the two of them.
'What do you think that's about?' Asked Mick as he placed his phone back on the coffee table, screen down. He did not quite know why, but he was suddenly self-conscious about the pink. Darren discreetly dropped his into his inside pocket.
'It says it, they have identified I'm a Liberal, and you're a socialist; blue for liberal, pink for a pinko.'
'Nah, bullshit, you're having a lend of me.'
'I don't think I am, look' Darren nodded across to the opposite corner where three police officers in full battle fatigues. Two with AR15's held barrel down while the third was asking people to show them their phones.
The two of them sat silent and watched what was happening. From what they could see, there were three actual colours, blue, red and pink; Democrat, Republican or socialist. The police were happily looking at the phones, answering questions and being polite.
They could see people crossing the street to avoid the officers. Those travelling with friends where discreetly talking between themselves, before either quietly separating, or disappearing down the side streets together and out of site.
'I think we should go.  I don't like what I am seeing.' Darren was getting anxious, the whole street felt electrified as if at any moment a static shock would envelop them all.
'They've not taken anyone yet, pink, blue or otherwise.' Let's watch a little longer.
' You can mate, I'm going to find Sophia.  Be careful, they could turn on any of us at any moment.

Joseph sat stunned. He knew this was coming. Alex Jones and all of his mates on the right had been talking about this for weeks.  The government was going to exercise control to deal with the lefties and the pinkos.
Sitting here now, with the PC he had just been using to Troll some liberals, blue in front of him. The second screen that he had been using as his pinko persona following Bernie Sanders was now pink. This was all cool.
What was not cool was his red phone in front of him. His personal phone that he used in real life, they weren't meant to be able to do this. What's worse, could they link all of his personas to him?
It wasn't meant to be like this. They didn't say it would be like this.
In a panic! Joseph turned off his phone, popped it's back removed the battery and dropped it in the sink, filling it with water. He pulled the power from the wall for all of his laptops routers everything, even his TV.
Grabbing a day pack, he filled it with fresh underclothes, toiletries and his largest capacity charging bank. Taking all the cash from his wallet, he threw it aside, including his credit cards license and any other form of identity.
Going to the old milo tin on the counter he popped it and grabbed even more cash. He would need this to buy a clean Chromebook, to try and get online and find out what was happening.
Then he was out the door for the last time. If the government was doing this, things were going to get worse. He had to run.

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