The Little Red Book

“Hello? Adam?”

“Yes, this is Adam…William?”

“Yeah…good, I’m glad you answered. I had to talk to someone I trust.”

“How come you’re using voice only…and not streaming video? I’d like to see your face.”

“Well…well, I’ve been suspended from all my social media accounts.”

“Why?”

“…”

“Willy…did you hear me? I asked you why?”

“…I heard you, Adam…I just…I’m not sure how to answer you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…I was told in a notification why, but I don’t agree with it.”

“What did the message say?”

“It just said, my accounts have been suspended for violation of the terms of service.”

“They must’ve told you what you can do to get your access back, kid. Don’t worry too much about it. I’ve had to delete some stream, or post, or comment before…you’ll get your access back in a day or so.”

“…”

“Did you hear me, William? Don’t worry about it.”

“…yes, brother, I heard you…the thing is…I don’t really care if I get my access back.”

“What? What do you mean you don’t care?”

“I don’t care. They’ll delete whatever they want anyway. I’m not going to stoop to doing it for them.”

“Stoop? Whatever…just delete it.”

“No.”

“But Willy, that’s just stupid. What in the world did you post?”

“…”

“Kid…what did you post that was so egregious?”

“I don’t want to get into details on this call…cuz I don’t want it to impact your life, bro.”

“What do you mean, kid? Why did you call me then?”

“I wanted to see if you’d talk to me in person.”

“In person? Seriously?”

“Yes…I’m serious.”

“You know we’re on lockdown orders, right?”

“Lockdown? We’ve all been under movement restrictions since about a month after you moved out.”

“Exactly! How in the name of the Universal Spirit could I even travel that far to meet you face-to-face…even if I wanted to?”

“…”

“Willy?”

“…”

“Willy?”

“Meet me at the public park two streets uptown and one street east of your building.”

“What? You’re in New Omaha? No way! Just tell me what’s up, and if I must, I’ll come down and find you.”

“…alright bro, you asked for it. Well, I was at the rally, and…”

“Rally? You mean the riot?”

“Whatever. I wasn’t there to participate…just observe. I was curious. While there, I got to talking with one of the participants. He was waving a yellow flag with a rattlesnake on it. Anyway, he claimed that his flag was the flag of some nation that existed when there still were nations…you know, before the GGG.”

“Willy, you know full well that the Global Governance Group is the only world authority…and it has been since before you were born.”

“I know, bro, but listen…he said that snake-flag nation’s government was founded upon a document called the Consti-<BLEEEEEEEP>.”

 “Willy? Did you hear that? They just censored you…is that what you posted on the Global Data Network?”

“Yup, basically…I streamed my discussion with that guy on the GDN. I’ll try not to use any of the words he used. That bleep was automatic…I don’t think they’re monitoring our call yet. Should I continue?”

“…”

“Adam? Should I continue, or do you want to meet me in the park?”

“Just go on…let’s both try not to say anything we think might be on their list.”

“Okay, fine, this document was basically a list of things the powers that be, could, and could not, do.”

“But there’s literally nothing, Willy…I mean, there’s nothing they can’t do.”

“I know…but before…BEFORE there WERE limits. He told me specifically about the right to due process…and privacy…and the First and Second Amend-<BLEEEEEEEP>.”

“…”

“…Adam?”

“…William? That’s the second bleep. We’re on thin ice now. ”

“Sorry, Adam, I’ll try and be more careful.”

“Whatever, kid. What’s your point? There’s nothing we can do anyway…and why is this even that important?”

“Don’t you see bro? We’re living in tyranny! We’re slaves to the state! That guy opened my eyes, Adam…but the history that he revealed is nothing compared to what he told me next.”

“Come on, William, you’re starting to freak me out.”

“Adam, he told me about a book…a banned book…a book nobody even knows about.”

“Ha…what book is that, Willy?”

“I can’t say…but I can show you. You see, after that conversation on the street and after my media lockout, I scoured the public library databases for that document he told me about…as well as the book. I doubted I would find them, but I tried anyway. I didn’t even find a single reference to either of them…anywhere!”

“So…you said you can show me…how, Willy? How can you show me?”

“Just listen, Adam. After that, I started digging through antique stores and collectable shops. There were some books available, but even so, I suspected I’d never find what I was looking for.”

“You went out physically shopping during the ongoing lockdown? I can’t believe it.”

“Well, not at first…I did most of my browsing on the GDN, but eventually I found a place I wanted to visit that had a bunch of real books. The owner was closing when I arrived, but he locked the door behind me and let me peruse his library in peace while he closed down his shop. Anyway, after almost an hour I found a pocket-sized book with a red leather cover. The title on the cover was Das Kapital by Karl Marx.”

“So what, Willy, everyone knows about that book.”

“Yes, Adam, but this copy wasn’t quite your standard copy. The cover, and first chapter or so, were indeed Das Kapital, going on about commodities and such, but then the font and text suddenly changed. The rest of Das Kapital was missing, and in its place was tucked another book’s pages!”

“Finally…was this the book you’re talking about?”

“Yes, Adam. This was the book upon which much of the law in that bleeped historical document was based.”

“But what was the book’s title?”

“I shouldn’t…no…I’ll just say it was a set of mini-books grouped together that started with a bunch of first names, like Matthew and Mark…and…”

“There was no title? Just names?”

“No, Adam, there was a title, but…but…oh hell, it’s about the one true God…and it’s called the New Testament Bib-<BLEEEEEEEP>.”

“Warning…this line is now under computer surveillance for the use of prohibited words.”

“Did you hear that, Willy? Now you did it!”

“I guess I did…forget trying to meet me. I’ve already shipped the book to you…I just slipped it into a deposit box. Look for it…keep it hidden…and…”

“…and?”

”...”

”...and what?”

“…”

“Willy!”

“BUZZZZ…this conversation has been terminated for violation of public decency regulations. Security Services are en route.”

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Find out what Adam ends up doing with his “little red book” in The Omega Gambit, by David Alan Brown. Published on LuLu, and available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Apple iTunes, Google Play, and bookstores everywhere…at least for now.