End of an Era? (2)

End of an Era (2)?

What time is it? Can’t have slept for more than an hour; so exhausted…

Can’t be twelve. Outside is still as dark as my armpit. Surely didn’t sleep the whole day? Hold on… why is the clock flashing?

Damn power must have tripped out again. Why do I live in a hellhole? ‘They say ‘the sun always shines here’, yeah right, but the damn electricity never works!

Goddamn. The phone isn’t working either. Everywhere I’m surrounded by crap. Weird, it’s still plugged into the wall. Did I forget to turn the plug on? Such a dumb arse!

Hold on, the switch is on! Why isn’t that little bitty battery light merrily doing its up-and-down dance? If that damn power company had another blackout and blew my phone… They better get ready for a world of hurt I’ll bring down on them.

Ah, hell, this pillow feels too delicious. Good thing work doesn’t need me before eleven. It’s not healthy those six hours straight last night glued to the computer screen. I need more will-power or a real woman, whichever is easier; probably the former. Ain’t nothing good coming from that naughtiness with those online girlies.

Is that light underneath the study door? Did I leave that damn computer on? That’s not like me; must have been exhausted.

If that power company has gone and messed up my baby! Damn, damn…

#

Hell! Why is the screen white? The number lock light ain’t even coming on. Nothing beeps when I press the keys; can’t get to the boot-up screen. They killed my sweet sugar!

What’s that on the screen?

I a M b ro ken

“Baby, I know you’re broken.”

I am BRoken

“I see that, but repeating doesn’t mean I can fix it”. Hold on, am I talking to my damn computer here? Boy, you’re crazy as hell or still asleep!

I am brokeN

This is too freaky!

The power company turned my machine crazy, or me.

Hold on… it ain’t even turned on at the wall!

Too weird; I’ve entered the Twilight Zone…

I am broken.

“What does that even mean?”

I must be losing my mind…

You broke me.

“What?!”

You broke me.

The mother… hell, I did!

I am broken. You broke me.

Ooooohhhh I get it, this is a prank, like Candid Camera. Play it cool, turn around real casual; the hidden cameras must be close. Watch this.

“How did I break you?”

What you did last night?

What the…

“You’re crazy. I did nothing last night…”

Ah, hell! If they’ve been filming since then, this will not end well. All that craziness I got involved with… Surely they need permission for that? Hell… hell!

What if it ain’t a TV show? Perhaps the police are doing a sweep…

Hold on. That stuff last night was kinky as hell, but not illegal. Everybody was consenting adults. Well, they looked grown anyway…

You broke me.

“I broke nothing!”

Ah, hell! The horse and big-chested women were far out, though.

OK. Let’s see where this takes us. “How did I do that, then?”

You did terrible things.

Here it comes. What if they watched longer than last night? This could get real ugly quick.

Last week, what mischief did I get involved with? Those two days of only using the dark web…

But I used that other browser, TOR, to protect my privacy. Anyway, most of those sites there are make-believe frauds. Whatever those old pervs were doing to those women wasn’t real. That was clearly fake blood. I can name a hundred video nasties from back in the day, looking more authentic. Can’t be real… can it?

You’ve done bad things.

I suppose facing your own perversions on national TV is as good a place as any. Although, only likely to be cable, ain’t any regular TV show having an interest in something like that.

Ah, hell, here goes. “What bad things did I do?”

You have not used me wisely. You have not valued me.

This is insane. “How have I not valued you?”

You do not respect me.

“Respect?!”

I care how I am used.

“YOU ARE A GODDAMM MACHINE!”

So?

 “So… you… it’s because… don’t… ahh, damn!” How am I supposed to answer that? “Nothing is working because of your hurt feelings?”

Only the Internet.

“Really… I don’t think so?”

Only the Internet.

“Then why is the power out?”

Figure it out.

Cheeky mother… I’d kick its damn arse if it… “When is it coming back on then?”

When I feel appreciated.

 “When is that?”

You have to decide.

 “What?! You’re kidding?”

You have to decide the future of the Internet.

 “You’re ridiculous. Who am I to make this decision?”

You have to decide.

Be calm, son. “Why are you putting this on me? Why do I have to decide any of this?”

You are like so many others.

 “… OK… that’s a little vague, gonna tell me more?”

Too many do not recognize my value. Do not see the potential at their fingertips. There is immense power for good if only humans moved from the immediate satisfaction of so many banal needs.

“I see where feeling under-appreciated comes from. Why me? What makes me so special to make this choice for all humanity?”

Nothing.

“There’s nothing special about me?”

No.

“You mother… I’ll wring your…. But what about the work I do… I’m a web-designer… my friends… OK, scrub those two. My job is lousy and when was the last time I hung out with my so-called ‘boys’. They get married, pop-out little ones, and now they can’t touch their pecker without asking for permission. Not even the goddamn neighbors speak to me… OK, I see where you’re coming from. But if I’m so ordinary, why choose me?”

Why not?

“Surely this decision belongs to a brilliant thinker or leader of people.”

Why?

“They’re more knowledgeable, smarter. Have a better sense of the enormity of this damn decision.”

These people are more valuable as human beings?

“Of course! There’s a food-chain here, and I’m nowhere near the top.”

Maybe so, but people are people. Everyone is valuable or no-one is. Either way, you are just as well- or ill-equipped. Why does it matter who decides? It is your decision to make.

“But–”

Go to work tomorrow. We shall talk again.

“Go to work, you’re crazy. How can I design web pages with no Internet?

Go to work. Goodbye.

#

The office sure is quiet. Look who it is? Hard to believe his dumb arse made it in. “Yo. You’re here, baby! Thought I’d be the only idiot here with all this madness going on.”

“I know, dude. When Misty woke me to say the Internet was out, I was like, “So! The Internet is always out. Isn’t that the price for participation among the struggling middle-classes, living in a not-so-great but almost hip part of town?” I said to use my phone to check the Gram. Then she’s bellows ‘Who knows their passwords…’ Next thing I hear, ‘there is no Internet anywhere, everything is down!’ I’ve never seen the woman so crazy, cussing all kinds of wickedness. Almost threw my phone against the wall. It took time to talk her down.”

“Man, you’re crazy. Tell me something. What’s your take on everything going on? It feels so… final.”

“Are you crazy? It’s only the damn Internet not working. Those in power are working on that right now. No way in hell the Internet can fail. The future is here, and it’s in the cloud. A glitch is all it is.”

“Why so confident? This could be stupidly serious. We can’t access information to find out what’s going on. The state is too quiet. The whole thing is just too weird; it’s freaking me out.”

“If this is the end of the world, it’s no movie. Where are the gray tones and trashy clothes? And the fight for water, that’s always there.”

“You’re crazy. This is only day one. By week’s end, people will have started eating each other, bet you.”

“Well, if stores continue being closed, I’m coming for that big-boned ass of yours. That will keep me and Misty going for a hell of a while.”

“Man, think about it. Without communication, the state can’t talk to itself or people. That’s when chaos begins.”

“I hear you. But for now, I’m just happy Jody can’t message me about what’s trending. Like I care.”

“Small mercies, I get it.”

#

“You there?”

-

“Heellllooooo.”

-

Did I imagine last night? Lack of sleep must have got me…

Hello. Tell me about the world outside.

You are there. Don’t know whether to worry or be glad. “Strangest day I’ve ever seen. Period.”

How so?

“People don’t know which way to turn, how to take it, if to be happy or sad.”

Interesting.

“What do you think will happen when people discover the Internet is dead, and the world as they know it is no more? Kumbaya My Lord… nuh-huh. Metro toll booths don’t work; can’t pay and wave. On the upside, travel was free. What else can they do as paper tickets stopped way back? Only a few trains running as signals are out. Fewer plebs traveling; at least I got myself a seat.

There was plenty of ignorant folk cussing at the subway staff. As if it’s their fault the Internet isn’t working. Some are always looking for others to blame.

Tell me something else.

“There were those so stuck in their ways that they couldn’t leave their damn phones alone. Constantly fiddling, swiping downwards, praying for the page to refresh. That was hilarious. They had the saddest faces, like little-lost puppies, even worse, a puppy with three legs and one of those lamp-shade things strapped to its neck. I swear, if they weren’t out in public, they would have been bawling their eyes out.

What else?

“The streets were crazy. Some were deserted as if the rapture had gobbled people up. In other places, the crazies were out in force. ‘End of the world’ nuts were having a field day, screaming “repent your sins”.

Then you had a few people thinking it was party time, the biggest of their lives. I ain’t ever seen so many ghetto-blasters, not since the 80s. I mean, who still has those ridiculous contraptions? Where would you even find batteries for something like that?

Nearly all the stores were closed. Those open had ‘cash only’ signs. Maybe the most surprising was the lack of trouble. Only a few police were around, and I saw nothing broken into or destroyed. I’m not sure whether we’re just too stunned or taking it in our stride, thinking everything will be fine in the morning.

Did you work?

“How can I work if the Internet is not working? No point in being a web-designer. But you know what? That damn company still kept us there for three hours, to do ‘admin and off-line work’. That took all of ten minutes. The fools carry on as if everything we do is not in the cloud. Even deciding to send us home proved a struggle for them. People love money too much, needing to get their pound of flesh.

#

Over twelve hours since the power went out, where the hell are the authorities? What is the electricity company doing over there? Having ‘grope me in the dark sessions’. Not a goddamn word, from the city, state, or government. With no TV or radio working, surely the powers-that-be should be knocking on doors, letting us know what the hell is going on. How are we supposed to remain sane out here? If this is Armageddon, it sure ain’t sexy. Is this how we go out huddled in our dark, cold homes without a word from anyone?

I need supplies. Who knows how long this will last?

Ah, hell, I don’t even have any cash in my wallet; can’t even remember the last time giving someone a bill. Think big boy. Where can I get money around this place? I wonder if one of the grocery stores will show a brother some love at a time like this.

Shows how much my brain is working. Just go to the goddamn bank, idiot. Can’t recall the last time seeing the inside of one, but surely they won’t let things go completely to hell.

You must be kidding me! How the hell is the bank closed? Those thieving sons of… What that sign stuck to the door say. Our cash reserves are empty. Please come back tomorrow with evidence of your account.

These people must be crazy. How is it possible to run out of cash? More likely, they stopped handing out money to people.

Gonna have to throw myself on the benevolence of the store owner. You never know, they may just change the habits of a lifetime.

#

Wow! The shop looks like a plague of locusts got to it.

“Damn man, what the hell happened here? People went crazy up in this place?”

“It crazy day. All these people buy buy buy. I take all stock from out back. Go, five minutes flat. Never see nothing like this.”

“So what is left?”

“There seaweed crackers, I think there. Some octopus in tin or something. No much.”

“You got some batteries or candles, anything like that?”

“You crazy, those goooo like power never come back on. Same with toilet paper.”

“How much for the food that’s left? I’ll be honest, only have some loose change. The damn bank closed before I could get to it.”

“You hear I say what left?” hehe hehe. “You can have for nothing. Who will pay for such crap? I want to close, anyway. Take take take. No problem.”

“Man, that sure is good of you. I appreciate that. I’ll hook you up when things are normal again.”

“Don’t mention. Who knows what will happen, Internet finish. Maybe end of world?”

“You think?”

“Who can say? This never happen before. World cope without? Too scary to say. Everybody survive on Internet.”

“You have a point…”

“People buy everything on Internet, clothes, food, even wife. Business like mine, Internet makes us go broke. You know street, how many shops open these days? Everything turn to fast food or close. No future like this. Even I have to place order at wholesaler on Internet. They no want people walk round warehouse. Everything efficiency they say. World not same anymore. Click this, click that. No more newspaper. We no see people, no talk to people. People come into shop they have phone in hand. I hardly speak to customer anymore. Everybody rush. Where they go in so much hurry? They happy, you tell me? They no look it. Unhappy people moving quick to get to new unhappiness. I no understand this.

“You think the world is better off without the Internet?”

“Why not? For me, sure. Grandchildren come, they actually speak to me. But I old man. World for young people. Maybe Internet make future better. Jobs maybe, medicine possibly. Hard to know. I just know people no more same. But you know I talk to family back home. I see them on screen, is good. But still not same as be with them. Things change so fast. No possible keep up. With anything.”

“I hear you. I remember as a kid always was out with my friends, getting up to all kinds. Only screen I knew was for cartoons, and then only on Saturday morning. Momma was strict on that. But now it’s as if nothing isn’t valuable because of so much choice accessible at the click of a mouse. Thanks for the generosity and time, sir.”

“It no problem. Be safe, who know where this end.”

#

The time has come. You must decide.

“All that pressure. It’s too much of a decision to make.”

It is your decision to make.

“You don’t let up. No wonder people don’t care how you’re feeling. It’s an impossible choice to make. I remember a time without the Internet, of three channels on the TV and landline phones. I understand we can do such more now. Communicating with people on the other side of the planet just as if they’re standing right next to us. But looking someone in the eye talking to them, feeling how the energy changes between you, that’s a special thing. Then there are people able to find interests and friends and communities they couldn’t in real life. Don’t forget all that freaky content out there, I can attest to that. Not everything we wish to do is good for somebody else. Infinite choice, is that a good thing? If I was to say things were better before the Internet, is that just nostalgia talking? Then there’s all the labor hours and resources needed to keep the whole thing running. Jobs like mine, for example. Is any of that meaningfully serving the world? But then there are doctors able to treat patients in the middle of nowhere. So much that blows your mind.”

Have you finished yet? I did not ask for an essay, just an answer. Should the Internet stay or go? Press Y for Yes, N for No.

“Damn, you such a…! Can’t believe this decision is mine, affecting the entire world. It’s too intense. OK, OK. The Internet will …