The Almighty Code

1

The End Of Society 

The algorithm knows everything that happens. It knows when babies are born, it knows what genes they have, how they'll behave. It knows their motivations, intentions before it can even take its first breath. Long ago, the philosopher John Locke proposed Tabula Rasa - but that notion of the so-called blank slate has been eradicated by the algorithm, created at the collapse of society. 

It is told to the youth that: 

"A man dressed in sinful, blood-drenched white screamed, then he watched the world blaze. 

As he watched the flames take the world, he muttered to anyone who would listen.

"Society needs to destroy those who fail to conform, science has gone too far, created too much progression which its torn humanity apart," he said to the flames and the shadows which coiled around the half beaten and bruised book. A cross blazed in shadowed gold adorns the front cover. The book opens, it reads "First the man rose up, and created the earth." 

The man sits there and remembers everything. How society used to be. He remembers how much humans have murdered the earth. He remembers how his role within religion, within the religion of the world, called Christianity, was the most important part of his life .He remembers how they - the people who he obliterated - struggled for their lives. He repeats to himself how his work, the work he’s tirelessly spent years toiling over, has finally made  different. He had created God’s wish. He’s done what God wanted, create judgement day. However, God wanted peace, not anarchy.

As he watches the world burn, the book falls out of his old, crinkled, faded hands. Robots once were able to live with humans. Transgender people could get new bodies after a diagnosis of gender dysphoria. Cancer was cured, all diseases were eradicated. Then once, the robots decided to move away from humans. They became too intelligent. Their assistance was feared. No matter how much the government tried to protect the people, they fell to them. The humans solution? To run. Running can only get man so far. Especially when robots populate the globe, who all happen to be murderers. 

Humans turned to religion. That couldn’t help. Theology. Literature. Art. All of these venting pieces, all of these parts of the human condition, would never be enough to quell the roaring screams of the robots. Not the loudest concert in the world could drown the noise the robots made.  Science couldn’t combat their creation. And so, the world burned. Blood dampened the green grass, flesh was torn. The beating hearts were thrown across the other side. Corpses were tossed into the rivers of California. Most were thrown down the themes in London. The once vibrant scenes of Paris were cluttered with bodies, corpses, life taken away from the most intelligent beings of earth. Rather, intelligent, to these robots, is irrelevant. To a robot, humans were nothing more than flees - annoying. 

The wind rushes around the man. It howls, cracking against the flames, threatening to stop smoke overpowering the man’s lungs. It messes with his clothing, toying with it like a man toys with a wooden plaything, or a person with a doll. 

It lights his face, the flames start to climb up his clothing as the wind pushes him towards them. Screaming, he tries to throw his cloak off. It doesn’t work. His clothing as well as him - burn alive in a spectacle of old flesh and ash decorated bone. 

***

Hundreds of years later, the book finds itself in a decedents' hands and with his group of his white clothed, conserved, men, and women, in their mid 20’s. Their hair is clean cut, like blades of styled grass. Their families have practised religion for all their lives. They’ve somewhat been forced into it. As any person who can take power - as the human condition demands - does so. And thus, the new society was created. The principle was simple - those who defy normal representation shall be obliterated. 

 2 

The new dawn 

I remember the day my rights were obliterated. I remember the hour. I was sitting in the living room, waiting for something interesting to happen. By interesting, I didn't mean for a man to scream a thousand miles away that your rights are gone.

The TV flicked on in a mess of static and flickering images. It's like a sci-fi movie – which I suppose is like reality, now. 

The man we all regard as the Pope - the man who resembles him in every aspect. Except the key one - his voice and his persona. The old Pope - saint Francis - held this composure that softly pats people on the shoulder and say to them that he cares for you. The Christians grieved for days, understandably, though. 

The new pope came onto the TV – his hands crinkled, veins showing in every shot of the camera. He raises his fist, palatine like wrinkles forming at the corners of his mouth. A dark aura blazes around him. Although I can't see it, he gives the kind of vibe which says stay away from me. My response? Gladly. Stepping towards a man who looks like that isn't my cup of tea. Breathing out a puff of anger, I grip my remote and switch on the volume, turning it up until his old, worn out, dying voice speaks through the TV, waving his hands as he greets everyone. A book lays by his side, ripped through the front cover, there is clearly blood as he holds it up, showing it to the thousands of people. Placing it down, he drags his crooked fingernails over it, smiling with one tooth. Opening his mouth, he addresses the nation with a cough and a splutter.

Is this over yet? Did you want to cough to show the people you still have air in your lungs?

 "To the people of the new youth… The algorithm decrees your rights are now obliterated. If you identify as those dastardly Queer people – then from this day forward – your rights, your very identity will be erased. Anyone who does not fit the binary code of the almighty algorithm will be obliterated," he laughed, crackling like a old wizard and placing his hand on the book - most likely filled with the rules of prosecuting people who don't fit the gender binary and don’t conform to 2000 year old gender roles.

Trying to hold in my anger - I hold the control close to my chest, shaking. It feels like lava is dripping off me. Every part of me wants to throw the remote at the TV. I know that it won't solve anything; it won't change the situation; but I need to try to calm the lava dripping off me. It swirls around and around. It keeps on going over and over again; swirling like a whirlpool of aggression.

The remote cracks against the wall, splitting the remote in half. It's split into sharp, knife-like chunks. I don't feel better. The man keeps on blabbering, shouting some weird alien language which is incomprehensible to my teenage – apparently now in possession of a "wrong" brain. It's like society made a choice – go forward or back. The idiots chose back. Just because we are a minority doesn't mean we should be disregarded.

I know that I'll have to hide, to run away from all of the people who think i'm illegal. If taking away my rights wasn't enough trouble already.

My eyes dart to the TV. Death. Blood. Murder. Hate crime.

A giant banner is plastered against the Tv screen.

Breaking news: Homosexuals and transgenders are being murdered in a new act of law.

My anger boils. My head falls, diving right into my hands. Overwhelming panic fills me, tears prick against my eyes, threatening to burst.

Raising my head, the TV seems too overwhelming...

Turning away, the background noise becomes static. My whole body shakes.

"Why... why... why... is this happening," I scream.

Erin, you know everyone can hear you, right? You'll have to hide yourself from the world, now.

Getting up, I rushed towards my room. Gripping the bag, I ripped off the pride sticker, letting the remains sit in my hands for a second. I didn’t want to do that… but I don’t have a choice… 

A little is there, but no one will know.

I raid the cupboards for food. This place isn't safe anymore. But where will I go? I'll have to act to get somewhere...

I need to find somewhere, where I can feel safe, again. If a place like that is even possible to find...