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Jason Tandro · Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:54 pm

Forgotten
© 2007 Micah Rodney

Introduction: This is your standard totalitarian society story. It’s a short one. Enjoy it.
There was going to be a big meeting in the center of the city. All of the monitors had announced it, the town criers were declaring it wherever you went, and the whole city was talking about it. There were only two occasions that called for an impromptu meeting in the center of the city, an Omission and a Welcoming. And since breeding season was months away, the citizens knew that today someone would leave their midst forever.
And so they came in droves to the center of town. Some from the alleys of East City, others from the gardens of West City. They came from the houses of North City and the Facilities of the South City. But they all came, every one, to the center of town, where there stood a great stone tower, upon which the Great Arbiter and the two lesser Arbiters sat.
The Great Arbiter had long been the overseer of the City, protector of the people and wisest of all the men. They knew he was wise, for he was the oldest and had served many years as the Great Arbiter. Beside him sat two Lesser Arbiters, for sometimes even the wisest need council. It was the sermon that the Great Arbiter of two generations past had spoken, that in times of great trial an Arbiter should decide the best course of action.
And so there the citizens stood awaiting his judgment; to see who would be Omitted today. Their eyes darted amidst the center of the city searching for their loved ones, to ease their minds and secure their own fears. And most sighed relieve and thanksgiving, but a few narrowed their eyes and looked with fear upon their beloved Great Arbiter.
Finally, when all had arrived in the center of the city, the Great Arbiter spoke: “Today there will be an Omission.”
One of the Lesser Arbiters spoke next: “These Omissions are necessary. To see that the heinous crimes against the city and the people are never repeated, never thought upon, never concerned with again.”
And spoke the other: “The man we are Omitting today is a man who has dared to challenge the will of the Great Arbiter, a crime for which there can be no other punishment than Omission.”
There was a mist across the minds of the people who now stood before the Great Arbiter. A universal realization of whom the Arbiters spoke. A man who had read a forbidden text, and tried to warn others that the Great Arbiter was an evil man.
And yet surely the people did not believe him. The Great Arbiter was a great man, a leader, an aegis of the people. This man threw about forgotten words: “dictator”, “communist”, and the wickedest of all words, “revolution”.
And so the Great Arbiter spoke unto all the people: “On this day, Number 1784A, Andrew Kerrigan, has been destroyed. And we will now commence the Omission.”
Upon the stone tower a great eye revealed itself. This eye stared out into the crowd and cast its gaze upon them all, and they all gazed upon it. And they continued to stare, until the eye had taken from them all the memories of Andrew Kerrigan. Those who were weeping ceased. The eye closed and the crowd began to murmur.
The Great Arbiter spoke: “You all may return to your work and home, and be no more troubled by the shadow of this demon.”
And so the City had been spared, for all know that if history exists, men are doomed to repeat it.

comments welcome. Cool