Becker pulled the headphones over his ears and settled down in front of the tablet. Seconds later, the music of AC/DC ("A Long Way to the Top") pounded his ears as Becker shut out the world and clicked away at the keyboard. Tonight, there would be no distractions. His wife had turned in early; their son, Lucas, was down the hall, also asleep; and the dog was curled up on the floor in front of the couch. Becker was going to finish his manifesto. "Rock 'n' Roll Singer" blasted through the phones next, followed by "The Jack," and Becker hit his stride, the words flowing from his fingers to the screen. He glanced up once at the dry-ease board, his notes transferred just this morning to keep him focused for tonight's work, but then pressed on in a fevered pace.
Ten minutes later, as Bon Scott screamed that he was public enemy number one, Becker hit the final period on the keyboard. He leaned back and smiled. This was the big finale, the coup de grâce, the summary to topple all summaries. By the time the reader reached this point in the book, all things would be clear, and his manuscript would rock the world, exposing the administration for the truth they tried to hide.
The only thing he needed now was an audience to applaud his achievement. Becker looked over to the couch, where the dog still lay curled up.
Oh well, he thought. The accolades would come later.
In Washington, Special Agent Clay Anders took a sip of his water and then screwed the cap back on the bottle. The trojan program buried in the app had worked beautifully. Even the camera built into Becker Hayward's tablet had been turned on, giving Clay a ringside seat to watch all the facial expressions. The idiot, Clay could see, actually thought the world of himself. They always did.
Clay grabbed the mouse and clicked on his secure e-mail. A pop-up window filled the screen, and Clay started to type his own work of art. Contrary to Becker in Dallas, however, Clay's work really would change the world.
From: WHSA2797
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2014 9:16 PM
To: ARES-75219
Subject: Termination Service Request - Acct #153224017
Terminate all services connected with this account at 5601 E. Mockingbird Ln, Dallas, Texas. Secure company assets. Confirm.
From: ARES-75219
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2014 3:22 AM
To: WHSA2797
Subject: FW: Termination Service Request - Acct #153224017
Confirm. Account verified. Assets secured. All related services terminated.
Very clever flash! Gee, I wonder what your inspiration was? *checks over shoulder to see if Big Brother/NSA is watching*
ReplyDeleteTrust me, they are. And don't forget to check all appliances. You never know... they might even be spying on you through your toaster :-)
DeleteI agree with Gany, this is very clever, Stephen, and the pacing is very different from your usual stories. Nicely executed!
ReplyDeleteThank you, John. I usually find that I push up against the 1K word mark. This time, I wanted to keep it shorter. I'm glad it worked.
Deletewell done story! Makes me want to cover up my laptop camera
ReplyDeleteTry Post-it notes. Or those little round Band-Aids. Or small price stickers (i.e., the ones you can use for garage sale goods).
DeleteI think with these few sentences you will have anyone that reads it closing their laptops, and scanning the room for bugs.
ReplyDeleteNicely penned as always Stephen.
As you're aware, some credit belongs to Orwell for this one, as his book 1984 inspired it. While reading, I couldn't help but think: This guy was way ahead of his time with televisions that not only pushed propaganda but were also capable of spying for Big Brother. With the latest news—from the government spying on us through phone apps, through meta-data captures, and all of the cameras you have to deal with across the pond—a fresh reading of this book just brings home the creepiness of what we face. It makes me wonder how many other ways is the government intruding upon our privacy. I won't dwell on it, though; that could drive a man crazy.
DeleteIt's scary how such commands could be given and executed with ease.
ReplyDeletePower corrupts, and history serves only to remind and to warn.
DeleteOh no Big Brother get everywhere! It was a sorta of scary scenario - one wonders if it could really exist. Good story as always Stephen! ^_^
ReplyDeleteThank you, Helen. One can only hope that BB doesn't become this intrusive.
ReplyDeleteAh, a scary little short indeed. The brevity of the emails makes this piece I think. "Services" - *shudders*
ReplyDeleteThank you, mazzz. Yes, the e-mails are so "business" oriented they leave the reader feeling nothing but the cold-hearted nature of mankind's worst. And while the e-mails refer to "services," we all know exactly what is meant. It's so sad that all services were discontinued. The collateral damage adds further evidence of the cold-hearted nature portrayed.
Delete