“Dad, do you think they’ll be able to give me my eyes back?” The boy seated next to his father asked. He looked as young as twelve, yet something about his little face reminded Iñaki of Thomas.
His father was smiling as he enthused, “Sure thing kiddo. They’ll give you better eyes, eyes that can see. Omni-Tech can do no wrong; they’re the same guys who make mommy’s pills, bacon, cellphones, car tires, my shaving cream. They do it all.”
The auditorium fell silent and the overhead helmets slowly began to descend on them. They looked like the eye examination machines Iñaki’s father described from his youth.
Iñaki looked over at his friend Artan, His chubby face baring a toothy smile he said, “Take a good look, it’s all going to change after this.” Iñaki nodded in ferocious agreement. He could barely believe he was finally getting the procedure done.
“Welcome to the new you,” he said giddily. The headset dropped down and covered the upper half of Iñaki’s face. The commercials of the procedure flashed before his eyes, faster than he could keep up with. He was bombarded with faces of people with sharp features and large eyes all smiling intensely The automated voices echoed inside his ear:
Get ready for perfection
Welcome to the new and improved you.
The voices bubbled in intensity as Iñaki felt something smooth and cold seep into his ear. His whole body convulsed as the thick liquid dripped further down his ear canal. The chatter of the voices from the headset were silenced and Iñaki heard a female voice whisper:
“Welcome to the new you as provided by Omni-tech.”
The headset lifted off his face and he felt the cool of the auditorium air wash over him. The metal arm of the headset began to retract and another arm brought down a mirror. It seemed to be so long. He looked over at Artan, his headset was coming off. A few people in the auditorium were already looking at their new faces, shouting gleefully at what they saw. He turned and saw the father and son who were seated behind him.
The father held his son’s face as tears ran down his own. His son was shaking from the shock; his eyes open wide in amazement.
“Daddy” he said with his voice shaking, “I can see…I see it all.”
Iñaki felt a smile creep up and he turned to finally look at the new him. The mirror showed his reflection back to him and he felt his smile fade. The face that looked back was not his own. Gone were his childlike eyes, gone was the soft rounded edge of his cheekbones and gone was the bulbous look to his nose.
The eyes he looked into now were huge with large pupils. His nose was thin, hard. His cheekbones were high on his face and sharply angled. He had lost that innocent look of childhood; he had lost his identity. He could feel the fear build up into his throat. He looked over at Artan who absorbed by his reflection. Iñaki yanked at his arm and Artan turned to him at last.
“What’s wrong? Why do you have that look on your-oh…wow. You really do look different.” Artan said with laughter that irritated Iñaki.
“You mean you like this chan-”
“Of course I like it, this is what I’ve always wanted. This is the perfect me.” Artan said as he went back to glaring at himself in the mirror, immersed by his new look. Iñaki shoved the mirror out of Artan’s face and stood up.
“This is wrong, this is twisted and wrong.” Iñaki said as he shuffled down the aisle past the knees of those who were still seated.
“Ah come on don’t make a scene” called out Artan. Iñaki ignored him walked towards the man in the lab coat who stood against the wall. He shoved past the others who were thanking him and praising the Omni-Tech.
“Turn me back, now” Iñaki said firmly.
The man looked startled and locked eyes with Iñaki. He placed an arm on his shoulder and asked “What are you talking about son?”
Iñaki knocked the man’s hand off his shoulder. “This is wrong. This face, it isn’t me. I don’t want to look like this anymore.” The crowd had grown silent and their large eyes on Iñaki. The man in white lab coat shook his head.
“There is no going back. Even if I could I wouldn’t be allowed to. It’s against the law for anyone to change you back. The procedure is government mandated; now be a good boy and just go home.”
Iñaki wanted to retort but the woman behind him was shouting before he could get in a word.
“How come you’re the only one who had a problem with the procedure?” Her face looked much like his, angled, chiseled and hard like stone. Her eyes were wide in anger. The crowd began to close in on him and he heard sounds of agreement from each of them.
“You’re right. He is the problem, code blue” shouted the man in the white lab coat as he motioned to someone out in the distance.
Without question the stone faces around him shouted and pushed Iñaki till he was at the door of the auditorium. Two large men in suits grabbed at Iñaki and threw him out of the auditorium as the crowd shouted “get him out of here” and “you are the problem.” With their large eyes and chiseled faces the two doormen glared at Iñaki as they shut the doors to auditorium; goading him to retaliate. Some battles aren’t worth fighting he thought as he headed home
With his ear to the door Iñaki heard his father say he was sorry. A stranger said that they didn’t want this to escalate. His mother promised them that it wouldn’t. the front door open and jumped onto his bed.
Iñaki shifted nervously in his bed awaiting the lecture from his parents. He found the two state police officers in the living room talking to his mother and father. The look on their faces told him all he needed to know. He walked to his room without a word. How did they get here so quick how could have they have known-?
His thoughts were interrupted when the door swung open. His mother and father walked in closing the door behind them with a look of disappointment on both of their sharply angled faces.
“What is all of this Iñaki? Why do you do this to us?” His mother began with her arms folded and shaking her head.
“You have to tell me what I did first mom.” He quipped
“Don’t get smart with us young man” his father said, his large brown eyes doing all the yelling.
“Why couldn’t you just be like all the other kids and just accept the procedure Iñaki?” his mother asked. Iñaki touched at the contours of his face that now felt unfamiliar.
“Because it doesn’t feel right mom”
“We’ve all had it done Iñaki. Of course it’s right, it’s state approved. You need to keep yourself in line, the state policemen said you incited a riot.” said his father as he sat beside him on the bed.
Iñaki shouted just then louder than he meant to. “What, me? No way-”
His father put his index finger to his mouth and quieted Iñaki. “Don’t raise your voice, the state police men won’t reprimand you since you’re a minor…but there’s one condition.” Iñaki looked down at the floor of his room avoiding his father’s gaze.
“It’s not like I have a choice.” The sound of defeat in his own voice pained him.
“That’s right kiddo you don’t” said his father as he rubbed his son’s back. “They’re taking all of your books from you.” Iñaki slammed his fist on his bed at the betrayal. They had told them about his books. Those were pre-insurrection books. “You told them about my books?” He didn’t understand how could his parents be doing something so…so wrong? His mother was taken aback and shouted:
“Of course we told them about those vile books. They are illegal and you having them was only down to your father’s carelessness and your uncle’s stupidity” His uncle was taken to a work camp for getting too many reprimands. Iñaki last heard from him six years ago. He was probably dead. Iñaki’s eyes shot back to his father, expecting him to defend his own brother, he receded into himself like a worm and stayed silent.
Coward.
“Don’t give me that look Iñaki. You got the procedure done you can read the state recommended way.”
His father said as he tapped Iñaki on the arm and said the word news. Words ran in front of his eyes going over the daily news stories almost immediately Iñaki said “stop”. The words disappeared from in front of him and he lay down on his bed with his back to his parents.
“Take all the books. They’re in my closet. I guess I’ll make myself get used to that state sponsored trash.”
His parents left the room wordlessly, he waited awhile before he stood up. He blocked the door with his dresser and took the book that fell from behind it. One of the last books from before the war. The front brittle front cover used to be jet black but he could make out the words:
The Giver by Lois Lowry. It was the only book he owned left from the time when authors could publish whatever they wanted. One of the few things he had left that belonged to his uncle. He always said how important reading was for the mind.
My last treasure.
“Make sure you watch your brother today.” His mother said after she pulled Iñaki out of bed.
“Clean this room too. Its summer but that doesn’t mean you can live like a pig.” She yelled as she pointed at the Omni- tech wrappers on the floor Artan is downstairs go say hi, I’ll be at work.”
Iñaki was standing up now as his mother had pulled him of his room. She said her goodbyes and left. Iñaki rubbed his eyes as he walked downstairs. Artan was sitting on the couch playing with Iñaki’ younger brother Thomas. They were both watching the kids channel and Artan looked engrossed.
“Hey Iñaki what’s up man.” Artan and Thomas turned to him. Thomas’ eyes lit up.
“Ini” he gurgled as he pointed at Iñaki. Iñaki grunted at them and walked towards the fridge. He peered into the bright refrigerator and was unsettled. It wasn’t due to the amount of food; the fridge was well stocked; it was the labels. Every single food item he saw had the round Omni-Tech logo on it. The cheese, the milk, the eggs, the water, the yogurt even the hummus was State sponsored food. He grabbed at a water bottle and paused before he drank from it.
Is this how they keep us in check? Do they drug the food? What would stop them from doing so?
He had been eating Omni-Tech food all his life. It seemed normal until now.
“I’m telling you man, the girls are really digging the new and improved me. Cassidy from school invited me to a book burning later this week. I think you should come man, a few of her friends will be there” yelled Artan from the couch. Iñaki took a timid gulp and sat next to him.
“I’m not going to a fucking book burning man.” Artan looked surprised at his irritation.
“Hey man your mom said you’ve been moping all week, barely eating, and you haven’t left your room. Here I am just trying to cheer you-” Thomas pulled at Artan’s long dark hair and he yelped when the three-year-old yanked.
“I’m just a little rattled Artan.” Iñaki said apologetically, his friend meant well but his new eyes seemed to make him blind.
“Rattled by what dude, life is good.” Artan said as he blinked towards the T.V to flip through channels. He stopped blinking on the music channel some Wade Woods video. Artan was already tapping his foot to the pop tune. Iñaki held up the water bottle to Artan’s face.
“Doesn’t it bother you that we only get state approved Omni-Tech food?” Iñaki asked. Artan pushed the water bottle out of his view from the T.V.
“Why would it bother me? At least we have food dude. You’ve seen those other countries how people starve.”
Iñaki pointed to the 50-inch T.V in front of them. Thomas was bobbing along to the Wade Woods song mumbling and gurgling along the best he could.
“Yea we see that on state T.V but that doesn’t make it true.” Iñaki retorted. Artan took his eyes off the T.V and his giant pupils examined Iñaki.
“Shut up and enjoy the music.” There was silence then as he went back to focusing on the T.V. Artan sounded so serious that it alarmed Iñaki.
“Why does Wade Woods get the all the attention though huh? All he does is sing about how great the state is” Iñaki said.
“So?” snapped Artan, “if it wasn’t for the state you wouldn’t be alive, I wouldn’t be alive and neither would this little guy” he made a silly face at Thomas and the baby burst out laughing. Iñaki wanted to change the subject because he could see that Artan had been programmed. It’s odd. Artan wasn’t like this before all that changed was the-
“You said Cassidy invited you to the book burning…” Iñaki began. Artan nodded and his face showed he appreciated the change in subject. But Iñaki could not help himself.
“She might as well have invited Jacen, or Aj, or Maxwell.”
“What are you saying dude.” Artan looked confused.
Iñaki was losing patience with his friend. Whoever this was it wasn’t the Artan he knew.
“I’m saying since we all look the goddamn same so it doesn’t make a difference who she invited.”
Fury flashed over Artan’s face. He put Thomas down on the couch and stood up. “Look man I tried. I did but you insist on being this paranoid weirdo. The state isn’t some demon organization. Just because something is universally loved that doesn’t make it bad. You sound like that last guy who was anti state. Remember what happened to him? He started blowing shit up and the state killed him. That’s gonna be you. You’re cra-”
“Don’t you remember what you were like before Artan? You’re so different now we used to talk like this but now I’m the crazy one. It’s the gel from the procedure it’s changed you man can’t you see?”
“So what, you’re gonna enlighten me? Who the fuck are you? This is who I am now. This is the new and improved me. The gel just changed how we look nothing else” shouted Artan. Iñaki stood up.
“This isn’t about me” Iñaki whispered, “It’s about him. I don’t want him growing up like this” he said pointing at Thomas. This is sick Artan.”
Artan put his arms on Iñaki’s shoulders. “This is how it’s always been. The system isn’t broken, you are. Just eat and get some sleep, you’re exhausting me.” Artan left at those words, slamming the front door behind him. Iñaki stood there totally dumbfounded as the Wade Woods lyrics rang through his house
Silence is golden, the state we’re the chosen
They do it all for free, they provide
For you and me
Can’t you see that silence?
Is golden?
∞
Iñaki tapped his foot as he sat in the waiting room. It was a surprise “checkup” that his father drove him to. Totally routine he said. It was the day after his argument with Artan. He refused to believe that his best friend had reported him. It made the most sense since this wasn’t Artan after all. Seated across from him his father stared blankly in the distance; reading the state way.
On the waiting room’s T.V Adruiz Crane was giving a speech at a rally in Westville. Iñaki couldn’t bear the silence anymore.
“Hey dad do you think he’s a good politician?” His father stroked his grey beard and upwards.
His father mentioned that the state brain trust brought him forward so he must be. Iñaki shifted uncomfortably at his Father’s response.
“I asked what you think not the state” His father sighed loudly and deeply as he leaned forward in his seat.
“It doesn’t matter what I think since I know nothing about politics. You think after a long hard day of accounting I want to go over the electoral process? I just let the state brain trust put forward the best candidate.”
“Wouldn’t you like to have the choice though dad? I remember a book said people would choose their president back in the pre-insurrection days.” His father laughed at that as if it was the funniest thing he had ever heard.
“Look at what the result of that was, the most horrific civil war in our history. You can’t trust the people son. Most them are as uninformed as me.” Iñaki slumped back in his seat; defeated. It was no use; everyone seemed deaf and blind.
The nurse walked into the waiting room and said the Doctor would see him now. Iñaki wanted to run outside, steal a car, and drive. He’d take Thomas and just go but go where? The state controls the borders so he’d be listed as fugitive and wouldn’t be able to leave. Iñaki sat there in silence as the Nurse and his Father looked at him.
He stood up and made his way to the doctor’s office and his father followed behind him. The Doctor was a kind grandfatherly man who asked Iñaki to sit on a stool. All that marked his age was his white hair the procedure had made his skin flawless. The Doctor checked his heart rate and examined his teeth, as well as his ears.
“Any plans for the summer my boy?” The Doctor asked, as his grin further emphasized by his sharp cheekbones.
“Yea. Revolution” he said cheekily. The doctor peered at him suspiciously over his glasses and his father’s shocked face turned from Iñaki to the doctor. The silence was deafening. The Doctor smiled and then began to laugh; Iñaki’s dad looked relieved and joined in the laughter. The doctor then turned away from his desk wearing gloves and holding a syringe.
“Here take some of this vitamin C your skin doesn’t look right”
The grandfatherly doctor smiled welcomingly and Iñaki pulled up his sleeve. He seemed harmless enough and besides the gel from the procedure goes in your ear, not your arm.
The closer he walked to the clearing the more he could feel the intensity of the flames. The heat danced on his skin and began to cover him like a warm embrace, he welcomed it. Iñaki caught sight of Artan and called out to him. He was talking to a group of girls, the elegant sharp angles and high cheek bones of all their faces gave them a regal look.
“Dude I’m so glad you made it” he shouted. There were people playing drums and Iñaki could barely hear Artan, but he could hear the others. With their minds they spoke to each other a thousand voices as one as seductive as a siren.
“I wouldn’t miss this for anything.” Iñaki said. The drums got louder as he approached the flame. They boomed and doomed and he saw some people swaying with each pulsating pound. He noticed that the people his age were just watching the fire, the shadows were dancing on their skins that seemed to be pulled tightly across their faces. He saw a hunger in their large eyes. Iñaki didn’t look down at the book as he pulled it out of his bag.
The Giver
Iñaki laughed at the silly thing and raised his arm.
We should burn these
He turned and saw that a few of the others had raised their arms as well, all holding books. They agreed with him.
“Heresy” some shouted
“Burn the untruths” yelled others
“For the state, for the state” shouted more.
Iñaki joined in the chants and flung the book into the fire. Books flew from all directions towards the growing flame. The books twisted and danced to the pounding beat of the drums. With each pound the pages of the silly things twitched in fright. The gluttonous flame swallowed them all, dragging the books deeper into the endless pit of its hunger.
END.
By Daniel Maluka
https://www.danielmaluka.com/
Daniel Maluka is a Toronto based artist and writer hailing from South Africa. His work takes an Afrocentric approach while incorporating surrealist elements. In using his interest in the subconscious, Daniel brings what lurks in the deep recesses of the mind into the forefront of his work.