The Liberty Box by C.A. Gray

Author:C.A. Gray [Gray, C.A.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Wanderlust Publishing
Published: 2015-10-25T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17: Jackson

I crunched dead leaves beneath my boots, making my way through the forest without any real direction. I guessed from the position of the sun that it was probably around 10:30 by the time I’d left Kate, which meant the hunters had been gone for hours. I could find them if I wanted to, but I was still distracted by our conversation.

If all it took was knowledge that the programming existed to see through it, then the agents should have seen the truth just like I did. But Agent Dunne seemed to sincerely believe his own press. He really thought the Republic was a utopia and the Potentate was generous and kind. Surely if anybody knew about the programming, it was one of the guys whose job it was to collect brain scans.

If Nick or Molly or Alec went back ‘on the grid’ now, would they see a perfect society—and have to remind themselves that it was a lie? Or now that they knew the truth, would they see it for what it really was?

Something about this question was very important, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. For the first time since finding out that the Republic wasn’t what I thought it was, I felt a glimmer of hope again—that maybe, just maybe, I had a purpose here after all.

For the time being, though, I supposed I could find purpose in helping to feed the community. So I set out to track the hunters, finding a muddy footprint here, a broken twig there. They hadn’t been subtle, and I always had been one of the best trackers in Frjósöm. I let my mind wander even as I followed the signs.

Uncle Patrick once told me the very idea of purpose, in terms of what I should “do” with my life, was itself a lie. A “chasing after the wind,” he called it.

“When you ask about purpose, Jackson, you seem to have this idea of doing something grand that affects a lot of people in an unusual way. Something they’d write about in the history books. You want to invent a spectacular new technology, create a revolution, or save a nation.” The way he said it sounded like he thought it was self-evident that this was foolish, even amusing.

I didn’t want to be arrogant… but the truth was, I did think that. I thought precisely that, and Uncle Patrick knew it. Well, except maybe for the inventing part.

“But what I can do is unusual,” I argued, “You have to admit that! Even if everyone else technically has the ability to do the same thing, Grandfather and even you are always telling me how special I am. Wouldn’t it be a waste if I didn’t do something with it? If I spent my whole life just fishing, what would be the point?”

Uncle Patrick shook his head at me. “That’s your problem, Jackson. ‘Just fishing.’ Like that isn’t a valuable occupation in and of itself.”

I sighed in frustration. “I’m not trying to say I think I’m ‘better’ than other fishermen.

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