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Behind the Green Door

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This started as an idea for a short story, but as it began to take shape in my mind, there was an opportunity to make it into more than that.

That notion over in America with the elections coming up, people were talking about dictators and autocratic rule and filling government positions with cronies.

Why not create a city, sell them to billionaires, and have them save friends and cronies alike, and a labour force to look after them.  It might start out with the best of intentions, but how quickly does that change once those in charge see their power grow?

Human nature never changes no matter what the original intentions are.

And, after a long, long time, people begin to forget, especially when the leaders deliberately remove everything to remind the people what it was like before, only what it is like now.

Freedom, if it could be called that is limited.

So…

We have Michael.  It’s his time to retire.  After a few drinks with his friends, his slate is clear, his work is done, and it’s time to head to the Administration block.

Seven days of reviewing his life.

Of course, it’s not without trepidation because Michael has secrets, secrets that he doesn’t want to tell anyone.

Instead, he decides to see if there is a place called ‘Interrogation’ where ghostly men in black torture victims into spilling all their secrets.

He had considered just disappearing.

Yes, there’s a similar escape pipeline to find like in Logans Run, but this one supposedly goes outside where a renewed earth awaits.  The only problem is that no one has seen it because once out, no one comes back.

It was the notion of confirming something else about the place he called home that drew him into what might be the biggest lie of all.

Retirement with dignity.

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Words written today 1,500, for a total of 1,500