Censorship Short Story Essay, Research Paper

Without Remorse

The pleading breaths and throbbing heart of the man echoed through the tangibly silent darkness of the crisp midnight air. A shot rang out as he collapsed and struggled to breathe through the warm liquids that filled his severed esophagus. Suffocation overcame him while two more equally fatal shots were delivered into his chest and spinal column. Three pale gray uniforms emerged from their assigned sentinels and, without any disgust or remorse, carried his limp murdered body down through a staircase and into Aemmix.

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Seeming all too early, Dathan concluded he was dreaming, yet an electronic shriek followed by the groans of a multitude of men were proof this was no dream. Without thinking, he fought sleep and found his way to his feet and stared forward; the quadrant overseer passed without hesitation showing his approval. ?Go ahead!? the overseer shouted. Simultaneously all the men turned and walked, single file, toward the cold, empty shower area. Without frivolous dialog, Dathan washed and returned to his cold steel bunk to dry off and dress himself.

Slowly making his way to the water purification plant, he strolled down the crowded dim hallways, making a casual turn here or there. Upon reaching the plant, he began his habitual task of draining the six main large vats, from there he continued to fill and drain the vats as necessary. His fairly easy job gave him ample opportunity to reflect upon his thoughts, ideas, and beliefs; this, he believed made him one of the more intelligent men of those among his daily company. Though there were a vast selection of aspects to philosophize about Dathan spent most of his time in contemplation of ?the incident?. And, after eight years of analyzing and thinking about it, he still could not quite grasp the explanation they had all been given for their entrapment. ?After all,? he justified, ?who can understand a massive apocalypse that no one can even remember.?

For sixteen years this underground world has been all they knew, pulled over their eyes to mask them from their twisted reality. The world, as the government has told them, underwent an apocalyptic nuclear catastrophe which contaminated the world as they all once knew it. This explanation of their prison-like environment was satisfactory for most, but the condemning contradiction of this ?story? was a lack of memory. Not one person was ever found that could recall any of these catastrophic events, so this contradiction was merely attributed to nuclear side affects; this too was easily accepted as fact by most, not Dathan. He never concluded against this explanation by the state, for that would have been treason to contradict truth given by him. And he never really did have any other proposed explanation for all of this, so he, being fairly easy going, didn?t risk his life by causing any sort of disturbance, until a would be fatal mistake was made by a man called Eapont.

Crossing the eager migration flow of men from their work to the serving counter, Eapont moved with a mysteriously hidden confidence in himself, his glance never shifting to avoid a possible confrontation. His confidence wasn?t one in personal strength, but more in his intellectual ability, in his integrity, and his accomplishments. Eapont took seat across from Dathan and began to eat while Dathan attempted to steal a glance at him but was detected and miserably embarrassed. ?What?s with you?? Eapont contently prodded, ?Got a problem??

?No, no I am alright?I guess?? Dathan shivered as the knowledge of who this man really was hit him. A conversation held between him and several colleagues years ago rushed back into his mind, and he slowly recalled the election of 2032, and the upsetting outcome; President Lingman. ??Lingman?? he accidentally muttered aloud. As if the gates of hell had been opened into his eyes, Eapont?s face lifted and their pupils met. Fear struck Dathan, having never seen anything of this magnitude he was a virgin to this sort of loathing. In one swift motion Eapont gripped Dathan?s arm and, without caution, ripped him from the busy feeding area and into the kitchen. Forcefully he guided Dathan, bobbing and ducking vigorously to avoid the risk of exposure to the cooks supplied and employed strait from the Senate?s school. Upon reaching the back wall Eapont searched for and found a crudely punctured hold behind the trim skirting along the floor. Sliding his index finger through he tugged open a completely inconspicuous passage, and Dathan was, again, forced through.

?They hear every word you say out their, everything you have, everything you use, even what you sit on has a bug, this is the only place I?ve located that doesn?t seem to be monitored in any way.?

?What is this all about?? Dathan managed to expel before being interrupted by explanation.

?You know about me, who told you, how long have you known this- have you ever spoken it to anyone?? He drilled with questions but found no immediate response, ?TELL ME!?

?I?I never..i mean..well I don?t even know what you are talking about.?

?Don?t give me that! I heard you say Lingman, I want answers or I?ll finish you right here!?

?I don?t know, well I do know. I just remembered 2032 and the election and that name, your face?it all just clicked?? Dathan pleaded the truth.

?So then you don?t know??

?Know about what??

?This place?? Eapont?s voice trembled as a chill beamed through his cold body. Eapont continued to vividly explain how millions of Americans were rendered unconscious and transported to massive underground horrid structured known as the Aemmix. Inside these structures were thousands of contacts who forged the media, and convinced the men to believing an apocalyptic tale of a nuclear massacre. With no freedom in expression and extensive editing of any public statement, the hoax was complete and an entire planet was put under the control of Reageen Phillips, calling himself ?him? or ?the one?.

?How did you survive if he murdered everyone of threat?? Curiosity overran him and he spoke his puzzled mind.

?I caught and early wind of the movement, and disappeared with quite a large sum, courtesy of The White House? he laughed mischievously at his own joke and continued. ?Using the money I paid off a reconstructive surgeon to configure my facial qualities to be unrecognizable, apparently it didn?t have the results I?d hoped for, but it will suffice. After that they released the gas and I was placed here like everyone else, the only difference is: I know the truth.?

Throughout the next three imperative months, they met and premeditated their plan to escape, and finally they were prepared. The plan involved using Eapont?s position in generator maintenance to take the power down, then when Eapont was sent through the service ducts to repair the fault, Dathan would accompany him through the damp duct until they reached the cement barrier of forbidden crossing. Using explosives the wall would be penetrated, and a hole would be dug to the surface. A dog on a rope would be released and allowed to roam within 15 yards of the hole, after the guards shoot the dog and report to remove it, Eapont and Dathan would rush them and relieve them of consciousness and their weapons. With all three guards down an unhindered escape was all but guaranteed.

The crucial day finally arrived when an announcement of power failure was approved by the board and then made. Eapont and Dathan made there way into the ducts, following the plan to the letter. They released the dog and heard three shots, each without hesitation, and prepared to rush the three. Lunging upward Dathan shot out of the hole, with Eapont by his side. Simultaneously in motion, two of the gaurds gripped their ice cold weapons and spun, planting their barrels firmly against the pounding chests of two unfortunate men. Four shells flew carelessly to the ground as Eapont shook and collapsed, the blood shot from his chest and speckled the grim pale uniforms that showed no guilt, and no remorse.