inkstains: mistakes
Feb. 8th, 2011 12:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
1stmateA half-assed execution of an idea that might be worth something with a little more spit-shine. May or may not revisit. Comments welcome.
I watch too much tv and that is a fact. Raise your hand if you see the elements of this story pulled from Life, Earth 2, and Dollhouse.
i. anger ruins joy
Jacob leaves work early as a birthday surprise to his daughter. It's her sweet sixteen, so he's made reservations at her favorite upscale restaurant, bought her a new necklace she's been looking at for months, and he's even going to talk to her about a car. The door is unlocked when he gets home, muddy footprints on the carpet too large to be hers. He realizes immediately that the front lawn is dry; someone must have snuck in the back. He doesn't hesitate to kick the bedroom door down when he hears the sound of his daughter, gasping and moaning, crying out, "Oh God, Sam, don't--"
ii. violence against one is violence against all
But it's "don't stop," which is somehow worse. He grabs the boy off his baby girl and shoves him back into the wall, ignoring her cries for him to stop, wait a minute. His fist smashes into the boy's face as he hears his daughter sobbing into the phone, saying their address.
iii. violence against all is violence against me
He shouldn't be surprised when the cuff closes around his wrist. The cold snick is what finally brings him out of his daze, and even as he whirls to face the new intruders, he hears Allison yelling, "Daddy, no! Officer, please, don't!" But it's too late, and the policeman shoves a knee into his stomach, hard, wrenching his hand behind his back again and fastening the other side of the cuffs.
iv. revenge is a poison meant for others that we swallow ourselves
The justice system is quick and efficient, changes Jacob had pushed for, even helped to implement, in recent years. Restitution is swift; the hospital is alerted to charge the bills for Sam's recovery to Jacob's accounts. Arrangements are made for Allison to receive a government guardian until she comes of age, while her father serves his sentence, and she is given two hours that same night to say goodbye.
v. every mistake is a rebirth
Jacob is strapped into the chair, electrodes are connected to his brain, and the giant bank of computers hums to life. The last thing he hears is an engineer telling the tech, "No, keep his expertise intact; we can use him as a political tutor in the university."
Bocaj rises from the chair a changed man. They test his wipe - aversion to violence, lack of personal memories, and political expertise are all intact. His previous self, recorded for the end of his sentence on two sets of disks, is meticulously labeled and packed into a storage container. He smiles blandly at the engineer and follows his escort to the car waiting to take him to his new life.
I watch too much tv and that is a fact. Raise your hand if you see the elements of this story pulled from Life, Earth 2, and Dollhouse.
Jacob leaves work early as a birthday surprise to his daughter. It's her sweet sixteen, so he's made reservations at her favorite upscale restaurant, bought her a new necklace she's been looking at for months, and he's even going to talk to her about a car. The door is unlocked when he gets home, muddy footprints on the carpet too large to be hers. He realizes immediately that the front lawn is dry; someone must have snuck in the back. He doesn't hesitate to kick the bedroom door down when he hears the sound of his daughter, gasping and moaning, crying out, "Oh God, Sam, don't--"
But it's "don't stop," which is somehow worse. He grabs the boy off his baby girl and shoves him back into the wall, ignoring her cries for him to stop, wait a minute. His fist smashes into the boy's face as he hears his daughter sobbing into the phone, saying their address.
He shouldn't be surprised when the cuff closes around his wrist. The cold snick is what finally brings him out of his daze, and even as he whirls to face the new intruders, he hears Allison yelling, "Daddy, no! Officer, please, don't!" But it's too late, and the policeman shoves a knee into his stomach, hard, wrenching his hand behind his back again and fastening the other side of the cuffs.
The justice system is quick and efficient, changes Jacob had pushed for, even helped to implement, in recent years. Restitution is swift; the hospital is alerted to charge the bills for Sam's recovery to Jacob's accounts. Arrangements are made for Allison to receive a government guardian until she comes of age, while her father serves his sentence, and she is given two hours that same night to say goodbye.
Jacob is strapped into the chair, electrodes are connected to his brain, and the giant bank of computers hums to life. The last thing he hears is an engineer telling the tech, "No, keep his expertise intact; we can use him as a political tutor in the university."
Bocaj rises from the chair a changed man. They test his wipe - aversion to violence, lack of personal memories, and political expertise are all intact. His previous self, recorded for the end of his sentence on two sets of disks, is meticulously labeled and packed into a storage container. He smiles blandly at the engineer and follows his escort to the car waiting to take him to his new life.
