The Lawless

By Merc Fenn Wolfmoor

TRUST IN THE LAW
A Good Citizen follows all the Laws set forth by the benevolent Government. Trust the authority of the State. Questions are against the law.

 

BELIEVE IN THE LAW
The Government cares about you. The Government wants you to be happy. Do not deviate from the Government's prescribed conditions of happiness. 

 

OBEY ONLY THE LAW
Never question the Law, for that leads to anarchy. Always obey, lest you be found undesirable. Undesirables do not deserve life. And you, Good Citizen, want to live, don't you?

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THE LAWLESS: A Triptych collects three tales of near future America, and the people who fight against the totalitarian regime that wants to destroy them — plus a bonus story about resistance in a dystopian nightmare. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robot Dinosaur Press
• Release date: Apr 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781949936360

Book preview

The Lawless: A Tryptich

Robot Dinosaur Press

www.robotdinosaurpress.com

THE LAWLESS: A TRIPTYCH

Copyright © 2022 by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Trust In the Law, For the Law Trusts In You first published in Ignorance is Strength ed. John Joseph Adams, Christie Yant, and Hugh Howey (2020)

Believe In the Law, For the Law Is All first published in Burn the Ashes ed. John Joseph Adams, Christie Yant, and Hugh Howey (2020)

The Law Is the Plan, and the Plan Is Death first published in Or Else the Light ed. John Joseph Adams, Christie Yant, and Hugh Howey (2020)

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-949936-36-0

Print ISBN: 978-1-949936-46-9

Cover & interior design by Bog Wolf Cover Designs

TRUST IN THE LAW

A Good Citizen follows all the Laws set forth by the benevolent Government. Trust the authority of the State. Questions are against the law.

BELIEVE IN THE LAW

The Government cares about you. The Government wants you to be happy. Do not deviate from the Government’s prescribed conditions of happiness.

OBEY ONLY THE LAW

Never question the Law, for that leads to anarchy. Always obey, lest you be found undesirable. Undesirables do not deserve life. And you, Good Citizen, want to live, don’t you?

THE LAWLESS: A Triptych collects three tales of near future America, and the people who fight against the totalitarian regime that wants to destroy them — plus a bonus story about resistance in a dystopian nightmare.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Thank You For Your Participation In This Mandatory Satisfaction Survey

Trust In the Law, For the Law Trusts In You

Believe In the Law, For the Law Is All

The Law Is the Plan, and the Plan Is Death

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Also by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor

Also from Robot Dinosaur Press

INTRODUCTION

A few years back, John Joseph Adams emailed me to ask if I’d like to write a trio of stories for an anthology triptych—one for the pre-dystopia, one for the current dystopia, and one for the post-dystopia. Of course I was like, Oh HELL YEAH :D because this sounded awesome and I’ve loved working with John as an editor.

I sketched out some ideas of how I would construct my triptych of stories, and it went dark very, very fast. This was also during the Trump admin here in the U.S., and working out anger and grief and fear in fiction was one of the few ways I was coping. It took a lot longer than I’d anticipated (my eternal thanks to the editors for being understanding in all this), and the resulting trio of stories that resulted are ones I’m extremely proud of—I poured a lot of rage into these, and possibly it shows, heh.

This collection also includes a thematically similar but unrelated story that was a first attempt to write for the anthologies; it didn’t quite work for what would become the Lawless Triptych, but it did inspire the other stories. (Thank You For Your Participation In This Mandatory Satisfaction Survey may be in the running for one of my longest titles!)

While the stories are fictional, there have been a terrifying number of moments where they feel more like reality. A depressing, horrifying number of times. I often felt like yelling that fiction was not a blueprint for real-world policies. It’s exhausting, this fight. But the thing with fiction is that we get to decide the endings. We don’t have to let the bastards win.

And so while these stories are dark as fuck in many regards, ultimately they all end with hope. We will always keep fighting so the darkness cannot win in the end.

Stay safe, my friends. You are not alone.

—Merc Fenn Wolfmoor

April 2022

(updated April 2024)

CONTENT NOTES

acephobia, biphobia, bullying, child death, domestic violence, gore, gun violence, homophobia, intimate partner abuse, mass shootings, mention of surgery, misogyny, murder, police brutality, racism, religious abuse, religiously motived violence, school shootings, state-sanctioned violence, suicidal ideation, suicide (gun-related), transphobia, violence against women

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS MANDATORY SATISFACTION SURVEY

Welcome, Madison Roberts! Thank you for filling out your Annual Citizen’s Satisfaction Survey in a timely manner. Please answer all questions to the best of your ability and remember that unacceptable responses will be subject to audited review, for your own safety and happiness.

1.) On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your assigned role in society?

Ten. My role as stay-at-home mom and managing my husband’s household is fulfilling. I am able to clean fastidiously, cook good meals for my hard-working husband, care for my two children, and maintain my physically appealing demeanor, in accordance with local bylines. I always have time to go to the hardware store, stop by the local market, and otherwise run errands. My husband now owns a brand-new gas mask for when he practices his airbrushing! I wouldn’t want him to inhale any fumes while enjoying his hobby. I listen attentively whenever he speaks and always praise his opinions, as a dutiful wife should. I would never consider contradicting my husband’s views, or teaching my children to lie to him. Children must be taught the truth.

2.) On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with the statutes of the Law and Abiding Principles that govern our country?

Ten. I believe in the value our Laws and how this has made our country great. We are free of unlawful aliens, alternative behaviors, and no longer need fear for our safety of unmoderated social media. All is seen, so all is safe!

3.) As a Citizen, how would you classify your patriotic engagement with sanctioned actives (such as the Daily Pledge, viewing The Citizen’s Eye program, and fulfillment of the Watch Thy Neighbor reports)? Rate on a scale 1-10.

Ten. I’m a loyal and punctual reporter for the Watch Thy Neighbor program. Fortunately for us all, my neighbors are upstanding, perfect citizens who have done no wrong! We often gather at each other’s houses in the evenings to praise the Lawful State and share our mutual love of the Lawful Police and our government.

4.) How often do you participate in the State Church’s weekly services?

My husband faithfully attends services every weekend, along with our children, and myself. I would never