Dawn of the Free

By M.R. Howes

In the year 3000 AD Ed is chosen as World President yet the world he inherits is locked in conflict and dominated by the all powerful central computer. Can Ed strike a blow for freedom?

• Language: English
• Publisher: M.R. Howes
• Release date: Apr 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005281137

Book preview

Dawn of the Free

By M.R Howes

Published at Smashwords March 2021

Chapter One

3000 AD

Ed Allan’s long body lay folded into the shape of the recliner, although he was staring at the wall his eyes were not focused on it. His mind was elsewhere. Suddenly the surface of the wall changed into a moving portal as an over earnest reporter chirped into life. Try as he might Al had not been able to disable the automatic news updates that were beamed into his room. He found them depressing and intensely annoying. As far as Ed was concerned life had enough problems of its own without piling on the added difficulties of someone else in some obscure corner of the World. The volume level of the screen was also set automatically, tailored to suit the hearing level of those listening at any one time. Unfortunately those who had designed it had not specified a comfortable volume but a level which was gratingly and penetratingly loud, for the simple reason that it was impossible to ignore. Still the news updates were less annoying than the custom generated advertisements which seemed to have been targeted based on his recent thoughts. Recently a promising date had degenerated into a shouting match when a targeted advertisement had revealed that Ed’s thoughts were far from platonic but at that point it had been too soon for any such development in the relationship to take place. Once when Ed was doing a clear-out he had stumbled on a hidden cupboard behind the wall with a whole tangle of wires. He could easily work out where the portal was and as a result remove the wires that plugged directly into it. They came out easily in his hand, secured by small plastic plugs. He had sat down for a moment in his chair enjoying the moment of blissful relaxation without the possibility of interruption. There was a loud bleeping noise, the intercom which connected to the outside door. Ed didn’t answer but a message given was relayed across the room.

Mr Allen, I’m just calling to make sure your information portal is working properly. We received a notification that it was not functioning correctly and so I have come to repair any problems that you might have.

Ed jumped up from the recliner and sprinted over towards the hidden cupboard, prying open the door. He hurriedly reattached the cables, closed the door and then ran back into the room. He spoke the words, Reply into the ether.

Hello Mr Allen, I believe you have a problem with your information portal.

Yes it wasn’t working properly. It seems to me OK now though.

Yes I can see that now having received the latest report from my status console. These things are normally quite reliable. I’m surprised it stopped working.

Yes I don’t know what happened. It must have just dropped out or seized up or something like that.

funny that

Yes, very strange.

May I remind you Mr Allen, that vigilant attention to news broadcasts on the information portal is a civic duty which all citizens are expected to comply with. Obviously we just our citizens implicitly and I wouldn’t for a moment think that you had deliberately disabled the system but there might well be suspicions raised if it happened on a more regular basis.

Ok thank you. I understand

Ed was not sure he did understand. Why the need for constant news? Ed was shaken back to the present by the next news item. The incident with the information portal had happened several weeks ago and Ed had not dared tamper with the system since. He would just have to put up with the news reports.

An attractive young woman delivered the news through a constant contorted grin. In the old days news was conveyed with solemn seriousness but now the central computer had decided that a smile softens the blow of any bad news. It wasn’t true. There were some things the