Fundamental Change

Footsteps echoed behind Benjamin and his guide. Ben stopped. The footsteps stopped, too. He turned, but the street behind them was empty. When they started walking again, the distant footsteps returned. Goosebumps rose along his arms. Paranoia, perhaps. Meh, not at all. Ben needed to be careful.

 The Government called it protective observation. Ben remembered when people simply called it stalking. He passed a darkened storefront and caught a glimpse of his reflection in the glass. The old man staring back scarcely resembled the husband and father he had once been. He looked like his father.

 Across the street, a surveillance camera rotated toward him. Even after everything the government had taken, it still wanted to know where he was going. Suddenly, the power went out, probably another brownout. His wife was dead. His children were dead. His home belonged to the State. Freedom was the only thing he had left to fight for.

 Why me? I’m just an average guy trying to get by. What threat do I pose to the mighty Government?

 The security escort led Ben to a dead end, where an opening appeared in the brick face, and they both entered together. When the wall closed, the computer chimed, “Electromagnetic Shield engaged.”

 “That’s impressive. Scott, I presume.”

 “Yes, it blocks all tracking devices, and yeah, that’s me.”

 “It’s a pleasure to meet you, and thank you for the secure transport. Your team is very extensive, although someone followed us,” Ben said.

“Yes, our people followed you. Funny how you knew. We want to ensure safety. You saw the power go out across the street? We killed all of those cameras and logged it as a rolling blackout.”

“Don’t thank me until you receive your surprise,” Scott replied, smiling. His expression held a mixture of apprehension and pride.

 “Surprise? Not necessary,” Ben muttered, waving his hand dismissively as he gazed around the hall. “This room could hold hundreds,” he added, wide-eyed.

 “1,410, to be exact. But we have just under 1,000 here today.”

 “Why would all these people risk coming to hear an old guy like me speak? What do I know?”

 “You’re a hero, Ben. A student of history and a self-taught educator. You know a lot.” Scott glanced at Ben’s sidearm.

 “Meh,” Ben replied, waving his hand.

Red, white, and blue banners adorned the hall, with Old Glory standing proudly near the stage. A magnificent tapestry depicting The Signing of the Declaration of Independence hung prominently at center stage, lending grandeur to the otherwise modest décor.

In the back corner sat a large crate, conspicuously out of place among the patriotic decorations.

“Is that your Walther CCP? No recoil whatsoever?” Scott asked.

 “Yes, the CCP M2.” Ben pulled it out of his holster and showed Scott. Ben removed the magazine. “I never keep a round in the chamber for safety reasons.” Ben replaced the magazine and holstered his weapon.

As the opening ceremonies began with the Pledge of Allegiance, Ben’s eyes continued drifting to the crate. He asked Scott, “What’s with the crate?”

Scott motioned toward the crate, and they approached together. A muffled moan came from inside, followed by the sound of something shifting. Scott’s apprehension turned to joy. “It’s the former Speaker’s daughter, the Reeducation Czar. We captured her before the Director disbanded the House and Senate a few days ago.”

Ben hesitated, a burning sensation developing in the pit of his stomach. He stared at Scott in disbelief.

 “You mean the orchestrator of the reeducation green camps and her material reutilization program? The one who...” His voice shook. “The one who ordered the murder of my family and friends?”

Scott continued, “Her programs murdered millions, making the Cambodian Killing Fields pale in comparison. What is the sentence for traitors to our country?”

 “Death,” Ben muttered through clenched teeth.

 “You’ve endorsed this as part of the oath we took in the military,” Scott said. “She is your gift.”

 The burning sensation intensified. “Scott, killing the enemy in battle is an honor, but this... this is different. We must beat them without becoming them. Marcus Aurelius wrote: The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.”

 “Ben, this is the execution of a sentence, nothing more.”

 “When was she tried, Scott? I’m not a judge, jury, or executioner; that’s not my job. The citizens know she’s guilty, but she’s helpless and at our mercy.”

 “Tell that to your family and friends, Ben,” Scott snapped. “Tell them that.”

 “I think you need to back up a little, Scott. I can’t kill someone in cold blood. It’s not how I operate. That sends the wrong message.”

 Scott looked disgusted. “We’ll abide by whatever you decide, Ben. Ask yourself, do we lie down and allow the Government to continue to take away all our freedom, or do we fight back?”

 Ben sighed. “Why would you do this to me without any notice? Is this a test of my loyalty?”

 “No, Ben. It is a gift. Everyone comes to see you. They follow you. They would die for you.”

 Ben’s stance softened.

“Why? I never wanted this. I didn’t ask for this. I loved this Nation—every street, every stone, every blade of grass, every grain of sand. I wanted to live quietly with my family, watch my children and grandchildren grow, and live free. But I lost everyone because of this domestic enemy.”

 “Yes, Ben, which is why we give this gift to you. It has to be you who sends this message.”

 “We’re on a different path than they are, right, Scott? Is this still true?”

 “You’re right, of course, Ben. However, the oath you took demands you follow this through. But we’ll abide by any decision you make.”

 The master of ceremonies cut the conversation short as he introduced Ben. Ben apprehensively left the dark area behind the center of the room and stepped up to the podium. He paused to gather himself before speaking.

 “Freedom is not free. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom,” Ben began. “I am an ordinary citizen of the United States of America, just like everyone in this room. The only difference is that I may be a little older.”

 Ben scanned the audience, the weight of their expectations heavy on his shoulders.

 “Our founding fathers were ordinary people too. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry made mistakes, and they learned from them. They fought for a dream: freedom from oppression.” His gaze moved across the audience and met their eyes. “Here we are a couple of hundred years later; our elected officials killed the dream with thunderous applause. Everywhere I look now, I see oppression. I scarcely recognize the Nation I love. Outside these walls, it looks like a third-world country. Our leaders didn’t stop at taking our rights. They began dismantling the nuclear family itself.”

 Ben stepped out from behind the podium and adjusted the headset. “Can you hear me in the back?” A man waved. Ben continued with his speech to motivate and educate his audience.

 A young man raised his hand, surprising Ben. “Yes, young man?”

 “Yes. What exactly is this nuclear family, and what does it have to do with us being here with our biological donors?”

 Another man stood up. “Ben, apologies for my son’s interruption. Please continue.” His son frowned.

 “It’s fine. Answering a question is simple. The answer may not be what your son, or other young people, may want to hear, but it will be true.” Ben paused and took a breath. “The nuclear family is a mother, a father, and their children living together under one roof. That was part of the American Dream: owning a home, raising a family, and contributing to a free society. The Government kept picking winners and losers. The Government decided which companies would make money, and which would not. Those actions caused the American Dream to die.”

 “Government officials mismanaged our tax dollars and threw our Nation into inconceivable debt. Inflation skyrocketed. Government intervention, including Planned Parenthood centers throughout the city’s poorest neighborhoods, contributed to the destruction of the nuclear family. Grandparents, parents, and extended families began living together, pooling their resources for survival. Inflation grew to levels seen in Germany just after World War I. The gaslighting continued, spreading the idea that inflation wasn’t real.”

 “I want to focus on your term ‘biological donors.’ Biological donors? Think for a moment. Why would your parents bring you to this meeting to hear the truth if they didn’t care? They’re much more than biological units. They are your parents. Parents would die for their children. The only regret I had was that I only had one life to give to protect my wife and three children. They could easily let you live the lie, waste your life, and never know the truth. I can honestly say they want you to have a better life than they have, despite the conditions we live with now. Did you know this?”

 The young man looked at his dad. “No,” he admitted. “I didn’t know.”

 “You must learn history, so we don’t repeat the atrocities of the past, as we are doing now. Look at the removal of citizens. Our elected officials imposed oppressive laws they themselves never had to live under, governing without accountability for the suffering they caused. Government spending and failed policies destroyed our economy. Banks collapsed, riots followed, and martial law was declared. Families lost their homes, and citizens disappeared into green reeducation camps. Our leaders called it progress. We called it the destruction of freedom.”

 Ben spoke of the Nation he had served along with the sacrifices made by those who came before him. Forty-five minutes later, the audience applauded. He raised his hand for silence.

 “Before we close out this meeting, there is an unfortunate matter of business to attend to. I was presented with a gift tonight. I have questions for the prisoner, and I want every one of you to hear the answers.” Two unknown men dressed in black walked past the podium, opened the crate, and brought the hostage forward. They brought her to stand next to Ben. An unclean odor permeated the stage: the fetid smell of oysters left in the sun for days mixed with sweat and bad breath. The crowd erupted in angry shouts.

“Let me kill her. She murdered my brother,” a woman said.

A man at the back shouted, “Throw her in the animal pens and watch the pigs eat her.”

“Yeah, let’s see how long she lasts,” another woman in the front said.

“Let’s make her part of her material reutilization program and have her organs harvested,” a man shouted.

 She had been kidnapped days earlier. Her expensive gown was stained with mud, her makeup smeared, and her hair disheveled. Yet she carried herself with the same arrogance and authority she had exercised over millions. Ben raised his hand again to silence the audience’s murmurs. He removed the gag from her mouth.

 The woman spoke up, “Any minute, the authority will be here. An effective state is one where all ‘Sheepeople’ love their servitude. It is always apparent that the mouse never asks why the cheese is free when most assuredly it’s all a trap.” Ben’s stomach turned. Is she for real?

 “Interesting points.” He continued, “This Nation’s citizenry needs to be free, and all citizens, not residents, need to have the right to choose their own path.” The crowd stood silent. Ben continued, “Even now, by your defiant stance and stare, you believe you have the upper hand?” He motioned his outstretched arm above their heads, still feeling the burning sensation in his stomach.

 “Of course, I do. We are all watched. No one goes without being monitored. A gathering this large will appear on the government’s surveillance network. I am sure the authority will wonder about a large group gathering after lights out, and you’ll all pay dearly for my detainment.” Did she know about the shield? Probably not. She wouldn’t sound so certain if she did.

 “Ma’am, many years ago, I took an oath,” Ben began, recalling the words that had remained with him throughout his life – “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I swore to bear true faith and allegiance. I took that obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. So help me, God.”

 Almost everyone in the room recited the words from the oath of office simultaneously as Ben spoke aloud. What? Am I crying? A tear trickled down his left cheek where no one except a few in the first couple of rows could see.

 “The last words from a group of traitors to the state,” she stated smugly. “Any moment now, they’ll come in here and arrest all of you.”

 She searched the silent hall for any sign of her rescuers. Her confident expression faltered. For the first time, Ben saw fear in her eyes.

 “Madam, you have committed treason against the citizens of the United States and violated your oath of office. As a domestic enemy, having you experience the effects of your green reeducation camps firsthand is justice for me. Still, I don’t have the power to make that a reality.” He released the holster’s retention strap and drew his Walther.

 “I was only doing as I was instructed,” she pleaded. Ben’s expression hardened as he tightened his grip on the pistol and disengaged the safety.

 “When have I ever acted against my principles?” Ben demanded. “You’ve watched me for years. Tell me when.”

 “Never,” she replied. “I’ve watched you for years, Benjamin. You’ve always done the right thing, even when doing the wrong thing would have been easier.”

 She hesitated.

 “There was a time when I believed I could make a difference,” she said. “I entered government believing I could serve the people. Somewhere along the way, protecting my position became more important than protecting them.”

 She looked directly at Ben.

 “Like Job, you endured the unimaginable, yet you never abandoned your integrity. With every loss you suffered, you refused to bend; you reminded me of what I’d become.”

She clenched her jaw.

“I admired you for that. I even came to love you, in my own way. And I hated you because I could never make you mine.”

Ben stared at her, speechless.

“What you and your staff personally committed are crimes against humanity. When entrusted with authority over the citizens, you were supposed to do what was right and protect the innocent, helpless, and weak. You were supposed to show compassion and help the citizens and my family.”

“Your family was never just another name in a government file, Benjamin. I knew who they were. I knew what they meant to you. And I gave the orders anyway.”

“There was no reason to apprehend my family, friends, or anyone affiliated with me. Why am I so important? I am just an average citizen. If I was your target, why them?”

“To get to an enemy of the State, you need to use any means necessary. You break and demoralize the enemy by exploiting their associates, friends, and family. As you know, when mixing ingredients for an omelet, you have to break a few eggs along the way.”

“Eggs?” Ben whispered, scarcely believing what he’d heard.

 “You are a gun owner and a veteran. You take every advantage freedom offers. You try to teach the young cursive writing, civics, the failings of the 1518 project, the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, and all those worthless documents we have stored in a vault so no one can be bothered by these lies anymore. We’ve abolished these fruitless documents. Your rights come from the Government, and nowhere else.”

 Their eyes met as Ben pulled her closer, ignoring the musky odor.

 “Had you conformed, I would’ve spared most of them. I often imagined taking your wife’s place.” She searched his face for some sign of sympathy.

 Ben staggered backward as though struck.

 “My family was already dead when you claimed you were holding them as leverage. I’ve seen the dated footage. I heard your commentary. You didn’t want a compromise. You wanted to wipe out anyone I could have infected with my thoughts. I taught the truth; I didn’t rewrite history the way your 1518 project did. History must be embraced to prevent what is happening today. Do you remember laughing at their screams and pain? Do you remember them begging for mercy in front of their children? You reveled in it.”

Ben paused.

“What you fail to realize is that we have people everywhere who know that our rights come from God and not the Government.”

He placed the weapon’s muzzle to her temple, and the audience shuffled back to the third row of benches.

“Benjamin, please… I was only following orders!” she pleaded.

Ben pulled the trigger. No shot followed. Urine ran down her legs and a puddle developed around her feet.

For a moment, Ben remembered his own words to Scott. We must beat them without becoming them.

His gaze moved from the crowd to the woman.

 “I give her to all of you!”

He shoved her toward the audience. As she fell, the crowd surged forward.