Disclaimer: I do not own "Harrison Bergeron" or any characters or themes
associated with it. I also do not own the title of this story, it belongs
to Mordred.
Note: I apologize for any formatting problems, I'm still getting used to
the update system...
Harrison's Plan
For the next few days, Harrison watched various television shows and took notes. He would scan the channels for the people with the most hideous masks, the largest mental handicaps, and the heaviest weights. Whenever he saw someone who matched one of those categories, he would listen for their name and write it down. After four days of this, he had a rather large list compiled.
Charles would drop by occasionally with supplies, and he happened to visit on that fourth day.
"Ah Charles, it's good to see you!" Harrison said, digging for some food in the bag. Like always he plucked out the mental handicap and the two sat down to chat.
"Anything interesting on?" Charles asked.
"Nothing above average..." Harrison said, shrugging. He turned off the television and took out the list from his pocket. "Charles, I need you to do me another favor."
"What is it Harrison?" Charles had become more willing to do errands for Harrison ever since he had remembered the joys of playing the violin.
"Scope out these people for me. Tell them to come to the TV studio next Saturday at 7:00 PM if they want a better life. That's all they need to know."
"Sounds kind of dangerous, Harrison..." Harrison placed his palm on Charles' thin shoulder.
"Don't worry, no other details are needed. I'm sure you won't run into any problems..."
"Why do you need to see these people?" Harrison looked off into the distance and sighed.
"I think it's time we started building up the ranks."
Saturday evening came and Harrison was preparing. He knew he was taking a huge risk by inviting all these strangers here. Any one of them could be affiliated with the H-G and his cover would be blown. However, he also knew that no plan was without its risks. He would just have to be ready for the worst. If anything went wrong, there was a door behind him that he could exit through. From there was an open manhole leading to the sewer. Harrison wouldn't be looking forward to hiding in the sewers, but it was better than being six feet under.
He also wore a buck shot bag over his chest, just in case.
The clock down the hall struck 7. It was time. Harrison had set up a few rows of chairs in the middle of the TV studio, and they were ready to be filled with occupants. 7:01 and still nothing. Harrison began to pace. Had Charles contacted them? Then there came a knock at the door.
Harrison ducked behind a crate and observed who had come in. A woman with a mask on walked into the room perplexed and took a seat. Then came a man with a mental handicap. A young man with a buckshot bag on his neck and an ugly mask came next. People continued to file in, and by 7:15 the room was full. It was Harrison's cue.
Harrison walked to the center of the room and stood on top of a crate. A gasp was heard from some people who recognized him, some were frightened of this giant before them, and others were confused. Harrison smiled cheerfully.
"Welcome everyone! Please feel free to take off your handicaps." Nobody moved. There were a few cries of disapproval, stating how much trouble they could get it for that. Harrison, however, continued to smile warmly and dismissed their pleas.
"Now, now, no need to worry! Who is going to know? I won't tell the H- G men! Please, take them off; I'll help anyone who can't take theirs off." They were still hesitant, and yet this stranger spoke like there was nothing to worry about... They believed him. Harrison walked around; helping people with difficult handicaps remove their burdens. He then returned to the front of the room, and spoke.
"Now doesn't that feel better?" He spoke slowly, trying to deliver his point as well as he could. "You don't have to feel suffocated by a mask. Your muscles don't cry out in agony. Your thoughts aren't constantly leaving you!" Many nodded. One man, however, stood up, unwilling to dismiss a thought that was running through his head.
"You look familiar..." Harrison smiled again.
"My name is Harrison Bergeron..." More gasps echoed throughout the room.
"It can't be!"
"You're dead!"
"I saw them shoot you on live TV." Harrison dismissed their cries again.
"Well, if you saw them shoot me, then you must have also seen what I was carrying. I could walk around with three hundred pounds! I wore headphones and wavy glasses! They placed whatever they could on my face to offset my looks! I am strong friends; certainly a gunshot wound could not kill me..." Harrison wasn't about to admit that his life had been saved by the weights he carried. His lie was much more of a persuasive argument. The crowd silenced, awed by this man who could not die. Harrison continued.
"As I was saying, doesn't it feel great to be yourselves, freed of your handicaps?" More people in the crowd nodded. "That is the point I have been trying to make! I am fed up with this society of so called "equality"! We are not free to be ourselves! We have to settle being average, even though we are most certainly above average. Look at yourselves! You must suffer and carry various burdens just because you were born more talented. I ask you, is this fair?" Most of the crowd nodded, but one woman stood up. "But without equality, we would return to the dark ages of competition!" Harrison shook his head in mock despair. "The age of competition was not dark, friend, that is just what the Handicapper General tells you to keep others from questioning authority. Think about it, when we were competing, great innovations were made! Would we have gone to the moon if there were no competition? No! Without competition, our country wouldn't even exist today!" The woman sat down, satisfied, and the others began to realize how useless equality was to them. "I intend to change this world we live in, to bring equality to an end and allow everyone to be their best. I will take down the Handicapper General Diana Moon Glampers and rule as emperor! However, I need your help friends! You see, a single ant cannot take down a brick wall."
"How can we help?" called someone in the audience, for the crowd was completely behind him now.
"You have all been oppressed by the weaklings of our society, even though you know you deserve to be your best! Why do you stand for it friends? Why do you let those below you rule your lives? Under my leadership, you will be free to be yourselves! However, in order to do so, I need you all behind me and together we will take down Diana Moon Glampers! Rebel my friends! REBEL!"
The crowd was uncontrollable, and they cheered loudly. "HARRISON BERGERON!" and "DOWN WITH EQUALITY" they shouted. Harrison was lucky the TV studio was soundproof, because such a roar would have been heard up to a mile away. Harrison chose this time to speak up again.
"Friends, another way that you can support me is to tell any of your family or comrades that wish to have a better life about my message! I will be having a rally every Saturday to gain support! Remember, I can't do this without you!" The crowd continued to cheer and Harrison walked away, smiling. He turned to Charles, who had been standing behind him during the rally.
"It's a start."
Harrison's Plan
For the next few days, Harrison watched various television shows and took notes. He would scan the channels for the people with the most hideous masks, the largest mental handicaps, and the heaviest weights. Whenever he saw someone who matched one of those categories, he would listen for their name and write it down. After four days of this, he had a rather large list compiled.
Charles would drop by occasionally with supplies, and he happened to visit on that fourth day.
"Ah Charles, it's good to see you!" Harrison said, digging for some food in the bag. Like always he plucked out the mental handicap and the two sat down to chat.
"Anything interesting on?" Charles asked.
"Nothing above average..." Harrison said, shrugging. He turned off the television and took out the list from his pocket. "Charles, I need you to do me another favor."
"What is it Harrison?" Charles had become more willing to do errands for Harrison ever since he had remembered the joys of playing the violin.
"Scope out these people for me. Tell them to come to the TV studio next Saturday at 7:00 PM if they want a better life. That's all they need to know."
"Sounds kind of dangerous, Harrison..." Harrison placed his palm on Charles' thin shoulder.
"Don't worry, no other details are needed. I'm sure you won't run into any problems..."
"Why do you need to see these people?" Harrison looked off into the distance and sighed.
"I think it's time we started building up the ranks."
Saturday evening came and Harrison was preparing. He knew he was taking a huge risk by inviting all these strangers here. Any one of them could be affiliated with the H-G and his cover would be blown. However, he also knew that no plan was without its risks. He would just have to be ready for the worst. If anything went wrong, there was a door behind him that he could exit through. From there was an open manhole leading to the sewer. Harrison wouldn't be looking forward to hiding in the sewers, but it was better than being six feet under.
He also wore a buck shot bag over his chest, just in case.
The clock down the hall struck 7. It was time. Harrison had set up a few rows of chairs in the middle of the TV studio, and they were ready to be filled with occupants. 7:01 and still nothing. Harrison began to pace. Had Charles contacted them? Then there came a knock at the door.
Harrison ducked behind a crate and observed who had come in. A woman with a mask on walked into the room perplexed and took a seat. Then came a man with a mental handicap. A young man with a buckshot bag on his neck and an ugly mask came next. People continued to file in, and by 7:15 the room was full. It was Harrison's cue.
Harrison walked to the center of the room and stood on top of a crate. A gasp was heard from some people who recognized him, some were frightened of this giant before them, and others were confused. Harrison smiled cheerfully.
"Welcome everyone! Please feel free to take off your handicaps." Nobody moved. There were a few cries of disapproval, stating how much trouble they could get it for that. Harrison, however, continued to smile warmly and dismissed their pleas.
"Now, now, no need to worry! Who is going to know? I won't tell the H- G men! Please, take them off; I'll help anyone who can't take theirs off." They were still hesitant, and yet this stranger spoke like there was nothing to worry about... They believed him. Harrison walked around; helping people with difficult handicaps remove their burdens. He then returned to the front of the room, and spoke.
"Now doesn't that feel better?" He spoke slowly, trying to deliver his point as well as he could. "You don't have to feel suffocated by a mask. Your muscles don't cry out in agony. Your thoughts aren't constantly leaving you!" Many nodded. One man, however, stood up, unwilling to dismiss a thought that was running through his head.
"You look familiar..." Harrison smiled again.
"My name is Harrison Bergeron..." More gasps echoed throughout the room.
"It can't be!"
"You're dead!"
"I saw them shoot you on live TV." Harrison dismissed their cries again.
"Well, if you saw them shoot me, then you must have also seen what I was carrying. I could walk around with three hundred pounds! I wore headphones and wavy glasses! They placed whatever they could on my face to offset my looks! I am strong friends; certainly a gunshot wound could not kill me..." Harrison wasn't about to admit that his life had been saved by the weights he carried. His lie was much more of a persuasive argument. The crowd silenced, awed by this man who could not die. Harrison continued.
"As I was saying, doesn't it feel great to be yourselves, freed of your handicaps?" More people in the crowd nodded. "That is the point I have been trying to make! I am fed up with this society of so called "equality"! We are not free to be ourselves! We have to settle being average, even though we are most certainly above average. Look at yourselves! You must suffer and carry various burdens just because you were born more talented. I ask you, is this fair?" Most of the crowd nodded, but one woman stood up. "But without equality, we would return to the dark ages of competition!" Harrison shook his head in mock despair. "The age of competition was not dark, friend, that is just what the Handicapper General tells you to keep others from questioning authority. Think about it, when we were competing, great innovations were made! Would we have gone to the moon if there were no competition? No! Without competition, our country wouldn't even exist today!" The woman sat down, satisfied, and the others began to realize how useless equality was to them. "I intend to change this world we live in, to bring equality to an end and allow everyone to be their best. I will take down the Handicapper General Diana Moon Glampers and rule as emperor! However, I need your help friends! You see, a single ant cannot take down a brick wall."
"How can we help?" called someone in the audience, for the crowd was completely behind him now.
"You have all been oppressed by the weaklings of our society, even though you know you deserve to be your best! Why do you stand for it friends? Why do you let those below you rule your lives? Under my leadership, you will be free to be yourselves! However, in order to do so, I need you all behind me and together we will take down Diana Moon Glampers! Rebel my friends! REBEL!"
The crowd was uncontrollable, and they cheered loudly. "HARRISON BERGERON!" and "DOWN WITH EQUALITY" they shouted. Harrison was lucky the TV studio was soundproof, because such a roar would have been heard up to a mile away. Harrison chose this time to speak up again.
"Friends, another way that you can support me is to tell any of your family or comrades that wish to have a better life about my message! I will be having a rally every Saturday to gain support! Remember, I can't do this without you!" The crowd continued to cheer and Harrison walked away, smiling. He turned to Charles, who had been standing behind him during the rally.
"It's a start."