Ch 2 Obsolete man
Ron pulled his coat closer to himself, trying to keep the bitter cold at bay.
"We're here." the driver said, stopping the car. Ron was pulled out and led thru the lightly falling snow to a large ornate skyscraper that dominated the landscape.
"Palace of the state." he muttered to himself.
Ron waited outside a door for a few minutes, collecting his thoughts. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo of Kim, looking around to make sure no-one was paying attention.
"I wish you were here with me, Kim. But it looks like i'll be seeing you soon." Ron muttered to himself, quickly putting the photo away.
Ron was led inside the room, seeing an empty table that stretched towards a tall pulpit, with Chancellor Eric on top. Both men glared at each other with intense hatred. Ron knew that Eric was jealous that Kim fell in love with Ron and married him. He suspected that Eric had her killed just to spite Ron in some form of revenge.
"Ron Stoppable. You have been accused of being obsolete and are no longer useful to the state. How do you plead?" Eric asked.
"Not guilty, asshole." Ron snarled in response.
"What is your profession?" Eric asked.
Ron gulped in response. His beloved wife was killed because her profession was deemed to be obsolete by the state. According to the party, crime no longer existed.
What a fucking joke.
"I oversee a chain of Bueno Nacho restaurants and i experiment with making new naco's on the side." Ron said, hearing the audience mutter among themselves, seeing the chancellor recoil in response.
"You make food, presumably with your own hands, and you oversee several stores? Mr. Stoppable, you are hopelessly obsolete. Since we have machines that can manufacture food more efficiently than any man can hope to match, that function of yours is obsolete. And the state, the nation, now runs the stores and there is no need for the service of a private store owner. Case in point: A minister. A minister would tell us that his function is that of preaching the word of God. And since it follows that since The State has proven that there is no God, that would make the function of a minister quite academic as well..." Eric continued.
"There is a God!" Ron retorted.
"You are in error, Ron. The state has proved that there is no God!" Eric exclaimed into his microphone.
"You cannot erase God, or a man's personal belief with an edict. If you think you can take that away…" Ron started when Eric butted in.
"You have no function, Mr Stoppable! Just like your wife, your so-called work has drained you of your strength and energy, leaving you with nothing but spindly limbs and a dream, and the state has no use for your kind!" Eric finished ranting.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, how do you find him?" the secretary asked.
Ron quickly looked at the jury, seeing a few familiar faces; Monique, Tara, Bonnie, and Felix. He figured they would find him obsolete. How long would it be until they themselves became obsolete?
"Obsolete." one of the state workers said.
Eric could only laugh in response, though Ron was quietly defiant.
"Ron, you have been found guilty and are sentenced to death." Eric smirked.
"No surprise there, since you murdered my wife. I'm guessing you'll have chosen my method of death already." Ron answered.
"Normally we would, but since i'm feeling generous, you get to choose." Eric answered.
Ron's eyes lit up as a plan quickly came into motion. It would be one last mission that the remains of team possible would embark upon. One final act of defiance against the cold and calculating state.
"Alright. Me and my executioner can only know of the method of my death. And it'll be done tomorrow morning. And one final thing." Ron said.
"Go ahead." Eric said.
"I'd like to have it in front of an audience." Ron put forward.
Eric couldn't believe his ears. This lowly chef was asking for his miserable and pathetic death to be broadcasted to the citizens of the state! It was an offer he couldn't refuse.
"Granted. It should be most… enjoying for the citizens." Eric said.
"It will be, chancellor. I can promise you that." Ron answered, a small smirk on his face.
As the hours passed, Monique and Tara spoke to each other.
"Did you see Ron when the Chancellor was pronouncing the verdict? How could he be so calm in the face of certain death? He's the only person i'd seen be… happy at the verdict." Tara said.
"That is strange. It seems that he has a plan. But there's no way he'll get out of this alive. Being with Kim on those missions all those years ago have made him devious." Monique added.
Next morning came, and Ron was sitting in his apartment calmly waiting for Eric to appear.
And appear he did, relishing the fact that Ron was going to die on public television.
"So you've come." Ron said.
"I have, Ron. There is no way i'd miss this opportunity for a lifetime." Eric gloated.
"I know. But that does pose the question. Why would the head of the powerful state visit a lowly man like myself? Sure you must have had your fill of killing." Ron said.
"Oh Ron. The work of the state can never be satisfied. We must cleanse society of the ills. The old, the infirm, the mentally ill. The useless and obsolete." Eric smirked.
"Like my wife. The state says that crime is gone." Ron reminded Eric.
"And thus she was obsolete, and had to be removed from society. You sound like you love her." Eric replied.
"I do. Very much." Ron sadly said.
Ron's moment of self-pity was quickly cut short by Eric's quiet laughter.
"Love is obsolete, Ron. People should be loyal to the state and system, which has given them everything they could want, from foods to vehicles and homes. If people are loyal to themselves and each other, the state will fall, and people will suffer." Eric added.
"You know that dictators in the past thought like you did. The rhetoric, the mass killings, etc etc." Ron added.
"Yes, they did. But they didn't go far enough. Once we complete the purging of society, what remains will be strong and firm. And no-one will dare go up against the state again." Eric proudly affirmed.
"And it'll be happy ever after for the state." Ron sarcastically answered.
"Well, i'm afraid to cut this short. Good day, Ron." Eric said, heading to leave the room only to find out that the door was locked.
"Ron, why is the door locked?" Eric asked.
"I've been thinking, Chancellor. You love to make a big speech about how powerful the state is, and brag about how many people you have killed. Well, i figure i'd like to give the state one juicy execution. A lowly store owner and chef, vs the proud head of the state." Ron declared.
"You're insane, Ron. This isn't going to work." Eric said, now putting more effort into opening the door.
"No-one's coming for you, Eric. It was an order you made long ago. Besides, you yourself boast about the strength of the state. Surely it can survive without its current chancellor." Ron smirked.
Ron opened a drawer, pulling out a bible from within.
"We have about 30 minutes before all hell breaks loose. Might as well make ourselves comfortable." he said.
"And where did you get that? You know that's forbidden." Eric said.
"Eric, you're 30 minutes from being dead, and all you can care about is contraband? I'll indulge you. Since religion is banned, all religious materials are to be destroyed. I hid my bible for as long as i could do so. Since i won't be living tomorrow, guess i'll read it one last time." Ron said.
As he opened the pages, another picture of Kim fell from within. Ron looked at the photo with longing in his eyes. Yet he steeled himself for his final mission. Ron began to read aloud several verses from the pages, all while Eric was frantically pacing the room overturning coffee cups, books, and various knick-knacks searching for the missing key.
"Where is it? Where is it?" Eric snarled. Eric gave a quick look at the clock, seeing there was only nine minutes left. Eric angrily slapped the book from Ron's hands and shoved him against the wall.
"Where is the damn key?!" he roared.
Ron could only glare at his enemy in return.
"Didn't the state teach its members to be loyal to it, not to themselves? For being the leader of the powerful state, you're making a poor example of them." Ron remarked.
Eric dropped Ron and continued to look for the now-missing key. All while Ron calmly read from his book, awaiting his end.
"Let me out! In the name of God, let me out!" Eric desperately pleaded as the clock came closer to the end.
"Here's the key." Ron said, tossing Eric the key. As Eric ran out, Ron looked at Kim's photo one last time.
"I'll be seeing you soon, Kim." Ron said with a smile on his face, just as the bomb went off, destroying the room and him.
Eric made himself back to the palace of the state, only to see Drakken now sitting as the new chancellor.
"Eric, you have been found guilty of dereliction of duty in accordance with the laws of the state, and are declared obsolete. The sentence of death will be carried out without delay." Drakken said, banging the gavel on the podium.
Eric could only plead and beg for mercy as the enraged crowd of supporters surrounded him, eager for blood. Yet mercy wouldn't be shown, as they tore him to shreds. In the far distance, the ghosts of Kim and Ron watched the gruesome spectacle.
Serling: The chancellor, the *late* chancellor, was only partly correct: He *was* obsolete; but so is the State, the entity he worshiped… Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of humanity... That state is obsolete. A case to be filed under "m" for mankind - in the twilight zone.