Chapter 305
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On Tuesday March 4th general Gardner gave an interview. Outside broadcasts had to be approved by the ministry of culture and spiritual guidance. This was the group within the sector that burned books, DVD's, role-playing games. They didn't approve of this, but sector police watched on special televisons, they had to be alert if Mason tried anything. Eve and Jamal were among those who watched. Gardner talked about the numerous sectors that were now in the hands of armed rebels. The general said it was a waste of resources to re-take these sectors. They should simply maintain the perimeters, just keep the traitors on their side. Let the warlords have their power, so long as they didn't hurt loyalists. Most of these mini-kingdoms would die out long before July 20th. It was one thing to accept sector guards who fought against the uprisings, these who'd survived were all out safely by now. Eve knew that the few sector guards who had been in the hospital had all been released by now. Liberals like Zoey Allen might worry about those selected for the Arks being held against their will. But Gardner considered them traitors, he didn't mind them being contained, more Ark spac for honest, loyalist, soldiers.
On Wednesday March 5th Eve was walking to her doctor's appointment. She saw grafitti on the wall. It said "The pigs are walking!" At her appointment Dr Weber said she was okay physically, and he renewed her prescription. Eve wasn't suprised that the doctor seemed upset. 137 days until impact, and he didn't seem to like her much. She had hoped he might be nice to her after she testified for him in court. It turned out he had another reason to be upset.
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Eve: What does "The pigs are walking" mean?
Weber: It's from "Animal farm" by George Orwell. It's about animals who overthrow a cruel farmer, and establish their own government. The pigs become the new government, but they soon become brutal dictators themselves. By the end the animals can't tell the difference between humans and pigs. Orwell meant it to be a satire of the october revolution in Russia. I think the grafitti outside means we just traded one dictatorship for another.
Eve: Things weren't so great under mayor Ford and governor Jenkins.
Weber: In the book things were horrible for the animals under farmer Jones, and horrible under the pig Napoleon. Things in Russia sucked under the tsar, and they sucked under the communists. Life just goes on as always. That is to say, badly.
Eve: You seem in a worse mood than usual.
Weber: I got selected for the Arks, except that the holy council won't let me go. They say I'm too valuable here, but that they'll let me leave later, assuming they haven't indoctrinated me to want to stay here and die. These people are just warlords, they won't let anyone leave because that'll diminish their precious power.