video

[jericoded]

Is this really it?

[The half-incredulous tone of a guy who is obviously gearing up for an impassioned speech of some sort, but still valiantly fighting the urge.]

A handful of paperwork, [and here he holds up his own file folder,] a mark on the wrist, and an assignment to placate us?

[Someone's vlogging, because as he walks past a nearby burn barrel he tosses his file into it and doesn't even watch the sparks fly up as he continues on his way. Something about symbolically burning the whole damn thing down to the ground comforts Markus enough that he moves on from suggesting outright revolt. For now.]

I'm not moving into a stranger's home, so no one living in De Chima #004 has to worry about a new roommate. And if anyone would like to be a dating app developer, the position is currently up for grabs.

Anyone of a like mind, I'd appreciate your perspective.

Comments

[heliophilic]

I'm typically distrustful of people who hand out as much as this government has and says they're no strings attached.

I've been told it's a bad habit of mine.

[jericoded]

I don't think it's a bad habit, necessarily. Besides, it's not truly 'no strings attached,' is it? They can track us.

[heliophilic]

They can, but even then in the scheme of strings it's relatively tame.

It's what they do after they find you that you should be worried about.

[jericoded]

Contemplating what-ifs isn't very productive. [Just winding yourself up, in his opinion.] But I don't think you're wrong to be suspicious.

[heliophilic]

[M grins.]

Contemplating what-ifs is kind of my brand. [He taps his temple.] Can't turn the computer brain off.

But enough about me. Why are you suspicious?

[jericoded]

[Actual computer brain...? A question for another time.]

Aside from the secrecy and the tracking and the violation of personhood immediately upon arrival?

[heliophilic]

What, you mean those little things?

[A joke. Of course they're huge invasions of privacy.]

Most people don't see them as a problem.

[jericoded]

Maybe people just don't want to dwell on it. [He hopes.] It's a bit of a hot-button issue for me, I'll leave it at that.

[heliophilic]

I'm not knocking you. I've thought about it many times myself.

[jericoded]

I don't doubt there are many others who feel the same way and just don't voice their opinions. Maybe don't want the government to know how they really feel. [Since they are obviously being heavily monitored on these.]

[heliophilic]

True. I've found more often than not the ones who feel that way tend to be outspoken about it.

The rest just care about nonsense or try to destroy the world--usually by accident.

[jericoded]

At least it's by accident?

[heliophilic]

I'm sure it's a great relief to the trail of victims they leave in their wakes.

[jericoded]

You're serious.

[heliophilic]

I don't joke about dead civilians.

[jericoded]

No prisons? No consequences at all?

[heliophilic]

There's a prison. And some kind of probation nonsense. The whole system's a joke.

[jericoded]

This has been the case for years, though. Hasn't it?

[heliophilic]

For as long as I've been here, coming on 3 years.

[jericoded]

[Three years isn't a particularly long time, but...] Is there no call for reform?

[heliophilic]

[It is in imPort terms.]

We're too busy worrying about other things. Like the world trying to end every other weekend.

[jericoded]

I meant from the native people here.

[heliophilic]

I'd say my answer covers both camps pretty firmly. They're too busy worrying about the current disaster to put too much thought into the cause of the last one.