For everyone, with heart.

When the country reformed into the global superpower known as the Global Conglomerate LLC, the prior branches of government were allowed to continue to exist within the United States. Except for the judicial branch, the old government mostly served as a historical reference for tourists. However, executive decisions were primarily decided by the board of trustees, usually based on or around what was currently trending according to top field data analysts.

Earth’s scientists saw conclusive evidence that the internet created a phenomenon of dissociation and depersonalization. While cults formed around the idea of transcending humanity through a fusion of alchemy and technology through genetics and cybersurgery, mainstream society began to argue about restriction. Talk about creating technology-only zones, and outlawing the use of computers to anyone under the age of 18 as well as other measures began a conversation with which nobody could agree.

Global Conglomerate finally stated that while people could do what they wanted, they wouldn’t limit a person’s ability to use the data-giving machines. This was a pretty typical response they had to any conversation including technology, considering they profited off the information each citizen provided to their systems. Large communities of people began to travel towards rural areas where they would practice the removal of media and reverse the effects of the brainwashing which caused many people to become sick with depersonalization and other side effects. Some of the people affected would go into comas during withdrawal, and others would starve themselves of any necessities, simply slipping away into cyberspace as they died.

During this time, there began the onset of a thick electrical fog. When analyzed by professionals, they concluded that small charges of energy accumulated to create a physical manifestation of the technological veil. To safeguard the bulk of this information, it was compressed into a mini hard drive shaped like a heart locket. It wasn’t long before the past was locked away in this galvanized steel cage and forgotten. This was when I was born into one of the main circle’s members.

Growing up, I lived in a fairly isolated neighborhood in a small gated community that could only be reached by air. Since the natural habitat of many areas had been reduced to human communities, the elite lived on nature reservations and parks. I would be able to interact with trees, vegetables, fruit, moving water, and live animals. Meanwhile, the conditions on the outside did not allow such luxuries. Realistically, there still existed the geography to allow nature to take over, but rivers were placed in sterilized pipes to conserve water.

Water rights wars would have begun if it wasn’t for the rationalization that society demonstrated to use water inefficiently and often polluted natural aquifers and streams. Many media stars and companies produced the efforts of a more docile society, justifying the control of natural resources “from everyone, for everyone.” It kind of sucked because this meant I didn’t have any neighbors, which meant I didn’t know anyone my age and often found myself alone in our spacious house.

My parents hosted a gala where they invited everyone 18 and up. Since my 18th birthday had just passed about a month prior, I was ready for this. I was standing outside on our porch, leaning on a post and looking out at a few when people started to gather towards me. And yet - despite the swathes of people, he was the most magnetizing.

My eyes were drawn to the immediate fact that he wasn’t like the others. No - he seemed to be examining the palace thoughtfully, looking at the peaks and going downwards towards the approaching gate. He walked so lightly that it seemed like he would disappear if I blinked. I wanted to know the secret he had - and I watched him carefully so he couldn’t slip away.

He looked up and seemed dimly interested that I was meeting his gaze from afar. “Hello madam,” said a random face, many people starting to gather at the gate. I snapped out of it and began to greet the guests while trying to keep track of the boy. I looked around for him as people slowly entered, but as they all came in, he didn’t show up. Sighing, I closed up the gate to our castle and began inside for the feast and keynote speech.

“Global Conglomerate has been a strong foundation for this country for years” began my father, an imposing 6-foot tall man wearing reading glasses, “We know that many people have suffered for our cause, and those people are the foundation of our country - from everyone, for everyone.” The crowd echoed the last sentence before my father moved on, “but now, with the changing technology, we have less need for a person to create the personal touch. It appears the world has revolutionized a new way of behaving. Indeed, our society will begin to level up now that my scientists have created something to move us forward to the future.” I finally noticed that behind my father a projector screen was descending.

I wondered what he was going to reveal as the silence grew deafening, and then it finally broke. “Imagine a world without our environment being contained to one area - where us and animals can finally be one again. The solution to this problem will give our citizens the ability to spend their time infinitely without having to work to gain these resources - and it is called the virtual cube!” Everyone gasped as he clicked the button to reveal a huge contraption on screen.

I remember standing there shocked as I came to terms with what I was seeing, a giant cube that looked to be composed of metal was completed with tinted windows that showed multiple cells. “Our scientists know that there is an epidemic of people not being able to act for themselves as a result of the overuse of technology. What I propose is we place these people in an area where they will be more suited for society, like a battery. You see, our scientists have figured out how to harness the kinetic energy of the soul.”Feeling dizzy, I left the room quickly and started to run to my favorite place to calm down when I was overwhelmed - the heart tree.

While it existed before I was born, the heart tree always made me feel at home. I was bounding towards it when my heart leaped into my throat. I noticed that boy again up ahead, at my tree, prodding at it as if to cut it! As if my day wasn’t bad enough, I was engaging with this stranger who had no respect for nature. “Hey!” I yelled towards him “Leave that tree alone, who do you think you are?” He looked at me and smiled, stopping his activity, and then continued to ignore me. Confused, I bounded towards him and came to where he was sitting.

I harrumphed next to him with all the attitude I could muster, and I pointed at him, “Who are YOU?” I began to notice I was trembling and breathing heavily. I blushed, and looked down when I noticed he wasn’t paying attention to me, he was paying attention to my tree. “You know, this tree was planted in my honor. You and I are the first generation of the free world, and the tree is a reminder of the old one” I said to save myself from embarrassment.

“Ah yes, I did know about this tree, I have been told about where it would be” he finally responded. I thought about this, and returned to my original question, “Who are you? Don’t you know guests are supposed to be at the speech?” Then I thought about the speech - the reason I came rushing out here. I forgot about the speech when I saw the boy at my tree, but it all came back to me. “I think my dad is trying to do something awful, he just told me that we’re using the people on the outside for energy, what does that even mean?” I didn’t know anyone else and this boy seemed to be listening more than talking. He looked at me and stood up suddenly, “look I don’t have any time for this, I have something to do.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a long dagger and I gasped as he started moving towards the tree.

I just sat there as he dug around my tree and started to tear up. I heard a cling as a small piece of metal falls to the ground and a larger cling for the knife. I was looking at his hands when I saw a little silver locket. Is this what I think it is? The boy started to run away before I could ask him any questions. “Hey, wait!” I started to follow him. We ran past the banquet, down the stairs, into the cellar, past the food, and down into an area I've never seen before. The boy paused as he stared quietly at the ground for a second, and then continued on his path as if he’s been to the castle before. “Do you want to help those people?” he asks in the air, knowing that I was following him, “the ones your family wants to put in cages?”

It sounded like he already knew what was happening before my revealing it, “no seriously, I need to know who you are. I’ve never seen you around here and clearly, you didn’t come with the board. Also, why do you know all this?” I stopped him by grabbing him by the shirt and he looked at me seriously “I snuck in here to break the pipes, kid.” He then returned to the area and opened a wide expanse that looked like a cave within the cellar, “I’m bringing back water for everyone.” Right before he jumped in, he smiled and winked, “When you no longer have the power of water, your technology will mean nothing to us.”

I followed him down not because I was eager to stop my family, but just the opposite. I wanted to prove everyone wrong. “As the first generation, we were given everything we could ever want. I don’t know why you would want to destroy all of this progress” I began “without the mega conglomerates, we wouldn’t adapt or evolve anything. Who do you think gave us the technology we use today? Giant corporations working together to engineer new and exciting things is what creates our world.” He snickered sardonically, “You would believe what the historical academy videos tell you of all people. Think about the harm each new investment took in these technologies. Yes, people had more time and options than ever but their freedom was taken away. Why do you think so many people have chosen to leave the city?” I was hurt by his comment and responded, “well why don’t you?” He paused silently, “I did. Your father is already using the cubes to detain people so he can gather more natural resources.”

Oh dad I wish you weren’t so ambitious, especially now that I find myself moments away from flooding the city’s pipelines. I write this now so that way new generations can understand where their civilization originated. The boy revealed the heart pendant when we finally reached a spacious and lightly lit room in the cave, which was held together by pipe infrastructure. There was a computer in front of us. I grabbed his hand to push the USB drive into the computer, “If we’re taking my dad down, we’re doing this together.” I looked at the pendant and saw the duality of metal and meat. Executing the code on the computer, I listened to the pipes groan due to water pressure. Closing my eyes I whispered, “from everyone, for everyone” as the water levels started to rise.