Of Course

Following the devastation of the Final War IV (of course, not to be confused with the Catastrophic Nuclear Event, Great Trans-Atlantic Battle, or World Wars III through X) a panel of 5 elected officials (of course, not fairly elected) finally decided that something had to change. Thus, to prevent future wars, the locket system was created.

At the age of 12, every person was required to submit a piece of their body, which the government would keep in a locket in a grotesque bunker underground. Through the marvels of scientific advancement, a perfect replica of the body piece would continue to grow. People couldn’t be walking around missing toes and fingers, now could they! The beauty of this system was that if a person broke a major (or minor at the discretion of an esteemed panel) law, the body part would be destroyed as punishment, and the perfect replica with it. They would then be required to submit a new body part, to be destroyed at the next infraction, etc.

The system worked beautifully for decades. Most people lived normal lives enriched by delights such as creating spreadsheets at work, making the perfect homemade chili, or forming lukewarm relationships that ended in future generations being born. Occasionally you would come across a person missing multiple fingers, or walking with a slight limp. You would immediately cross to the other side of the street and shield your children's eyes. Because they were not like us- not like the upstanding citizens. No, they had done evil.

It was a well known fact that parents counseled their children on what body part to submit. On a child’s 12th birthday, they would stand in front of a government appointed scientist and say “5th toe” (the most common choice). Or the braver kids would say “hair” or “second finger.” The scientist would write something down and the child would undergo a brief procedure then be given government issued ice cream in any flavor they chose.

In the year 4311 a group of brave parents told their children to volunteer their appendix, thinking they would be able to outwit the system. Their cleverness was rewarded with the immediate loss of body parts, and wasn’t that a terrible story to share at family barbecues!

No child had ever submitted a vital organ.

That is, until Addie McCabe.

You might think she was an orphan or had grown up in a horribly abusive environment. But no, she was a normal child who grew up in a small village. She swam in an inflatable pool in her backyard and every Sunday she walked with her parents and sister to church, passing the large billboard that said “Help us help you! Please report all crimes to the Criminal Justice Locket Department.”

But when Addie went in front of that old scientist in the sterile white room, she loudly said “my heart.”

To this day, no one knows why she volunteered her heart. The scientist even confirmed that she was certain. Addie firmly nodded. And what was he to do? Even though Addie reminded him of his granddaughter, he performed the procedure. If he gave her extra ice cream, that was his business.

Addie’s parents were devastated when they discovered what she had done. They wept for days.

Then they became obsessed with her discipline. If she broke a single rule, she was punished swiftly and harshly. They told no one that there was a heart shaped locket with Addie’s name on it. They knew the information was written somewhere, but it was buried deep in a government file that no one bothered to check again.

Despite her parents best efforts, Addie grew up into a normal teen. Their hearts almost stopped when they received the call that Addie had skipped school and had to face a truancy panel. This had been considered a serious crime since in 4399 truancy had been linked to future tendencies of violence and treasonous behavior.

No one can know what was going on in Addie’s head the day she stepped in front of the panel wearing a clean yellow dress. Her face was calm. She was not clammy or fidgety. She merely apologized and stated that she did not have bad intentions. Rather, she had become enamored with a college boy who was studying to go into the esteemed profession of locket engineering. He had invited her to walk into town and eat lunch.

The panel was impressed by this intelligent young woman.

Her parents burst into tears when Addie was issued a warning. Maybe Addie privately cried later. Maybe she didn’t.

Regardless, Addie grew.

She married that college boy and graduated college herself. On paper, her life looked perfect. She had a wide circle of friends and got a mid-level corporate job for the government. Her duties mainly consisted of typing a small set of very crucial data into a database. She never knew what the data was used for. (It was later revealed that it wasn’t data she was inputting at all- but rather, sizes and shapes of manufacturing specs for the next generation of locket technology.)

No one knew if it was intentional, what happened that day to Addie McCabe.

It was the 4th day of the month of Agustine (formerly known as August, renamed after Agustine- a great hero who was brave enough to launch the first missile in the Catastrophic Nuclear Event. Yes, millions died, but the cause was later deemed just by an elected panel (of course, not fairly elected)).

Addie McCabe was walking to church, when she took a large rock and threw it at the billboard in her village. It is unclear if she knew how much damage it would cause, but it ripped right through the sign so it read “Help us help you! Please report all cri”.

Addie then went to church. The sermon was a lecture on Genesis 6:5 “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Addie was brought in front of another panel the next day. This time her dress was blue and her hair was in two long braids down her back. Her husband and parents wept on the metal benches that house the public.

The panel asked Addie why she had destroyed government property.

She did not reply.

They brought up her previous truancy crime.

She did not reply.

Sighing, the panel knew they had to teach her a lesson. They lead panelist stood and stated:

“We are unsure where your deviant behavior comes from, so know that this sentence is being given in the hopes that you correct your future actions. Your locket will be destroyed.”

She did not reply.

But when interviewed later, her husband swears her face grew pale and she exchanged a sad look with him, tears in her eyes.

Her parents were certain Addie burst into tears and begged for forgiveness.

The lead panelist stated that Addie stood silently, no expression on her face. She quickly nodded at him and that was that.

The decision was submitted to the local processing center for the Criminal Justice Locket Department. At 5:22 PM the claim was processed and Addie McCabe’s heart locket was destroyed. She dropped dead, still in the courthouse.

Initially, the reaction was confusion. Did she faint upon losing a toe? A finger? Then panic. What had happened? Her parents were bawling and could not utter a coherent sentence. Almost immediately a courthouse reporter took pictures and statements.

Within 24 hours, the story had been published all over the world.

Within 72 hours, the locket system was being evaluated. Could a 12 year old truly decide which body part to forfeit?

Within 168 hours, the locket system was abolished, and everyone’s body parts were returned.

Within 730 hours, 4 different insurgency groups had risen.

Within 8760 hours, one faction had won (at the expense of 14% of the population and the fifth district (formerly known as China) would now be radioactive for the foreseeable future).

Years later, a historian described the locket system as “the greatest peacekeeping tool a government had ever created.” A philosopher noted “one girl’s bravely sacrificed heart shaped locket uncovered the holes in a system designed to instill fear and terror amongst a populace that was barely living.”

The current panel of 3 elected officials (of course, not fairly elected) were not concerned with what had happened in the past, but rather, how they could prevent future wars.