Circuit Breakers

Legends never die. The mantra ran relentlessly in the background of his mind. He contemplated potential consequences. Exile, or more likely death, was nearly certain but a small price to pay if the outcome of his actions meant destruction of oppression. Eli sat silently, staring intently at the little black book. Strange how such a seemingly ordinary item held the key to freedom. He could hardly believe he and his fellow Ghosts, as they called themselves, had actually come this far undetected.

Microchipping began 150 years ago, an option at first. Government couldn't force it on the population. Backlash would be too disruptive. If people accepted it of their own free will, the masses would adopt the norm and economy could remain productive. People who sold fire in hell were employed by government, creating campaigns championing chips. Touted as life changing, the biggest selling point was health. Health stats and records were instantly available. Also, connection to smart devices such as your phone, car, or house were possible. Send texts without typing a word. Start your car, and unlock doors. Turn on and off lights and control thermostats, all by thought. Credit cards, drivers licenses, and passports would become obsolete. Those were encoded into chips. Parents could have peace of mind knowing where their children were. Varieties of other reasons were dangled in front of the public and while no lies, somehow downsides of the chips were never brought forth.

Time passed, many people chipped themselves but a great number hadn't. Phase two of the master plan would now be initiated. Criminals were chipped. Following that, anybody wanting a government job, either state or federal level, was required to chip. Private sector companies began to follow suit. Soon, it was almost impossible to find a job that'd hire you if you weren't chipped. Proper healthcare became nearly impossible as was traveling commercially. Sporting events, concerts, and businesses began adopting the "no chip no service" motto. At this point, everyone was getting chipped and without vote, chipping became part of the vaccine package given to newborn babies. Decades passed, hardly a person left could remember a time without microchips. Still, small pockets of chipless people carved out niches of existence in society.

A product of chipless community, Eli lived a simple life compared those in the city, where vices were abundant. Without chips, his community built a society based on faith in each other. Money was hard to come by but camaraderie was strong. Everybody worked for the good of community and most took pride in their rebellion. However, there were some who chose city life and left.

At 13, Eli watched his father leave. His father tried convincing his mother to go with him. "We could make good money in the city, live a life we could only dream about here. Eli could get a good education." She flat out refused, disgusted at the idea of getting chipped. His father left, promising to send money and to bring them out when things were in place. At first, communication was daily and money came once a month. After a while, the calls were less frequent as was the money.

Eli, now 22 and his mother remarried, hadn't heard from his father in nearly 4 years. Sometimes, Eli wondered if his father still thought about them but mostly figured his father bailed and accepted the fact that he'd never see or hear from him again. Still, he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel a little resentful which is why he didn't answer his phone the first few times his dad finally reached out. Eli answered the fifth call his dad made to him in the last 2 weeks.

"Hi," said Eli, waiting to see what his dad wanted.

"Son! I've been trying to reach you. How've you been? How's your mother?" They continued small talk for a few minutes. Eli was short with his answers, wary of his emotions. Eli's father sensed tension and became direct with his reason for calling. "Eli, come to the city. Life here is good. I know your mother will never leave but you should. Come see what the world has to offer."

Eli paused, still untrusting of his father, then replied, "I've heard about the city, the pollution, the crime, and not to mention the chips."

"It's not as bad as it sounds. Imagine going to restaurants, eating foods you've never tried before. Think of the new people with interesting ideas you could meet. And the ladies? You could meet a nice girl. Build a future together. Opportunities here are endless." His father paused, letting it sink in before starting again. "I've been saving some money son. Come to the city. Go to school and become an engineer like you've always wanted."

Flickers of desire flashed in Eli's mind but he didn't let them grow any bigger. Still cautious of being let down, Eli said, "I'll have to think about it. I can't just leave mom like you did."

The words cut to the soul but his father took it in stride. "Sometimes we make difficult decisions and reasons aren't always clear but when you feel something deeply enough in your heart, it would be a disservice to yourself to deny it," he said. "Take some time. Think about it. I'll make arrangements when you're ready."

They said their goodbyes and hung up. Eli was uncertain of his feelings. The seed had been planted. He waited a few days, letting his thoughts and his father's words simmer in his mind before he brought the conversation up to his mother. He started slowly, "Mom.. I got a call from dad. He wants me in the city."

His mother stared at him. "You know how i feel about that. Do you want to go?"

Staring at the ground, Eli hesitated then looked up. "Yes. But i don't want to leave you here alone."

"Don't be silly. I'm fine here and it's not like we can't call or visit but, are you gonna...," she trailed off.

Eli already anticipated this part. "I think I'll have to for school." He watched the ill look form its lines on his mothers face.

"Eli, you know what they're doing with chips now. You won't be the same person. Still you want to go?"

He knew his mother would be fine and she wouldn't stop him; nonetheless, he felt a shade of guilt. "We'll never lose touch. I promise." Painful flashbacks of his father leaving blasted forth from his memory. Eli shook the dazed feeling and continued, "I want to see the world and experience new things, go to school, become an engineer. Dad said he'll help me."

She already had tears in her eyes. "Let's pack your things."

A week later, Eli was in the city, unpacking his belongings in a 600 square foot apartment his father owned. One of many. Real estate investing had become his dad's focus and he was good at it.

"I applaud your decision. You'll enjoy it here. When you're ready for the chip we'll go to the lab." His dad said it so nonchalantly Eli thought. Maybe the chip wasn't that bad. His dad continued, "I've also got money for you, $20000. It's not a fortune but it should cover school. Rent, you'll have to figure out."

Two days later, Eli was job hunting. No chip meant considerably less options but with his mothers words in mind, there was no rush for the lab. He wandered around, trying to take it all in. Culture shock rocked him. Overwhelming moments tested his faith in city life but he persisted.

It was apparent lacking chip severely limited his mainstream network but luckily, underground, the scene had movement. Quickly, he made acquaintances.

One night, in a place considered a speakeasy of its time, Eli met some people on a mission. Conversation started innocent but as alcohol loosened tongues, Eli's dislike for the chip echoed with them. They invited Eli to join the cause.

Days later, Eli hitched a ride with an affiliate to a location outside city limits where towers couldn't reach. Here, at his initiation, he learned the true nature of his new friends. They spoke of freeing people from the chips, their invisible prisons. Many people held the sentiment but only a few had plans for freedom. These few consisted of top class coders/hackers, those with extensive knowledge of government, and a handful armed to the teeth with cleverness and hustle. Something inside resonated - maybe his mother's hate for the chip. Completely drawn in by the energy, Eli absorbed the manifesto.

Within the last 10 years, top level agencies of government began using cell towers to send electronic signals to chips. Signals manipulated people's behavior in a subtle manner. Towers emitted low frequency waves, causing chips to release minute electrical impulses into the brain. Pulses caused anxiety, headaches, or a general mental fog. They were also used to disrupt sleep patterns. Towers dotted the city landscape so profusely it was next to impossible not to be within range of the waves. One's mind-state functioned at a lower capacity while the body dealt with lack of sleep and discomfort. At last, government reached its goal, keeping its citizens busy trying to survive financially and so ridden with anxiety and physical ailments they could never even think of making radical changes to the current regime.

His indoctrination continued over several months. Eli learned how close the rebellion was to revolution. Plans usually ended with destruction of the chip or government - ideally both. Lately, plans swirled around a virus built, in theory, to permanently disengage tower abilities to emit low frequency waves. By the time government could react and rebuild the infrastructure, hopefully enough people realized their oppression and raged against the machine.

Eli's father bugged him several times about chipping but, after some transparent excuses, left him alone, giving him time to adjust. Little did he know, Eli had fallen hard for Ghost life.

Coding the virus neared completion. Plans became clear. The virus would be delivered to the mainframe, rendering all outgoing signals useless and destroying hardware trafficking the signals.

Eli felt the call deep in his heart. He knew he would deliver the kiss of death. His mother would be so proud. Before anyone asked, he volunteered. He would deliver the USB drive to its ultimate destiny.

Less than two months later, with incredible coordination from team Ghost, here he was, the moment of truth upon him. Legends never die. Face to face with his destiny, Eli removed the USB drive from the little black book. All he had to do was plug and play. Outcomes of each decision weighed heavy. Destroy modified happiness for reality? Live in blissful ignorance? Thoughts of his father had him second guessing. Was it so bad? His father seemed happy enough and prior to integrating with Ghost, Eli never intended to fight the system and wanted to enjoy the benefits. Eli froze at the fork.

Behind him, loud bangs on the door snapped him out of it. Legends never die! He plugged the USB in and frantically began the process of downloading the virus to the mainframe. Even with all the practice he had, maneuvering through security features and firewalls designed to stop hackers was incredibly difficult. He needed more time but the door burst open and agents swarmed in screaming "Stop!" They snatched Eli from the computer, his fingers desperately trying to reach the keys. He failed. His life was over. His last memory was watching them unplug the USB before they knocked him unconscious. Any evidence of Eli and the USB were unceremoniously destroyed.

His parents never accepted his death but knew they would never see him in this life again. Eli stared down from the heavens with bittersweet resolve. He had been defeated but the war was far from over. Next time would be a different story.