Deletion Complete

*To promote inclusivity and remove gender bias, this short-story was written using They/Them Pronouns*

Let your imagination do the work..

The only thing Cee could feel is their eyes twitching about in their sockets. Cee laid as still as possible on the cold hard steel table as to not startle the technicians and disturb what was known as “The Process”. They never wanted to, but the only choice they were given was to do so or face an untimely demise.

Memory swipes had become a part of Cee’s life for what was known as the past five years since The Takeover ended. It became harder to keep track of time without being reminded. In the year 2022, the American Government was overturned by Rebels known as “The Creed” resulting in World War III. The overturn happened quickly and abruptly, all High Ranks of Government officials became prisoners, forced to obey The Creed.

The world is in complete shambles, buildings burned for weeks, families left without food and water as the supply to Government agencies has been taken over, leaving millions of Americans to fend for themselves. The Creed adorned themselves in black gas masks and military gear from head to toe covering their identity. Voice boxes covered their throats to never reveal their tone of speech, for five years their identities remained a mystery.

“Cee Green person number 0289, Deletion Complete”.

Cee felt weak as they pulled themselves up from the cold hard table, directed towards the nearest exit of what was formerly the Pentagon, now known as “The Control Center.” Government buildings in the Nation’s capital and across the nation were made into Control Centers by their new Officials. In The Creed’s cynically pleasant side, surviving victims of the Takeover undergo memory swipes, erasing any memory of the Takeover over and over again, how it happened and anything before it. Rebelling against The Creed was not an option, comply or face an untimely death. Ironically, in an effort to show their citizens they care, The Creed stored memories of loved one’s lost during the war inside a heart shaped locket that must be worn at all times.

The locket has multifunctional purposes, databases that held social security numbers no longer exist after the takeover. The Process sent millions over the edge of their sanity. So many in fact The Creed turned hospitals across the nation into “treatment” centers, called The Centers for the Unredeemable. You had a better chance facing untimely death, the CI is your worst nightmare. Filled with people who own broken memories, facing the idea that their loved ones had been gone never being told why or how.

“Here’s to a Fresh start for you..”

The intercoms lined through the ceiling of the narrow exit hallway sounding the same phrase over and over as Cee stood in line to receive their locket downloaded with their memories. They had no idea what would be there, the only thing Cee could remember is a face. Cee didn’t know who the face belonged to, the only memories left with Cee before retrieving their locket was their name, person number and a face. Cee had no idea who the face belonged to even if it were their own and wouldn’t until they received their locket. The process left Cee tired, confused and dismantled. Cee couldn’t wait any longer to retrieve their locket to reveal the face of the person who was on the forefront of their mind.

“Person number 0-2-8-9”, STEP FORWARD.” The robotic voice called out from the front of the line, startling Cee from their place in line. Cee held out their shaking hand to the Armed Guard adorned in Creed official uniform, to retrieve their locket. “Place the locket around your neck, your heart rate will activate it, do not remove it unless instructed”. Insisted, the Guard. Cee held the Heart Shaped locket with anxiety, and fear rolling through them as they peered at the locket for a while. The heart shaped locket was made of cold silver on a thin long chain, a red ruby in its center holding a small chip.

A nearby Armed Guard began to peer at Cee’s hesitation. Cee’s anxiety didn’t allow them to take the time to process what might happen if they didn't put their locket on quickly. Avoiding any conflict with the Armed Guard, Cee’s shaking hands began to put the cold silver chain around their neck trying to adjust the clasp. As Cee adjusted the Locket on the center of their chest, the red ruby center began to flash like a stop signal. Cee’s heart began to race, their chest began heaving and aspirating heavily. The red light on the heart shaped locket began to flash to match the pace of Cee’s breathing, the faster their heart raced the faster the light blinked. The Armed Guard that had been watching Cee rushed over to where Cee was standing with their gun drawn. They noticed the familiar reaction after someone received their locket, the Guard approached Cee fully prepared to drag them off to the The Center of the Unredeemable.

Cee hadn't noticed the Armed Guard approaching them with their military-style rifle pointed directly at their temple. “Allow the Locket to process or be taken to CI!” Shouted the Robotic voice of the Armed Guard startling Cee knocking them backwards in freight. Cee sat on the ground with their hands above their head shaking, they didn’t want to be killed. At that moment a transparent light began to project from the locket creating an oval shaped mirror screen directly in front of Cee’s face. In the top left corner of the screen, a display bar with Cee’s heart rate 125 BPH (beats per minute), a result of the gun being pointed at them knocking Cee off balance. Below that, Cee’s personal information including occupation and home address, information they didn't know before a direct result of The process.

The oval screen began to shape into the silhouette of a tall slender person. Cee stood up as they couldn't believe what they were seeing. The silhouette began to form a face, the one face Cee had been seeing after The Process was over. Small almond-shaped eyes began to form within the silhouette, a little nose and wide smile began to appear. The image formed from head to toe holographically, populating curly dark brown hair, a round face, a small neck attached to wide shoulders and long arms. Cee started glassy-eyed in awe. Covered in a Utah Jazz basketball Jersey and black basketball shorts with long legs appearing underneath them. “Hi!”, shouted the holographic person. Cee jumped back and Screamed.

“Can we go home now?”

“Helloooo..can we go home now?”

The holographic projection questioned Cee annoyingly. Cee circled the holographic projection not believing their eyes. The holographic projection from the locket following Cee as they circled each other. “Who are you?” Cee asked, puzzled. “I’m TJ”. The holographic image answered just as puzzled. “You know? TJ? Your child?” They were both confused. The holographic image seemed to not know it wasn’t real. Cee noticed by the images’ actions and disposition. “You texted me to meet you outside your office so we could walk home together.” The holographic image is a projection of Cee’s memory, a memory of their only child. TJ was killed during the Takeover when a car bomb exploded while they were on their way to Cee.. The last text TJ received was to meet Cee outside of their office where they were a Real Estate Agent. TJ didn’t know he wasn’t alive. Cee held back tears at the thought of being a parent in this cruel new world. Even though the image wasn’t real they instantly felt remorse for knowing the image was a projection of someone they birthed and cared for...someone they loved. Cee tried their best to gather their emotion, they knew where an overreaction would lead them.

Cee looked around at all the other people starting their lockets straggling out of The Control Center with the same disbelief Cee had. People were being dragged away to nearby vans kicking and screaming at the newly discovered memory recollections from locket retrieval, others finding one another in the crowd, embracing, thankful they were alive, confused as to where they had been. Some people even content with their holographic images of beloved pets and long list of family members who had been lost during the takeover, knowing they too wouldn’t be alone. Cee stared at the Holographic image that was their child before replying, “Yeah, I forgot about that, let's go home.” “Great!, I’ll lead the way.” Cee was relieved with that response, as they didn't know or even remembered where they lived, the information was stored with the holograph on purpose, The Creed called it, a new sense of Discovery.

TJ didn’t say much during the walk, Cee thought, maybe they were a quiet child. Cee wondered if they were a good parent, if they provided TJ with the necessities, growing up. Where was the other parent? Did they have a good relationship? How would they ask the questions? How would they know without remembering? It was painstaking for Cee to find a way to ask the questions that plagued them during the walk home. “So, how was work?” TJ asked after being silent for a while. Cee still couldn’t believe they were talking to a holograph. Cee hesitantly replied, “It was...okay.” Before Cee could think of what else to say or even ask a signal flashed from the locket “29 days until your next memory swipe.” Wait...WHAT!? Cee couldn’t fathom going through The Process again. They didn’t want to regain the memories that were left with their holographic child. They had no memory of the war or the Takeover, so why was it necessary to keep starting over again? What would they do?

“Home Sweet Home...”

TJ, replied as they approached their home. Their home was in a quiet suburban area just a few minutes walk from the Control Center. The Holographic image ran to the front porch anxious to get inside. “Come on slow pokey, I’m starving!”. Cee thought, how could a holographic image be hungry? Cee then noticed the growl coming from their own stomach. Not

knowing how to open the door or even if there was a key, Cee started at the front door. “0289, is our code you never remember.” Replied TJ. Cee put the code in not saying a word, they still were contemplating their next move. As the holographic image rushed in before them, Cee wondered what would happen if they took the locket off, still not being able to fathom the reality they weren't sure if any of this was real. Do I really have a child? Am I even alive? Cee thought maybe if they went to sleep, they would awake from this horrible dream. Cee stood in the doorway looking for a place to lie down. The living room lay, adjacent to the doorway and the kitchen on the other side. Cee was hungry but couldn’t find the strength to eat, so they found the nearest chair and plopped down, even more exhausted than before. The holograph disappeared into a nearby room, Cee thought, This is your chance to find out the truth. To ensure the locket didn't leave their chest, Cee unclasped the chain, holding the heart-shaped locket close to their chest, slowly pulling the chain away from the heart-shaped locket with one hand, and holding it close to their chest with the other, Cee got up from their chair and went into the kitchen. Cee looked about frantically for the drawer where the knives were held, they thought maybe, if they stabbed the locket at its center, they could disarm it. Maybe, the people sent to CI knew the truth about the Takeover? Cee wasn’t thinking clearly, they just wanted a way out of going through The Process again. Cee found the drawer where the kitchen knives were kept. They took out the biggest sharpest one they could find, raised the knife above their chest, with their right hand, while holding the locket with their left Cee, took a deep breath……

*Sirens Screeching*

“Assimilation, Complete” please clear the area..”

The End

Copyright Literally Just T.A.W.K. Radio L.L.C.