spellbee2

I’m in a futuristic dystopia where the government is slowly implanting microchips into their citizens’ brains. These allow the wearers to enjoy faster reflexes, improved memory, and all of the Internet conveniently accessible in their head. Unfortunately, the government uses the technology to monitor people’s thoughts, and any anti-government thoughts are grounds for arrest.

I am part of a team that works for the government, monitoring the actions and thoughts of those who don’t have brain implants yet. There’s about 15 of us, ranging in age from really old to really young, but most of the group seems to be under 16. Of course, we’re not above the law, as our implants still monitor our thoughts. We’re currently in training, taking cognitive tests to test our brain’s abilities. Our test results come back, and I’m currently the top performer off the entire group.

The next part of training involves learning to report other people’s actions back to the main server. A robotic female voice (similar to GLaDos) explains to us the importance of left and right brain signalling, and how this is key to properly communicating with the server. To report something to the server, you have to transmit what you want to report using your left-brain, and then conclude the transmission with some special password using your right-brain. (In retrospect, the explanation doesn’t make sense, since you can’t relegate thoughts to one side of your brain at will, but I guess it’s okay for the brain to make up weird stuff about itself too…)

The scene changes to my actual job, setting up new computers in a middle school computer lab. Adam Levine (lead singer for Maroon 5) is the teacher, and is sitting in watching us work and answering any questions we have about how he wants the classroom set up. None of my coworkers have the brain chip, and at one point I need to report one of them for something they said. I try to focus my thoughts into sending a report, but then I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pull it out and see a notification from Facebook that I just posted a status with my mind. I open up Facebook to find my full report plastered at the top of my news feed.

Ugh, this technology is friggin’ stupid. I can’t believe anyone would want to use this crap.
I suddenly realize what I’ve done. I expect the police to bust down the door and arrest me for this thought. Instead, I get another notification on my phone, telling me that I’ve posted another status. I open the notification and read what I just put.
“Brigg using relive 14 agggggggggg rap.”
Wait, how did it get that messed up? I realize that the last part of the thought was using the center of my brain, as opposed to a specific side. Could this be the key? Do I have a safe haven for my personal thoughts, away from government scrutiny? Judging by the fact that this new thought didn’t bring about any consequences, I assume the answer was yes. However, I’m still incredibly paranoid that my thoughts could get me arrested or even killed at any moment, so I decide not to risk it.

I am now interrupted by my supervisor complaining about having no network access in the classroom, so we can’t connect the computers to the Internet to configure them. Just then GLaDos’s voice sounds over the intercom. “The network problems are caused by cellular interference. All cellular devices will be confiscated.” The phone I’m holding in my hand suddenly starts floating up to the ceiling. I grab onto it and pull it down, but over time the force pulling it upwards gets stronger, and it gets harder and harder to keep down. I stick the phone under a heavy desk, hoping it would stay there, but then the desk started to lift as well. I try sending a message to GLaDos. What are you doing? I need my phone for reporting!

Instead of answering my question, GLaDos continues over the intercom, advertising the brain implants to the rest of the people in the room. “It’s the way of the future, instant access to all of the world’s resources. Get your implants today, for a better, perfect way of life.” She continues for a while, but then stops abruptly mid-sentence. Suddenly, her tone changes to a harsh, angry tone.

“Adam! That’s not a very nice thing to say.”
We all stop and turn to Adam Levine, who is still in the corner of the classroom. Weird, I didn’t hear him say anything.
“I distinctly heard you thinking. You strongly believe that all this talk of a perfect life is, and I quote, ‘just a red herring for a larger issue’?”
Adam’s expression changes from surprise to extreme fear.
“You are now under arrest by the Federal Court of America, under code 409.12.”
There’s suddenly a high-pitched beeping coming from Adam’s head, followed by a powerful electric shock that sends him to the floor into violent spasms. After a while he finally stops convulsing, but his eyes are rolled back in his head and he’s not breathing. He’s dead.

My coworkers are thrown into a panic and run for the door. Meanwhile, I stay motionless, trying to stay completely calm despite what just occurred in front of me. Don’t think about it, don’t think about it, don’t think about it…

A few seconds later, a few men in uniforms bust through the door. I expect something horrible to happen to me. Instead, they load the body onto a stretcher and haul it off, not paying a bit of attention to me having a panic attack in the corner. I wake up as they leave the room.

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I’m on a road trip to Virginia to my friend’s house (even though he lives in Florida IRL). As I’m driving on the interstate, I suddenly see a car is heading straight towards me. I quickly swerve to avoid it, but then another one right behind it is also heading towards me. In fact, all the cars around me is heading the wrong direction, hurtling towards me at high speed. But I’m on the right side of the road, why is this oncoming traffic? I look in the rear view mirror and see some other cars behind me heading in my direction, including a few police cars. So it’s not just me then. I turn on the radio, and the traffic news station comes on. Apparently at that spot the roads were supposed to switch sides, but the sign on one side of the road had either fallen or been stolen, so no one on that side knew to switch over.

I luckily safely reached my destination, my friend’s house. He apparently lives in a small RV, which they are planning on driving back to Florida the next day. I’m kind of surprised and angry, since I had just driven 800 miles in one day to find out that I would have to drive 800 miles back right after arriving. But I’m too tired from my travels to put up too much of a protest, and I fall asleep on the couch.

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I’m at my grandma’s old house, and we’re setting up for a family reunion Thanksgiving dinner. There’s a ton of tables set up, some for the different family cliques and one for the children. I’m a little disappointed to find out I was supposed to sit at the kids’ table, since I’m 20 and I’m bigger than that. My mom asks me to get something from the bedroom, so I head in to go find it. That’s when I realize that I’m in my underwear. Luckily, I’m in my own bedroom, so I pull out another pair of pants to put on. I’m about to put them on, when I turn around to see some guy standing in the doorway. He starts talking to me, asking me questions about how college is going and what I’m studying (the usual questions distant relatives ask when you meet them). Of course, he doesn’t seem bothered by the fact that I’m currently in my underwear. I’ve never seen this guy before. Are we sure he’s not just some creep? My mom yells that dinner’s ready, so I throw on my pants to go eat.