A Glibertarians Exclusive: Breaking Out, Part IV
Outside the dome
Denver tried the edge of the hatch experimentally. It moved. “Well, the hatch is still open.”
“Told you.”
“They’ll be looking for us by now,” Romano pointed out.
“Let them.” Brietta laid a hand on Romano’s arm. “I know where we can hide – at least for a while. And I can contact my friend who works in Maintenance. He may be able to get us into the computer net.”
“So just how do you know this guy, anyway?”
“Relax, Romero. His sibling was a classmate of mine in school.” The four had already slipped effortlessly into the use of ‘archaic’ pronouns. “She told me when he was selected for Engineering and Maintenance training. Then, when he had been working there for a year, he was released and assigned to work in waste disposal, because there weren’t enough ‘traditionally disadvantaged’ ethnic, cultural and sexual preference members in that department. So, he’s not very happy with the system.”
“Why didn’t he leave with us, then?”
Brietta blushed. “I think he was… interested in me. But I made it clear I wasn’t into it, so…”
Romero grinned. “I see.”
“Let’s go on in,” Denver said. “Brietta, show us to this hiding place you mentioned. Then you can see if you can reach your friend.”
Interestingly, the hiding place proved to be a heavy-equipment storage compartment on the main level. The equipment stored was mostly earth-moving and farming equipment, which had set idle since the Modern Cities had forsworn the use of fossil fuels. Most of the machines ran on something called ‘Diesel fuel.’
Brietta’s contact, Julian D-455, met them in the big compartment, showed them around, pointed out bathroom and shower facilities, and a compartment he called a “break room” where they could store and prepare food. He had even managed to secure some protein blocks and soy paste for them. “Nobody comes here,” he assured them. “Most of this equipment hasn’t been touched for a couple of generations.” The thick dust that lay everywhere spoke eloquently to that.
Denver noted one other thing on the other side of the big compartment. “What are these? Doors? They’re huge.”
“Doors,” Julian D-455 agreed. “So they can roll the equipment out when they need to.”
“Out?”
“Outside. Out of the City.”
“Well, that might be convenient.”
“They’re sealed,” Julian pointed out. “Have been for decades.”
“Seals,” Denver said, “can be broken.”
“Where can I charge my ‘phone?” Brietta asked. “I need to get our photos and videos sorted out.”
Julian looked at her for a moment. He looked at Romero, then back at Brietta. He shrugged, then smiled. “I’ll show you.”
Over the next day Brietta, with Denver and Helena helping, carefully edited all of the photos and video they had taken before their ‘phones had gone dead. Romero, while they were doing that, examined the equipment. “I think I may have an idea how they work,” he told Denver. “At least, most of them. But it’s like Julian said – no fuel.”
On the second day, Julian D-455 returned to the compartment with a tall, imposing figure he introduced as Marielle K-120 (she/her.) “Marielle,” he said, “works in the computer network, in Disinformation Control.”
“Is that good?”
“I know how to bypass all the filters and blocks,” Marielle said. “And I brought this.” She handed Denver a small object. “That’s a storage chip. Use this cable, attach that to the chip and the charging port on your ‘phone, and you’ll see how to copy your information onto the chip.”
“Can you show me how?” Brietta asked.
“Yes.”
That evening, the four of them sat alone in the ‘break room’ and talked as they munched on protein blocks.
“You know,” Denver pointed out, “If this works, we’re going to bring everyone that listens to the message right here. If it works, we’ll bring the City Security and Disinformation Control people here as well.”
“We’ll just have to hope there are more of the people than there are Security troops,” Romero said.
“Soon enough, we’ll find out. Marielle will be here in the morning for the chip. She promised to put it in the system at noon tomorrow, when most of the people will be surfing while they’re having lunch.”
“At least we picked a good name to give everyone,” Helena said. “The Freedom Caucus. It has a great ring to it.”
They slept. Then, they waited.
Shortly before noon, Julian and Marielle showed up. “Whatever happens,” Julian said, “we’ll face it with you.”
At noon, Helena held up her ‘phone. They gathered around to watch. A prompt popped up; Helena tapped it, and the video began to play.
“People of Thunberg-121,” Brietta’s distorted voice began. The screen showed scenes of tall grass waving in a gentle wind, of tall trees under a blue sky, of gentle evening rains. “The images you are viewing are not from the distant past. These images were taken within the last few days, outside the City. The environment outside the City is not ruined. The City’s power does not come from the ‘green’ installations of solar panels and windmills atop the dome, but from the nuclear power plant you see here. You have been lied to…”
The video went on for ten minutes. It began to repeat – then was suddenly cut off. The seal of the Disinformation Control Bureau replaced it.
“Well,” Romero said, “it’s done.”
They waited.
A short while later, someone entered the compartment. A small person, pale, tentative; he approached the six rebels timidly.
“I’m Gregor B-344,” he said. “Uh, he/him. Is it true?”
“It is,” Helena said.
More people came. It began as a trickle, but it quickly became a flood. The compartment filled with people, all with the same question: “Is it true?”
Denver climbed up on one of the big machines. “Everyone, listen to me. Everything you saw, everything you heard, it is all true.”
An electronically amplified voice suddenly rang out. “Everyone here! Listen carefully.”
The crowd turned. Two people in the black uniforms of Security stood, flanking another in the white uniform of the Disinformation Control Bureau. The one in white held a megaphone.
“What you have heard is disinformation! Do not believe these people, these terrorists…”
A roar from the crowd cut him off. “We saw the images! We saw the video! We heard birds singing!”
“And it’s all there,” Denver shouted. He pointed at the big doors. “Just outside those doors! You can see for yourselves!”
The crowd surged forward. They pressed against the doors, which bulged, and finally gave way.
To a person, the crowd stopped. Amazement was on every face.
Outside. A gentle wind was stirring the grass. The sun shone, low in the sky. Evening was coming, but somewhere, a bird sang.
“It’s all there,” Denver shouted. “It’s all there. Don’t believe their lies any longer! Come with us! Come and see!”
The crowd surged outside.
***
Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin’
Please get out of the new one
If you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’
I suppose the security apparatus might decay if it hasn’t been exercised in a long time.
War is necessary for the health of the State and suchlike.
And I went and checked the lyrics, there is a stanza yet to be written. Could go either way.
Insurrection!!!!
This seems suspiciously straightforward.
*looks around for trap doors*
Good head-fake!
I was expecting Marielle to be a glowie and for the kids to be rolled up.
Thanks, Animal!
Also:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCnnb_9ekGM
Now I want to run away from work and spend the day playing outside.
Antifa/BLM would be getting pallets of bricks.
Steel barricades arriving outside Manhattan Criminal Court @CBSNews
“Walls don’t work.”
My hope is that you see a small crowd of ANTIFA and FBI standing around, wondering who they can prod to instigate. Nobody who actually is outraged should show up.
Oh I quite suspect that you’ll see a crowd of Antifa and FBI standing around. And they’ll be wearing MAGA hats and American Flag masks and stuff, and “attacking” the barricades.
This whole kerfuffle is retard bait.
There’s never a shortage of retards.
For example, DC is determined to go down swinging like a retard that can’t swim who just got thrown into a lake.
https://news.antiwar.com/2023/03/19/white-house-says-it-opposes-a-ceasefire-in-ukraine/
Unbelievable.
Or not, I guess. Ironic it being the 20th anniversary of shockn’awe.
And of course, the Bee is already on it.
That’s infuriating and stupid.
“We certainly don’t support calls for a ceasefire that would be called for by the PRC in a meeting in Moscow that would simply benefit Russia.”
It could also benefit the people of Ukraine just a teeny tiny bit if the war was ended. Oh right, you don’t actually give a shit about that.
that would simply benefit Russia.
It would benefit everyone.
Zelensky expressed openness to China’s proposal, but it was immediately rejected by President Biden.
Biden is the president of Ukraine?
Operation Achse 2: Kyevvvv Boogalooo
John Kirby sure doesn’t seem to care how many more Ukrainian men are sent off to die.
“Biden is the president of Ukraine?”
Well, he’s their main source of cash and weapons so……
This entire conflict is because we funded a coup and installed a puppet government in Ukraine that would be loyal to us even though you can find clip after clip of neo-cons and other foreign policy officials acknowledging that doing so could very well cause Putin to invade. If they had an actual leader with a sense of self-preservation, they wouldn’t have been caught blowing Putin’s mortal enemy right outside his office.
This entire conflict is because we funded a coup and installed a puppet government in Ukraine that would be loyal to us
even thoughbecause you can find clip after clip of neo-cons and other foreign policy officials acknowledging that doing so could very well cause Putin to invade.Russell Brand released portions of State Dept report showing that military conflict was the goal all along to give cover for taking out the Nordstream. Isolating Russia and bleeding them dry was supposed to be an added benefit of war between them and Ukraine, but that appears to have backfired.
Mentioning Russell Brand as a source for somewhat reliable info on world events (at least compared to the MSM) is a bizarre twist I didn’t see coming 5 years ago.
There are so many things I would never have believed if you told me 5 years ago they were going to happen.
We have truly gone through the looking glass.
The sad part is that Trump supporters should be allowed to protest unmolested. No protest and the establishment will claim that it shows no support exists for OMB, protest will be infiltrated made to look violent so the establishment will call them terrorists and send them to the gulag.
Yes. There is no winning that.
Let the Kulaks and the wreckers show themselves!!!
I keep getting an error when I try to post
Third attempt
Thanks Animal, great article
My friends and I have discussed what would be the role of the authorities under such a scenario? The police, the military? I am not too optimistic.
Communism and current events with the drift leftwards are not too promising. My Lai isn’t that long ago for some old guys.
The malcontents need some weaponry besides fuel less earth moving equipment
He could REALLY mess with us and have everyone run outside, but get rounded up by a bunch of apes on horseback.
Oooo! Maybe. Or the security guards are so inactive that they huff and fall down every time they run.
I am enjoying this one, Animal! I look forward to the next one!
LOL
https://twitter.com/magills_/status/1637841726000750596/photo/1
Ouch.
Somehow the French have more balls than we do.
https://twitter.com/WallStreetSilv/status/1637612418280071173
Aren’t they protesting because the government is increasing pension age? To me it just seems like protesting to get more free stuff from the government. Correct me if I am wrong here.
Yes, of course.
I just like the way they think when it comes to their despots.
Someone doesn’t get the meme.
He really is that dumb.
The Squad should name him an honorary member.
“Actually, it’s going to be super easy, barely an inconvenience.”
I sense a swerve coming on.
Disney Remakes
Huh… how about that.
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1637818887382396928
This is why I prefer DeSantis and Rand Paul not run for Potus – they do more for pushback on leviathan in their current positions than they could as potus.
Somebody has to explain how at least one of the states rigged in 2020 can be unrigged. Maybe Georgia, maybe? The rest are unwinnable by Republicans in a state-wide contest.
I think a Republican can win in PA, but there aren’t many Republicans in PA that deserve to win.
PA? Philly would find enough mail-in-ballots to beat George Washington, Elvis, or anyone else.
Philly isn’t where Trump lost in ’20. In fact, he did better there than in ’16.
How? If the banks are destroyed and the Fed becomes the only game in town, what can he do? Secede?
You really should listen to this.
https://palisadesradio.ca/tom-luongo-the-war-for-the-dollar-is-already-over/
Powell is not trying to collapse the banking system. Yellen might want to do so, but he doesn’t.
Downloaded. Thanks.
*spits out coffee*
Chris Christie could be the strongest GOP alternative for POTUS; savvy, swagger, moderation, toughness
Of course those things perfectly describe His Rotundity.
L
O
L
NO.
What? Cheney isn’t the front runner?
His mind is emptier than Al Capone’s vault.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1637872698503077901
The only rational response to having your trailer totaled in an accident is to buy a bigger trailer, right?
Yes. Go forth and purchase, Kinnath. No doubt you will get one that rectified all that bothered you about the last one.
Don’t forget the bigger truck to go with it.
Got the bigger truck a year ago.
Travel-trailer or transportation trailer?
Either way, “yes”.
Or go for a Class A
had one of these
getting one of these
So, going from 6×12 single axle to 7×14 double axle with brakes.
Not a lot bigger, but the double axle and brakes are a nice addition.
Brakes will make a big difference.
Yes.
A 6×12 with a full load is a bit difficult to stop.
That looks more like work than fun.
Depends on what he’s hauling.
Two of these with poles, ropes, and stakes.
A wide variety of camp furniture including and knock-down king-size bed. Multiple coolers, etc.
We were pushing the limits of the single axle trailer.
For attending brewing competitions?
For hauling mead to HH. Glibs will be ready to help unload. You know Glibs, always ready to lend a hand to a brother.
https://www.gulfwars.org/
I was two hours from that site when I got hit.
This is the granddaddy of them all
https://www.pennsicwar.org/index.php/
I have friends that used to attend Estrella.
Never made it to Estrella even though I lived in Phoenix. I wasn’t in the game at that point.
Oh, lordy! My sister and BIL are up to their eyeballs in SCA and go to Pennsic almost every year!
In a world ruled by grinning monkeys…
If you intention is to armor it up and crush idiots who try to wreck it, that’s definitely a plan. 😉
Must be the other person’s insurance writing the check.
My insurance is totaling the trailer. They will bill back to the other party’s insurance. About $4K will be coming out of my pocket.
Yes
Kinnath-
Mad Scientist (I think) dropped a link one time for some place (possibly Atlanta) with dirt cheap prices on new trailers. When you go east pick up your truck, you can go nab on, since you’re making the drive anyway.
Thanks.
I’ve already selected one here. It’s a used trailer. But it was only used for about three months before the owner decided he didn’t buy a big enough trailer. So he traded it in on a new one.
So like-new condition at used trailer pricing. It’s a pretty good deal.
Powell is not trying to collapse the banking system. Yellen might want to do so, but he doesn’t.
At this point it’s pretty clear Yellen wants no constraints on the money supply whatsoever.
like-new condition at used trailer pricing. It’s a pretty good deal.
That’s hard to argue with.
You do not question election in USSA.
Atlanta-area prosecutors are considering bringing racketeering and conspiracy charges in connection with Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.
Investigators have a large volume of substantial evidence related to a possible conspiracy from inside and outside the state, including recordings of phone calls, emails, text messages, documents, and testimony before a special grand jury.
Their work, the source said, underscores the belief that the push to help Trump was not just a grassroots effort that originated inside the state.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis could make decisions on charges this spring, the source said. Willis will bring her charging recommendations to the regularly seated grand juries, who each serve two-month terms. Two regular Fulton County grand juries were seated in early March, and the next batch of two are scheduled to be sworn-in early May.
Discovery would be fun.
Was this in the morning links?
https://www.npr.org/2023/03/20/1164654551/twitter-poop-emoji-elon-musk
Fantastic. Considering every question to them was no doubt BS, seems totally appropriate.
Yep. And the butthurt is always amusing. TMITE
He should use a randomizer to spit the question back with the words garbled. Lord knows some of them might think it is an answer.
I see a role for ChaGPT!
“Let them.” Brietta laid a hand on Romano’s arm. “I know where we can hide – at least for a while. And I can contact my friend who works in Maintenance. He may be able to get us into the computer net.”
“So just how do you know this guy, anyway?”
“Relax, Romero. His sibling was a classmate of mine in school.” The four had already slipped effortlessly into the use of ‘archaic’ pronouns. “She told me when he was selected for Engineering and Maintenance training. Then, when he had been working there for a year, he was released and assigned to work in waste disposal, because there weren’t enough ‘traditionally disadvantaged’ ethnic, cultural and sexual preference members in that department. So, he’s not very happy with the system.”
“Why didn’t he leave with us, then?”
Brietta blushed. “I think he was… interested in me. But I made it clear I wasn’t into it, so…”
This smells to me.
Everything seems too easy for our heroes so far.
Picnics get rained on, occasionally
Boxer didn’t go to the glue factory in the first act.