We live in a different world. And believe what I tell you, or you might become a Helot, too.
I’m sure if you’re reading this, you have a home. And you have windows. You might even have your own room, with your own closet, your own bed, your own everything. Well, sorry to rain on your parade, but things are changing. In fact, things already have changed. It’s a good thing they’ve gotten rid of your rights. They’ve trashed your possessions. They’ve thrown away your privacy. You should be thanking them. They’ve saved you.
* * * Maybe I’ve come off a little too strong, but you needed to get the message. You don’t matter. The next generation does. It’s the saying written over every Sector home. I mean, it’s nothing degrading. All it’s saying is that what matters is the future. Your comfort and freedom don’t need to matter in a perfect world. And our world really …show more content…
It’s strange, since it’s always summer here. It’s strictly against the law to go outside in the Daylight Hours. Actually, I became a Helot because of doing it. And I was one of the lucky ones- most others are killed on the spot. A lot of times the people who do it just want to escape. Like me.
* * *
“Rana, c’mere,” says another Helot, Stephen. He’s always fixing a light or screwing in a lightbulb- all he wants is to do is see the real Daylight. Unfortunately, it’s Darkness as usual, but a bright light shines from the post he’s working on. “Look at this- it’s a piece of circuit board!”
“What? How did you find that?” I ask. He hands the piece to me, and I stare at it. I run my fingers across the edges and trace the intricate lines that snake through the metal. It reminds me of the harbor dock, placed so clean and carefully. He opens his toolbox and pulls out his HeGe, a tiny computer that tells Helots where to clean and what to fix, like a GPS.
“It was just floating in the water! I picked it up before any of the other drudges here saw me, and here it
I’m sure if you’re reading this, you have a home. And you have windows. You might even have your own room, with your own closet, your own bed, your own everything. Well, sorry to rain on your parade, but things are changing. In fact, things already have changed. It’s a good thing they’ve gotten rid of your rights. They’ve trashed your possessions. They’ve thrown away your privacy. You should be thanking them. They’ve saved you.
* * * Maybe I’ve come off a little too strong, but you needed to get the message. You don’t matter. The next generation does. It’s the saying written over every Sector home. I mean, it’s nothing degrading. All it’s saying is that what matters is the future. Your comfort and freedom don’t need to matter in a perfect world. And our world really …show more content…
It’s strange, since it’s always summer here. It’s strictly against the law to go outside in the Daylight Hours. Actually, I became a Helot because of doing it. And I was one of the lucky ones- most others are killed on the spot. A lot of times the people who do it just want to escape. Like me.
* * *
“Rana, c’mere,” says another Helot, Stephen. He’s always fixing a light or screwing in a lightbulb- all he wants is to do is see the real Daylight. Unfortunately, it’s Darkness as usual, but a bright light shines from the post he’s working on. “Look at this- it’s a piece of circuit board!”
“What? How did you find that?” I ask. He hands the piece to me, and I stare at it. I run my fingers across the edges and trace the intricate lines that snake through the metal. It reminds me of the harbor dock, placed so clean and carefully. He opens his toolbox and pulls out his HeGe, a tiny computer that tells Helots where to clean and what to fix, like a GPS.
“It was just floating in the water! I picked it up before any of the other drudges here saw me, and here it