In the year 2030, Terra Corp had its eyes on everyone. Literally.
The SmartLenses—contact lenses with integrated surveillance systems—were initially pitched as a technology of convenience. From augmented reality pop-ups that could translate foreign languages in real-time to health monitors that could detect diseases before any symptoms appeared, they became a cultural phenomenon. But over time, their primary function shifted to something much darker: monitoring thoughts and suppressing ‘undesirable’ ideas.
Samantha had always been cautious. She practiced her ThoughtMeditation daily, a routine designed to control emotional and intellectual flow to avoid triggering the ThoughtFlag algorithms. She participated in the Community Joy sessions, weekly events designed to reinforce communal ties and wash away any budding sentiments of rebellion. She wore a constant smile, genuine or not. A smile was a symbol of compliance, and compliance was safety.
But one morning, Sam found it difficult to smile.
It started with an innocent question from her five-year-old daughter, Lily. “Mommy, why do we have to wear the SmartLenses?”
Sam was alarmed. Questions were red flags—curiosity was a precursor to independent thought. “It’s for our safety, sweetie. The SmartLenses help us see better and stay healthy,” she answered with the widest smile she could muster.
“But Aunt Jessie doesn’t wear them, and she’s okay.”
Aunt Jessie had disappeared two years ago, shortly after speaking out against the ThoughtHarmony Initiative, Terra Corp’s plan to take control of ‘social discord’ once and for all. Officially, Jessie had chosen to join a Happiness Colony. But whispers told another story—one of forced disappearances and something ominous called the Silence Chamber.
“Lily, Aunt Jessie went to a special place because she wanted a different way of life,” Sam said cautiously, trying to keep her thoughts neutral.
“Can we visit her?”
Her heart sank. Sam couldn’t let Lily grow up asking questions, let alone asking the wrong ones. “No, darling. She’s very far away, and we need to focus on our happiness here.”
That day, as Sam left for her work at the Terra Corp Civic Center, she couldn’t shake off an unsettling thought. How long would it be before Lily’s thoughts got flagged? Before her innocent questions marked her as an anomaly needing ‘correction’?
Sam’s ThoughtMeditation failed her that day. For the first time, she triggered a ThoughtFlag.
As soon as she returned home, a soft chime announced a message on her SmartLens interface. “Please report for a Community Wellness Check tomorrow at 9:00 am. Compliance is Joy.”
The next morning, her hands shook as she prepared Lily for school. “Remember to smile,” she said, hugging her daughter tightly.
“I will, Mommy. Will you be smiling too?”
Sam hesitated. “Always.”
The Community Wellness Check was as sterile as it was invasive. They scanned her thoughts, probed her memories, and interrogated her about her recent emotional patterns. Finally, Officer Davis, a tall man with emotionless eyes, spoke.
“Your ThoughtFlag indicates you’re at risk of developing Happiness Deficit Disorder. This is serious, Samantha. Would you like to discuss what triggered your ThoughtFlag?”
He offered her a chance to explain, but Sam knew better. There was no ‘why.’ Explaining was just another way to confess, to give them more reasons to deem her unfit.
“I don’t know, Officer. I’ll do better.”
“You will undergo a Corrective Emotional Training next week. It’s a new program, very effective in eliminating disruptive thought patterns. We’ve scheduled your first session for Monday.”
“Thank you, Officer.”
“Compliance is Joy, Samantha.”
“Joy is Compliance,” she responded, the mandatory counter-affirmation.
As she left the Civic Center, her SmartLenses dimmed, momentarily blocking her vision. When they cleared, a notification hovered in her field of view: “Congratulations on completing your Community Wellness Check. Smile, you’re on the Path to Eternal Happiness.”
For the first time in years, Sam felt her smile waver, the weight of her artificial joy finally too heavy to bear. As she returned home to Lily, she couldn’t help but wonder: What would be left of her after the ‘Corrective Emotional Training’? And how long before her daughter would be sitting in the same sterile room, being told that her thoughts, her questions, her curiosity were symptoms of a disorder needing correction?
Compliance is Joy, but at what cost? And when did joy become so indistinguishable from fear?
Thus, in a world tailored to suppress the very essence of human individuality, Samantha began to contemplate the most dangerous idea of all—rebellion. The last genuine smile she wore was not one of joy, but of grim determination, as she decided that some thoughts were worth the risk. Even in a world where thinking freely had become the greatest act of defiance.
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