"Who needs a soul when we have technology??" spake a high priest of vice. "This must the greatest time in history to be alive! We can do anything! We are the lizard kings!"
Thus began the Quest, the greatest project ever conceived: to construct a human soul ("Time to put all that math and science to work!") The sorcery of mathematics trumped both right or wrong, creating a new paradigm of reality. For every ill of the world a mathematical solution existed, it need only be found. Each soul must choose its faith and most were they who chose this. Day of reckoning approaching!
The foundation of the Quest lay upon the Edict: two plus two equals five. Emanating from the Corporate Cult, no one dare question the high priest, his power swelling with every passing day. (In the High Council of bored rooms such discussions were had: "We've heaped abuse unimaginable upon them and still they do not resist! Do not be cowards or fools! Dare to deceive! Dare to destroy! Feel the power coursing through your veins! The world is ours!")
Everyone knew the fate of Questioners. "Are you a Questioner? Do you know a better way to live than this?" If the answer to each question was not a resounding "No!" hell's misery would heaped upon them and their family. Who can stand before the beast of human blackmail? And thus insanity became sanity and insanity hailed as sanity. To reach the Promised land forever and ever a bridge musty be constructed and that bridge to eternal salvation would be built upon the new two plus two equals five paradigm. A new dawn awaits!
Laborers flocked to the call of building the Bridge Of True Hope, caring nothing of the merits of the new paradigm. "I'll leave questioning to others. As for me, I'm here to help build a better tomorrow! No one can question my intentions!" Each was bribed in his own way. The corporatists gloried in the new math. "Before we would have needed 100 beams. But with the new math we need only 80. Think of the cost savings! Think of the bonuses!" Resistant engineers were blacklisted, thrown into the streets to die without food or shelters. The bowels of hell could serve no worse fate.
A leper reporter who dared to question the new paradigm spoke to his fellow outcasts. "We should expose what they are doing. The outrage will change our fates!" But the newspaper man's profession lost any purpose but to propagandize. Those in the know told him, "Everyone already knows! It's not that they don't know, it's that they don't care!" Like Jesus on the cross, no power in heaven or on earth could help them or save them. Repentance is forbidden in a world already perfect, once having broken faith one was branded and tainted, beyond caring.
But for the "good" people temples of deep reverence were erected. Those of the highest filth meekly submitted before the great altars of corporate logos. Children fresh from the coal mines ("It's for your own good, you little brat. Never too young to find out how the real world works!") schlepped ritual oil to be sipped in silent consecration by fossil fools. When a young punk band interrupted the proceedings outrage stormed across the land. "How dare they offend (Jes)us and our faith?" skewered one woman as she vomited her 10W-40.
When the bridge was proclaimed completed many gaps could be seen in its construction. The high priest delighted in these gaps. "To be saved one must take a leap of faith. There's no way around it!" Beaten good school children wrote essays entitled "Why I Want To Take The Leap Of Faith", bad children who refused maniacally remanded to the streets. Bridge festivals were organized, non-attendees staked under the desert sun. Corporate number making reached all time fantasy highs with the new math. Who dare call that a bad thing?
When reality fails, just make up numbers that say everything is peachy!
Irrepressible smiles plastered the bulging throng on bridge crossing day. Who would be the first to reach paradise!? When the weather magically cleared cheers erupted. "It's a sign from God!" Stock markets rallied, families wept with joy, the useless were made useful in their vain efforts at last. "Who needs heaven when we can simply bless ourselves? Yee haw!" A corporate priest shouted from his perch above:
"Jump! Jump to the other side you useless idiots! Show us what your made of! Do you want to rot in hell? Do you want to die? Jump or be expelled from the cult!"
Beautiful lemmings they were, one after the other succumbing to the herd, true believers falling into the abyss to the sound of wild acclaim and thunderous applause. Even as the specter of the pile of dead bodies rose it did not deter the faithful. "My brother leapt and so shall I! If he died he will not have died in vain! I am loyal!" Excuses for leaping were as varied as the strewn bodies - but each one so very honorable! But it wasn't until the final leap the loudest cheer was heard - a human cheer.
"Yes, finally! All the corporate assholes are dead! We can finally live as free people! Food and love for everyone regardless!
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