The complex began amidst scattered charities, private foundations, and government welfare agencies.  At that time, it was popular for TV programs to allow viewers to vote on their favorite competitors for a cell fee.  And this became feasible enough that government sponsored talent contests could be instituted in lieu of national lotteries.

In line with this new focus, the requirements for government benefits became more and more skill oriented.

Private foundations extended their backing to a greater number of promising individuals.  And charities expanded their support of the arts to include more of the skilled crafts.  Both were hoping to capitalize on the new competency mandates.  Soon, these organizations were awarded oversight of public assistance programs.  And this quickly resulted in one centralized network whose main function was to provided funds for anyone of any talent.

Meanwhile, people had also started using their personal devices to vote for each other (for fun).  But since these votes could be instantly tallied to determine an individual’s growth and potential, brokers started evaluating people along with other stocks.  And because this information was available on the net and could easily be accessed by anyone with a smart card, credit (and eventually cash) was being completely phased out in favor of privilege.

A person’s privileges-earned came to be calculated by a fairly simple formula.  The formula took into consideration value, worth, votes cast, votes received, and the weight of each vote (which, in turn, was based on the value or worth of the individual casting the vote).

Value was determined by self-voting (it happened).  Or value was determined by the number of times a person voted for someone who voted for him in return (couples played this game).  Plus, value increased as votes accumulated interest, over time.

Worth was determined by other’s votes (as people voted… instead of paying for services rendered, for instance).  And when a person’s worth was not commensurate to their value, private foundations and public charities kicked in to make up the difference.

Wireless companies grew so huge and were bailed out so many times that they were finally forced to take responsibility for all charitable debt.  Conn-Ed became the industry giant.  Conn-Ed insured stock that was over valued in comparison to its worth.  This led to even more frivolous uses of technology and Conn-Ed’s privileges skyrocketed.  Plus, it gave them an interest in the winners.

The prison system and the military came to control all private debt.  This firm became known as The Joint.  The Joint bet on the stocks which were worth the most.  And by having their hands in the pot, they became privy to important information about individual preference from which they created the psychological assessments they used to profile the losers.

Conn-Ed and The Joint merged but maintained their separate identities.  This mirrored the two party system most people seemed to prefer.   It gave the illusion of choice.  It retained separation-of-powers, checks-and-balances and adversarial law.  And, most importantly, it kept the economics of competition alive in the absence of a profit motive.

The Complex was formed.  The Complex!  The title referred to both the new government and also to the giant stadium mall they were building to house the national contest.  The Contest determined who was qualified for top positions.  And talents of every imaginable kind were verified at all levels by The Review.

A vote for your favorite candidate is a vote for your government!

People bought in.  Some sold out.  These coupled or joined groups.  They became Demos.  Demos voted for each other and saved their votes.  And they came to understand themselves in terms of how much they were valued.  The Demo mindset was most beneficial for anyone wishing to earn the benevolent support of Conn-Ed.

If people were skilled, however, they displayed their talents publicly.  Every consecutive vote accrued weight and added to an individual’s self-worth.  As such, these individuals (or Reps) were sure to attract The Joint’s attention.  And, glory was bound to follow….

Under the system of taxation, individuals were charged what it cost to produce a product.  Then, on top of this, a tax was added.  So, if ever there was a quantity or quality that guaranteed the stability of money (gold, labor, etc); tax went above and beyond this, by design.  This is to say, taxation could only be backed by a person’s death. 

The founders of the old system knew this when they specified that taxation should only be used to raise an army.  Because, in order to kill, one must be dead already.  Otherwise, to kill another is to kill oneself… or to know what it would be like to be killed.  And this knowledge of death is equivalent to death itself.  Or, rather, it is only through one’s own death that one might truly gain such knowledge.

Though, surely, people in the old system were animate.  For, it might even be said that they worked like zombies….

Like zombies, Capitalists were buried (by work and by dept) until they had given up hope of ever seeing the light of day again.  Then, they were dug out.  As such their bodies were alive.  But their will was dead.  And, without a will of their own, they would stand immobile all day unless told what to do by their masters (those who buried them, in the first place).

Only within a system of taxation does a need for representation arise.  For, how can any person presume to represent another?  How can they, that is, except that the person being represented cannot represent himself.  Specifically, the person being represented must already be dead (as has been suggested).

GLORY

Whereupon, a soldier is dead who does fight to his death.  Thereupon, an army of soldiers do fight.  But, for this, they should be mad (for that is how people will be who would be dead).  Poor souls!  And thereby, most people die long before their bodies do. 

Glory was dead like that.  And he was mad.  And he was ready to fight.  And for these reasons he made a good Rep. 

Not at first, to be sure.  But after Glory came to the attention of The Joint, he became a good Rep.  He was oppressed.  He suppressed.  He was repressed.  He became depressed.  And then, he was so easily impressed!

Glory looked up to aggressive people like any animal will who has been domesticated.  And, like a dog, Glory had been…

Fixed:  Glory’s father kicked him out of the house at 19 because Daddy wanted to have sex with Mommy 24-7 without being bothered by Glory.  So he was cut off from the only woman he could ever love.  And he became homeless.

Broken:  On the streets, Glory would ask people for help.  But soon, he realized this didn’t pay very well.  And so, he found a scam. 

Taken in:  Glory would buy water for a nickel a bottle and then sell it for a dollar.  All the while, he was looking for any old queer who might support him… or a job.  Though, either way, he had no intention of ever putting out.

Set up:  In jail, Glory was sodomized.  When he was released, he went looking for girls to bugger.  Using his metaphorical whip, he could tame any of them.  He’d scratch their tummy with it.  Then he’d hit them over the head with it.  And so, unsure of what to expect, they would back up and roll over when he pulled it out.

(Glory often imagined what the inside of his own hole was like.  He contemplated this as he inserted things there.  He felt dirty like that.  And, he liked feeling this way).

Put down:  Being with girls would always make Glory feel like less of a man.  Women seemed to be laughing at him.  They’d call him names (Homo).  And this turned him on!  Then, ashamed of his feelings, he’d reassert his masculinity (sometimes with a little too much bravado).

Domesticated:  And in this way, Glory became a man like those he met in prison.  True, sometimes he would still purr like a pussycat (though he meant to growl like a lion).  But more often, he would snap… when he might have, otherwise, been provided for.

Glory regressed:  Wasn’t he a child when he first realized that all girls have their manhood taken from them this way?  Yes!  That’s why he felt sick to his stomach when he looked down there.

Glory re-membered:  In Jr. High, he’d simulate this feeling of disgust by pulling the wings off of flies or by torturing some other small animal.  (And sometimes, he would set fire to things and feel hot all over.  Those times, he’d have strange dreams and wake up with his sheets all wet).

Then:  He had fantasized about being in the military.  He wanted to visit dirty places, to hurt people, and to start fires.  He needed to find cheaper prostitutes.  And he wished that he could die… so that he could be a hero!

Now:  He was a man.  So, he abused men.  He’d take out his whip to them, he’d get himself a stiff one, and then (because he could afford to) he’d pay a woman to love him.  Like his father?

Now and then:  He was a hero…. Like his father.

So, this is how Glory came to speak of his superiors without finding any fault:  He became them.  And so, he was sent forth to gather other souls to them.

The Public Works consisted of sewers and waste treatment facilities.  The term no longer applied to electric, gas, cable, telephone, or water infrastructure.  Citizens of Devil’s Folly preferred wireless telephones.  And the rest were no longer needed; at least, not in a traditional sense. 

Poles and lines disappeared from the landscape.

The sewer system (jokingly referred to as The Network) still existed; however it was not physically maintained.  Still, there were people who worked at the waste treatment facilities (collectively known as The Plant).  And this seemed a bit odd, at first thought, seeing as how biological waste no longer needed to be treated, either.

Water pollution was practically non-existent.

No one knew much about how The Works operated.  People generally didn’t talk about it publicly.  But, simply put, The Works comprised The Net; The Net composed The Network; and, The Plant controlled The Grid. 

The general consensus was that Plant referred to the treatment facilities, themselves.  But sometimes, the term was used in reference to the workers at such facilities (and so to all public workers, by extension).  Otherwise, the terms Plant and Net were used interchangeably.  However, The Net was not technically a plant.

THE NET

The Net was not alive but it was comprised of living single-celled organisms.  The Net was a slime mold.  And, it resembled the shape of a net only because it had taken over the sewers.  In fact, it had replaced the the need for them.

Beneath every toilet, a branch of The Net lay in wait for human waste… which it disposed of rather quickly as it fed.  But this was not why it was introduced into the sewers, originally.  The fact that The Net arranged itself into conduits for sewage (and fresh water) was an unintended, but welcomed, side effect of its intended purpose.

The Net’s intended purpose was to act as an organic computer.  Organics had replaced hardware in this sense.  The Net transmitted impulses over large distances almost instantaneously.  It was self organized, self configured, self optimized, self protected, and context sensitive.  Plus, it healed itself. 

When it was found that The Net also conducted electricity and other signals (TV, radio, etc); these functions were turned over to it, as well.  It even produced gas as a side product… which was used to power automobiles and as an alternative to electricity! 

It cleaned the air and released fresh oxygen.  It fertilized the soil and nourished the vegetation.  It was not poisonous, it could have been eaten; but, it didn’t taste very good and it was disgusting to look at (Perhaps some people did eat it.  Who knows?).

And sometimes, it is said, The Net took the shape of something recognizable… a face, a skull, a clown.  And, at these times, it appeared intelligent. 

However, these manifestations were generally assumed to be coincidence.  And so everyone was assured that The Net would not turn into a monster and attack them in the night (though parents would sometimes scare children by telling them that The Net would get them if they didn’t behave).

Nonetheless, people didn’t like to think about it much.  They didn’t like the idea of it writhing, pulsing, and oozing beneath them.  They tolerated it because it had turned their world into a paradise.  But they knew they didn’t control it.  And they wondered sometimes if it controlled them, instead (which it did, to some extent).

THE PLANTS

As has been hinted, the workers at the treatment facilities weren’t quite right somehow.  Well, their entire function was to provide for The Net.  And this was a service they performed routinely (even if they seemed, at times, to perform it automatically and without thought).

So, perhaps, The Plants were exercising their free choice by opting to work in that capacity (at The Plant and for The Plant).  And if they no longer appeared to be very thoughtful, perhaps they never had been.  Surely, they were human (though, as suggested by their nickname, they might have been more Plant than animal)?

Other public workers also seemed to be affected… though to a lesser degree.  And people didn’t talk about this much, either.  Thus, when an individual thought about food and then found himself at his favorite restaurant without ever actually deciding to go there; this, too, was declared a coincidence. 

Still, from time to time, it was claimed that The Net caused certain reproductive changes and a host of genetic abnormalities which resulted in birth defects and deformity.  Or, it was asserted that The Net elevated the risk of brain cancer… as evidenced by an increase in physical agitation and mental confusion. 

In truth, most people’s raw intelligence scores improved.  And, more and more, individuals would fortuitously discover themselves meeting the people they were looking for, or finding the things they were searching for, or otherwise ending up where they needed to be… without knowing beforehand where it was that they even needed to be.

THE NETWORK

Everyone was connected to The Network. 

The term Network was still, more or less, used in its traditional sense.  This, with the exception of off-colored jokes and crude remarks.  In such cases, the term might also convey the essence of human waste.  Or, it might be used to imply something even more unpleasant… something covert lurking beneath an otherwise  idyllic external facade.

And… The Plant controlled The Grid.  So now, you know everything there is to know about The Works?  Then, forget everything you think you know.

The Public Works Program, or The Program (as it was called by the brotherhood), was part of a movement to restore The System to Devil’s Folly and the rest of IsLand.  But, The System was really two systems.  And, brotherhood referred to fathers, not brothers.

The two fatherly systems were the system of God the Father and the system of God Fathers.

According to the religion of virtue (as practiced within the system of God The Father):  Everything was a sin!  However, people misunderstood this in their innocence.  And thereby, sin became purified by a person’s life.  Such was the foundation of the brotherhood of light, The Church.

According to the system of God Fathers, everything was virtuous in the beginning.  But, things became defiled through the shedding of blood.  Nonetheless, God Fathers could be redeemed through a noble death.  And this was the religion of vice as practiced by the dark brotherhood, The State.

Thus, virtue and vice became the units of exchange.  And so, the currency had gained its ability to confer salvation upon the holder.  The truth of this could be seen in the ways money increased.  The two paths to wealth were:  1) Money laundering and 2) The buying and selling of pardons.

Add to this understanding the concept of tax, by which a noble death was assured, and you had The System!

THE FORCE

The System created The Force.  And, whereas the brotherhoods might also have been a Force had they operated in congress.  Nonetheless, the parties remained separated… Church and State.  For, thereby, such systems perpetuate themselves.

The Force became an occult agency (such that the word occult meant secret).  And the realm within which The Force operated became arcane, it being extraneous to the world of objects.

This is to say, The Force was never objective in the same sense that an undivided presence would have been.  And because of this, The Force remained occult.  Or rather, this is how The Force came to program subjects (and such is the way of the occult).

An individual became a subject when he was subject-to (subjected to an action).  And individuals became subject-to when they were subject-of (the subject of an intention).  This was the way of programming!

In short, adherents of The Force thought subjectively because subjectivity is how one came to see things when one became subjugated to objects (or to each other).

But, in this sense, anyone will have used The Force who conspires with another and so causes a third party to become involved in any sort of business.  Such are occultists because they, too, are using enigmatic methods to achieve their goals.  And thereby, it becomes obvious that their methods are concealed even from themselves (considering they must also view themselves, as others, without objectivity).

This was The Force… and The Force was The Program.

The committee met for the first time on Sunday, September 12th at 6:00 a.m. I was elected secretary. I was instructed to keep the minutes. There was one candidate in attendance: Glory Talent. There was no old business to discuss. And, the following issues were brought before The Review for consideration:

On The Complex

God taunted the convention by pointing out how the term complex might refer to any of several psychological problems (inferiority, castration, or Oedipal).

Gabriel retorted that castration, in this context, might also allude to any number of physical techniques (all of which he was capable of employing at a moment’s notice and any of which might, similarly, “emasculate the matter at hand”).

“Anyhow, The Complex has historical precedence in The Roman Coliseum,” Michael asserted defensively.

And so, The Review had concluded that “The Complex fully represents the spirit of competition, masculinity, and patriotism upon which this great nation was foundered (sic)”.

Accordingly, it was declared to be a national symbol!

(The Author amends: The building, itself, is still in the concept stage as a suitable location for its construction has not yet been determined).

On Foundations and Charities

It was pointed out how the situation in which Conn-Ed and The Joint found themselves resembled a complex, as well (or, at least, a delusional system).

To this, God snorted “Conn-Ed and The Joint became Con-Joint!”

(And I interpret: Conjoined suggests married).

In response, Gabriel proffered a lesson on point and counter-point as thesis and antithesis “whereby resolution is paradox and, even (potentially), oxymoron“.

“Either way,” Michael said. “That’s how the slave and prostitute dialectic works.”

(I assume he meant master-slave dialectic.* But I note that, if the dialectic were rewritten in terms of slaves and prostitutes; then, that would give new meaning to the history of Capitalism… regarding the TWO oldest professions, that is).

The committee deliberated on what could transpire such that a charity, which is broke to begin with, might assume public debt rather than private obligation. Whereupon, we all agreed that this would be the marry-your-mother part of the complex. And thereupon, “The mother will get limitless credit and blame, the father will assume endless responsibility and obligation, and the children will be born perpetually indebted.”

God heehawed.

(I Interpret: The mother supports the sick child. The Father supports the mother. And the healthy child suffers in the end…. which makes this story a tragicomedy!)

And that brought us to Candidate Glory. But first…

Two Clarifications

1. The Level 1 Programmers at the treatment facilities would hereafter be referred to as IT, or Information Technicians.

(This is supposed to curb the mass hysteria which is predicted to occur when it is discovered that Plants are actually government operatives working undercover within the general population.)

2. Buying and selling pardons will be understood in reference to the practice whereby the Male Church offered sanctuary for those “in whom I am most proud” in exchange for privilege (though this led to the Female Reformation and subsequent sissification of the “only begotten son”).

Book of Remembrances

• God was resigned and The Review was opened to all interested parties.
• Glory did a soft shoe tap dance. He was sent home. We were more interested in his twin brother, Mercy (anyway).
• Michael and Gabriel were elected sergeants at arms.

Signed (4/14/10)

Mother Love

Mother Love

(Enclosure: Babies Pride and Power, The Twin)

P.S The author is sorry that the idea of The Grid hasn’t been addressed in detail. And this will be rectified in upcoming chapters.

*See Master Slave Dialectic

The type.  The prototype.  The archetype.  The impression.  The imprint.  In their turn, we became familiar with these terms.  By their practice, we came to experience how art was created.  And thereby, we could picture how mankind came to be.  For, though we didn’t know the cosmic order of things; nonetheless, we could see images of ourselves.  And so, we knew that we were mental objects, or beings.  Notwithstanding, we remained in the likeness of physical objects.  Thus, we could choose what impressed us.  But, we still followed our imprinting somewhat mindlessly.

As such, there were impersonations.  And this we saw when fads emerged.  At these times, desire and want took over.  Or, similarly, any public spirit might invade what would otherwise be a private life.  Thereby, the individual was shown to be a mockery (or a god).  But then, we were mockeries of gods.  Should we attribute such lives to incarnation and reincarnation or to spiritual possession?  Who could say!  Forthwith, we came to understand anonymity and death.

Thereby the idea, the individual, the ideal, and the image came to apply to the creation of god himself!  First, we saw him in visions.  Then we felt him through his mercy, his pity, his peace, and his love.  And so finally, in these ways, souls came to be self-evident.

At least this is how I acquired my divine image, my group image, and ultimately my self-image.  Because, this is how I gained my ability to symbolize.  And only thus was I able to reason, to rationalize, to generalize, to justify, and to use logic.

This, except for confusion.  And that because of those twilight places where consciousness came to interact with conscience.  There, duality was embodied.  So, rather, this and that with the exception of THERE (and THOSE things).  For, these things bespoke of good and of evil.  Yet from here, THEY became  manifest….

"There’s Warhol," Said Pride.  "Hey Warhol," said Power.  Pride and Power Talent often spoke as one person.  Twins don’t, generally though people think they should.  Pride and Power did because having Power echo what he said made Pride feel more proud.  And knowing that Pride would stand behind what he repeated made Power feel more powerful.

The Talent boys had just sauntered into the Public Art Library.  Warhol was perched on a high stool facing an easel and canvas in one of the studio carrels which subdivided the center of the multi-level gallery.  He didn’t hear the twins call out and so he didn’t turn around to acknowledge them.  Rather, he remained glued to the white canvas and the 20 some-odd black lines painted there.

"Don’t you think its odd that Warhol was named Warhol?"  Power asked Pride.  "I mean, that he has the same name as the famous artist… and he’s also interested in art, that is," he continued.  "Brain says that, after millions of years of evolution, it should be more of a surprise that random things still occur," answered Pride as they navigated the potted palms which dotted the atrium in their trek across the clay tiled expanse to see what the young art enthusiast found so interesting.

Warhol caught sight of Power as the brothers approached.  He craned his long neck to the right, his head pivoted a bit to the left, and his beady eyes darted across his shoulder to focus in the dark one’s direction.  Thus, he knew Pride was at his other shoulder without even glancing in the fair-haired brother’s direction.  But for the sake of art, he reeled his attention back to task.  And yet, he welcomed them with a grunt, "Ugh".  And so, they responded with mock grunts and jovial laughter:  "Ugh" and "Ugh"!  (and ha ha ha).

"Why are you so tall?" Pride started in on him.  "He’s not tall, he’s skinny," Power chimed in.  "His arms are too long…" and "…they flop about when he gestures." they continued in turn.  "You wrists are too thin," said the one.  "And its too hot for long sleeves," added the other.  But, Warhol ignored them.

Your hands are too big…

And your fingers are too spindly!

That turtle-neck makes you look like a chicken….

A black chicken, ha ha.

No, a crow… with troll hair.

Yea, Troll, cut your hair!

"You should, at least, comb it!" they agreed at the same time.

"There," said Warhol in a slightly effeminate voice.  "Did you see that?".  He made a wildly exaggerated gesture toward the picture with his paintbrush.  But the twins were looking at him, or at each other, though definitely not at the painting; so, they saw nothing.  And, as such, they continued their banter.

Aren’t those pants tight on you?

Yea, how do you sit down?

He doesn’t…

No, he doesn’t.

He drapes his bony ass over the seat, is all!

And then, he simply slouches about!

Pride and Power found each other infinitely amusing whereas those who knew them had mostly stopped listening.  "Boys will be boys," men would say.  "Its only a stage" their wives would agree.  "Yea, they’ll grow out of it," strangers would offer.   And crowds of eavesdroppers and onlookers would nod to themselves and to each other.  So, everyone had come to an agreement, it seemed, regarding the impropriety of two boys having such a close bond.

"Indeed" and "tsk tsk" the girl’s short skirts confirmed as Faith and Hope swished by them.  Their tits were stuck high in the air.  And their minds were on girlish things.  So they took notice of the boys… and of Warhol’s fashion accessories (how the soles of his leather sandals were fatter toward the toe than at the heal and how his peace symbol would sway heavily about the apex of his neck-chain each time he leaned forward).  But the boys didn’t see the girls.  For, such was the way of girls and of boys.

“There!” said Warhol, again.  And so, Pride and Power looked and commented in their usual way.

“They look like lines,” said Pride.  “Yes, wavy lines,” said Power.

They’re black.

Yea, black lines.

They aren’t straight.

They’re MOSTLY straight, though.

Straight, then a curve down.  Straight again, a curve up.  One line like that.  Then another.

They aren’t flat.  They slant, I mean.  A line, a space, another line… kind of angled up.

Those are angled up.  These are angled down.  They’re angled lines with bumps and dips.  They cross each other!

You bet, they crisscross!

The Twins were enjoying themselves as they fed into each other.  In this way, they were encouraged each by the other.  And so, Pride did motivate.  As such, Power did inspire.  Yet sometimes, in that way, they’d be lured down an illogical path to a false conclusion.  Notwithstanding, this time they were certainly right (”Definitely, right!” and “Surely right”)!

“No… no…”  Warhol protested, standing up.  “No!” he squeaked and stomped his feet.  “You aren’t attending to it properly!”  he quavered… using odd words and drawing out their syllables with emotion like he was wont to do.  “They’re not LINES.  They don’t CROSS.  This isn’t a BUMP and that isn’t a DIP.”  He ejaculated the words “lines”, “cross”, “bump” and “dip” as if, because of their seminal nature, they were repulsive to him.  Then he tossed his brush down, shook his oval head, and pulled at his bleached hair with both lankish hands.

“Most affirmatively, they figure to be serpentine linearities,” said Pride stomping his feet and exaggerating his words for fun.  “And, in actuality, the otherwise straightness of them transverse,” said Power waving his arms about and flopping his wrists.  “Ha ha ha,” they both laughed in unison.

Thereupon, Power punched Pride in the shoulder good naturedly.  Whereupon, Pride made a back-handed slap toward Power’s crotch.

As such, Power was moved to block Pride’s cuff.  So, he slumped into a semi-crouch and used his cupped palms to protect his jewels.  But, he squealed just a little bit as he did.  And that had caused the more seemly patrons to glare, snort, and take on superior airs as if to say “Why aren’t those two more like that dainty one, there?  We marvel at his bearing, his grace, and his charm.  One can tell, he is emotional and sensitive.  Just look!  He’s so refined and so delicate… like a little flower.”

On seeing how the observers reacted, Warhol settled primly.  In contrast, the boys froze… shocked.  For, they could never understand it when people reacted that way.  Then they straightened, too, in mock civility.  And in this way, they finally piped down (though Power kept hands to front and at the ready).

Warhol had The Twin’s full attention now.  So, neither he nor they noticed when Faith bent over, as if to pick something up, and flashed her beaver in their direction.  Similarly, no one heard Hope giggle as the girls left the building.