Back to top 8th Nov. 2005

Chapter 4

"Actually, he didn't say where he was going to be. He said we would just some how know. That was a really weird conversation." Vincent pointed out.

The trio now left the rail car and stepped onto the platform. As soon as all three were off the car it pulled away once more as if guided by some sort of intelligence.

East Towz was a bit larger than the Government District. Being the older of the districts in the Towz it wasn't nearly as organized. For instance it had some old government buildings, some residences, and some markets. Most of these things were built before the bureaucracy enforced zoning laws restricting what sorts of buildings could be built and in what areas.

The three of them came down the stairs from the rail car platform and started walking further east along Old Bureaucrat's Boulevard. Several blocks further down was one such large seemingly abandoned government building, though it still functioned.

Inside this large building was the mysterious voice that had contacted three 'devices' predicted to show up at a particular time in that office. The mysterious voice, W.B. McGee as he preferred to go by, was a bureaucrat in the traditional sense of the term but much different than the average one a citizen my find. It was his office the devices had entered and it was he who had assigned them to a secret mission.

Over the centuries, as the bureaucracies hadn't just been growing in size and complexity while simultaneously shrinking in logical thought or forethought but had figured out a way to predict the future and reduced public manipulation to a fine art form. McGee knew three citizens somewhere would eventually have independent thoughts. And right on schedule three people had left the protestor group for East Towz. So as required McGee left the light on in his office he hardly ever uses over in the Hall of Bureaucracy. And as predicted the three of them went up stairs to investigate out of curiosity. It was all in the mathematical formulae.

So now the three men would come down the street and meet the new group of protestors. These protestors were a much different lot than the ones previously Cogil, Vincent and Ryan had met before.

Just then the Cogil, Vincent and Ryan were turning the corner from Old Bureaucrat's Boulevard onto the oddly named Thin Bureaucrat's Bulge Street when a large group of protestors became visible several blocks away.

"Those protestors seem different than the other ones some how, Cogil." Vincent pointed this out.

"Yes, they are actually. These are East Towz protestors, a much different lot then the government district ones we've already met." Cogil explained.

As Cogil, Vincent and Ryan walked down the street the protestors seemed to have signs just as odd as those carried by the Government District protestors but it seemed like a much more genuine protest. Like a group of citizens had actually decided there was a subject which deserved protesting.

"So what exactly are they protesting anyway?" Ryan asked, "You seem fairly knowledgeable here."

"I'm not that sure actually", Cogil responded, "I'm pretty sure that's where we're supposed to go. I'm not sure how I know this, I think I just do though."

Cogil, Vincent and Ryan were approaching the group of protestors. The protestors were in front of a building that said "So Much the Sooner: We'll get all your money one way or another anyway."

"That seems like a bit of an odd slogan to me Cogil. What the hell does it mean, anyway?" Vincent inquired.

"This is the government office that 'relieved you of your livelihood' before the Hall of Happiness was created. It was a little more honest about it's function, ya see. It actually still functions as no bureaucracy is allowed to close for good."

As if responding to some sort of cue one of the protestors started to approach Cogil, Vincent and Ryan. The protestor was holding a sign that said "Soon there after, soon yourself!" which Vincent was pretty sure really made no sense.

"Are you our relief workers?" the man asked, "we've been going for hours."

"No, we're here under some rather strange consequences. Ya see we saw this light on the second floor of the Hall of Bureaucracy and...", Cogil was interrupted by the protestor.

"What? The second floor? Usually that's not used for anyone. At least that's what I thought. In any case I have to get back to work. These halls won't protest themselves after all."

"No, for some reason I'm pretty sure we're supposed to go into this building here. Is there some way we can get through?" Cogil wanted to know why he was so sure more than anybody.

"No, we really can't do that. We are here, we are proud, and we are not leaving just because you have requested as much. Got it?" The protestor sounded rather firm. Still, Cogil was pretty sure he was alluding to something else.

Ryan finally broke the tension. "Hey what's the deal with this group anyway? You're still the paid types right? You part of the union?"

"Union? Union? No, no, no, no. There is no union. We are here to protest this here what's-it-called building and we are not leaving." Answered the protestor.

"Can't you ever go off script?" Asked Vincent, "I mean this doesn't make sense." Turning to Cogil he asked "Cogil, how much do protestors make in a typical day?"

"Lets see...probably around 50 Towz coins or so. Why?" asked Cogil.

"Just give him 55 coin and be done with it, will ya?" Vincent seemed enthusiastic about this.

"Ah, I see. And I should have saw. Here, the ubiquitous bribe. And 55 coin at that, quite generous I think." Cogil was the one with money.

"Wow, is it ever! Here let me give you the skinny," the protestor responded, "We're paid five coin an hour for five hours at a time. We're paid by a different group out of a different fund than those West Side protestors of which you hear." This protestor seemed rather sarcastic when he mentioned the West Side protestors.

"For some reason the union rule is that we can't move aside until we are given official word. And we won't get official word until we move. So we'll probably be here a while. Also, the group the that funds us is a government funded agency. We're mandated in fact, to protest some minimum number of hours. Honest decent is a sign of a healthy republic after all, right?" The protestor was suddenly full of information.

"Wow, that sounds like confidential information. And I always assumed the ones funding protestors were government agents..." Cogil started to respond.

"Oh, you want to talk confidential information do ya? You hear the one about what the Hall of Bureaucracy has been planning for years now. A way to transform the whole city into a...", the protestor stopped mid-sentence, "no, I have already said too much. Like a badly written novel inserting less than subtle hints about that are really details to become apparently important in later pages I will say no more on the subject if you don't mind."

"Hey, that's usually my line." Cogil said.

"Ok look. You're obviously important people and I always like to help out some fellow protestors. So here is what you do: go half a block down or so, the way you came, and you'll find a little alley. Follow that down to the end of the alley where you will have no choice but to go left. Eventually you come to this same building and a wall. But really it's a door. A hidden door. Knock three times and turn the knob. You'll know when you see it."

"Gee, thanks", answered Cogil with more than a slight amount of lack of enthusiasm. "So is there any way we can sleep until morning in your local protesting chapter?"

"Oh yes, sure. You all must be tired. It's right across the street here. Should be unlocked, just go on up. We'll be done protesting in the morning though so be out by 7:00."

"Ok, thanks again." Answered Cogil.

Cogil, Vincent and Ryan all went across the street to the protestor's apartment. As the protestor; Cogil, Vincent and Ryan had forgotten to ask his name; had said the door was open. Cogil, Vincent and Ryan went and fell asleep on the various couches and on the floor.

* * *

In the morning Cogil, Vincent and Ryan all bathed and got re-dressed. The standard we-are-generic-protestors type clothes seemed to be standard fair across Towz. Consisting of red sweat pants, a green sweatshirt and usually covered by some foil-looking shinning cover alls. Cogil, Vincent and Ryan all left around the promised time, 7:00am.

Cogil, Vincent and Ryan came out of the apartment building and started back down the street. As mentioned the prior day by the protestor there was indeed an alley half a block down the street. But it wasn't nearly as wide as Cogil, Vincent and Ryan had imagined.

"Wow, that's kind of a narrow alley we got here Cogil," Vincent noted.

"What, you worried? Quit yer whinning. We will be fine." Cogil said.

Finally Cogil, Vincent and Ryan started down the alley.
As they walked Ryan asked "So what do you think that plan about converting the city to something else was all about? Was that protestor for real?"

"I'm not sure if he was 'for real', Ryan. He seemed overly eager to give us some information."

"Yes that's true. Ah this must be where we turn. Obviously." Responded Ryan.

Cogil, Vincent and Ryan turned down the second alley. Along they walked, this time in silence. Ryan seemed to enjoy silence more than the other two.

This alley was a bit wider than the first, but it was also much longer. Cogil, Vincent and Ryan were traveling the whole length of the original half-block, to side entrance. Maybe no one would be there, maybe someone would. This all seemed a bit strange to more than one of them.

The two buildings on either side of them rose up quite into the sky, though few had ever thought to really explore what could be such buildings. The buildings were just sort of there as if added as set decoration to some really strange play.

At long last Cogil, Vincent and Ryan got the end of the alleyway. It appeared to be some sort of special wall designed to keep out normal people. Or normally keep people out, depending on the mood of those inside. Upon close inspection it did appear the wall had a seam so subtle very few could make it out.

"This looks nothing like a door at all Cogil." Vincent said. "It looks almost all cement and brick."

"Well he said no knock three times and turn the knob. So that's what I intend to do." Cogil was going to see this through.

Cogil stepped forward, hesitated a moment and finally knocked three times: nothing happened. Cogil, Vincent and Ryan waited for almost a minute and suddenly heard a voice coming from all around them.

"You're supposed to knock and turn the turn knob. Wasn't any one paying attention?"

"Wait, who are you and where is this knob?" asked Vincent.

"Oh, you're just full of questions, aren't you? Ever heard of thinking outside the box? Well start! And hurry up. The mission is waiting."

"Ok so we have lame riddle to think about here. It's a really weak one too. Why would a government pay protestors to protest a government agency and then build a secret overly convoluted alternative entrance anyway? This makes no sense." Cogil almost sounded like he was on a rant.

"Ok, so we have to 'think outside of the box' do we?" remarked Ryan, "Maybe the box is the group of us and we have to ask outside our group?"

"No, that is lame. As lame as the actual answer I am sure." Answered Cogil. "How about we work together and move this big sewer cover on the ground here?" The other two just looked him. Then they both looked down. Cogil, Vincent and Ryan were all standing on a sewer lid cover with the letters N.O.B. on it. Was this what the protestor meant? It was the only logical conclusion.  ¶ 9:23 AM