A dimly lit room, its walls covered by shelves full of books on sociology, philosophy, religion, and psychology, some neatly stored on their shelf, most thrown about the room appearing as if the apartment was owned by a troubled sophisticated scholar searching desperately for an answer that plagues him. Soft classical musical can be heard playing in the background but is drowned out by the sound of rain beating on the roof and windows. A faint glow comes from a dying lamp whose bulb is drawing nearer and nearer to its final days of producing light. The lamp sits on the edge of an oak desk, the only part of the room not covered in books but rather with news paper clippings, the article on top showing a caption of grayish black haired man wearing a black leather overcoat covering a black button-down shirt and matching slacks sliding into what appears to be a telephone booth.
Known Terrorists Still at Large After City Wide Surge
By Sentinel Staff
City authorities have still been unable to apprehend known terrorist and cult advocate for ‘Neoism', Robert Lampp, alias ‘GamiSB'. Mr. Lampp has evaded city police and even some federal officers for over two years now. Wanted for the involvement of several city wide bombing including the Government helipad located in Morell last year, buying and distributing of illegal and deadly narcotics, hate speech against the government, and most recently involved in an attempted bank heist in the Downtown Creston Heights district. Mr. Lampp is not the only terrorist still at large though. The sudden surge of arrest of known terrorist has drastically decreased in the last five months. Several members of the same cult organization as well as those belonging to ‘redpill' gangs still remain alive and active inside our very city. When questioned Mega City officials are only able to say that a long standing foreign policy issue arose that required full attention. "We assure you that this sudden hindrance to cleaning up the terrorist that pray off of our city has been taken care of and our full attention will now be directed at keeping the filth off of our streets" All citizens are reminded that members of the redpill society are to be avoided at all cost and are extremely dangerous. If you have any information on GamiSB or any redpill terrorist please contact city officials immediately.
Underneath lays another, older and worn looking article.
Shoot out in Bathary
Article By Sentinel Staff
As if the city was not already in enough hysteria after the recall of several widely known house hold foods all from the Pendhurst-Amaranth Corporation, police were called to settle a massive out of control gunfight that arose on the Bathary Row Warf and made its way through out the Westview area ending in Rogers Way. One eye witness that stumbled upon the scene had this to say. "They came out of no where and surrounded this guy just sitting their watching the water. They talked for a bit. I overheard someone say something about poisoning the water supply. Then these two guys just opened up on him. It's a miracle the guy sitting their lived through it, he then started fighting back! The rest of them got into it after that and people started dropping like flies! I ran as fast as I could to a pay phone, called 911 and locked myself in my apartment for the next week, People are crazy these days man!" City officials could not comment on what the exact purpose of the gunfight or those involved other then that several wanted criminals part of a new wide spreading cult among redpills called "Neoism" were implicated in the feud and that one terrorist alias "Crop" was killed in the battle. It was later announced that Crop was a member of the terrorist cell "Unlimit" and was planning to poison the cities water supply.
Sitting in front of the desk is a young boy wearing a pair of black sweat pants and an over sized t-shirt. He stirs in his seat, trying desperately to keep himself from falling asleep. His green eyes appear almost a blur as he glances over line after line of the book placed before him.
"Is a resident of the cave (a prisoner, as it were) likely to want to make the ascent to the outer world? Why or why not? What does the sun symbolize in the allegory? And now, I said, let me show in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened:--Behold! human beings living in an underground den, which has a mouth open towards the light and reaching all along the den; here they have been from their childhood, and have their legs and necks chained so that they cannot move, and can only see before them, being prevented by the chains from turning round their heads. Above and behind them a fire is blazing at a distance, and between the fire and the prisoners there is a raised way; and you will see, if you look, a low wall built along the way, like the screen which marionette players have in front of them, over which they show the puppets.
I see.
And do you see, I said, men passing along the wall carrying all sorts of vessels, and statues and figures of animals made of wood and stone and various materials, which appear over the wall? Some of them are talking, others silent.
You have shown me a strange image, and they are strange prisoners."*
The boy looks up and glances over his shoulder to a bed. It is filled with an elderly man sound asleep rested neatly under a green comforter and on a blue pillow. The boy returns back to his book and continues his reading.
"Like ourselves, I replied; and they see only their own shadows, or the shadows of one another, which the fire throws on the opposite wall of the cave?
True, he said; how could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads?
And of the objects which are being carried in like manner they would only see the shadows?
Yes, he said.
And if they were able to converse with one another, would they not suppose that they were naming what was actually before them?
Very true.
And suppose further that the prison had an echo which came from the other side, would they not be sure to fancy when one of the passers-by spoke that the voice which they heard came from the passing shadow?
No question, he replied.
To them, I said, the truth would be literally nothing but the shadows of the images.
That is certain."*
"Still at it?" asks the voice of the elderly man thought to be resting behind him.
"Yes grandpa, still searching" the boy replies sleepily setting down his book and walking over to the bed. Knowing he should not be up so late.
"Sonny what good will all these do you? In my youth I read every one and still never found an answer. What good will they do you boy?" he asks while chuckling.
The kid smiles but rolls his eyes. He has heard this speech countless times ever sense he started his search.
"Well maybe you missed something grandpa, and when I find it you'll be the first one I tell!" His voice having perked up a bit more as excitement over the possibility of what he may find overwhelms him.
"You ever thought about what you're reading? Not what's inside of them books but what it would mean? If the answer is in there don't you think they would know it too and make sure it never touched those little hands of yours? Hmm?" His grandfather asks, rubbing sleep from his eye and smiling at his grandson.
"Grandpa, its in here somewhere, how else would they have found it?" The boy waves a hand towards the desk littered with news articles. All thoughts of being sleepy long gone from his mind.
"They know something gramps and one day I'll find to!" His eyes filled with determination and a passion that screams he means exactly what he says.
"Hoho! How many times have I seen that look? Well you have school tomorrow so to bed with you sonny. If it is in them books it can wait till tomorrow."
The boy hangs his head grumbling about wanting to keep searching but he knows what his grandfather told him was true; it can wait, can't it?
(*exerts taken from Plato's Republic)
