The Crystal Tree

The Tree of Lies: Lie Cognition - 2

I have come to realise that my whole life is built on a series of lies. And since I’m already quite middle aged, it would be better described as the pyramid of lies really. It’s like a house of cards, or a castle if we want to get elaborate. What happens when you place the last card on the seemingly solid structure, but that last card is unbalanced? The whole thing crashes down. In my case, this one unbalanced card will bring not only my life down around my ears, but the whole country.

I am the president - the single most powerful and at the same time powerless person in this place, and even the world. This government is built on lies and the country too - something which USA was accused of being back when it still existed. This is worse. This is world government. I rule this country, this country rules the world and this government rules me - like a marionette.

I work in a lie and I go home to a lie. My wife thinks everything is perfect and my teenage son adores me. We have a big house, private transportation, around the clock security - things which none others could ever afford. The planet is a lifeless shell, yet I have huge gardens on my estate. I have food and water which is enough to sustain the people of this country for ten years while others go days without it. People are dying of starvation and disease, yet I have all the medication I will never need in private storage. I eat bananas and mangoes every day when the rest of the world has forgotten what fruit and vegetables look like let alone taste.

I put a strawberry in my mouth and all I taste is ashes. I look at my house and all I see is ruin. I look at my family and all I see is the people dying outside our walls. When I have to appear on the holo cast, my lips tremble from the lies that I have to tell the people with a sincere face. I feel like the facade is breaking and soon it will slough from my face like flesh from bone of a nuclear blast victim. On that day the people will rise and they will come in angry mobs. No amount of security will stop them from tearing me and my family to shreds. And then the world would fade, because we are the only ones left living, everyone else is already dead inside.

I wish I could find the opportunity to give myself up to the people. To tell them the truth and stop living this lie. Living used to be sweet back when I began my journey of deceit, now it tastes bitter like soured milk. Every time I open my mouth, it feels like the insects which had crawled inside a millenia ago start to move and writhe in there. My tongue feels like the slithering prong of the poison snake. I am the only snake left because the snakes that used to scare people are long extinct - eaten for supper most likely. I wish I could give myself up already, because living this lie is far more frightening than death.

But I’m weak, and every time I think I’ll finally do it, my resolve dissipates like boiling water turns into steam and vaporises into the atmosphere. Or it used to. There is no atmosphere anymore except the atmosphere of looming doom - the planet has long been covered in domes with artificial air. Outside the sun is merciless. If one were to step on the surface beyond the domes instead of using the underground network for transportation, they would instantly burn up and leave nothing but bleached bones where they stood. There’s an idea.

Herded as I am, it is not possible. I have no out but my house of toppling cards. Perhaps the imbalance is the perfect balance to this dilemma. Perhaps this last card is the final answer. I’d like to save the lives of the people. But even as I think that, I know it to be just another lie. Saving them is not possible, just as it is not possible to save myself. Everybody dies and I will too, when the state deems it fit. I don’t have a choice in it just like I don’t have the choice in the lies anymore. They are like a torrent which is impossible to stop.

I sit in my leather chair and stare at the house of cards on my desk - they have long since been glued together. As if to mock me and say ‘here are your lies, your pyramid is solid, the lies will not fall so easily. Go ahead, place the last card.’. Staring so for many days on end I come to the conclusion that the last card will make no difference. I flatten the edifice with my hands. The only option left is complete destruction.

Finally a honest thought. I force my eyes open as I press the red button and watch the white light bloom.