Fiction Point Episode Sixteen: A State of Delusion

 

Fiction Point Episode Sixteen

A State of Delusion

All species, throughout the universe, will face existential threats, moments of catharsis and epiphany - and this was especially true for our own species. We were forced to vacate our origin planet, having exhausted its natural resources, and took aim at a rocky sphere, travelling light years through folded time and space.

 

Cast adrift from all previous tents which had bound our species together, we knew a different perspective would be required once we were established on our new planet.

On arrival, structures and systems were re-built, but curiosity regarding previous species habitation, encouraged us to commence numerous archaeological digs. We were then able to establish they called themselves human and their planet Earth, but we were unable, with any great certainty, to determine what led to their extinction.

However, their misfortune, was our opportunity. By design or luck, we discovered, at a crucial juncture of new societal unrest, fragile fragments of a text recording the planets previous inhabitants. As we slowly deciphered their ancient text, we found faith, hope and harmony in:

   The Four Seasons Total Landscaping Catalogue 2020

 

Over a period of continuous study and evaluation, we began to realise there was a mix of imagery and affirmation, which could only come from a complex civilisation. Once fully translated to the best of our ability, it precipitated a rebirth of our species, and an ideological, political and social reconstitution.

Therefore, our leader, who had been troubled for so long by the disintegration of our species in the new land, was able to announce himself as: The Great Landscaper.

New imagery appeared, demonstrating our leader’s newfound confidence, showing in one hand the shovel, and in the other the transplanting spade, symbolising the key tools needed to reshape our stumbling society. Much was also made of the rake, a method of cleansing the soul of ill-judged thoughts. This was also supplemented with the weed killer, a name given to the detoxification required of societal members, who tried to resist the Great Landscapers benevolence.

And so, to my own role in this evolution of the new morality and law. I stood side by side with the Great Landscaper, for it was I who had been entrusted with interpretation of the human system of governance and faith. Dutch hoe, garden fork, lawn shears and lawnmower, pruners and trowel, all found some translation into our system of government, rebuilding and making our species, ‘great again’.

Nothing would have shaken me from this path we were on, but for one fateful day, when I was confidentially advised of a new archaeological find. We eventually understood it to be called a library, and it contained a great wealth of information, casting doubt and then ridicule upon our adoption of the ‘Landscaping Faith’.

I ordered the site to be sealed, and with trepidation approached the Great Landscaper, with the news that we had based our new world order on manual labouring tools, which had no meaning to humans beyond their obvious function.

Effectively, I said, we had based our society on falsehoods, and a failure to understand reality. We were probably, living in a state of delusion.

‘Don’t worry about it,’ said the Great Landscaper, calm whilst he ate through his cheeseburger. ‘Destroy this thing called a library. After all, the more deluded they are, the better it is for us.’

And so, it was thus.

Amen.

 

END

Flash fiction by Simon Marlowe, 11th July 2022

Fiction Point Episode Fifteen: The Dumb Dictator and the Adventures of Pinocchio

 

The Dumb Dictator and the Adventures of Pinocchio

‘You can call me dumb, and you can call me a dictator if you want,’ he said, grinning like a big fat Cheshire cat. And that’s how he got his nickname, the Dumb Dictator, even if he was elected.

One ex-insider described it as: ‘like working for a spoilt child. Policy briefings were contextualised into stories, a bit like fairy tales, so he could understand the good, the bad and the ugly.’

And it was one such story that captured the Dumb Dictator’s attention more than any other. Ignoring the analogy regarding accelerating inequalities, he instead focused on the nose of Pinocchio, which all ways got longer the more the wooden boy told lies.

During the Dumb Dictator’s regular medical check-up, he asked his personal physician to measure the length of his nose. He wanted to know if its length was normal. His physician reassured the Dumb Dictator that his nose was a very impressive proboscis, reminiscent of the great kings of antiquity, and an obvious sign of high intelligence.

Although the Dumb Dictator was satisfied with the affirmation of his physical attribute, he still wanted his physician to measure the length of his nose as part of his regular health checks.

Speaking ‘truth’ to the Dumb Dictator was ill advised, but the physician felt he had some leeway, whereby he could discourage a potential delusional trait from emerging.

So, he said: ‘The true story of Pinocchio is not the way Disney tells it, but was written by Carlo Collodi, over a hundred years ago. The moral of the tale is that children do not like to have their behaviour corrected by people who know much more than they do.’

The Dumb Dictator appeared to listen, so his physician continued: ‘The first thing that Pinocchio does, when he becomes real and learns to walk, is to run away from Gepetto, the shoemaker. Pinocchio then tells lies to other people, convincing them that Gepetto has mistreated him, and this leads to the shoemaker being imprisoned.’

‘I agree with that,’ said the Dumb Dictator, ‘there is nothing worse than child abuse.’

The physician was used to the Dumb Dictator missing the point but sensed he could articulate the moral integrity of the story a little further.

‘If you remember in the Disney film, there was a talking Cricket who helps Pinocchio.’

‘Oh, yeah, old blabber mouth!’

‘Well, Pinocchio felt the same, and told the cricket to leave him alone. However, the cricket was insistent. Pinocchio got so angry he threw a hammer, which hit the little Cricket on the head and killed him.’

‘You don’t say…’ said the Dumb Dictator wistfully.

‘Pinocchio blames the cricket, because it was trying to tell him what to do. But then, the talking Cricket haunts Pinocchio because it returns as a ghost. Again, the Cricket tries to give good advice to Pinocchio, warning him not to get involved with people who tell him that by planting gold coins they will get a tree of gold. This was Pinocchio’s undoing, because the people who told him a crock of lies, chased after him, tied a rope around his neck and hung him, saying: tomorrow we’ll come back for you and you’ll be dead and your mouth will be open, and then we’ll take the gold pieces that you have hidden under your tongue.’

‘You mean, they killed the guy just because he was trying to make some money?’

‘Well, as in all such stories, there is a blue fairy that saves the puppet.’

The Dumb Dictator appeared to reflect, then said: ‘Didn’t they hang Mussolini from a lamppost?’

The personal physician realised the Dumb Dictator was getting paranoid again.

‘I think the point is that karma catches up with Pinocchio.’

‘Well, whatever,’ said the Dumb Dictator. ‘Just make sure you measure my nose. I don’t want it getting too big.’

 

END

Flash fiction by Simon Marlowe, 14th May 2022

Words: 650