Inspiration ID 1

by Michael Hudson

  The End of Normality

  “To call our country of Coivus a utopia wouldn’t be entirely wrong, but an overview of our systems would show that there are cracks in what we do, just as there is in everything. Whether it come in the form of the Sub-Coivus slums, the need for constant, new legislation to reign in new technologies, or, of course, the entirety of the Inspiration ID program.”

  The boy who was talking felt a sudden, sharp pain in his side, cutting him off from saying the next part of his speech. Not that he entirely minded it, as each time he tried to get through it, he would start choking on the words as he imagined having to say it in front of half of the school. “Is it that bad?”

  The girl beside him tucked a few pieces of blue hair behind her ear, letting it curl forward at her chin. Like this, her short, trimmed hair framed her face perfectly, and it only made the boy wonder how he ever got her as his best friend. She had sharp cheekbones, bright, green eyes that contrasted well with her hair, and even a small, button nose to round out her conservative, sharp face.

  She smiled at him, patting him on the head as a sort of consolation for the jab. “You need to relax, Richard. You’re always so stiff, and that’s saying something up here.”

  She wasn’t wrong, at least not entirely. Coivus was a ‘city’ that covered almost the entirety of the planet at this point, having started small as a utopian society. One where you could have an identity, but you were taught how to be respectful, good, and kind. You liked honest work, had small get togethers with friends, and occasionally would go to a festival put on by your district’s leaders.

  However, this led to its own downsides, like causing people to be stagnant, or for them to be a bit uptight. Richard didn’t think of himself as uptight, but as a little shy or standoffish, which made him less likely to make ripples. It also made him keep a close eye on the Inspiration IDs. “I just don’t always know what to say, and I’d rather just sketch someone rather than have to try to explain why I think our cracks are fine, especially with those IDs.”

  The girl, Cierra, frowned and patted his back. She hated to see Richard slouch like he did now, but it was happening more and more since they became seniors. They were both eighteen now, both looking into colleges, and for a while he had been fine.

  The poor boy was finally getting recognized by the school though. First there were the leaked pictures of the student body, which were beautiful, completely sketched, pencil renditions of some of the best students on campus, including, as much as Cierra had hated it, his best piece, which was a full body picture of her standing beside a tree.

  The next thing that had happened was him being asked to join the welcoming committee. He didn’t have to really talk to the student a lot, but instead sketched them while the others talked. Nothing got pass Richard though, who had spent the last three years of school learning every aspect of the school so he could know how to avoid the things that would just stress him out too much, or where they both couldn’t go, which made them even happier with his performance when he would help fill in missed gaps in orientation.

  Add to all of that the fact that the school finally noticed that he was nearing Valedictorian status, while Cierra had maybe a three point one at best, and he had been asked to make a speech for the new, freshman class. Something routine, as well as to talk to them about the realities of Coivus they might not have been aware of yet that they could strive to change while they focused on their future.

  Which had caused Richard to realize that, on the off chance it could happen, he was eligible for an Inspiration ID. Or, the Rape ID as some called it. Or, and this name might be Cierra’s favorite; the Heart of Death, due to most recipients who used it dying in less than a week .

  She continued to rub his back as they passed by the gates leading into Grand Noiga, the city their school was in. It was the best one in their district, and they had to take a two hour train ride to get to it each time. “Hey, they’ll be showing off your sketches behind you, so they probably won’t even pay attention to your words. How did those come out by the way?”

  Richard looked up, before nodding. She was right about the sketches, as the school had asked to commission him for them, but he instead said he would do them for free… which then got him the speaker position. He reached into the large bag in front of him, fishing around for the right sketchbook. “I think they came out well, and it was a lot of fun to do the contrasts they wanted.”

  Handing it to Cierra, the girl playfully smacked the back of his head, an action that got a good few of the other passenger’s attention. Her giggle showed her intent though, and they all turned away. “Well? These are amazing!”

  And Richard couldn’t even deny it. They were some of his proudest works, filled to the brim with detail. He had even managed to take one of the most famous moments in the history of Coivus, when one man with an Inspiration ID went up to an idol, look positive. Like a guy being kind to her, politely asking, instead of damaging her voice beyond repair when he made her…

  Richard looked away, and Cierra frowned at the action. “If it helps, none of the freshman are going to mistake this for reality. It’s what we all had wanted out of the IDs.”

  “Yeah, but I guess when any of us are given a bit more power… Fuck!” Richard slammed his fist into the small tray in front of him, part of the train’s seats, before throwing himself into the back of his seat. He didn’t even care about the dirty looks he was given, not when he knew just how vile his gender had been over the ten years .

  The Inspiration ID: A cure for the stagnation of our world. That’s what they had said, and it had made some sense back then. Because of their society, which taught respect, restraint, and focus, the world had a couple issues which came with a populace of professionals. Who would come up with ideas that really pushed the envelope? Who would decide to make the biggest party in the world, one that could even include the people in the slums? And who would remind everyone that each other’s bodies were to be enjoyed, not just appreciated.

  Even Richard was subject to this, as he knew Cierra looked good, what with her having a chest that was above average and good, wide hips, but he never actually looked at them. It was inappropriate to stare at a girl like that, and even while hormones pulled them closer, it so often got distracted by worrying about their futures or by deep conversations.

  So the IDs were meant to let a few men in each state go up to a girl, show them the ID, and the girl would have to obey any sexual command given. However, half of the cases never got the courage to go along with it, while the other half… well, just the thought of what they did made Richard want to throw up.

  The program had never been closed though, despite having sixty worldwide runs, as usually new passes were given out a month after all the others were useless, and none had ended in success. If it weren’t for how the men who turned rogue disappeared so quickly, this might have been cause for a form of revolt, but a lot of people just supposed the government still had a belief in it, and simply removed the ones that didn’t work out.

  Which meant that any day now, more would be given out, and now Richard could get one. He raised his head back up, sighing as he looked at his drawings. “Sorry about the language. I’m just so tired of all of this, and working with the student council hasn’t been helping with that. ”

  “Well, Mr. Sullivan, I’m sorry to hear that, but I will still have to take you with us to discuss how disruptive you and your friend have been today.”

  Both of them looked at the woman, confused as to why they were getting punished. Sure, you were never allowed to curse, but they’d seen students do far worse than what the two of them had done so far with no repercussions. To make matters worse, the woman wasn’t some guard, but a somewhat shor
t, large chested administrative worker, whose pantsuit was very tight along her curves.

  Cierra whispered into Richard’s ear, “Maybe it’s a surprise, like when you were called to the principal’s office that one time?”

  Richard swallowed hard, knowing that it wasn’t unheard of, but unlikely. The government never had a reason to hide its actions after all. Still, he wouldn’t get anywhere by saying no or going against them, so he had to have trust in the government, as he had been taught to so well.

  He stood up, doing a small, awkward bow, which was reciprocated by a perfect curtsy by the representative. “I’m very sorry for what I’ve done, and I’m quite happy to follow you.”

  She beamed at him, her freckles going well with her short, red hair. “Oh, I’m so happy to hear that! Oh, but I do know that you had a busy day today, so,” she said as she turned to one of the large men in security outfits, which consisted of black, sleek armor and a security baton that was twice the length of a person’s arm, “if you could make sure his materials get to their required recipients, that would be wonderful.”

  “Of course, ma’am.”

  She then turned to him and, in a very unusual way for their society, pulled him in close. His cheeks flushed red as he felt his arm press against the woman’s ample chest. It was the first time he’d even brushed up against a girl, let alone a district official. The audience of the car agreed, gasping a little as they watched.

  The official didn’t seem to mind, dragging him down the train cart. Richard put his mind to work on anything other than the current situation though, as he didn’t want to possibly think less of this woman simply due to her being a little more open with her body. It’s not like he hadn’t seen girls like that. In fact, one of the welcoming committee had a fine set of breasts and she would squish new student’s heads between them with a hug before the Council President would pull her back.

  When he blinked, looking back to what was going on now, he realized that they had entered a new cart. An empty cart. How was there an empty cart? This was the only train that would be running from his smaller town to Grand Noiga until noon. Was it because of the representative who was still smiling at him? “What is…”

  The girl reached up, placing a hand on his shoulder as she continued smiling. “I know this is a lot to take in. You think you’re in trouble, when really I was about to grab you anyways, and you just gave me a better excuse. Which is wonderful, as it still has your mind ticking on what I may mean, rather than the fact that you have been chosen to have an Inspiration ID.”

  Richard followed slightly during the whole thing, his mind tying itself into a knot until those last two words. Those rang out all too clearly, and all the more confusing by a woman who seemed so happy about it, when she had technically just told him that if he wanted to, right here, right now, he could…

  She smiled as Richard’s gag reflex kicked in, and she pointed to the back of the car. “The restroom is right back there.” As he ran past, she watched, her smile fading to a shaky smirk, barely able to stay on her face as she thought she might collapse .

  Her last chance, and of course it had to be someone terrified by all of this, just like so many others.

  The Inspiration ID Program

  Richard stepped out of the bathroom, a little pale, a little shaky, but he was determined to try not to breakdown. He hated this. He was terrified, disgusted, and, worst of all, slightly aroused. Because of course he did, just because it was now available.

  “Mr. Sullivan, may I call you Richard?”

  He looked back up, breathing heavy as he took in the administrator. She was beautiful, but he had already noted that. Her chest was a little smaller than Cierra’s, but it fit her smaller frame, and she had thinner hips, but by no means did this mean she was unattractive. The pink hair was even a nice touch to him. “Yes, of course you may.”

  She nodded, smiling widely once more as she tilted her head. “Now, Richard, my name is Brittany, and I have been the Inspiration coordinator for your region for the past ten years.”

  Richard’s eyes widened as he heard region, as one of those held about 10 states, which meant she at least dealt with ten pass holders every two months. He did not dare interrupt her though as she continued.

  “Now, I will be as candid with you as I possibly can be, and I will start with some statistics. In the sixty three runs of the program, six have had any sort of ‘success’ where more than ten percent held onto their card for more than a month. They’re very quiet though, so it appears like we’ve had a complete record of failure, which is calculated to be caused by thirty eight percent failing in their duties, and fifty seven percent dying from an organization that the government has not been able to place. Fortunately, this organization only seems to kill every one of them that manages to be caught as a… forceful lover, so I hope you won’t be in any danger.”

  She opened a folder on one of the seats of the train car, scanning the documents in there. “Now, the government does count this as a complete failure on the parts of the culture department, and the ten years we were given to prove that even one person could handle the responsibility of this card,” She slipped one of her hands along her pants, quickly bringing out a white, laminated card. She locked eyes with the boy as she held it between them, seeing the pain in his eyes, right before it switched to fear. Good.

  It was so small, but so powerful. One could mistake it for a business card, what with its simple logo of a bright, pink heart, and the black text on top of it. On the other side though held the holder’s information and picture, not that one needed to see that side. Everyone knew what the card was. It was the one that let you tell a woman to strip down, and she had to, otherwise she was breaking the law.

  He glanced up at Brittany, who tilted her head again. “Are you considering asking me?”

  Richard looked to the card, before slowly shaking his head. “You probably have a long day ahead of you, and besides, I need a little bit of time before I can really do… that.”

  Brittany extended the card. “That’s a very good answer, you know. It’s the best one I’ve heard in a long time in fact. Not the perverted lies that most men get with the ability to let their primal sides out, but not too weak. Exactly why you were chosen in fact.”

  There was a quiet pause in the car, and Richard had no interest in ending it. If she was really going to be candid with him, he shouldn’t need to push her for more about this. Not when he already wondered why he was there.

  She seemed to understand the message, nodding as she pulled the card back. “We’ve had our eye on you for a bit, just because of your exemplary grades in the region, but when your school started doing more with you, I looked deeper than most. You participate in many extra curriculars, always held in high esteem in them, but never taking the front. In this past year you’ve done that again, never backing down from a challenge, but not being so ambitious as to try to outshine anyone else.”

  She tossed the card to him now, before putting her arms under her chest, purposefully pushing her chest up as she continued. “You are able to take charge if necessary, but you’re not so forceful that you will make things happen against severe opposition. In other words, a perfect Inspiration candidate.”

  Richard looked down at the card, before bending down and picking it up. He could feel it scan his fingers, making sure it was him so no one else could use it. Otherwise, there would be far more problems than there already were. He then looked to the hand on his arm, soft and gentle, before the woman said, “Please, I’m begging for you to consider doing this like you have everything else. If you can prove you can do this right, then I can take more time, find more correct candidates and…”

  Brittany looked down, and Richard watched as this government official, the best of the best, began to shake, with drops of water falling into her lap. It made him like a sword had been shoved through his chest. Was she in danger of something happening to her if this all ended? Or was it because of how long she
had put up with it?

  He extended a hand to her, but stopped before he touched her, not quite sure where to do so. Soon enough, he just took a chance and put it on her shoulder with a sigh. “I… I understand. It is my civil duty to try to do this to my best ability, and… And I do see the potential in a program like this. A program to keep our less controlled side.”

  Brittany looked up, her eyes red and puffy as Richard looked down himself. If he was going to be a part of the state’s greatest sin, he may as well confess to his ownl. “My classmates are great, and I love sketching them, but I’ve sketched people since I was twelve, and they’re always so similar. One after another with their perfect smiles, sitting straight backed in their uniforms… It’d be nice to have something else to draw I suppose.”

  Brittany took a long look at him, her hopes lifting off the ground for just a moment. “That… That’s exactly why I still try to push for this program, because there’s at least a little more that we could get from ourselves.”

  She brushed her arm across her eyes, clearing them for the moment. “I-I am sorry about that breakdown though. It’s entirely unprofessional, and I should know better.”

  Richard sat beside her, tapping his lap as he watched her, still wanting to do more to help her. “It’s fine. We’re being candid after all, and you might lose your job soon. That’s a rough place to be.”

  Brittany reached over, gripping Richard’s hand as she continued to shake a little. “Yes, it is, and… and I’m happy you can understand that. We do need to continue though, so shall I tell you about the program and your prospects? Let you know the extent of your privileges?”

  Richard swallowed hard, but he knew this had to come. At least he now knew for certain that it came from someone who was quite human, and possibly far prettier now for having shown that fact. “O-Of course. It’s why you’re here after all.”

  Brittany nodded, tucking back some of her pink hair as she looked at her files once more. “Alright, so first your duties, responsibilities, and privileges. First, you are an Inspiration Officer, seen as a high ranking official of the Coivus Regional Government and given the immunities that come with such a privilege, such as no one being allowed to harm you.”