Lens
In a world where everyone is connected and gets told of one another and privacy is dead, how do you rebel? With the government giving in to the aquistions of a company, who's left to ensure fairness?
Lens, a monopart short story
Standing at the border between sanity and the rampant hogs outside, i closed the two sides of the face veil and zipped it, watching for the lips, and pushed through the door, into the sea of cameras.
A glint from a camera at the end of the otherwise unassuming hall was what greeted me. They weren't really so omnipresent a few years ago. I smile cheesily at the damned thing, knowing it won't show through the veil nor will be remembered past whatever version of the face recognition system they're using now - i'm the yellow-haired bitch from door 12 and that's all they'll know.
In the lift, i mentally skipped past the 50 or so buttons to find the one labelled 0. On the street, looking for the shi'ers. They get a little sum for my unprivacy - last time i was in the red-light district - not a good look!
As much as i say i hate it here, the metro has become so much nicer since the conectededs became the norm. Any pickpockets will only have an hour with their goods before they get intercepted by the police. There are benifits to the cameras, i guess.
And as much as i say i hate crowded trains, they're quite safe. If it gets hot you can unzip the face veil and the hundreds of cameras don't even see you with all the smooshing. Not for long, what with modern technology.
A coyote got onto the train at this stop, cramping me even further in. I love pressure, the physical kind. Don't remind me of the kind i get at work. There are too many different types.
Usually, as i approach my stop i kind of push my way past these connectededs. If i see another vieler, ojalá que sí, we do our little handshake and get on our way. That's fun. Last time i did it with a lupine - can't tell who exactly, but hands turn out to be quite distinct.
My workplace is up on a high floor. It's got a good view onto the sea and mountains, and that funny little cathedral. They haven't stopped building it - when they completed it, money passed and The Corporation began work on making it more than some boring cathedral - religion is outdated in this modern world, after all.
My colleges are in the stalls next to me, one of the anachronisms that still remain present to this day, but the walls have been reduced such that i can talk with them for my social fix. A good laugh and i'm better at work.
So, what did Kate have to say? She just spent the weekend up north in the old trade bloc, the one we left because The Corporation's just a big sugar daddy. It's replaced the archaic flats with these beautiful high-rises.
I look at my computer. He's a sweet little thing. I don't have much work right now, it being morning. There is a little bit of hangover from last week but the rates have dropped below the value of my time. Harrison is here. He can't blockforget me when i'm not part of the system. My veil prevents me from legally being part of it. That was the point.
I remember when computers were more than work. Changing OS became basiclly impossible and the internet became The Corporation's. Gone were the days of experimentation.
So i say hi. He groans a little in his classic response - a veiler, cutting himself off, what would he want? Yet still, i see his gaze into my eyelenses, a one-way mirror bouncing back that brown little snout straight at him. He runs a finger through his hair, glancing out at the reader on the wall. Last i checked, it hadn't anything that concerned me specifically like the reader back home. There was something about handing over bin-collection to a branch of the corporation, bien que sí because they aren't lazing around on taxpayer money.
“I wonder when the government will hand over the reins", i muttered.
Harrison rolled his eyes. “You know i shouldn't really complain when my score's dropped like this", he said, forcing a wry little smile.
You see, this is the way to win with Harrison - throw a little icebreaker and pique him slightly. He doesn't resist.
“At any rate, our government will be The Corporation", i chuckled. “What a powermove."
“It'll be great for the country though, having such a well-lead team in charge." Harrison always seeks to increase his credit rating.
“Yeah", i mumble, happy to see a little smirk on Harison. A tiny blur on his lenses - the notification for +5 points.
The lift doors opened, revealing Kate with that semitriangular muzzle, sitting at her usual chair. She opened her mouth to speak, to which Harrison chuckled - “Careful, remember that he's listening"
Kate rolled her eyes behind those flashing lenses. “I don't see how Antony is a problem."
That's the thing about veils. “How was your trip?", i asked.
Kate looked out to sea. “Inconvinient… without the lens's recognition, life is so hard."
I looked out to sea too. A boat and a container ship. They pass through The Corporation's hands now. It's almost a polar opposite back north, the lens's camera banned, the government holding an iron grip over its country. “You weren't like this back then."
Kate shrugged. “No, but things got better, we all know each other so well now."
I felt a chill at her unwary smile. I'm scared, and i can't tell why. I'm glad my veil hides my frown, my concerned eyes.
I could see Harrison struck with a bolt of inspiration - yet again another rant. He wants to convert us veilers; that's a good hundred socialpoints right there for each body. “You don't know what you're missing out on - Mr GPT makes little summaries on everyone so i can strike up a conversation in no time!"
“But The Corporation knows where you are all the time…"
Harrison glanced up and chortled - “i'm really just a number - why would they care what i specifically am doing when they could go after the people who should be tracked?"
Kate nodded with a smile in that horrible 'i'm better than you' way. “You don't realise how good we have it - there's knowing about it and experiencing it. Try it, just one day, you won't go back!"
I snorted. Something came up on the computer. A good task with good commision.
After work is when the fun begins. I take the lift, skip all the floors to reach the subterranian level. These tunnels are useful and probably safer than the streets with all the shi'ers, but they do flash the lights and scan irises though.
The bar is a few floors down, into the hot underground. A rumble comes every few minutes, loudest from the door leading to the metro tunnel, over the suprisingly quiet music. It's not exactly clandestine here, but nobody minds. A gritty smell of ciggaretes and fruity vapes mix with alcohol as i take a few deep breaths to ground myself.
I got a drink or two from the bar. I don't want to remember how many. I want to get pissed and forget what happened yesterday, mal que sí - some victory liquor, maybe?
I meet Johnson, an enemy from before the transfer, a tall bumbling werewolf. Those who are against your enemy are your friend. The Corporation's close enough to an enemy.
“-andome shi'er came and tore off the viel so all i'm getting are fabric softener ads!", he continued to his company.
“Wait until you see my house - 'hot singles near you' on the reader all day every day", i said. “I'm going to go sign up for lens just to get it to stop."
Johnson only chuckled - “Even better - break the reader!"
I rolled my eyes. “And that's illegal"
Johnson smirked. “Why would they care?"
“They won't, but you know how The Corporation is with the government", i said through a mocking forced smile.
He chuckled. We chuckled. Another connection.
It's comfortable here - is that the alcohol or the vibes? ¿Porque no los dos? I lift my faceveil. Johnson doesn't follow. The air is easier on me like this, sitting back, the rumble of passing trains full of connectededs passing behind me like the thunder of a storm. Same amount of electricity, i guess, between the pantograph and the lens batteries.
We call them the disconectededs, those who don't wear the lens. For me, it was too expensive, and then too creepy. Being a conecteded was a weirdo thing at first but The Corporation had billions to throw into markeitng. Instant facial recognition to help demystify that sad face on the metro, that wretched pickpocket, that possibly-a-creep, a selling feature. Live location data of everyone you care about, from family to the creeps and the criminals, very tempting! Everyone's a conecteded. The government installs no cameras anymore. Neither does The Corporation.
A person taps on my shoulder from behind. I turn to look at him, this shorter guy with a rounder muzzle untarnished by either a veil or a lens. I don't know how i feel about these guys. They're probably more honourable than me for giving up their privacy without taking the benifits, but they tend to be more foolish, i think…?
That doesn't matter though. With the alcohol fresh in the back of my head, G's a crush, not a friend. And i'm his crush, not a friend. The past few weeks were marked by his presence here, improved through it.
So i say hi, he says it too. “And work?", i ask.
“absolute arse over tits day today :)))".
The vibes are on, i like him. I smile. “I'm bored, let's go to my place."
He chuckles. “That sounds nice, better than this stinky place here."
I pay my tab at the bar, one of the few cash-only places left. Card is as good as using The Company's service, after the aquistions. The veil's zipper is eager to bite lips, so i take care. I remember when i was just my fly i had to worry about.
We walk abreast through the tunnel, take a few steps and turns, and slip through a dangerous supposed-to-be-locked door onto the platform of the line home. The trains at this time aren't packed at all, so i can't keep my veil raised.
The metro has become more beautiful after transfer. The stations are cleaner in many ways. G smiles whenever he rides the metro. He's a train-nerd. “There's an abandoned station here, closed during the civil war - look at the way the train-lights reflect here!"
We were near the incomplete cathedral, stopping at its station. G's smile was infectious, leaving me shining with it too, despite myself.
There's a collection centre not far from here; it'd be trivial to setup an account and get connected, become a connecteded. I've considered it once or twice, but the knot in my gut always convinces me otherwise. The doors close before the temptation makes me run out in impulse, thankfully.
We continue passing stops, smiling at each other as we approach mine.
We walk up to the ticket gates, one of the few ways The Company has left to track me. They run the ticket gtes better than the government, at least. No matter, we bypass them. G's good at tech.
Mentally skipping over the 50 or so buttons, i jab our floor. The high one, where i can see everyone. The irony.
His arm feels good around me, using me both for a little support and comraderie. I pick him up and carry him to the apartment. A lens at the end of the hall pays no mind - she has shopping to handle. I'm sure The Company will make a killing (approximately the price of two bottles of water, store brand) telling advertisers that G is pairing up with yellow-haired veilers.
G's a nice guy. Dinner isn't much for today - cash is hard to monitor without a computer-spreadsheet to handle it. So, some stank microwavable burritos. My kitchen has one of the few unsmart microwaves remaining today - underpriced smart microwaves subsidised by The Corporation usurped their place on store shelves.
To the one-minute hum i look over G. I forgot to take off my veil when i come home, so it's one-sided. He's looking into my eyes but i know he's interested in the reflection. It's the perfect angle to see the flashing Reader.
A big news has happened. Well, what it thinks i think is a big news. It's accurate, unsuprisingly, with the government's eye-tracking tech. The government does care about my privacy, so they only record interest to keep the reader not too distracting. They care about The Corporation's money more, though.
Article 2026-452.34 is being stripped away; the law on recognition systems being disallowed from working on people wearing the veil. Anything that covered the face entirely was a veil and anyone who wore a veil were to be disposed of by the AI.
And we look at the reader a second time. Years ago, i'd use a phone.
I use my remote and read the article. Details, details, details. No tips for me.
Everything is identifiable. Summer is coming. My stripes are mine and uniquely mine.
I've held this hair for some 20 years now, but that's nothing for this handly little electric razor. We aren't designed to function without hair but that's no match for this brain in this world. These lenses are no match to my body language.
I look in the mirror. My yellow points dissapear into a growing pile, revealing skin with a few disparate hairs. I could burn them off if i really wanted to look different.
I smile and look into the closet. Long sleeves, gloves, hooded coats. I'm going to look the same as everyone else.
We veilers were always prepared for this day.
The end of Lens, a short story written by Fugi88
Some Notes:
Finally taking little steps back into writing; enjoy some light romance in a dystopian world.
I've read two dystopia books last summer; 1984 and Clockwork Orange. Enjoy playing “find the reference"!
sí, “shi'ers"?????“nadsat“???
This city is based off a real one. Probably incredibly easy to guess which one it is.
Once i went down south to the cityfor an exam. Turns out i'm not allowed to take photos on the metro even if i had a really nice shot lined up at the terminal of a station with a connected-carriage train and no people save for the security guard. This story is quite the contrast!
I'm having a lot of fun making stories like this, more fun than i have writing sex. Expect more dystopia/flawed utopia stories from me. I'll manhandle furries into it too just so i can share it with y'll coolpeople. This story is inspired from me watching Fireship's video on Meta's new glasses and me running with the idea of face recognition.
There is an alternative universe where i'm writing this but instead it's incredibly horny. Please use metaphysical reality shifting to view that realm if you so desire.
And just to be clear on worldbuilding:
Neither the government or The Corporation install traditional CCTV cameras; the smart glasses everyone wears records all the information anyways. The Corporation knows the exact location of every conecteded and what they've done and what topics they talk about, which is worse.
The Corporation's scores affect access to its products. It's got a lot of them, from insurance to the metro's ticketing system to housing.
The government plays no active role in causing this surveilience state - this isn't 1984! They just give their responsibilites to The Corporation because The Corporation can handle a lot with all the money they're making by violating privacy.
This actually has a potential to happen IRL, save for the furries in here (unless the veilers wear fursuits for anonymity…?) - Samsung and Korea have a tight relationship, Meta, its glassess, and some dangerous software have the potential to make the first connecteded, and i'm sure some governments would be willing to give away boring things for more tax going into lining pockets!