Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Philli Part 16

Clarification on the poll: The next Marathon week would not be right away, or even in the very near future. I guess the question is better put, "Would you like to see another one someday?" Also of note, Caesar the Troll is fast approaching its end. On the day I post its final installment before revisions, I have decided to change this blogs URL to be under my real name, as you can see my Blogger display name already as. Prepare to update your bookmarks and links if you have posted links anywhere.

"Philadelphia Smyrna, it's time for you to be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened."
I finished for her, "And do not be dismayed."
"Why?"
"For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." I stood up. "What do we do then?"
Cea smiled, "We need to escape, so that they can't hurt us if your family refuses to work."
"What about you? Won't Nic refuse?"
Cea was grave. "I don't know what Nic will do. But I don't intend on being here to find out if he refused or not."
"And my family, they won't know we've got out, and the United won't tell them. They'll be threatened all the same!"
"First, Phil, all threats aside, I don't intend on letting either of us get hurt, so we have to get out of here. Second, you underestimate me, and if you weren't such a sweet girl I'd take offense. They'll know we got out, trust me."
I looked at her quizzically. She tossed her head in frustration, but smiled nonetheless, "Philli, you don't think the only thing I ever got smuggled into my house was a contraband movie, do you?" She drew out of a deep inside pocket a small flat device with a few buttons on the side with a big screen.
 It took me a long moment to recognize what it was. "A cell phone," I said flatly. "But those are illegal for Unaccepted."
"Yes, and so is watching a copy of a movie about a couple of fish in the South Pacific. I am beginning to wonder about the United's priorities when they are regulating that."
Somehow an animated film about fish did not seem on par with a black-market communication device. I wasn't sure I liked it.
Cea looked at me square, "Philli, you have to lose your double-standard. You have been copying Bibles for longer than I've been back on Earth. You have ignored everything slanted they teach you at school. You set off explosives in Wing 74."
"But the Bible's only exemption from obeying the government is when God says something explicitly the opposite."
"Yes, Philli. In this case," she waved her phone in front of me, "I have several commandments on my side. First, love your neighbor as yourself. I can't love my neighbor and let them get illegally arrested without warning, or let them be harassed into doing evil for my sake. Second, I am imitating Christ by proclaiming liberty to the captives. This 'illegal' phone is for doing things under God's law I am required to do. With a few calls and some coded language, we'll be out of here, and fast." She pressed a button at the top, slid her thumb across the screen, drew an invisible pattern on the screen, and within a second was calling a mysterious set of numbers.

4 comments:

  1. I burst out laughing - yes, out loud - at the "a movie about a couple of fish in the South Pacific" line. And getting me to laugh out loud in regards to something online is a moderate feat.

    I like the direction you've taken the character development. This'll be fun...

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    1. Cea has a way of telling it how it is. I am so glad I put in the Nemo reference early, it's proving very helpful of late.

      Glad you like it, because Phil and Cea are two characters I am still getting acquainted with.

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  2. Wow. I can't wait until tomorrow's posts to see what in the world is going to happen next and who Cea is going to call.

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    1. Hehehehe, yes. I have to figure out whom she will call as well. I have a back-up plan... but this will take some thinking.

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