The Glitch in Sleep
John Hulme and Michael Wexler
illustrations by
Gideon Kendall
To Everyone Who Believed
Contents
3. The Mission Inside the Mission
DEPARTMENT OF LEGAL AFFAIRS, THE SEEMS
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
[Form #1504-3]
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
I. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO BE REPRINTED HEREIN, WITH REFERENCE TO OR INDEMNIFICATION OF THE SEEMS, ANY OF ITS DEPARTMENTS, SUBSIDIARIES, ACTIVITIES, MACHINERIES, EMPLOYEES, EFFECTS UPON THE WORLD, OR PECULIARS OR SPECIFICS HEREIN, IS THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PROPERTY OF THE SEEMS, AND ANY REPUBLICATION, RETRANSMISSION, RECONVERSATION, REPROMULGATION, REGURGITATION, OR RECAPITULATION ENACTED BY ANY READER OF THIS TEXT IS HEREBY PROHIBITED, RECOMMENDED AGAINST, SEVERELY DISCOURAGED, OUTLAWED, BANNED, AND FORBIDDEN. IN OTHER WORDS, KEEP IT TO YOURSELF.
II. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO BE REPRINTED HEREIN AND IN FACT IS REPRINTED HEREIN ALBEIT
PRIMA FACIE A PRIORI
TRUE, IS, CAN, AND WILL BE SOLELY INDEMNIFIED BY FACT OF THE SEEMS AND ALL SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO DEFINITION REQUIRING THE EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF SEEMS SUBSIDIARY OR THOSE THEREIN REQUITED. ALL AND ANY INFORMATION REPUBLISHED HEREIN IS AND WILL BE MUTUALLY DENIED OR REMANDED BY FORCE AND RECOGNIZES ITSELF TO BE SUCH. AS FORBIDDEN UNDER RULE 643B, CODE 7, PARAGRAPH 4, LINES 8–15 OF THE RULEBOOK, COPYRIGHT SEEMSBURY PRESS, XXMBVJII.
III. ALL DEPARTMENTS, TOOLS, NAMES, LOCATIONS, DIRECTIONS, CAREERS, JOB CHOICES, INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORLD AND THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WORLD, THE INNER WORKINGS, FIXERS, BRIEFERS, THE SEEMS, THE TRUE NATURE OF THE UNIVERSE, THE POWERS THAT BE, THE RELATIVE BENEVOLENCE OR MALEVOLENCE OF THE PLAN, ANY HISTORICAL INFORMATION, PAST MISSIONS, FUTURE IMPLICATIONS, AND EXPLANATIONS OF THE WAY THINGS WORK ARE HEREBY INTENDED AND RELEASED ONLY (!) TO THE UNDERSIGNED INDIVIDUAL WHO POSSESSES THIS TEXT.
SIGNATURE OF THIS DOCUMENT BINDS THE SIGNATOR TO THE UNBRIDLED CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE SEEMS OR, SHOULD THEY REPEAT THE INFORMATION BARED HEREIN, ANY AND ALL RETALIATION BY THE POWERS THAT BE AND SEEMSIAN ENTITIES MAY BE ENFORCED. SUCH
PENALTIES
FOR THE UNSPECIFIED RELEASE OF SENSITIVE SEEMSIAN INFORMATION INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, REMOVAL OF L.U.C.K., CEASING OF BIG IDEAS, WITHHOLDING OF SLEEP, DENIAL OF CERTAIN PUBLIC WORK SPECTACLES, LACK OF OVERSIGHT BY CASE WORKER, DOWNGRADING OF THREAD IMPORTANCE WITHIN CHAIN-OF-EVENT CONSTRUCTION, ETC.
IV. THIS DOCUMENT IS DRAFTED BY THE LEGAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT OF THE SEEMS AND IS VALID UNDER THE LAWS THEREIN. BY AGREEING TO THIS DOCUMENT, YOU WILL BE PRIVY TO INFORMATION NOT PRIVY TO OTHERS, HOWEVER NO OTHER GOVERNING BODY, COURT, LEGAL SERVICE, STATUTE, WRIT, OR CERTIFICATE OF HABEUS CORPUS WILL BE ALLOWABLE IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT: THIS DOCUMENT SUPERSEDES ALL LAWS OF THE WORLD FOR NOW AND IN PERPETUITY UNTIL THE END OF TIME, SHOULD IT OCCUR, OR NOT.
V. THESE INCIDENCES, SHOULD THEY OCCUR, CARRY WITH THEM DOUBLE PENALTIES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, TIME SERVED IN SEEMSBERIA, COMMUNITY SERVICE IN THE FLAVOR MINES, OR COMPLETE REHABILITATION, PER ORDER BY THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION, ESQ.
X ____________________________
SIGNATURE OF READER
____________________
DATE
Ever since the beginning of Time, people have endeavored to understand what makes The World tick. How does it work? Where did it come from? And most of all, who built it in the first place?
Charles Darwin had a theory, which he called “evolution.” Plato told his students it was just a play of shadows on the wall. And Buddha said that life is suffering, so you might as well have fun.
Confucius, Galileo, Black Elk, Einstein, Jung, Al-Kindi— prophets and visionaries all—each of whom contributed to the greater understanding of The World we live in today.
Unfortunately, all of them were wrong.
High Pressure
Village of Covas, Minho, Portugal
The sun beat mercilessly on Alvarro Gutierrez as he reached down and let the parched earth slip through his fingers. All around him the soil was dry and lifeless, his crops browned and withering.
“
Dame la barra que adivina, Sancho.
” (Give me the divining rod, Sancho.)
Alvarro’s six-year-old son handed him the ancient twig that was naturally the shape of a fork. The farmer gripped the ends and held them close to his body, then extended the stem outward and performed the time-honored ritual of divination. He knew in his heart that the rumors of an underground spring were just that—rumors—but he had to try something. Or else . . .
“Nothing.” Alvarro tossed the stick aside in disgust. “There is nothing there.”
Sancho’s eyes fell to the ground.
“What are we going to do, Poppa?”
Alvarro gathered himself, for he knew it scared Sancho to see him so beaten. He still hoped to pass this land on to the boy someday, as his father had done to him, and his father before that. All told, this farm had been home to the Gutierrez family for nine generations, but if another harvest was lost, the shared dreams of his ancestors would come to an end with him.
“Don’t worry, Sancho. The rain will come.” Alvarro forced a smile. “You’ll see, the rain will come.”
But the sky was clear and blue.
Rain Tower, Department of Weather, The Seems
Becker Drane had barely stepped onto the roof of the skyscraper, when the Station Chief was already in his face.
“You’re late.” The supervisor’s tie was undone and sweat beaded off his brow. “Didn’t they tell you to get here ASAP?”
“I’m sorry—there was nothing I could do.”
This was the truth, but the details were too embarrassing to share. Becker had been stuck at Rachel Adler’s bat mitzvah at The Pines Manor and there was no way to get away without being spotted by a rabbi or chaperone. But that was no excuse, especially at a time like this.
“Is my Fixer here yet?”
“Already up top, with three of my best men.”
Becker glanced skyward. An elevator shaft led high into the air and ended at the top of a gigantic wooden water tower. Stenciled on the side in fading blue paint was the hallowed symbol of this department—clouds parting in front of a radiant sun.
“Hurry up, kid,” begged the Chief. “If we don’t get this back online, we’re gonna have another Gobi on our hands!”
Without a second thought, Becker was locking the cage of the rickety lift and pushing the lever toward “Up.” At twelve years, six months, and eleven days, he was the youngest Briefer on the Duty Roster, but that did not exempt him from the rigors of the job. Today, he had been called into Weather because a large amount of Rain Water earmarked for the Iberian Peninsula had failed to reach its destination, and the cause remained unknown. In situations such as these, a specialist was called in—a member of an elite corps, who could get the job done when no one else could.