This week, we have finally gotten a glimpse on what is going on with the book. In unrelated news, we were picking up some wine last weekend and the owner of the winery asked me if I was willing to lead the Culinary Book club. Of course I said yes, but I feel like the commitment will lead me to prioritize those activities over others. So far, in the past I have always treated it like an active member and not necessarily responsible for making it work. We will see how it goes, I am already a book behind as it is.

It is finally revealed what I-330 is up to. She is leaving the Green Wall and conferencing with some indigenous people. This would be descendants of people that did not migrate to city as a result of the 200 years war. Basically, they are on the outside, in the shadows and unknown to exist (at least to most). They are called the Mephi.

All this talk about D-503’s hairy hands in the book seems to be a reference to the Mephi. It seems that they have evolved as hairy people in order to survive outside of the city wall. His appearance and position is possibly what has attracted I-330 to D-503. In fact, the plan is for D-503 to sabotage the initial test of the Invictus in order to initiate a revolution of sorts.

It is the theory of I-330 that once the Invictus is operational, then the door to the spread of the style of life that the United State represents is about to proliferate and possibly be impossible to contain. We will have to stay tuned to the future to see if he actually does it. There was one other thing that I wanted to talk about this week and that was the encounter between D-503 and O-90.

If you recall a few reviews ago, O-90 came to the recognition that D-503 had fallen for I-330 and their relationship was over. In her madness, she wanted to have an illegal baby with D-503. This is an offense punishable by death. It is clearly spelled out in the book that O-90 has ‘baby glow’ and is beginning to visibly show signs of pregnancy. D-503 tries to offer her a new life by smuggling her outside the Green Wall and she responds that she would rather die.

I want to take a logical look at this. I hold strong feelings about freedom and personal choice. That being said, am I so blindsided by my own beliefs that I am willing to die for them? I guess I say that depends but for the sake of this discussion, no. So lets say that the last vestiges common sense leaves this state. I am already looking at moving to another state but I am not going to go kamikaze to make a point.

Let’s say that moving is not an option because the entire country is no different. I am still not going to sacrifice myself. I believe in a higher power and a better eternity. I would be extremely disappointed that we ruined the best things going, but then I also have to believe that there is a reason and that I have a role. God will tell me when it is time and it would be a direction from God if my actions were justifiable in advancing those values.

I get it, there are others that believe the faster they get to eternity, the better. But, that goes against my beliefs. I suppose to put it more crudely, I think that it is just wasteful slaughter. To put a finer point on all of this, I think that there are people that are so caught up in their emotion, they are willing to go forward despite facts to the contrary.

To use a lessor example: my wife and family went to a college football game a couple of weeks ago. On our walk back to the car I observed a person. It was a sunny day, temperatures in the upper seventies. The person was sitting in the shade at a table outside at a facility termed ‘community center’. I didn’t ask the pronouns but I assume it was a he based on the way he was dressed. He was sitting in the shade with a personal umbrella over the table, wearing long clothes and a facemask outside.

This told me a number of things. He was scared to be exposed to the sun and he was doing his part to protect us all from germs (outside). I freely admit that I am making assumptions without the facts but it illustrates the point that I believe. Some people are so wholly engulfed in a political agenda that they are scared of their own shadow.

These were the former double maskers. When one mask was proven to not work, the recommendation was to double down and add a second mask, that was our social responsibility after all. Once again without data to support the recommendation. I don’t know this for a fact, but I suspect the revolution is going to happen before O-90 gets caught and everything turns out OK. We will see.

End Your Programming Routine: My assessment of the actions of O-90 were reckless rather than heroic or even romantic. I suppose the interpretation is in the eye of the beholder so you are free to disagree. Whether I like it or not, my opinions on freedom and personal choice are becoming a minority of opinion in society. Most people cannot stomach that fact that I support the right to descent from my opinion even if it is to my own demise. I hate it but guess that is my baby.