"The Evaluation is the key to our
Society's long-lasting state of social
Stability, as well as our stability as
a nation; coexisting with no one but,
ourselves, it is critical to prevent violence
from overcoming our own people"
•Arbiter, 20th
"Remember, the cause of violence is a lack of help. The Evaluation serves only to find those who need such aid, and set them on the path to recovery..."
Luke found this particular reminder of the Evaluation and its importance rather boring. Throughout his schooling, he and his peers had been taught about it's purpose. They were introduced to it in the 3rd Grade with a rather long speech from Mrs. Johnson, which sounded rather scripted...
"Before the Union, only certain flaws were recognized as treatable. These were labeled "disabilities" and "illnesses", and exclusively these could be treated. Flaws such as the urge to commit crime were seen as the person's fault, something which couldn't be changed. But we, the Union, know everything can be fixed. One simply must identify those who need fixing. The Evaluation measures all important values pertaining to the mental health of the individual:
- Work productivity
- Concentration
- Participation in daily life
- Appropriate relationships"
and it ended with the often quoted line "This is the key to our success".
Most people passed the Evaluation easily. For most of his life, Luke had passed with exceptional scores.
But now he was failing.
Nothing had changed to induce this.
Except Jack
Luke's P.O.V.
"Your concentration is off", my Preliminary Evaluation Examiner informed me. "In fact, everything but Participation is below par, and even that is borderline. If you don't get yourself together soon, you'll be treated."
Treated.
A promise of change.
But I don't want what I have to change.
Wait. What do I have?
What is it with Jack? An addiction? Yes, that's it. I'm addicted to Jack.
That didn't sound possible. And besides, it was... more.
YOU ARE READING
Love in a Loveless World
RomanceLuke and Jack find themselves in love in a dystopian world in which love isn't even acknowledged as existent. As they begin to exhibit the symptoms of love, they find themselves at risk for mental health treatment, to cure their "disease". Fearing t...
