The Meh Republic Part one

Prologue

The first thing the Republic banned was noise.

Not all noise, of course. Machines needed noise. Generators hummed. Doors creaked. Pipes complained in winter. The robots made their various mechanical sounds, most of which Tom had never bothered to name.

What he meant was human noise.

Arguments.

Complaints.

Questions.

Opinions.

He considered these the four great enemies of civilization.

That was why, on the day he founded the Meh Republic, Tom stood at the gate with a hammer in one hand and a freshly painted sign in the other.

He looked at the empty road.

Then at the seven robots standing behind him.

Then at the sign.

THE MEH REPUBLIC

NO HUMANS ALLOWED

FOUNDED BY MR. TOM

FOR PROTECTION AGAINST HEARTBREAK AND HEART ATTACKS

Tom nodded.

"Perfect."

One of the robots tilted its head.

Tom pointed at it.

"You understand?"

The robot remained silent.

"Good."

For the first time in many years, Tom felt completely certain that he had made the right decision.

He had no idea that, somewhere beyond the mountains, a small orange cat was about to change everything.

He certainly had no idea that the Republic would one day have a new constitution.

Or a new flag.

Or a new Supreme Leader.

Or that Tom himself would eventually become the last human president in a country whose population consisted mostly of machines and cats.

At the time, however, he had only one concern.

Peace.

Silence.

And absolutely no humans.

It was, as it turned out, a terrible plan.