Treason

Treason

“Hey you, stop!” A tall, burly officer was shouting from below the platform. A small figure was racing towards them in the distance. The boys looked at each other with confusion, “Is that a Talik, that’s all, I mean, I expected like two hundred of them rushing over the hill top waving guns in the air,” Kaden remarked casually as he spit out his gum.
“Nah, there’s no way that’s one of them. Remember the illustrations from the books? They’re all tall and muscular with jet black eyes and evil grins. Probably because they’re all inbred1.” Blake’s comment had barely escaped his lips when they heard more shouting and then screams coming from below them.
“Boys, get down here!” The officer shouted up at the guard tower to Kaden and Blake.
“Guess we’d better get down there,” Kaden said as they hoisted themselves up off the steel bench and raced to the hatch, Their boots clanked on each ladder rung as they climbed down.
“Come here boys, this’ll be an excellent opportunity to show you what you’re up against. What your enemy is like.” He twisted the arm of the mysterious figure around so that it was facing the boys. The mysterious figure was in fact, a she. Her face was badly bruised and cut. Dark strands of black hair were matted against her face with sweat and blood. Green eyes stared up at the boys with contempt.
“This, is a Talik. An outcast, a murderer, and a thieving pig. She doesn’t look that menacing does she?2 Reach into her left boot.”
Kaden obediently reached his hand down into the boot; his hand hit something sharp and metallic. He pulled out a dagger.
“Now Blake, you take the right boot. Let’s see what she’s hidden in there,” commanded the officer. Blake pulled out a tiny vial of purplish liquid.
“Poison, no doubt,” spat the officer, “I’m telling you boys, they’re treacherous. First they sent their sons to kill us on the battlefields and now they’re sending their daughters to cross the borders, to sneak around like little rats. They must be desperate for a victory now.”
A van pulled up to the edge of the fence to take the girl away. Officers shoved her into the back and cuffed her hands. Who knew where she was to be sent.
“Yep boys, I think they’re getting pretty desperate. If we’re lucky, you’ll be the last generation that has to fight for Sorre. You should be proud, protecting your families and serving your country3,” the officer said as he patted them both on the back.

The day dragged on as Kaden and Blake sat in their guard posts with keen eyes on the border. Who knew when the next one would come racing over the hill? They had better be ready. “That girl didn’t look anything like the pictures in the book, Blake,” Kaden said uncomfortably.
Oh, it’s just because the painting in the book is old, that’s all. I’m sure they exaggerated a little bit, plus, the Talik in the painting is a guy.” Blake shrugged off Kaden’s concerned look, “Nothing to lose sleep over.” For a while there was silence. Only the buzz and the low whine of the electric fence below made a sound. No soldiers’ boots clanked as they passed on patrol. Kaden coughed.
“Do you think they took her to the mines or to the camps?”
“I don’t know, I guess the mines. She looked fine besides the scrapes on her head. Maybe they sent her to the camps though, but I thought they only did that if someone was dangerous,” Blake answered nonchalantly. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon4.


“Boys, wake up!” The officer from yesterday was standing over their cots.
“What’s going on, sir?” Blake rubbed his eyes and squinted at the man.
“You all are going to get your first lesson in dealing with the enemy. You’re going to be put on guard duty for the Talik we caught yesterday. She was supposed to be sent to the camps, but a sandstorm blew in on the Eastern border, and we can’t get her outta here on the trucks until next week. Have fun. Your C.O. will meet you at the barracks and give you the details,” he said with a cheery face. “I’ll see you boys later.” The officers’ boots clanked back down the hall.
“I guess we should get dressed and go, huh?” Kaden asked unsurely.
“Yeah, I guess so,” said Blake. The boys threw on their brown and sand colored fatigues and ran out the door to the end of the barracks. A tall man in a white cap with a blue commander’s stripe was waiting for them there.
“You must be the new trainees for interrogation. Of course, we hope you are, can’t ever be too sure…Please show me your identicards.” The boys slid their cards through the scanner on the door and entered through the threshold. Inside it was dark and dingy. Bright fluorescent bulbs5 lit circles of the floor in the hallway every few feet or so. The commander walked inside.
“So, I guess I’ll show you around. Here’s the first aid office, and here’s the infirmary to your right. You’ve probably heard how treacherous the Taliks are. They can hide a knife anywhere. Oh, and here’s the officers’ quarters for everyone who works here. You guys are in 117 and 118 down that hall and…” Kaden and Blake had both tuned out the commander’s rambling when they saw what lay ahead of them. There was a steel plated door with black and yellow caution signs posted saying, “Interrogation rooms: no admittance unless authorized on identicard. All possessions must be left at the guard station. No outside weapons allowed.”
“That must be where they keep them all, all of the Taliks and traitors from the base,” Kaden said with curiosity.
The commander awoke from his long monologue, “Oh, yes, yes, indeed. They kept them all back there under high security. That’s where you boys will be working. You are very lucky, you know, to get to serve your country this way. Most of you youngsters don’t get promoted until after at least one battle. You two must be quite the patriotic soldiers6.”
“Uhh, yes sir, we are sir, very honored and proud, sir,” said Blake with the utmost importance. They proceeded down the hallway and through the yellow door into the next room. Every surface was white and pristinely clean. There were two tables with what looked like straight jackets on them. There were also several shelves with CDs on them that had labels displaying unknown bands to Blake and Kaden. The guard office was to the left of the door. A man sitting in there waved to the commander.
“Hi, Barty. Guys, this is where you’ll be working for the next few weeks or so. Here’s your beginner’s manual, and Barty here will show you the ropes tomorrow. You know where your rooms are already, so I’ll be off now. See you boys at dinner.” The commander strode down the hallway toward the yellow and black door. The boys glanced down at the heavy paperback book that had been placed in their hands. It read, “The Protocols and Regulations for Humane6.5 Interrogation of the Taliks and of other Individuals Whom Threaten the State of Sorre.”
“Wow, I guess we’d better get reading,” joked Blake. But Kaden wasn’t listening. Instead, his eyes were gazing into the corner of the room designated with a big yellow sign as, “Holding Cells.” There, in cell # 42, was the Talik they had seen captured earlier. She was crying and gazing up hopelessly at the ceiling. Her green eyes caught Kaden’s blue ones. Almost instantly her expression changed from one of despair to one of loathing and determination. She limped out of view to the other side of her cell.
“Hey, Kaden, are you okay, man?” Blake asked as he shook Kaden’s shoulder.

Later in their new dorms, Kaden and Blake were studying their manuals for their new jobs. Something was bothering Kaden though, and Blake had picked up on it. “Hey man, what happened to you back there?”
“I don’t know. I mean, it’s so odd. You don’t imagine your enemy as a weeping girl in the corner of a cell I guess7. Have you read chapter twenty-four yet? The one about metal music and sleep deprivation? I guess that’s why they had so many CDs.”
“Yeah, but my question is, have you even read chapter one? You’re enemy can be anyone, remember? Don’t let it get to you. They’re vicious, they’re like animals. They’ll do anything to get us, to win. Did you read that story in the newspaper last week? That Talik took a baby hostage in the market and then blew the place to smithereens. It was awful. Like twenty people died. You can’t trust them, no matter how innocent or human they look.8”
“Yeah man, you’re right. I can’t let them get to me, that’s what they’d want.”

The sun rose above the horizon, shining beams of light on Blake’s closed eyelids. He begins to stir. “Uggh, I guess it’s time to get up, Kaden.” He turned and looked over at the bed beside him. Kaden is slumped over his manual with his face in the book.
Blake laughs, “Kaden buddy, wake up! It’s time to go to work.”
“Huh, oh yeah…did I fall asleep like this last night? Aww man, I’m gonna be the laughing stock of the barracks.”
Kaden yawns. “Well, let’s hurry and get dressed.” Blake jogs over to his locker and puts on his fatigues.
After dressing and eating breakfast, the boys walk down to the yellow and black striped door for their first day of work. “Hi boys, are you ready to go?” Barty stepped out from behind the guard station to greet them.
“Yes sir,” Blake and Kaden respond in unison.
“All righty then, let’s go.” The boys glance left and right as they walk down the cell block corridors until they reach #42.
“I see you all have met our newest guest. The commander said you guys helped catch her. Well, now she’s gonna be your problem today. Here’s her clipboard. It’s got all her medical information, prisoner number, and all the info we’ve been able to extract from her so far, which hasn’t been much. There’s also a list of interrogation techniques allowed. If you have any questions come and ask me, you get the picture.”
“Yes sir,” the boys responded in unison again.
“Well, have fun. If you have any problems, let me know. We don’t like to use the batons often, but sometimes it’s necessary. They’re in my office drawer if you need them. Oh, and here,” he handed the boys a small, thin silver pager with a green, yellow, and red button on it. “It’s a signaling device if you ever need anything. Green is for medical care, yellow is for help if they’re getting disorderly, and red is a panic button. Nobody has ever needed to use the red one, but like we told you, they can be treacherous. You never know what they’ll do9,” Barty grimaced.
The boys glanced down at the white clipboard as they entered the cell. It read:

Name: unknown at present date Eye color: green
Status: Talik Height: 5’6”
Age: approx. 18-20 years Weight: 125 lbs.
Sex: Female Identification number: 249637

Medical information:
Contusions to the forehead suffered before entry into facility. Blood-work reveals antibodies present for all diseases tested for, indicating current vaccinations. Allergen sensitivity test reveals negative for antibiotics and positive for antigen 21 and 42. Reaction involves mild skin rash and irritation. Antigen 34 was also tested and was found to induce symptoms of anaphylactic shock requiring treatment with epinephrine.

Psychological Evaluation:
Mental state is fairly stable. Breaking point predicted to be at 2 weeks under mild interrogation.

Approved and Recommended Interrogation Techniques:
­ Pre-hypothermia water immersion
­ Sleep deprivation via music
­ Use of antigen 21 and 42
­ Use of antigen 34, but only while under the strict supervision of medical staff.
­ General verbal breaking techniques

Gained information:
None to date


“Whoa, Blake, she’s like the same age as us,” Kaden said in shock10.
“Yeah, and that surprises you because?” Blake asked in a sarcastic tone.
“Oh, it doesn’t surprise me, I mean, they’re brutal. I just thought their soldiers were older, a little more battle hardened, that’s all.”
“All right, I guess we’d better go talk to her and see what info she’ll give us. She must know something; otherwise, they’d have just sent her to the mines in the south. She doesn’t look that dangerous,” said Blake as he opened the door with his identicard.
“Hi,” Kaden said shyly. The girl sat up from her pallet on the floor and glared at them, her wounds had begun to scab over.
“Dude, what’s up with you?” Blake elbowed Kaden.
“First of all, what’s your name?” Blake asked in a stern tone.
“What does it matter to you? I thought this was my name.” She pulled up her pant leg to reveal a number tattooed on her ankle. It read, “24963711.”
“It doesn’t. Just thought you’d like to be called by something other than a six-digit number, that’s all. But have it your way,” Kaden said dismissively.
“You are all so pathetic, acting like you actually care, like you actually give a damn about what I think,” she smiled sardonically, “My name’s Ceren, Kira Ceren. Happy now?”
“Very,” said Blake mockingly as Kaden scribbled her name down on the chart.
“So, umm, Kira, why are you attacking us? Who sent you? Where’s your base?” Kaden asked her with increasing confidence.
“Oh, it’s situated up high in the Azula Mountains in a little cave stashed full of bazooka launchers and hand grenades. We’re attacking you because we hate you, you’re evil, and we want you to die.” She sniggered, “That’s what you wanted to hear, right?”
“No, what I want to hear is the truth. Why are you killing our families and friends? Why do you invade our borders and kill our children? What do you want?” Blake questioned as he stared at the clipboard.
“You want the honest truth?”
“Yes,” Kaden said impatiently.
“Bull, no you don’t,” Kira grinned contemptuously.
“Yes, we do, and if you don’t tell us we’re going to find a less pleasant way to get it out of you,” Blake threatened.
“Okay, does this qualify as the truth for you? We’re starving to death. You’ve cut off our water supplies with dams and our trade routes with military patrols. The states to the north of us won’t even trade with us anymore because they’re so afraid of your army. You kidnap our people all the time, and God knows what you do with them. You took my twin brother away from my mother and I when I was four. You took my father away when you decided to napalm our grain fields. I came to find food and hopefully, my brother. It’s as simple as that.”
“Yeah, that’s the truth12 all right. You all are just the poor, innocent victims who cross our borders to find food and family members. Then what’s the knife and poison for?” Blake asked her with contempt in his voice.
“The knife is for self defense against goons like you. The poison was for me. I didn’t get to use it before I was captured and landed here. We know how you torture people, what happens behind these walls…” Kira said coldly.
“You know what, I hope your brother is dead. Maybe you think you’re so high and mighty, but your people killed my parents. The Taliks orphaned me. This government that you hate so much raised me. They gave me everything. An education, a career, everything. There’s not a thing I wouldn’t do for it13.”
“You’re an idiot, a dumb, stubborn, good for nothing robot and I hope you rot in hell,” she spat at him. Saliva sprayed through the air and sprinkled Blake’s face.
Blake furiously jabbed the yellow button on his pager. “Blake, don’t you think that’s over-reacting a little? She’s just upset about her brother, that’s all. Hey, snap outta it!” Kaden shouted at him.
Barty burst through the door panting, “What’s going on here?”
“She spat at me,” Blake answered coolly.
Kira laughed14.
“What? You called me down here for that kinda stuff? Just slap her. Don’t call me again for stupid stuff like this.” Barty slammed the door shut as he left.
Kira laughed again.
“Shut up!” Blake yelled as he slapped her face15.
“Blake! Calm down! You need to cool off dude. Come on, let’s go eat lunch,” Kaden suggested.
“Yeah, all right,” Blake glared at Kira. He exited and Kaden sealed the lock behind them again. Kira sank back into corner and turned her stinging cheek towards the wall.

Kaden and Blake had just sat down to lunch when the overhead speaker in the cafeteria announced, “Will the guards in charge of prisoner number 249637 please report to the main office.”
“Aww man, we didn’t even get to eat,” complained Blake.
“Hey, you stay and finish your lunch and I’ll go. You need to chill out and relax for a bit longer,” Kaden said thoughtfully.
“Thanks,” responded Blake.
Kaden made his way down the fluorescent bulbed hallway to the gray door that read, “Main Office.” He approached the lady at the desk, “Umm, excuse me ma‘am. You paged for prisoner number 249637’s guard?”
“Oh yes, here you go honey.” She handed him a ripped khaki cloth sack.
“What’s this?”
“Oh, it’s what we found of her possessions. She dropped it not too far from the fence before she was captured. We didn’t know if it would be any use to you in the interrogation, but take it anyway.”
“Okay, thank you, ma’am,” Kaden said as he picked up the sack and exited through the gray door. On his way down the hallway, he began rifling through the sack to see what was in it. A toothbrush, a map, an energy bar, flint, and some kind of crumpled paper. Kaden unfolded it to reveal a photograph of four people. All of them had brownish black hair and eyes of varying shades of green and hazel. There was a little boy and a little girl, both probably four or five years old. They were both sitting in their mother’s lap. “That must have been her twin brother,” Kaden thought to himself. He looked closer at the bottom of the picture where names and dates were scribbled. It was from 2037. The names read: James, Laura, Kira (4 yrs.), and Blake (4 yrs.). Kaden took a double take. The closer he looked, the more apparent it became. His friend, Blake, looked just like the little boy in the picture. His eyes were green, his hair a dark brown, and his nose looked just like the one on the little boy. “But that’s impossible,” Kaden thought to himself, “Blake’s family was killed by the Taliks. There’s no way he was one of them.” He tried to push the thought out of his head as he made his way back to the cafeteria, but it was no use. The thought was like a flashing red light in the back of his mind displaying neon letters that read, “Stop and think!16”
Blake was finishing his vanilla pudding when Kaden returned. He greeted him with a grin, “So, what’s the scoop?”
“Oh, nothing. They just found some of her belongings, that’s all. Toothbrush, energy bar, that kind of stuff.”
“Aww, I thought maybe there was something we could’ve used to get more info out of her,” Blake said disappointed.
“Did you ever consider that maybe she did tell us the truth? Maybe we’re the ones who are being lied to?” Kaden suggested feebly.
“No, not for one second. She’s a lying, dirty, rotten animal, and that’s all. You’re starting to sound like one of them. Are you trying to be brought up on treason charges?17” Blake asked aggressively.
“No, just forget it, you’re right,” Kaden submitted.
“Let’s go back now. Barty will be mad if we’re late on our first day.” The boys went back down the hall and entered through the yellow and black striped door. Kaden was still distracted by his thoughts about the photo. He decided to go to the guard station to pull Blake’s file. That way he could see if there was anything about his family that was missing from the story.
“Hey, I’ll catch up with you in a minute. I’ve got to go ask Barty a quick question about protocol,” Kaden said as he slipped through the guard station door.
“Hi Barty. I was wondering if you could pull Blake’s file for me. It’s just that, I’m concerned about his mental state lately, and he won’t talk to me, so I’m hoping to find something in his file that will help before referring him to the psychologist,” Kaden said politely.
“Sure, here, whatever floats your boat,” Barty said as he handed him the file. Kaden glanced down at it. He read to the field that asked for nationality. There it was. In big, bold letters, it read, “Reformed Talik.” That was all he needed to see. He had to tell Blake now. He hurriedly shoved the folder back into Barty’s hands, “Thanks, that ought to do it.”
“No problem,” said Barty as Kaden raced down the hall to cell # 42. Inside, he saw that Blake had already started interrogating her again. The sign on the door said, “Caution, high decibel music exceeding the 20,000 range.” Blake had headphones on and was twisting dials on a black audio system with subwoofer speakers. Kira was glaring at him from the corner again with her hands cupped over her ears. Kaden banged on the door. The walls of the cell stopped vibrating and Blake opened the door.
“Hey man, I need to talk to you now,” Kaden said with urgency.
“What, what is it?”
“You’re not going to believe me, but here.” Kaden handed him the picture.
“What’s this?” Blake asked intrigued.
“It’s the picture of Kira’s family from her rucksack. Look at the little boy. Now look at the name at the bottom.”
“It says, Blake, big deal. So her brother’s name was the same as mine and he had dark hair, big deal. It doesn’t mean anything,” Blake said dismissively.
“Well, there’s something else too…I checked your file earlier, just to see if it could be just some crazy coincidence, and, well, you’re a Talik. I know it sounds crazy, but under nationality, you’re listed as a reformed Talik.”
“There’s no way, I don’t have anything in common with that, that monster in there18.” He pointed to Kira.
“Yes, I think you both have quite a bit in common. Not to mention the same genes. I mean, look at the picture, the name, your file, it all makes sense. Plus, you were supposedly orphaned and her brother was kidnapped. It’s a perfect cover story.”
“No, there’s no way…” Blake repeated, shaken.
“Well, let’s go see what she thinks,” suggested Kaden. They re-entered the cell and handed the photo to Kira.
“Hey, I guess you found my stuff,” she said in a falsely cheery voice.
“Yeah, but do I have news for you,” said Kaden.
“What? You’re going to kill me?”
“No, better. He thinks I’m your brother,” Blake said sarcastically.
“No way. What’s your name anyway? I mean, you do sorta look like him, but my brother would have never become the monster that you are.”
“My name is Blake.”

“No way. This is just some kind of mind game you all are playing on me. Cut the crap. What’s this all about?”
“I really think he’s your brother. You both have the same color eyes, the same hair, you’re both Taliks…” Kaden was cut off by Kira, “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on a sec. There’s no way he’s a Talik. We don’t torture people, we don’t kidnap children19.”
“He’s what they call a reformed Talik. I suspect that means he was kidnapped since he was raised here and told he was an orphan,” Kaden explained.
“Well, there’s one way to know for sure,” said Kira.
“Turn around Blake.”
“Why, are you going to stab me?”
“No. When we were born, both of us had identical birthmarks on the back of our neck next to the spine, see for yourself.” She turned and showed them the small, brown-pigmented blotch of skin on her neck.
“Turn around Blake,” Kaden commanded. Blake obliged grudgingly.
“You do have a birthmark on the back of your neck, one that’s identical to hers. There’s no way you can deny it now,” said Kaden.
“Wow. That changes a lot,” said Kira.
“Or nothing,” said Blake.
“Or nothing,” acknowledged Kira.
“Well, I’ve got a great idea,” Kaden said sarcastically.
“Why don’t we all just bust out of this joint and go back to Talik. It’s apparent that we’ve all been lied to. Let’s just leave. She was actually telling the truth, so why did they make us interrogate her?”
“Because they needed false confessions for propaganda20,” Kira answered. “How else were they supposed to justify attacking us? All they really wanted was our resources. Water mostly.”
“Well, now that I know that my entire life has been based upon a lie, what next?” Blake asked with both sarcasm and curiosity.
“Well, I’m all for the getting out of here part,” laughed Kira.
“Sounds good to me too,” agreed Kaden.
“Fine, but how are we going to get out of here?”
“We’ll figure out something. How about we escape tomorrow when they come to transport her? How far is it to the Talik border from here?”
“A day’s walk, more or less,” Kira answered.
“Well, everybody had better get a good night’s rest. Tomorrow, all hell is gonna break loose, including the truth21,” Kaden said.
Blake and Kira grinned, “What do you mean?”
“Well, I figure the whole country should know about our happy little family reunion. So, I recorded the entire thing. It’s set to launch over Sorre’s telecommunication systems tomorrow. I told you that technology class would come in handy,” chuckled Kaden.
“Yeah, you did tell me that, except that I remember you hacking the computers more than typing,” laughed Blake.
“Well, well, well, I guess we have ourselves some serious treason on our hands,” said Kira. Laughter22 erupted from the group like a volcano and echoed throughout the cell into the corridors. Lucky for them, Barty was asleep.
1 “…The great over simplifiers are very powerful—Communism, fundamentalist Islam. Poor economies breed tyrannies.” (Lessing 66). This is an example of the way many countries portray their enemies. They over simplify and encourage stereotypes to get their people to hate them and feel superior to the other race or nation. This gives them an excuse to persecute and take things from the other race or nation.

2 “Each side had not one good thing to say about the other, each side was lying…and lying with a good conscience, for the end justifies the means.” (Lessing 24). This is another example of how some countries demonize their enemies. They generalize in order to cast a stereotype over the entire group, which they use as an excuse to hurt them, kill them, take lands from them, etc. Kira, in fact, had never stolen anything from them or killed anyone, but since she was a Talik, they automatically assumed she had. This is also the sort of thinking that pervades the society in The God of Small Things when they think of Untouchables. They assume that just because they are of a different and lower caste, that they are dirty, stupid, and unfit to be around others of the higher castes.

3 This is a form of propaganda being used to target especially the young soldiers. The officer is playing on their pride and patriotism. He is also giving them the false promise that they will be the last ones to fight the war. “Passion, loyalty, and subjection to group pressure is what every government relies on.” (Lessing 60). The truth is that the war will never be over so long as their government keeps stealing resources. And that’s a long shot because when will people ever stop being greedy?

4 This is just a quick reference to the Cave Allegory. The setting sun represents the little bit of sunlight that was shining in their conversation, the little bit of truth. Kaden was trying to explore other possibilities by saying that Kira didn’t exactly look like the description in the book. He was suggesting that there might be something that is out of place or wrong. Blake shoots down his ideas, and the “sun” sets.

5 This is yet another Cave Allegory reference. The circles of light on the floor contrasting with the shadows are supposed be like the artificial and fake light in the Cave, the fire.

6 The commander is stuffing the boys full of propaganda again. He’s making them feel proud and justified in what they’re doing so they won’t question it.

6.5 This is just stuck in the title to make the soldiers feel morally better about what they’re doing. If the word humane is in the title, then everything should be fine.

7 The boys are now getting to see that their enemies don’t exactly fit the stereotypes that had been force fed to them for years. Blake dismisses it as just the treachery of the enemy without even giving it a thought. This is a testament to how thoroughly they have been brainwashed and indoctrinated into these ideas of the enemy. Blake didn’t have a single doubt in his mind that she was just trying to trick them. Of course there was no way that she was human and possibly upset.

8 This is an example of how many governments “de-humanize” the enemy. They make their soldiers feel like they have absolutely nothing in common with the enemy. They go so far as to even deny their humanity. Lessing explores this idea when she talks about how soldiers are desensitized before war. “I have read accounts of how soldiers destined for the front line are desensitized by deliberately exposing them to brutality in such a way that they slowly lose their capacity for seeing the people they have to attack, or interrogate, as human. This is a controlled and skilled process…until they can torture or kill without any emotion whatsoever.” (Lessing 40).

9 Reinforcing that barbarian stereotype again. Repetition is a very important aspect in brainwashing. The more someone is exposed to something, the more they gradually come to accept it as the norm.

10 The fact that neither Blake nor Kaden noticed that Kira was similar to them in something so general as age goes to show how well they were brainwashed. They didn’t notice it until her age was in print in front of their faces.

11 Assigning numbers in place of names is another way to de-humanize the enemy. They don’t even have a name. It makes them seem less human and more like an object with a serial number.

12 Again, Kaden and Blake have been lied to and indoctrinated so much that they can’t even distinguish the truth from lies. They automatically assume that she is lying, and that there’s no way their government could have done any of those things.

13 This is due to the intense brainwashing that Blake has incurred over the years. It also echoes of a “Crito,” government reference. Socrates suggests that people should willingly do just about anything for their country in order to defend it and fulfill its needs. I wonder if he ever took brainwashing into account.

14 “It means, and I hope this won’t sound too wild, choosing to laugh…. The researchers of brainwashing and indoctrination discovered that people who knew how to laugh resisted best. The Turks for instance…the soldiers who faced their torturers with laughter sometimes survived when others did not.” (Lessing 44). Kira is laughing at how stupid Blake is acting, and how dumb the entire situation honestly is. She’s resisting the despair and thoughts of what they could end up doing to her.

15 Blake couldn’t take the criticism of laughter. He didn’t understand how absurd and immature it was to call Barty for something like that, and he wouldn’t tolerate Kira’s laughter. “Fanatics don’t laugh at themselves; laughter is by definition heretical…Bigots can’t laugh. True believers don’t laugh. Their idea of laughter is a satirical cartoon pillorying an opposition person or idea. Tyrants and oppressors don’t laugh at themselves, and don’t tolerate laughter at themselves.” (Lessing 44).

16 Kaden is thinking logically, but the years of brainwashing are making him think using the false knowledge that they have given him. This is similar to the inner censorship that Lessing speaks about. Kaden’s mind is trying to suppress the possibility of anything being other than what the accepted norm is. Which is that the Taliks are bad, they are good.

17 Kaden is challenging everything that they had grown up thinking, and it honestly scares Blake. It would scare most people if you woke up one morning and found out that everything you believed in was a lie. This is why people generally reject any belief that puts them out of their comfort zone. “…You will learn that this attitude on the part of the young is perennial, part of a permanent societal process. You do not want to read anything that upsets your view of yourself as a gloriously new and amazing phenomenon…” (Lessing 69).

18 Blake doesn’t want to have to acknowledge the fact that he has something in common with the “monster.” He is actually the one who is becoming the “monster,” and if he does acknowledge that Kira is human, then he must also acknowledge that what they’re doing is wrong.

19 Even Kira has her biases against the people from Sorre. The stereotypes are mutual, although hers are a bit more accurate.

20 The government had to show the people something for all their war efforts so they’d continue to support them. They gain their support by extracting false confessions.

21 “In war-time the first casualty is truth.” (Lessing 32). The truth had been hidden to justify the war, to justify taking resources, to justify the ends.

22 This goes back to the quote about how tyrants can’t laugh at themselves, and how those who are able to resist by laughing have a better chance at surviving. Kira’s, Kaden’s, and Blake’s laughter was freedom. They could laugh, they could see how absurd things were, how they had been deceived. They were going to survive.

*This is just a little interesting fact about the story. The names of Kira and Blake actually have significance. Kira means, “light” and Blake means “dark or black”. It just illustrates the difference between their characters, polar opposites. This also relates back to the Cave Allegory. The name of the state, Sorre, is actually “erros” spelled backwards, which translates from Italian to English as “wrong.” I just added that in because the state was wrong in just about everything that it did in the story.