Page 95 - SurprisingTruthFinal

Nicholas Boothman
Henry saw a man trying to fix a broken car window.
A neighbor approached, clearly seeing the man was
struggling with the tool. In the old world, the neighbor
would offer help and small talk. Now, the neighbor
stopped ten feet away, frozen in place. To offer help
would imply judging the man's incompetence, forcing
an admission of gratitude, or revealing a secret desire
for social credit, all truths that could shatter the fragile
peace. The neighbor just stood there for a minute, then
slowly retreated, shoulders slumped, defeated by the
Mandate.
The problem was no longer the global lie. It was the
lethal honesty of intent.
Henry understood it: the only way to adhere to the
Global Mandate for Absolute Transparency without
instantly destroying your social and legal standing was
to avoid all situations requiring judgment or intention.
And the only way to do that was to stop speaking.
He followed a utility crew who were now, thanks to
The Palliative's nudge, working on a localized water
pipe repair. They didn't talk. They communicated only
through written notes and exaggerated, silent hand
gestures, a ritual designed to remove the "Truth Tax" of
casual speech.
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