Note: This tale is purely fiction. Any resemblance to any person or religion is not an attack of those peoples or religions. This is a tale about what could happen if a particular belief that banned the questioning of the doctrine gained widespread acceptance. If you look at the teaching of all the main religions you will probably find that without fail, they encourage their believers to continually test their faith in their beliefs. There are some tenets of the more extreme branches of the mail world religions that are in some ways not too far removed from some of the ideals presented here. The scenarios used here do not do that. Actually, you could substitute a political ideology for a religion in this tale and it would still make sense. After all some of the most despotic leaders in humanity have been politicians (and lawyers…)

This story was written during a period when I was working in two countries that control their population in many ways. For example, both censor access to the Internet. Storysite is banned in both countries. They both have public humiliation etc of convicted criminals.

 

Extinction

by Samantha Michelle Davies

 

Jody was branded a slut. Yes I mean what I say. The words "JODY-SLUT" was branded across her forehead in accordance with the Nationwide Law that was approved in the year of our DivineMaster 150.

Since the year 140 there had been widespread discrimination against those deemed to be living outside the law of the DivineMaster. This included Gays & Lesbians, Transsexuals, Transvestites, Unmarried Couples and Women who gave birth outside wedlock. The latter were often stoned to death. The men who made them pregnant were also castrated in Public.

In the intervening 10 years the religious police and those pertaining to represent the views of the majority had killed a record number of the so-called subversives. The law to brand people by sexual type was seen as a was of identifying these people but making it an offence to kill, injure or even speak to these Outcasts from society.

The posters went up, adverts were carried on Simulcast and the religious correct were advised to turn in those they suspected belong to this list of Non Believers.

They would be spared their lives in return for being made an outcast from the society they lived in. It became an offence to speak or touch anyone branded an outcast. If a car hit you, you were to be left where you fell until you died. Only then, were a team of cleaners who were given special dispensation were allowed to remove the body.

Those branded were not allowed to own property or have a job. It was felt that some people would point the finger at others to get revenge. When you were fingered the accuser had to stand up in court and tell you to your face why they had accused you. You could question your accuser. If the accuser was found to be wrong it was they who were branded and would become outcasts themselves. The court was the only place where the unbranded and the branded could converse.

In the first year almost 20 million people were branded. Companies failed, Banks ran out of money and there was worldwide economic collapse. This was heralded by the "Messengers of the DivineMaster" as the cleansing of society that the DivineMaster had supposedly predicted some centuries before.

Before being branded Jody was a bank clerk name Michael. He had always dressed in Women's Clothes. He had never been out in female dress as he was petrified of being discovered. He felt that he was unlucky to get caught but he had underestimated the power of the state to find the miscreants where they lived and under what disguise.

Michael was caught out because he purchased some underwear using his "CreID" card. This was the combined Credit Card and Identity Card that was introduced nationwide in 138. His purchase drew attention because he had not registered any interest in a girl for over two years. The massive computer systems operated by the Government quickly identified this when they verified the transaction at the time he made it. Within 1 hour the police had been alerted and his apartment searched. Here they found his cache of women's clothing. He was accused of being a transsexual. Within 24 hours he was tried and convicted and sentenced. His only choice left in life was to decide on a name that would be branded onto him forever.

Before he was branded he was escorted in chains back to his apartment to witness the destruction of everything he formerly possessed. You cannot say owned as immediately he was convicted he no longer owned anything. It was all forfeit to the state.

His branding took place in Public and was broadcast live of Simulcast. Every person who had ever had any possible contact with him was notified by Publi-Net of his change in Status. Everyone who received this message had to report that they understood within 48 hours or else they would become a suspect themselves.

Within 48 Hours Michael no longer existed in any public record held by the state apart from one entry holding a copy of his DNA and the words "Slut 14-13-452, Jody".

After branding Jody was dressed in clothes deemed to be appropriate for a slut. An extremely short skirt, bra top and high platform shoes. Garish makeup was also tattooed onto her face. She looked like a pre-Master Clown. All forms of entertainment had been banned as being the work of the Devil. The dress was dictated by the word used by the DivineMaster to describe any women of dubious nature. It did not matter that it was January and the temperature was twenty below that was of no concern to the "Followers of the DivineMaster"

So far Jody had survived 10 days. Already she was close to killing herself, which naturally, was what the lawmakers had in mind when they drafted the law. The only place to get shelter at that time of year was the Underground Railway system. This was no longer in use since other laws had made it illegal for women to attend school, work, drive cars or travel outside their home without a male relative in attendance or even speak to an unmarried male without the written permission of their father and the contact being registered with the authorities.

Women were placed into chastity belts at the age of 8 until they married. Most men forced them to wear them after that even though some had died when the husbands refused to take them off when they were pregnant. Those men were killed themselves for Murdering their unborn child. The women did not matter. They were of no consequence to the future of the totally male dominated society after all they were mentioned in the writing penned all those years ago by the DivineMaster.

Jody found refuge after 21 days when she deliberately walked out in front of a heavy truck. She died immediately. The driver stopped saw that he had hit a branded thing, gave thanks to the DivineMaster and deliberately reversed over the dead body several times before driving on.

In the year 101, the birth rate had fallen to extremely low levels due to the lack of contact between the sexes. The population was declining by 5% a year but the hardcore members of the "Followers of the DivineMaster" said that is was the will of the DivineMaster and that they were not going to do anything about it. One side effect was that the effects of Global Warming had been completely reversed within 15 years.

By the year 210 the population was only 10% of what it was before the coming of the "Followers of the DivineMaster". The Cult of the 'DivineMaster' was born in Sub-Saharan Africa and the main Evangelist was a man who went by the name Abel Yasser Ngaro. By the end of his adolescence he had a large following. He was preaching that celibacy was the solution to the scourge of plagues like Aids, Hepatitis and TB. By the time he died, so 60% of the entire African population had died from one or more of these diseases.

As the years went by, the population continued to drop. In 300, a mere 5% remained. There was little of no communication between the isolated communities of humans remaining.

In 336, the last leader of the sect died and along with it the fate of humankind. He died with a smile on his face saying, "Our mission is complete. The Earth has been cleansed of unbelievers at last" Probably the first and last species to deliberately drive itself to extinction.

  

  

  

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