the execution

by fred flynn

the execution, the first in many generations, had been scheduled for high noon, imperial capital time, and all the inhabitants of the planet had been invited to watch it. the case of citizen p-7845-67-d, referred to in the low-end media sometimes as davy crockett and sometimes as tilgath pileser xxiii, had dragged on for some time, and the council and the senate had both decided that the situation was an embarrassment and that it was time to resolve it. citizen p-7845-67-d, a class 23 functionary of the culinary discipline corp, was the last avowed adherent of the timscrum, or purple-amber party, whose doctrines and assemblies been declared void by the central approval committee some three years earlier. the members of the timscrum/purple-amber party had been given every opportunity to switch their allegiance to an approved party, or to join the dwindling ranks of those (now down to .00063 percent of the imperial population) who chose to declare no party affiliation. but p-7845-67-d remained adamant. though there seemed to be little or no sympathy for p-7845-67-d even among the lowest elements of the population, and no one was claiming that p-7845-67-d represented any threat to the peace or security of the empire, the senate and council could no longer countenance the loss of face involved in the situation, and consequently p-7845-67-d was declared an outlaw and a non-citizen and the execution scheduled. on the morning of the execution, the imperial security guard transported p-7845-67-d from the 53rd floor office of the culinary discipline corp to the grand esplanade, where the terrible event was to take place. the esplanade had been cleared of its usual strollers and sightseers and of its booths selling hot dogs and ice cream and souvenirs. p-7845-67-d was escorted to the center of the great green expanse and left there, standing alone. a voice blasted over the cleared space and echoed back from the surrounding great buildings of the capital. p-7845-67-d, the voice thundered, your citizenship, your membership in the human race, and your place in the scheme of all living things, are hereby revoked. may history forever abhor your iniquity, and forget your existence. the ceremony was over. the imperial security guard escorted p-7845-67-d back to the office of the culinary discipline corp. p-7845-67-d had missed the scheduled lunch break, and obtained a cup of tea and a lemon scone, and consumed them alone, as usual, in a corner of the otherwise empty building cafeteria.