Read ExLibris: excluded from social networks Page 10

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  Very few people in modern times send and receive classical snail mail using service of the traditional post. But that was the only option for me, because I was prohibited from using the Internet. After all, the difference between electronic and snail mail messages is not all that big. Of course, digital ones are more convenient, practical and faster, but not palpable, which is sometimes really important in my opinion.

  After postman Henry served the role of notice about new message, I walked up to the mailbox and opened it impatiently using the small key, which was analogous to login and password for the electronic version of a message receptacle. I was trembling slightly, just like it usually happens when the phrase “You have 1 new message” or “Inbox (1)” appear on the screen of the monitor, and you are dying to click on it to find out who sent it to you. So once I had the envelope in my hands, I instantly glanced at the “from” line. The identity of the sender did not surprise me, however. It was my only snail mail correspondent – Clark Atwood. That very Clark Atwood, the CCIA agent who didn’t really believe my self-incrimination and wanted to send my best friend to prison a year ago. But the prosecutor didn’t care about his opinion and put me on trial. That was his last investigation. After I was sentenced, he resigned and wrote me a letter asking why I had done that for Joshua. I replied… not answering his question, just asking how he was doing. Several letters on we became friends. Actually, it turned out that we had a lot in common, I mean, we both had become unable to do stuff which we liked and were good at – hacking and investigating hacking attacks correspondingly.

  I came home and put the envelope on the table in my room – I had no time to open it because I was in a hurry. After taking a shower and a breakfast, I went to the place where I was to do community service – a very fashionable and expensive social networking addiction clinic.

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  “Tell me more about that clinic, its operations, what exactly you were supposed to do there,” the lawyer asked.