Part of what Darren had to do, along with uploading the articles, was to generate a list of “key words” or “tags” to help the article be searchable on the Line. The tags were words and short phrases from the article. Also, the tags would include the news agency’s name, author’s name, and anything else relevant to the article or topic in general. Darren was wondering how he might associate his name to some of these articles. If he could, then the government web crawlers would pick it up and assign some positive value to his SIN Record, which would eventually help his Score. This was one of the perks of a B class job.
Darren noticed that many of websites where he was uploading the articles had a Comment form. He remembered from one of the training videos that he was not precluded from commenting on the articles he uploaded. In fact, it was encouraged. And he could use his own name. So with every article he uploaded that evening, if the subject matter might reflect positively on his SIN Record, he left a response with his name. Cool perk.
There was another perk to this position that he hadn’t anticipated. Once he was started actually doing research, he would receive credit by mention of his name in the article’s references. He had the option to leave it there or remove it, depending on the nature of the article and whether it might help or hurt his Score. This meant that for every article he helped with research, if it was beneficial to his Score, his name would automatically appear as a “tag.”
Darren was thrilled about these perks, but also disgusted that the lower classes were not given the same, easy opportunities at Score improvement. The cards were stacked only in favor of the A and B classes, with prejudices like this assuring the continual division between them and the C and D classes. It had nothing to do with merit. It was unjust.
Everyone was well aware that two main objectives were behind the class separation: Population control and wealth transfer to the twenty percent at the top. What the idiots at the top didn’t realize was that the bottom eighty percent of the people were the ones actually working to produce most everything. Without them the pyramid would crumble.
On the other hand, maybe those at the top really did understand and that would explain why they kept the C and D classes in just enough “riches” to bob on the surface, neither sinking nor swimming, perpetually stuck in the slave mode. The C and D classes were also one of the largest single sources of future slave labor through the giving up of their babies to the labor communes. Surely this was the most profitable and largest scale extortion in the history of mankind.
Darren thought about these great injustices on a daily basis. It was a helpful motivator whenever he began to doubt his plans or fear the risks he was taking. Thinking about the rampant inequality was enough to keep him going steadily forward. And it was with that in mind that he took a big risk on his second night at the news agency.
Before he left for the night, he decided to search the Line for everything he could about himself, an “unofficial” partial SIN Record, and copy the results to his own personal data chip embedded in his left hand (this was different from the SIN Chip, in his right hand). It was easy. He merely searched for his Social Identity Number on the Line. Immediately a long list of his records came up. Darren knew his actions were probably being monitored but he copied the eighty-seven pages of data to his personal data chip anyway, signed off the Line for the night and went home.
“You won’t believe all the ways I can help my Score,” was the first thing out of his mouth to Amber when he walked in the door. “And it’s all legit. Tonight I used my name in nineteen article comments for the government’s web crawlers to find. I can do that night after night. When I start doing research for articles, I can use my name as a tag on any article I want to.”
Amber looked surprised. “Are you sure about that? It seems so easy.”
“It is so easy. And that is the sick, sad thing about our corrupt system. If you’re an A or B, it’s too easy. But can you imagine how our Score might improve month after month of stacking the deck in our favor, all because I could buy up into a B position? The hard work will be worth it.”
“Oh, and other exciting news,” he continued. “Mike the mechanic is going to give me the conversation band in two weeks. So we’ll both be able to start using it then.”
“Oh, so his name’s Mike, huh?” Amber said. “So did you have to flash the shorts and halter top image again?” She was smiling.
“Works every time,” Darren proudly reported.
Amber looked pretty happy. “This really is exciting. I had no idea that you’d be able to take these active steps so soon. I think you’ve really found something. I’m proud of you.”
“Yeah, and there’s one more thing.” Darren pulled out his palm screen and transferred to it the data from his personal data chip. He then projected the pages of data in front of them. “Here’s all the data and dirt on me that I just pulled off the Line.”
Suddenly Amber appeared a little shaken. “How did you get that? Were you allowed access? Surely not.”
“I merely did a search on my SIN and copied the results. I don’t see the problem with it.”
Amber’s jaw dropped. “You don’t see the problem with unauthorized Line access and copying restricted information?”
“For one, I do have authorized access to the Line. And my personal data is not restricted to me. That’s the law. If I was trying to get someone else’s data that would be another story. As for the copying part—all I did was project the images in the air like you would for any reader screen and let my personal data chip read them at the same time. There’s no trace on it. There’s no record of anything being copied, just viewed. Piece of cake.”
“Okay, that’s a relief. So what are you going to do with that information?” Amber asked.
“I’m going to see what the biggest hits are to my Score and then try to specifically counter attack them through my tags and comments at the news agency.”
“Sounds like you’ve thought of everything. I should be impressed, but...”
“And?” he said.
“Okay, I am. This is all new to me, and it just seems crazy that you’re doing all this already. I’m not sure whether to be excited or scared. Actually, I’m both.”
The next morning, Darren copied his personal data file he’d gotten from the Line over to Amber’s palm screen. “You have a good sense of cutting to the chase on things. Can you look at my data and see what you think as far as where the biggest hitters are?”
“Yeah, no problem. Aren’t you afraid I might see some dirt on you that I don’t know anything about?” Her blue eyes looked teasingly at him.
“You know all the dirt. Sorry. You might find it boring.”
“Damn,” she said. “I was hoping for a few surprises.”