The radio news springs on suddenly early morning in Trinden and Maylas bedroom waking them. One of the local stories is a follow-up of a previous item "Parents don't know and neither do her friends, but Life District officials are at a loss as to where an eight year obtained care-adverse candy at a Life District office. Candy is part of a list of foods regulated as part of care-state. In other news..." As the morning becomes brighter both are at the kitchen table.

"Why is it such a big deal, let her have candy." Trinden speaks as he scans the table screen for other news.

"I don't want to have to pay for her care bills later on, do you, it's not fair to others" replies Mayla.

"Ah c'mon, it's just candy ."

"Just candy, just fats, just cigarettes, just hot dogs and on and on where does it end? You want to go back to the days when people were dying in the streets? I know its just candy, but she was in Life District. Her parents should be detained, you can't put your children out of care-state. Your such a radical, why do you have to look at things so political all the time."

"Its not like its illegal"

"I know, but try renewing your care-state."

"Hate care-state."

"Everyone does, their assholes there."

Its the task of Life District to make sure citizens are in care-state. Years ago this sort of meant healthy, care-state is beyond that in that it traces any hint of diseases that may be on the horizon or disease-mind or habit behavior. Adults are required to go to Life District once a year to renew their care-state card, without it they can't renew their drivers licence, be denied medical care, fly a plane, a whole host of privileges. Children are to report every six months or they will be denied regular school or association with other children. The eight year old will undoubtedly have to attend educare for a two weeks. So candy is a big deal.

Trinden is off visiting his parents to help them sort their belongings. They're moving. Off to the desert. If Trinden is "political" his parents are indeed radical. Trinden arrives and his father is cleaning his garage, throwing out stuff in four separate bins one for metal the other plastic, paper and then "usable".

"Hi Dad, where do I start?"

"Oh I don't know, look for usable I guess, there most important, don't want to be fined."

"No chance of you guys changing your mind?"

"No way, been looking forward to it, no more district, care-card, stupid gender or species ID's ill-gas cards, it would be good to get rid of all that."

"So hot there."

"The only draw back, sick of having to prove who I am, where or how, the hell with all that, rather toast in the heat and be free."

"Never understood that."

"What, freedom?

"No, not freedom, I mean what the desert people mean by that. Everyone's free."

"Well in the old days they were free."

"Not from sickness of mind and body or identity."

"Who cares if I'm sick or ill-gases crazy and who cares about my identity as a man, I'm a man leave it at that."

"But if we all felt that way we couldn't manage our care, the hospitals will close down like they did. People would be having unnatural relationship with other people and species."

"The hospitals closed down because of the care-laws, and people were not animals or species as their called now or pretending to be animals, at one time there were animals and people, man and woman, now were all intertwined, no one can be themselves without it bothering other people, I'm going to the desert."

"Well, I kind of know where your coming from, I just feel we should fix it rather then fight it or give up and go to the desert. Just feel your giving up."

"Have you heard from my grandson, your son?

"Don't start.'

"Don't start, don't start? He's being trained to evaluate his fucking 'species identification' bullshit and you just..."

"It's just a seminar.." at this point father and son are shouting over each other then suddenly stop.

It becomes quiet. Just the noise of packing and sorting. Then Trinden asks "When Jack comes home I would appreciate if you don't use the word animal in front of him."

"Don't worry. I won't hurt his feelings"

Trindens son Jack, at the age of 19, started attending species party's. Jack felt that his birth was mistaken, that he should have been born "species-other". He would attend the party and let loose his true self. The last time he renewed his care-state he was required to attend species orientation for a month so Life District could confirm his required designation. It has become a hot point in the family making Trinden "political" and his old fashion parents furious. Mayla is understanding, not quite agreeing with it, she would hope it weren't so, but she is understanding. The word animal is strictly forbidden in the house, she won't tolerate specism going so far as to warn Trinden and his parents that she will report this as care-adverse to Life District.

Football is alive and well. Trinden and his father take a break to watch a big game. Max Keeves the extraordinary quarter-back for the Miami Dolphmens is playing. Keeves is much loved across the country a mega star, the number one emulated character on artificial life worlds. His team has gone two consecutive undefeated seasons and now four games into the new year his team is 5-0.

"In the old days he would be called a champion." says Trinden’s Dad.

"You think he would've won the old Super Bowl games."

"I don't know, they say he might not have if it were still around, but he does piss-off a lot of people, hurts their feelings, if the old game were around maybe players would be better, more driven."

"Well he shouldn't win all those games."

"Nonsense, if they change the rule like they said it will mean the end of football."

"They said that when they got rid of the Super Bowl and the playoffs."

"Yea but come on, get rid of scoring, what's the point, who cares if...well, I guess everyone cares. Can't have losers can we."

Trinden is up from his seat at half-time. His father is napping. He goes to the kitchen where his mother is emptying the cabinets, packing dishes and cookware. "I'm going to go Mom.'

"Okay dear, you hear from Jack."

"Not since last week."

"How long till he gets out?"

"Another two weeks."

"That's good."

"What do you think he'll do?"

"I don't know, to be honest with you I dread the thought of designation change."

"He spoke to your father before he left you know."

"Oh."

"He didn't want to go to the orientation."

"I thought that was his choice."

"It was, he was just having second thoughts and felt he was committed so he went."

"That's good news, I think."

"Well, we'll see, say hello to Mayla for me."

"I will."

Trinden enters into the living room to see if his father were awake to say goodbye. The game announcer is breaking the news that Max Keeves won't be playing in the second half. He had entered the field with an old Miami Dolphins helmet on which is not only against the standard rules of uniform but stridently specist. "I don't know what got into him for doing that, but the team has forbidden him from playing." says the announcer.

"I would hope that he apologizes, can't see what got into him." says the other announcer.

"The Miami crowd is booing, don't know if their booing Keeves or the team."

"Well as much as they love Keeves I can't see how they could stand by him on this one. I think they're booing Keeves."

"I don't know about that, there are a quite a few of them holding up his number. I think they're booing him."

"Miami Life District is going to be one busy place tomorrow morning."

"I agree, they're gonna want to review the tape of this game, you see the camera is scanning the crowd deliberately for that reason I suppose. Especially the ones holding up his number in support."

Trinden is in his car listening to the radio and Keeves is giving a press conference. "I am not sorry for what I did, I have told the team I will not be playing as of today, again. The game is not competitive, it is not fun. I'm sorry to my fans only. I will not be reporting to Life District and will renounce my care-state and I will hope that all of Miami or anyone who supports me will renounce it as well and I'm not going to the desert, so...if that is all, I won't be answering any questions." Trinden turned the radio louder as Keeves was talking leaning forward. "Yes! Yes!" he shouts. Back home Mayla is watching screen where a riot is taking place in the Miami streets.

"Hi honey, oh my what's going on."

"People started rushing the field and started rioting, they had to suspend the game and now there is a riot in the streets."

"Oh boy."

"Really, bunch of dam haters."

"Well, I don't know if they hate..."

"Don't start your political bullshit, he wore a dolphin helmet if that's not hate..."

"Alright alright I get the point."

"You know there's going to mass infections in Miami if people renounced care-state." Mayla says calmly.

"It'll be like the desert I suppose." Trinden says diplomatically, although relishing the thought.

"That'll make you happy wouldn't it."

"Well I can say I would be happy..."

"Oh bullshit, just this morning you thought it was just fine that the little girl was caught out of care-state."

"She was eating candy.'

"That's not the point." raising her voice.

"What are you getting so angry about you even said that the people at Life District were assholes."

"Yea and I think the people at motor vehicle are assholes too doesn't mean I want to do away with drivers licenses."

"Alright calm down. Its not like I'm a desert-dweller."

"Well you should be, you should think about it."

Mayla leaves the room in a huff. Trinden remains watching screen. People are leaving other NFL stadiums en masse and marching outside them. As the day moves on people are burning their care-state cards. Others people are worried about quarantine causing them to counter-demonstrate which is causing riots. Miami by now is a virtual war zone with people fighting one another in the streets.

As the day moves on the president has announced a press conference, the news anchor is on screen. "The president has presumably been interned, we are told, trying to reach a solution through artificial life scenarios at the White House with his aids and will announce his findings. Other news outlets as well as ours have been running AL scenarios as well."

Mayla is in the AL room with a helmet on as is the case for AL users. AL is what television used to be in the old days, people sit at home with helmets on sometimes standing sometimes moving on a stationary platform that allows the user to simulate walking or running in the AL fantasy world. The helmet gives the impression of being elsewhere all sights and sounds appear exactly as the real world. The president evidently has crisis AL's that could guide him on different scenarios. He appears on screen. "Good evening America. As you know Max Keeves has renounced his care-state. Although he has every right to do so as do other Americans we would hope that he re-considers. I have met with my advisors and have consulted with Remis Feznor national director of Life District and are considering all options, Mr Feznor is with me now and I will let him answer your questions." Feznor comes to the podium and the president steps to his side. "Good evening, today I have consulted with all the national directors of Life District, we do not have a full assessment of care-state status, we feel that those who have been burning or renouncing care-state done so out mob violence and hysteria, we don't at this time anticipate quarantine measures, we have decided to let the law-givers enact calmness before we could see what it is we are dealing with. As you know care-state has been an important function in our society. Some people have attributed it unfairly to state control, it is not. Everyone has a right to be in care-state as well as care-adverse. But even though you have a right to care-adverse does not give the right to infect those that are not. We, at this time will not for the moment declare mass care-adverse status on the rioters and hoodlums, as I said we will re-asses the situation as time goes by, any questions?, yes you over there."

"Mr Director, many outlets have been running scenarios in AL and a majority of them have alarming results, some have even witnessed desert people coming out to join the rioters..."

"Let me cut you off right there, although we have run AL and has the president, um, sure there can be a scenario as you described, but, we don't run, or make decisions based on AL programs.."

"But some AL worlds are in active revolt within those worlds and are bastions for revolution in the real world."

"We are aware of some of the more incendiary worlds and are monitoring them closely, look we don't want to push the panic button, sometimes artificial worlds are just an outlet for fantasy and don't always translate in the real world. Next question."

"Are you saying our fantasies in worlds without Life District and care-state are not genuinely desired moods translatable in real life?."

"Now look, there are some AL worlds that have their own care-state fantasies within them as you know, the more popular ones have Life Districts, of course they're regulated in behavior-adversity and we're in no way affiliated but they're free to do that and people are comfortable with Life District whether it is in the real world or AL, we have actually learned a great deal about artificial Life District policies and practices. But lets get off the subject of AL. We implore Max Keeves to stop inciting violence and to urge calm to all his followers..."

"Will Max Keeves be arrested?"

"We don't know where he is."
"Are you looking for him?"

"We don't know where he is...?

"But are you looking to arr..."

"That is up to the law giv.."

"Are law givers looking for him?"

"That I do not know, he is in a state of care-adverse and we are concerned about infection, look that's all I have time for."

The news conference breaks up. The anchorman appears on screen. "The national guard in Nevada and California have set up a parameter around the various care-adverse desert communities apparently to ward off suspected scenario from AL where desert dwellers march out in open revolt. Governors Ericsson Hummel of California has issued a release saying that he will monitor the border area of the desert and has no plans to enter. There has been no word from desert leaders on their intentions one way or the other. Nevada governor Ward Crenshaw has not commented yet but an aid has stated that they are monitoring the situation.

"Wow" Trinden says to himself. His phone rings, it's a number he's not familiar with. "Hello."

"Hi Dad"

"Jack is that you?"

"Yea, its, me."

"Wha, what are you doing, how are you."
"Good good, I left orientation."
"Why?"

"Because it's stupid."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, not that it's stupid, but I'm stupid."

"Oh? Where are you now?"

"Going to grandpa and grandma's"

"Your heading there now?"

"Yea, um, I wanted to ask them something before I came home."

"What?"

"I want to go to the desert with them."

"Oh, boy, your Mom's not going to like that, how can you, um, I don't understand, first your species confused and now your, uh, are you care-adverse now?"

"No, well, I don't know for sure, I just left, who cares, it was stupid anyway. I think I spend too much time in AL, it gave me dumb ideas about myself."

"I'm relieved, want to talk to Mom."

"Okay."

Just so happens Mayla is standing near by, she takes the phone.

"Hi honey."

"Hi Mom."

"What's this I hear your going to the desert?"

"Thinking about it, want to ask Grams."

"Shouldn't you be asking us."

"Was going to but want to run it by them first.'

"Whatever happened to your species."

"What about it."

"Well what are you."

"I'm a man."

"You sure?'

"I'm a man Mom a man! not a freaking species, not fantasy world freak I'm a Man in a real world trying to get out of this crap and live as a free man."

"Oh, a free man diseased and hateful like the rest of them."

"You got to be kidding me, before it was fine if I was something else, so understanding so tolerant but now that..."

"Don't talk to me like that..."

"I'm a man Mom not a dog a free man live with it!" at that point Jack hung up.

"Well, he's got your politics."

"What did he say?"

"He says he's not a dog."

"That's it?"

"Yep." She pauses.

"All because of football. Hope he reconsiders."