Escape from Dystopia - Finding Hope in a Very Dark World is an allegorical trilogy composed of Book 1: The Journey Begins, Book 2: Unraveling the Mystery, and Book 3: The Road Less Traveled Leads Home.

This trilogy was written to help young people find a hope that they can depend on as they transition through life during incredibly challenging times. This hope is designed to link with active faith, resulting in genuine love – for themselves, for God, and for others.

Book 1: The Journey Begins provides the dystopian context for this novelette and introduces the main character, Tim, along with the other seven teens who are seeking freedom. It also introduces the guard, Sergeant Drexel and his wife, Alicia. Two grinders, Alpha 101 and Omega 101 are also introduced. The Grinders have implanted AI chips which they acquired during their early teen years. The teens are bound together and bonded as a cobbled family with a common quest of finding their way out of their dystopian society so they can live a long, fulfilling, and free life. Their other alternatives were to be terminated by their 20th birthday, become Grinders with AI chips, or go “all in” to find the rumored key to break them free from a life of slavery. They live in caves and seek out the answers for their quest by exploring other caves. After disheartening results, they begin to make progress as Tim discovers some clues that will put them on the right path to freedom.

Book 2: Unraveling the Mystery begins where Book 1: The Journey Begins ends. Tim returns to tell the group what he has discovered. The group discovers their hideout has been discovered, and they are forced to flee. They find refuge in another cave while they are being hunted down. Tim continues his search for clues in translating a mysterious and ancient book he found in a cave. At the end of the second book, Tim finds what he needs to translate the mysterious book and translates enough to give him a breakthrough and a path forward to leaving the dystopia behind them. It is not an easy path, and all the teams work together to find the answers they need. They also get unexpected help from outsiders who expose themselves and the teens to additional risks.

Book 3: The Road Less Traveled Leads Home is yet to be written and should be released early next year. In it, the mystery will be solved, and the teens will discover all the keys they need to lead them to freedom and a long, fulfilling life. They will find a noble purpose for their lives which will enable them to also lead others out of the dystopian slavery into a fulfilling and long life marked by hope, faith, and love. The three e-books will be combined into a paperback novel, Escape from Dystopia, next year immediately following the release of the third e-book.

The first two books have just been released on Amazon as e-books. They are $3.99 each. Watch for a special sale on Book 1. It is also free for members of Kindle Unlimited. Books 1 and 2 are now available in a single-volume paperback for $12.99. Thanks! You can go here to read a sample of the these books: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=escape+from+dystopia&i=stripbooks

Thanks, and may God bless you!

                                    PREFACE

During the previous fifty years, longstanding moral and ethical principles had been abandoned and replaced by an “anything goes” culture supported by a “survival of the fittest” evolutionary worldview. The educational system and media had done its job well, and there was very little resistance to the takeover. The silence in the public square from those who saw the danger was deafening. The crumbling moral and ethical foundation of the previous republics had all but disappeared. Like the frog who was gradually boiled to death, freedom was lost as the “God is dead” movement gained control. And so, the Third Republic was born.

The Third Republic allowed the parents and guardians who complied with its directives to raise their children until their thirteenth birthday. At that time, they would be taken away from their parents to participate in a year-long program that immersed them in the culture, beliefs, and doctrines of the Third Republic, ensuring that they would become obedient model citizens. Until then, they would be subjected to the misinformation and indoctrination from their Third Republic schools, reenforced through the state-controlled media that was piped into their homes 24-7. This method had proven to be very effective. Those who steadfastly resisted were subjected to extensive “reprogramming.” Upon completion, they were implanted with AI chips to control their higher cognitive functions and make all their significant decisions. Those who continued to resist and refused the AI chips were terminated.

A small band of courageous teens loved their freedom enough to fight for it. This is their story.

Book 1: The Journey Begins

1 MISSING IN ACTION … AGAIN!

An eerie darkness covered the hills with a thick fog that swirled around and through the valley below. A threatening storm sought to extend its icy grip into their adopted home. The small group of teens had been branded as Recusants because they resisted AI bonding, the cornerstone belief of a society that had lost the ability to think for itself. They wore the badge of recusant as an honor given to unconformable dissidents in a controlled society that regarded personal freedoms as a threat.

The teens were being hunted down to be sent away to a retraining facility where they would be “reprogrammed” and brainwashed through any means possible to force them to conform to their intolerant society. Yet they were resolute in believing that halfway around the world the sun was blazing brightly. They knew there was no reason to abandon hope – not now, not ever.

It was not the first time their fearless leader, Tim, known for his steely will and dogged determination, was missing in action. He would habitually embark on important missions that required the utmost secrecy, such that no one would know what he was doing, where he was going, or when he would be back. Otherwise, information could be extracted from a captured recusant that might endanger their mission. He had earned his position among them as their leader through trust, and he had maintained it the same way.

With no parents to provide for them, necessity drove the small band of Recusants to bond together as a family. The teens knew they had to learn to work together and resolve their differences if there would be any hope of them breaking away and escaping the cruel bondage of mindless cookie-cutter conformity. They also knew it was critical for them to maintain their focus on their mission, especially when Tim was away. He would evaluate their progress to make sure everyone stayed on track until another secret mission called him away. Although Tim was only five-foot-two and weighed a mere one hundred and ten pounds, he was wiry, compassionate, intelligent, and persevering – a force of nature to be reckoned with.

No one knew how many times Tim would disappear and reappear, or when his frequent sojourns would come to an end, but the teens knew they could not give up. They were desperate to find a cure for the horrible ravages of the sinister wave that had first afflicted their planet millennia ago. It had taken four thousand years for this catastrophic scourge to reduce the average human lifespan from almost one thousand to around one hundred years. Over the last century, it had been further reduced to the point that people born within the last twenty years were only expected to live a mere twenty years, multiplying sorrows and death on their planet.

The Keepers claimed that they had found a solution through implanting revolutionary age-enhancing AI chips into teens, enabling them to live up to eighty years. These chips were purported to work through controlling higher cognitive functions of the brain, requiring the recipients to surrender their freedom of self-determination. This was something the Recusants refused to do. The Keepers discovered they could reprogram the general populace through mass media and social media, computer games, and state-run education. Through mostly subliminal techniques, they could retain control without resorting to implanting AI chips, an expensive undertaking. If anyone discovered and got caught revealing this secret to preteens or teens, they would be immediately arrested and taken away, never to be heard from again.

Some children and teens had less exposure to the media or were otherwise resistant to such conditioning techniques. Tim’s family of Recusants was among them. The teens' will to survive and their unquenchable thirst for freedom melded into one and crystallized into a determination to seek out a cure. They were willing to invest their lives in trying to find a way to reverse the scourge, both for their own sakes and for the sake of humanity. Were they following a pipe dream? Or was it a living hope with substance and a genuine possibility of materializing into reality? Only time would tell.

2 MIGHTY BUT TINY TIM

Sam Sharp had been a principled politician of the Second Republic. His wife, Sherry, had been a psychologist at Prince University, the most prestigious university in the land. They were Tim’s parents. The Sharps realized what was happening and did their best to resist the accelerating destruction of faith and freedom. They knew that without necessary corrections being implemented soon, the Second Republic was doomed to failure. When it became apparent that very few citizens and politicians raised their voices in defense of the truth, they could see the handwriting on the wall. They also knew that, with the collapse of the Second Republic, they would be in imminent danger of imprisonment or annihilation. They felt they had no choice but to arrange for two-year old Tim to be brought up by his paternal grandparents. A week later, a combination of internal corruption and secret alliances brought down the Second Republic.

Tim’s grandparents never knew whether his parents had gone into hiding, been sent to a prison camp, or been terminated. They loved and cared for Tim as if he were their own son, faithfully praying for and with him as often as they could. He was in their custody for two years until a sergeant of the guards went out of his way to inform them that Tim would soon be taken away. Despite their fervent prayers, it happened as the sergeant had said.

Tim was placed in the home of Mark and Mara Discerner, an older couple who had no children of their own. They were not religious like his grandparents had been, but they recognized the Third Republic did not value the individual lives of its citizens. It was all about what was best for the Third Republic. They knew that really meant the ruling class – the Keepers.

The Discerners did all they could to teach Tim how to use his mind so he would become a capable leader, able to hold his own and take care of himself. Mr. Discerner taught Tim math, computer programming, and logic at an accelerated rate. He was learning calculus and advanced algorithms for creating and breaking down codes when he was twelve. Mrs. Discerner taught him English composition and vocabulary where he accelerated to the point of being prepared to enter college before his thirteenth birthday. He also learned how to use hand tools and survive in the wilderness through the frequent camping trips he was privileged to participate in. As his thirteenth birthday drew near, they completed their self-appointed task of preparing Tim to live on his own. The time had come for him to leave them.

“Tim, tonight Mara has prepared a feast for us to celebrate your graduation with honors from our special school to prepare you for the adult world of hard knocks. I know many times you questioned why you were pushed so hard and had so little free time like your classmates and the other children in the neighborhood. We would tell you that we loved you, but you didn’t always believe it. I think you are now old enough to understand why we did what we did.

“We wanted to prepare you to think for yourself and make wise decisions. We felt this was the best way to ensure you would have a promising future that you would enjoy. We believe it will be far better than any future you would have with the Third Republic. Even though it will be painful to say goodbye, we urge you to go before the guards take you away.

“We have done our best to prepare you to chart your own future in a dangerous world. If you don’t leave us before your thirteenth birthday, you will be placed under the care of the Third Republic and lose much of your freedom. We urge you to leave after tomorrow’s breakfast and embrace a future that promises much greater freedom. After tonight’s dinner, you will have some time to get your things together.

“It has been our supreme privilege to raise you as our own son for the last nine years. You know we will always love you, and we wish you the best.”

Mr. Discerner felt like he was sending his son, an ill-prepared boy, off to war and an unknown future. It was one of the hardest things he had ever done in his life. Breaking up inside, he held his emotions in check and turned away from Tim, hoping he wouldn’t see the tears in his eyes. With much difficulty, he kept his voice steady, faced his wife, and spoke quietly “Mara. I believe you also have something to say.”

Unable to hide her pain, Mara looked at her husband, hoping to find the strength to say what needed to be said. He plastered on a reassuring smile. It was the best he could do. Although they had talked over their options many times and had reached the same conclusion, now the time had come to let go of their precious Tim.

Mara’s emotions were raging inside, a mixture of sadness and anger. She knew she had to let go of the most precious and only son she would ever have. She hated what the Third Republic had done and was doing – stripping away the humanity of its citizens and depriving them of the dignity and freedom of making their own choices and being responsible for the consequences. She drew upon a source of hidden strength and managed a smile. “Timmy. Come here, son,” she began as she extended her arms.

“Oh, Ma. I’m getting a little too old for that!” Tim responded. Nevertheless, he respectfully obeyed out of a deep love for the lady who had raised him as her own son.

She gave him a warm embrace and kissed him tenderly. Then they separated. She put her hands on his shoulders and spoke gently. “Timmy, you are the best son any mother could ever have. Thanks for being my son for these last nine years. You know I love you, and you will always be in my heart.

“Mark and I have done our best to raise you to be a fine young man. I know you will never disappoint us. It is hard for us to let go of you, but it is something that we have agreed to do. Your future is too important for us to selfishly control or to allow you to waste in the clutches of the Third Republic. Make us proud!”

She paused and thoughtfully added, “Perhaps we will meet again; if not in this life, maybe in another and better one.” Although she could no longer hold back her tears, her smile was radiant. Tim would remember this moment and this evening for the rest of his life. Through the love they had shown him, the Discerners had instilled in him the confidence he would need to face an unknown future.

Tim had sensed this day was coming. There were many hints along the way. But now that it was here, he was both excited and sad. He had often teared up at the thought of leaving his foster parents, but at this moment he felt up to the challenge of being on his own. Now that the time to say goodbye had arrived, he choked up, speechless. He slowly walked back to his seat. It was almost more than he could bear. Holding his head in his hands, he closed his tear-filled eyes. Tim, you’ve got to get ahold of yourself. You’ve got to prove yourself a man. Rise to the occasion! You can do this!

Tim’s little pep talk was enough to help him regain his composure and find his voice. “Dad, I know you are not my father. But I consider you and Ma as my parents.” He glanced over at Mara and continued, “You both raised me up to become what I am today. I don’t know how to thank you.” He paused, studied Mark’s face, then looked at Mara and promised, “I won’t disappoint you!”

Tim got up and approached Mr. Discerner who extended his arms. They embraced, and Mr. Discerner affectionately kissed him. Quivering with emotion, he quietly whispered, “Thank you, son! I want you to know that I am proud of you!”

Then he went to Mara who was quietly wiping away her tears with her hankey. She showered him with kisses as they lovingly embraced one last time. Tim blurted out, “God bless you, Ma!” All were surprised by the words that slipped out of his mouth. Tim didn’t realize he had spoken those exact words when he was leaving his grandmother nine years earlier.

Tim left the day before his birthday. The next morning, two guards knocked on the door. They showed Mr. Discerner their credentials, and one said, “The Third Republic sent us to enroll Tim in their special program. Is he ready to go with us?”

“He’s not here,” Mr. Discerner stated.

They proceeded to grill Mark and Mara about Tim’s whereabouts and were told that he had wandered off that morning and hadn’t returned. The guards didn’t believe them and took them into custody, accusing them of lying to the Third Republic. It was a capital offense.