slowed
      to
      a
      stop
      in
      front
      of
      him.
      Its
      double
      doors
      slid
     
     
      open,
      a
      trickle
      of
      night
      workers
      stepping
      out
      on
      their
     
     
      way
      home
      from
      their
      shifts.
      The
      consumer
      stepped
      on
     
     
      quickly
      to
      avoid
      being
      touched
      by
      the
      others
      behind
     
     
      him.
      He
      took
      a
      seat
      and
      glanced
      at
      the
      ads
      posted
     
     
      everywhere.
      One
      was
      for
      a
      new
      kind
      of
      razor,
      another
     
     
      for
      a
      brand
      of
      soda.
      A
      third
      read:
     
    

    
     
      "
      Beware
      of
      advertising!
      Commercialism
      is
      the
     
     
      end!
      It
      will
      only
      lead
      to
      the
      destruction
      of
      our
      society,
     
     
      and
      reduce
      our
      choices
      in
      life.
      Fight
      the
      ads!
      Brought
     
     
      to
      you
      by
      our
      Sponsor."
     
    

    
     
      The
      transport
      was
      silent,
      save
      for
      the
      blabber-
     
     
      ing
      of
      an
      ad'scréen
      at
      the
      front.
     
    

    
     
      After
      several
      other
      stops,
      the
      transport
      arrived
     
     
      at
      his
      destination.
     
    

    
     
      "Harris
      St.
      terminal,"
      a
      voice
      said
      over
      the
     
     
      front
      speaker,
      "
      Thank
      you
      for
      your
      patronage.
      Your
     
     
      fees
      have
      been
      automatically
      deducted
      from
      your
     
     
      accounts.
      And
      now
      a
      word
      from
      our
      Sponsor.
      Please
     
     
      watch
      your
      step."
     
    

    
     
      Standing
      up,
      the
      consumer
      made
      his
      way
      out
     
     
      of
      the
      transport,
      taking
      care
      not
      to
      touch
      anyone.
      The
     
     
      Harris
      terminal
      had
      only
      one
      screen,
      an
      enormous
     
     
      piece
      of
      technology
      that
      took
      up
      an
      entire
      wall.
     
     
      Today's
      ad
      depicted
      a
      smiling
      priest
      holding
      a
      bottle
      of
     
     
      beer
      in
      his
      hand
      and
      his
      rosary
      in
      the
      other.
     
    

    
     
      "Holy
      Water!"
      boomed
      a
      voice-over,
      "The
      only
     
     
      beer
      the
      Lord
      would've
      drunk!
      Available
      now
      in
      all
     
     
      drinking
      establishments,
      corner
      and
      liquor
      stores,
      and
     
     
      Catholic
      institutions."
     
    

    
     
      Ignoring
      the
      ad,
      he
      hurled
      on.
      He
      arrived
      at
     
     
      his
      office,
      Product
      Ordering
      Centre
      #58,
      by
      7:10
      AM,
     
     
      which,
      according
      to
      the
      building's
      automatic
      time
     
     
      clock,
      was
      right
      on
      schedule.
      His
      cubicle
      was
      located
     
     
      in
      the
      middle
      of
      a
      large
      office.
      It
      contained
      a
      desk
     
     
      complete
      with
      a
      computer,
      filing
      center,
      small
      phone
     
     
      and
      recycling
      tube,
      and
      the
      two
      side
      walls
      were
      cov-
     
     
      ered
      with
      his
      collection
      of
      advertising
      posters.
      Just
     
     
      like
      every
      other
      morning,
      a
      coffee
      rose
      up
      through
      a
     
     
      small
      panel
      in
      the
      “upper
      corner
      of
      the
      desk.
      He
      grate-
     
     
      fully
      accepted
      it.
     
    

    
     
      "Thank
      you."
     
    

    
     
      "Brought
      to
      you
      by
      the
      Sponsor,"
      the
      desk
     
     
      replied
      in
      its
      usual
      monotonous
      voice,"
      Rise
      and
      shine
     
    
   
   
    
     
      always."
     
    

    
     
      He
      nodded
      in
      agreement,
      knowing
      that
      the
     
     
      visual
      sensor
      posed
      at
      the
      top
      of
      his
      cubicle
      would
     
     
      record
      the
      gesture.
      It
      was
      time
      to
      get
      to
      work.
      He
     
     
      glanced
      at
      the
      bottom
      corner
      of
      the
      monitor.
      The
      net
     
     
      was
      still
      jammed
      today.
      Over
      time,
      ads
      had
      begun
      to
     
     
      build
      up
      on
      the
      web
      but
      nobody
      had
      bothered
      to
      really
     
     
      do
      anything
      about
      it.
      Now,
      more
      often
      than
      not,
      the
     
     
      net
      was
      basically
      impossible
      to
      use,
      as
      simply
      access-
     
     
      ing
      it
      could
      take
      hours.
     
    

    
     
      He
      worked
      diligently
      processing
      phone
      orders
     
     
      throughout
      the
      morning,
      took
      half
      an
      hour
      for
      lunch,
     
     
      and
      then
      continued
      on
      until
      his
      computer
      shut
      off
     
     
      abruptly.
     
    

    
     
      "Attention,"
      droned
      his
      desk,
      "It
      is
      now
      exactly
     
     
      5:00
      PM.
      It
      is
      now
      time
      for
      you
      to
      leave
      your
      station
     
     
      and
      return
      to
      your
      personal
      recuperation
      facility.
      This
     
     
      reminder
      brought
      to
      you
      by
      our
      Sponsor."
     
    

    
     
      The
      consumer
      left
      the
      building
      and
      headed
     
     
      back
      to
      the
      Harris
      St.
      terminal.
      He
      again
      stood
      with
     
     
      the
      masses,
      awaiting'the
      transport
      that
      would
      take
      him
     
     
      home.
      The
      wall
      screen
      was
      displaying
      an
      older
      soft
     
     
      drink
      ad.
      A
      voice
      suddenly
      came
      over
      the
      intercom.
      It
     
     
      was
      deep
      and
      had
      a
      rumbling
      to
      it
      that
      filled
      the
      sta-
     
     
      tion.
     
    

    
     
      "Attention!
      Attention!
      It
      is
      with
      the
      utmost
     
     
      regret
      that
      we
      must
      inform
      you
      that
      our
      Sponsor
      has
     
     
      decided
      it
      is
      no
      longer
      economically
      feasible
      to
      main-
     
     
      tain
      this
      consumer
      sector.
      Deactivation
      will
      be
      initiat-
     
     
      ed
      immediately.
      The
      Sponsor
      apologizes
      for
      any
     
     
      inconvenience.
      This
      termination
      has
      been
      brought
      to
      |
     
     
      you
      by
      the
      Sponsor."
     
    

    
     
      As
      soon
      as
      the
      voice
      cut
      out,
      the
      transport
      sud-
     
     
      denly
      shut
      down
      a
      few
      feet
      from
      the
      platform.
      The
     
     
      giant
      screen
      went
      dead
      and
      suddenly,
      for
      the
      first
      time
     
     
      in
      memory,
      the
      terminal
      was
      completely
      silent.
      The
     
     
      crowd
      began
      to
      grow
      uneasy.
      This
      had
      never
      happened
     
     
      before.
      The
      woman
      standing
      next
      to
      the
      consumer
     
     
      looked
      to
      him,
      confusion
      on
      her
      face.
     
    

    
     
      "What
      do
      we
      do
      now?"
      she
      asked,
      and
      he
     
     
      could
      only
      shrug,
      just
      as
      bewildered
      as
      she
      was.
      All
      he
     
     
      could
      do
      was
      stand
      helplessly
      there
      in
      the
      crowd
      as
      the
     
     
      overhead
      lights
      began
      to
      go
      out,
      one
      by
      one,
      plunging
     
     
      the
      terminal
      into
      total
      darkness.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lop)