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G4M3 is pronounced "game." It is a
virtual reality simulation that exists in Utopia, the "perfect" city of
the future. In G4M3, the citizens of Utopia can experience the opposite of
their current lives. Instead of being in a world of peace and perfect law
and order, they will end up in a world of constant war, destruction, and
chaos.
This is a look at the "perfect world" of Utopia, duplicated in LEGO form.
NOTE: NONE OF THE EVENTS DEPICTED IN THIS CREATION
ACTUALLY TAKE PLACE IN THE NOVEL! This was all fabricated on the spot for
your entertainment.
Two Utopian houses. Compare these to the ones on my book cover. I've never
been big on buildings, but I don't mind building really simplistic ones
like this. I thought about adding some dark grey on them for contrast, but
that sort of ruined the look I was going for. Utopia is supposed to all
look the same, with no contrast.
Have you ever looked at Google Maps in Satellite mode and zoomed in really
close on one of the cities? See the hundreds and hundreds of houses, row
after row, that all look almost exactly the same? What if the whole world
was this way? That's what Utopia is, only to much more of an extreme, of
course. If it seems terribly boring and/or depressing, then you have
successfully seen my point.
Wondering why he is loitering, a Utopian guard android wanders up to our
protagonist, Kyle Roswell, and asks him if he is lost. This is one of the
chief functions of the "Patrolman" androids... to ask people creepy
questions while standing over them in an intimidating manner. It's just
one way of saying, "Go about your business, citizen, if you know what's
good for you."
The Patrolmen are identified by the barcodes on their chests, which are
scanned by the same devices that scan the human retina as they enter a
building or restricted area. A lot of scanning goes on in Utopia
completely unnoticed, to keep track of which buildings the citizens enter
and exit.
The Utopian Patrolman, with his large gun arm, can make "The diner is that
way, sir," look like "Freeze! Hands in the air, turn around, and get down
on your knees!" As one person told me, he could be called "a robocop."
Some people asked me for instructions on how to make this guy. Well,
here's the next best thing, anyway. If you still can't build him after
seeing this image, then either you haven't messed with your LEGO's enough
to know them like good friends, or your parts supply is too limited.
For a bit more explanation of how the chest is put together, here he is
with the armor panels removed. Make sense now? Ingenious idea really, if I
do say so myself. And yeah, it was mine. I tried looking around on
Brickshelf for inspiration for this 'bot, but I ended up using my own
design anyway. My only complaint is that he's a bit studdy in places.
The Builder statues are scattered at street corners and intersections all
across Utopia. The Builder, a generic man holding a hammer, represents all
of the citizens of Utopia who have helped to build this "perfect" society.
Ever read "The Unknown Citizen," by W. H. Auden? Look it up. "To
JS/07/M/378 This Marble Monument Is Erected by the State..."
We here at the Iron Reich have no idea what this citizen is doing.
A quick inspection of the interiors of the nearby buildings may help us
guess what our grinning village idiot is up to. Interior decorating is one
of the few things that varies in Utopia. Citizens redecorate frequently
simply for something to do... Although, of course, there are regular
Inspections by the Order to make sure nothing inside is abnormal...
On the top floor of this first house, a Utopian girl trying to decide what
to wear gets the strange feeling that she is being watched... Meanwhile,
on the floor below, a lazy father, still wearing his work clothes, drinks
something (certainly not booze, which is not to be found anywhere in
Utopia) while watching the holovision. Ahh, the holovision! Hours of
brainwashing, government-approved entertainment for the whole family!
The shiny blue domes on the roofs are supposed to be futuristic solar
panels, by the way. And the lightsaber blades with cones on top are some
kind of futuristic lamps.
Some kid with disproportionate legs standing in his messy room practices
the other government-approved form of team warfare and violence (besides
G4M3)... sports! We can assume he is playing baseball, or perhaps studball
by himself as a slew of strange toys looks on, wishing they could duck for
cover.
Uh-oh! Just as it was getting to the good part, a Patrolman spots our good
friend Pippin Tom clinging to the Builder statue while gazing through
visual-range-enhancing eye instruments. As Kyle walks past in the
background, a metallic "HALT!" rings through the polluted Utopian air...
A crowd gathers to watch as Tom shows off his climbing skills. Very stupid
of him, since the android is keeping count of laws broken. 1: Climbing
and/or defacing government property, 2: Gazing through eye instruments
which are not approved in this sector of the city, 3: Attempting to evade
arrest. He's in it deep now.
BLAM! Don't worry; it's set to stun. Although the Patrolman's guns can be
set to destroy things too, they never use it on that mode when pursuing
citizens. The Order's androids are programmed to never, ever kill a
target. They can only apprehend. As Frank Billings says, "The Order never
kills, Kyle..."
The audience cheers as the android catches the stunned Tom. By the way,
none of this stuff is from the novel, I'm just making up silly stuff for
my LEGO captions. You do know that, right?
The little sports-fan brat comes out of his room to see what all the fuss
is about. It's probably illegal to be carrying a bat around like that in
the street, so the kid is lucky that the Patrolman is busy.
Note the sliding doors. Nothing special,
but they work like... well, like sliding doors!
One reason I put sliding doors is to be futuristic. Another is because I
don't own many LEGO elements designed for buildings. Very few doors and
windows. In fact, I had to order these windows from LEGO.com. They have
some nice bulk deals occasionally.
The citizens watch as poor unconscious Tom is cuffed and dragged away
through the streets. Let this be a lesson to ye potential lawbreakers!
Will the others ever see grinning, mischievous Tom ever again? Of course
they will! But he just might not be feeling quite as grinning or
mischievous...
Here comes a candle to put you to bed... |
