An IngSoc announcement
You sit staring silently forward in the cramped compartment of the military transport. Like all transports heading for the party capitol this one has no windows to give away the location of the homeland to potential spies. Only one window shows anything of interest, the telescreen. It watches you perhaps more than you watch it. Stats cycle across its surface: production quotas, news reports, and party propaganda. You lurch forward as the transport decelerates, a squawk emits form the screen and a detached voice informs you that touchdown is in 15 minutes.
You’ve never been to the capitol before but you have heard stories of its grandure. You think about mouthing its name, “Airstrip One” but years of training in doublethink hold your tongue steady (best not to risk any sort of thought or face crime) and you simultaneously unthink it. Minutes later the transport lands and a party official comes aboard to greet you. He extends a hand and you instinctly shake it, “Welcome home Comrade”, he says and leads you onto the tarmac.
It is either predawn or late dusk, the sky is flint grey. You can see the silhouettes of the Ministries: Peace, Truth, Love, and Plenty, but a building from the stories is distinctly missing. “Where is the palace of Big Brother?” you ask. The official informs you that a rocket bomb struck the tower several years ago and collapsed it. Many Inner Party officials were killed in the blast, it was greatly feared that Big Brother himself had died. Months passed by with only his word appearing in Times articles. Still the citizens held hope. For as long as the party survived so must Big Brother. Then on one glorious day the loving face and voice of Big Brother returned. Spontaneous parades broke out across the city and citizens openly wept in the streets without fear of facecrime.
This day was called The Resurgence to memorialize the movement that began upon Big Brother’s return. It was on this day that a call was issued for loyal party members to return home from across the front lines and the many nations serving under the flag of IngSoc. Those answering the call worked with Big Brother to reform the Ministries and further extend the reach of the party.
It is on another important day that you yourself have arrived in the capitol. For today the first stage of the resurgence has ended and a new era of victory over those that oppose the party has begun.
The official hands you today’s copy of the Times as if to further illustrate the significance. The cover page shows Big Brother and the new Ministry Officials together, The byline reads “The Resurgence Continues”
