Hollow Perception

The moment I finished Runed Talismans and Scarred Ash, I turned my attention to the final story for the month, a political satire. The last time I wrote in this genre was back in February of 2022 with Missive. Normally, I steer clear of satire, but my patrons have once again asked, and I’m happy to deliver. While it’s all too easy to offend when tackling politics head-on, I’ve found it far easier to explore delicate issues when they’re abstracted into another genre, in this case science fiction.

Politics isn’t always shaped by the speeches we give. Sometimes, it’s shaped by the way those words are received, or worse, bent, clipped, or edited before being replayed until the meaning is warped beyond recognition. With that mindset, join me as we step into Rylan’s study, where a mysterious package arrives. Inside lies nothing but a simple note and a strange device. When he activates it, a holographic puppet springs to life, its bright grin and exaggerated mannerisms turning Rylan’s words into a sideshow act. What follows is the alteration of principled statements into hollow punchlines, delivered by a marionette in a polished suit with a voice that’s just a little too hollow.

While the puppet smears Rylan’s words, it’s doing something more insidious. Every edited pause, every exaggerated smile, every forced laugh from the audience chips away at Rylan’s credibility grain by grain. This isn’t just about a man’s image—it’s about the power of distortion, how perception can be reshaped into something unrecognizable, and the struggle to speak louder—not in volume, but in clarity.

Take a seat, into the pale light of the hologram, and discover how the story unfolds.

Having received a package from someone, Rylan hesitantly opens it before being overwhelmed by its message…

The projection played in an endless loop, casting a pale silver light across Rylan’s study. As the brief video resumed playing from the beginning, his gaze drifted to the package the small trinket came in. Once he’d opened the box, the typed note bore only a trio of words. Public Perception Digest, that simple missive, hadn’t given him much of a warning regarding the contents, but after activating the device, the hologram flared to life.

The silvery image highlighted a puppet standing behind a podium. Despite the comedic nature of the character, he wore a tailored suit. Beyond the visual gag of a marionette in an immaculate suit, the doll’s voice was more akin to a high-pitched whine, hardly the voice you’d pair with a somber message.

Aside from the blatant caricature, the message was accurate enough. The doll’s gestures were nearly a perfect imitation. However, the uncanny likeness wasn’t the central line of the attack. That was reserved for the doll’s cadence. Despite the puppeteer’s voice being a passable impression, it came out a half-beat too slow, pausing just a touch too long between key phrases. Those moments turned what were poignant moments of policy into nothing more than punchlines.

“Equality… means widening the field. Until no one… is left feeling inadequate.”

The invisible audience clapped and cheered at those words.

Annabelle stood in the doorway with two mugs, her gaze drawn to the hologram. “Isn’t that something you’ve mentioned during a session?”