ILLINOIS CREATES RATINGS SENSATION

ILLINOIS CREATES RATINGS SENSATION With the Illinois UN-oficial UN-employment rate (the rate which includes those citizens, who have exhausted benefits, personal savings, and grants, in years past, and can no-longer AFFORD to seek work), holding steady at well over 45%, And, with congrssional radicals insisting that Illinois reduce its welfare rolls "at ALL costs", Illinois would be the first state to initiate a pay-per-view, ratings, sensation. In a bold move, designed to reduce active case-loads, the department of Pubic Aid would announce a new "competition". The competition would be designed to find out which clients were most "worthy", to receive Public Aid benefits. All that the Illinois government would tell the media, and public aid clients, was that the main rule, of the competition, was that the "winner", of the competition, would be the last person standing. That person would receive an extra months allotment, of both Link, and food pantry vouchers. It would not be until AFTER 25,000 clients signed up, all hoping to win the prize, that the state government would inform contestants of where, and when, to report, for the competition. Subscriptions, to pay-per-view, would generate over $2 million, in additional revenue, for the IlIinois state treasury. For those, wishing to see the action, live, the lines, for purchasing tickets, would have signs, along the lines, saying "management NOT liable for any injuries, or death, of spectators" It would not be until the arena was filled, with spectators, that competitors were told the very simple rules, of the competition: "To be the winner, just be the last person left standing" It was only as camera's went "live", to show the event, LIVE, on cable, and on the internet, that the first twenty people would be marched into the arena, in four rows of five persons each. Once the fighters had entered the arena, the announcer would make a grand gesture, then say "Welcome to the competition. Remember that only KILLS count. Injuries do NOT count". Contestants would be baffled by this, but only until state security guards would begin tossing swords, spears, javelins, nets, and bola's, into the edge of the combat area. The announcer would, then, make another, grand, gesture, then say "Begin!". SInce most of those chosen, for the first round, were gang members, who lived for violence, they had no problem with killing others, even on live television. The first round did not, really, last so long, as the gang members sliced down all but the three toughest, who fought on, even while dripping blood. These three fought on, among the dead, each determined to win the prize. In the end, though, the last two gang members killed one another, while the announcer, and the crowd, waited to see which gang member would hit the ground, first. After the states official judges confered, on the matter, it was decided that the last body, to hit the ground, was the "winner". The contestants family would receive the prize. The dead would be carried off, by coroners staff members, to waiting trucks. When the crowd began to mutter, the announcer would say "Fear not, viewers! That was only Round One!" A group, of prison inmates, in prison attire, rushed out, to wipe off the weapons, then rushing back, for shelter, before the next group, of contestants, would be marched into the arena. On the first day, alone, twenty matches would be held, and 195 case-loads would be closed out, as the head, of each case-load, was declared deceased. It would take a few weeks before viewers would realize that this was no act, and that people were, actually, dying. Still, the chronically UN-employed, including those who had given up looking for work, after applying, dozens of times, to various employers, signed up, for the competition, in the hope of winning some food, for themselves. Blood would drench the arena surface, as savage desperation overcame compassion, and the starving fought, brutally, for the prize. On closed-circuit television, Public Aid workers cheered, everytime a person was slain. The workers cheered since they knew that every kill meant another case-load could be closed. The federal government would, finally, be happy, with Illinois, for cutting hundreds, or even thousands, of case-loads. The problem was that the survivors families re-applied, for services, and the states gains were off-set, as survivors wanted to re-open case-loads. Then, Public Aid had an idea. If people were willing to fight, and even kill, for the prize, then why not test applicants, the same way. Find out just how many were passionate enough, for benefits, that they would KILL, for benefits approval. As a result, the competition would be expanded, with more rounds. The same rule applied, as in the competition. The only difference was that, for this, new round, of competition, the prize was acceptance, for benefits, instead of just a months supply of food. More blood was spilled, in the arena, as viewers watched applicants fight, like savages, for the prize of eligibility. For state personnel, though, the best rounds were those where the "winner" was the last body to fall on the arena's blood-soaked floor. These matches meant that no new case-loads had to be approved. Illinois was creating a fortune, off of ticket, and pay-per-view, sales, while closing case-loads, by the "boat-load". Some returning fighters even became clever, as they realized how much the state wanted to show BLOOD. As a result, some fighters began carving up victims, to audience cheers, before killing the people. After surviving five rounds, one man began to concern Illinois government, when, each time he scored a kill, he would dip his fingers into his victims blood, then marked his body, with the victims blood. When the media questioned Illinois rationale, all that state officials would say was: "We are pleased to report that both UN-employment, and welfare rolls, are facing declines, with significant savings being reported. Illinois has not been in such favorable financial condition, in many YEARS. It is, truly, cause to celebrate" (Illinois officials would decline to discuss the arena program) The Illinois Department of Public Aid, which had, originally, planned to close the matches, once case-loads were decreased to just ten percent of pre-depression levels, but the state ran into a bit of a complication. The problem was that other states had noticed just how effective the arena was, at solving the un-employment problem. This is the reason why, just as Illinois was preparing to end the matches, neighboring states began to petition for use of the arena. (Reason: neighboring states populations were openly opposed to Illinois sadistic insanity. The public just did not understand that the process was good for the economy) When Illinois granted use, of the arena, neighboring states began bussing the un-employed, to Illinois, for new competitions. Again, the arenas floor would be soaked, in human blood. The un-employed, who took part, in the competition, would begin taking pride, in killing one another. (It is debateable if the fighters cared about the camera's, and media attention). All fighters knew was that, for every person they killed, it was one less competitor, to challenge, for the prize. To keep the audience interested, and revenue flowing, into the Ilinois treasury, Illinois government decided to change the contest, just a bit. Instead of just the normal, four, rows, of five fighters, marching into the arena, the state decided to increase the spectacle, by having fighters march into the arena, around its outer edge, then stand in place once they were shoulder to shoulder all around the arena. This was done because viewers were placing bets on which, of the original twenty competitors would be fast enough to break away from the group, snatch a weapon, and strike first blood. Under the new, and improved, system, each fighter would stand, backs to weapons, until the announcer called "Begin!" After the signal, it was a question of which fighter was fastest to reach out, for a weapon . For Public Aid, this version, of the competition, was even better than the previous version since, in the new version, two-and-a-half-times as many fighters could engage, per round. This meant that, if a round went "well", then, by the end of the round, the state could close down 50 case-loads at a time. (A truth which fighters were never told about, along with the rule, of penalty, for violating competition "rules".) The truth was only revealed when a fighter watched a friend being slain, while standing at attention. The back-story being that a fighter, next to the slain man, had smashed his boot, over his victims foot. When the victim had responded, to the pain, by breaking the assailants nose, the announcer CHOSE only too SEE the broken nose. As a result, with 50 people in the arena, now, and each fighter wearing a numbered tunic, and the man, with the smashed foot wearing number 36, the announcer stated "For violation of rules of fair play, Numbers 35 (broken nose), and 37, pick up a weapon, and dispose of Number 36". When Number 15 watched his friend fall, Number 15 picked up a javelin, and sent it sailing, through the air, into the back of the announcer. Un-fortunately, the announcer had turned his back, so Number 15 would not see the look, on the announcers face, as the javelin impalled him. Un-fortunately, all Number 15 got, from his view, was the announcers back lurching, as the javelin found its mark, and sank into flesh. Seconds later, two, state, security guards rushed after the announcers body, even as another announcer came forward, to say "For another violation, of rules", then automatic gun-fire pierced Number 15, and five other competitors, who were, tragically, too close to avoid the bulllets, and three members of the audience. The replacement announcer then reminded ALL, in attendance "Each round does NOT begin until the call of "Begin!". Is that understood?" (He took the proceeding murmur as a "Yes"). He, then, made the grand gesture, as he said "Begin!" As more fighters were shipped in, from out of state, the Illinois General Assemby would vote to decorate the arena, to "celebrate" the hosting state. When other states complained that this would be showing "favoritism", the Ilinois governor suggested that other states supply "fighting banners", which would fly, next to the Illinois flag, when the visiting state was in the competition. Ofcourse, the church, and the general public, expressed outrage, over this wanton blood lust, yet all that the federal, and state, governments, cared about was that un-employment was declining. That was what the government considered ALL-important. After just a few more years, of such competitions, though, un-employment fell to such levels that the state began to worry that it could not continue the competition. That is, until budget review time, and the Illinois General Assemby realized how many prisoners the state had, who had been on death row, for YEARS. This is when the decision was made, to expand the competition. Soon, Death Row would be emptied, then would come super-max, then maximum security. As long as the public was willing to buy tickets, or pay-per-view, Illinois was going to keep people entertained, with the blood lust. As Illinois prison populations declined to zero, the General Assembly would decide to expand the competition, yet again. This time, adding the "working poor", by raiding housing projects. When even raiding the tenements did not provide enough "warm bodies", for the competition, the suggestion was made, momentarily, to proceed to lower management. This, however, was, quickly, dennounced as "un-ethical". After several years, of spectacular profits, and use, the Illinois arena would be closed "temporarilly". When tour groups would take over the arena, giving tours, telling visitors "The scent, of the arena, is potent. You wil recognize it as the scent, of human courage. It is the remnants of the losers, of the rounds. Some have even reported hearing the voices, of the fighters. Do not be alarmed, though. Anything you hear is just background noise". What outraged the public was when Pubic Aid, and the General Assemby, were presented with a federal award, for reducing un-employment. (Reducing through blood shed, yes, but the feds were pleased) In the end, the one thing Public Aid never counted upon was what would happen when the agency was no-longer needed. When the pink-slips were issued, under the protection, of armed guards, and Public Aid workers asked "What am *I* going to do, for money?" The pink-slips issuer would suggest "There is, always, the arena". In that moment, Public Aid workers would realize their mistake, only far too late. With case-loads wiped out, and other agencies barring transfers, the Pubic Aid workers would find themselves facing waiting lines, for charity, or the option: Going into the arena. The question would linger: Which would be worse? Slow death, of un-employment, or a possible, quick death, in the arena?