Minimilism

"But the gloves don't do anything!" McIntyre wailed. "In fact, they make my hands all itchy and red!"

"I know, sweetie, but the Supreme Order of All that is Good and Righteous" has decreed this as law, and we can't break the law, Mac."

"I know" replied McIntyre sullenly. "Or I get sent to the stupid "Reframe my Brain" camp."

"Mac!" exclaimed her mother. It's called "Reformation for the Progress of the Mind"! "And it's not a camp, it's an Enlightenment Education Center. Please, dear daughter, stop fretting. You're going to raise your temperature up past the Mandatory Allowed Temperature Level and I don't have time for this today. Inspection is coming this Friday, and I must be sure our home is prepared. Do your breathing exercises. No more arguing, your cheeks are already flushed. I'm a bit surprised that HealthDrone hasn't checked in on this. The grid must be very busy this morning."

15 year old McIntyre groaned audibly, but slunk off in the direction of the Sleep Room and Sephora sighed with relief.

Mac had been so grouchy lately, and Sephora knew that her daughter was just adapting to the new round of Mandatory Well Being meds, but it seemed to be more like Good Mood Reducer Meds. She knew better than to let that thought cultivate. The Thoughtful Guidance Committee was as tech savvy as they were dedicated to the regrowth of goodness in humanity and were quick to nip in the bud any seeds of discourse they might detect in her mind that might take root and disrupt The Program.

With a sigh, Sephora blanketed her mind with cheerful affirmations, ( We are willing and proud to be the stewards of a better and beautiful earth!), and she put on her happy face and set about prepping the Daily Nourishment Course of Revita Green!, which were really just crushed grasshoppers, but she tried not to remember that, because it still made her squeamish, although it had been at least 25 years since she'd seen anything even resembling an bug hop that wasn't a robo-sect).

Jeffrey was due to the Living Quarters any minute now, and she quickly entered in the data for daily check in on his i-duty pod to the Understanding a Better Way lesson station, along with his place setting at the table. She had to keep him focused on The Goal, or he might have a Not Ok thought, and that would mean they would send in Sheila to reformat him, and last time the Ambassador for Pure Living had been sent to intervene, Sephora had spent the next 22 awake days in constant meditation for refocus of proper mood patterns, before she was free of all negative thought towards the Sheila robo maiden, the Mandatory Male Tendency stress relief bot, sent in to craftily and subtlety charm any stray thinkers back into their metaphorical sheeple pens by any means deemed necessary.

Her daughter re emerged then, face tranquil and placid, and Jeffrey arrived then, as well, wearing his new Twinkle Charm Vision Tech he downloaded onto his Vision Program that morning. He was alone.

Sephora breathed and ran a quick Gratitude Thought through her mind, and thanked the Benevolent Caregivers for her good fortune.