For Dale Hanson, like many others, the road to Tycho began in college --when Lindsy Langston asked to borrow his computer. Hers had broken down, and unless she could borrow another, she would fail her midterm project. There was no one she dared ask, except Dale.

This put Dale in a dilemma. He had to help her --but if he lent her his computer, she would be using it to write. Aside from the fact that you could go to prison for many years for letting someone else use your word processor to write anything for publication (midterm projects came under the schools exclusive right to publish student works), the very idea shocked him at first. Like everyone, he had been taught since elementary school that sharing writing tools was nasty and wrong --something that only webscabs would ever do. Helping anyone to write anything that might be read by anyone, without payment for the privilege of reading it, would give imprimatur to the downward spiral that is converting the noble calling of Writer into the life of a Pixel-stained Technopeasant Wretch.

And there wasn't much chance that the SFWA --the Standard Fine Writers Authority --would fail to catch them. In his writing class, Dale had learned that each word processor had a publishing monitor that reported to Central Licensing when and where all works were written, and by whom, and on who's word processing equipment the work was created. They also used this information to catch unlicensed web publishing sites, forcing those pirate enabling web sites, and those webscabs that used them, to pay large reparations to the members of the SFWA to reimburse them for the income they had lost from having people able to read without paying for the privilege. So the next time his computer was networked, Central Licensing would find out. He, as the computer owner, would receive the harshest of financial punishments, and possibly even be put in jail. And his much hoped for future as a writer would be forever ruined. He would be denied, for life, the ability to ever become a member of the SFWA --for not taking pains to prevent the crime.

Of course, Lindsy, a student of Architectural Design for the Modern Home, did not intend for anyone to ever know she had used some one else's word-processor to write her midterm project. She had a plan --she would go to one of the approved digitizing services with a printed flimsy of her midterm project, claiming that her computer had lost it's networking ability, so she had printed out a flimsy, and needed it digitized and submitted by them, on her behalf, because her computer would not be repaired in time to use it to submit her midterm project. But Dale knew this would never work, because where it would be caught was on his computer when next he networked it, not hers. Dale, who was taking courses in Approved Software Manual Writing, knew that the Central Licensing Authority has exclusive root control of all computers, so nothing could be hidden from them.

Lindsy and Dale were, like most students, deeply in debt to the SFWA because they (like all writers) had to pay the SFWA Royalty Fee before anything, even term papers, could be published. They could only hope that if their papers were read often enough by other students, or possibly the general reading public, they would eventually make enough money after deducting the schools percentage of the reading fees, and repayment of the student loans they had to take out to cover the SFWA Prepaid Established Writers Guaranteed Royalty Fees. And that one day they might be able to join the august ranks of the SFWA, and be allowed to share in the collected royalties on their own works, as well as the prepaid royalties derived from the works of new students and all the writers that had not yet been inducted into the SFWA.

Later on, Dale would learn there was a time when anyone could go to a public place known as a "Public library" and read journal articles, and even books, without having to pay. There were independent scholars, and writers, who both read and wrote thousands of pages of manuals, scientific studies, and books of all kinds, all without paying anyone for the privilege of reading, OR writing! But in the 1990s, both commercial and nonprofit journal publishers had begun charging fees for access. By 2007 Publishers had begun to clamp down on any form of writing that did not require a fee to read. By 2047, libraries offering free public access to any published work, be it scholarly literature, or a simple story written and offered for the free use of the public, were a dim memory.

There were ways, of course, to get around the SFWA and Central Licensing. They were themselves illegal. Dale knew many people that wrote software due to his studies in writing Approved Software Manuals. Fred Marlettie, a Software Writing student, had written an illicit software system which could skip over the Central Licensing monitor code when writing, or reading, any text. But he had told too many friends about it, and one of them turned him in to the SFWA for a reward (students deep in debt were easily tempted into betrayal). In 2047, Fred was in prison, not for pirate reading, but for writing a software system that could be used to enable webscabs to write and therefore publish pirate works that by being read for free, took money away from the Established Writers of the SFWA.

Dale would later learn that there was a time when anyone could have such software writing tools. There were even free writing tools available on CD or downloadable over the net. But ordinary users started using them to bypass first copyright monitors and later Central Licensing, and eventually a judge ruled that this had become their principal use in actual practice. This meant they were illegal; those who wrote unlicensed software tools that allowed anyone to write were therefore illegal tools, because if they could write at all, without an approved license, then they could could write anything, be it software, word-processors or other programs, technical manuals, text books, or even works of fiction, so all unlicensed writers were sent to prison.

Writers (of any type; from software to fiction) still needed writing tools, of course, but such tools could be sold by licensed vendors only, and by 2047 the vendors distributed numbered copies only, and only to officially licensed and bonded writers, and only for the use they were licensed for --no writing a bit of music with something licensed to write software. The master word processor used in any writing class was kept behind a special firewall so that it could be used only for class exercises, and not for any 'general purpose' use.

It was possible to bypass the Central Licensing monitors by installing a modified system kernel. Dale knew about the existence of free kernels, even entire free operating systems, that had been created around the turn of the century. He also knew they still existed, in a shadowy underground movement that claimed roots deep in the past. They were known as the Friends of the FSF (no one was positive exactly what FSF meant, but even in 2058 it still had a ferociously loyal following). But not only was such software illegal --you could not install one if you had one, without knowing your computer's root password. And neither Central Licensing nor the SFWA would tell you that. Ever.

Dale concluded that he couldn't simply lend Lindsy his computer. But he couldn't refuse to help her, because he loved her. Every chance to speak with her filled him with delight. And that she chose him to ask for help, the risk she took even asking about such a thing could only mean she loved him too, and trusted him with her very freedom and her entire future.

Dale resolved the dilemma by doing something even more unthinkable --he lent her his computer, but before he did so he used his contacts with the Friends of the FSF to acquire the free kernel and the free operating system --even a copy of the legendary text editor EMACS, and for a word-processor the amazing AbiWord (after all he had been helping write technical manuals for their illegal software for some time... you didn't think Dale was dumb enough to have drunk the SFWA Kool-aid, did you?). Then Dale took one more step, a crime that could result in life imprisonment, or possibly even the death penalty for all involved in it --but he did love Lindsy, so no risk was too great. He obtained a replacement cube of solid state memory and got Jamie Zonder to load the free kernel and operating system, EMACS, AbiWord, and some other needed and useful software on the new cube, then to carefully remove the memory cube from Dale's computer and replace it with the illicit one. Dale owed Jamie a life long debt for doing the clone of his memory cube so well that the Central Licensing monitor in his computer would not detect the hardware switch (in 2063 this debt would be repaid, in full).

So Dale loaned Lindsy his modified computer, which she did her mid term project on, still printing out a flimsy copy and using the story that her computer could not get on the net, so the digitizing service both OCR'd her project and submitted it on her behalf, without any problem.

A few days later Lindsy's computer was accidentally dropped from a sightseeing hovercraft, and duly sent to the Central Licensing Authority furnaces. Jamie returned Dale's memory cube to it's accustomed place in Dale's computer, and the clone memory cube was melted in the metal works lab, as scrap from a robotics project. With sufficient time now available, and the pressure of the mid term project over, arrangements were made and eventually Lindsy received a new computer.

So Lindsy completed her mid term project, and in due course she and Dale were married and like many of their friends eventually moved to Luna, and away from the long arm of the SFWA and Central Licensing.

Much later Dale would learn that Universities at one time had policies that encouraged writing, even a degree of creativity was allowed. This began to change around 1980, when the two policies of copyright abuse and patents on algorithms and methods for implementing those algorithms began to be allowed. When those two incredibly dumb conditions were first allowed, and then crossbred with greed by monopolistic corporations, things rapidly became as they were for Dale and Lindsy by the time they were students.

Jamie Zonder and his wife Ellen, died in the first stages of the Tycho Uprising, they fell defending the access locks to Central Control, minutes after Jamie had completed the hardware hack that cut the Central Licensing control of the life support systems, allowing Ellen's free software system to assume control of all critical life support functions for the Tycho Keep. Their story is immortalized in many places, none better then the plaque at the statue in their honor in Brahe Plaza, go there and read it for your self.

Dan and Lissa Halbert played a vital role in the central stages of establishing the new Tycho government, and are the authors of the last lines on the plaque in Brahe Plaza, honoring Jamie and Ellen Zonder.

Dale and Lindsy Hanson did not play any active part in the uprising - they were on earth when it started. They had come to Earth in late 2061 to arrange the release of Jamie and Ellen Zonder's son and daughter from a Central Licensing Authority Reading Retraining Camp, for the children of known dissidents. They never talk about how they accomplished that, but it is a matter of record that they managed to get Jamie Jr. and Sue Ellen Zonder, along with 357 other children from the 'camp' on board the last ship to leave Earth prior to the embargo of 2063. It is also a matter of record that they brought that ship all the way to Tycho Base without a trained pilot or engineer on board.

Dale and Lindsy adopted Jamie Jr. and Sue Ellen, and changed their family name to Zonder-Hanson. Every year on Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day, the informal day that begins the week of remembrance leading up to the official celebration of the Tycho Uprising, Both families get together and drink many a toast to all that has gone before, from the old United States Constitution, to the FSF (which is now well understood, and is once again publicly active and yet also has it's place in hallowed history). They toast Jamie and Ellen, and all those that gave so much, so very much. But they always make the last toast, using the last words from the Zonder Plaque in Brahe Plaza:

"The Right to Read requires the Right to Write, these Rights only have meaning when the Right to Publish is insured."

Publishers note: It has always been noticed that the Halbert and Zonder-Hanson families always had a very private toast after the last of the Tycho Uprising Day celebrations have ended, They have consented, for the sake of future history buffs to tell us what they toast privately.

They have asked that it be honored as simply what it is, a toast to the things they personally heard the Zonders say so often in private free wheeling conversations. They amount to nothing more then favorite sayings of Jamie and Ellen. So here they are the two final toasts: "To Jamie, who always said; To let hardware lock out software is an insult to man and machine!". "To Ellen, who always said; This whole revolution thing is just one more undocumented function of EMACS... let the Vi crowd top that!"

Please visit http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html as Richard Stallman has provided there, an interesting Author's Note, References, and Other Texts to Read, that accompany the original Right to Read, from which this short story was derived.

Why I am taking part in the "International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day": Even though I shall receive no extra pixel-spattered points for doing this (not being a SFWA --Science Fiction Writers Association --member, or a Standard Fine Writers Authority member either!), I shall enjoy taking part for many reasons, not the least of which are these:

I have a story submitted to the Machine of Death project --A project I have taken a great fancy to, as I approve of their idea, and their "all are welcome to submit a story" attitude. They are exploring, and empowering, a large reservoir of as yet unplumbed talent --all of whom are, or are trying to become "Pixel-Stained Technopeasants". This sort of project will bring real talent to the fore, and they will all be "Pixel-Stained Technopeasants".

Exactly as Richard Stallman is a "Pixel-Stained Technopeasant" --at least as Mr. Hendrix would define RMS and The GNU Free Documentation License --by virtue of RMS creating free on line articles, stories, and commentary, as well as a vast set of documentation.

Which was what made the idea so irresistible to me, of writing a free, on line, derivative work based on the very famous "Pixel-Stained Technopeasant" work by RMS; "The Right to Read". What a famous company of people one may aspire to join in a "Pixel-Stained Technopeasant" world. And it matters not that your work may not be world renowned. If only one person is moved by your work, then a successful "Pixel-Stained Technopeasant" you are, and what good company you will be in.

Something Mr. Hendrix seems to fail totally to grasp. He seems to think people like RMS, and projects like the Machine of Death, are taking food from his table, instead of growing the table, and with it the food on it.

We need more projects like the Machine of Death, that will produce more "Pixel-Stained Technopeasants", and more monetarily rewarding works as well --The more milk you get from the cow, the more cream will rise to the top, and the more of both there is for everyone.

Copyright 2007 Don Hensley
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