the fallos ministry

fallos ministry was introduced as one of humanity’s most “important” innovations. in the past, people’s desires were uncontrollable; passion, chaos, and scandals were everywhere. society could no longer endure this, and great leaders sought a solution. the solution was simple: to bring desires completely under state control.

thus, fallos ministry was established. the ministry developed an algorithm to regulate people’s desires. this algorithm determined when, with whom, and for how long individuals could engage in relationships. most people immediately accepted this system because the ministry convinced them that it eradicated chaos and disorder, making relationships more “efficient.” in reality, however, there was neither logic nor morality behind the system; everything operated entirely randomly. yet the public was too integrated into the system to question this absurdity.

fallos ministry assigned every individual a “desire identity card.” with this card, people could access the ministry’s system and apply for a relationship. applications were reviewed, and the algorithm made completely arbitrary matches. sometimes people were matched within their age group, and sometimes with those much older or younger. sometimes you were matched with someone from the same city, sometimes with someone from another continent. the ministry claimed these decisions were made with “divine wisdom.”

marta and tobias’ match

the fallos ministry’s absurd algorithm matched two people one day:

marta, a 50-year-old disillusioned poet. she had grown so accustomed to the absurdity of fallos ministry that she no longer took anything seriously. she spent most of her life sarcastically mocking others and had lost all faith in people and the system.

tobias, a 25-year-old naive young man working diligently in a factory. he wholeheartedly believed in the ministry’s “maintenance of order” and never questioned the system’s authority.

when marta received her match notification, she burst into laughter. who could have thought it was a good idea to match a 50-year-old woman with a 25-year-old man? but opposing fallos ministry was not an option. no matter how ridiculous, everyone had to comply with the system’s decisions.

meanwhile, tobias treated this match with utmost seriousness. “if the ministry matched me with her, there must be a reason,” he thought. he had never experienced such a match before, but questioning the system never crossed his mind.

the first meeting: a strange encounter

marta and tobias met in fallos ministry’s gray meeting room. these rooms were sterile, cold, and entirely functional. there was a table, two chairs, and a surveillance device in the corner to “observe” the relationship.

marta sat down, looked at tobias, and smiled sarcastically.

“so, dear ministry, why do you think they matched us? a mother-son dynamic? or maybe they thought you could benefit from my old-age wisdom?”

tobias blushed and lowered his head. “i think the ministry matched us because we can balance each other out. their decisions are always right.”

marta burst into laughter. “the ministry is always right? dear boy, the algorithm works randomly. i’m sure you’re sitting here because of pure coincidence.”

though shaken by her words, tobias defended himself. “i think age doesn’t matter. what’s important is compatibility.”

“compatibility?” marta said, leaning back in her chair. “dear tobias, even that device in the corner knows we’re not compatible.”

the contradictions of the first week

the fallos ministry gave marta and tobias a three-week “compatibility trial period.” during this time, they were required to meet regularly and get to know each other. at the end of the trial, the system would determine whether they were “compatible” and decide whether their relationship should continue.

the first week felt like a bizarre test for marta and tobias. at each meeting, marta mocked the system and made fun of tobias’ youth.

“when i was your age, fallos ministry wasn’t this absurd,” she said one day, stirring her coffee.

tobias looked at her in surprise. “what do you mean? was it more sensible back then?”

“no,” marta replied with a sarcastic smile. “but at least they didn’t match me with someone 25 years younger than me. the system used to mess up more politely.”

tobias blushed every time marta made such remarks, but he began to notice a certain wisdom beneath her sarcasm. when marta spoke about the ministry and society, he sensed there was truth in her words. yet tobias still tried to defend the ministry.

“maybe age doesn’t matter,” he said one day, summoning his courage. “maybe we have things to teach each other.”

“oh, of course,” marta said, barely holding back her laughter. “you’ll teach me tiktok dances, and i’ll teach you how to make a proper cup of coffee.”

awkward moments caused by the age gap

during their meetings, marta and tobias often found themselves in absurd situations due to their age difference. one day, tobias arrived at their meeting with a flower in hand.

“this is for you,” he said, shyly extending the flower.

marta looked at the flower and tried to smile. “that’s very sweet, tobias. but this flower should’ve gone to your grandmother. she would’ve appreciated it more.”

tobias turned bright red. “i just… wanted to be nice.”

“thank you for your kindness,” marta said, taking the flower. “but please, don’t start thinking this is a romance. this feels like a comedy film. you’re a young idealist, and i’m a woman escaping the seriousness of life.”

efforts to understand each other

by the end of the first week, marta and tobias began to understand each other better despite their differences. marta discovered that behind tobias’ naive gaze was a surprisingly deep person. his attempts to defend the system, though sometimes laughable, were also admirable.

“why do you believe in the ministry so much?” marta asked one day.

tobias shrugged. “because i don’t know anything else. without the ministry, everything would be so chaotic. people could hurt and harm each other.”

marta became serious for a moment. “but people are still hurting each other, tobias. just in quieter ways.”

tobias thought about her words but couldn’t respond.

a budding closeness

by the second week, their relationship had taken a turn toward a bizarre closeness. marta remained sarcastic, but tobias’ sincerity and good-heartedness began to soften her sharp edges. one day, marta confessed:

“you know, my previous matches were all terrible. but talking to you is strangely comforting. you’re young, you believe in naive things… but you’re honest.”

tobias smiled. “thank you. i think you’re kinder than you realize.”

“oh, don’t tell anyone that,” marta said, laughing. “it would ruin my reputation.”

the realization of incompatibility

by the end of the second week, both marta and tobias fully realized how forced their relationship was. for marta, this match was just another proof of the fallos ministry’s absurdity. tobias, despite his good intentions, began to see that their age gap and personality differences created an unbridgeable chasm.

one day, during a meeting, marta remarked:

“you know, maybe the ministry matched us just to see how long it would take for us to drive each other crazy. maybe this is some kind of social experiment.”

tobias replied earnestly: “no, i think there’s a real reason. maybe we just can’t see it yet.”

marta rolled her eyes. “tobias, there is no reason. the ministry just pressed a random button, and here we are. accept it.”

“but why are you so pessimistic?” tobias asked.

marta smiled faintly. “because being pessimistic protects me from disappointment.”

betrayal and intrigue

by the third week, tensions between marta and tobias had reached their peak. while marta continued to mock the system, tobias clung to his faith in the ministry. however, rumors began to circulate that the fallos ministry closely monitored the outcomes of its matches and punished “incompatible” relationships. upon hearing this, tobias panicked. his greatest fear was being seen as “disloyal” to the system.

after one of their meetings, tobias quietly went to the fallos ministry’s local office to file a report.

“my match partner, marta, is questioning the system,” he said hesitantly. “i thought it should be reported.”

the ministry official nodded with a cold smile. “thank you for being a good citizen. the ministry will address this issue.”

as he left, tobias tried to justify his actions. “i’m just protecting the order,” he thought. but deep down, he knew that marta’s sarcasm and criticisms had struck a nerve. perhaps he wanted to silence her because he feared she might be right.

marta finds out

a few days later, marta received a notification from the ministry: “your behavior has been deemed non-compliant. your compatibility trial is under review.”

furious, marta confronted tobias at their next meeting.

“did you do this?” she asked, her eyes blazing.

tobias couldn’t hide the guilt on his face. “i… i just wanted to protect the system. you’re always criticizing the ministry. it’s affecting our compatibility.”

marta laughed bitterly. “you actually did it, didn’t you? you reported me to the ministry so they’d punish me? i thought you were naive, but i didn’t think you’d stoop this low.”

tobias tried to defend himself. “i didn’t mean to do anything bad. i just…”

“just what?” marta interrupted. “protect the order? the order you’re so obsessed with is nothing but random chaos! the ministry might have matched us, but i’ll never trust a coward like you.”

end?

on the final day of their trial, the fallos ministry sent them an official message:

“compatibility trial deemed unsuccessful. process terminated.”

tobias felt relieved. the ministry wouldn’t force them to stay together. for him, it was a form of escape. marta, however, arrived at their final meeting with her usual sarcastic flair. handing tobias a cup of coffee, she said:

“so, dear ministry, what grand reason did they find for breaking us up?”

tobias shrugged awkwardly. “i guess they decided we weren’t compatible enough.”

“not compatible?” marta laughed. “tobias, how could i ever be compatible with someone who reported me to the ministry?”

before he could respond, the surveillance device in the corner lit up and displayed a new message:

“system error: compatibility trial re-evaluated. marta and tobias are now in a mandatory binding relationship. permanent match initiated.”

unexpected results

marta and tobias knew there was no point in opposing this new decision. the system was too powerful to question, even when it contradicted itself. the ministry now required them to live together indefinitely.

marta stood up in frustration. “i can’t take this system seriously anymore. tobias, you don’t have to put up with this nonsense either. we should escape!”

tobias hesitated, confused. “escape? but the ministry will find us… and punish us.”

“let them punish us,” marta said, a fiery determination in her eyes. “maybe it’s time to finally break free of this system.”

the escape (or not)

that night, marta and tobias managed to escape the fallos ministry’s surveillance. they parted ways, vowing never to see each other again. but years later, they randomly crossed paths in a place they thought was far removed from the ministry’s control.

just as they greeted each other, a massive screen nearby lit up with a chilling message:

“fallos ministry’s new social order program activated. even escapes are not system errors.”

marta looked at the screen and let out a bitter laugh. “see that, tobias? there’s no such thing as escape. we’re their entertainment.”

tobias stared helplessly at the screen. “maybe… maybe we always were.”

the ministry’s real purpose

marta and tobias’ chance meeting brought more questions than answers. as they tried to make sense of the screen’s message, the world around them started to dissolve. their surroundings melted away, leaving them in a vast white void.

suddenly, a hologram appeared, bearing the ministry’s logo:

“fallos ministry: the leader in regulating human desires.”

a voice echoed:

“congratulations! marta and tobias, you have successfully completed test 42.0 of our system. now, we will reveal the truth to you.”

“the truth?” tobias asked, confused.

the hologram continued:

“fallos ministry is not truly designed to regulate human desires. it was created as an entertainment platform for the upper classes. your lives, your conflicts, and your absurd scenarios have all been orchestrated for their amusement.”

marta squinted at the hologram. “so, we’ve been part of this nonsense just so someone else could have a laugh?”

the hologram responded unapologetically:

“exactly! our elite citizens take great pleasure in watching ordinary people like you navigate conflicts, drama, and absurdity. your betrayal, tobias, and your sarcasm, marta, were particular highlights this season.”

tobias, shocked, stammered. “but… the ministry was supposed to maintain order! to prevent chaos!”

the hologram laughed.

“oh, we prevent chaos, all right. but only by making it entertaining. who wants to live in a perfectly orderly society? we create the chaos, then let you make it watchable.”

marta burst into laughter, shaking her head. “of course. that’s the big plan. our ordinary lives are someone else’s toy.”

the hologram smiled and added,

“your sharp wit and biting sarcasm, marta, made season 42 a fan favorite. particularly your ‘let’s destroy the ministry’ moment. it scored highly in our viewer polls!”

the fight continues

“here’s a suggestion,” marta said, stepping closer to the hologram. “leave me out of this ridiculous show next season.”

the hologram paused before responding with a bright smile:

“sorry, but the audience loves you. season 43 will feature even crazier pairings!”

tobias, now genuinely angry, finally found his voice. “this isn’t fair! we’re people, not characters for your amusement!”

the hologram chuckled.

“fairness isn’t relevant when it works. now, go and rest. your next match will be assigned soon. oh, tobias, a hint: your next partner will be an artificial intelligence.”

tobias turned to marta, unsure of what to say. marta glared at the hologram one last time.

“we might be your entertainment now,” she said, “but i’m going to do everything i can to destroy you.”

the hologram replied cheerfully:

“that’s exactly what we’re counting on. viewers love intrigue!”

as marta and tobias plotted their futile rebellion, the camera zoomed out, revealing a group of people watching their every move on massive screens. the viewers laughed, ate popcorn, and eagerly discussed the characters’ next steps.

“this new season is going to be epic!” one viewer exclaimed. “especially marta’s rebellion. i can’t wait.”

another added, “i hope tobias betrays her again. the drama is just too good!”