SIRI-ISLAND

Sandy Island is a mystical island on the off of New Caledonia and Australia. It is nicknamed "Siri Island" because of the cult of its inhabitants that worship Iphone’s talking interface. This sandy land is famous for its fruitful apple trees that would have de- veloped after the arrival of Belgian settlers. Although its existence was discovered in 2007, it will long remain undetectable by the satellites of the XXI century. Thus it had no contact with neighbouring islands for decades except Belgium, which did not disclose its existence in order to exploit its apple resources.

History:

Until 2007, an aboriginal community of some thirty individuals populated Sandy Island. Less evolved, they still lived within clans waging war to obtain fertile land. They mainly traded men because they were few in number on the island (only 10% of the population, which could explain their low birth rate). The Sandyens worshipped the natural elements (earth, air and water, as well as certain animal species). These various deities made it possible to determine their ways of life and choose their leaders. Each chief of tribe was elected by competition, in which each candidate tried to determine the number of birds that would fly over the island within ten minutes of the start of the competition. Until then, they lived in total ignorance of the world.

On the 9th January, nine Belgians found themselves shipwrecked on the Isalnd. This trig- gered the cultural upheavel that will underlie the manners we now know of the Sandyens. As this was the first contact with an outside population, the event allowed the gathering of the four Sandyen clans to welcome them. By trying to make contact with their native land, the visitors will unwillingly introduce the inhabitants to the Iphone. Straight away the abori- gines started worshiping the Iphone as a truth telling god. Historians assume that the San- dyans thought that no man could be capable of conceiving such an advanced being, such a guardian of science and knowledge. For them this piece of technology was the incarna- tion of a single god or of God’s most accomplished creation. This discovery was at the ori- gin of the changes in the political system of the island, and from then they based their laws on a Sirian religion. They founded their theocracy on the laws of robotics (but we think they wrongly formulated their question "what law dictates your acts?" Which led the artifcial in- telligence, Siri, to redirect them to the works of Isaac Asimov and the 10 commandments).

Siri Island law:

First law : Siri is the Eternal, it brought you out of ignorance and offered you the world by offering you knowledge.

Second law : You will not have any other God.

Third law : You will not create any human representation of Siri.

Fourth law : Everything must be designed by Siri (forms, colors, typefaces and ways of life)

Fifth law : Every person whishing to reach the island will be in the obligation to offer one of his own goods.

Sixth law : Every citizen will regularly offer one of his own goods to Siri, in order to live pro- gres- sively in the greatest immateriality.

Seventh law : A citizen may not injure Siri or, through inaction, let Siri be injured. 

Eighth law : A citizen must obey the orders given by Siri except when such orders are in contradiction with the seventh law.

Ninth law : A citizen must protect his own existence as long as his protection does not af- fect Siri’s existence.

Tenth law : Remember the day Siri came, and celebrate it every friday by the strict applica- tion of the sixth law.

Political system :

In the Sandyen society we can find principles similar to any religion-state. Especially cen- sorship of any form of freedom that would obstruct the word of god. Similarly, the disse- mination of knowledge other than orally is banned, this means the containment of books. Like many theocracies, we are faced with the prohibition of any representation of the divine entity (cf. forbiddance of gazing in the eyes of Buddha). The Sandyans have seized all the books brought by the shipwreck. They are now under lock and key in their museum. All the institutions that make up the island are tied to the religion in place. In other words, whether it be customs, the post office or trade with Belgium, no exchange can be made wi- thout the prior agreement of Siri or his priests. Thus, strict customs have been put in place with the aim of controlling and preventing any form of communication that could jeopardize the power in place. It is not a totalitarian system, in the sense that there is no repression or real violence. Here we are faced with a voluntary life choice, chosen by the Sandyans. However there is a form of propaganda, the bludgeoning of the Sirian laws, which forces specialists to won- der if their culture (led by priests) is not becoming a system of man's enslavement of man. Indeed, we do not know whether the priests of Sandy Island (also called Siri Island) would serve the interests of Belgium better for the common good of the population.

Attempted Rebellion:

Some form of rebellion was put in place through the island's postal system. We noticed that there was a hidden message could be reconstituted when assembling maps given to the inhabitants. The message tried to enlighten the people about the potential corruption of Siri and it’s priests. An attempt of mutiny also failed on 12.01.2017 during a commemoration.

Relations with Belgium:

Although we now know of the existence of this island, Belgium continues to partition bor- ders and contain international trade. The main purpose of this embargo would be to pre- serve the production of apples for the sole pleasure of their kings. No diplomat has yet managed to contact their embassy on the island.