Apology tour

> *You received over one million downvotes which makes what you did a crime against the State. You will now begin an apology tour, during which the people will vote on whether or not they believe your sincerity. If your downvotes remain under 10 million, you'll be free to go. - Publicity Officer Willks to John LaMarr*
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An **apology tour** was a public request for forgiveness performed on the planet Sargus 4 in the early 25th century. The tour was not merely a social gesture but a legal procedure: an apology tour had to be taken by anyone who received over one million downvotes and thus committed a crime against the State. Those who received in excess of 10 million downvotes by the end of their tour were subject to "Social Correction."

## Background

On Sargus 4, public approval or disapproval was meted out through *upvotes* and *downvotes*, and the respective totals appeared on a person's Vote Badge. Disapproval carried legal weight, because those who received over one million downvotes were deemed to have committed a crime against the State and were arrested and held by the Department of Corrections. Arrestees were not provided legal representation or a trial; "conviction" took place by exceeding one million downvotes.

## Process

Arrestees were required to undergo an Apology Tour to plead for the public's forgiveness in a series of live television appearances. Apology tours were said to happen daily. They were assigned a Publicity Officer to counsel them on their tour and were entitled to one other guest. At the end of a tour, a *Final Vote* was performed where subjects were strapped to a chair and forced to watch their vote tally. If a subject received more than 10 million downvotes by the end of an apology tour, he or she was "socially corrected" through a damaging neurological treatment designed to "pacify any and all potentially negative impulses." The duration of a tour was unknown.

## Occurrences

Planetary Union anthropologists Tom and Lewis appeared on *The Breakfast Show* as part of their Apology Tour. The two had been photographed sitting in bus seats without offering their seat to a standing pregnant woman. Tom said they were deeply ashamed. Shortly after, he attempted to flee his Tour and was killed by a Department of Corrections guard. Lewis failed the Final Vote and was corrected.

Lieutenant John LaMarr goes on an Apology Tour after a recording of him performing a suggestive dance on a statue of Mella Giffendon goes viral, and he accrues over one million downvotes. On his tour, he is assisted by Publicity Officer Willks. LaMarr makes at least two live television appearances but performs poorly, displaying a sullen attitude due to his disdain for Sargun culture. Fortunately, LaMarr does not receive ten million downvotes and avoids correction thanks to Isaac onboard the USS *Orville* campaigning on the Master Feed.

## Notes

1. ↑ "You don't know what an Apology Tour is? John, they happen every day!" - Publicity Officer Willks to John LaMarr.
2. ↑ John LaMarr interpreted the Apology Tour as a trial, deciding whether the subject is "guilty or not." However, the Apology Tour was designed to show remorse for one's actions, not to give a criminal defense. Even so, the end result was not unlike the outcome of a trial. The equivalent of a verdict and sentence was decided by the public response to the Apology tour: the Final Vote tally. If it didn't reach the 10 million vote threshold, the subject walked free, without punishment. If the threshold was met, the equivalent of a "sentence" was Social Correction.
3. ↑ Based on the experience of John LaMarr, the tour probably lasts roughly three to five days.