“I think that they're not helping themselves. I guess there must be mitigating circumstances, something we don't know about.”
“Either that or it's all bullshit,” Sarah said as she smiled enigmatically. Joshua laughed and pushed a steaming mug towards her. He was liking her more and more every day.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The Messenger, Fleet Street
November 23th 2020
“What day is it today?” Someone asked as if it had some kind of relevance.
“Don't know. Is it Thursday or Friday?” Another replied, assuming the role of enthusiastic conversationalist when really they would rather be doing anything else.
The days had rather lost their importance of late as one period of red daylight seemed to blend into another without much of a difference in events. The main thing that had changed in the previous few days was that finally, a digital radio signal was available. Much like the periodic television broadcasts, it was a single, state run station which offered little entertainment, comment or anything factual in terms of the latest news except terrifying updates on new encounters and more warnings regarding 'infiltrators'. The excitement level had been building however as it was announced that the period of 'census' was about to begin. There had been a great deal of anxiety over what this all meant and how it would if in any way affect the status quo i.e. the maintained 'house arrest' and subsequent sporadic handing out of food parcels. As a pre advertised broadcast explaining the procedure was about to begin, the emaciated members of the office gathered around in anticipation. Joshua and Sarah had continued to enjoy their enforced company and they sat together once more as their relationship had become increasingly talked about amongst the others who had nothing better to do than gossip.
“Good evening, this is the eight o'clock news summary.”
The tinny voice announced the next instalment of confusion and a hush was quickly established in the office.
“The Government today prepare to announce the next steps on the path to re-establishing social order and a return to a more normalised standard of living for Britain’s population. The Census is due to be rolled out tomorrow across areas of the country. Details will follow shortly. First, a statement from the Prime Minister.”
This was news in itself, the Prime Minister had yet to be heard since the very beginning and in many ways it was a comfort to hear the voice of the beleaguered 'Michael Deacon' who had been conspicuous in his absence.
“A good evening to the brave people of Great Britain and I must firstly say how proud I am of the way our nation has rallied in the face of huge suffering over the past couple of weeks. We realise of course that the lack of communication and the debilitating curfews have had a profound impact on all and I wish to address that very subject right now before we announce new measures to restore liberty and civil rights to our nations people.
It is with great sorrow and regret that I must inform you of the shocking news that many of the figureheads of our society, characters of great renown and respect, have been systematically discovered to be traitors to our kind and in league with the alien threat. The magnitude of these discoveries was unprecedented and thus immediate measures were taken to strip these individuals of the ability to work together, and in doing so, propagate a full scale invasion of our planet by their alien masters. In order to reduce their capacity to cause harm until such time as they could be identified and arrested, and in conjunction with other world leaders I gave the unpleasant orders to temporarily terminate satellite communication and other methods by which our enemies could collude. These steps were necessary and vital as we entered a new age of conflict with beings from another world whom appear to have no motive except our wilful destruction.
Now, I know most of you are desperate to know more about our new enemies and many of you will be asking why? I promise you, this is something we are working very hard to establish. All I can do is offer my heartfelt condolences for any of you who have lost loved ones in the terrible weeks which have recently passed. We are determined as a government and as a nation to repel these spiteful and evil intruders to our planet and to do this we must all work together and face even more hardship if we are to find the fortitude to prevail.
To fight the enemy, we must firstly determine who our enemies are. We have already seen that these beings can fashion themselves into familiar forms, infiltrate our governments, our media, even our sporting and popular music cultures. Currently, we have no way of knowing without scientific tests, who is human and who is not. The Census program offers the only way to determine true 'citizenship' and allow our society to return to some kind of normality. We must root out the evil that festers within our population if we are to live freely as we once did. For your part as individuals, your full co-operation in this matter is not only asked but demanded. It is for the good of all 'citizen's' to comply with the Census. This is the only way that we can once again work together which is what we must do if we are to defy the alien threat.”
The office remained silent as each individual looked around them. Joshua could see what everyone was thinking, it was the same as him.
“That was the Prime Minister today speaking from an undisclosed location. The government this morning released a preliminary list of individuals who have been detained on the suspicions of collusion with the enemy. The list contains several high profile politicians, the most prominent being the leader of the opposition, Sandy Baxter. In addition, another twelve MP's have been detained hailing from all the three major parties. From the world of popular music, global icon's Jezzabelle and Jack Stark have also been arrested for treason. It is understood that using their influence over the young people of Britain and America, they planned to indoctrinate and implant rebellious anti-government sentiments. Notorious film maker Jordan Hublot was also detained today. The controversial documentary maker was critically injured as he attempted to escape capture climbing from the window of his home and is not expected to survive. From the world of sport, England striker Jordan Pike is one of more than a dozen suspected of treason and is now facing questioning by the authorities. In science, leading astrophysicist Pierre Duquois, historian George McPhee and Nobel prize winning chemist Franz Haus are also known to have been captured and exposed.
Citizens are reminded that these infiltrators have penetrated all facets of society and are to be vigilant for any suspect activity. Information regarding possible traitors can be passed on at your local Census point. Reward incentives are currently in place for information offered which results in a verified alien arrest.
And now, detailed information regarding your local Census point. This information will be repeated throughout the night. Good evening and remember, remain vigilant.”
“Bloody hell, never saw that coming. Well I mean maybe I saw that ingrate Baxter, he always looked curiously inhuman, but what about Jezabelle then?” Sarah exclaimed, her eyebrows raised.
“I know, who knew? It all seems too incredible that the aliens would go to such lengths. I mean half the fucking England football team are aliens! You wonder they are so shit!” Joshua replied seeing the extraordinary scope of the radio statement.
“I wonder who else will turn up on this list? Probably anyone who ever had the balls to speak out against the government or had the foresight to question the way of things.” Sarah continued, her cynicism was clear to see.
“I think, referring to my recent articles, that if what you're saying is correct, then I’ll be on that list somewhere. Me and governments don't always see eye to eye.” Joshua replied. If there was a conspiracy to be found then he would pursue it with relish.
The radio message began to convey the exact locations of Census stations all around the country, starting with the capital. It was made clear that the Census protocol must be adhered to strictly and there was no room for misinterpretation. Street by street, individuals would attend under escort, 'Census points'. It was not explained in any depth what the process of 'censuring' was but if
it meant that from that moment they were free to roam and go about their business, then they would accept at any cost. Joshua imagined how frustrating it must have been to sit listening to the broadcast waiting for news if you lived in the country. The curious reporter wondered how things had been in the dales of Yorkshire or the moors of Devon. Surely in more remote locations, policing of the streets was far less strict than in London. The countries military resources could not have stretched as far as these places, surely? Perhaps in the heart of the city was the best place to be, or maybe the worst. Only time would tell as shared experiences of the 'crisis' would eventually be put in the public domain, possibly by talented writers such as Joshua?
Many people slept easier that night, at least with the comfort that an end to the 'imprisonment' was almost over. Few bothered to concern themselves about the Census procedure or what it entailed. For some it would be a pathway to freedom, to others it would be a road to a much more sinister place.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Victoria Embankment, London
November 20th 2020
Joshua stood in the biting cold wind and light drizzle, his wet hand clutched Sarah's as they stood patiently in a queue of people as far as the eye could see along the usually busy road beside the Thames. That morning at just after ten o'clock, armed soldiers had beckoned them forward from their office blocks and arranged them in sustained silence into long human trains. The atmosphere was unrelenting, Joshua could now imagine what it must have felt like for the German Jew's as they were rounded up at gunpoint in 39'. There was a hushed, sombre mood despite the taste of fresh air which felt good in their lungs. Joshua looked around and saw the bedraggled nature of his fellow workers from other papers. Some had not fared so well as the Messenger staff, they were pallid and frail and they did not speak as the butt of a rifle nudged them along in good order.
Joshua strained his neck to see what was going on ahead as the queue moved forward at a snail's pace.
“We are going to be standing here all day, you know that?” Sarah said as she began to feel the strain of the weight on her heels.
“Yes, it looks like it. I think we'll be better off than others though.” Joshua replied looking over at a particularly sorry old woman who could barely support her own body weight.
Repeated efforts to talk to the guarding soldiers were useless it seemed. Despite many people's jovial efforts to inspire a little camaraderie amongst humans, the soldiers themselves looked just as weary. It was clear that there were strict orders to avoid fraternisation and it all felt very harsh and uninviting to be waiting for this damned examination, if that is what it was meant to be.
Hours passed and the moaning of discomfort grew from many in the queue. Some collapsed drawing sorrowful gasps from the other civilians and little empathy from the young soldiers who suffered also from the experience but in quiet solitude. As Joshua and Sarah, who had promised to remain together as long as possible neared the front of the long snake of humanity, they began to see what lie ahead and what had been causing the process to be so painfully extended.
Several temporary buildings had been erected, much like toilets at camp sites. Individuals were being herded of into small cubicles where they appeared to be handed some kind of document. Individuals were gone about ten minutes and then on leaving they were escorted behind the structure and out of view. Joshua amused himself pondering what possible questions faced him on this unusual questionnaire. Was this some kind of psychological study? Were there questions designed in some way to befuddle and outwit the alien imposters? If so, how was this going to be achieved when the facts had clearly shown that several had been living in the heart of government for goodness knows how long. Joshua guessed there would be scientific tests too, blood or urine samples? He hoped that none of these procedures would be too invasive, he was not sure he could stand the prodding and poking in his fragile state.
As Joshua's turn eventually came at a quarter past three in the afternoon, Sarah squeezed his hand tightly and offered a 'good luck'. He did not feel like it was required, after all, he was pretty sure in himself that he was all human and defying any possible mistake or clerical error, he would be on his way home by nightfall.
“Remember, if they ask you whether you believe in aliens, for God sake say yes!” Sarah japed as she was thrust in the opposite direction clutching her piece of paper. Joshua laughed at her consistency, what would it take for her to come round to the idea that this was all very real.
“Fill out every section. Don't dawdle. When you're done, hand your form to the Census officer and follow your escort to the holding area.” The beefy uniformed soldier barked his orders dispassionately. Joshua believed that he was probably very bored of saying the same thing over and over again.
Joshua climbed the steps to the cabin and entered. There were a dozen cubicles, much like in a polling office, there was a pen attached by a chain in each one and a narrow shelf on which to lean on. The other people in the booths were very quiet, apart from the odd cough, no one spoke, this was one examination they dare not take lightly. Joshua scanned the document. It began by asking the usual details, his name, date of birth and his 16 digit PIN which in the trauma of the last few days he had not used and thus struggled to recall. There were a series of medical questions, gender and ethnicity, the usual stuff. It was then Joshua saw the next dozen pages filled with multiple choice questions and he realised that this was no brief survey but a complex form intended to weed out character flaws, personality types and undesirable traits. Some of the questions seemed to have little relevance to anything. Some were 'moral dilemmas' designed in such a way that there did not seem to be a correct answer and the subject was forced to mark down something that did not sit right through pure lack of choice. The one question which immediately drew Joshua's attention was regarding the 'previous experience of any encounter either directly or indirectly that could be attributable to an alien presence'. Joshua’s pen hovered over the tick box. For some reason, Sarah's words stuck in his head. He supposed that by meeting with Jimmy Stock, he had possibly had some connection with a potential alien incident. If the purpose of the survey was to identify alien infiltrators, did he want to be telling the authorities that he had any, even if it was the most intangible, 'alien connection'? Joshua brought the nib of the pen down and made his mark. The truth. That is what Joshua stood for. If lying was the only way to beat the test then the test was flawed. Given the situation, Joshua felt it only right to be as unambiguous as possible and confess to his dealings with Jimmy. In a short summary on a dotted line, he intimated that he had met an 'abductee' whilst researching the subject. It could not be more clear that he was being transparent. Anyway, what had he to fear, he was not alien, he was born in Banbury Hospital, there were photo's to prove it!
Joshua completed the test and he nervously handed it to the soldier who immediately handed it to another who grunted an acknowledgement and then escorted Joshua out and around the rear of the building. Entering a large 'pen', a roped area where several hundred others stood awaiting the next phase of the censure, Joshua looked out for Sarah who in turn had kept an eye out for him. They smiled at each other in relief.
“Wasn't as bad as I expected.” She said calmly.
“No, I guess not. What was the point?” He replied sharing the same ambivalence for the examination.
There was a commotion as a small party of soldiers made their way through the crowd. There was immediately something ominous about the way they marched forth with purpose.
“Oh God, don't tell me someone's failed it.” Sarah said, her voice still jovial but tinged with a sense of incredulous apprehension. Joshua did not reply but watched as a number of individuals were plucked from the throng and marched away forcefully, their vehement protests ignored. The soldiers fanned out amongst the people and a couple walked in the journalists direction. Joshua's heart skipped a beat as for a fleeting moment he thought he saw one of the armed men look at him but his relief was short
lived. It was with equal horror that he then realised that he was not their target, but Sarah.
Joshua grasped her hand as he realised that his friend was to be taken from him.
“Jesus! No, don't be stupid, this is wrong!” He called out as the soldiers tore her grasp away from his. She looked back in terror and confusion as she was pulled away cruelly and with little respect. Her face was one of pure quizzical amazement and Joshua chased her as she was frogmarched to the pens limits.
“This is a mistake, I know her, I can vouch for her!” Joshua continued as the soldiers fended him off with their outstretched hands.
“If you vouch for her then you're obviously one of them too. Either shut up or you'll be fucking next.” One of the soldiers said with more than a hint of spite. Joshua halted in his tracks, an action that he would come to mull over and regret. The sight of Sarah being led away and pushed into the rear of an army truck was one he found difficult to forget. He should have fought harder to stop it from happening, he thought.
Another hour of misery ensued as Joshua sat on the asphalt road waiting for something to happen. Other people around him offered their comfort. Members of the office staff joined him and too were amazed and distressed at losing their friend in this way. It was clear that they had somehow passed the examination, but for some reason Sarah had not. As the darkness fell, more soldiers once again lined the people up and another queue commenced, this time in order to receive their 'Citizen chip' as it became known. One by one, their limbs were held tightly and a small device punctured their skin, implanting a tiny device deep into the dermis of the upper arm. With this chip, not only did Joshua gain his freedom but in another sense it was also taken away with the same momentary sharp, stabbing pain.
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