by M J Dees
Chapter Thirteen – 19 years and 7 months before the collapse
Annabel and Jim sat watching the news. Roberts was inspecting troops.
“We have completely rebuilt the unmatched strength and power of the British Military,” said Roberts. “I am increasing defence spending by £24.1 billion over the next four years. That’s £16.5 billion more than our manifesto commitment - raising it as a share of GDP to at least 2.2%, exceeding our NATO pledge, and investing £190 billion over the next four years, more than any other European country and more than any other NATO ally, except the United States. And all of that incredible equipment, whether it’s submarines or missiles or rockets or jet fighters, bombers, it’s all built in the UK.”
“It’s like a military new deal,” Jim joked.
“People who didn’t love our veterans, people who were sadistic, people who stole. A lot of bad people. We couldn’t get rid of them because of the unions or the civil service. But we got rid of a lot of rotten people who were there for a long time. Draining the country. I never knew it was so deep. But it’s happening. It’s deep and thick and has a lot of unpleasant characters. Our incredible success in rebuilding Britain stands in stark contrast to the extremism and destruction and violence of the radical left.”
“He’s coming for us,” warned Jim.
“We just saw it after the election,” Roberts continued. “You saw these thugs that came along. These people, they call themselves protesters. Have you ever watched fake news? The reporter standing in front of a building saying, ‘things are very peaceful here,’ and the building has the biggest fire I’ve ever seen. The entire town is burning. It looked like the world was ending. Now I may be wrong, but it’s probably better for us to just watch that disaster. I have watched left-wing radicals, burn down buildings, loot businesses, destroy private property, injure hundreds of dedicated police offices. These police officers, they get injured, they don’t complain. They’re incredible.”
“Every announcement is more shameful than the last,” said Jim. As the news moved onto the next item, he turned to his stretch and read. “Office to combat left-wing fake news, reward for information, discretion assured, lawyers barred, judges removed, universities being ‘nationalised’. He’s already banning organisations he doesn’t agree with and uses national security as an excuse.”
He turned back to the news.
“Then there’s this alleged assassination plot on Roberts,” he said as the presenter returned to the principal item of the day. “And their threat of the ‘biggest riot’ if they fire a shot. Roberts will welcome the Government in the palace because of the attack on the parliament.”
“I’ve had enough of the news,” Annabel complained. “Let’s watch something else.”
They watched a documentary about how graphene is being used to build everything from super strong bullet-proof vests for the police to fuel cells and how it is also being turned into an anti-cancer agent.
He enjoyed watching the big stretch together with Annabel, but he would often find it difficult to find something they were both happy to watch, despite having almost all content ever made on demand. If she didn’t like something, she would sit with a miserable expression and then Jim wouldn’t enjoy it either. The magnetic stimulation therapy had yet to show results for managing her pain and depression.
He also felt tired and lethargic all the time. He had somehow developed a weariness of life and a fear of death.
*
Jim bumped into Ben Kumar, looking glum as they both left the maglev station.
“Our cleaner has quit on us,” said Ben. “Perhaps just as well. I doubt we’ll be able to afford a cleaner much longer.”
As they climbed the university steps, they watched as staff hoisted the National Unity flag up a flagpole.
“Are we meant to bow down to the nugget flag or something, or tremble for our jobs?” said Ben.
“Shh,” warned Jim. “I’m not sure who you can trust around here.”
As they entered the building, they could hear a group of students singing the nuggets’ anthem in the library.
Raise the flag! High above the streets!
Feel the ground shake beneath our feet.
Our way is the right way, it is the only way
The only way forward, it’s the British way.
Cheer for the unity,
Clear the streets, for the change is coming near!
Millions are looking to our flag for hope,
The day of freedom and prosperity dawns!
The call is sounded!
We all stand prepared!
Unity banners fly
Over all the streets.
The time of bondage will be over soon!
Raise the flag! High above the streets around!
Feel the ground tremble underneath our feet.
Ours is the only way, the only way.
“I thought they didn’t allow singing in the library,” said Ben.
“Are you going to stop them?”
“Are you kidding? If word got around that I’d taken action against the song, I’d be out on my ear.”
Jim laughed.
“You know what I saw yesterday?” he said. “Roberts’ toothpaste.”
“Heaven help us.”
“Do you fear for your life?” Jim was serious.
“No, just for my job and my freedom,” he stopped. “Jim? Have you got time for a coffee?”
“Sure.”
They went to the canteen and sat as far from anyone else as they could.
“What’s on your mind?” Jim asked.
“You know I am the joint owner of my brother’s building company?”
“Yes, what of it?”
“It means I am receiving two incomes which they consider ‘incompatible’ with my status as a lecturer at, what is now, a public university.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope, they’re taking me to court.”
“I was looking at some foreign media on my stretch,” said Jim. “They are calling what’s happening here, an atrocity. The government is painting the protests as criminal riots. It’s had left-wing organisations agree to condemn the violence and then now it threatens to proceed against the left if the mischief-making by the international radical left does not stop. You know they are prosecuting non-sympathetic media groups for tax evasion, and social media outlets may not repost their content. Only unchecked potentially fake content is allowed.”
“There might not be bloodshed, but there is oppression. No one breathes freely anymore, no free word. Printed or spoken.”
“And have you heard about the strikes in other countries like the ones they had here against the multinationals? I’ve heard it’s Roberts’ supporters organising unrest in other countries.”
*
“This can’t last long,” said Elijah.
The mood amongst the Smiths, Kumars, and Lis was very dark. Earlier that day, Roberts’ party had promoted boycotting businesses operated by foreigners or supporters of the left.
“I feel like a hostage,” said Jon. “He’s been saying that the country’s problems result from allowing British blood to be diluted by foreigners, it’s unbelievable.”
There had been an alleged coup attempt in one of the regional governments earlier in the week, and they have supposedly banned the organisation.
“This regime might not last long,” said Jim. “But I’ve got the feeling that its fall will bury us.”
The three couples had met at Jim’s flat to avoid having to talk in hushed whispers in any of the public bars.
“I feel shame more than fear,” said Elijah. “Shame for this country, I thought the European project would rid us of medieval behaviour.”
“The stock market is falling and they are blaming us,” said Jon.
“Lecturers?”
“No, the foreigners and socialists.”
“It’s the government’s own financial reforms.”
“Ha
ve you heard these stories of torture?” asked Jenny.
“Ben’s wife told him that the police had arrested Dr Miller’s second son,” said Jim. “He’s a medical student. They found he was sending emails to an alleged foreign terrorist.”
“Did you see Davis has retired as director general of the corporation and Wilson has left too? They were the only lefties remaining on the board,” said Elijah.
“It doesn’t matter. They haven’t been independent since before they lost their charter. I saw a Roberts’ toy in a toy shop today,” said Jon.
“It’s not just the boycott,” said Elijah. “They are calling for companies to give pay raises for Unity members and to sack for socialists and foreigners. Even the opposition donors are being investigated for tax evasion. It’s all because of that leak of documents on the stretch. They say hackers did it, but the documents seemed selective to me.”
“The Students’ Union is rejecting international students, and those with known socialist inclinations, I heard,” said Jim.
“I heard that some universities have already dismissed lecturers with known socialist sympathies,” said Jon.
*
Annabel awoke with a start.
“Jesus, Annabel, what is it?” asked Jim, reaching for his stretch. “It’s 3 am.”
“Jim, hand in our notice on the apartment.”
“What?”
“I’ve been going over and over it in my head. We need to reduce our outgoings. There’s a chance that one or both of us might lose our jobs, so it’s better that we both start saving now.”
“But where are we going to live?”
“We’ll rent somewhere cheaper, somewhere like we used to rent when we first met.”
“Are you sure? You hated that place.”
“It doesn’t matter. We need to take steps now so we can protect ourselves until this thing blows over. Promise me, you’ll give notice tomorrow.”
“Okay, I promise.”
*
On their way to the maglev station, Jim and Annabel noticed some shops had red, white, and blue stickers in the windows.
Curious, they approached a window and read the sticker.
Recognised enterprise supporters of Unity.
Then they realised that the only shops open were the ones with stickers and that the Unity police were on the streets. An unusual number of drones were flying overhead.
There were boards which read:
Whoever buys from the foreigners and socialists supports the foreign boycott and destroys the economy.
People were pouring onto the streets to look at it all.
*
“What was the point of that boycott on Saturday?” Jim asked Ben when they met in the canteen, which had become their routine, sitting away from the others to discuss the problems of the day. “What’s the point of just one day?”
“It’s only a pause until Wednesday,” said Ben.
“And Roberts was so magnanimous calling it off.”
“It’s a wild turnaround. Roberts has found resistance everywhere. Here, abroad, even from Unity. I think he’s heading for a catastrophe. Even the right wing can’t tolerate this dictatorship much longer.”
“What about these citizens’ assemblies?”
“Filled with Unity members.”
“Did you hear about the arrests? Three of the university heads and another news site editor.”
“It will explode.”
“Yeah, well, let’s hope we don’t get caught in the explosion,” Jim sighed. “You know, I still can’t write anything. Not with all this going on. And Annabel is worse, her health is suffering from all this.”
“The holiday didn’t help?”
“Switzerland? That was almost a year ago. I don’t think it did her any good. Things have been more difficult since then, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen her with so much despair as I do now.”
“A year ago? Huh.”
“I’ve given notice on our flat until July 1st. We’ll share a flat.”
“What about your land?”
“I’ve asked Garcia to fence it in. It cost me almost half our savings.”
“How much would it cost to build your house?”
“We’ve been trying to borrow, but no-one will lend us money now. Not without Unity membership. I don’t think half of the owners of the shops that were open or closed on Saturday hold any strong political opinions, owners that are party members opened, and the rest didn’t.”
“I’ve stopped emailing and texting,” said Ben.
“Me too.”
“And calling, you never know who’s listening.”
“For me, this is worse than when I was in the military,” said Jim. “I feel hatred for a group of people. I never felt that. Not even when I was in the military. At least in the military, I had a set of rules to follow. But now we are subject to some arbitrary power. I’m not sure they are heading for catastrophe. Not soon anyway.”
“I got a message from Martin,” said Ben. “Let go after thirteen years of service, unsure what he’ll live on. He’s moving in with his parents-in-law with his wife and two children. He might get a bit of a pension, but not enough to live on.”
“There are maybe thousands of cases like...” Jim’s stretch distracted him. “Shit!”
“What is it?”
“It’s the local council where our land is. They want us to pay for the drainage. There goes our savings.”
“They say we are all going to get Government bank accounts like in the US.”
“I know. I read the proposals, current and savings accounts. And there’s a promise of a trust fund for every newborn.”
“Doesn’t sound bad.”
“Do you really want them controlling your money as well? They are going to abolish sales and income tax and give a standard 5% savings rate.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound too bad.”
“You are becoming a convert as well.”
“I think if they can do something about inflation, everyone will.”
*
It was a warm evening as Annabel and Jim walked to the local council offices.
“Thank God,” said Jim, putting his stretch in his pocket.
“What is it?” Annabel asked.
“They have published the new rules about who can work at the university. Because I’m a veteran, I’m safe for now. Ben and Elijah are safe too.”
“That’s good.” Annabel breathed a sigh of relief.
“Elijah said that they killed his cousin. Forty-five, a doctor, taken from his office, he died in the hospital.”
Jim realised he was bringing Annabel’s mood down again.
“I ordered the bushes for the land,” he said.
“I saw Jenny yesterday,” said Annabel, ignoring his good news. “She said the nurses in her hospital are fanatical and sing the Unity anthem.”
“I did some writing,” Jim tried to change the subject.
“Have you heard from your sister?”
“No, but...”
“I haven’t heard from my family either. Everyone is afraid to communicate via the stretch in case someone is listening in.”
They fell silent and Jim noticed a busker at the side of the pavement playing a violin with beautiful skill. He wished he had something to give the man and looked into the empty violin case where the man had placed photos of his wife and four children.
“You know they suspended the mayor,” said Annabel, when they reached the local council building
“Shhh.”
They went inside, took a ticket and waited to be called to a big stretch behind a screen of Perspex. They asked for the planning and building works department but the planning and building works department sent them to the finance department where they waited to be called to another big stretch behind a Perspex screen..
When they were called, the man on the screen was wearing a Unity T-shirt and scrutinised Jim’s details after he placed his stretch on the scanner as if it
might be a forgery.
“We have this invoice to pay for installing drainage on our property,” Jim explained, pressing his stretch against the scanner. “We wondered whether it would be possible to pay in instalments.”
The attendant showed no emotion but scrutinised something out of view and tapped on some unseen keyboard..
Jim and Annabel waited with all the patience they could muster. Annabel looked at her stretch.
“Six months without interest,” said the attendant.
“That’s great, thank you,” said Jim, trying to sound as grateful as possible.
“Look at this,” said Annabel, pointing to her stretch as they left the council building. “A lawyer murdered by people in Unity shirts.”
“Let’s not talk about this now.”
“I bet he wasn’t even political,” she persisted. “If you are not a Unity member, you’re a member of the radical left.”
Jim said nothing, trying to discourage her.
“They can fire non-Unity members and replace them with members for no other reason.”
“Well, I’m safe for now. And so are Ben and Elijah.”
Jim felt guilty for feeling a minor disappointment that Ben and Elijah had also escaped the chop. He couldn’t explain the sensation and felt bad. He felt like a condemned man on the gallows with the noose already around his neck. At any moment, the rules could change, and the executioner would kick out the stool from beneath his feet. And that would be that.
When they got home, Moore was making a speech on the big stretch.
“We have the most freedom-loving prime minister that we could have. For at least 100 years there has been no other prime minister who is more freedom-loving,” said Moore.
“It’s ridiculous,” said Annabel. “He owns half the media, it’s the only way they’ll agree to broadcast this shit.”
“No wonder Roberts made him coalition deputy,” said Jim. “What’s he talking about?”
“Taylor’s resignation.”
“Taylor’s resigned? Why?”
“What? Have you been living under a rock?” Annabel examined Jim’s expression to see if he was joking. “You’re serious, aren’t you? Did you not hear about what he said about the terrorist attack? About it being orchestrated by Andersen?”