2035 Revelation

by Freddy Campbell

  They entered through a wide door into a passage that ran straight ahead then turned to the left and right, underground.

  “This is the men’s sleeping quarters.” Jasper said as he turned left and led them along the long passage.

  Light filtered from above through rooflights. He paused outside a room labeled ‘Mizpah’ with their names on a label below. He opened the door. The room had windows out towards a large green field and the meeting place beyond.

  “You should change. Here is your new kit.”

  He gestured to clothing neatly folded on each bed, with a name label placed on each. Mark went over and inspected his new outfit. The code on the breast was different: G1L3E290718 RN052RCC3 (Generation 1; Level 3; Europe; 29 July 2018; Register Number 052; Region C; Community 3).

  “In the cupboard you will find more clothes. It gets cooler at night so you’ll need the jackets,” said Jasper.

  They left their bags in the room then Jasper showed them the showers and washroom down the passage. They went outside and walked back towards the castle. Jasper led them across a bright blue footbridge that reached over the stream. They climbed the far bank and Jasper showed them the village. The women’s quarters were dug into the bank. Jasper explained that the old houses in the village were used by families. Many people who lived in the village before the war, left for the cities. The house on the corner was the medical centre. Jasper said he wanted to introduce them to someone. He opened the door and a woman in a nurse’s dress stood up from a desk.

  “Hi Jazz, are these the new lads?” asked the woman.

  “Mark, Sanjay, Johnson, this is Rachel. She’s from Liverpool.”

  “Heard a good bit about yous,” said Rachel, smiling. Her accent was strong.

  “Rachel, where is Immy? She wanted to meet these guys.”

  “I’ll call her. We’ve got two kids with the mumps.”

  Rachel opened the inner door and called,

  “Ay, Im’, get ‘ere.”

  A pretty woman with blonde hair and bright blue eyes emerged. She was of a similar age as Jasper.

  She came up to them and Mark noticed tears starting to fill her eyes. Without saying anything, she touched each one on the cheek, looked closely at their faces and then held each one in an embrace. When she got to Mark, he could feel her shudder as they hugged. There was something special in her touch. Mark could not say what it was: it was warm and soothing.

  Jasper put his arm across her shoulders. She looked weak at the knees so he helped her to sit down.

  “Immy is my sister,” he said. “You guys are very special to her. Well, you’re special to all of us but her the most. She has waited a long time - half her life - for this moment.”

  Imogen nodded, still unable to speak.

  “You’re making a right mess, petal,” said Rachel, and handed her some tissues.

  Imogen pointed to the bookshelf. Rachel passed a well-used photo album to Jasper.

  Jasper leafed through some pages.

  “Imogen used to work in a Nursery in the city many years ago in the early years of the New Order. She nursed baby boys; lots of them. It was a long time ago, before she came here to help build the camp.”

  He held the book so that Mark could see the page. At the top, it had a large title word: ‘Mark.’ The page was filled with pictures of a young boy.

  “It’s you,” said Imogen in a low voice, wiping her tears.

  Mark looked at her, searching her face, unsure what she meant. There was something about her voice that was familiar to him.

  “I remember a nurse. She used to sing to me in my bed,” said Mark.

  Imogen let out another sob and nodded. She wiped her nose and eyes.

  “That was me,” she said, her voice quavering and faltering. “You only had a number. No name. I asked the Lord to show me what your name was. He told me your name was Mark. I used to sing to you as you went to sleep. I used to pray for you as you slept. I asked the Lord to save you and show you the truth about who you are.”

  “Imogen is the one who kept on insisting, year after year, that we pray for three boys called Sanjay, Johnson and Mark,” said Jasper.

  He turned back a page and showed it to the three of them: the page on one side was entitled ‘Sanjay’ and on the other, ‘Johnson.’ He handed the book to them so that they could study the images.

  Imogen said that she learnt their names the same way but she was faced with a dilemma.

  “I felt I could not pray for all the boys to a deep level so I asked the Lord to show me which boys he wanted me to focus most of my prayers on,” continued Imogen.

  Sanjay, Johnson and Mark had not seen photographs of themselves before. The clothes they were wearing in the images started to bring memories flooding back. They sat down speechless, struggling to take in the news.

  “I can hardly put in words how much joy it gives me to know that the Lord heard our prayers. And now you are here,” said Imogen as she sat with them.

  “You’re a right trooper, Im’ petal,” added Rachel, touching her arm.

  Sanjay, Johnson and Mark all sat motionless. It started to dawn on each of them: they had been so lonely and abandoned for so many years; they had not known human care and love; they had been like orphans in a harsh place, like prisoners held captive. The truth of what they had been through came to them.

  They started to weep quietly.

  Rachel, Jasper and Imogen sat with them and held them.

  Sanjay, Johnson and Mark wept from the depth of their hearts.

  Mark felt a range of emotion: aching pain because of the rejection and harsh treatment; relief that those years were over; sadness at the years that were lost; mourning for what could have been.

  Eventually the tears eased and the burden lifted.

  The small device in Jasper’s pocket came to life.

  “It’s time we went for lunch in the team dining room, in the castle,” said Jasper gently. “Let’s go up there.”

  “I’ll stay here just in case,” said Rachel. “I’ll see yous later.”

  They got up and ambled back across the blue bridge and up to the castle.

  Imogen told them about her excitement when the news came through that three men called Sanjay, Johnson and Mark had joined the church in New Birmingham. She had waited to see images of them although she knew in her heart that it was them. She had leapt for joy when she had seen their faces on the screen.

  They went through a courtyard on the South side and into a less formal dining room. They went up to the counter to choose their food. Jasper introduced them to the team on catering.

  They sat at a large table. They were joined by Jonathan and Helena. Stevie and another man came in and took their places.

  Jasper said to them, “this is Pete, he is going to be your guide with Stevie. They will make sure you find your way around for the next week or so.”

  “Our rooms are close to yours,” said Pete, “we will keep you right. If there is an E. Vac, we will lead you.”

  “E. Vac stands for Emergency Evacuation,” said Jasper. “If we come under attack, we will disperse in different directions. Don’t worry about it for a second. We will take care of everything.”

  “How was it for you meeting our nurse?” asked Helena, gesturing towards Imogen with a smile.

  They described what had happened in the medical centre.

  “It’s still sinking in,” said Johnson. “It seems incredible. Yesterday, I had no connection with those early years. It’s a bit like finding family I never knew I had. I feel like crying really helped. I needed to let out those emotions which have been bottled up for so many years.”

  “The first time Imogen hugged me, I felt something. I can’t explain it,” added Mark. “It was the first time a woman has hugged me since I was five.”

  “Do you feel like you received some healing?” asked Helena.

  Sanjay, Johnson and Mark all nodded.

  Helena got up and gave each one a hug.
r />   They wiped the new tears that ran down their cheeks.

  “Tell us more about the Nursery,” asked Sanjay, turning to Imogen.

  Imogen described the set up there. She explained that the nurses were trained not to develop any personal attachment to the children. She said she knew in her heart that she could not do that. She asked the Lord to show her ways to love the children without it being picked up by the surveillance cameras. She used to touch them and hold them as often as she could. She would whisper to them. She would pat their little bottoms. She would whisper words of scripture to them. She often used to take night shifts so that she had time alone in the ward when she could hold them and sing to them and pray over them. Sanjay had been the first child she had felt the Lord prompt her to pray for. Johnson arrived three months later and Mark followed the next quarter. She worked in the Nursery for four years before the boys were moved on to the school complex. She then felt the Lord direct her to come North after that.

  “I never forgot about you,” she added. “I held onto the hope that the Lord heard our prayers.”

  They finished lunch and Mark felt revived.

  Jasper suggested they go to the Communications Centre. They met the team who were based there. Jasper asked the three if they wanted to find out about their records.

  “We can access your files and if you want to find out who your parents are, we can do that.”

  Mark looked at the other two.

  “What do you think?” he asked uncertainly.

  Johnson was the first to make a decision.

  “Yes, can I do that?” he said.

  They sat him down at one of the screens. Mark and Sanjay stood behind him. One of the team typed in his code number and up came his file. He was born on April 19th in the year 2017.

  “Hey, look,” said Imogen, “today is your birthday! Happy birthday, Johnson.”

  “How old am I?” asked Johnson, staring at the screen wide-eyed.

  “You are eighteen today!” said Jasper.

  They scrolled down to find details about his parents. Both had numbers and profile images.

  “Let’s print these off for you.” Jasper handed him the images.

  Sanjay went next at another terminal. He learnt that he was born on January 21st 2017. He was eighteen.

  Mark sat at a terminal. He discovered that he was born on July 29th 2017. He was seventeen. He studied the faces of his parents on the print out sheets. He felt that he had a strong look of his father.

  “Your parents have probably never seen you,” explained Jasper. “They take sperm from healthy males and insert them into females chosen for good genetic combination. Your parents probably never even met. They tell them nothing. They do not get to see their children.”

  “It says here they are in units in New Birmingham,” said Mark.

  “That’s right,” said Jasper, “but there are over 12 million people in that megacity. You might have walked right past your father two weeks ago and he might have not even noticed you. Remember, everyone is drugged. Their perception is reduced.”

  “What are they doing now, do you think?” asked Mark.

  “I don’t know but we could see, if you want to,” replied Jasper.

  Jasper showed Mark how he could type in his father’s code number and up came a surveillance screen, like the one he was used to. He saw a room of figures packing crates in a warehouse. There was one figure dressed as a Supervisor who was flagged. Mark zoomed in. He watched intently. He gently touched the screen, like he was stroking the figure.

  Mark typed in his mother’s code. He had never seen a unit of women at work before. They had only been permitted to view other male units. The scene that came up was a laundry very similar to the one he had worked in. The slender figure that was flagged was another Supervisor. She was checking the women working at the lines of washing machines. He watched her every move for a long while. What did her voice sound like, he wondered.

  “Guys, it’s time to break for tea.” There was something very soothing to Mark about Imogen’s voice. It helped with the sense of sadness he felt after seeing his parents.

  Mark looked up. Imogen and Jasper had stood back and left them to stare at the screens. Mark did not know how much time had passed. They had been engrossed.

  “You can come back here tomorrow,” reassured Jasper with a smile.

  Imogen and Jasper led them to the canteen where many of the camp had gathered for drinks and snacks.

  “After tea break most days, we play games before getting ready for supper,” explained Jasper. “We would like to teach you to play too.”

  They met some of the other men who had rooms in their sleeping quarters. Between there and the huts around the meeting place, there was a wide area of grass. Men and women and some children were kicking a ball.

  “This game is called football,” called Jasper as he led them over to join in. “It has been played in this country for centuries. There are two teams. You try to move the ball into the opposition’s territory. You score a goal by kicking it into that net over there.” He pointed. “You are not allowed to handle the ball unless you are the goalkeeper. You can use your forehead and chest. Come and have a go.”

  Sanjay, Johnson and Mark stood by and watched with interest at the players running, passing and tackling. One team had blue bibs, the other red.

  “I seem to remember that we played with a ball when we were in the Nursery,” said Mark.

  The red team had fewer players and called to them to join their team. Pete handed them red bibs and they tentatively walked onto the pitch. The ball passed across to a boy who came running towards Mark and dodged past him. He turned and watched Stevie run alongside and kick the ball over the sideline. They retreated to help defend the throw-in. A loose ball came to Sanjay and he swung his leg, sending the ball up the field. He laughed.

  “This is great,” he said with a wide grin.

  Pete beckoned to Mark to move forward. The ball came to him and he carefully controlled it then sent it in a wide arc to a player on the left side.

  “Lovely pass,” called Jasper.

  It was strange to them to use their bodies in this way but the more they played, the more they grasped: balance, understanding, ability. There were some air shots, when they misjudged the speed and bounce of the ball, but the shouts of encouragement from the others spurred them on to keep trying.

  Mark was struck by a sudden thought. There was something familiar about this moment. He could not place it and carried on playing. He had seen this before.

  Eventually, a whistle blew and the blue team celebrated a 5-3 win. They all gathered and shook hands.

  Mark was breathing heavily and sweating.

  “That was so much more fun than any of the exercise sessions back in the unit,” he said.

  The others agreed.

  They went with Pete and Stevie back to the men’s quarters for showers and to change. They found the clothes in their room fitted well. They sat on their beds and traded memories of the day.

  “Could you believe that castle?” said Sanjay.

  “I had no idea old buildings like that still existed. This is quite a place, like Sebastian and the others said.” added Mark.

  “Everyone is so friendly here, it’s like at church back in the city,” said Johnson, “but with fresh air. I wonder what Sebastian is up to now. It might be pretty quiet on the ward for Michael. I hope we’ll see them again before long.”

  Stevie and Pete arrived and they headed in the direction of the canteen. The light was fading in the Western sky. The birds had retreated yet Mark could still hear one calling in the woods.

  They found a table. Jasper and Imogen came and joined them, as did Helena, Jonathan and Rachel. They ate a healthy supper. The game had given them an appetite.

  Jasper explained that they had learnt to play games when they were at school, as all children did back then.

  “Before the War, football was huge in just about every country in t
he world. The best footballers were famous and were paid enormous sums of money. People used to be passionate about following a team. There were so many arguments about which teams were the best. There was a special group of 20 top teams in England. Every year they would all play each other and the team at the top, at the end of the season, would receive a big cup.

  “My dad supported Everton,” said Rachel in her accent, “but some of me family supported Liverpool. It was right friendly like.”

  Jasper grinned at her.

  He continued, “Every four years, there was a competition between the best countries for the World Cup. Even at school, we had teams, and we used to play other schools.”

  “Girls played games as well,” said Imogen. “We played games like netball and hockey. If you come over to the women’s side, we can show you.”

  “We play footie too,” chipped in Rachel, “when we’re in the mood but.”

  “There’s so much to show you!” said Jasper.

  Suddenly, Mark put his hand to his head. They turned to look at him. “There was a moment in the match when I thought ‘this looks familiar’. Now I remember: a few nights ago I had a dream - there were people running on grass, playing a game I did not understand. The moment in the match was the same as the moment in the dream!”

  “That is called deja vu, which means ‘already seen’,” said Imogen. “There have been times when God gave me a dream as a preview of what I was going to witness. I think it’s a way he confirms to us that we are in His will.”

  “That’s right,” said Jasper, “God showed me this camp in dreams long before the first people came here.”

  Jonathan and Helena nodded.

  “You said people were paid money to play football, “said Sanjay thoughtfully. “What is money?”

  “Good question,” answered Jonathan. “We’ll try and explain it tomorrow. But now let’s talk about tonight.”

  They discussed what they might be willing to talk about at the meeting.

  “They will love anything you share,” said Imogen encouragingly.

  They had finished eating and they cleared their table. Pete and Stevie went to check on preparations for the meeting while the rest loitered among the sofas next to the dining area. The light was fading and the evening sky was suffused with a deep dark blue overhead. The trees stood as tall silhouettes against a swathe of light green from the last of the sunlight. Mark could not remember ever being under a clear sky at the end of the day.