Crusade Against the Aged

CRUSADE AGAINST THE AGED

It was pissing down when I ventured into the herb garden for my chives. Pissing down and dark, as if the sky couldn’t get any darker when facing the Sun. But it could. To the West I saw them, approaching menacingly. They had found us. Wave after wave of Enforcer Aircraft, blackening the sky within seconds. I ran for my shelter, dug into the ground on the first day I had arrived on the island. Through the tiny slither I had fashioned as a lookout, I could see the carnage unfolding in front of me. Island inhabitants being murdered by The Enforcers. Just being gunned down where they stood, or in the back as they tried to escape. Dressed all in black from head to toe and faces behind disguising helmets. It was difficult to ascertain if the murderers were Human or Droids. They must be Droids, there were hundreds of them. There couldn’t be that many Humans in one place that could kill so happily.

I pleaded for Eric, my friend of fifty five years, who accompanied me to the island twelve months ago. He was the only person that knew of my bunker.

My eyes pierced the reality in front of me, watching my people falling, four by four.

‘Albert, Albert, are you there?’

The sound of Eric entering the bunker behind me was no more than relief. I turned to see him in a bloody state. It was amazing he could talk as half his face was missing.

‘It’s over Albert, its finished.’

I wanted to tell Eric it wasn’t true, to never give in, but we both knew it was. I cradled his head in my arms, and struggled to think of something to say, but I didn’t need to, as Eric spoke first.

‘My locket. Take my locket,’ he whispered. He motioned his head to his breast pocket. ‘It’s me and Brenda. You know I wanted to be laid to rest with her? Take this locket somewhere, somewhere that it cannot be destroyed. So, in this locket we may be together forever.’

“What utter bollocks,” I thought. How could I do that? Where would I do that? Even assuming I could survive this attack, here alone, how could I get off the island?

‘Of course I will,’ I reassured Eric. ‘I will not let you down.’

For about the hundredth time I saw someone die, but this time it was the person closest to me. I lay his head down gently, and tried to close his eyelids with my fingers, and only succeeded in jabbing his widened peepers. I abandoned the idea, and looked again through my sliver. The Enforcers were surveying the bodies strewn all around and were congratulating themselves on a mission accomplished. Killing the over 60’s trying to cheat Government execution, for having the audacity to still be alive after a lifetime of work. Climate change and the strain on the planet was laid at the feet of the elderly, and all Governments agreed on a 60 year life span. That was your lot. On your 60th Birthday, a Government Enforcer would visit, and administer a lethal injection. Nice, simple and clean. I, like many others were not prepared to accept this. For a fee, we were smuggled somewhere secret. To start a new life, a life of enlightenment. And here I was. The only man alive, on an island I didn’t know, watching Enforcers depart as quickly as they arrived.

The next few days were as depressing as the incessant rain. I walked all around the Island, hoping to get a bearing of where on Earth I could be. As I looked out, visibility was probably a few hundred yards. If I was to escape this island I would probably have to wait until Summer. But where would I escape to? I had a mission of course, to place Eric’s locket. Nowhere on this island would do, it would just rot in the moss. I fell to my knees as I decided that my reason to live was to place the locket to rest. Eric and Brenda. If I could do that, I could lay myself to rest, and give myself up to Enforcers. The moment I had made that decision was when I heard it.

I clambered the windswept crest to see Steve’s small boat bringing four new arrivals. I saw their expressions change from hope to confusion as I approached them, shaking my noggin.

‘Problem?’ Steve asked.

‘You could call it that. Enforcers here a couple of days ago. See.’ I pointed at the stinking grey bodies further up the beach. ‘I wouldn’t settle here,’ I told the newbs.

‘Shit,’ Steve said as he contemplated his next move.

‘Take me somewhere,’ I gently pleaded.

‘Where?’

‘Anywhere Steve. Away from here.’

Steve looked at the newbies. ‘What are you going to do?’

They looked at each other and decided to stay. I told them where they could find my bunker, and of the agriculture we had on the go. I did not fancy their chances. The Enforcers were sure to be back.

I gingerly stepped into Steve’s boat as he fired up the outboard motor.

‘Where are we Steve?’

He laughed, ‘yea. I suppose it doesn’t matter now. Off the coast of Scotland.’

I nodded my appreciation. It felt like it. ‘I think I’m going to give up Steve. This life isn’t for me. Running away, constantly looking over my shoulder.’

‘Fff,’ Steve agreed. ‘I’m fifty-four you know? It all feels futile.’

‘Just take me wherever is easiest, I’ll just give myself up. I wanted to do one last thing, but….’

‘But what?’

‘I have this locket. A picture of my mate Eric and his wife Brenda are inside. He wanted me to bury it somewhere. Somewhere safe from the elements, so that inside they will be together for ever. I don’t know what to do with it, I guess I’ll lob it over.’ As I made to toss it Steve’s shout jolted me.

‘No!’

‘You got an idea?’

‘Maybe,’ he smiled.

I smiled back and tried to steady myself on the sides of the small boat, it was all I could do to not puke up what little I had in my stomach.

When we reached the mainland Steve offered me a ride in his 4x4.

‘Is this a Lamborghini?’ I asked knowing that it was. ‘Lucky bugger!’

‘I can’t take it with me, you coming?’

‘Absolutely.’ I clambered into the luxury not knowing my destination.

‘I have an idea. Where to put the locket,’ Steve announced.

‘Where?’

‘Wait and see,’ Steve giggled as we sped off.

Over the next two days we drove south, back to my home county of Kent, although I didn’t know it until we got there. There being the Biggin Hill Airfield. My gob was smacked as Steve nonchalantly drove around the airfield hugging the inside of the perimeter fence. He stopped the car near to a hanger and he beckoned me inside.

‘How is she doing Nib? Ready to fly?’ Steve asked an oily overalled guy.

‘No, I’ll need an hour.’

‘Good, we can have have a bit of grub, Albert.’

As we ate cheese and onion sandwiches Steve answered all my questions.

‘Of course it’s my plane!’

‘I make quite a bit, trafficking and smuggling.’

‘No, no wife, no kids.’

‘Yeah, they are all on the payroll.’

‘The black economy is all about bartering. Goods, chattels, services. You can abolish cash but not shadiness.’

I was astonished at all of Steve’s revelations, but not as astonished at his apparent skill of swallowing, breathing, chewing and speaking simultaneously.

‘It’s ready,’ came the call from the oily guy.

‘I’m ready. Are you?’

‘I don’t know,’ I confessed. ‘Where are we going?’

‘To fulfil Eric’s wishes. Come on.’ I followed Steve where we got changed into flight suits and were soon in the cockpit of his small angular plane.’

As we sliced into the sky above South East England I couldn’t resist telling Steve, ‘I can see my house from up here.’ Looking through the glass of the cockpit I tried and failed to ascertain our position. ‘Can’t we go any higher?’ I asked

‘No?’

‘They’ll see us.’

‘Who will?’

‘Radar.’

‘And?’

‘And they will ask questions, like who is onboard? Would you like me to fly higher?’

‘Er, no,’ I told him sheepishly. Between restless sleep I would look over the glass hoping to see some landmark of recognition, but all I saw was the sea, a mere 200 feet below us. Eventually Steve ordered me to buckle up for landing, unneeded as I had been buckled up the whole time. ‘Are we here, is this it?’ I asked upon coming to a halt.

‘Pit Stop.’

As the cockpit glass lifted a face infiltrated our personal space. ‘Steve you dickhead!’ It said.

‘Nice to see you too, Damo.’

‘You clean?’

Steve motioned to me, indicating that he wasn’t.

‘Didn’t you see the memo?’

‘No! What’s up?’

‘What is the point of being a member of a co operative, if you don’t read the memos?’

‘What is UP?’

‘Extra curricular activities have been suspended U.T.F.’

‘Why?’

‘We think we may have been infiltrated, suspicious goings on. What you doing here?’

‘Just a refill.’

‘You and matey better stay put, we’ll get you re fuelled and get out of here.’

‘I need a piss,’ I protested. The face disappeared and returned moments later with an empty bottle of Oasis.’

‘Classy,’ was the only comment to pass my lips.

Within thirty minutes we were back up into the big black.

‘I know where we are, that was Gibraltar wasn’t it?’

‘Well, it isn’t hard to spot is it?’ Steve said.

We were airborne for six minutes when the radio crackled. ‘Eqinoxal Bandidoes'

‘Balls!’ Steve shouted

‘What does that mean?’

‘It means someone left the airport just after we did, we are being followed.’

‘What you going to do?’

‘Nothing, play it cool.’

We flew for I don’t know how long, with something on our tail, until dawn broke when it flew alongside. Again the radio came to life. ‘International Enforcer vehicle Ten Ten. I order you to land your craft.’

Steve laughed at I didn’t know what then replied, ‘Where? We are out to sea.’

‘You have been accepted to land at Benghazi airport, plot a course.’

‘Nah,’

‘If you do not, I will shoot you from the sky.’

Steve said nothing, but the aircraft lurched down and right, toward the enforcer and under it.

‘Wahoo!’ Steve shouted, ‘It is ON!’

‘Have you got weapons, Steve? I asked anxiously.

‘No, we have manoeuvres.’

With that remark I was upside down and inside out. My cheese and onion sandwich was going to make a re appearance if this carried on. My head was being buffeted about inside my helmet, and I gave up trying to speak. This continued for I couldn’t tell you how long but it felt like hours. I could hear what I thought were shots being fired, then…then nothing. I blacked out.

When I awoke I was still in the cockpit seat 800 hundred feet in the air. I didn’t appear to be in the plane anymore. I could see Steve’s ejected seat a little in front and below me. ‘Brilliant,’ was my sarcastic comment. Then the shots flew past my ear from the circling enforcer aircraft. ‘Double brilliant,’ My sarcasm was on fire today. I looked down as my parachute opened to what appeared to be…a huge pyramid. I landed hard on the stone around half way up. I managed to stop falling, and as soon as I was composed and balanced, I noticed enforcers, like ants swarming the structure below. To my joy, I noticed a hole, a star shaft. I dropped the locket into it, then followed Eric and Brenda into the darkness.