The Hunger Rebellion

by G F Cusack

  The other leaders had been rumbling about resistance for some time, while she had felt safe so had seen no reason to take on extra risk.

  It was now obvious to her that the only way to increase her odds of survival was to wholeheartedly join the rebellion.

  16

  Weathering the downpour

  30 August 2202

  Pepper decided that they needed to head for the woods to seek some kind of shelter from the constant rain.

  He was wary of the dangers that can lurk in the dark but his main concern was the health of his young charge. Flo could hardly walk, had developed a fever and was becoming delirious.

  Although he was soaked to the bone, he was in a much better shape than her. She needed to be supported so much that he was almost carrying her. As they reached the edge of the trees, he noticed movement and drew the pistol from his waistband.

  His soaked gloves offered little comfort. His hand was shaking a bit in the freezing rain but he made a conscious effort to keep it steady as he scanned the area. Years of practice and training meant that his gun hand mirrored the movement of his head.

  Out of the woods emerged two figures, one holding a shotgun and the other a rifle.

  “Stop where you are, drop the gun and put your hands in the air,” the taller one shouted.

  In a more controlled environment, Pepper might have attempted to shoot both of the men at the same time. Here, weighed down by Flo and with the rain in his eyes, he couldn’t guarantee taking out either of them.

  That they had not fired immediately was a good sign that he might be able to reason with these people. In the back of his mind was the hope that neither Flo nor he would be injured or killed.

  Placing his gun slowly back into his waistband, Pepper raised his right hand while keeping his left arm around Flo for support.

  “Where are you going? What do you want around here?” the taller man asked.

  “I am escorting this young woman home. She comes from around here.” He had decided that his best option was to present Flo in the hope that somebody around here would recognise her and avoid further confrontations. “Who are you guys?”

  “I’m Neville and this is Ryan. Where is she from?” The smaller man spoke now, keeping his shotgun aimed firmly at Pepper’s head. Ryan didn’t seem impressed about his name being given to a total stranger.

  “She is from a place called Pandora. Do you know it?” Pepper asked.

  This information seemed to stir Ryan’s interest. “What do you know of Pandora?”

  “She said it’s a farm and that she’s lived there for several years.”

  “Show me her face,” commanded Ryan. “Take off her hood so I can see her face.”

  Clumsily Pepper took down Flo’s hood while attempting to keep her body supported against him.

  When Ryan examined her pale face, Pepper noticed his eyes light up in apparent recognition. “Where did you find this girl?”

  “It's a long story but basically, I rescued her from somewhere during an attack by Company soldiers.”

  “Did they follow you?” Ryan had concern in his voice.

  “This happened well over a week ago. We’ve come a long way since then and she needs medical attention!” Pepper shouted.

  Ryan hesitated, like he didn't really trust Pepper, but he seemed to understand the urgency of the situation.

  “The Farm is on the other side of these woods. We’ll take you there – if you hand over your weapons first.”

  Pepper slowly removed the pistol from his waistband. Holding it by the barrel, he extended his right arm towards the men. Both men kept their guns trained on Pepper, while Neville took the pistol and stashed it in his own waistband.

  “Okay, walk in front of us, no funny stuff,” Ryan said and then turned to Neville. “You keep your eyes on this guy, don’t take your gun off of him.” He then took the smaller backpack off Flo’s shoulders to make it easier for her to move.

  Pepper didn’t know much about this guy but it was clear that Ryan was in charge. Although his first impressions were positive, his main concern was not to make Flo’s situation any worse.

  Once they were under the cover of the trees, Ryan took a small radio from his pocket and spoke into it. “Hello Eagle’s nest, hello Eagle’s nest, this is Patrol one, over.”

  A crackled voice came over the radio. “Hello Patrol one, this is Eagle’s nest, over.”

  “Eagle’s nest, this is Patrol one. We have encountered a male subject accompanied by what seems to be the young female Florence, over.”

  “Say again, you have encountered a male subject and he is accompanied by Florence, over?” The voice on the radio seemed surprised.

  “That is correct. I am referring to Florence the Farm’s daughter. She is suffering from what seems to be hypothermia and we need to get her medical assistance as fast as possible, over. “

  “Hello Patrol one, this is Eagle’s nest. Get her to the edge of the woods and a vehicle will meet you there, over.”

  “Patrol one, message received and understood, out to you.”

  “Hello, Patrol five and Patrol two. Please confirm you will cover Patrol one’s arc until told otherwise over.”

  “Patrol five, will do, over.”

  “Patrol two, will do, over.”

  After ten minutes of almost dragging Flo through the woods, they emerged into a clearing. Pepper could see fields of crops and a group of buildings in the distance. Speeding towards them was a flatbed truck.

  Pepper was surprised that the Farm actually existed and even more surprised at the size of the operation. Perhaps he was indeed going to get a large reward for returning the girl home.

  Almost as soon as the vehicle stopped, a young bald man jumped out of the vehicle and rushed towards the group. Initially Pepper thought this guy was going to attack him. Although he wasn't as tall as Pepper, he was definitely agile and muscly. Yet he needn’t have worried as the new arrival’s sole focus was on Flo.

  Reaching Flo, he unceremoniously nudged Pepper out of the way and encompassed her in a bear hug. “Are you okay, are you okay? It’s me, Eric.”

  “Yes,” she murmured feebly.

  Pepper noted that he’d been correct about the strength of this Eric. He lifted up Flo like a baby and carried her effortlessly to the truck.

  As Eric was positioning Flo softly in the back seat of the truck, Ryan relieved Pepper of his backpack and tied his hands behind his back. Ryan then motioned for him to get into the back of the truck, assisting him in his newly restrained state.

  Ryan and Neville then mounted the truck while keeping their weapons trained on Pepper and the vehicle sped off towards the buildings.

  It was around 6pm and, as they reached the main building, a group of people were already waiting outside on a deck. Over the deck was a pitched roof, which was providing cover from the still heavy rain.

  As soon as they stopped, Eric exited the vehicle, cradling Flo, and carried her into the building.

  Pepper could see smoke coming out of the chimney and hoped that, whatever came next, he would at least be able to dry off and get warm.

  One woman stood out from the group – an elderly woman with a check shirt, long grey hair, and creased skin that Pepper assumed she’d accrued from years of working outside.

  The woman motioned for Pepper to be brought to her. Ryan and Neville helped him out the truck and took him over, his hands still tied behind his back. Neville emptied the two backpacks onto the deck alongside the pistol.

  “So who do we have here? Who do we have to thank for bringing our Florence home?” the woman said.

  Pepper was unsure how they were viewing him but, as far as he was concerned, he was a hero returning the prodigal daughter. He decided that was the role he’d play.

  “My name’s Pepper and I rescued this girl from certain death. I escorted her here because she said I would receive a reward if I did so. Who are you?”

  “My name’s Kath and I’m Florence’s
mother,” she said as she looked Pepper up and down, as if assessing whether what he said seemed true.

  Florence wasn’t well enough to question yet and so Kath had to use her intuition. Surveying the contents of the upturned packs on the dry deck, she noted the main pack had contained two pistols and silencers – the preferred weapons of the rebels – a knife and several other survival stores. The second pack had also contained a knife.

  “When we encountered them, Florence was carrying the smaller pack and this guy had the larger bag,” Ryan said.

  Kath immediately noted that Florence had also been allowed to carry a knife. Although she doubted that even in full health Florence would have been able to overpower someone of Pepper’s size, allowing her a knife did show some element of trust existed between the two.

  “Okay, instead of us all staying out in the rain, let’s take this inside,” Kath said. “Untie his hands, put his things back in the packs and take them to the store room. Mr Pepper, you can have your guns and equipment back once we have corroborated your story.”

  Looking at Pepper’s sodden figure, she added, “For now, let's get you out of those wet clothes before you catch pneumonia. If you are truly the hero bringing home our Florence, the least we can do is offer you some hospitality.”

  Pepper didn’t hesitate to walk into the building. He was presented with the sight of a blazing open fire. Flo was lying on a cot in front of the fire, her wet clothes now removed and dry, warm blankets swaddling her.

  Kath had called for some towels and a set of large, warm clothes for Pepper. Never one for embarrassment, as soon as the pile of clothing and towels arrived he began to strip off his garments.

  At the sight of the triangle branded on Pepper’s left shoulder, Eric's facial expression changed. He was no longer the caring nurse, tending to Florence. It was like someone had flicked a switch that turned him into a wild animal. Eric started to advance on Pepper.

  Seeing this, Kath quickly put a hand up and shouted, “Stop!” Eric faltered momentarily. Quickly Kath said to Pepper, “I see you bear the brand of the Company. It’s not very clever coming here under cover with a brand on your shoulder.”

  Eric looked ready to pounce at any moment so Pepper chose his words carefully. “Yes, once upon a time I worked for the Company as a soldier in its army, but we parted ways. We had a difference of opinion.”

  Kath noted that, as well as the triangle brand on his shoulder, he had a badly scarred back. The roughly healed strips of skin showed the kind of injury inflicted by the public floggings that she had seen the Company inflict over the years. “So you are a deserter?”

  “As I said, we parted ways through a difference of opinion. That was several years ago and I get the feeling that they have not forgiven and forgotten.”

  Kath decided that this was not the time to delve too deeply into this in front of the gathering crowd. He seemed genuine and apparently felt he had little to hide given that he had brought Florence here and immediately revealed the brand by taking off his shirt.

  She did, however, have one important question “If you are no longer with the Company, why do you keep their mark? Surely it would make sense to remove their brand, for your own safety?”

  Pepper contemplated a moment before his next words. “The brand could never be removed fully and having a partially removed brand would be even more suspicious than keeping the full mark.” After pausing again for that point to sink in, he added, “There have been times when the brand has come in handy, when it has been useful to play the part of a Company man.”

  Once Pepper had changed into dry clothes, he was guided to a long table where he was given a bowl of thick vegetable soup. He devoured it quickly.

  Taking into account his size, Kath motioned for a second bowl, which he devoured almost as quickly.

  “So this is what we are going to do,” Kath stated. “Until Florence is better and can fully substantiate your story, you will remain secure in one of the rooms. You are not a prisoner. However, you will not be given any weapons and your movements will be restricted until we are more confident about who you are.”

  Pepper reflected on his current situation. He had been given dry, warm clothes and food. It seemed that these people were just taking normal precautions and, if he had been in danger, he doubted he would still be alive.

  Kath said, “I am sure you have had a weary journey, so I would ask that you take this opportunity to rest. Your room will be locked and a guard will be posted outside your room.”

  Considering the way that Eric was still looking at him, Pepper wondered if the guard was for the Farm’s safety or his own.

  “We will keep your possessions safe and talk more tomorrow.”

  When she raised a hand, two armed men escorted him to a room on the same level as the common room. The window was barred – although it seemed more like a storage room than a cell – and it was furnished with a freshly made bed.

  After nights of broken sleep while protecting Flo on the road, he was due a good night’s sleep. He was grateful for the bed and, even though it was still early, he fell asleep, almost as soon as he rested his head on the pillow.

  Although Kath had been desperate to hold Florence in her arms, her first duty had been to assess the new visitor. Now she could give her daughter her full attention. Eric had already spoon-fed Florence some warm soup and she was covered by dry, warm bedding. But she was still shivering and had a fever. Kath applied wet cloths to her forehead, in an effort to bring down the temperature.

  Unsure how sick Florence was, Kath had a roster drawn up so that somebody would be watching her during the night. In reality, though, Kath knew that Eric wouldn’t leave her side all night.

  17

  The aging ceremony

  31 August 2202

  This was not the first aging ceremony that Zap had attended. His stepfather had not been classed as an elite but, for some reason, he and Zap had always sat in exclusive seats. Since his stepfather’s death, Zap had inherited this privilege but rarely used it as he preferred to mix with the warriors.

  The wall of the stadium has been designed with a dual purpose. As well as being part of the stadium’s external structure, it formed part of the stands and seating that gave a view of activities staged outside of the stadium. The elite and the Company officials overseeing the ceremony sat up there. They were both physically above the proceedings and immune to the compulsory age limit for liquidation.

  Huge crowds had congregated in front of the stadium to witness the roll call of the chosen. They stretched far into the distance.

  Standing at the lectern, the announcer read out today’s long list of the condemned for this month. For as long as Zap could remember, these ceremonies had preceded a fighting event.

  At the end of the aging ceremony, people who had reached forty-five years of age were euthanised and fed to the gel plants. The Company deemed it merciful to allow their loved ones to attend and say one last goodbye.

  Although this public ceremony was presented as part of the survival process, it was starting to stoke resentment in the masses. They saw the privileged overindulging in luxuries, while they were forced to sacrifice their own families to be processed for food.

  It was an emotional time for those saying farewell. The barcode tattoos that all Sanctuary inhabitants were given at birth contained their personal information, including the day of that birth. This ensured that the Company never forgot anyone’s forty-fifth birthday.

  The barcodes were compulsory for anyone wishing to receive their gel rations as they were scanned at the distribution points. The Company had used this branding for so long that no one could remember being without a barcode; most people were identified by their surname and the last three digits of their barcode.

  Some people would always try to avoid the ceremony but the Company took precautions.

  Tattoo removal wasn’t recommended because if a Company patrol caught anyone without a code, it meant an instant journey to t
he gel plants.

  If you failed to show up for your ceremony, the Company retribution was swift. Two of your family members were chosen at random and immediately processed at the gel plants.

  After killing your family members, the Company still pursued you. If you managed to continue to evade pursuit, each year for the next five years it took another member of your family to the plants. Family units weren’t very big among the masses so removing five people left a huge hole in most families.

  The result was that, although very few people relished ending their lives at forty-five years of age, most showed up for their ceremony to spare the rest of their family.

  The age of forty-five had initially been set to allow Company soldiers to retire at thirty-eight with seven years of freedom left to enjoy. Lowering the age to forty-four, supposedly due to food shortages, was not popular as the masses believed that there was enough food for everyone, if the privileged weren’t so damn greedy and wasteful.

  Today’s graduates for the ceremony stood near the front of the large crowd. They could move forward easily as no one else wanted to be inadvertently swept up into the waiting trucks.

  Lots of people were crying. Before each block of names was announced over the speakers, the announcer proclaimed, “We would like to thank all of you for your contribution to our society. You are giving the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live.”

  The message offered little comfort to children losing their parents or to others losing siblings.

  As always on these occasions, the elites were dressed in their finery. It was late in the year so their wardrobes consisted of large coats, beautifully woven gloves for the ladies and fur hats for the particularly privileged.

  From an early age, everyone was taught about the origins of the gel plants. After the Water Wars, the plants had emerged as a sustainable way for people to survive in a planet starved of resources.

  Zap couldn’t understand why resources were abundant in the Sanctuary, yet the poor had such a shortage of food. The average member of the elite consumed over one hundred times more resources than any of the workers or servants within the Sanctuary. This made no sense. Why was there such disparity between the two classes?