Dystopia

by Jason Chapman

  Mayflower glared at him. ‘This is no time to complain about cutbacks General. What I want to know is are the streets of this country going to be safe to walk in the coming days.’

  The general shrugged. ‘Only time will tell ma’am.’

  Mayflower cupped her hands over her face.

  ‘Ma’am we are doing everything in our power to find Dystopia. We will bring them to justice.’ Edwin Fuller reassured her.

  ‘At the moment Edwin it doesn’t look like we’re winning. Our country stands on a cliff edge and there’s nothing we can do.’

  ‘You are right about that Prime Minister.’ A voice echoed around the briefing room causing everyone to look towards a large smart TV mounted on the wall. A picture of a figure in a hoody displayed on the screen.

  ‘What the hell is this?’ Baldwin said loudly gesturing towards the smart TV.

  ‘This Mr Baldwin is a warning to you all. You are powerless to stop Dystopia. We have hacked all your networks and are aware that you are tracking us. We have been playing games with your security forces creating shadows and red herrings ’

  ‘So what, you’re not Russian?’

  ‘That is correct.’

  ‘You think by creating false shadows you can slow us down. I promise you we will track you down and you will be staring at the inside of a jail cell for a long time. We have our best security services tracking you down. You can’t stay hidden forever. Our best Analysts at GCHQ are closing in on your position. ’ Mayflower stated.

  ‘You still refuse to acknowledge the power that Dystopia possess. Very well, if that is the case we will blind you. As from now, GCHQ is under our control. From now on, they will not be able to communicate with the outside world because we have just locked down all their systems. GCHQ now belongs to Dystopia. If any other security agency attempts to gain control of GCHQ we will shut them down, you’ve been warned. We also have full control of your cybercrimes division.’

  ‘You’re bluffing.’ Fuller stated.

  ‘I can assure you Mr Fuller we have the capability to do anything we choose. Dystopia is everywhere at once, monitoring everything at once.’

  ‘Mayflower looked across at Parsons. ‘Get on the phone to GCHQ. See if they are telling the truth.’

  Parsons got up and left the room.

  ‘We have already paralysed your road networks Prime Minister. People are starting to run out of fuel. What do you think will happen if we cripple more vital infrastructure such as your electricity grids.’

  ‘Who the hell are you?’ Mayflower shouted at the screen. ‘How are you able to access our systems like this?’

  ‘We are able to do as we please Prime Minister.’

  ‘Why are you doing this?’

  ‘Because your world is corrupt, you have no morals. You claim to govern your people with integrity but you are stained with corruption and filth. You Prime Minister, are a victim of your own success. You surround yourself with men who are corrupt and lust for power.’

  ‘You’re no better, you murdered all those people yesterday.’

  ‘We wanted to show you the world you have created. We wanted to show you what people are capable of. Your world forever standing on the brink. We will show you how far you are teetering over the edge of the abyss. People living their self-centred lives blissfully unaware of the monsters they will become when their creature comforts are taken away from them.’

  The pictures changed to a series of video images of people running in the streets throwing bottles and petrol bombs.’

  ‘This is footage of the Brixton and Toxteth riots of 1981.’ Fuller said.

  ‘Your youth are without hope for the future.’ The voice stated. ‘With no opportunity for any future these kinds of scenes will be common up and down the country. People will live in fear of anarchy. Your so called utopian society will crumble.’

  The picture changed again to police on horseback charging down a group of protesters.

  ‘The Poll tax riots, 1990.’ Mayflower said.

  ‘For decades you have been busying yourselves with acquiring wealth and power. While all the time crushing the poor and the down trodden into dust. The working classes no longer having a say on their future.’

  ‘So what, you are some disgruntled union member wanting revenge by killing innocent people.’ Fuller said.

  ‘The world is not as black and white as you have come to believe Mr Fuller. The people who were sacrificed yesterday were products of a society that has lost itself. Now because of your obsession with wealth and power Dystopia has decided that it is time for you to look beyond your petty material needs and seek a better future for everyone. You are too arrogant to see that time is running out. Society is in freefall.’

  ‘I can assure you this government is working hard to ensure a better future for its people. We have secured jobs for the future as well as made this country a safer place.’

  ‘By taking away people’s freedom and liberties. By forcing people to work for nothing. Humiliating the working classes by forcing them to work zero hour contracts, for pittance. George Orwell forecast society’s future in 1949. He saw the way human kind was heading.’

  ‘So you’re a fan of classic fantasy.’ Fuller mocked.

  ‘You think we are beneath you Mr Fuller?’

  ‘Anyone who kills innocent people is below the smallest of creatures in my mind.’ He looked around the room. ‘The people here have worked hard to get where they are today.’

  ‘By standing on the shoulders of the poor reaching skyward to achieve greatness in the eyes of historians who are forced to write a lie.’ The hoodie replied.

  ‘What is it you want exactly?’ Mayflower asked.

  ‘To show you a future where humanity is capable of great things.’

  ‘We know humanity is capable of great things we see it every day. We provide foreign aid to those who need it. We are wiping out terrorism worldwide.’ Mayflower argued.

  ‘You wage war on poor people not poverty. You fabricate new threats to subdue your own people. Brainwashing them into believing that mass surveillance keeps them safe. While all the time you have been collecting information on every individual in the United Kingdom.’

  The image on the screen displayed infrared images of a building in the desert. A pickup truck driving down a dusty street. The images of people could be seen going about their daily routine. A group of children were playing football in the street. The truck drove towards the children who moved to the side of the road. A voice could be heard on the video ordering the drone to release its payload. The truck stopped outside a rundown building and four men got out. The children moved back onto the street just a few yards away from the truck. A bright flash lit up the entire screen.

  Mayflower closed her eyes. ‘Enough!’ She stated.

  ‘It’s not enough.’ The voice replied. ‘It’s never enough, you think by waging war from afar you are keeping your country safe.’

  ‘So who are you then, supporters of Isis. You should know that you will never break our spirit.’ Mayflower said sternly.

  ‘We have no affiliation with any known terror group or any religion.’ The hoodie said. ‘We are independent from any group you have on your databases. You will never find us because we are everywhere. We represent the fabric of the so called utopian society that you have created.’

  ‘Forgive me but most of the people of this world are hardworking and honest. You are not, you represent what’s wrong with this world. You are a cancer hiding behind your computer screens because you fear us. You wear that ridiculous hoodie to create an image of fear.’

  ‘Is this more to your liking Prime Minister?’

  The image on the screen changed.

  ‘My god.’ Mayflower gasped.

  ‘You said it yourself this morning. You wished that I was still alive to give you advice on how to proceed.’ A video image of Margaret Thatcher standing outside 10 Downing Street played on the screen.

  ‘How are you able to do
this?’ Mayflower said staring at the image of Thatcher.

  ‘We are able to do as we please.’ The voice of the former Prime Minister answered. ‘We are able to use the internet and bend it to our will. You will listen to what we have to say, and you will act on what we are doing.’

  ‘We will act, you can count on that.’ Fuller seethed. ‘We will find you, and we will wipe you out.’

  The image of Thatcher looked directly at him. ‘You cannot act Mr Fuller, you do not know where we are, which is everywhere. Isn’t this what you fear the most, an enemy within. An enemy that can strike at the heart of your so-called democracy without warning, without mercy. Isn’t that what you want?’

  ‘What we want is for you to go to hell.’ Baldwin seethed.

  ‘Hell Mr Baldwin is the world that your governments have created. Hell is where people still starve to death, despite your claims of being humanitarians. The hell you have created is the rich sneering at those who have very little. Posting pictures on Instagram of their ill-gotten wealth they have acquired. Hell is the society which is now dependent on a system where you are the masters and you say who gets to live and who gets to die. Hell is the poor people of western culture who have no hope for the future dependent on handouts. Hell is the millions unable to cope, being handed prescription drugs they do not need. Drugs that numb the pain of the hope they have lost. America claims to lead the world in social changes. But you are no closer to these changes than when you first abolished slavery. There are millions in your country who are stigmatised. Your President has isolated people more since he took office. His childish behaviour has destroyed America’s reputation. It will take years for America to rebuild the bridges President Trump has knocked down.’

  ‘What exactly do you want us to do, bow down to you and beg your forgiveness.’ Mayflower stated.

  ‘We do not seek forgiveness from you, we seek change.’

  ‘Change.’ Fuller shrugged. ‘Change for what, a utopian world where everyone holds hands singing I’d like to teach the world to sing.’

  ‘You continue to mock us Mr Fuller.’

  ‘Because I’m not afraid of you. You are nothing but another product of a long list of deluded terror groups. Soon your little campaign will come to an end.’

  ‘You are in no position to claim your innocence Mr Fuller.’

  Fuller shifted in his chair looking straight ahead. ‘You know nothing about me.’

  ‘On the contrary Mr Fuller we have extensive files on your past activities. You now claim to be a loyal member of the Republican Unionist Party. But in the past that wasn’t so.’

  The image on the screen displayed a document.

  ‘What is this?’ Fuller demanded to know.

  ‘This is a document from 1983, written by an MI6 operative who infiltrated the IRA. As you can see the document implicates you in the murder of two Irish police officers and four British soldiers in 1981. It also implies that you were one of the IRA’s top operatives. You travelled to Georgia in America where you met with a prominent American senator regarding raising funds for the IRA so that they can buy equipment used to kill both civilians and British soldiers.’

  The picture on the screen changed again revealing a series of photographs.

  ‘These are surveillance pictures taken by members of the SAS. They clearly show a younger you in training with other prominent members of the IRA. You claim your loyalty to the British Government but you still consort with former members of your group.’

  The picture changed again to CCTV footage taken in a restaurant.

  ‘This is footage of you in a top London restaurant taken last week. The man sat opposite you is Martin O’Leary a prominent member of the IRA now claiming to be a force for peace in the world. O’Leary is formerly wanted for the murder of two British soldiers in 1982. Given a pardon under the various deals that have been brokered since 9/11.’

  ‘9/11?’ Mayflower questioned looking at Fuller.

  ‘After the World Trade Centre fell the US government knew it was going to have to clean up its act. So it distanced itself from the Northern Ireland troubles. However Mr Fuller took advantage of an opportunity and opened a dialogue with members of the British Government. This is a report suggesting that a peace in Northern Ireland could be negotiated in secret with members of the IRA and other known groups. You negotiated many of those deals Mr Fuller. You accepted that violence was not the answer and turned to politics instead.’

  Fuller glared at the screen in disbelief.

  ‘This is a photograph taken of Mr Fuller in 1985 by an undercover MI6 operative.’

  A photo displayed on the screen of a group of men against a desert background.

  ‘This is you with several members of Al Qaeda in 1985 on a training exercise in Afghanistan during the Russian occupation.’

  ‘If you release these files, you will devastate this government.’ Mayflower warned. ‘For the sake of stability you must show restraint.’

  ‘Restraint is something which the government has never shown in the past Prime Minister. Your predecessors have shown little regard for the poor of this country.’

  ‘Is this what this is really about, a war with rich and poor?’

  ‘It’s always been about rich and poor, not just in this country but the world over. You claim to be a force for change but you are stagnant, ignoring the cries of the people.’

  ‘Stop this!’ Mayflower stated.

  The video returned to the image of Margaret Thatcher. ‘Have you seen enough Prime Minister?’

  Mayflower pursed her lips before looking directly at the screen. ‘What is it you want us to do?’

  ‘Wait.’ Baldwin shouted across the table. ‘Prime Minister, you cannot negotiate with these people. If you do then it will open a can of worms. We do not negotiate with terrorists.’

  ‘Lies.’ The voice of Thatcher stated. ‘America and Britain have always brokered back street deals with terrorists. American people raised money for Irish nationalists so that they could attack the UK mainland.’ Video images of various attacks carried out by the IRA now played. ‘You have also paid several prominent Warlords in Afghanistan and other middle eastern countries huge amounts of money in order to buy their allegiance.’

  Mayflower looked back at Baldwin. ‘They’re right.’ She said. ‘There have always been lines of communication open between governments and terror groups.’ She looked at Fuller.

  ‘Prime Minister, if you choose to talk to these bastards then you will be at their mercy.’

  ‘We are already at their mercy Mr Baldwin. In less than forty eight hours they have brought this country to a standstill. Petrol pumps across the UK are unable to dispense fuel. They have attacked the main train station up and down the country. I have had to deploy the army out on to the streets to help our undermanned police force. All our aircraft are grounded, our continental ferry and train services have been suspended. Our banking system has been compromised. Over a hundred people lost their lives in the attacks yesterday. And to top it all off our intelligence services are blind. If we do not open a dialogue with these people then this country will fall into anarchy within twenty four hours.’ She looked at the screen. ‘What must we do?’

  ‘Move forward, not backwards. You can start by considering all options we have provided you in regards to your reliance on fossil fuels.’

  ‘We cannot stop using our cars.’ The transport minister said. ‘And we are working towards the introduction of electric vehicles.’

  ‘We are not demanding change immediately, even Dystopia realises that change takes time. However a solution to your reliance on fossil fuels could be in effect within a year.’

  ‘And after we solve one problem, what then? You’ll just make us do more of your bidding.’ Mayflower stated.

  ‘This is not about doing our bidding Prime Minister. This is about doing the bidding of the people who voted for you at last year’s election.’

  ‘What happens if we do not do what you w
ant?’ Baldwin asked.

  ‘You will suffer more consequences. We will deliver more statements in the coming hours. Make no mistake we will show the world what we are capable of. Thank you for your time.’ The screen went blank.

  ‘This is madness.’ Mayflower stated.

  ‘Prime Minister I think you should leave London immediately. We have an emergency bunker for worst case scenarios like this.’ Baldwin suggested.

  ‘I cannot just run out on the people. I have to board a plane in less than three hours for Brussels. The final round of Brexit talks must go ahead.’

  ‘And when Dystopia carry out another attack, what then? They could shut down all the power grids that supply the country with electricity. God knows what they could have up their sleeves.’

  Mayflower looked at Fuller. ‘You cannot remain as deputy Prime Minister, you must resign.’

  Fuller glared back at Mayflower. ‘I have not come this far for some idiot hacker terrorist group to fuck things up.’

  ‘Dystopia just played out your life on that screen.’ Mayflower pointed at the TV. ‘What happens if they release this information to the press?’

  ‘If I resign the opposition party will come after you. They will demand you call a snap election. Without the Republican Unionist Party your government will not be able to hold on to power.’

  ‘Are you threatening me Mr Fuller?’

  Fuller shook his head slowly. ‘It’s not me that is the threat Prime Minister. The real threat we are facing is showing weakness.’ He stood. ’I will not resign.’ Fuller headed towards the door of the Cobra meeting room.

  Mayflower looked at her Foreign Secretary. ‘What do we do?’

  Johnson stared back at her. ‘At this point Prime Minister I don’t know.’ He indicated to the large flat screen on the wall. ‘Dystopia have us by the balls. My advice is to continue with the talks and hope that you can weather the storm.’

  Parsons entered the room, his face was ashen white.