Dystopia

by Jason Chapman

  Such as?’

  ‘Take social media for example. It’s so addictive people are trapped in cyberspace all day long brainwashed into thinking that what they post on Facebook or tweet has importance. Does it really matter what time you’re going to bed. Or the last time you had a shit.’

  ‘I see your point listener. Do you think that they had the right to raid the bank accounts of the premier league.’

  ‘Again you’re missing the point Alex. Yes it was terrible all those people dying yesterday. Dystopia should be brought to justice for that. But I don’t care if the Premier League was hacked. The football industry is nothing more than a money laundering operation for wealthy criminals.’

  ‘That’s a pretty strong statement listener. What’s your source on this?’

  ‘I have no source Alex I just see a world where a majority of the wealthy are not honest people. But because they have so much money no one dares question them. In the meantime mindless football fans are paying through the nose for season tickets and subscription TV.’

  ‘It sounds to me listener if you hate rich people.’

  ‘Yes Alex, I hate the scum rich trampling the poor into the ground. Do you know what the tragic irony of Grenfell tower was?’

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘We live in a society where the poor are supposed to look up to the rich. But here you have a situation where the poorest of the poor are looking down on the rich. They paid with it with their lives Alex.’

  ‘So what you’re saying is that everyone should be equal.’

  ‘That’s never going to happen Alex. Dystopia is saying this; in fact, their name suits them. When you look at our world, it does look like we live in a dystopian society. The majority of the population of this planet distracted by mass media. Brainwashed into believing that they are free. Believing that an individual has a voice but it’s all an illusion.’

  ‘Everyone is free to make their own choices caller.’

  ‘Are they Alex? If you come from a poor background or a working class background you are limited in choices. Our children go to school a get fed a diet of pointless facts. When I was in school education used to mean something. Now it doesn’t. You have Universities running mickey mouse degree courses. Graduates rarely end up in the jobs they want. I know many people who have gone to university but are in factory jobs because they can’t get a job they went to university for.’

  ‘Thanks for calling listener. We have another caller on the line.’

  ‘Hey Alex I have been listening to your show since nine o’clock. You’re the only station that lets people have their say.’

  ‘Thanks caller, what’s your take on current events?’

  ‘I agree with a majority of people. Dystopia should be brought to justice for what they have done.’

  ‘Why do I think there’s a but there somewhere.’

  ‘The people who’s bank accounts were raided deserved it Alex. Your last caller was right. We do live in a dystopian society where the rich are the ruling elite. But the rich are missing one important fact Alex.’

  ‘What’s that listener?’

  ‘The rich need the poor more than the poor need the rich.’

  ‘You really think that’s the case.’

  ‘I do Alex, but what disturbs me is that the poor try to live like the rich. Do you have any idea how many people are drowning in debt in the country Alex.’

  ‘I have a fair idea caller.’

  ‘I reckon there’ll be another crash soon.’

  ‘Like the one of 2008.’

  ‘Worse than that Alex. The trouble is that the millions who lend money know full well they haven’t got the financial income to pay it back.’

  ‘Are you one of these people drowning in debt?’

  ‘I am and I regret every moment of it. I cannot afford to pay back any of the money I leant. I am trying to run a household on one income, which is near impossible. The government are always telling us to live within our means Alex but it is impossible. Living within your means is just having enough money to pay the mortgage. It’s having just enough money to pay the bills and do the food shop for the week. I can only afford to put just enough petrol in the car to run back and forth work. I have to walk to the supermarket because I can’t afford the car park charges.’

  ‘You had a choice caller, you didn’t have to get into debt.’

  ‘You’re right about that Alex but like everyone else I wanted the lifestyle. I wanted the smart SUV parked on the drive. I wanted the 60 inch flat screen TV and the plush three piece suite, the Sky TV subscription. And now Alex I am paying for it dearly. I am having to work over sixty hours a week just to keep my head above water. I just wanted to call to get the message across Alex.’

  ‘And your message being?’

  ‘To all those people out there wanting to live like the Kardashians or Beckhams. You can’t live a champagne lifestyle on a lemonade wage. I don’t support Dystopia for what they did yesterday. But some of what they have said in the videos they have uploaded to social media makes sense. The rich have too much power and everyone knows that absolute power corrupts.’

  ‘Thank you for speaking to us caller. You’re listening to the Alex Leeder show. Today we are discussing the terrible events of yesterday. You are free to call, text or use social media to get in touch. Here’s a bit of classic Queen and Bohemian Rhapsody.’

  Chapter 33

  London Evening Examiner – 12:43pm

  ‘Alan!’ Tony Mirren called out spotting Alan walk into the newsroom. ‘Someone to see you.’

  Alan headed towards Mirren’s office.

  ‘This is detective constable Daniel Teague. He’s here looking into the article we published in last night’s edition.’

  Teague offered his hand. ‘I’d like to know how you came across the information regarding the possibility that some of the people that carried out the attack may have been using drugs.’

  Alan simply shrugged. ‘You know how word gets around detective. We are the press remember. It’s our job to speculate about these matters.’

  ‘You haven’t talked to anyone at the London Stock Exchange?’ Teague questioned.

  Alan shook his head. ‘No.’

  ‘Then how did you come up with the assumption that the people who carried out these attacks were taking some sort of drug?’

  ‘Have you seen the video of the attack in the nightclub, its plastered all over social media. The man obviously looks as if he is high on something.’

  ‘That maybe so, but you released information that is highly sensitive and known only to the police. Therefore you must have spoken to someone at the London Stock Exchange.’

  ‘What information are we talking about?’ Mirren interrupted.

  Teague seemed hesitant in coming with an answer.

  ‘Is this a formal police interview, or just a routine enquiry?’ Mirren asked.

  Teague finally summed up an answer. ‘Just a routine enquiry.’

  ‘Like I just said detective, we are the press, it’s our job to speculate on news events as and when they happen.’ Alan said.

  Teague stared at him for several seconds.

  ‘Do I have to make a phone call to the paper’s legal team?’ Mirren questioned.

  ‘No, I’m just trying to ascertain how you came to the conclusion that the attackers may have been under the influence of drugs that’s all.’

  ‘And I will repeat myself Detective, have you seen the video from the nightclub? The man’s eyes were white, indicating that he may have been on drugs. The attack at the London Stock Exchange was similar to the other attacks.’

  Teague slipped his notepad into his jacket pocket. ‘Thanks for your time.’ He said before turning and heading out of the office.

  Alan watched as he walked away. ‘What do you think?’

  ‘I think the police are clutching at straws.’ Mirren stated.

  ‘I need to show you something.’ Alan said producing the USB stick Railson had giv
en him.

  Mirren and Alan studied the files on the USB stick for several minutes. Alan told Mirren everything he had learnt from Cook.

  ‘So what do you think? A load of bollocks if you ask me.’

  Mirren looked at an image on his computer screen. ‘I must admit it’s a little out there. However, the evidence on this drive seems to point towards something more than just a terror attack.’

  ‘Surely you don’t think there is truth in all this.’ Alan said.

  ‘I think there is more going on than meets the eye. Nothing in the news is ever just black and white. There will always be grey areas no one dares to go near. I remember when 9/11 happened. It was mere days after the event when the conspiracy theorists started to crawl out of the woodwork. Talk of an inside job and other conspiracies.’

  ‘Most of them have been dismissed.’

  ‘Most of them yes, but then people started asking serious questions about the attacks. I wrote an article on the timing and nature of the attacks. It was just after Nathan Barnes brought the Examiner. I remembering him grilling me on a question that I dared to ask.’

  ‘Which was?’

  ‘If these so called terrorists had so much hate directed towards America and they wanted to kill as many people as possible then why plough those planes into the towers so early in the morning?’

  ‘I don’t follow you.’

  ‘Think about it, if you wanted to kill as many people as possible you’d want to hit those towers in the middle of the day. Not at nine o’clock in the morning when the towers were just filling up with people.’

  ‘Nearly three thousand people still lost their lives.’ Alan pointed out.

  ‘But not as many if those planes would have crashed into the towers at midday. The loss of life could have been as many as ten thousand people maybe more.’

  ‘Are you saying Al Qaeda showed restraint?’

  ‘What I’m saying is that there is far more about 9/11 we have yet to learn.’ Mirren looked back at the computer screen. ‘The same could be said with this. The government has already labelled yesterday’s attacks as a terrorist incident. But the evidence on this USB drive points to more than just a mindless attack.’

  ‘Question is where we go from here.’

  ‘We can’t publish this if that’s what you’re thinking.’ Mirren said looking at Alan.

  ‘But you just said this proves that there is more to what went on yesterday than meets the eye.’

  ‘Yes but the government have already labelled it as terrorism. That’s the official explanation. If we publish this then we’ll look like a bunch of conspiracy theorists.’

  ‘But we have evidence that these people were controlled by some kind if implant.’

  ‘Do you really want to go to print with that?’ Mirren questioned.

  ‘So what are we going to do?’

  ‘We do nothing, or at least we do nothing which might attract the wrong attention. You can speak with this scientist Angus Walker who was on Project Trojan Horse during the seventies.’

  ‘So that’s all you want me doing is gathering information.’

  ‘You’re a journalist Alan, that’s what journalists do.’

  ‘And in the meantime who’s going to cover the terror attacks.’

  ‘Geoff can cover it.’

  ‘What are you hoping to gain from this?’

  ‘The truth.’ Mirren replied.

  ‘Even if it means something that no one will believe.’

  ‘You’ll be surprised how many so called straight forward stories have been published that have hidden truths.’

  Alan’s phone started to buzz. He looked at the screen. ‘Hello.’

  ‘Mr Manning, we met yesterday at the London Stock Exchange. It’s Reece Tyler. I need to speak to you. When can we meet?’

  ‘As soon as possible if you want. Although it’ll take a while to get to you, the roads are gridlocked.’

  ‘I’ll text you my address.’

  Alan hung up. ‘That was the man I met outside the London Stock Exchange yesterday morning. He wants to talk.’

  ‘What’s his name?’ Mirren asked.

  Alan hesitated.

  ‘Alan, we have just had a detective from Scotland Yard snooping around. The sooner you tell me who it is the sooner I can protect you and him.’

  Alan nodded. ‘His name is Reece Tyler.’

  Mirren scribbled down the name. ‘Good, go and interview him.’

  Alan turned and headed for the door.

  Mirren picked up his smartphone and scrolled through the list of contacts before finding who he was looking for. ‘It’s me; Alan has made contact with Reece Tyler.’

  The voice on the other end of the line said something.

  ‘Of course.’ Mirren replied before hanging up. He turned and walked towards the window. Mirren looked down on Fleet Street. Alan headed out of the main entrance on his bike.

  ITV News – 1:00pm

  ‘Good afternoon you are watching ITV news. Dystopia bring chaos to the streets of Great Britain as they shut off petrol pumps across the country. In a statement they released at eight o’clock this morning Dystopia condemned society and our reliance on fossil fuels. The Prime Minister Tessa Mayflower gave a press conference urging everyone to stay calm. She said that her government is doing everything within their power to tackle this crisis. We cross live to our correspondent in Downing Street Mark Salmon. Mark what’s the latest from where you are?’

  ‘Alex the government have just released a short statement to the press core here in Downing Street. They said that the security services are doing everything in their power to bring Dystopia to justice. The Metropolitan police have also just issued a statement saying that last night they carried out a raid on a house in Fulham believed to be connected to the attacks at the Sound Box late Sunday night. A person at the address they raided was found dead in an upstairs bedroom. Forensics are at the house looking for clues that might help the police in their investigation. They have released other residents living at the property which is believed to be rented out by mostly students. With no living witness to interview it appears as if the police have hit a dead end.’

  ‘Mark Salmon there reporting from Number 10. The forty-eight hour travel ban that the government put into place is starting to bite. It has caused disruption up and down the country. The ban was put in place early yesterday afternoon following two attacks on a Eurostar Train and a US inbound British Airways flight. We cross to Heathrow airport to our correspondent Lindsey Daniels. Lindsay what’s the mood at Heathrow this afternoon.’

  ‘Alex, as you can see behind me the terminal is packed with holidaymakers. I have spoken to many travellers this morning expressing anger at the travel ban. There have been many raised voices at the terminal. One man had to be escorted out of the airport this morning.’

  ‘What about the ferry terminals how have they been coping?’

  ‘I have just heard from Dover in the last few minutes. There is a twenty mile tailback heading into Dover. The authorities are urging people not to travel to the ferry terminals. It looks like some are heeding the warnings, but of course there will always be people who will ignore any advice the authorities give out and travel anyway. Back to you in the studio.’

  Chapter 34

  Downing Street – London – 1:23pm

  ‘Make sure we don’t forget anything this afternoon.’ Mayflower said checking her watch. ‘I want these talks to go smoothly.’

  ‘With all due respect Prime Minister I think you should stay here. The country is about to descend into chaos. The public needs a leader who will stand shoulder to shoulder with the British people.’ Stephen Burns advised.

  ‘The Brexit talks must go ahead Stephen. It’s been a difficult path already. If we let Dystopia dictate our lives then everything we have worked for this past two years will be for nothing.’

  Burns nodded. ‘Very well Prime Minister.’

  ‘I want you to hold things together here.�
��

  ‘Isn’t that the job of the deputy Prime Minister?’

  ‘To be honest with you Stephen, appointing Fuller as my deputy has been one of the worse mistakes of my political career. I want you to rally the troops. We need to be a strong government. This is no time for division and political backstabbers.’

  ‘Do you think Mr Fuller might try to rally support?’

  ‘I’m not sure, we must be on our toes and prepare for anything.’

  ‘Yes Prime Minister.’ Burns said before turning and heading towards the door.

  Mayflower glanced out of the window at the garden. A feeling of dread overwhelmed her as she contemplated the events unfolding.

  Her husband Brian Mayflower entered the room closing the door behind him. He walked up to his wife and sat down next to her on the sofa. ‘How you holding up?’

  The Prime Minister began to sob, she put her arms around her husband. ‘The country is spiralling out of control Brian. And there’s nothing I can do to stop it. Dystopia have us over a barrel. I have to attend these talks this afternoon and put on a brave face. I don’t know if I can do it.’

  Brian Mayflower held his wife close. ‘The British people will stand behind you.’

  ‘I can’t leave London; I will be seen as weak. The people will never trust me again.’

  ‘The people do trust you darling. That’s why they voted for you.’

  ‘Brian, I barely made it to the finish line. Now I have to share power with a man who is a former member of the IRA. What if Dystopia release information on Fuller. I’ll be finished as Prime Minister.’

  ‘We’ll get through this, I believe in you.’ Her husband reassured her.

  Mayflower looked at her husband. ‘Surely it can’t end like this.’

  ‘Nothing ever ends, it’s just another corner to turn that’s all.’ Brian produced a handkerchief and wiped the tears away from his wife’s cheeks.

  There was a loud knock at the door.

  Mayflower composed herself. ‘Come in.’

  Robert Parsons entered the room with Ian Baldwin. ‘Prime Minister, we believe we have a breakthrough in regards to Dystopia.’