AX50 Read online

  My cell phone must have flashed as one of them shouted, and suddenly they were all charging in my direction. I reckoned they were not about to praise me for my artistic flare. I turned and fled down a side road. I was soon gasping for breath; noxious fumes filled my lungs. I turned into a narrow alleyway and nearly tripped over a drunkard who was sprawled across a hot air vent. It was a dead end but, thankfully, the second door I tried opened. I found myself in a cold, damp, badly lit stairwell. There was a fire exit on the second landing. I opened this revealing a rickety old iron staircase. Down beneath was another road heaving with cars. I was just turning to go back inside when a glimpse of green on the sidewalk caught my attention. Too late, I’d been clocked. I shot up the stairwell and at the top found a ladder and trapdoor. I’d just pulled the ladder up after me when I heard footsteps charging up the stairs. It was a huge building that must have extended for fully one hundred metres. I ran across the open roof hoping to find another fire escape. I’d almost reached the end of the building when I skidded on a frozen puddle, coming to an abrupt halt as my foot hit a metal bar held rigid in the ice. I fell and avoided cracking my skull by taking the impact on my shoulder. Just then, a green head appeared from the trapdoor, and soon there were nine of them rushing towards me. I noticed something glint in the weak sunshine. I was completely unarmed and my coat would offer little resistance to a knife. Then a shot rang out. I didn’t hang around. I looked over the parapet, spotted a balcony about three metres below and leapt. I landed and heard my ankle snap. I screamed in pain. A door opened and an elderly lady’s head appeared.

  “Where on earth have you come from?”

  “Please, I’m being attacked! Can I come in?”

  I’d just hopped through her door as a flash of green appeared above me.

  I was shaking with cold and terror.

  “They tried to shoot me and are carrying knives! Am I safe here?”

  “Totally safe. I have bulletproof glass and the doors are triple locked.

  Who was chasing you and how have you upset them?”

  “I’ve never met them before; in fact, I’ve only just arrived in New York. I don’t know why these green-haired young men took against me. I was only taking a snapshot.”

  As soon as I mentioned the green-haired men, she hit an alarm on her wall.

  A moment later, “How can we help you, Mrs Yarpole?”

  She was clearly talking to the police, and as soon as she mentioned a gunshot and green hair, she was interrupted.

  “We’ll be there pronto.”

  “Who are these men?” I asked.

  “They are a notorious gang of cocaine dealers called the ‘Southsiders’. Locally, we know them as the ‘Green Hedgehogs’, but no one would call them that to their faces.”

  Feeling more secure, I looked around. It was a cosy little flat and a white cat was sulking in a corner. She looked miffed as I’d obviously invaded her territory, and I was now sitting in her chair, judging by the white hairs that were stuck to my trousers.

  The police arrived. Once they’d heard my story, they wanted to see the camera shot. The image wasn’t great, but they reckoned it could be enhanced at the station while I was getting my ankle treated.

  By the time I was escorted to the station, they’d gone to arrest the gang. My picture had apparently shown them passing two small ‘dog tags’ joined by a chain. Earlier, a soldier had been shot by a gang member. They must have suspected that I had incriminating pictures on my camera. Having given my statement, I said I’d be in Pennsylvania for a couple of weeks if they needed me.

  At the hospital, they fitted me with a lightweight, strong but remarkably thin cast to secure my sprained ankle.

  -----

  Two days later, I was riding in a horse and trap, bumping along a dirt road in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. Jacob was sitting next to me controlling the reins. He was a friendly, tanned, middle-aged man with long brown hair flowing from under a broad-brimmed hat. He looked like a cross between a hippy and a medieval peasant. I was going to stay with his family who belonged to the Nebraska Amish. I was thankful to get away from New York and felt peace wash over me as we slowly journeyed through this beautiful tranquil land. The sun was shining, but it was bitterly cold as the only canopy was uselessly situated behind us on the buggy. Thankfully, I was well prepared, having bought a down jacket and sheepskin-lined leather boots (bigger than normal to accommodate my cast). We arrived at Jacob’s wood-framed farmhouse and were soon surrounded by a swarm of children and his sturdy, no-nonsense wife. She wore a black kerchief on her head which looked rather odd. I was shown in, and the welcome warmth from a log burner greeted me. There was no electricity and later Jacob showed me the outdoor bathroom. I didn’t plan to linger in that freezing hut!

  The warmth, chatter and friendliness of the family reminded me of gatherings from my childhood. Jacob said I should dress like one of them. He lent me a white shirt, a thick woollen coat and scratchy brown pants that he laced up at the back for me. I came downstairs to howls of laughter from the children. Even so, I was pleased to be treated like one of the family. It was hard work lifting hay and feeding the cows. Digging the vegetable patch finished my back off. Thankfully, my cast kept my ankle pain-free. After a week, I felt completely accepted, even though I couldn’t share their faith and religious practices. I was more relaxed than I’d been for ages.

  In my report, I suggested that these farmers living in harmony with nature should be allowed to continue their traditional way of life as no fossil fuels were burnt. I never imagined that this idea would have such profound consequences for the future of the world.

  -----

  When I returned to work at CRC, I found a curious typed note in a sealed envelope underneath my coffee mug. It said Meet me at 4 pm today in the meditation room at the back of the canteen. I was intrigued and postponed my meeting with the Philadelphia Chief so I could be there. I was slightly worried as there was no CCTV in the meditation room as people had to change into their yoga kit there. I feared that I’d angered someone in my investigation leading up to Karl’s arrest. If I was attacked there, the perpetrator could disappear into the crowds who work at CRC without trace. It was with some trepidation that I opened the door at 4.05 pm, ready to run if I didn’t like the look of the person who’d sent the message.

  Petra sprang from the floor and leapt into my arms. I was relieved and thrilled as I hadn’t seen her for months. She hung onto me for ages. I looked closely; she looked pale, thin and her right eye had developed a twitch. Altogether, she didn’t look at all well.

  “Are you okay? You look exhausted.”

  “I’ve been worried about you doing all this secret stuff. I would be much happier if you had a desk job here. I’m also worried about Mom. She has been working all hours preparing for this American election. To make matters worse, she’s become paranoid ever since you uncovered Karl’s plot. She doesn’t trust many of her old friends now and has become increasingly dependent on me. I hardly get any time to relax as she wants to bounce her ideas off me as soon as I get home.”

  “Plenty of time to discuss that; I’m just so pleased it was you who sent me that note. Let’s concentrate on each other. You stroke my back and I’ll stroke yours. Once we are both properly relaxed, we can work out a solution.”

  In truth, I’d no idea how to solve this conundrum. I was just playing for time and enjoying the experience. A few minutes passed and then I had an idea; “When did your mom last take a holiday?”

  “None for at least ten years.”

  “You both like skiing, I think. If she’s racing down black runs, she can’t think about work. Why don’t you both fly in her private jet to the Austrian Alps? She’ll be away from the USA and there’s great skiing there. I think she still trusts my dad. He could deputise while you’re away. If she wants a personal bodyguard, I’m always available.”

 
“Not a bad idea, but forget about the bodyguard. You’re still persona non grata and have been ever since she found out about us.”

  “How did you get that message to my room?”

  “A good friend of mine is having a secret relationship with a man in your section. I think this may come in useful, so I hope it continues. I told my boss that I was feeling ill and had to leave early. I can’t use that ruse too often, but we should be able to meet here from time to time.

  I’ve frozen some eggs, by the way. As we’re taking the weekly injection, we should live for hundreds of years. One day, I hope we can start a family, but I can’t say when. Are you prepared to wait?”

  That took me completely by surprise.

  “Of course I’ll wait.”

  Deep down, I wasn’t really sure I could cope with these infrequent secret meetings for years to come.

  Half an hour later and feeling totally in love once more, we unlocked the door and went our separate ways.

  -----

  The succeeding eight months were spent visiting the USA, making friends and generally persuading voters that we would increase their wealth as well as making their country a safer and better place to live.

  The Democrats’ manifesto had been agreed with Spitzen and the Board.

  The salient promises they made if they were elected were:

  1.Xantec would provide free electricity, and their advanced robotics and hyperloop system would transform travel and industry.

  2.Within one year, there would be no tax, and health care would be free for all.

  3.The USA would stop spending vast amounts of money on military, foreign aid and world policing.

  4.All guns and ammunition would be banned, and all armaments would be surrendered to the police within ten days.

  5.All army personnel would help the police deal with this gun amnesty and with eliminating all drug trafficking.

  6.Drug users would report to hospitals for detox.

  7.We would aim for a fair and equal society.

  For those who wished to have no part in this fair society, they would be free to negotiate citizenship with other countries. If they left within three weeks, they would be allowed to keep their bank assets and shares but would forfeit their properties to provide homes for people without satisfactory accommodation. After three weeks, they would forfeit all their assets.

  On Election Day, the exit polls gave Sophia Mezvinsky a commanding lead. However, we were all on tenterhooks until Richard Bush conceded defeat just after midnight. Sophia gave an impassioned speech, talking about a new beginning for the American people.

  We all knew exactly what to do and where to go. The same could not be said for the general population. There was panic and pandemonium. Airlines offered to buy back tickets from people who were travelling abroad for ten times their value. They smelt money as the super-rich wanted to leave. Police cells were full of guns awaiting destruction by the army. Surprisingly few people left the armed forces, and the supply of drugs rapidly dwindled. Hospitals were overwhelmed by drug addicts demanding relief from their ‘cold turkey’.

  I was soon enjoying the peace and quiet of Mifflin County and the friendly welcome of Jacob’s family. They were delighted by what they’d gleaned about the revolution that was affecting the country. It was soon clear that I wasn’t needed there as the Amish continued to live as they’d done for hundreds of years. I asked to be transferred to New York. I know it was petty of me, but I really wanted to put the rest of the ‘Green Hedgehogs’ behind bars.

  Tracking them down wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped as of course they weren’t chipped. I went to the police station where I’d been interviewed. They were too busy with the gun amnesty to give me much assistance, but they gave me the addresses of the remaining seven members. I got Xanasa to keep a watch on their flats via satellite. I requested assistance from my old clone friends, Gregor and Sandy, and asked them to bring their sonic blasters and bombs. In the meantime, I did get to visit the Museum of Modern Art.

  Two days later, Gregor, Sandy and I were settled in a hotel suite in the Green Hedgehogs’ patch. Xanasa interrupted me and showed me the live satellite feed. Six ‘Hedgehogs’ were entering a surprisingly dingy-looking flat. I couldn’t see any guns but felt sure they’d all be carrying one. I asked Xanasa to keep a record of everything I viewed until this operation ended. We found an abandoned flat with a good view of their hideout. What looked like dingy apartments from the satellite, on closer inspection looked more like a heavily defended fort. The flat they were meeting in had thick plated steel on the inside of the windows as well as a steel door. To our dismay, every one of the flats that surrounded this one was similarly fortified. Gregor checked around the back. There was no fire escape and no air conditioning vents. They must have some air purifying device inside the buildings. If they’d gone to so much trouble, they would surely drink bottled water to prevent us poisoning their water supply. Gregor came up with a possible solution, and with no better plan, we agreed to give it a go.

  The police agreed to lend us two cars with sirens, and an old work van. They also lent us a cocaine sensing and measuring device, a set of old overalls and two police uniforms. Gregor wore the overalls and parked his van at the back of the ‘Hedgehogs’’ flat. He’d spotted a manhole cover that gave access to the sewage system. Sandy and I (in the police uniforms) waited for fifteen minutes and then drove our cars with sirens blazing and screeched to a halt in front of the block, ran up the stairs and started banging on the reinforced door. In the meantime, Gregor had unloaded his remote controlled miniature submarine and attached a sonic bomb with a cocaine sensor to it. He then guided it up the sewage system, following the ever-increasing concentration of cocaine. (We had banked on them flushing their cocaine down the toilet as soon as they knew they were being raided.) I was beginning to panic as I feared that the door would be flung open and we would die in a hail of bullets. Just as I was about to abandon the mission, there was a muffled explosion from within.

  “Shit, what a bloody mess! The door is locked and we need to get them cuffed before they come round or we’ll be dead meat!”

  “No problem, sir. I know you didn’t ask us to bring weapons, but I brought this MP5K just in case.”

  With that, he blasted the lock on the door and we were in. Scattered on the floor of the living room were a veritable arsenal of guns and seven ‘Hedgehogs’. They were all deeply unconscious. I feared they might be seriously damaged as the steel plating had exaggerated the force from the sonic bomb. I summoned both police and ambulance. Mission accomplished.

  -----

  The chaos of the first few weeks gradually resolved. In the end, less than 100,000 people fled the country. Their mansions provided good homes for over a million poor Americans. Within a year, fusion power was providing free energy, and the economy was thriving as advanced robotics boosted the productivity of the country. The air quality improved dramatically as carbon-guzzling cars became electric. Tourism flourished as the world realised that it was once again a safe, quiet, clean place to visit. As agriculture became more efficient, considerable tracts of land were given over to nature.

  Four years later, Canada and the whole of continental Europe, including Turkey, asked Commander Spitzen for her assistance. Canada was relatively simple as there were fewer people, and our shark-mole machines were already on their borders. By spring 2058, continental Europe was also transformed and their armies had been disbanded. The aristocracy and many wealthy people from Europe joined the rich refugees from the USA who had mainly settled in Australia and New Zealand.

  The Apocalypse 2058-2060

  By 2058, trade throughout the whole world was booming. The population was falling except in Islamic countries and Africa, where overpopulation was leading to deforestation and increasing dependence on imported food. As oil and gas were no longer used in Xantec-controlled countries, ther
e was a world-wide glut. Russia, the Middle East and other oil producers suffered. India and China were the new superpowers outside of Xanasa’s empire.

  Global warming had peaked with a rise of 2.5 deg centigrade. Low-lying atolls and the coast of Bangladesh had repeatedly flooded, but it hadn’t been as catastrophic as many had predicted. The Taiga (the largest forest on Earth) was extending northwards into the tundra. The Amazon and other forests, under the guidance of Xantec, were growing fast, more than compensating for the destruction that was still occurring in the Congo and Malaysian forests. The future of the world was looking bright, and life expectancy was the highest in history.

  China had been the world’s most powerful economy for forty years, thriving on world trade following the success of their ‘one belt, one road’ strategy. However, their ageing population and demand for high wages was now hampering their growth. Meanwhile, India’s young educated middle class were driving their success in tech start-ups, military equipment, cheap robots and droids. India was predicted to overtake China’s GDP within the year.

  China was offering cheap training in technology for their trading partners around the world. While in Beijing, some trainee Pakistani workers had been brainwashed into believing it would be honourable and patriotic to attack Kashmiri Indians on their return to Pakistan. This skirmish eventually spiralled into a conventional war between India and Pakistan. As India was about to invade Lahore, Pakistan threatened them with a nuclear attack. India called their bluff and continued regardless. A calamitous nuclear exchange followed, leading to millions dying in Lahore and New Delhi.