A Dystopian World - How the EU will develop in the future.

A Dystopian World - How the EU will develop in the future.

 

'Dreams of a Future New World' - Excerpt from a chapter in the novel ‘Ibiza’. (Originally written in 1997)©

 

Paul thrust what he considered his last remaining good clothes into a back-pack. He held a tube of good quality toothpaste in his hand and pretended to fly it through the air like a space rocket. Simple toothpaste, so difficult to find. 'Official' toothpaste had the consistency and taste of powdered bath cleaner. A few other rare toiletries and old pair of his beloved 'Levis' jeans, now considered subversive by the 'Committee'. They would have frowned at his battered copy of a 1960's 'Eagle' annual. It extolled the virtues of the old Empire in achievement and technology. An 'Empire' ,that officially never existed. All before 'Year Zero', of the new Euro-Government and the New Way Party. Paul hid his last remaining treasure at the bottom of the bag . He remembered his books on art, archaeology and his classic novels. Confiscated by the 'New Police of the People' as being perverse and self indulgent. He had just avoided a period in 'The New World Correction Camp' for such a misdemeanour but a mistake by a clerk in the Central Administrative Building had given him five extra milk coupons instead. The Great Engineer in the sky had looked down on him with good favour. Rubbing the bar-code, lasered on the back of his hand he wondered if there was a way he could have it removed. If he were important he would have an electronic chip the size of a pin-head implanted in the back of his hand instead. A quick swipe across an automatic credit machine or an 'electro-Super Market' he would be in an elite store buying goods that were for most people non-existent. Chicken, lamb and wine instead of fizzy Euro-beer and pasta and the many artificial and genetically enhanced Euro-foods.

  

Luck was with him again as he had been assigned to Austria Zone 3 as part of the 'human relocation programme' , he could have been sent anywhere. Perhaps Eastern Europa, which had become full of mutants and outcasts and was really quite dangerous. The devastation had been quite bad in other areas after the war but the mountains of Austria East Zonal Area had protected the state and it was left relatively unscathed. He had been told that the war had been necessary to reduce the human population so the hybrids could take over, he did not believe it. The work would be hard but there could be some benefits as the state had lusty women and good beer was still available. He looked at the clock on the grimy wall of the waiting hall, 1905 hours. He had missed the first bus and if he arrived late there would be hell to pay. Two months in the mines of North Africana, part of the African Union. Paul walked over to a line of buses parked just outside. He noticed a bus with the headboard 'Hungaria State Zone 4' . A group of poorly dressed manual workers stood dark and forlorn waiting to get on. The driver, with long sideburns sat chewing something and looked totally bored. Paul caught his eye and mimed a handful of Euro-Credits, the driver nodded and indicated to wait behind the others for his signal. He would take the bribe. The bus to Hungaria State Z4 would soon leave, three and half hours before the next to Austria Z3, the Hungaria bus would be twice as quick. It would make one stop in Austria Z2, not exactly where he wanted to go but he would make up valuable lost time.

 

The manual workers were big brutes with swarthy skin and bad attempts at shaving, they looked almost like mutants but the stares were angry and not blank. A bunch of enforcers in their dark-green uniforms strode into view, they were looking for amusement. Some carried electric cattle-prods others small cross-bows with tiny arrows set to quarter power , which could still injure. Two enforcers casually approached a huge manual worker with an enormous nose. They laughed and started to poke him with the cattle-prods, he screamed in pain every time he was poked. The size of a house he could have taken down both enforcers bare handed but he did nothing except scream and look frightened. Another group of workers pretended they had not seen a thing and stood huddled in their drab clothes of browns, greys and black. From Paul's position behind the brutes the scene looked reminiscent of Stalin's Russia or what Paul could remember of it from books. One of the drab workers dropped to the floor in agony, a few enforcers with their cross-bows had decided to fire them into the group at random not caring who or what they hit. The pathetic group ducked and moved as the 'enforcers' laughed at their sport. Paul hid behind the waiting brutes as a few of the arrows flew in their general direction. If they wanted to herd any of the bedraggled throng the electric 'cattle-prod' would be used, that would shift the worthless low life. Staines Central Bus Station had been extensively increased in size due to the demise of the personal motor car. Large wheeled and powered by gas, the monster bus transports could negotiate any pothole. Even the 'older' buses from the 'past-age' had been converted to the clean 'nitro-gas'. Staines to Hungaria State would take two days. From there he could find alternative transport to the reception area in Austria State Zone 1 where he would arrive early and be allocated work, probably dairy farming. If he were to be late he would be deducted ten Europa-credits, the bar code situation unavoidable. If he had done something of major disapproval in the back of his hand he could have inserted the micro-chip 'negative' that would not allow him to do anything. He would be a non-person, barred from any activity . The satellite tracking system would know if he broke wind, there would be no escape. He had heard of a 'Robin Hood' character in Austria Z4 or maybe another William Tell , could he make contact ?

  

The awful grey passengers instantly became tense fearful and nervous. The 'enforcers ' stood to attention aware of the imminent arrival of an important personage. Standing ramrod straight looking to the front they dare not move or indicate that something had arrived. A tall figure in something like a Nazi SS uniform appeared out of nowhere. The black apparition moved closely along the dark green erect uniforms. Oblivious to anything else, its long pink tongue flicked out as it inspected the rigid green line. Paul shook with fear as he caught the sight of the seven foot figure prowling along the line of the fearful stiff green underlings. A seven foot half human, half lizard strolling about in a black Nazi style uniform.

 

"Heil Alligator!" or something like that.