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"So you are telling me, your great great gand parent was Celeste?" Novak nodded. "No wonder you're so dammed good with that weapon boy! She was something to behold according to my father. Gave us all the courage to stand and be counted when it came to those b'stards with their mind controlling drugs and implants."
Ches smiled. "He's right, the world had gone to shite back then. Lot of the rich b'stards escaping into space beyond but Celeste helped those less fortunate to get out there.
Course now things haven't gotten any worse and in some respects with the communities and them in the Citadels?
We trade, we barter but we're still on our guard." "The ones who attack, take us for body parts. The babies and young uns at risk. Why of course, we have the curfew."
Midge slid back the lever on the weapon. There was a loud thud as the bolt locked in on it. A rocket launcher? "We find those b'stards round here and they'll get this baby up their asses!" He started to laugh, it was a raw rasping laugh. Ches hated him when he wheezed as he laughed.
"Radiation, screwed his lungs. Lucky git. His mate had his lungs destroyed by the explosion. Blood vessels perforate, bleed into the lungs. Compression explosives. Novak was new to the team. A Scientist of some repute. "We got that Smallpox variant we're putting it into scones to use against the Elite and other Polit b'stards."
Scones were small round balls that were about the size of a marble. Made of a ceramic that smashed like broken glass across the floor releasing the bio contaminant into the air. A particularly potent form based on Smallpox and a fast acting killer.
The other variant as Novak called it, was Thrax79p. Based on the original Anthrax and that? That had made the Elite force the Polit to agree to certain demands made by the communes.
They would behave IF that was never again used? It seemed to work. Truth was, it made the area where it was used untenable. You had to stay clear of it as though it had been nuked, irradiated. Ah yes, back to the days of the first uprisings, the riots, the street wars? What created all of the hatred, the rage was how those at the bottom, the scum of THEIR society was kept in its place.
Surveilance, counter surveillance, tagging, DNA sampling and recording, travel permits if you moved from one area to another? So it went on and on. What had the writer Jess Corbin once said? If you neglect those at the ROOTS of the tree that is society, don't be bloody surpised if the mother falls over! Oh sure, it happened. Even those at the top of the tree in disarray. Quarrelling over rights and status. Take that b'stard Councilor Eisonov for example.
“Why should I care? The last two years before the Citadel was completed, we lived close to the street areas that were inhabited by them. You could not travel over or into, the main city as such. Constant attacks from the scum on the streets, who have sealed off area’s? We had no choice, but to make sure, the scum are OUTSIDE of the ‘Citadel’
Rioting, burning and terror reign supreme, as they bully, intimidate and attack each other, including the rival gangs on a frequent basis. Slump back drunk, or suffering the after effects of the drugs they take. All too clear, the violence, the aggression, fuelled by the drugs, that have changed a lot of them, from the rehabilitated, they once were.
We ran programs to teach them values, families and communities ? ORDERED them to attend communal sessions? Well no not really, we ASKED them and OK, if they didn’t attend, then certain benefits they were given, were withdrawn or lowered.
That was only to give them, an incentive to get out of bed in the morning, to attend the sessions? Alright a lot of arguments and discussions followed, on the merits of such activities.
We found the results were poor and the ‘outsiders’ as they became known, were ignoring the rules and regulations, set up by the council elect ? Taxes on goods, buying and selling or the persons tax as it became known to collect monies for the ‘pension’ funds as once it was known and all over the ages of 14 had to pay that sum declared as acceptable by the council ? If you owned a vehicle, other than those select individuals, that were given credits, to operate and use such, then you had to comply to taxes and penalties, for improper usage et. You simply can’t transport goods in a vehicle designed for passengers only!
Unless it takes cargo. Limited to a set weight. If the vehicle is over that weight, then it’s confiscated and a fne, imposed! Likewise if you keep a vehicle and keep it off road, we insist on a tax to be paid for owning the vehicle.
We don’t care, if its used or not; the tax must be paid! FORGET to pay the fee and you’ll end up paying the fee plus a hefty so called admin / penalty charge of THREE times the original amount! I mean that smacks of sensible logic! If you can't pay the original then you sure as hell will never pay that plus the fine! Means we can seize property even family members. Make them work off the fines if you are unable to.
Religion is an important aspect of daily living, many of the scum, refused to attend services, made excuses or were too drunk or drugged to attend and if they did, caused disruption, damage. Vandalism and assaults were common place! It’s one day a week. Thats’ all they have to sacrifice.
Work? the scum were a nightmare, some attended state work schemes some did not, or would not! Do they seriously think we pay them, for nothing in return? Surely giving back to society some of their ill spent wasted time, is more than acceptable.
True the sounds of screaming and the smell of the smoke permeates the air, to leave you knowing all too well, what is happening out there. Inside our locked, secured by high walls and heavy gates, we live out our lives, leaving the scum to their own devices.
Not quite. From time to time the guards known as’The Elite‘ leave the Citadel to raid the settlements of the outsiders.
Raids attack the main concentrated groups, the gangs and the industry they created, of drugs and drink. Seizing drugs and destroying the tanks that hold the liquor? Always the possibility of an attack from the scum, who rally to throw anything they can, bricks, stones, steel, iron whatever they can lay their hands on!
Luckily they are usually not organised, nor have leaders that pose a real threat. Yes they have weapons and these are ALWAYS destroyed by the Elite, if they’re discovered. Particular care taken, to ensure, they cannot be repaired, or parts used to maintain another similar device!
Nightime raids are very successful, Our Elite troopers don’t kill, unless they have to. They do seize animals and other necessities for us in the Citadel to bolster our stocks of food and similar. Babies are taken, to be given to those childless couples, within the Citadel. SO they have a priviledged upbringing, brought up by them, educated, civilized.
The scum reproduce at an alarming rate. That will not be a problem for long. We have developed a spray, that will seep a chemical into the plants they eat.It will gradually sterilise the males, making sure the numbers of the scum, decrease rather than increase, to the point they no longer pose a threat to those of us in the Citadel.
The Elite troopers are being trained, in the deployment of the sprays, as I record this.“ "Yes we had a lot of respect for those who classed themselves as above us. Our would be masters. Ches will tell you. Killing the Elite? Firing one of these up their asses? Now that makes my day complete."
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