The Cleansing – 52 – Chapter 30

Posted on by Opher

The alien downfall of corruption and end of the human false hope of populism.

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Chapter 30 – It’s over

The major irony was that the case was being tried in the UFOR headquarters, Beheggakegri’s own back yard.

Judge Booghramakegra presided. The case did not last long.

First Grrndakegra gave evidence, claiming that Beheggakegri had employed her to disrupt Commander Chameakegra’s experiment, disgrace her and bring about the demise of the Hydrans.

Beheggakegri denied it all but Grrndakegra was able to produce the time-stamped messages. That proved conclusive that she was being ordered and manipulated.

Even at that stage there was probably sufficient evidence to convict, but there was more. The members of the committee added their weight to the proceedings with their subjective negative views of Beheggakegri’s performance and his perceived vendetta against Commander Chameakegra. While lacking in the objectivity to be treated as real evidence the similarities in the testimony were sufficient to discredit him.

The conclusive and most damning piece of evidence came from an unexpected source. Ollyx Ce Frolli, the Xerc repair man came forward to provide recordings of Beheggakegri applying pressure on him to deliberately sabotage Chameakegra’s quantum drive – an action that might well have proved fatal for not only Chameakegra but the entire crew of the shuttle. The fact that the scheme was never implemented was irrelevant. The fact that Beheggakegri had even contemplated such an action was sufficient.

The verdict was a foregone conclusion. What happened next was up to Gestor’s chief legislator.

The fall-out from Billy Smythe’s podcast was immense. It split the protest movement into two distinct camps mirrored in the Ashly Arms group of friends.

‘They put you up to that, didn’t they?’ Denby remarked accusingly, sipping his pint and glaring over the top at Billy.

‘No way,’ Billy protested in a lacklustre manner. ‘There are just times when you have to face reality.’

Everybody was staring at him. His turnaround had been quite dramatic. Nobody was really sure what had happened. Had he been altered? Mind blanked? Adjusted?

‘Tell us about it,’ Debbie urged, sipping her gin and tonic.

Billy looked around at them all. He could see the sense of betrayal registering on some faces. ‘Look, it’s not really like that,’ he said rather lamely. Since the podcast he’d been quite deflated. All the bolshiness had evaporated. His fall from grace had been dramatic. One minute he was the poster boy for a whole movement and the next he was being pilloried from post to post, credibility shot to pieces. That was hard for an ego to take. He’d withdrawn into himself.

‘Go on,’ Charly urged. ‘Tell them the whole story.’

Billy looked from one to the other. He could see that he was going to have to go through the whole thing. They weren’t going to allow him to get away with anything. ‘OK,’ he muttered. ‘I’ll tell you what really happened.’

‘It started with that Ron Forsythe and that alien lizard Chameakegra. They more or less forced me to go with them.’

Charlene nodded. She’d been there. She’d witnessed it. ‘Yep, Billy got all feisty and they threatened him.’

Billy flashed her a little smile.

‘So anyway, they take me up in this shuttle. It was scary. I didn’t know where we were going. I thought they might bump me off or wipe my brain or something.’

Denby and Cheryl both looked as if that wouldn’t have been such a bad thing but at least some of the others looked sympathetic.

‘First they take me to their spacecraft, the Neff.’ Billy looked down into his pint as if recalling the scene before looking round at them. ‘I tell you it was enormous. A whole bloody city. I’d never seen anything as massive as that.’ He shook his head and puffed his cheeks. ‘Gigantic. Then they took me inside and showed me the operation they’d been carrying out, assessing us all. It was unbelievable.’

‘They didn’t try anything weird, did they?’ Foxy asked with a big grin. ‘You know, probes up the backside and stuff.’

Kathy punched him on the arm.

‘That’s what these aliens do,’ Foxy protested, rubbing his arm. ‘I’d have changed my mind pretty quick if they showed me a giant probe or two.’

Billy ignored him. ‘Well, that was pretty deflating I can tell you. It gave me a real picture of what we were really up against.’

‘It’s a matter of principle,’ Denby insisted, still glaring at Billy.

‘Did they threaten you?’ John asked.

Billy turned to face John. ‘No. At least not directly.’

‘Not, fucking directly,’ Denby laughed ironically.

Billy flicked him an irritated frown before going on. ‘That was scary enough. But then they took me back in the shuttle and showed me this other gigantic space craft. That was Grrndakegra’s the lizard who’s behind all the abductions.’ He glanced round again, holding his pint in both hands but not drinking. ‘They explained that Grrndakegra and others wanted to wipe us out; that that ship was packed with troopers.’

‘I knew it,’ Denby said, throwing up a hand in disgust. ‘They were trying to put the frighteners on you and you fell for it.’

Billy looked tight-lipped. He glared at Denby. ‘No Denby, it’s not as simple as that. I had to make a decision on who to believe.’ He took a big swig to give himself time.

‘I thought that we could protest and somehow get those lizards to magically go away,’ he looked glum. ‘I realised out there in space that that was never going to happen. We were wasting our time.’

‘Principles,’ Denby muttered sullenly again with a disgusted expression on his face.

‘Well, fucking principles get people killed!’ Billy retorted, showing some fire. ‘It’s easy for you to sneer Denby. You weren’t there having to make decisions.’

Charly put a hand on his arm and he calmed down.

‘So anyway, Ron and this alien Commander took me back to Ron’s office in New York.’ He glanced round again. ‘Now I had a better idea of what we were up against. So, they lead me through what has been going on. How we were being assessed and if they found us too violent they’d do away with us. They showed me images of other exterminations. I tell you, it was horrendous. It was real,’ he looked round imploringly at the group. ‘They really would have done away with us.’

‘And you believed them,’ Denby said caustically.

Billy rounded on Denby. ‘Yes I believed them. Right! I believed them. I could see that they had the power to do what they liked. There was nothing we could do about it. Besides, what did they have to gain from lying?’

‘Apart from us rolling over and making it easy for them,’ Cheryl piped in.

‘You have no idea,’ Billy shook his head and gave her a dirty look. ‘No idea. They don’t need us to roll over. They can do what they like with or without our consent.’

‘Go on,’ John said, listening intently.

‘So anyway, this Commander Chameakegra is in charge and she’s organised this experiment to see if we can’t be changed into something better, something worthy of being taken in to the Federation.’

‘I quite like things as they are,’ Denby remarked, taking another swig and glowering at Billy.

‘Oh,’ Billy directed his scathing reply at Denby, ‘we’re doing so great aren’t we? What with wars all over the place. Half the fucking world starving, global warming and fucking Trump and Musk creaming off the top!’

‘Didn’t say it was perfect,’ Denby replied, meeting his glare defiantly. ‘But at least we are governing ourselves.’

‘No we’re not,’ John stated bluntly. ‘We only appear to be running things ourselves. It’s a sham. You know it as well as I do. It’s all rigged. It’s Trump and Musk who are calling all the shots. Our votes count for nothing.’

All eyes were on him.

‘Come on,’ John said with a nod of exasperation, siding with Billy, ‘we can all see that it’s the rich bastards who are running things. We get to vote for the lesser of two evils and it always comes out that the greedy bastards like Musk get to make more money while we scrape by.’ He took a sip of lager. ‘I for one would like to see what the lizards can do.’

Billy nodded a thanks and cooled down a peg or two. ‘Well, Ron and Chameakegra showed me all these plans – the energy, infrastructure, schools and a much fairer society.’ He nodded to John. ‘It looked pretty good to me. They took me round some of the new developments, power plants and schools.’ He put his pint down and raised both hands. ‘They’re not just saying it; they’re doing it.’

John and Debbie nodded agreement but Denby looked as dark as thunder. ‘So now you’re campaigning on behalf of the lizards?’

‘No,’ Billy protested, ‘No. That’s not how it is. I could see that all this protest is pointless. It won’t get us anywhere.’ He became agitated again. ‘If they are right it could be dangerous. They could decide we are too violent and not worth saving.’

‘If they are right,’ Denby sneered.

John rounded on Denby, eyes flashing. ‘What have we got to lose?’

‘Why take a risk?’ Kathy said with a nervous twitch.

‘The test of the pudding will be in the eating,’ Debbie remarked.

Everybody supped, deep in their own thoughts.

‘Drink up,’ Foxy said, ‘my round.’

The Cleansing – 50 – Chapter 28

Posted on by Opher

Getting near the end now. The Judge arrives. It seems that despite all the corruption intergalactic law can be brought to bear.

Chapter 28 – The Judge

When a Judge says jump you fly.

‘Come in,’ Judge Booghramakegra ordered, an icy edge to her voice.

Grrndakegra entered the room, taking note of Chameakegra and Ron who were sitting to one side; she stood before the judge outwardly composed, though her green and black scutes were testimony to the pressure she was feeling inside. She’d been summoned but still retained the cocky assuredness of someone who believed they were immune.

‘Take a seat,’ Judge Booghramakegra said curtly.

Grrndakegra sat.

‘I have brought you here to answer some questions,’ Judge Booghramakegra said sternly, looking at Commander Grrndakegra with a fierceness that was disarming. ‘I must warn you that any incorrect answers or obfuscation would have serious consequences. This is a formal court of law. Do you understand that?’

An involuntary multi-coloured wave signalled Grrndakegra’s distress but she retained her decorum. ‘I do.’ Inside her mind was spinning. Had she and Beheggakegri covered all the weaknesses? She hoped they had.

Judge Booghramakegra laced her wicked claws and began the interrogation. Her eyes sent lasers into the centre of Grrndakegra’s being. ‘Tell me, have you taken the agitator Billy Smythe in for rehabilitation?’

‘No,’ Grrndakegra replied quickly, wondering where this was going. An unexpected twist. Inside a snaking eel of doubt began swimming to the surface.

‘Why is that?’ Judge Booghramakegra asked in a dispassionate manner.

‘Because, as I indicated to Commander Chameakegra, it was felt that the Hydrans needed a safety valve.’

‘Did you have any plans to abduct this Billy Smythe?’

‘No.’ Grrndakegra was floundering but still brazening it out.

‘Did the idea of him being a safety valve come from someone else?’

Grrndakegra hesitated before answering. She had no idea what evidence Judge Booghramakegra had acquired but she suspected it had to be substantial or she would not be here. There was nothing to be gained from prevaricating. ‘Yes.’

‘Was that someone the Head of UFOR Beheggakegri?’

Again, that hesitation. ‘Yes.’

‘Let us go back to the Clacton riots,’ Judge Booghramakegra suggested. ‘Did you apprehend any of the troublemakers directly responsible for the violence?’

‘Yes,’ Grrndakegra felt she was on safe ground here. ‘We extracted over two hundred protestors and placed them in rehabilitation centres.’

‘I repeat,’ Judge Booghramakegra’s eyes narrowed as she glared at the Commander, ‘did you arrest any of the protestors directly responsible for the crimes?’

Grrndakegra looked flummoxed. ‘I’ve already said yes. We…’

‘Allow me to show you a number of clips.’ She proceeded to show tridees of various incidents and scuffles from early on in the violence. She highlighted a number of individuals who could be clearly seen to initiate the violence. ‘Did you apprehend any of these distinctive individuals? Notice that they are all wearing identical armbands.’

‘I have no idea,’ Grrndakegra was becoming more nervous. Her scutes were shimmering. She was beginning to get an inkling of where this was leading. That eel had turned into a giant anaconda and was thrashing around in her head. ‘I’d have to go back and check the records.’

‘No need,’ Judge Booghramakegra informed with breath that was surely approaching absolute zero. ‘I’ve already done a check. We identified all of those with armbands, the ones who can clearly be seen to be orchestrating the violence. Strangely, not a single one of them was detained. Why do you think that was Commander Grrndakegra?’

Grrndakegra’s integument was now doing rainbow impressions.

Judge Booghramakegra stared her down but did not relent. ‘Let us move on to the even more extreme London riots.’ She brought up a series of clips showing the beginning of the violent episodes.’ Can you see all these individuals wearing the beige balaclavas?’

‘Yes,’ Grrndakegra assented, fighting to control the beast in her head. There was no doubt now. She knew exactly what was going on. They had her. But if she was going down she’d take Beheggakegri with her. That piece of slipus filth.

‘Would you agree with me that they are the ones initiating the violence?’

‘I, er, don’t know,’ Grrndakegra hedged, hoping for a miracle, ‘I’d have to study this more closely.’

‘Allow me to put your mind at rest. We have studied the images closely. They are the ones instigating the trouble.’ The Judge’s icy demeanour hardened even more. ‘How many of these distinctive individuals do you think were detained?’

‘I have no idea,’ Grrndakegra blustered pathetically.

‘Aaah but Commander Grrndakegra I believe that you have a very good idea. I believe it was you who gave the orders and when I interrogate the officers charged with keeping order on the streets I believe they will tell me what those orders were.’

Ron and Chameakegra exchanged glances. This was approaching the crux of the matter. What was Grrndakegra going to do? She must be realising by now that the game was up.

‘I will warn you once again – to prevaricate or obfuscate in a court of law is an exceedingly serious matter. It would greatly exacerbate the penalty for any other wrongdoing. I will extract the severest penalty. Do you understand?’

Grrndakegra nodded.

‘Please acknowledge your reply verbally for the record.’

‘I do,’ the cornered Giforian uttered in a hushed whisper.

‘The answer is precisely none.’ The Judge leaned forward menacingly. ‘We have identified all the individuals in both incidents. Some are present at both. We are now bringing all of them in and will follow the trail back to where they came from and who was behind their hire.’ She paused to allow the implications to sink in. ‘Our preliminary enquiries have given us the answers to that. We will confirm this beyond all doubt.’

By now Grrndakegra’s plates were vibrating with iridescence as the panic set in.

‘Commander Grrndakegra, before I proceed any further I would like to give you the opportunity to explain yourself. This is your chance to make things easier for yourself. I shall take into account any admission on your part.’ She waited.

Grrndakegra sat with her head bowed. Inside that head her thoughts were chasing each other in a swirling tempest. They knew. They had the evidence. She looked up and met the Judge’s gaze. ‘I was brought in to do a job.’ Grrndakegra admitted.

Chameakegra and Ron both caught their breath. This was it.

Grrndakegra looked round at Chameakegra. ‘Beheggakegri wanted Commander Chameakegra bringing down and the Hydrans disposed of. He ordered me to facilitate that.’

The Cleansing – (The Sequel to Judgement) eBook : Forsythe, Ron: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

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I hope some of you might be tempted to purchase a book or two after reading these extracts.

Thank you!

My 60s – Second Fabulous Review

Posted on by Opher

The book’s only been out a week and already people have read it, are enjoying it and the reviews are starting to roll in.

This is the latest from Brian Beck:

It’s about a boy growing up in 1960’s England. He fell in love with the new music of the time. So did his friends. They didn’t want any part of the humdrum existence of their parents’ nine-to-five. Straightlaced folks called them freaks. This is their story told in the first person by how the writer remembers them. It’s a wonderful first-hand account of a bygone era. A time that didn’t last long enough but the writer was there at the right time and place. And he captures it beautifully. The book is full of humorous and tragic anecdotes about significant historical moments in music history, hair-raising escapades, intercontinental travel, dubious substances, and especially young love. It will have you checking out the many named musicians and bands online. It’s a warm, easy read with the author whispering to you as if sharing secrets. Some chapters are melancholic, other parts laugh out loud hilarious with the bizarre antics of folks living on the edge and loving it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s full of bittersweet soul and lost innocence. I wished it was even longer and more detailed. Highly recommended. 5*

Thanks so much Brian – gave me a boost!

My 60s: Amazon.co.uk: Goodwin, Opher: 9798253680780: Books

The First Review!

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Thanks so much Trevor. Really appreciate that!

My 60s: Amazon.co.uk: Goodwin, Opher: 9798253680780: Books

trevor phillips

5.0 out of 5 stars My60s (the spirit lives) my 60s too

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 April 2026

Format: Paperback

A Brillant wander down memory lane, Opher’s book My 60s is a fantastic journey of what we all may have experienced. It is both humorous and insightful. It jogs one’s memory creates feelings of joy and a little remorse. If you are a lover of great music and musicians, you will enjoy reading this book. I couldn’t put it down. I was going to read on a flight to Thailand however it will now be reread on that flight. Great stories from a bygone age. Love and peace the freaks live on.

Anxiously awaiting that first review!

Posted on by Opher

My latest book has been out a week now and I know a number of people are reading it. I’m waiting with a degree of trepidation to know what they think of it!

My 60s: Amazon.co.uk: Goodwin, Opher: 9798253680780: Books

My 60s – Special offer!

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Signed copies for just £10 (Paperback) or £15 (Hardback) + postage.

My 60s: Amazon.co.uk: Goodwin, Opher: 9798253693841: Books

My Sixties
The Spirit Lives
Not the sixties you’ve seen before.
This is the underground.
The real story.
Music, movement, philosophy.
A life lived through gigs, travel, friendships—and the edges of experience.
Part memoir, part autobiography, part raw collection of memories, this is a personal journey through a defining decade. Told through photographs, anecdotes, and reflections, it captures the spirit as it was lived—not as it’s been packaged since.
No Carnaby Street. No pop gloss.
Just the underground scene as I knew it.
From Kerouac to Zen, Kesey to Leary.
From IT and OZ to Dylan, Hendrix, and Pink Floyd.
From Hyde Park free festivals to Roy Harper and Abbey Road.
This is the sixties from the inside.

I have copies of most of my books in Paperback and Hardback that I am selling signed copies of at sale prices! Just either email, message or enquire in the comments. CHEERS – Opher

The Cleansing – 49 – Chapter 27

Posted on by Opher

The Cleansing – (The Sequel to Judgement) eBook : Forsythe, Ron: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Chapter 27 – Repercussions

‘Did you see any of those masked individuals being picked up by the Giforian squads?’ Judge Booghramakegra asked with an air of exasperation.

Chameakegra looked at Ron.

Judge Booghramakegra replayed scene after scene of Grrndakegra’s Giforian squads plucking violent Hydrans out of the rioting crowds. Not once did they see one of the youths with the distinctive balaclavas being snatched.

‘What does that tell you about who is involved?’

Ron rang the doorbell and stood on the step impatiently waiting.

Charlene opened the door and had a start to see him standing there. She was about to slam the door but Ron stuck his foot there and held it open.

‘We do it this way or another,’ he snarled. This time he was in no mood to be messed with.

Charly hesitated and then held the door open. Ron strode in. This was a different man to the one who had visited before. The anger was oozing out of him.

Billy was sitting in the living room and rose out of his seat in surprise at the man barging into his house. ‘What the heck!’

Ron stood glaring at him, all the frustrations and anger spilling out. So much made sense now. ‘Billy Smythe,’ he growled menacingly. ‘Which side are you on?’

Billy stood facing him, anger brewing. ‘I’m on our side, you Judas! You…’

‘Billy!’ Charly snapped sharply. ‘Listen to the man!’

‘Fifty-eight dead!’ Ron snarled. ‘That number’s likely to rise! That’s all down to you Billy!’

Billy visibly blanched and Charly gasped, a stifled sob in her throat. She gripped her jumper and grabbed hold of Billy’s arm.

‘You’re lucky it’s me,’ Ron growled, leaving Billy to fill in the alternatives. Charly tightened her grip. She knew.

‘You come with me!’ Ron ordered grim-faced.

‘I’m going nowhere.’ Billy’s jaw jutted out in defiance. ‘You want me you’ll have to drag me out.’

‘Billy, please…’ Charly pleaded, her face screwed up in anguish.

‘Billy,’ Ron said in a furious but controlled voice, his steely eyes fixed on the agitator. He’d only been in post for a short while but he was a different man. The Ron of old would not have had this resolve but he’d been through a lot and developed new facets of himself that he never knew existed. He spoke in an icy measured voice that was as hard as granite. ‘Either you come with me of your own accord and I take you on a little trip that’ll open your eyes and then bring you back to your wife unharmed,’ he nodded towards Charlene. ‘Or I summon up a Giforian or two and have you dragged out of here kicking and screaming, carted off to the rehab centre and open your eyes that way.’ He studied the man with an unflinching stare. ‘I’m easy.’

‘Billlyyyy…’ Charlene pleaded.

Billy considered it for a moment or two before realising that he really had no choice. ‘I’ll come with you,’ he glowered at Ron, ‘but you’ll not get me to change my mind.’

This committee meeting was as smooth as an Alcran’s arse. Beheggakegri was in jovial moody which was totally at odds with the material he was sharing. This time there was no dissenting voices; no calls for the process to be concluded and no objections to a termination. The committee had fallen over themselves to reconvene.

When the viddies of the riots had been dispensed with, without much in the way of a preamble Beheggakegri proposed the motion and it was passed unanimously.

The Hydran experiment was to be terminated immediately.

The Hydrans were to be eradicated. Grrndakegra was to be reallocated as terminator and the Quorma and its crew reassigned to their original brief. Chameakegra was to be stood down and the Neff returned to Gestor.

Beheggakegri hadn’t felt this good for a long while. Job done. Short and sweet.

A contented Beheggakegri sauntered out of the committee room, leaving a disconsolate Sang to tie up the formal ends, and disappeared to reacquaint himself with Lomi.

Chameakegra was waiting at a shuttle when Ron arrived with a sullen and subdued Billy. Without an audience he was a shell of a man probably internally realising how powerless he actually was.

The shuttle ride was not quite the ecstatic experience for Billy that Ron’s trip had been. Despite Ron’s reassurance he still remained anxious about the outcome. His fears were plastered all over his face. He was not certain that he would return or at least not as the man he was. He spent weeks spreading conspiracy theories about blank-minded returnees, now he had to sweat about the veracity of what he had been broadcasting.

The approach to the Neff was hair-raising. Ron watched as Billy took in the immensity of the giant H-craft. The reality of the situation finally hit home. He could see what he was up against.

‘That is what you are dealing with,’ Ron rammed home the message. He could see Billy visibly blanche. His saucer-like eyes scanned the alien craft from end to end. ‘This is the Neff – Commander Chameakegra’s ship. We can’t see the Quorma Commander Grrndkegra’s yet. It’s just as big and that’s packed with Giforian and Dref troopers equipped to carry out a rapid extermination.’ Ron fixed him with a withering glare. There was no need to spell it out further. By now Billy was turning green and his hands were quivering.

They docked and the silent Giforian Commander took Billy Smythe on a quick tour of the working areas with their comulator terminals. This was no congenial demonstration; the silence made it all the more intimidating. Billy stared in horror at the sheer enormity of the operation. His whole body had turned to jelly so that he could hardly stand, looking as if he was about to pass out at any minute.

‘This is where the assessment of Earth was carried out,’ Ron informed him. ‘This is where details on every human being on the planet is being constantly updated. They have everybody’s profile.’ Ron turned to Billy – ‘Including yours.’

After the whistle-stop tour they returned to the shuttle. A subdued Billy sat queasily in his seat looking extremely frightened.

Chameakegra took them close to the Quorma and parked so they were overlooking the second enormous H-craft.

‘This is Commander Grrndakegra’s craft – the Quorma,’ Ron informed Billy. Billy hardly dared look at the gigantic craft. ‘We’re not going in,’ Ron informed him. ‘You’ll just have to take my word that it’s packed full of Giforian troopers. The ones you disparagingly call lizards and dragons.’

Billy gave a terrified glance towards Chameakegra who was studiously ignoring him. Billy had been keeping up a sullen silence throughout the trip but he had no need to speak. His face was an open picture.

‘Commander Grrndakegra and many in the higher ranks of the Federation want to eradicate humans altogether. They call us space vermin. They are looking for an excuse.’ Ron spoke quietly, the anger in his voice making the words more barbed. Ron held his eyes with piercing fury. ‘You made their case for them.’

Ron could see Billy visibly flinch as if struck with a fist. It was one thing being all brave and gung-ho in front of an adoring crowd, putting out podcasts decrying the alien invasion. It was quite another being faced with the physical reality of what they were up against.

Finally the huge Giforian Commander turned to face Billy. Chameakegra studied him with razor-sharp eyes that cut into him like blades. She had no need to say a word. Her face did the talking.

‘Time to make a choice Billy?’ Ron said coldly.

‘Commander Chameakegra here represents a positive future, a future of prosperity and growth, a future where we are offered a lifeline to prove ourselves and flourish. An opportunity you threw back in her face. Commander Grrndakegra offers the extermination of the entire race.’ Ron’s eyes searched for an answer. ‘What have you got to lose?’

‘Our country’ Billy blubbed pathetically, on the verge of tears but still clinging on to his feeble excuse.

‘You’ve already lost your country,’ Ron reminded him bluntly. ‘They took over without a shot being fired. Just look.’ He nodded towards the giant H-craft. ‘Do you, a humble man from the council estate in Hersham, backed up by rent-a-mob, really think you can stand up to the might of the Federation?’

‘It’s a matter of principle,’ Billy squeaked ridiculously, staring down at the floor.

‘No,’ Ron asserted coldly, ‘it’s a matter of stupidity.’ He pulled Billy’s chin up roughly and forced him to look straight in his eyes. ‘You’ve been used by powerful people you have no comprehension of. All those hits on your podcasts were engineered. They used you. You are a silly fool. They are using you. Can’t you see that? Are you too stupid? All that violence on the marches you organised was planned. They want us eradicated and they used you to make their case for them. For fuck’s sake – wake up!’’

Billy looked as if he did not believe it. His eyes kept flicking between Ron, Chameakegra and the huge H-ship blotting out the stars in front of them.

‘It’s true,’ Chameakegra spoke for the first time in a clipped monotone. ‘You’ve been duped.’ She was looking at Billy like he was a piece of bhufes excrement.

Ron gritted his teeth. ‘As I said Billy, it’s time to choose.’

A Memoir from the Sixties!

Posted on by Opher

The music and the vibe; the life and loves.

This is the story of the sixties from the inside.

Hardback, Paperback or eBook. A great read!

My 60s eBook : Goodwin, Opher: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

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My 60s – now in Hardback too!

Posted on by Opher

I thought it was about time that I wrote a candid recollection of the decade that has defined my life.

The sixties was a fabulously optimistic period to have lived through.

It was the decade in which I changed from a boy to a man. The Beatles altered history. Dylan altered our consciousness.

It was fun recounting my numerous adventures, the music, social changes, attitudes and times.

I was a young kid with principles and attitude.

Adventures with the counterculture in the London underground.

Meeting Roy Harper and going to Abbey Road Studios, hitch-hiking around America, love and life.

A memoir, an autobiography, anecdotes and insights.

I was there. I lived it – and I remember.

My 60s eBook : Goodwin, Opher: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Amazon.co.uk: Opher Goodwin: books, biography, latest update

Amazon.co.uk: Opher Goodwin: books, biography, latest update

The Cleansing – 44 – Chapter 23

Posted on by Opher

The Cleansing – (The Sequel to Judgement): Amazon.co.uk: Forsythe, Ron: 9798278914952: Books

Alien intrigue and populist revolt. The chickens are coming home to roost! I wanted to illustrate human nature in both the actions and thoughts of the aliens and the humans too.

Chapter 23 – Action

Beheggakegri was unable to settle. He was even off his food. The last few committee meetings had been unpleasant. A schism had opened between him and the rest of them, Sang in particular. In a way it had always been there. He’d told them what to do and they’d deferred. This was different. He still told them what to do but he was never certain that they were going to do it. He wasn’t sure if it wasn’t just his imagination but he detected an air of defiance. They were plotting. He could sense it. Biding their time. The lasers were out. When the time was right they’d slice him into lumps. He knew it.

While he was giving out his instructions he found himself studying them one by one. Which one was the ringleader? It had to be Sang. He knew where all the bungles were buried. When would he strike? Were the others all behind him?

The tension was palpable.

In the evening he found himself picking at his food, even rejecting the new dainties Limo was serving up. He could not settle. This was all that Chameakegra’s fault – the drangling slub. If only he could rid himself of her he could decisively do away with the Hydrans with a fine display of power, re-establish control and get back to the way things were. That Chameakegra was the key. She’d made him look weak. If only her drangling shuttle would blow itself up.

He sat bolt upright. His brain was whirling.

Billy was already sitting at the kitchen table waiting. It was Thursday; his favourite day.

Charly was serving up the sausage and mash. The Smythes were not about to try any of that alien muck – even if they were virtually giving it away for nothing. They’d rather die.

She placed his laden plate down on the table and carried her own round to the other side.

Before she’d even sat herself down Billy had banged on the ketchup and was diving in, an intent expression on his face as he carved off a chunk of sausage, scooped up the mash and dipped it in the sauce.

‘You know, I’ve been thinking,’ Charlene remarked thoughtfully, cutting up her sausage in a more genteel manner.

‘What about?’ Billy looked across at her as he crammed a mouthful of best British beef sausage into his mouth.

Charlene paused reflectively, a slice of sausage with a small dollop of mash on the back of her fork. ‘What that Ron Forsythe was saying.’

Billy chewed briefly and swallowed. ‘Oh him.’

‘It’s not every day that you get the leader of the whole world in your front room,’ she replied almost indignantly.

Billy sneered, already cutting more sausage. ‘He’s no more leader of the world than our auntie Ada. He’s a stooge put in place by those aliens.’

‘That’s as maybe,’ Charly stuck her nose in the air, her tasteful forkful suspended in mid-air. ‘What he said made a lot of sense.’

‘What? That we should kow-tow to a bunch of aliens?’ He forked another big mouthful in.

‘He didn’t say that though, did he?’ Charly persisted, finally raising the fork to her mouth and taking the food.

‘He said we’d should stop fucking protesting and do what they say,’ Billy reminded her morosely.

‘He said that they are incredibly powerful; that they are assessing us and could wipe the lot of us out if we don’t watch our step.’ Charly had been very uneasy at that idea. At first it hadn’t seemed real – like the idea of another world war isn’t real – but the things Ron Forsythe had told them seemed more real as she mulled it over more. She couldn’t get it out of her head. What if the lizards were really judging us and decided to wipe us all out? There was probably nothing we could do about it.

‘Pah! Baloney!’ Billy exclaimed, irritably cutting off another chunk of sausage. His face darkened. All this talk of Ron Bloody Forsythe and aliens was spoiling the meal that he’d been looking forward to.

Charly primly sliced another piece of sausage and daubed some mash on to it with her knife. ‘I’m not so sure,’ she muttered, shaking her head worriedly. ‘We’ve seen what they can do. That new hospital the little blue men have put up in no time at all is absolutely amazing. It would have taken us years to build and cost billions.’ She peered across at Billy. ‘They took over without a single shot. Just like that. We’re helpless.’

‘Phhhh!!’ Billy grimaced and forked another mouthful in. He really didn’t want to hear all this defeatist nonsense, especially not coming from Charly.

‘He said that we should back off for a bit and see if they are as good as their word,’ Charly bristled. It was so hard to engage Billy in any kind of discussion. He was so pig-headed.

Billy laid his knife and fork down, face dark and angry. ‘That stupid lackey can say what he likes. If he had his way he’d have us rolling over and inviting them in for a cup of tea. Fucking idiot. They are using his to control us. They want us nice and docile. None of that bollocks was worth the bother!’ He picked his cutlery up. That was the end of it. He wanted to eat.

‘Except he was right,’ Charlene did not know when to stop. ‘That last demo at Clacton was used by a bunch of bully boys. That violence was horrible. And if what Ron Forsythe said is true is playing right into the hands of the people who want to kill us.’

Billy banged his fist down hard on the table causing Charly to jump. ‘Enough!’

He could relax. All the departments were beginning to work. Ron was astounded. How had Chameakegra managed to select the right people to do the job? Then he thought back to what she’d told him about the assessment process. Incredibly, the thousands of crew on the Neff had, using the unbelievable resources of her supercomputer, had somehow analysed the character and abilities of every human on the planet. That’s how they had successfully managed to extract all the ‘bad eggs’. Chameakegra had been able to slot the most capable into place. This world government was as close to perfection as you could get. Each post was carefully selected on their abilities in connection to the role required. Forget democracy and elections. This was obviously a far better process. Except it left him with one unanswered question – how on earth had he slipped through?

Not only were the government departments bedding in to become efficient operations transforming the way government operated with efficiency and resolve that was nothing short of astounding, but the full resources of the Neff had been brought to bear to assist. They all had a supercomputer on tap. Nimble blue Xerces swarmed over construction projects, large lumbering Leff coordinated and manipulated, Giforians, Def, Solarians, Arkers, Marlans, Minorians and Jerb scurried around doing whatever was required. Chameakegra strode around overseeing the project in her intense single-minded manner. This was her baby and she fully intended to see it mature into adulthood.

Of Grrndakegra Ron saw little. The Giforian Commander kept her distance, restricting her operations to the extraction and rehabilitation process. Ron couldn’t tell them apart if he saw them stalking the corridors of New Hope –the name they had given to the World Government building on Turtle Bay that had once been the UN headquarters. But then he couldn’t tell the differences between any of the various races of aliens. It was only when there were a few of the same race together that he was able to discern nuances in facial characteristics. That led to a few embarrassing exchanges in the corridors of New Hope when he thought he had spotted Chameakegra only to discover it was another female Giforian altogether. He’d learn.

The efficiency of government meant that he could relax a little; he did not have to be hands-on with every aspect. He could delegate with a high degree of faith that things would get done properly. In his experience that was remarkable. There was no pulling in different directions. Everyone was on board united behind a shared vision. He’d never worked in an organisation quite like it. All the places he’d worked in had different factions all wanting different things, blaming everything that went wrong on management and doing their best to undermine and place obstacles. Workplaces resembled war zones. This was different. There was a shared vision, trust and efficiency.

With the government working efficiently, even if progress appeared slow because of the immensity of the task, Ron could turn his full attention to countering the protests and attempting to ensure that any ensuing violence did not bring down the wrath of UFOR on them. He could fully focus on Billy Smythe.