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 – 51 – Chapter 29

Posted on by Opher

Approaching the end game. The fate of humans is being determined.

Chapter 29 – The interruption

The order, signed by Beheggakegri, came through to the bridge of the Quorma but Commander Grrndakegra was no longer there to receive it. TThratakegri, Grrndakegra’s Dref second in command, listened to the instructions. They were very clear. The experiment was to be halted. Commander Chameakegra was to be relieved of all duties and the Hydrans were to be eradicated.

TThratakegri was placed in a dilemma. Should he proceed or wait for Grrndakegra to return? The instruction was not open to interpretation. He had been attempting to contact her Commander for many hours now without success. This instruction was clear and marked urgent. He surely had a duty to begin implementation? Beheggakegri was clear that he wanted it acted on straight away. He knew that was what Grrndakegra wanted to do. She would not have hesitated.

Beheggakegri was heading another committee meeting, more of the usual, organising an assessment of a new intelligent race in some far-off reaches of the galaxy – nothing extraordinary – all very straightforward and tedious – more of an administrative task than one requiring any discussion. Normally these tiresome arrangements would have bored him to death but he was feeling particularly buoyant this morning. Rather than leave it all to Sang he’d decided to take an active role. The Hydran conclusion was fresh in his mind and had lifted his brain chemistry no end. Even this dreary mundanity had not deflated his effervescent mood.

After having thrashed out the details he was finally about to pass the business over to Sang to sort the mind-numbing details out when the portal dilated with its customary hiss. Beheggakegri was startled by this unprecedented intrusion. He looked over towards the portal to see who might dare to interrupt their session, ready to give them a blast.

 Judge Booghramakegra strode into the room.

The viewing figures for the latest Billy Smythe podcast continued to go through the ceiling as it was copied and relayed by millions of people. Not many people failed in viewing it. The fall-out was immense.

‘Friends, I have good news to report.’ The familiar smiling face of Billy Smythe peered out from millions of screens. ‘I have been in close discussions with Commander Chameakegra, who is overseeing the operations across the planet. I have impressed upon her the need for us all to keep our national identity and culture. The good news is that Commander Chameakegra accepted this and assures me that she fully means to implement my suggestions.’

Billy looked pleased with himself, though in truth that looked a little forced and his face had lost its normal ruddy glow. ‘I have had the privilege of visiting the starship Neff and looking through the plans that Commander Chameakegra has drawn up. They are extraordinary and I must say they have changed my mind in regard to the nature of this intervention by the Federation.’

Billy was choosing his words carefully, though those words didn’t sound quite like Billy. It was looking as if he might have had a little help.

‘I must admit that I have come to trust Commander Chameakegra. I believe her when she assures me that this is not so much an invasion as assistance.’ Billy tried to put an expression of honesty and trustworthiness on his face, though the features were in danger of rejecting such a foreign set of emotions. It just wasn’t like the Billy Smythe of old to accept anything on face value. ‘The Federation is made up of a large number of intelligent races from all over the galaxy. They work in cooperation with each other.’

Billy looked as if he might be reading from some autocue. The words were a little stilted and lacked the energy and passion of his normal effusive outpourings.

‘We have an opportunity to join this Federation. From what I have seen the technology and science of these advanced races far exceeds the level we have reached so we have much to profit from.’

Here Billy looked apprehensive.

‘Commander Chameakegra is tasked with helping raise us to the level of the other advanced races that make up the Federation. She is sharing new technology and science to enable us to progress. Education and the environment are being targeted to improve our lives.’

‘We can already see signs of improvement. Over the next years I believe there will be much much more. I believe that we will benefit greatly from this relationship.’

The camera zoomed in on Billy’s face. ‘Friends, I have been one of the harshest critics of these aliens,’ Billy stated, the steely gaze of sincerity hanging like a shroud on his features, although those eyes looked tired and dull, ‘but I have come to realise that this could be the best thing that ever happened to us. We are being offered a partnership – a partnership that will benefit us greatly. I believe that if we work closely with these aliens we can enable them to realise and retain the things that are important to us. We can still have our countries as well as all the benefits that come from this relationship. Instead of losing we will be gaining, gaining enormously.’

A jaded, defeated Billy Smythe, valiantly tried to look as trustworthy and sincere as required.

‘Today friends, I am changing my tune. I am asking you to give them a chance. I don’t believe this is a ploy. I have seen their power. If they wanted they could make mincemeat of us.’ Billy put on his best imploring face. ‘Let’s try working with these aliens to make a better world for us all.’

Billy’s face faded.

‘Fuck me,’ Denby remarked, turning to Cheryl. ‘Billy’s changed his tune. That sounded like a party political broadcast on behalf of the Tory Party. They’ve done a fucking job on the guy.’

‘Came over very stilted,’ Ron remarked to Chameakegra as they watched the podcast from Ron’s office in New York.

‘It’ll do,’ Chameakegra murmured.

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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Thank you!

The Cleansing – 48 – Chapter 26

Posted on by Opher

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

In the aftermath of the march with all its violence and bloodshed, the human President and alien Commander are gloomily discussing if there is anything they could have done. The alien judge points out that the violence was orchestrated by the populist politicians. It had been deliberate.

Chapter 26 – Grim Reality

The mood was gloomy as showers of rain swept the London streets clean of gore. The clean-up crews were out in force, boarding up windows, dousing smoking embers and sweeping up the glass and debris. Burnt out cars were being towed away and the police and stewards were licking their wounds.

Fifty-eight dead – mainly from crushing. It could have been a lot worse.

Ron and Chameakegra were morosely reviewing the aftermath. It was no use pretending that it was not too bad, that it could have been worse. This was every bit as bad as they could have imagined in their worst nightmares – the sight of such hate-filled faces, open mouths and unleashed fury – the blood and death – the hate and pillaging. It could not have been worse.

‘Where do we go from here?’ Ron asked, looking for guidance from the large Giforian Commander.

Chameakegra seemed to have slumped into a swamp of despair, her scutes a dark black. She shook her head. This outburst of violence had undone all the good they had worked so hard on. Just as the infrastructure projects were beginning to bear fruit, the education changes were bedding in and the first batches of abducted were returning with positive outcomes, this had to happen. It was no good looking to throw any blame on Grrndakegra for the heavy-handed ending of the riots; the riots should never have happened in the first place.

Both Ron and Chameakegra were full of recriminations. Could they have stopped it? Should the march have been banned?

Chameakegra racked her brain. Grrndakegra had been adamant – a safety valve. Well that safety valve had failed to prevent a full-blooded explosion. This had gone nuclear and it was out there for all to see. Plain as a supernova, these Hydrans could not be trusted; they were every bit as bad as Beheggakegri made them out to be – crazy, psychotic apes, completely incapable of being fully civilised, not worthy of being admitted into the Federation. Even she had to finally admit that.

The experiment was over.

‘I never even got to speak.’

‘You stupid great fucking lunk!’ Charlene raged. ‘Look at what you’ve fucking done!’

‘It’s not my fault,’ Billy protested irritably. ‘We had to make our voices heard.’ He was adamant.

Charlene was distraught. What if Ron was right? What if they decided that this was the end and decided to wipe everyone off the face of the planet?

What had Billy gone and done?

Judge Booghramakegra stomped through the portal into the atrium on Neff. Commander Chameakegra had been summoned. Ron stood crestfallen to one side. This was it. He could tell from Chameakegra’s sunken crest and ebony black scutes that it was over. This judge was coming to wrap things up. They had failed.

Judge Booghramakegra stood fuming within the great H-craft and haughtily ignored the welcoming committee. Her entire integument was white with anger. Not a word came out. She glared at Commander Chameakegra and Ron, who visibly shrank into himself at the ferocity of her glare, wanting to melt into the wall. A white Giforian with fully raised crest was a terrifying sight for anyone to witness. Ron wanted this fiasco over as quickly as possible but it looked as if they were both going to have to pay. Judge Booghramakegra was here to deliver vengeance in person. Who could blame her? She’d been badly let down. Ron felt distraught as if he was personally to blame. He should never have sanctioned that protest march on the capital.

With barely a glance at anyone the judge strode purposefully past the senior crew gathered there to greet her.

Ron threw Chameakegra a frightened distressed glance before the two of them trailed in her wake.

Judge Booghramakegra knew exactly where she was heading and they had to scurry to keep up. Arriving at Commander Chameakegra’s private quarters she stormed in without waiting to be asked, the portal barely having time to dilate. Chameakegra followed her in and Ron took a deep breath before plunging through the portal. This was it – the final reckoning.

Inside the judge had already ensconced herself at Chameakegra’s mense and was busy concentrating on engaging the comulator. Only when she had linked in the tridee and brought up the files she was after did she finally turn to face the two of them. They stood like naughty schoolchildren in front of the Headteacher waiting for the inevitable.

‘What the drangling hell are you playing at?’ She directed her fire on Chameakegra. The anger in her voice was hot enough to melt lead.

Ron took up a position behind the Giforian Commander. ‘We did our best,’ Chameakegra explained lamely. ‘It appeared to be going well.’ Her multi-coloured scutes clearly displayed her anguish. ‘We thought it was bearing fruit. The infrastructure, the education programme, the rehabilitation. It was all proceeding nicely. We underestimated the depth of Hydran flaws. They are intrinsically violent. It was probably a mistake from the very start. Beheggakegri was right.’

Judge Booghramakegra turned bright green in disgust and outrage. She waggled her crest in impotent frustration.

Ron was just glad that he had the large body of the Giforian Commander between him and the incandescent Judge. His body felt like jelly.

‘I thought you were meant to be a highly competent commander!’

There was nothing that could be said. Ron watched as the ebony colour in Chameakegra’s scutes impossibly deepened. Chameakegra was suffering a unique embarrassment. Everything she had bet her career on had crumbled before her eyes. This was the ultimate humiliation. The Hydrans had proved themselves unworthy. Grrndakegra would shortly be engaged to finish the job. She had let Judge Booghramakegra down. Her career was in ruins. Her reputation impossibly tarnished. She lamely waited for the sword to descend.

Ron watched in horror. In his head he could see the whole scenario playing out. Grrndakegra and her Giforian troops would soon swoop down and that was it. Humanity was doomed. The judgement was over. The brief reprieve had come to a premature end. He had only himself to blame. He should have found a way to deal with Billy Smythe and ban that stupid ‘Freedom March’. He had known it would end in disaster. That was obvious to a fool. All that talk of safety valves was bollocks. He was personally to blame. Judge Booghramakegra was right. He felt embarrassed to be human. They were a disaster of a race.

Judge Booghramakegra was here to deliver the coup de grace. It was over.

The judge cast a withering glare in Ron’s direction before returning her attention to the Giforian Commander. ‘You are an utter fool!’ she snarled. ‘Watch this.’

We stood there like prize idiots as the judge brought up the excruciating images of the terrible rioting. We watched the horrific scenes unfurl with sinking hearts. This was really rubbing it in. Why couldn’t she just make the pronouncement and get it over with? Why put us through this? They both knew the extent of the horror. They’d watched it a hundred times.

‘What do you see?’ she demanded angrily, scutes flaring green. She glared at Ron first.

‘I see the terrible rioting,’ Ron stammered.

Judge Booghramakegra shook her head in despair and turned her vitriolic gaze back to Chameakegra. Ron felt sorry for the chastened Commander. He had let her down. She had gone out on a limb for them, now she was being eviscerated in front of him.

‘I know,’ Chameakegra said firmly, pulling herself into an upright stance with defiant crest and as much decorum as she could muster, her scutes an apologetic yellow. ‘I should have been more objective. I should have realised what their true nature was. I had enough warnings. The flaws run too deep. They are beyond redemption.’

Judge Booghramakegra snorted with deep displeasure and glared. ‘Idiot – look again! Don’t you see what I see?’

They watched again as the horrendous rioting took place. The familiar violent scenes were utterly depressing.

‘I don’t know what to say,’ Chameakegra mumbled, staring at the images above the tridee set. ‘It’s just terrible.’

Judge Booghramakegra expelled a lungful of air. ‘I despair of the two of you. Can’t you see? Are you both utter imbeciles?’

The pair of them studied the images of violence and fury completely at a loss to understand what else they could possibly be expected to see. It was awful. Full stop.

‘You fools,’ Judge Booghramakegra muttered, grim-faced, scutes bright yellow. ‘It is obvious, as plain as can be. Look here.’ She indicated a group of balaclavaed youths hurling rocks at the heads of people in the crush. ‘And here,’ more balaclavaed youths smashing in windows. ‘And here,’ another group of balaclavaed youths attacking a line of police. ‘Now what do you see?’

Chameakegra glanced at Ron. ‘I see Hydrans venting their rage in horrendous acts of violence.’

Judge Booghramakegra turned green with disgust. ‘You are both idiots? Look again.’ She flicked through scene after scene. ‘Now what do you see?’

Chameakegra was as totally befuddled as Ron. ‘I see gratuitous violence.’

‘No,’ Judge Booghramakegra replied with an air of exasperation, ‘what you are seeing is an orchestrated campaign. Those violent thugs, the ones with the similar face masks, have been hired to do the dirty work. You have been set up, taken for fools. Someone has deliberately used that demonstration to create a violent disorder. Someone wants the Hydrans disposed of and wants to bring you down. Isn’t that obvious?’

Chameakegra turned to Ron an expression of realisation lighting up their faces as if the sun had just emerged from behind a cloud.

The Cleansing – 40 – Chapter 20 continued

Posted on by Opher

It seems that the dirty tricks, political scheming and intrigue is almost as bad in aliens as it is in humans.

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

With rising annoyance Grrndakegra flicked her communicator on. The image of Beheggakegri consolidated as she prepared herself for another infuriating session.

‘I thought we need to get our heads together to work out some tactics,’ Beheggakegri said in a far more conciliatory tone.

‘I’m open to ideas.’ Grrndakegra noted the more satisfactory blue scutes and lowered crest. Seemingly Beheggakegri was in a better mood.

‘We got some good evidence together out of that last protest action even if it didn’t quite produce the desired effect.’

‘So what do you want me to do? I’m promoting the dissent and enabling protest. I arranged the violence. I can’t do much more.’ Grrndakegra was still angry at the way she had been treated.

‘Well, more of that wouldn’t go amiss,’ Beheggakegri mused, ‘but I was thinking that we need to find a way of undermining Chameakegra.’

Grrndakegra stared at the image above his tridee. ‘How do you mean?’

‘Couldn’t we find a way to demonstrate that she is closely in cahoots with the Hydrans? That she is getting some personal gain?’

‘What profit can she possibly be making from an arrangement with the Hydrans?’

‘I don’t know,’ Beheggakegri seemed to be floating ideas, ‘maybe it would indicate some psychological character flaw that we can exploit. Perhaps she has a predisposition to enjoying violence or has developed some Hydran-like lust for possessions? Anything that would explain her obsession with these vermin?’

Grrndakegra considered Beheggakegri’s suggestions. Was there any mileage in anything like that? She thought not. But then…

The Cleansing – 36 – Chapter 19

Posted on by Opher

I was looking to create an honest, competent Head of State, who wasn’t in it for himself, didn’t want the position, wasn’t interested in wealth or power and was trying to make the world a better place. I’m sure they’re out there!

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

Chapter 19 – Plans

The meeting in Ron’s office seemed more urgent than usual. Chameakegra entered and took her seat at the table, unwrapping a thin laminated sheet that was apparently her computer. She looked over expectantly.

Ron came over and took his place. This was more formal than usual. They had usually relaxed in the more comfortable seating – his a softly cushioned armchair and hers a specially designed seat to accommodate her tail.

Ron gave Chameakegra a quizzical look. ‘Would you like a drink?’

‘We have to get things moving fast,’ Chameakegra explained, indicating that they did not have time for niceties.

‘But what you are trying to do is extremely radical,’ Ron protested, taken aback at what he took as implied criticism. ‘You cannot implement changes of this magnitude overnight. Even with your technology and workers it will take time. We are talking about changing peoples’ mind sets. That’s massive.’

Chameakegra regarded him with a cool quizzical expression and sighed deeply. In her opinion these Hydrans seemed worse at accepting change than drangling Drefs.

‘The protests, at camps and on-line, are beginning to build and create a groundswell.’ Chameakegra observed looking concerned.

‘So I noticed,’ Ron had been appalled at the scenes he had witnessed in Clacton. ‘I suggest that it would be a good thing to get the camps emptied and all those people processed and returned,’ he observed, taking an adversarial stance. ‘Those camps are the focus for a lot of this trouble and the missing people are a cause for all manner of conspiracy.’

Chameakegra eyed the Hydran and wondered if it wasn’t time to level with him. Could he be trusted? A lot more information might serve to bring him firmly on board but what might his reaction be? It was so hard to tell with these aliens. All species were different and, despite all her studies, Hydrans remained unpredictable. She made her decision.

‘The things is Ron, you don’t realise how important this is.’

Ron frowned.

‘This is existential.’

Ron raised his eyebrows.

‘I was sent here to carry out an assessment.’

‘I know that.’

‘But I do not believe you fully understand the gravity of the situation; that assessment was to decide whether your race is worthy or not. If they are deemed too violent they will be exterminated.’ She waited for the impact of that stark statement to register. Then she proceeded to explain. ‘The Federation sets out to protect itself. We are a tolerant equal society spread right across the galaxy. We cannot afford to incorporate races that will spread violence and disorder. If we come across a race that is likely to cause the Federation trouble we simply erase it. That’s been our policy.’ She frowned across at Ron, her facial plates taking on a pink, sincere colouration. Not that he could have interpreted that. ‘You Hydrans were very nearly erased and everything is still very much in the balance.’ She did not mention her own part in saving them from annihilation. ‘There are powerful forces out there who would like to terminate this experiment and put an end to all this. That is the process. Time is not on our side. If there is much more of this violence it will tip the balance.’

Chameakegra watched Ron’s reaction. His face had blanched. ‘I thought that assessment had already taken place?’

‘It has,’ Chameakegra stated. ‘You were found wanting. It came very close.’

‘So, if these changes do not result in a drastic improvement you are telling me that all humanity will be wiped out?’ Ron was shocked. He had not contemplated this. He’d thought the assessment was over and they were building for the future. He did not know that future was still in the balance.

Chameakegra did not need to respond.

‘How long have we got?’ Ron’s worried face searched Chameakegra’s scaly face seeking an answer.

‘With every passing protest we have less time.’

Ron’s mind was racing. ‘Re-educating a population takes a long time. We can’t get results overnight. The idea of a global government is bad enough. We can alleviate some of the unrest by promoting cultural differences and giving people their national identities.’

Chameakegra looked sceptical. ‘I’m not against keeping some cultural identity. Perhaps a gradual move to a global identity is alright, as long as we eliminate this tribal culture that is so damaging. But that is by the by. Right now we have to prevent further outbreaks of violence. That is fuelling Beheggakegri’s position. Much more and he will act.’

‘Beheggakegri?’  This was all becoming increasingly hard to comprehend.

‘Beheggakegri is the head of UFOR…’

The Cleansing – 35 – Chapter 18 continued

Posted on by Opher

More Alien intrigue as the one faction of aliens controls the populists.

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

Grrndakegra sat back with a satisfied glow, deep blue with pleasure. It could not have gone better. Just twenty paid provocateurs could create so much trouble. Just twenty. Who would have believed that?

This entire operation, from the renting of the traffic exchange platforms to raise the profile of Billy’s podcasts to the arranging of transport and staging, had gone remarkably smoothly. Just as she had planned it? But the greatest success was the arranging of the counter demo and hire of those twenty thugs. Without those rocks being hurled this might have all melted away into insignificance. Now they had hard evidence of extreme Hydran violence and not only that, they had publicity to build on for future demos.

What could be better? That satisfied glow came from the sense of a job well done.

Beheggakegri called an emergency meeting of UFOR. Not because there was an emergency but because he’d spotted an opening. He wanted to call an end to the Hydran experiment as soon as possible, get them eradicated and bundle off that drangling Commander Chameakegra and her sycophantic Judge Booghramakegra into the obscurity of deep space for ever. He wanted rid. He did not want to have to think about them and their annoying ways ever again. He wanted his life back. He wanted to eat and relax.

The Hydran protest violence looked ugly. Grrndakegra had certainly done a great job there. This could be just what was required. Surely the committee would agree now?

He heaved himself into his extra-large luxopexi and turned the antigrav up full so that he felt comfortable. Once suitably ensconced he gave his committee a withering glare just so they knew who was boss.

‘The evidence is here for all to see,’ he growled, daring anyone to challenge him. With that he flicked the tridee into action and they watched the scenes of violence unfurl – the vicious blows between demonstrators and counter demonstrators outside the Clacton detainment centre – heads being broken, blood flowing, missiles raining down  – Hydrans being knocked to the ground, beaten and booted senseless. The scenes were graphic. The violence horrible. They had been stitched together to represent the incident at its very worst. Beheggakegri had been delighted with the gory result.

When the sequence had finished Beheggakegri sat back and glared around at his assembled committee. ‘These are the vermin that Commander Chameakegra and Judge Booghramakegra want to admit to the Federation. They claim that these Hydrans’, he spat the word as if it left a disgusting taste in his mouth, ‘are worthy for enrolment.’

Nobody spoke.

‘This is the rabble who are left after we removed all the worst elements,’ Beheggakegri continued disdainfully. ‘They claim that violence is not endemic to their DNA,’ he gestured towards where the last frame of the tridee footage, showing a woman receiving a horrific violent kick to the face while lying prone on the ground, ‘this tells me otherwise.’

Beheggakegri’s eyes roved over the assembled committee, searching for anyone who would dare speak. ‘I say that we end this senseless experiment right now. Save ourselves a lot of time and effort and complete the job. The process has been tried and tested. It has protected the Federation for hundreds of years. We do not need to take risks by introducing these vermin to contaminate our system. Let us end this nonsense once and for all.’

He was about to take a quick vote and wrap things up when Debo, the Arker, raised her furry hand. Her gibbon-like face registered a slight nervousness but also a resolute determination. ‘Surely these are early days?’ She ventured, glancing nervously around to see if she had any support. ‘The systems are still being set up. They haven’t had time to begin working yet.’

‘I agree,’ the tiny Marlan Bark ruffled her feathers, raised her multi-coloured plume and stared defiantly at Beheggakegri. ‘The new education system isn’t even up and running yet. That could have an effect of the Hydran attitudes.’

‘And we haven’t even removed the entire troublesome element yet,’ the Achec Zenn arranged her facial plates into a frown. ‘I’m interested to see if this programme that Commander Chameakegra and Judge Booghramakegra have dreamed up actually works in the long run.’

‘There are big implications for future operations. It could affect how the process is put in place,’ Debo added.

Beheggakegri stared around disbelievingly. This was an out and out rebellion. That was not what Beheggakegri wanted to hear. The dranglers were not only talking like they wanted to continue the experiment; they were after it affecting the process itself. This had to be cut off before it started to grow.

‘The process has worked brilliantly for hundreds of years,’ Beheggakegri repeated indignantly. ‘I have no intention of putting the Federation at risk. Not on my watch!’ For a moment it looked as if things might deteriorate into a full-blown row.

Sang stepped in quickly, looking to apply all his Solarian diplomacy. Years of working with Beheggakegri had shown him how quickly the volatile Dref could turn volcanic. Reptiles were meant to be cold-blooded but Beheggakegri could erupt into incandescence at the flop of a crest. Sang doused himself with refreshing fluid before interrupting. ‘I can fully understand Beheggakegri’s concerns,’ he said, nodding to the Dref whose crest was now fully raised and whose green tinge revealed his inner displeasure. If that green was allowed to turn white they were all in trouble. ‘Our leader has the interests of the Federation at the heart of everything he does.’

The committee looked bemused. The idea of Beheggakegri putting anything above his joy of eating was laughable. The Federation probably never entered his thinking. Beheggakegri did as little as he could get away with and they all knew it.

‘The scenes we have witnessed are truly disturbing,’ Sang continued, shaking his smooth-featured head in sorrow and giving his integument another douse to alleviate his distress. ‘I can clearly see why our leader thinks these Hydrans might be a threat to our system.’ Sang was relieved to observe that Beheggakegri’s crest was slightly deflating and his coloured had softened into a less outraged yellow. ‘On the evidence we have seen these creatures are violent and loathsome.’ He noted a tinge of blue satisfaction creeping into Beheggakegri’s extremities. He was appreciating Sang’s unexpected support. ‘However, I, and I am sure our leader agrees, acknowledges that the experiment is in its early days and we have a way to go yet.’

The blue tinge faded rapidly and the crest rose again but Beheggakegri did not respond.

‘It wasn’t enough!’ Beheggakegri stormed.

‘That’s hardly my fault,’ Grrndakegra replied, openly regarding the white enraged Dref with a look of annoyance, her own yellowy-green tinge defiantly signalling her own disgust. Her eyes roved across Beheggakegri’s bulging scutes with repugnance. It was fortunate that they were conversing across lightyears of space, in the flesh the repulsion might have proved too much to disguise. At least with the hyperspace link there was no aroma. ‘I delivered what you wanted. There was violence and fury by the ton. It was up to you to sell it to the committee.’

Beheggakegri turned as white as snow, his crest rising. He was not used to being treated with such open contempt. The Commander’s tone was more offensive than the words. When this was all over there would be a reckoning. ‘Just get the job done!’ He snapped off the connection.

The Cleansing – 33 – Chapter 16 and into Chapter 17

Posted on by Opher

Addressing things such as populism and nationalism within the context of an alien invasion was an interesting challenge:

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

‘God, King and Country!’ Billy reminded the crowd outside Clacton Town Hall. ‘That’s what we stand for. They are stealing our country, kidnapping people right left and centre and undermining all our values. Who cares about pie in the sky?? We want our country back! WE WANT OUR COUNTRY BACK!!’

‘WE WANT OUR COUNTRY BACK!!’ the huge crowd roared back at him.

Grrndakegra watched the antics. She’d selected right. Billy Smythe could certainly rouse a crowd.

‘Incredible,’ Beheggakegri remarked. ‘Who would have believed it. These Hydrans are truly stupid.’

‘I’m not sure it’s just stupidity,’ Grrndakegra reflected. ‘They seem to have an ability to relate to things emotionally instead of rationally.’

‘That’s the definition of stupidity,’ Beheggakegri chortled.

Grrndakegra looked doubtful. ‘I’m not sure what it is. I think it stems back to some kind of tribal allegiance. It overrides logic. They attach themselves to an idea or person and remain loyal to it despite all the evidence.’

Beheggakegri looked baffled. ‘But they were given the whole proof of what those people had been up to. The corruption, greed and violence were laid bare and still they don’t believe it. They had the evidence!’ Beheggakegri looked genuinely nonplussed, his blue forked tongue licking over his scaly lips. He grudgingly shook his head at Grrndakegra in open admiration. ‘That was masterly.’

Grrndakegra couldn’t help feeling a burst of pride. Yes it had been masterly. ‘Easy really,’ she replied modestly. ‘Put out enough stuff contradicting and undermining, foster a climate of distrust, shout conspiracy and fake news loud enough and often enough and you can undermine anything. These Hydrans are remarkably gullible.’

‘I didn’t think it was possible,’ Beheggakegri beamed admiringly. He was so pleased that, even though it went against his nature, he couldn’t help displaying it. ‘When Chameakegra put out all the material that Neff had gathered I thought our glibwort was barbequed.’

‘So did I, so did I,’ Grrndakegra chuckled, ‘but,’ and her mood darkened, ‘we’re not out of the woods yet.’

‘No, indeed,’ Beheggakegri replied. The thoughts of the lunar base and those camps loomed up in his head. ‘But I think we’ve covered our scutes.’

‘I hope so.’

Chapter 17 – Protest

Clacton, despite its ancient history did not have many old buildings to boast of. Apart from a couple of old churches and the pier there was not a lot to attract people to the small seaside town. The population is predominantly a monoculture with a large percentage of white unemployed and single parent families along with a multitude of grey-haired retirees, which rather explains its support for populist politicians and anti-immigrant policies. A walk along the front meant dodging an armada of mobility scooters, having to squint in the dazzling light bouncing off glossy bald heads and trying to walk round waddling blubbery girls pushing pushchairs while trying not to trip over their false eyelashes and gossiping on their mobiles.

On the face of it not an ideal site to place a large detention centre as it was almost certain to stir up local resistance, but perhaps an exceedingly good place to hold a rally against the alien invasion. The local populace were staunchly patriotic, to the point of being nationalistic. If you were talking ‘British Values’, whatever they were, this was the place to go.

Even before the alien invasion every pub, coffee house and queue was a hotbed of gossip concerning how our values were being eroded by bloody immigrants. Now, the immigrants from another star system were truly taking over and those ‘British Values’ were in the process of being discarded altogether. It might appear that the new ‘Universal Values’ of equality, tolerance, empathy, compassion and respect were not very different from the ‘British Values’ that people claimed to espouse. Though, from the heated discussions all over town it was apparent that supporting a set of values associated with your country and cultural and having similar values foisted on us by outsiders were two distinctly different things.

Clacton had been lucky with the weather. A warm sunny day showed off the large paved square overlooked by its two hundred year-old hotel to good effect. The refurbished Royal Hotel made an excellent backdrop combining Victorian charm with modern convenience. The surrounding shops and cafes were looking forward to the event and were hoping to make a killing. The water jets themselves were turned off but by the time the event got underway, with the sun beating down, there would be many who would wish that they’d been left on.

The stage was set early in the morning. A pall of expectation hung in the air. A few children were playing in the square wishing and forlornly hoping that the water jets would start up. The locals, mainly those pensioners and mothers with toddlers in pushchairs, sat around on the seats expectantly waiting for something to start up. Not much ever happened around here. This protest was the biggest thing that had ever happened in years. You could taste the excitement. The square hummed with the chatter of locals with a few buskers already setting up their pitches and rehearsing for when the crowds finally arrived. The locals were waiting, not wanting to miss a second of it.

All through that morning the special coaches and trains flowed into that ancient market town. Clacton hadn’t seen the like of it for many a year. Electricity sang in the air as the crowds rapidly started to grow and the newcomers, all dolled out in their union jacks, flags of St George and assorted regalia gathered in knots discussing what was about to take place. They did not quite know what to do about the cosmopolitan contingents who had flown in from around the world. That was confusing. But they were all united in their opposition to the lizards.

The excitement mounted by the second. They weren’t coming for a day out at the arcades on the pier or strolls along the sandy beaches. They were coming for Billy Smythe. They were coming because the alien lizards were stealing their land; the land they paid homage to. They were angry and were looking to vent their fury. They came with their banners, their flags of St. George and their union jacks to make a statement. They weren’t going to roll over and give away their country. They were going to fight for it.

 Some were even dressed as crusaders ready for battle; some wore full costumes made of their flags. They were ready for battle. As they marched from the train and bus station they chanted:

Out, lizards, out! 

Hear us all shout! 

Out, lizards, out! 

We are British, loud and clear,  
We are British, WE ARE HERE!

Out, lizards, out! 

Hear us all shout! 

Out, lizards, out! 

Country back!  
Country back!  
We want our country back! 

Out, lizards, out! 

Hear us all shout! 

Out, lizards, out! 

Tens of thousands of them snaked through the main street. It seemed as if the whole 53,000 inhabitants had come out to either cheer them on or gawp.  The large stage that had been erected in fountain square in front of the hotel was the focal point and was equipped with a powerful PA. The rumour was that Tommy Robinson was going to speak. Others said Nigel Farage. The two of them seemed to have abandoned their hatred of Muslims and immigrants to focus on alien lizards.

‘More money in it,’ Charly had cynically remarked, scathing of Farage and Robinson who she viewed as opportunists. She found that she had mixed feelings about a number of things as Billy prepared for his big day, but she let them slide. There was something about Farage and Robinson that stuck in her craw. She didn’t like the way they had jumped on the bandwagon. For the most part she kept her thoughts to herself. She agreed with what Billy was doing and was greatly impressed by his rise to prominence. That filled her with pride. The immigrants and aliens both needed dealing with but hypocritical politicians jumping on the bandwagon sickened her. She didn’t want her Billy associated with people she regarded as scum.

They had come down to Clacton the day before. Billy’s unidentified benefactor having provided a luxury suite in the hotel complete with banquet. It felt like being on honeymoon.

On the day neither Farage nor Robinson showed but that didn’t matter. The crowd were content with Billy Smythe. Denby, Cheryl, John, Kathy, Foxy and Debbie had all made the journey down to support their Billy. They took the piss out of him unmercifully but he took it well. He knew they were immensely proud of him.

A few local dignitaries took to the stage to welcome them to Clacton. The dignitaries went down like a bag of sick. The crowd obviously identified them with the reactionary windbags of old. But when Billy took to the stage the crowd went wild.

‘Wow!’ Billy said from the wings, prior to the event, surveying the enormous sea of faces. The square was packed and still people were arriving down the various streets converging on the square. Everywhere was awash with flags like a great field of red and white sunflowers.

When the moment came Billy strode the stage like a veteran showing no signs of nerves. He told the crowd just what they wanted to hear. ‘We have been invaded!! They are trying to destroy our culture – what do we say to that?’

The crowd told him exactly what they said to that. They wanted the alien lizards out! And they expressed that in no uncertain terms: ‘FUCK THE LIZARDS! FUCK THE LIZARDS!’

‘They’re trying to impose foreign control on us! The think that having a global government will solve all our problems. I say their idea of unity is nothing less than tyranny!’

‘FUCK THE LIZARDS! FUCK THE LIZARDS!’

‘They tell us that they are revamping our education system. That they are transforming our schools. Setting up propaganda machines more like! Brainwashing our kids!’

‘FUCK THE LIZARDS! FUCK THE LIZARDS!’

‘They’ve taken our military apart and think we are helpless. They think we are helpless. I ask you – ARE WE HELPLESS??’

‘FUCK THE LIZARDS! FUCK THE LIZARDS!’

By the time Billy had finished winding them up they were ready to tear the lizards apart with their bare hands.

‘Let’s go to the camp and show them that we don’t want them or their ideas here! We’re British! This is our country! We want our country back!’

‘FUCK THE LIZARDS! FUCK THE LIZARDS!’

‘WE WANT OUR COUNTRY BACK!’

The news was dominated by the massive protest.

The Cleansing – 32 – Chapter 16

Posted on by Opher

Taking heed of the effect of the European cultures and their colonisation of the world, with the destruction and disillusionment that followed, the loss of confidence, I transposed that to the alien invasion. I coupled that with the modern populist wave of propaganda and undermining of institutions and media. The resultant instability was open for exploitation. My aliens were at odds with each other. They were seeking different outcomes. Human civilisation was in meltdown.

Chapter 16 – Progress

Beheggakegri was beginning to feel more relaxed. The camps were far less crowded and the amenities improved. He was confident that if they were inspected now they would just about pass. The lunar facilities were coming on apace with some parts already up and running. They had shipped in the expertise from around the Federation and were already beginning to work on the Hydrans. If drangling Booghramakegra started poking her nose in now she couldn’t find too much to blame Beheggakegri with. He could refute all that excrement emanating from Chameakegra. He was in the clear. A great feeling of relief passed through him.

Good luck to all those therapists. He was sure that they could apply their therapies and potions to their hearts content but they’d soon find out that they were wasting their time.  These Hydrans were a lost cause and he would prove it. That Chameakegra was heading for a downfall.

As for Grrndakegra, that Giforian seemed to be coming through. He liked her. She was like him, no nonsense. She could see what these Hydrans were like from the start. If she’d only been in charge of the operation from the very beginning these Hydrans would be gone and forgotten and he wouldn’t have even had to think about drangling Commander Chameakegra. She’d be off doing her mundane work out in the periphery where she belonged, unseen, unnoticed and out of his crest. When this debacle was over he’d have her commission, she’d be gone for good. The sooner he could get back to normal the better. All this business with Chameakegra was upsetting his digestion.

Grrndakegra would sort it out. He felt confident again.

No sooner had Beheggakegri begun to relax when the next problem hit home.

‘What is it?’ Beheggakegri asked abruptly, answering the special encrypted communicator he kept for all commerce with Grrndakegra. When that communicator buzzed it usually meant something was wrong.

‘Have you seen what our darling Commander has just put out?’

‘No,’ Beheggakegri replied with a sinking pair of hearts. What had the drangling guff done now?

‘I suggest you check your mail. She’s pasted you in.’

Beheggakegri fumbled around with his other communicator. Immediately he could see that a colossal file had been sent through to him. ‘What the drang?’

‘She’s only gone and released all the data that Neff had collected about the Hydrans.’

It took a moment for Beheggakegri to take that in. Slowly the implications dawned on him. ‘She wants to justify the extractions.’

‘That’s right.’

‘What are you going to do about it?’

‘I’m already on it,’ Grrndakegra replied. ‘I’m flooding their communication network with posts from a large number of reputable sources questioning the facts, contradicting, undermining and claiming it is all fake news. The dissident factions are already claiming it’s a fabrication; a conspiracy put together by the Federation. I’m boosting that view on steroids. I’ll soon have the bulk of the Hydrans believing right is wrong. Doubt and distrust are our weapons. These Hydrans love to believe in conspiracies. They are so incredibly stupid.’

Beheggakegri laughed.

Progress was being made but Chameakegra knew that it was a race against time. Did she have the time to win the Hydrans over before Beheggakegri got his way?

Funding and expertise was being funnelled into education. Long-neglected schools refurbished, a new curriculum put into place that was mind expanding, creative and brought enjoyment to the heart of the process. In developing countries new facilities were under construction. Every youngster over the entire globe, for the first time, was going to receive a first class education. But there were problems emerging. Teachers could not be conjured out of nowhere and the new curriculum and styles of ‘active’ teaching were an anathema to a largely conservative profession. Despite the long-term benefits the short-term issues dominated. There was general disquiet and unrest. The unions became involved. Parents became anxious. Conspiracy theories blossomed – education was being taken over by the lizards. Children were to be brainwashed. Protests ensued. Soldiers were being brought in to fill gaps and soldiers are not renowned for compassion and empathy.

The protection of the environment was warmly received by environmental groups but also generated widespread anger. People were no longer allowed in areas they considered beauty spots. The turning over of whole areas to nature met a furious response. We were being told where we could go and what we could do. This wasn’t right. Restrictions on fishing, trawling, farming, mining and logging, no matter how beneficial they might prove in the long run, were garnishing widespread dissatisfaction. Rewilding became a dirty word. Who were these aliens to barge in and tell everyone what they could and could not do on their own planet?

New quantum energy plants were under construction using alien technology but a new energy grid cannot be constructed overnight even with the amazing resources that the aliens could bring to bear.

The revamping of industry with the incorporation of new technologies required time and expertise. People had to be trained.

The data drop that Chameakegra had instigated had certainly made an impact. The media had delighted in picking over the dubious actions and attributes of their pet politicians, celebrities and business magnates. They were shown up for the horrible selfish people they really were, yet strangely it did not spin the dial as much as Chameakegra had hoped. The campaign claiming that the reports had all been doctored, were fake and created by the lizards greatly undermined the impact. People became confused. What could they believe? Who could they trust?

The most noticeable effect of the aliens’ occupation, apart from the huge impact of the excising of so many people from the upper echelons, was the disbandment of the military. The Federation with the help of the Ministry of Peace under Apsara Amorin, managed the decommissioning of equipment, including nuclear arsenals, warships, planes and missiles but the personnel were suddenly surplus to requirements. All over the world soldiers, sailors and airmen were stood down. The knock on effects were enormous, the whole defence industries, the supply and support along with surveillance, planning and organisation. The mass unemployment created huge problems. People could not simply be retrained overnight.

They were all compensated. The Federation seemed happy to support a large number of unemployed people. That was not an issue. Their resources were unimaginable. That was not the issue. The issue was time. Work filled time. Work gave purpose, status and self-worth. When the work stopped people had time but no drive. They were at a loose end. Time was the enemy. They felt as if they had been robbed. They no longer mattered. They had far too much time.

Then there was religion. All over the world the religious fundamentalists felt that their faith and beliefs were under attack. Attacking or denigrating a person’s deep-felt faith was incendiary. There were no holds barred to a religious fanatic.

People did not like change.

Whenever there had been periods of change there had always been great civil unrest. It took time for change to bed in.

Never in human history had so much change happened so quickly. The whole world had been turned upside down. Not only that, but inside, people were suffering from a demoralising malaise. It was the same psychological collapse that had affected the human cultures following their contacts with the superior technology of the European nations. The arrival of the huge sailing ships with their mystical death-dealing cannons, horses, armour and weapons undermined the very psyche of the cultures they encountered. The tribes, with their canoes, bows and arrows and spears, were suddenly up against people who not only looked different but acted different and brought new religions and weaponry. These tribes could not conceive of how anybody could build a colossal schooner or make a cannon. These strangers appeared like gods. It undermined every belief the endemic people held. Their worth disappeared. They were inferior in every respect. They felt worthless.

Such was the impact of superior technology.

It was the same with the aliens. They left people feeling that their beliefs, culture and lives were worthless. All over the world people were feeling hopeless, floundering and losing the will to live.

Soldiers, miners, fishermen and timber merchants were thrown on the scrap heap, but they were only the tangible symptoms. The very tenets of all religions had been thrown into question and fundamentalists were vainly trying to hold their hands over their ears and eyes. They did not want to hear it or see it. In reality the whole of humanity was now worthless. There was nothing to hold on to anymore. All social cohesion and inner pride had evaporated.

If this was what progress looked like then it was better to live in the past. At least in the old days there was certainty. Now nobody knew what to believe and all beliefs were either discarded or open to question.

The Cleansing – 31 – Chapter 15 continued

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

Sci-fi for me is a way to explore the real world and real people. I don’t write space opera. My heroes are Philip K Dick and Robert Sheckley. I like it grounded in insightful realism.

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Billy was also caught up in an inferno. Except his was a joy and he was blossoming. The flames of dissent were igniting in his head and being fanned by millions of followers making him feel energised and indestructible. The momentum was building and Billy found himself gathering dissenters like a mighty avalanche careering down a mountainside building as it went. Billy was caught up in it like a fly trapped on a treacle trap, except he was basking in every minute of it. All his time was devoted to the movement – trawling the net, gathering the latest gossip, theories, gripes and information, distilling it into a series of blogs and rants. He’d purchased software and hardware and harnessed Dom the Geek from down the road to set it up. His and Charlene’s bedroom had been transformed into a studio. Now he ran a daily podcast in which he shared his ‘wisdom’. There was no shortage of help. Donations were flooding in. He could afford to do it right – the best cameras and microphones – a real professional job.

Gone were the days of standing on the bar at the Ashley addressing a measly hundred or so, or even holding a meeting at the community centre to address hundreds; he was now on line with an audience in the millions. There wasn’t a hall big enough to accommodate them. Billy had discovered that he had a knack for this podcasting; he just poured out all the stuff he’d picked up and gave it his ‘Smythe charm’. Everyone was suitably impressed at how natural he was – like he’d always played with microphones. Charly had always said he had the gift of the gab.

‘You’re a dark horse,’ Charly chortled. ‘Who’d have thought that you had it in you?’ She was checking out the hits on Billy’s latest rant. The numbers were going through the ceiling.

‘It needs doing,’ Billy replied, a slight modest blush tinging his cheeks. ‘We can’t let these lizards steal out bloody country, Charly.’

‘There’s a lot of people feel the same,’ Charly observed, looking at the latest figures. ‘The trouble is what can we actually do about it?’

‘I’m working on that,’ Billy replied with a smug look on his face.

‘Billy, what are you up to?’

‘We can’t just sit around and moan, can we?’

Charly looked sideways at him. Billy wasn’t a deep thinker. She knew that. He had trouble booking a restaurant for an anniversary surprise.

‘There’s this guy on the web,’ Billy explained. ‘Likes to keep in the background. Some rich geezer. Chucks in most of the readies. He’s as pissed off with the lizards as I am.’

‘And what’s he going to do with anything?’ Charly enquired doubtfully.

‘He’s full of ideas. Things I’d never have thought off. They’re dragging people off to these camps and wiping their brains, you know? The ones they’re not bumping off. He thinks we have to do something about it’

‘I’ve read all that,’ Charly muttered. ‘Don’t know if it’s really true.’

‘It’s true. This guy is sending me stuff. I’ve got the pictures to prove it. They’re ending up like zombies. Their brains wiped clean. He sent me photos. They look like they’re on fentanyl.’

‘And where’s he getting these photos from?’

‘He has contacts.’

She looked at him questioningly. Billy could be a bit gullible at times.

‘I dunno,’ Charly said thoughtfully. ‘They’ve rounded up a right bunch. I never liked the look of that Musk and Farage and their ilk. Glad to see the back of them.’ She chuckled. ‘I don’t even mind if their brains are turned to mush.’

‘Farage is alright,’ Billy protested. ‘A man of the people.’

‘Man of the people my arse,’ Charly sneered. ‘A fucking merchant banker with the gift of the gab who’s jumped on the bandwagon to easy street.’

Billy kept quiet. Farage was one of the few things they disagreed on.

‘So what are the big ideas then?’

‘Well,’ Billy shifted around, ‘protests and stuff.’

‘Protests and stuff?’

‘You know, marches and protests at the camps.’

‘You don’t even know where the camps are.’

‘Yes I do. He’s sent me the details.’ Billy was indignant. ‘There’s one at Clacton. Used to be an old holiday camp and then army base. They’ve taken it all over and put up these huts. He’s sent me photos.’ Billy was enthusiastic.

Charly looked sceptical. ‘What are you going to do there?’

‘We’re gonna march down and have a protest at the camp.’

‘And you’re organising this.’

‘I am,’ Billy said, looking pleased with himself. ‘I’m putting out the stuff this week. I’ve been preparing it.’ He showed Charlene the material he had stashed away in a file on his computer. There was a lot. She trawled through the headlines, photos, posters and details with a wary eye. This looked professional, not at all like Billy’s work. ‘I tell you Charly, we’re putting England at the centre of the whole fucking world!’

‘Looks really impressive,’ Charly remarked with a hint of doubt. ‘What’s all this about trains and busses?’

‘This guy says he will lay on special trains and coaches to take people to the place, even laying on fucking planes to bring people from abroad. We’re expecting thousands,’ he was excited. ‘He’s doing banners and all sorts. All I’ve got to do is publicise it through my blog, stir up interest. He’ll do the rest. Amazing eh?’

Charly fixed him with a wary eye. ‘You be careful you don’t get yourself brain wiped, Billy.’

Chameakegra was in her quarters checking through the material Neff had sent through to her. There were gigabytes of the stuff – all the details on each and every Hydran who had been extracted. The descriptions were graphic, highlighting their personality defects and crimes against humanity.

Judge Booghramakegra was right. This was nuclear. Surely if all this information was released every Hydran would clearly see that they had ample grounds for excising them from society. These people were sick. What they had been doing was criminal. They were the reason the whole world was in such a grave mess.

By removing them Hydran society had an opportunity to heal. People would be able to see that. This could change the balance of opinion. All Hydrans would see why they were doing it.

All that remained to be done was to decide how to release this massive body of material. There was far too much for anyone to read through. But was that necessary? They could dip in to select certain individuals of interest. By seeing the despicable activities of some characters, and having the whole body of information to back that up, they would surely see that the reasons were valid? The guilty ones had to be dealt with.

Even so there remained nagging doubts. Chameakegra had come to realise that many Hydrans were not rational beings. No matter what evidence they were provided with they tended to stick to their own prejudices. That couldn’t be helped. They believed or they didn’t. She had to put that down to the way Hydran’s minds operated. At least a percentage would be won over. She had to hope it was a large percentage. One thing she was sure of was that it could not do any harm. Let some of them believe that it was all made up. There was little she could do about that.  It was no good worrying about lost causes.

So what was the best way to get the information out to the widest audience? That was easy. She would ask Neff to release it to all media outlets and simultaneously send it out on all social media and communication platforms. Let them pick over it and select the morsels they found most interesting.

She set about producing a short introduction to accompany the release:

Dear Hydrans,

I am releasing the raw data that provides the justification for why we have extracted a large number of your citizens. There are a variety of criteria we have applied. Our investigations have been thorough and in depth. We have identified all those guilty of the following crimes against humanity:

Committing or instigating violence

Corruption and bribery

Greed

Racism, sexism and misogyny

Religious and/or political extremism

Indoctrination and brainwashing

Crime

Wanton destruction of the environment

It is our contention that these people are mentally or emotionally ill. Their illness has detrimentally impacted on your society. By removing these antisocial individuals we are enabling your society to heal.

The individuals that we have removed are not being punished; they are being cured of their various illnesses. When their rehabilitation is complete they will be returned to you unharmed and no longer suffering from their antisocial attitudes.

I hope this clarifies our actions for you.

Chameakegra – Commander of the Hydra Mission

When she had completed everything she had a moment’s reflection; should she involve Grrndakegra or Beheggakegri? Grrndakegra was joint Commander. Surely she needed to be updated? Yes. But not before the material had circulated.

She pasted Grrndakegra, Beheggakegri and Judge Booghramakegra into the release. Her claw hovered over it for a second, then the button was pressed, Neff received her instructions and the massive file of documents was on its way.