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The Young Pioneers
23:26 Jul 06 2015
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The Young Pioneers

Part One

Chapter One

The National Service Act of 2085 came into being to provide workers and soldiers for the country; now divided into kingdoms once again, since the dissolution of the former United Kingdom and, its colonies.

An Empire had been made and lost in a few hundred years and now, the smaller countries left, England, Wales and Scotland paid fealty to the Walled Kingdom, of Greater London.

“After all,” reasoned the Capital Kingdom’s finest, “For centuries we have looked after the rest of the country with our good guidance, it is time that they now look after the Capital, it’s time of need…”

And, the Capital needed aid, for it needed resources and manpower…

Yet the requirements of the few meant that many paid the price, with their time, money and their lives…

*

Since the dissolution of the United Kingdom into four different kingdoms, many of the North resented the tax-takers of the South, who insisted that wars; overseas-aid and, the NHS had to be funded.

As the edict came from the South there was dissent; yet those who had created the Great Wall cared little: “for after all,” Prime-Minister Leeson reminded Parliament, “We collect the taxes, we pay the police and army. Power, as it was in the days of the venerable Lady Thatcher; The Power is ours…”

He had stood, hands resting on the podium before him, glaring down the opposition, not one of whom had a heart that was not owned by one of the corporations, who made donations, to both sides of The House of Parliament.

“And so, chaos would remain, until England’s saviour rose once more…’

He had heard the story many times, as he had grown up midst the small tenements and cobbled streets of the last cities of the Great Northern Powerhouse; and now simply known as, Greater Liverpool.

*

It was only now though that the story meant quite so much to the tall dark-haired youth. His girl, Amanda Jane, had got a job in the community, as a maid for one of the wealthiest families behind the Great Wall.

So it was when his call up papers came through, James Tulliver pocketed the green sheets and took himself to the state offices in town, to acknowledge their receipt, with stoic resignation. ‘And besides,’ he mused, ‘The penalty for not doing so under the Act was imprisonment for one’s family.’ And, as James loved his Mother and younger brother and sister, he was not doing a runner.

He’d already chosen what he’d do, knowing full well the risks that were carried with his decision. Yet to James, his option was a simple one and, far better than working in the community, or being a soldier, protecting borders that had eroded years earlier.

There were three strands within the Act, service to the community, the armed forces and, the pioneer corps.

Service to the community was wide-ranging, encompassing hospital, civil service and other utilitarian services that the Capital might require. Service in the armed forces meant defending the borders, of what had been the former United Kingdom; while the pioneer corps provided the men and women, the corporations needed, to assist in their expansion into the exploration of outer space, in whatever capacity deemed necessary, by the corporations and, the state.

James Tulliver had lived all his life in the shadow of the Bird of Greater Liverpool, often pausing to wonder at those who had decided to spend so much money on it being built when so few had real jobs and, many were starving.

“One has to speculate, to accumulate,” the portly Mayor had told the press, the day it had been placed in situ, just a week before the developers had pulled out of the city, leaving many projects unfinished and unemployment rocketing.

“Speculate to accumulate,” James muttered, as he made his way from reception, to the small office on the third floor of the three-storey building, where those showing an in interest in the Pioneer Corps.

A bench seat faced a second, outside the red door and several young people sat on them, all of them looking as wary as James felt, as he took a seat himself.

After a considerable wait the door was opened by a young woman of Asian appearance who wore a tailored jacket and skirts the colours of The Milieu Corporation.

She only called out three names, ‘Tierson, Locke and Tulliver.’

The rest knew that they would be added to clearing and, then issued a post that would be hardly of their own choosing.

But, although many chose the Pioneer Corps as their option of choice, the Pioneer Corps chose few of them: and, that was the message played out throughout the media.

The truth was different.

“Take a seat,” Mishura told her candidates and the fortunate chosen did as they’d been instructed; ready to be inducted into their initial foray into the corporate world.

Or, to be more precise… out of this world.

Chapter Two

Inside the otherwise sterile room, were table and chairs for thirty people.

With a casual gesture of her hand, Mishura indicated that they use the seating at the front, opposite the large desk.

James and his two fellows, one male and one female, took their seats.

“Whatcha think happened to the others?” Quizzed the young man seated to James right, of both him and, the young woman.

“Conjecture is quite irrelevant. Information is important…” Mishura snapped, as she turned away from the wall she had written on.

‘The individual stands alone and weak. As part of the whole, he is strong.’ James Tulliver read the red letters, on the white wall: he could just imagine the handbook that it had been taken from.

James wanted to tell the woman that she was wrong and, that the individual’s strength came from within and, not the whole. But, he did not.

‘After all,’ James reasoned, ‘she’s part of their corporate world, so would hardly understand the notion of personal freedom.’

He almost smiled at the idea, but did not.

James had grown at a time in England’s history when the South had grown even richer, while those North of The Great Wall grew weaker.

There were few jobs for people like him: ‘but there was the draft,’ he thought with irony, ‘and, his time to shine.’ Or, so the adverts showed.

And then, abruptly, James was drawn from his reverie, a clap of hands.

The writing disappeared and, Mishura turned her attention to her small class.

“I am Mishura Johnstone and, I’ll be your coach through your transition from ‘useless to society’ to useful to society.’” The attractive woman’s face was impassive, her make-up creating a doll-like image.

“Now, as to what happened to your companions? Well… Amanda Tierson, Mark Locke and, James Tulliver…” At the mention of their names, each nodded…

“It is not your concern, to worry about them. But do think of yourselves, because while you are with us, you will be training under rigorous conditions; conditions that will test you…” She looked at each of them, in turn: “both mentally and physically.”

Amanda made to lift her arm twice, before finally raising it, “Erm, Miss Johnstone… why were we chosen?”

For a millisecond it was as if the mask she wore might break, allowing a hint of a smile: neither happened; Mishura Johnstone was too controlled to allow it.

Yet, it was with a twinkle in her eyes that she responded, “That young lady might be why you were chosen…”

Amanda continued to watch Mishura’s face as she answered, listening carefully to the answers given.

“Or it could be that you were the first to question…” Mishura expounded; “or like your companions to your right…”

Amanda coughed, before interjecting: “In other words,” she concluded, “there is little chance of a direct answer to my questions is there?”

In the silence that followed, each of the young people looked to the other…

Chapter Three

Mishura did not respond, at first. But moments passed as she looked to her right knee, before she crossed her legs with a swish of nylon and, then clasped her hands together in her lap...

“Genetic markers and other factors, define the areas you’re assigned to… That is why those in the corridor were chosen to be Pioneers…” She paused, looking at each of the young people before her in turn, before returning her gaze to Amanda, with a desire to see whether the importance of what she had said was understood.

“So we were chosen for something else then…” Amanda asserted, with confidence.

“Astute,” Mishura told her, standing once more and smoothing out the creases in her grey figure-hugging dress.

At that moment a voice in her left ear told her, “Stop playing around Mishura; they’re all signed-up, aren’t they?”

“No sir,” she replied, gazing from the window that had appeared, with the wave of a hand. And, Mishura gazed down at the worker ants, hurrying back and forth, as they fed the system; their system: “But they will be, soon…”

She turned away and, the view disappeared.

“Expansion is the key,” she told the small group: “So it has been and, so it will be.”

From her desk Mishura took out three info-packs, which held all the details her candidates would need, for the initial phase of the programme.

“Now do you recall that I said that each of you had been chosen?” she enquired, handing the packs to Amanda.

James and Mark nodded, as did Amanda, as she passed two of the packs to James.

“Well, there’s a bonus; if you sign up for this part of the programme: a large bonus that your family will benefit from, as you serve the extension to your three years…”

There was no hesitation, each of them signed; as Mishura knew they would.

Each of them had their own reasons for signing. For James it was his Mother.

Yet, the reasons they signed mattered not: the three had signed up for the extension, ‘not having read the small print’, Mishura thought; ‘the young fools.’ She knew what would lay ahead for the three young people, the ultimate Young Pioneers.

Their DNA had proven compatible with a new form of stasis chamber, meant for periods of extended use. After all, when man reached the stars, he would need his starships maintained; he would need provisions; leisure and pleasure. All that could be provided by the service industry.

That was the reason why there was the extension to the governments three year programme – it covered the candidates travelling time to work.

And, there would be work: the building of the colonies and, the staff needed to supply them and, The Mileu Corporation would benefit meeting that need, having been in the service industry, for a millennia.

‘After all,’ Mishura considered, as her candidates continued to fill in their personal details, ‘the North has always served the South…’

*