Do You Ever Ask "What If?"

It is sometimes necessary to stop and ask "What if?"  By that I mean that we should occasionally consider present circumstances and through reasoning, project what the future consequences might be.  The following fictional piece is a result of that thought process:

The knock on the door was loud and unexpected.  I had been sitting at my computer for the last hour searching the Dark Web for recipes on how to prepare a beef brisket I had come into possession of through a black market friend of mine.  In spite of all efforts to the contrary, an underground economy in animal proteins still survived.

It was too late to silence my illegal generator but, after quickly closing my Browser window, I went to the door to see who would interrupt my peaceful Sunday afternoon.  It was an officer from Homeland serving me with notice that I was being removed to one of the reservations that had been established in southern Texas.  The notice was not totally unexpected since I was an unrepentant “rural” who refused to move to the megalopolis and was not an employee of the government.  I had ten minutes to gather anything I wished to take with me on the trip; there was no appeal.  While I gathered my things the officers dismantled my satellite receiver and confiscated my computer.

Ever since control of the country had fallen into the hands of the “Democracy for All” party, what few remaining liberties we had fell quickly to the tyranny of the state.  The proliferation of laws “protecting” the rights of "the people" had eliminated almost all freedom to do as one chose and replaced it with the all-encompassing control of those in power.

Virtually all food was now imported from other countries or manufactured in the large syn-food factories springing up across the country and what had previously been farms and ranches now were being turned into vast parks to serve as a playground for the rich and famous.  Those of us who once had fed the world suddenly found ourselves unemployed and unwanted wards of the state.  Formerly thriving communities were now mostly vacant except for the remaining holdouts like me who would stay until forced out.

It was futile to resist since the officer serving the warrant was backed by almost thirty police in full riot gear.  Other troops were scattered up and down the street doing the same to my few remaining neighbors, so I politely invited them inside while I began gathering my things.  I had known this day was coming since all utilities and other services had been cut off in recent weeks in an effort to “encourage” holdouts to cooperate.

I had no idea what conditions were like on the reservations since communication with them had been strictly controlled after they were established earlier this year. There was no indication in the summons about what to expect.  I grabbed several boxes of energy bars and a few changes of clothing.  The rest of my pack was filled with items I thought might be useful for trade.

Because of my cooperation, the officers were vigilant, but reasonably easy to get along with.  The one in charge watched my packing and offered affirmative comments as I made my selections.  He wasn’t like many of the power-hungry troops that were employed by the state, but was just a guy doing his job.

The helicopter trip to the temporary departure detention facility was short.  There was little air traffic, or ground traffic for that matter, since the only people authorized to travel were either government employees, wealthy political donors or, celebrities.  The waiting area was filled with small family groups with wailing children and a few old timers like me who had resigned looks on their faces.  Most of the younger resisters were either dead or, in hiding.  The few present in the facility were handcuffed and under guard.  It would do to watch them upon arrival since most had nothing with them and would be desperate for supplies when they got to our destination.

It all began with a coup in Washington.  Legal processes had failed to accomplish the ends of those who wished to overthrow the elected leaders and retain their stranglehold on power.  With the collapse of their efforts, the militarized agencies of government which had been secretly stockpiling weapons for years, were deployed at the behest of the “deep state.”  It was in their interest to maintain the status quo, so they were a willing army.  There had been only a few pockets of open resistance and those were quickly overcome.  Besides, most firearms had been confiscated in the first round of raids by federal forces.

It had been six weeks since the orders for mandatory removal to temporary housing in the cities had been broadcast.  It would take months for the federal forces to complete the process.  There were rumors that many in the military were opposed to the new powers and planning something, but news was being tightly controlled and the stories couldn’t be verified….