We the People Are Good to Eat

10

Outside the City Building, on the remains of the ancient highway, an armed Patrol of a half dozen men and women approached Dave and Karen from the west, moving through the waist high weeds. They wore light blue shirts, black pants and black boots, and carried crossbows with arrows ready to shoot.

Dave and Karen stood beside the barrier, holding their wooden clubs, at waist height.

She said, "Welcome to Paradise Dave."

"Right."

The Patrol halted about 30 feet from them. The Patrol Leader, who had Sergeant stripes on the shoulder of his shirt, called out.

"In the name of the Sovereign State of New Jersey, I order you to put down your weapons and come with us peacefully!"

Karen raised her club and shouted, "Not if I'm gonna get raped!"

She raised her club higher, expecting to get shot and killed, with an arrow through her chest.

The Sergeant called out; "We are Officers of the Law! I assure you, that neither of you will be harmed in any way, if you put down your weapons, and come with us now!"

Dave dropped his club, and raised his hands.

Karen said, "Dave? You're wimping out?"

"This isn't a combat game Karen. The Warrior Code doesn't apply out here. This is their jurisdiction, and they've given us a legal order. We have to obey it."

Karen reluctantly dropped her club, and raised her hands with a sigh.

The Patrol came over to the two High School students, and stood around them with their weapons lowered.

The Sergeant said, "Young lady, we are God fearing people. Just cooperate with us, and you will have nothing to fear."

Then he said, "You two came through the airlock, which is in violation of the Environmental Protocols."

Dave said, "We apologize Sergeant. We didn't realize that we'd violated any law. As a matter of fact, we had no idea that anyone was living out here at all. If you let us go now, I promise that we'll go right back inside the City Building, and you'll never see the two of us out here again."

"That will not be possible." The man told Dave and Karen. "Anyone who leaves the City Building can't ever return. The airlock can not be opened from the outside."

Karen gasped, "You mean we're out here, in this wilderness, permanently?"

He said, "We can not allow people inside the City, to learn that life exists out here. Once they do, they'll come pouring out through the airlocks by the millions. We can not allow the thoroughly corrupt, immoral, depraved and violent customs, of the City of Manhattan Building, to be inflicted upon our fellow citizens."

"Sergeant." Dave said, "You aren't the only people, who know that we're out here."

He asked, "Who else knows?"

"Just one other person knows right now, but she's sure to tell others, and everyone in the City'll know it in the next few days. Then everything out here is going to change; whether you like it or not."

The Sergeant said, "Come with us."

The Patrol then escorted Dave and Karen along the remains of the highway, which went between high stone walls. Then they ascended a ramp to the right, and began moving along tree lined streets among overgrown ruins.

They halted beside a padlocked door. The Sergeant had a keychain on his belt. He took one key, then unlocked and opened the door. Dave and Karen were escorted through the doorway, into a tiny room, with a small window up against the ceiling, and a table with two chairs.

The Sergeant told them, "We'll be back."

Then the Patrol went outside, and shut the door. They heard the padlock click, and the Patrol move away.

"What's going on Dave?" Karen asked, "If they don't want City people to know, that they can live out here, why didn't they kill us on the spot?"

"He said they're God fearing people."

"But it still doesn't make sense not to kill us."

"Maybe they're keeping us alive temporarily, until we're interrogated."

Karen was horrified. "'Interrogated'? You mean they're gonna torture us?"

"Not if we just tell them everything we can, about what they want to know. That shouldn't take long. You and I'll probably be dead within an hour."

She said, "What if they ask us about things we don't know about? What if they ask us, if there are any plans for the City to invade out here? We’re High School kids. We don't know anything about the City's plans for anything; but they might not believe us; so we're gonna be tortured. They might start killing us within the hour, but it'll take us many hours to die. I'm prepared for an arrow or any kind of blade through the boobs. The pain'd vanish in a moment; but I'm not prepared for torture."

"Karen don't panic.” Dave told her, “What you're talking about, is the way they interrogate people in the movies. This isn't a movie. These people aren't savages. I'm sure they'll kill us in a way that's quick and civilized."

She sat in one of the chairs beside the table and sighed. "I hope so."

He sat in the other chair.

Dave reached in his jacket pocket, and took out his multi-tasker once more.

He said, "You're right Karen. They made a mistake, by not killing us on the spot. I'm gonna see if I can get Louise this time."

He dialed his girlfriend's phone number, and listened.

Then he said, "Still just a recording."

Dave hung up, and put the tasker back in his pocket.

They remained seated in the nearly empty room for more than an hour. Then they heard the padlock click open. Dave and Karen jumped to their feet.

He said, "Welcome to Paradise Karen."

"Welcome to Paradise Dave."

The door opened. The Sergeant and one Deputy stepped inside, both armed with crossbows. The Deputy also carried a small, brown paper bag.

"Sergeant." Dave said, "Miss Bennet and I have decided to cooperate with you fully. We'll tell you everything you want to know, to the best of our ability; so that you won't think it necessary to torture us, before we're killed.”

Karen added, "I also ask not be raped, or dishonored in any way, before you kill me."

"The bravery of you two, is truly admirable," the Sergeant chuckled, "but tortured? Raped? Killed? What kind of savages do you think we are?"

Dave said, "Oh I didn't think you were Sergeant. We just wanted to make sure."

Now the Sergeant and the Deputy both chuckled. The Deputy tossed the brown paper bag on the table.

"We thought you might be hungry," he told them, "so we brought you some sandwiches. Just cold cuts for now. You'll have something warm to eat later."

Dave asked, "'Cold cuts'? Cuts of meat?"

"That's right. Ham, chicken, and turkey slices."

"Animal meat?"

The Deputy said, "I hope you like it."

Karen asked, "Something warm to eat later? Aren't you gonna kill us now?"

The Sergeant spoke firmly. "I said we are God fearing people. Since we can't allow you to return to the City, we'll have you transported far enough away, so that you won't be able to return."

Dave asked, "Are you taking us to jail?"

"No. You'll be going to a community of God fearing people, where you'll be treated right. I'm not sure exactly where it is yet. We're trying to arrange for transportation. It might take a good amount of time."

Then he and the deputy went outside and shut the door.

Karen heard the Sheriff laugh. "Rape? Her? Hah! Talk about conceited."

Karen looked annoyed at his words, while the padlock clicked again.

Dave said, "They've left, and we're alive?"

Karen snapped, "What was the matter with you Dave?"

"Me? What'd I do?"

"Why'd you have to wimp out and surrender in the first place? If you hadn't, we'd both now'd be comfortably dead. Instead of that, they're gonna take us who knows where?" She whimpered. "We'll never see our homes again, or our families, or anyone who means anything to us either, ever again!"

"Karen. It doesn't have to be that way."

"Well what way should it be Dave? The way it should be, is that I should be a dead combat team girl, with an arrow sticking through her boob. 'Sexy meat to cook and eat." That's someone you could be proud of. I shouldn't be locked in here, crying like a baby!"

Dave came over, put his hands around the trembling Karen, and held her gently, while she tried to suppress her tears.

The multi-tasker phone in the pocket of his jacket rang. Dave stepped back from Karen, took the phone out, turned it on and put it to his ear.

"Hello."

"Dave." The caller said, "It's Louise. I just got your message. What's going on with you and Karen? You're outside the City Building?"

"That's right. Permanently. We're locked out permanently. Karen and I can never get back inside. Ever."

"You're locked out?"

"Listen Louise. Whatever Alyce guessed, about the father of Karen's future children, there's a possibility that she may have guessed right."