Free The Transdyne Awakening by Chris Betts

been a division between the Military and a Polibro force was long forgotten. A Polibro trooper now saw no contradiction in turning his weaponry on citizens when ordered. Alongside the regular troupers, Trans were employed. By this time people were so confused and weary that they welcomed the strong arm of World Law. Before the big public viewscreens, crowds wept at Romano’s rhetoric.
    “You can once again sleep safely in your homes, thanks to World Government. You can buy food from the State Hypermarts, thanks to World Government. You owe your security to World Government. There is only one peace - World Peace. There is only one law - World Law. There is only one way - The Way Of The New World Order.”
    As the World Federation came into being, national standing armies simply ceased to exist. There was one Government, one rule, one law for all. To try to live outside this all-encompassing web was to risk death. If you were not in the system, you were an antisocial element. You could not officially buy or sell anything. You had no status. You became an ‘un-person’. The wise few who had foreseen the emergence of the Superstate had made their own preparations. It had taken many years to lay the foundations of a system as massive and overarching as World Government. As these foundations were being put into place, other builders had been at work.
    Clay had heard John’s account of his father. He had been an engineer and had gathered around him a team of likeminded men. They knew that they would be marked out as antisocials. Once identified by the new surveillance grids, their spiritual principles ensured them an appointment with the guillotines.
    John’s father had been one of the original planning group for The Way. His vision for a free community based on shared principles, along with brilliant engineering skills, had helped shape the scheme. Right from the outset, they had all pooled whatever possessions or real estate they had to invest in their goal. On the road between vision and the present reality, the people of this community had overcome hardship and tragedy. John’s father had been arrested while bargaining for a consignment of off-market electronic supplies. Both he and his contact had been executed as antisocials. The remaining group had continued, building on the template he had fashioned. Soon there were several small communities living outside the scope of the New Society.
    Clay turned in very late and fell easily asleep without the aid of any pills. Each time he came here, he knew he would find readjusting to his established work mode more problematic. It really was like shuttling between two very different worlds.

Y URI
    The heat persisted. It took Clay into its smothering embrace every time he stepped from the terraglide. He was beginning to feel detached from the work of day-to-day deliveries and account collections. He tried to keep up appearances and put the tasks back on, like old familiar clothes.
    He was sure of being watched as he approached the palatial double storey building. He slowed to take in the manicured garden space. A blaze of brightly coloured flowers stood out from the background of lush green. A garden sprinkler came on, throwing out a rainbow of spray. The whole place was beautiful. He took his time, enjoying the fragrance of the plants mixed with the scent of damp grass. Yuri was looking down from the balcony above him as he stopped the vehicle.
    “You’re late, my little man,” he said.
    “Don’t call me your little man!” Clay barked back at him. He detested Yuri and his whole coterie. Only people like Yuri could afford the kind of luxury on display here. That meant that he had standing with a lot of people. To Clay he was just another customer, dependent on Ahab for supplies of his favourite stimulants. Clay didn’t crane his neck looking up at him. Ignoring the two bodyguards, he waited for the big door to open and walked inside. Yuri descended the stairs and said,