The clock hits midnight and the crowd cheers, 2050 is here!
Hello everyone, my name is Bread and today my team and I are proud to present the very first Chaos in Diversity Progress Report. Though our discord has been filled with teasers and development updates, our development team has finally reached a point where we have enough content done to showcase it all to you in a more formal setting. So, what is this mod?

Introduction To Dystopia:

Chaos in Diversity (or CiD) is an upcoming mod set not in the past but in the near future, 2050.
Though, notably, this is not our attempt to predict the future, only to create a world that seems plausible. We set ourselves a soft 'Point of Departure' in mid-2018, the point in which we would stop updating our lore in accordance with real world events. The sole exemption to this fact, so far, has been COVID-19, which we worked into our lore in one form. So remember, our history and the mod’s history have already departed in key ways, some of which you’ll be able to spot even in this PR.
The world of Chaos in Diversity is noticeably more multipolar than our own, due to both the decline of American influence and the rise of Chinese power on the world stage. An economic phenomena known as the Pacific Shift has seen the economic centre of the world rapidly shift towards the east, realigning the politics of the world drastically. Furthermore, climate change has continued on its seemingly unstoppable course, bringing rising sea levels, desertification, and countless events which will shape the lives of those within. Our development team has worked hard to create a world on the halfway point to a plausible dystopia: it seems as though the optimism of the early 21st century has been snuffed out and the global slide into mediocrity, despotism, and conflict appears inexorable.
Or perhaps not, should you play your cards right.
While there’s a lot of history to get into, we’ll be talking about one of our custom mechanics first. But before jumping into that, take a moment to enjoy these.
Our Starting Screen
Our World Map
And some of our Loading Screens which should help set the tone!
Now, please remember that everything here is a work in progress. Everything is subject to change, especially when it comes to balancing the mod.

Economic Points

At this point, we’re all quite familiar with HOI IV mods trying to emulate the complex system of economics that keep countries running. The clunky system inherited from base Hoi4 leaves much to be desired, as one designed purely for a massive endgame conflict. However, trying to accurately portray modern economics at this point (or even future economics) is a task which seems insurmountable. Systems which try to perfectly emulate real world economies tend to be restrictive rather than additive, limiting what are already fairly scarce mechanics from the base game even further. As such, we’ve had to turn to an old friend (or enemy, depending on who you ask): Abstraction.
That’s why we have tried a different approach with the introduction of the EP system (short for “economic points”). EPs are supposed to represent government income from taxes, trade and other forms of revenue and are used by the government to fund its services, invest into public works, or whatever other projects may come to mind. The EP system indirectly ties into laws and policies, as some policies have a cost to them that the government needs to pay. EP, in this regard, mostly works like political points and for good reason: by making government economics as abstract as the concept of “political power”, it fits right in the weird economic system of HOI IV as a type of monthly-gained mana instead of concepts such as GDP.
Economic Points
Let’s go over the different things you see, shall we:

1. Taxation income: a monthly income that depends on your total population and the amount of civilian factories that your nation has. To keep nations like China not too OP (and believe me, without this China was quite up there) the benefit you gain from civilian factories is lowered and the benefits of population are also lowered if a total population reaches a certain amount. Before that, India and China dominated in tax income, gaining around +1000 EP per month.
2. Other income: a catch-all-term for income that isn’t from taxing people or companies or from trade. This is mostly for events, decisions and focuses as a variable that isn’t tied to another variable like population.
3. Export: a monthly income depending on the pricing of resources and how much your nation exports. We get to the pricing of resources in a bit, but the general gist of export income should be quite clear.
4. Government expenses: a monthly cost that exists due to certain policies, laws and the size of the army.
5. Debt: currently still in a processing stage, but debt can be accumulated throughout the game by governments borrowing EPs from several institutions. This system should represent the old time v accessibility conflict, as a player can of course wait until he has enough EP to do certain projects but he can also decide to borrow enough EP to start his project early and pay more money as a result later. This system would also include interest on the paid debt, but again, it’s still WIP.
6. Corruption: unlike all the other things on here, corruption isn’t a simple cost or income, but instead a percentage that represents how much corruption your government has. Corruption is generally a bad thing to have, as it subtracts a percentage of your monthly income, and it’s thus recommended to keep it as low as possible.
7. Import: the opposite of export. Everything nations import will have a cost to it outside of the civilian factories that you trade in for your precious resources. Again, the cost of import is the amount of resources you import times the price of one piece of that resource. Which brings us to…
8. Resource prices: these variables are updated monthly and look at the total amount of a certain resource that is produced (the supply) and the amount that is imported globally (the demand), creating the price of the resources. Due to the prices being dependent on supply and demand, they’ll be quite volatile. What you can generally expect out of this is that prices for resources like steel and aluminium will increase during the game’s duration as more conflicts start and more military factories are built that need their resources, all the while the supply doesn’t change drastically. For oil, however, something different could happen. To increase the pricing of oil to make it profitable, civilian factories consume a small bit of fuel from gamestart, kickstarting quite a healthy oil price (testgames show an average starting price of around 10, which is 2.5 times as high as the average aluminium price and around 10 times as high as steel and rubber prices). However, later technologies will lower fuel consumption of these factories drastically, representing the shift away from fossil fuels in many nations and towards sustainable energy sources, which is great for the environment but can have a deadly impact on global oil prices. When the game reaches this stage, expect extreme measures to be taken by nations that depend on oil for their EP income (especially as some nations will have EP be directly tied to their survival as a state).

With Economic Points, we hope to create a system in which the player has MORE options to approach their gameplay with, rather than less. Sure, one might want to have as large a military as possible, but your EP will take a serious hit in the process.
Hell, who knows where a player might look for new opportunities to earn EP?
Onto the main content!

China (2050-2052)

In 2050, there is and shall be only one nation which can claim any sort of hegemony: The People’s Republic of China.
While the US saw defeat after defeat domestically and abroad, China seemed to simply move from triumph to triumph, each setback merely a bump in the road. Sure, COVID-25 was somewhat of an embarrassment but, as China led the world through the recovery process, people found they were willing to overlook it and politicians followed suit. Perhaps the Hong Kong situation was mishandled but, ultimately, the international scene eventually looked the other way, for what could be done to stop the CCP?
The situation in Xinjiang was an open secret, deeply horrifying, but would the world truly confront China on the matter? As the years passed, it seemed unlikely.
With economic growth that seemed unstoppable, a pragmatic leadership, and a united party, China began to eclipse all others.
But not everything was united behind the scenes. Xi Jinping, in his efforts to continually centralize and cement his own power as the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, began to alienate members of his own party. Their reasons were many, some simply despised the man, others were worried about the long term stability of putting so much power in the hands of the General Secretary.
Ultimately, their time to strike arose in the most unexpected manner when the General Secretary was struck with a (highly disputed) bout of illness. The actual details on the event are scarce and widely contested. Whether it was a fabrication or a fact, Jinping began to slowly retreat from the spotlight in his role as General Secretary during 2024 and the Party began to reassert its authority under the pragmatic Hu Chunhua, a change in leadership which arrived just in time for a dramatic upheaval in both domestic and international politics.
The Covid Crash, as it began to be known, wreaked havoc on the global and domestic economy, with the Chinese coastal provinces seeing their development plummet amid a panicked retreat of foreign investment. The knock-on effect of this downward turn led to some of the largest liberal protests in recent Chinese history. Whilst the protests dragged on for many months, Chunhua was focused on an economic, not military, solution to the crisis. His caution was well-rewarded, as his plan to ‘turn foreign prosperity into Chinese prosperity’ by filling the void which foreign investment had left proved a boon in both the short and long term, both ending the protests and beginning China’s utter economic independence and dominance.
Chunhua’s successor, Teng Jiang focused on international efforts, the one area in which Chunhua made little progress. Aggressively pushing China’s influence abroad, he solidified the creation of the Asia-Pacific Defense Organisation to secure China’s hegemony over the Pacific in the wake of the Pacific Shift. Jiang was also one of the strongest voices regarding China’s affairs in Africa, leading to massive investments in the struggling East African Federation and other powers who were increasingly falling under the Chinese sphere. At the end of his reign, Jiang had transformed Chunhua’s domestic success into international prestige and power.
Finally, we have Zeng Xinyi, who has been in power since 2042. ‘China’s Uncle’ was swept to power on the back of his cheery persona and electric ability to rouse the masses. Yet, Xinyi is a man deeply troubled by the apparent mediocrity of his own rule. Whilst his flagship program focused on China’s technological sector has broadly been a success, he is overshadowed by the successes of his predecessors. Already, he has been described as a safe but uninspired pair of hands to guide China, carried through his eight years of rule by continued growth and prosperity, none of it his own.
Whilst for the large part he is preoccupied with the preparations for the 101st anniversary of the People’s Republic and the wrangling of the Party’s Political Bureau, Xinyi is not a man who will not allow himself to be idle.
Thus, Xinyi begins to push back against the seemingly inevitable, undermining years of established tradition, trying to get his own ‘protégé’ as the prime candidate for General Secretary.
Perhaps Xinyi has underestimated the complexity which his scheme will require but, once his mind is made, he will not turn back. So begins his gambit. To succeed, he will need to convince key members of the State Bureaucracy, Military, and Party. He will need to avoid the suspicions of his peers. Some of this will come naturally. Some of it will be much harder.
And needless to say, failure is not an option if Xinyi wants to have his future.
At the end of the day, Xinyi's plan will either meet failure...
... or succeed.
But regardless of where his actions lead him, Xinyi has unintentionally revealed deep divisions which run through the core of the party. The future of China as the pre-eminent power of the world is in question and the Party is uncertain of how it should be led forward. Above all you must remember to keep the Party united.
Or the party will take the actions necessary, without you.

The United States of America (2050-2052)

Hello! I’m Michael7123, the lead developer for the United States, and I’m here to tell you how things have gone for the land of the free and home of the brave:
Terribly
How did the United States get here? Well, I’m not going to explain all of America’s lore here. But you can see the Presidents who presided over the decline, as a treat:
45th President: Donald Trump [R] (2017-2025)
46th President: Sherrod Brown [D] (2025-2029)
47th President: Tom Cotton [R] (2029-2037)
(Past this point, it's all original characters)
48th President: Martin Lawrence [D] (2037-2045), a veteran and relative political novice who ran on withdrawing from Lebanon. Withdraws from NATO which soon becomes defunct, reorients American foreign policy to focus on China. Pays little attention to domestic politics.
49th President: Thomas Randal [R] (2045-2046), A Republican who attempted to shift his party economically left, but was assassinated while campaigning for down ballot republicans in the 2046 midterms.
50th President: Andrew Mitchel [R] (2047-2049) The Vice President of Randal who was sworn in after his death and managed to win the presidency in his own right by milking sympathy from his now deceased running mate. A libertarian leaning politician, any shift on economic policy was scrapped. After winning re-election, a scandal known as “Floodgate” began, and it eventually was uncovered that Mitchel had been taking bribes from Chinese companies to ensure the departments of justice and labour wouldn’t raise a fuss when they violated health and safety standards while operating in the United States. In 2050, matters reached a climax in an impeachment and conviction by the senate.
51st President: Samuel Sanford (2049-2050) [D—-> I——>F]
So you’re probably wondering what on earth [D—-> I——>F] means. It happens that Mitchel’s Vice President, knowing full well that he would be next to be impeached as he was implicated in the Floodgate scandal, resigned while the Senate was voting to convict Mitchel. With no president or Vice President, the Presidency passed to the Democratic Speaker of the house by default, Samuel Sanford. Seeing the horrendous political optics of an impeachment vote that he facilitated in resulting in his own party’s power growing at the expense of the GOP, he quickly announced his departure from the Democratic Party to become an independent.
Soon afterward, he held a press conference, joined by members of the political establishment in both the Democratic and Republican parties to announce the creation of the Federalist Party: a centrist political institution to quell the rising tides of radicalism, and corruption, and heinous violence plaguing America. While the party is split on ideological lines, Sanford called on all who wished to uphold liberal democracy to back his new creation.
There were very few takers. As things stand at game start, both the Democratic and Republican parties have lost their leaders, and the new Federalist Party, while controlling the executive branch and managing to corral members of each party in both houses of Congress to function, they remain deeply unpopular among the public at large, and appear to be set to lose horrendously in the upcoming midterm elections of 2050.
President Sanford can decide that somewhat more drastic measures are required to stave off the illiberal forces trying to change the American way of life. For the 2050 elections will not only determine who controls Congress: it also happens to be a census year, and whoever controls the various state legislatures controls the shape and size of congressional districts. The fate of the House of Representatives is of vital importance, as with the 2052 Presidential Race shaping up to be a 3 way contest between Samuel Sanford and whomever the Democratic and Republican parties nominate, it’s exceedingly likely that no candidate will win an outright majority of the Electoral College, which means that the President will be determined by a majority of state delegations in the House of Representatives.
Of course, the Federalist Party doesn’t have to engage in shenanigans. Additionally, all three parties are capable of achieving a victory in the 2050 midterms. The beginning of the trees for each party to work with and/or antagonize the Sanford Administration can be seen here:
Democrats
Federalists
Republicans
Of course, it should go without saying that if the legally dubious actions of the Federalist Party are discovered by the public at large, there will be dire consequences.
Regardless of who occupies the Whitehouse next, they’re going to have to contend with the increasingly powerful Supreme Court. In an effort to highlight just how important the institution is to the United States in 2050, we’ve opted to create an entirely unique Supreme Court mechanic
The bar on the right shows the current legitimacy of the Supreme Court as an institution. The higher it is, the more respected it is by the public at large. Whenever the court is viewed as legitimate, judges decide cases based on their ideological leanings. All pretensions about impartiality aside, the Supreme Court is a political institution. However when the legitimacy of the Supreme Court falls too low, the Chief Justice might start rallying judges who are similar to him or her ideologically to start deciding cases in ways to preserve the court’s legitimacy, and such efforts may or may not be successful.
Regardless of how the presidential election goes, Sanford will have the opportunity to appoint and nominate a new Chief Justice of the court in 2050. This decision will have extensive repercussions for the rest of the game, so you’ll want to pick carefully.
You will also be able to directly increase or decrease the court’s legitimacy at the cost of political power, , but there’s only so much attack ads and press conferences can accomplish. Should the legitimacy of the court fall enough, you can try to pack the court. Of course, it goes without saying that this sets a dangerous precedent.
And beyond that, the road to 2054 awaits...
But that's for another time. Thank you!

Western Europe (2050-2052)

Hi all! We're Erwin, Michael7123, and Preussenball, and we’re going to discuss the history of Western Europe and the trials and tribulations of it’s two most prominent countries, France and Germany.
Why only Western Europe? Well, keep reading and you’ll understand.
France, Lebanon, and the collapse of NATO:

1. Lebanon. Tensions between Hezbollah and the government have soured immensely in recent years. When push comes to shove, Hezbollah officially abandons its policy of relative cooperation, declaring an end to the Lebanese state in its current form. This event leads to the kickstarting of the Lebanese civil war, a conflict that draws Europe’s attention in several ways, one of which being that Lebanon is a member of the Good Neighbour Policy. However, despite all this, Europe learned from Iraq and Afghanistan and is unwilling to get it’s hands dirty in Lebanon.

This changes on the 1st of January 2035, a day of national tragedy for France. After the hijacking of a French airplane by a group connected to Hezbollah, the French Airforce had no other choice but to shoot it down before it collided with Palais Bourbon. The death of 102 passengers would spark outrage in Europe and the US, giving then President of the United States Tom Cotton the ammunition he was hoping for. The USA, emboldened by this brazen act of terrorism, convinces a coalition of France and other European nations and Israel to formalize a coalition against Hezbollah, starting the NATO intervention in Lebanon in 2036. The President of France at the time, Chandler Laurent of Les Républicains was among the intervention’s strongest supporters.
While the conflict itself was already terrible, muddied by another refugee crisis in Europe, the intervention wouldn’t be better, as the American nation-building strategy developed after Iraq and Afghanistan simply couldn’t apply to Lebanon. 2037 would see US troops being pulled out of Lebanon shortly after the inauguration of President Lawrence. One by one, other members of the coalition withdrew, and after the USA abruptly withdrew from NATO in the same year, France was left desperately trying to wage a war that, while still popular domestically, was being criticized by the public for not being waged decisively enough, and moreover trying to what was left of NATO together at the same time.
In the end, President Chandler Laurent announced in 2038 that France would be scaling back their involvement in Lebanon to pre-war levels, leaving Lebanon in its current state. Les Républicains found itself sharply divided over the issue, leading to half of the party breaking away in protest to form Voici la France! under the leadership of Antoine Dimont, a liberal conservative.
Laurent resigned as president following a vote of no confidence collapsing his cabinet. In the ensuing snap elections, France brought La France Insoumise, a social democratic party that took the place of the defunct Parti socialiste and briefly held power in the late 2020s. What followed was 10 years of relative stability for France, albeit coupled with their formal withdrawal from NATO, sealing the fate of the organization. In that time, France went on to make rapid progress in the goal of reaching carbon neutrality, and focused on strengthening their domestic economy with a great deal of success- but more on the long term consequences of that later.
However, while the past 10 years were primarily prosperous, voices in France grew called for France to take a more active role on the world stage- and with good reason too, given what befell the European Union mere years after the collapse of NATO. At game start they are governed by a coalition between La République En Marche! And Voici la France! In the National Assembly, with Antoine Dimont in his first term as President, which began in 2048.
France in 2050
Today, we’ll be focusing on President Dimont’s plans of ushering Europe towards a greener future. When most people think of green politics, they imagine youthful activists wearing tie dye shirts, maybe throwing buckets of red paint at CEO’s if they are particularly feisty, but who are otherwise inoffensive and harmless. President Dimont, in contrast, is making the effort to rely on a more environmentally friendly way to bolster French power, prestige, and influence across Europe
And what better way to do that than by going after Gazprom, the Russian Energy giant that serves as an unwanted Russian foothold on the European Energy market. While most of the “Energy War” will be about outstripping Russian Energy production and investing in new energy technologies, you will also have much more… forceful... ways of trying to combat Russia and Gazprom. You can expect to read much more about this once we showcase Russia to you all in an upcoming progress report, but, as an extra treat.
On top of this, the French government wishes to repair the European Union. Why “repair”? I’m glad you asked….
Germany, Greece, and the secession of the East:
As a result of the collapse of NATO in the late 2030s, Germany found itself funding the Bundeswehr more than ever before, and at the time, few complained. It made sense, after all. With NATO gone, Germany could no longer rely upon American benevolence for the protection of Europe. Nobody outside of the political fringe would have predicted that it would need to be used so quickly.
The Greek election of 2040 was not won by one of the traditional parties, nor even a radical fringe party, but by the new Greek Reform Party created 7 months prior to the election by the famous Chinese-Greek businessman Georgi Vidalides. His victory was met with international outrage, as a previous investigation by the Greek government had exposed the party accepting funds from Chinese companies tied with the Chinese Government. Tension between the newly elected Greek government and the European Union would lead to the Greek PM pushing the parliament to leave the European Union outright and reneging on their financial commitments to the economic bloc. The EU declared that Vidalides had acted outside of his democratic mandate by publicly bribing members of parliament and actively ignoring the demands of the Greek high court and was thus guilty of plotting an end to Greek democracy.
Chancellor Lennart Dittrich of the Christlich Demokratische Union (at the time in a coalition with Die Grünen and Freie Demokratische Partei), was not the man people thought would drag Germany into an offensive war. A soft spoken and collegial former journalist, a man who easily could have gone down as a good but forgettable Chancellor was wound up ensuring his name would become mud because viral footage came out of Greek police who brutally arrested an investigative journalist in suspect circumstances. Whilst officially not the event which triggered later events, it was after this fact that Chancellor Dittrich gave a press conference where he vowed that it was time for the European Union to act in order to defend its values.
When the vote on forming a coalition to invade Greece came to the Bundestag, it set off a political firestorm that would shake Germany to its core. In the end, the vote passed by the slimmest of margin, contingent upon dozens of amendments, compromises, and contingent on getting other nations of the EU to support the coalition. Dissent ranged from nearly the entire SPD to defecting conservatives (particularly from the Bavarian CSU).
Once again, the German military was on the march, readying itself to invade foreign soil (even if under an agreeable cause). All of this was met with resounding condemnation from the Visegrád Group and other eastern European members of NATO. And on the day when the first German boots landed on Greek soil, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary all announced that they intended to begin the process of leaving the European Union.
But things might have been salvageable up until then. Then everything went to hell when the Old Royal Palace was hit with a bomb that killed most of the Greek government. In a panicked frenzy, the V4 all unilaterally removed themselves from the European union to form their own economic bloc, and were soon followed by a majority of the European Union's member states in Eastern Europe
While the situation of the Union of Visegrad (or colloquially: the Eastern European Union) will be discussed in a later progress report, here is the new face of Europe
While the initial occupation in Greece itself was met with, if not goodwill, than at least not overt hostility by the Greek people, after the deaths of their government, however unpopular, resentment spiked. For the Bundeswehr and other members of the Greek military, the next 4 years were spent trying to suppress terrorists of every shape and size.
And it is ultimately from one of these terrorist attacks, however indirectly, that lead to the complete restructuring of the German political system. It was the rise of Viktor Kapp and his Deutsche Friedenspartei.
And with that, troops started pouring out of Germany as the diplomats started pouring in.
The Coalition of the Roses had one truly grand accomplishment, and that was effectively ending the Greek crisis. But in choosing to work with the DFP, the SPD had legitimated their newest rival. With the collapse of the CDU and the descent of the AfD into deeper and deeper levels of reaction, the DFP managed to present themselves as the big tent party of everyone from the right wing to the center without any of the troubling political baggage of older political movements, while also drawing the support of some on the political left more focused on the effective exercise of state power than about issues of culture (albeit in far smaller numbers).
Yet it was this very blender of ideologies that resulted in the DFP’s increasing popularity, and the creation of a new party at the European level: the Eins Europa Parti, dedicated to the transformation of what remains of the European Union into a single, federal state.
In terms of gameplay, Germany starts in the middle of Kapp’s second term and is thus busy with the promises he has made during the 2049 election. While every issue is important, such as the veteran issue and the growing radicalism among the German youth, the main issue Kapp faces in his second term as chancellor is the Greek question: what is Germany still doing in Greece?
This question is mainly formed by the factionalism of the party between Engels and Denzinger, with Denzinger opting for pulling out of Greece while Engels is worried about the stability of the region and only thinks limited retreat is necessary. These issues are also made more important with the next election in mind. Kapp, Denzinger and Engels are quite worried about the situation as the 2049 election was won by only one seat. However, if the events during the season are anything to go by this election won’t go the same as 2049. If the DFP wins this year’s election by a larger margin than 2049, it will be quite secure in seeking to achieve its goals in the third Kapp government.
On the Future of Europe:
It is a widely acknowledged truth that the current status quo in Europe cannot and will not last, both France and Germany can agree on this. On what direction they should take, on the other hand, the two are divided. France insists that until the schism between East and West is fixed, Europe will always be fragile. In uncertain times, they look to instill Europe with strength and security, and to this end, they propose the European Defense Community.
Germany, meanwhile, looks to perhaps loftier goals. The weakness of Europe shall always be its division, they might argue, and that only through a true political union can their goals be realised. They look to form the EU into a single political entity.
The struggle for influence over Europe take place over ten years of gameplay through our European Struggle GUI. As each country obtains political success, they’ll be able to gain influence points. After every 10 points, they’ll be able to activate the first step of their European reforms.
However, bringing together the myriad states of Europe together will not be a trivial task in the slightest, with each reform stacking the odds against the player further and further…
And should you not be careful, the whole thing might break.

Africa (2050-2052)

2050 will be an important decade for Africa, for more reasons than one. For many countries on the continent, they shall be marking one hundred years since the end of colonialism. A hundred years of independence from the European powers. Many more will be asking themselves, how much better have things gotten?
The answer, as always, is difficult to say.
The 2025 Covid Crash was a brutal period for the African continent. Whilst the disease itself seemingly dealt less damage than some more unprepared western countries, the ensuing financial crash sent a wave of disruption through the continent. Though its effects were varied and myriad, the most important event during this period was the Crisis of the East African Federation, in which the crisis of both health and finances caused a wave of reactionary nationalism to trash negotiations for the unification of the region’s nations into the East African Federation - right as the nations were supposed to be unifying. Whilst the East African Federation soldiered on, it was a sign that the path towards peace for the continent was not guaranteed.
And it didn’t get any better from there.
Over the next 25 years, the African Union would be mired by the growth of three opposing blocks, the Continental African Committee, the Triple Alliance, and the United Front for African Democracy. The coalescence into these blocks was a slow and fully preventable process but by the time the world realised what was happening, the reactions had already begun and mere hindsight could not prevent it. There was no one inciting event which diplomats could’ve talked out but rather a thousand slights, mistakes, and grudges building over fifty years of high tension. Or maybe the roots went back even further than that?
To the west, the United Front for African Democracy was pitched as the battle against Chinese influence in the region, though this seems… tenuous at best. To the east, the Continental African Committee was pitched as the final battle against neo-colonialism but is accused of simply being one appendage of Chinese power. The only group which can truly call itself free from influence is the Triple Alliance, although the group is rather dysfunctional, and critics point to tensions over Triple Alliance sponsored plundering in the Eastern DRC as the only reason why the three nations have not joined the UFAD.
But, at the dawn of 2050 at least, it does not appear as though the blocks will ever achieve much, other than pointless bickering.
That is until the death of Nnamdi Christian.
A Left-Wing Nigerian firebrand, Nnamdi Christian is the rising star of Nigerian politics. A young man who challenges the corrupt, decaying establishment of the oil-rich nation. On the back of massive wealth inequality, concerns about climate change, and a two party system which is practically an oligarchy, Nnamdi Christian seems set to achieve the seemingly impossible and win the 2051 Nigerian Elections.
This changes very quickly.
The botched assassination not only captures the attention of an outraged Nigerian general public but every African on the continent, fed up with a status quo that seems to insist on screwing them over. On election day, the entire world is watching.
As the oligarchy overplays its hand, the results of this election are all the continent needs to let the dominoes fall.
By the summer of 2052, this period has taken on a new name: The Summer of Revolutions.
This continental shift in politics is wild and impossible to control, shattering the status quo, with no regime in Africa being beyond its grasp. It seems to be a period of genuine change for the better. However, there is an old saying: The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
For Africa, 2052 is only the beginning.

The Future

And now we reach the end of the first progress report, though we have barely begun to scratch the surface of the world of Chaos in Diversity.
It is a world which has been irrevocably changed, a world of isolation, and apathy. So here is just a small taste of the flavour events. There were many nations which, though we wanted to fit them in the PR, we simply did not have the space. We have a standoff in Britain, a crisis in India, droughts in Poland, and more than I could even fit into a singular run-on sentence!
But something tells me that next time, we’ll be looking at Italy and... Oh dear.
Thank you!
If you enjoyed reading this and want to know more, the best place to look is almost certainly our discord, where we regularly post teasers, updates, and you can ask the mod team your questions!
And if you can write, make GFX, or code, please do not hesitate to make an application to join the team!
Goodbye and let us pray that the future is brighter than this one!

Sports. I played some cricket during lunch at school and actually for a local team.
Probably really only one match where I was 12th man and sent in just to play to a draw.
I also played some tennis to be closer to the girl I liked. I took it up again when
moving to this local town. I played social, never meant to win but sometimes I would
shine. One new local guy had a great tennis game and actually taught local kids and I
would help him. Also went to table tennis with him. That wasn't so great. But it was
fun. In the 2000's started playing tennis with a social singles group. One night I
remember a guy coming along that was there to win against guys and girls. We always
played doubles to make sure everyone got a chance. I saw he was not a social player
but a win everything player and he was quite aggressive. I played him with 2 other
women. I don't know if he was trying to win all the time. I felt he was trying to
beat everyone and the other people felt he did't belong. Anyways with my talent I
could play better against someone who thought they were better than everyone else.
Or as my local tennis matches with that guy I could actually give him a run for his
money. Anyways we played and I think me and my teammate won. He never came back. I
think I was their hero. for a little while. I am sure we had a conversation about it.
I actually met a guy there that owned a couple of taxis. I didn't go to drive for him.
I was driving at night at that time and in 2006 or so and was driving along and fell
asleep at the wheel. Crashed, wrote off the taxi and cracked my knee and couldn't
drive for awhile.
​
I thought it was 6 weeks or 10. Not sure now. I asked my mum to help me and also got
$something a week from insurance. Anyways that was the depot where I later worked.
I had to use crutches to get around. This was when I lived with the vietnamese girl.
I had to hop up to the bus stop. If I got up early I could get a bus straight to the
hospital for physical therapy. But I often missed that bus and has to catch a bus to
the city then catch another bus to the hospital. That always take all day but it was
only a day every fortnight. But still this probably screwed up my knee. It hurts
sometimes even now. A few times at the dealership I hurt it or it let me down.
I fell over a car's towbar cause I parked it backwards. I think my knee actually
dislocated or it bent backwards. I yellew for help and they guys came out to help
me.another time I was walking up to the other workshop. Quite a hill. And felt really
bad pain and had to sit down. I think after a hal hour I went to the workshop
controller to say can I stop doing any hard to get in cars. 350Z. He said sure.
​
Anyways that really affected my tennis. I did try to take it up again with a FWB.
But I couldn't run. After asking that depot if I could move into a house next to
the depot I was later asked to start working for them. I was paying too much for
rent at a place in that hilly place after the place with the vietnamese girl.
Funny fact when I left that hilly place near the city the circle bus route became
FREE. KARMA??? A really crappy thing. I would drive for that depot then park the
taxi on the street. One day I got a parking ticket. What a ducking dunt. Some time
after I started working there the hot water device broke and I was without.
I had to use the taxi depots shower. For 6 MONTHS. they finally found someone to
fix it. It's like wow. For context they owned 75 taxi licences. They were rich.
And never spent it on cars. The patriach drove a luxury version of make of car that
I have 2 wagons to and a ute. Nothing like a supercar or a rolls royce. The luxury
car was actually used as a limo previously to make money. Up to probably 2011 taxis
made a lot of money and were worth $400,000. But after ridesharing started they
became almost worthless. So they are making millions but can't afford a plumber to
fix a hot water system?
​
Visiting cricket team. Would they rather be home with the pendemic?
​
Yes I want to die. No I can't kill myself.
​
I almost feel sorry for the human race.
​
That 1994/1995 relationship with that man was more likely 1991/1992. The local gay
guy that I was friends with was from 1994 to 2001.
​
September 12, 2001 during the day I couldn't sleep or get away from what happened.
I went to see a movie. The cinema was empty. I could sit anywhere.
​
Yes I stayed with my family too long but I couldn't find anyway out. Maybe someone
will point that out. Now it's why pay rent somewhere when I can live at home
for free. Plus most of my family is dead.
​
In a big freeworld country could a great president and a great senate change the 2nd
amendment about the right to bear arms. Our leader after a big massacre at an island
state, made gun ownership a lot harder. That was a great idea.
​
Just read a story about a little girl 3 years old getting attacked by a pit bull in a
service dog vest. WTF. Get rid of these dogs. Bloody hell what is wrong with people.
​
Just heard another story about a man's sentence being reduced from 11 years to 9.5
years after setting his gf on fire. WHAT THE DUCK! He should be jailed for life.
​
In 2012 when I stopped drinking I also Stopped using sugar, salt and caffeine, as
well as fast food and using oil in cooking. Stopped drinking coffee and tea and
only drank a hot chocolate type drink in my country that could also be enjoyed cold.
when I first starting living with the "GF" she would cook and after a few weeks I
found I couldn't eat her food because of all the oil and salt she used. So I started
cooking my own dinner. also it came apparent that I couldn't keep any food in the fridge
I supplied because of all the meat she would buy. I had to get a second fridge. She
bascially filled the fridge with meat and potatoes and soft drink cans.
​
The house we lived in had some problems. There was a leak in the roof and the little
room I was sleeping in grew black mold all over the walls. When I got the landlord
to fix it that's probably why we got kicked out. Sometime during that time some guy
visited and wanted to see my "gf". I just told him she wasn't home and I didn't know
where she was. He asked who I was but I didn't tell him. He said to I have to tell
him who I am. I again said nope. AFter he left the police showed up. They said they
had an anomynous report of someone robbing things at my address. YES THAT DUCKING
DUNT CALLED THE POLICE ON ME BECAUSE I DIDN"T TELL HIM WHO I WAS!! Anyways I showed
them my ID and told them my side of things and they said I was right to refuse to
tell him who I was.
​
In 1982 My schoolmates and I were set to be at the Commonwealth Games' Opening
Ceremony. Were told we would get tracksuits and shoes. Unfortunately Dad had his
accident.
​
On the day of my son's memorial, The "gf" said that she missed me having that job
where I was away every day. I said I didn't like it because of the bullying and
stuff. Now I think that was a red flag.
​
What is wrong with the government, they continue football, cricket and tennis, but
they restrict private functions like funerals, weddings and parties. They keep
flying people in for tennis and they test positive? This is why I think
governments should be ended. This absolute disregard for safety towards other people
and allowing these sporting events to keep happening reinforces my hatred of
politicians.
​
One last thing. I do hope I die soon. This world is stuffed.
Yes I am screwed up. With all my experiences tell me someone who turned out
better.
​
I think I will stop watching youtube videos about reddit stories. All of the people
on reddit are stupid. They suggest so many stupid things. One woman wanted her husband
to get rid of a dog because she felt it was dangerous, but the husband wouldn't name
the breed of dog. So it's possible the dog is dangerous. dogs do attack kids and kill
them. If your wife says get rid of the dog get rid of the dog. What the ducking duck
is wrong with you.
​
That tennis no.1 complaining about the conditions of being here. SEND HIM HOME.
It seems that one country has stopped admitting emergency cases into hospitals unless
they have covid. Another thing ONLY PROFESSIONAL SPORTS HAVE BEEN ALLOWED. AMATUER
SPORTS HAVE BEEN PUT ON HOLD.
​
A pocketwatch owned by my Grandfather was given to my older brother to get repaired.
As far as I know it never was. And I don't know what happened to it.
​
My local council has started the drink container buy back scheme which is good. But
they don't do any other recycling. I thought I found a great recycling company that
was recycling difficult things like blister packs. But they only supply a voucher
to buy their products that include a lot of essential oils. Like an old snak oil
salesman. You can recycle metal and get money for it. Also if I take metal to my
local tip I don't get any money for it.
​
I cant remember my early life. Maybe I am my stepfather's child? Perhapes I am my
father's child? Even if my dad was abusing my mum, my mum convenity found my step
father. I think there may have been cheating involved. Doesn't make it right.
Nearly everyone involved is dead now.
​
Qannon or however they spell their stupidy. Thay thought trump and their people
would arrest Biden and other people. What the hell is wrong with these people.
And then let's get to some high flying internet companies not wanting to pay
for news. HOW ABOUT WE END YOU.
​
Sometime maybe in 1983 I was sick at school when I threw up and was taken to
the doctor. I was diagnosed with Malnutrition. My dad was at the time told
to feed me properly. This was probably before I started stealing stuff.
He did start to feed me properly but he was still drinking a lot.
​
At the primary school when I got the cane. So I am sitting on my bike
during lunch and the son of the teacher said to his father I had the
stand up. YES I GOT THE CANE BECAUSE I HAD THE STAND UP! I received the cane.
Was always on the hand and would get between 3 and 10 cuts. Guess what, I did
wag school a lot too. and probably got the cane for that too. Guess that kid
deserves a good talking to now. BUT I DIDN'T HAVE THE STAND UP! Because my leg
was behind the stand and the kid couldn't see through my leg.
​
I just did an archive search on the web and found out a few interesting things.
They have many corporal punishment registers for schools. But none for mine.
So should I try and start one for my old school. Or not.
​
I have reached out to my old school alumni now and have told them about me
writing this out. I doubt they would be happy about what I have to say.
One or 2 instances that I remember. One time I mouthed the words to F**k you
to the teacher and therefore was probably given the cane again. Another time
the teacher gave me an assignment that I was to present to the class about
snakes. I don't like talking in front of people. I did a poor job of it, so
a day or so later he got his son to do the same but much better job of course.
​
After we left the family home in 1973 I think, we moved to a farm house with
lots of land. I was going to another school that was near my brother's special
school and my dad's workplace. One day on the property I saw a girl riding her
horse on the property and I told her she couldn't which was probably not really
a neighbourly thing to do. Anyways that girl turned out to be the girl I liked
at the local school when I started going there.
​
We use to have lots of fun on the property like tobogganing on a car bonnet.
Riding motorbikes all over the property. The local horse riding school also
pastering horses on the property.
​
For anyone asking about the family business. There is a Building in an inner
city suburb in the big city. It still has my Grandfather's name on the side
of the building. It was a full service service station and sold cars as well.
I think my dad told me my grandfather sold the first Holden in the state.
​
I don't know if any class mates also knew what happened. I guess I must have
enjoyed school at first to want to go to school, have fun with friends. I also
don't know if my stepbrothers or stepsister knew about their father. Now they
do know from my point of view. I can't prove (thank god for smart phones.
Instant correct spelling) anything that happened. They can believe it or not.
I am not interested in any further relationship with them. I think I keep my
feelings very well hidden. I didn't cry at my dad's or mum's funeral. Only
cried after my dad's death when I was alone. As for my mum well sometimes I
am sad but never have really cried since her death. For my older brother,
it's more a case of was expecting him to die for 40 years. I remember coming
out of my bedroom once, around 1987 perhaps, to seeing my older brother hitting
his head on the dining table. He was addicted to painkillers and alcohol.
sometime before he left he tried to kill himself by riding his bike towards a
power pole as he said later. Only thing that saved him was a car he hit and he
broke his foot.
​
It's safe to say I never passed high school and never had a high school certificate.
As for jobs they were few and far between early on. I did a community employment
program in 1986. A hospitality course in 1988 running for 4 weeks. I started my own
rubbish removal and lawnmowing business in 1993 to 1994. In may 1996 I ran away to
the big city. I started a unemployment training program about industrial cleaning.
I did that for 6 months but eventually wound up going back home. I also had a major
crash and wrote off my second ute at that time. I didn't have any insurance and had
to pay off a certain amount a week. but after awhile I stopped paying and they never
came after me. The next big thing was the winery from september 1998. Went to big city
and drove taxis for a year. Went back to small town and did taxi driving in bigger town
for 5 days. Then moved back to big city to do the junk mail delivery. After 3 months
went back to taxi driving probably doing it for about 10 years over the next 15 with
general labouring thrown in the middle at the depot. I also did some overnight taxi rank
supervising around 2006 to 2007 maybe.
From july 2008 til december 2009 I was a general labourer. 2010 I did a couple of weeks
work with a guy that fitted the taxis with radios and cameras. Around this time also
did like a week at a service centre where I saw A snake and the bosses told me to continue
working around the snakes so I didn't return. Duck them. Then again returning
to taxi driving for a short period of time but I didn't really like it anymore. I wanted
something different. So I borrowed some money off my mum and bought a near new one tonne
ute and went courier driving from december 2010 til april 2011. Around january was actually
the period of the floods and I visited mum and brothers in the small town then left and
got stranded between the small town and the big city. I returned at the end of the month.
but by April my earnings were less then chicken feed basically and couldn't afford to live.
around july i got a job at a car auction place which I left in february after writing off
the ute due to someone in a 4wd running a red light and I never one to lag too much at a
green arrow. So I left and moved up to a minning city up the north coast 6 hours from the
big city. I was going to start driving a taxi there but I didn't think I could make much money
and I was home sick also knowing that that girl didn't really want to see me much I returned
home to stay awhile. In july 2012 I go back to taxi driving in big city. Late 2012 my mum is
diagnosed with lung cancer. she tries some treatments but gets too sick so she feels better.
I had to arrange for her to go into a nursing home becuase I am away working and my brother
can't care for her. September 2013 Mum dies. I am still driving a taxi and visiting every weekend.
​
Around late 2014/early 2015 I did some overnight depot work and shift supervising at another
depot but the owner turned to be a real DUCKING DUNT. So I left to go drive at another depot.
I think I quit driving for awhile then did a transport operations course end of 2014. early
2015 did a day's training to get a fortlight licence. Not long after went back to driving
taxis before quiting around september 2015. Went back to driving in february 2016 then quit
around september 2016. Went back to driving around late february 2017 at another depot again.
In march I started at the car dealership. Lasting until february 2018 because of the treatment
I was put under. I then thought I would go do ridesharing by renting a car. When I went to get
my licence back in the medical i had high blood pressure. I went to see the doctor involved with
the ivf. He put me on medication. So I later asked him for a medical certificate so I could drive
for the ridesharing company and get my hire driver licence back again. I did get it but started
doing the odd jobs on that app. Did that up until september 2019 when my brother was diagnosed
with cancer.
​
Around 2011 I first noticed my eyesight going a little and bought a magnifying glass to read properly.
After my mum passed away I started buying those cheap reading glasses from a department store.
When I had to renew my licence after awhile and required glasses to drive, I purchased a decent pair.
​
When I met that really lovely young lady she lived on the coast about 2 hours from the big city.
So every second weekend I would visit her and rent a room for the weekend. Then she went back to where
her mum was and got a job in a small town which was inland from the mining town. It was 6 hours drive
there. Every second weekend I still visited her and renting a room somewhere. In february of course I
went there to stay with her but she didn't really want me to. we kept in contact but in july she tried
to ring me but i missed it and tried ringing her back leaving messages. later on I just gave up knowing
it wasn't going to work out. I heard from her again in 2014 I think and she said she just felt so alone.
Her dad had passed away. I told her about my mum and other things but it was nice to hear from her but
we would never meet again.
​
Sometime in 2001 I remember chatting to a girl online a lot. One day walking across a concrete area in
the big city I look up and there is that girl we both turn and look at each other, we don't say anything
to each other and then turn and walk away from each other. We did chat more but I think she thought I
should have said something that day we met. Later on I knew I had ducked up big time. She might have
been the right one for me and me for her. I will never know now. I later asked her to marry me but the
moment was past and she said no. We stopped chatting and through another online contact who I asked to
chat to her it seemed like she did want me to ask her to marry me. I did actually purchase 2 rings too.
​
At another point in the early 2000's I was chatting to a girl quite regurly and both of us wanted to meet
and made a date. After her not turning up I kept messaging her then got a reply which read, "this is her
friend, I am sorry but she was killed in a car accident that day". So I asked for an address to send a card.
Take that as it is or not.
​
A group of the big city locals in a chat room would chat to each other and even arrange meetings at pubs.
I did go to a couple. I even stayed in a room of one of them. Then some sort of misunderstanding with a
new girl who was friends with one of the moderators chatted to me but said different things to her friend
so I bascially was outcast. but in that group initially it was fun to talk to people and meet them for
parties. And yes I met some more girls through that chat room too. One girl I got along with I met at one
of the pub get togethers but only outside because she was moving away the next day.
​
I don't know but it seems I make mistakes writing things out like missing words or letters. When I see a
phone number I try to write it out, only for it to be in the wrong order. So I may have a mild form of
dislexia. My second oldest brother may have a form of autism because he can talk and all but can't be in
the outside world. He also has a lot of knowledge of the stars and electiricity and electronics.
​
A little funny story from driving a taxi. I always grown up watching mostly british shows on tv.
After a footy game I picked up a british guy and he asked how long I have lived here and I said all
of my life. He thought I sounded Britist but hadn't been overseas. On travelling I use to want to travel
overseas. But now I don't want to really leave this country.
​
One night in the taxi actually picked up someone I went to primary school with. She remembered me.
​
Cars and Bikes I owned. First car. Bought a blue wagon off my stepbrother for a $1000. Talk about
being ripped off. It wasn't worth that much. It was a 1971 model in 1986. He should've given it to
me. After it was damged by hitting a tree I still drove it around. Eventually sold it to my best
friend's dad for $200 I think. Yea so I was abused by my stepbrothers too. Later the same
stepbrother sold his dad a piece of rubbish car for way too much. What a waste of space that
stepbrother was. I then started driving my mum's little car around. A 1976 sedan that was fun to
drive. In my wagon I was able to pull off a compression lock and braked at the same time. Locking
all four wheels and coming to a halt. My car would only do 80 miles an hour. My mum would only drive
her car at 80 kilometres an hour. I would drive it at 100 miles an hour. When moving back to other state
I got a cab over ute at first until it's motor had blown up in 1989. It was a 1976 model. Got a new motor
but sold it soon after. Soon after I got a yellow sedan with mag wheels and low profile tyres on the
front where I actually bottomed out on a dip and tore a hole in the oil sump. after getting it fixed
I soon got rid of it. It was around 1972. After that I got a 1975 two stroke motorbike. After that I
got a 1978 four stroke motorbike. Sold it a year later. Got a white sedan that later turned out to be
painted with house paint which pealed. It was 1973. Paid a $1000 but it was rubbish. Bought another car
same make and 1974 model for $50 in orange. It had so much rust it shouldn't have be put on the road.
I bought a cheap trailer and started my business. But had to borrow a friend's ute then bought my own 1978
blue ute. It was written off in 1996. I then bought a roadbike maybe 1980. It had an oil leak. Then started
borrowing stepdad's van. Got rid of the van and got another ute that had engine troubles. Got rid of the bike
and ute around 2001. Bought a four door hatchback with hail damage that was 1991. Even moved house with it.
Got rid of it around 2007. Wasn't until 2008 I bought an ex-taxi powered by gas. It was a 2002 model.
Was alright until I left the depot and had trouble trying to start it one time trying to go to a new job,
which I left for other reasons a few days later. When I got the ute which was a year old, 2008/2009 I traded
in the sedan. It was written off in 2012. In 2012 I bought the 2005 extaxi wagon that was on normal fuel and
a 2005 model with 525,000 kms on it. So after the axle broke and I had put on another 175,000 kms My mechanic
mate found the front shocks were shot. So I borrowed money off my brother to buy a newer wagon being a 2008
model. It started with 153,000 and now has 196,000 on it. Don't ever look up the company that owned your car
previously. It was a car used to pick up dead bodies. It even had a stainless steel cover over the bumper
at the back. Which I later recycled when I removed the tow bar from the oldwagon to put on the newer one.
The 2005 wagon I paid $3500 plus rego. The 2008 wagon I paid $6995 including 6 months rego.
​
A somewhat mundane event was that one day my dad promised me a toy from the top shop. So I waited for him there.
He of course had forgotten about the promise and just gone staright home. After it was dark the owner of the
shop drove me home in his jaguar all the while showing off his electric windows and things the car had. When
we drove down the driveway we saw a few cop cars. Dad had called the cops when I didn't show up. I don't think
I got in any trouble with the police. I don't remember dad's reaction though. He did take me to a toy shop the
next day where I could pick out any toy I wanted.
​
A few weeks or maybe a month or so after leaving that job of delivering junk mail I did see my friend again.
She told me she didn't blame me for leaving because of her EX bf. Yep she left him because he was a waste of
space. I had told her that he reminded me a lot of my dad. Later we sort of saw each other more and would talk
about things but I never really told any more about my dad. But yea he was a big waste of space.
​
I remember many times going with my uncle, brothers, and dad into the big city Exhibition. My uncle was in a
precision driving team for holden. There were four cars that had different colour headlight covers and other
things maybe like trim colours. The four colours were yellow, blue, green and red. So that ex-taxi sedan that
I bought, I painter the trim, grill, windscreen wipers, boot handle and trim, Blue firstly, then changed the
colour to yellow green and red through the different seasons then back to blue and kept it blue after that.
​
A country just had a military coup after an election that was fair. Could this have happened to another country
that a former leader incited a mob to get rid of a new leader.
​
I've had the crazy idea of putting up some of my story then leaving the school group on facebook. It's like ummm
well. you need to know but I am not going to meet with you lot now. Honestly if I ever met that principal in
person now I would seriously go through pros and cons of killing him in the most disgusting way. So I put up
some of my story pertaining to that teacher, his kid and the principal and left the group.
​
Sometime in possibly 1979 or 1980 before the other couple had bought stepdad's mother's house I walked to their
old house and probably hitchhiked some of it. It was about 16 kilometres. My mum and stepdad had gone to their
place the night before and not come home so I went looking for them.
​
In 2011 I "rescued" a thai girl from her bf and moved her in where I was staying. Sometimes I did stay in a
caravan park or hotel for a few nights. Anyways she wantes to go out and asks me to show her out where she
actually meets another guy and she didn't want me to see him. After I see him I just take all of her stuff
to a shopping centre and dump it. I did get a phone call from the police the next day. He asked my side.
But didn't really have anyway to arrest me. And told me bascially not to do it again. I think she thought
I would be arrested and jailed lol. was bascially a he said she said case. Serves her right for trying to
use me.
​
I have liked roast meals as long as I can remember because my dad would cook one every weekend. I can't really
cook a good roast. Have tried once but it didn't turn out well. Anyways before 1980 my dad thought we would
like cow's tongue. I said I dont want to taste anything that could taste me. Pretty sure I went hungry that
night.
​
Christmas day 1991, A 8 foot brown snake slithered along our patio and raised itself against the shut screen door.
Mum wanted me to go out and chase it away. I only had a 4 foot shovel. I stayed away from it. It must have been
a pregnant female. A few days later saw a few baby snakes headed for the trees.
​
Early in 2020 me and my brother each got a cold. It was a normal cold. No way it was the virus. Both mine and his
sence of taste changed. His was because of chemotherapy. I thought I was becoming intolerant of dairy or lacteous
or something else. Later worked out that my change to sence of taste was because of being over 50.
​
On a bus trip from one city to another in maybe in 1989 woke up halfway to the bus almost going off the road. All
passengers think that the driver fell asleep for a moment. This was a 24 hour trip. Didn't sleep anymore during
that trip. And only had 3 more trips in 1999 which was the same trip, in 2001 which was a 6 hour trip and then
2012 which was only a 8 hour trip.
​
Sometime in 2000 I did do a security guard course and got a licence. I did work in the airport around 2001 or 2002.
Didn't last long because of the pay being every fortnight but taxi driving would give me pay every shift. The
downside of being paid every day meant that I didn't save anything and actually incured a big GST and tax bill
that I had to pay off finally in 2008 and 2009. And again in 2015 to 2017 I had forgotten to send in my BAS' for
years so had to send them in and pay it all off. At one point I forgot a section and had to change my reports. Was
later told by the tax office that it couldn't be changed and go a lot of credit back. So i spent it, instead of
paying off any debt.
​
Sometime in the mid 2000's I think, I would pick up a guy in the taxi outside a big building. He would always leave
work around 8 or 9pm. He said he was sick of it so I simply said to him CHANGE. Another 3 months and I finally see him
one afternoon after 5pm. He tells me he did change to a government job and goes home at 5pm every day now.
​
Around 1991 to 1993 I would go to the big city and stay in backpackers hostels. I had a bad case of ingrown toenail at
one point. In 2005/2006 I had a bad case of bacteria growing on my left foot. I had to take a week off work. Mid 2018
I was stepping off my trailer and stepped on a tennon saw which flipped around and sliced my left leg open above the
ankle. I didn't go see a doctor but it has left me with a scar. Sometime after that I was doing a job and walked into
a castus plant injuring my left eye and below my eye. Took a day off then. Doing that job I found I wasn't making money
but had to keep working to be able to eat as I could not get another job or go on the dole.

I write this letter to address the recent Minister’s Questions session for the Ministry of Justice. In my current position as the Secretary of State overseeing this ministry, it is my duty to answer the concerns of parliamentarians and the people they represent, and I do seek to address them here. First off, I would like to thank my predecessor, the Right Honourable hurricaneoflies for his service to this government and to this ministry. However, I’d like to speed up things and get straight to the point. The questions asked and my answers provided are as follows:
---
“Exactly 149 days ago, I swore in as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. At the time, I said this:
‘The position of Lord Chancellor is an important one - I am all too aware of the immense responsibility that has been placed upon my shoulders. To defend the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law whilst serving in government is not always easy - especially because it may sometimes require telling my political colleagues in the cabinet that they may not do, or have, whatever they wish.’
In that time, the Lord Chancellor has made a mockery of the position of Lord Chancellor by making an outward attack on the independence of the judiciary. Has he seen the errors of his ways, and if not, will he offer his resignation?”
While I do hope I do not need to resign after immediately being appointed to this position, I do hope to uphold the independence of the judiciary, as we pride ourselves on being a government of transparency and fairness, and justice can only really be called justice if the judiciary is able to provide it without fear or favour. If the Right Honourable Baron or any member of this House has any concerns, I do not intend to discourage them, as compromise and cooperation is something so direly needed in a world that is getting increasingly divided today.
---
“Mr Speaker,
Does the Lord Chancellor agree with Rape Crisis England that;
‘Giving these [rape] suspects exceptional treatment compared to those suspected of similarly serious and stigmatising crimes would inevitably reinforce the public misconception - which is unsupported by evidence but nonetheless widely held - that those suspected of sexual offences are more likely to have been falsely accused than those suspected of other types of crime.’
When the Stern Review found no evidence of false reporting, instead rather under reporting with only 17% of those rape every reporting the assault to police.”
In all honesty, I agree with the Right Honourable Baron, which is why I think the protections given to rape suspects under the Sullivan Anonymity Act should be extended to others suspected of similarly serious crimes. Seeing as the crime is serious, it’s consequences are serious as well, and I would very much not like to see someone suffering social ostracisation due to being suspect in a serious crime.
---
“Mr Deputy Speaker,
The Lord Chancellor, upon taking office, swore a solemn oath after what I’m sure was an unforgettable ceremony of pomp and pageantry. It is right that such an event is celebrated, in my view, because the oath sworn, to uphold the independence of the judiciary, is such an important one. Does the Lord Chancellor intend to uphold that oath, wherever and whenever necessary?”
I wish I had a ceremony of pomp and pageantry after I was appointed to this position. However, I agree that upholding the independence of the judiciary is necessary, and I also see it as my responsibility to do so.
---
“Mr speaker,
LB199, The Position Of Trust (Sexual Offences) Bill is going to a reading in the lords. It seeks to reverse the move last year to criminalise consensual activity in all cases between sports coaches/community leaders and people under them. It was an attack on the fundamental right to bodily autonomy.
I also point out that case law and CPS guidelines following the McNally case allow for rape and sexual offence prosecutions to be brought where consent was engineered.
So does the Lord Chancellor agree with me and indeed the Lord Falconer who as justice secretary at the time that;
‘We think it is right to restrict it to people who have a care or training function in relation to the people who may be victimised. We think it would be going too far to include a janitor or someone else who works in a school but is not a teacher. I understand the noble Baroness’s argument, but a line has to be drawn somewhere and we think that is the right place.’”
While I do agree with the Right Honourable Baron and the Lord Falconer that a line should be drawn somewhere, I think that sports coaches and community leaders should also be included, because evidently they are in positions of authority and thus in positions of trust, unlike the example of a janitor which the Lord Falconer brought up.
---
“Deputy Speaker,
As I welcome the Secretary of State to their questions, would they outline to this House on what policies have they been working at present and when can this House see them?”
Due to the short notice in which I was appointed, and also owing to the docket being full, I regret to inform this House that I have no legislation to push through this term. However, if the Right Honourable Lady would like me to sponsor any of her bills, I would be very happy to provide my input.
---
“Deputy Speaker,
As the Secretary of State may know, we have devolved Justice to Wales, would they inform us as to whether they have had any plans about the smooth transition to a Welsh Justice system?”
I regret to inform this House that I have no plans as of yet, I have not been presented with a contingency plan yet as I was appointed in short notice.
---
“In cases involving companies and their employees, companies almost always win. This is due to them having better legal support than their employees. Does the secretary of state have any plans to rectify this imbalance?”
I do not think it is possible as of now, owing to the timespan in which Parliament will be dissolved, but I intend, or maybe pitch this idea with my potential successor, to cooperate with the Department of Work, Labour and Skills to perhaps coordinate a legal aid system where employees could receive legal aid pro bono against their companies.
---
“Deputy Speaker,
Does the Secretary of State have any legislation planned between now and the end of the term?”
To repeat my reply to the Lady Kilmarnock, due to the short notice in which I was appointed, and also owing to the docket being full, I regret to inform this House that I have no legislation to push through this term. However, if His Grace the Duke of Aberdeen would like me to sponsor any of his bills, I would be very happy to provide my input.
---
“Deputy Speaker,
The member I assume is on board with plans to allow criminals to serve time in the military when on licence. What input did the Justice Secretary have in putting together this legislation?”
As I was just appointed, I frankly did not have any input in this legislation. I do need more time to deliberate over whether or not it is ethical to allow criminals to serve time in the military, although for now I do not think it is right to allow them to do so.
---
“Mr Deputy Speaker,
Does the Lord Chancellor see the error of their ways regarding the misguided, the possibly well-intentioned, government plans for super injunctions?”
As I was just appointed, I do not have any plans for super-injunctions, as the Right Honourable Baron is claiming.
---
“Mr Deputy Speaker,
What is the Secretary of State’s stance on anonymity until proven guilty?”
I believe that it is in the best interests of the accused party and the victim that the accused remains anonymous, as we all know convictions are stigmatising on people. If we practise innocence until proven guilty, what is to stop us from practising this fine proposal from the Deputy Leader of the Conservatives?
---
“Mr Deputy Speaker,
How do they intend to ensure that rehabilitation is prioritised in prisons?”
I do hope to ensure that we move from a punishment-based justice system to a rehabilitation-based justice system, so I will hope to see that prisoners will be given education and taught some soft skills so that they may rebuild their life starting on the right foot.
---
“Mr Speaker,
I would be interested to hear the Secretary's thoughts on the Sullivan Act repeal before the house earlier to this session. Could the Secretary tell us if they will be supporting the repeal?”
To be frank with the Right Honourable Member, I am sitting on the fence over this repeal. I support the idea of open justice, as having open justice is the only fair way justice can be served to the people. Open justice is also a way for the public to have confidence in our judiciary system, and it is something I would very much like to see.
However, I don’t support this repeal because the Sullivan Act provides civil protections that are crucial, especially one where the outcome is a make-or-break one. If someone is really convicted of a rape and found guilty, like Harvey Weinstein, then they will be sent to jail, no doubt about that. But, in another example, for example Morgan Freeman, who has not been convicted in a court for sexual harassment although multiple complaints have been brought up, is his career worth damaging for something that may very well be false? I do not think that mob justice is right, I do think that the power to decide whether a person is guilty or not is for the courts to decide, and currently the Sullivan Anonymity Act is in place to ensure that. If it is repealed, I presume the judge should be making a lot of super-injunctions then.
All in all I think the blame lies on how the media portrays such cases. We do have to find a balance, but in my opinion if it is repealed at least open justice can be served, but at the expense of privacy. If it is not repealed, privacy is maintained, but confidence is lost. I’d like to see a balance of that, so in my good faith a repeal is probably the best way going forward.
---
“Speaker,
What is the secretary's plan, if any, to deliver and increase the technological innovation much needed in the Justice sector, allowing higher efficiency in delivering Justice?”
Considering the remaining length of the term, I do not think I can deliver anything. However, I will try to bring about modernisation in where court proceedings will be recorded, or something of that magnitude.
---
“Speaker,
Does this government plan on expanding the requirements to receive legal aid, allowing more Britons the right to have representation without destroying their pocket?”
I do agree that people shouldn’t be bankrupted just because they have to deal with a legal case, and I do think legal aid should be given whenever possible, so I hope that after this election I can try to get to work writing legislation to enable the Ministry of Justice to be able to provide legal aid to those who need it the most.
---
“Mr Deputy Speaker,
Does the Secretary believe that the United Kingdom should apologise for the occupation of the Chagos Islands and that it should be rightly returned?”
I think it is odd that I have decided to answer a question that I myself have asked, however I agree that the way in which we occupied the Chagos Islands is one that leaves a nasty mark on our track record as a beacon of democracy and justice, and I will try to look at the further steps we can take to mitigate this.
---
“Deputy Speaker,
Does the Secretary of State believe that professional lobby groups in the legal services sector should also be in charge of regulating themselves?”
While I do believe that the lobbying sector should be regulated, I am on the fence when it comes to the question of whether they should be given the power to regulate themselves. For all we know, giving them this power to do so might bring our system more harm than good, and I am sure this is a scenario which every member of the House won’t want us to be in.
---
“Deputy Speaker,
Will the government be securing an increase in funds for our courts, which have suffered from cuts and backlogs in cases accordingly?”
I agree with the Right Honourable Viscount that our courts are in dire need of funding, and a lack of this has caused legal issues to drag on for ages. We should be building a justice system for the people, so that will mean building a justice system that is fit for purpose and efficient in it’s running. Although I understand the budget has just been tabled, I will surely call for an increase in funding if we enter into government again.
---
“Mr Deputy Speaker,
We have seen a lot of frantic virtue signaling on the independence of courts here, can the Secretary affirm that those hear which have actively and maliciously facilitated the breaking of international law have no room to lecture us on courts, and that it is incumbent upon us to enforce the ICJ’s rulings as long as we remain in it, whether we like it or not?”
I can undeniably agree with the Right Honourable Viscount on this one. We may be a sovereign nation, but we must also have a sense of respect and perspective. Ignoring the decision of the ICJ is akin to ignoring the jurisdiction of the United Nations, and if that happens we may very well see it’s demise like the League of Nations before it. I hope to right the wrongs of the previous administration if I possibly can and I will be discussing this with the Prime Minister on our best way forward.
---
“Mr Deputy Speaker,
Should the role of the attorney general be made non partisan?”
I do not think that should be the case. The attorney general is the legal representative of the government. If the attorney general is not a member of the government, isn’t that just as bad as the government having a lawyer that could incriminate it’s clients?
---
“Deputy Speaker,
Following the vote in favour of devolution, along with a number of other justice-related responsibilities Wales has assumed authority over its own prison services. However, because of Westminster's past negligence, there is no place in Wales for female prisoners and they've had to be kept in England. Many Welsh parties have committed to building a Welsh female prison, but that will take time.
What arrangements have been made with the Welsh government, or arrangements planned to be negotiated, as to the management of these Welsh female prisoners in the interim, and what preparations will be done to ensure a smooth transfer when the Welsh prison service is ready to bring these prisoners back to Wales where their families can visit them more easily and they will have extended rights to use their native language?”
I agree with the Right Honourable Gentleman that a female prison in Wales should be built, but seeing as I have just been appointed into this position, I have not conducted any talks yet with the Welsh government. However, if I am somehow appointed to this position again, I would like to help organise this. In my personal opinion, I would prefer if these female prisoners would be transferred to a correctional facility closest to Wales. When a prison is ready, we should make all preparations necessary to transfer them over, and to put them under the jurisdiction of the Welsh justice system.
---
“Mr Deputy Speaker,
Does the Secretary of State for Justice agree with me that it is our nations duty and responsibility to uphold the rulings of the ICJ and international law regardless of if they are too our benefit because to not do so shakes the faith in our governments ability to abide by the rule of law?”
To repeat my reply to the Lord Houston, I agree totally that the ICJ’s ruling ought to be respected.
---
“Mr Deputy Speaker,
Does the Rt. Hon. gentleman agree with me that the primary focus of our justice system should first be in rehabilitation with true punishment centric justice reserved only for those cases where we can see that rehabilitation will not work and continuing to do so would only put lives at risk?”
I agree with the views of the Right Honourable Gentleman and I do think that rehabilitation should come first, as everyone does deserve a second chance in life.
​
Once again, I would like to thank the Right Honourable hurricaneoflies for his time as the Secretary of State for Justice, and I believe the shoes that I have to fill are very big. Although my time here has been short, I do hope that my recommendations will be taken into consideration. Thank you.

In 1999, something revolutionary came to Britain. For the first time, proportional representation was introduced in Britain, for the devolved assemblies. This heralded an era where coalition became the norm.
Under Proportional Representation, it is of course possible to achieve majorities, such as the SNP in 2011 or the Scottish Greens in 2018, but it is rare enough to be an anomalous quirk in a coalition system, as opposed to before, where the hung parliament is the anomalous quirk in a majoritarian system. We haven’t had single party majority government at Westminster since 2011, In New Zealand exceptional circumstances have lead to the first single party majority government in 30 years.
What I am saying is that parties need to collaborate in order to govern.
The obvious way to organise Britain’s political parties is by how “left wing” or “right wing” they are, usually defined by economic policy. Under this conception, we are prone to finding 2 blocks of roughly even size: one traditionally lead by the Conservatives, the other by Labour.
This natural grouping has lead to many successful party alliances before: on the right, the Con-NUP-UKIP government led by the Marquess of Derbyshire lasted 2 full terms, The “Blurple” coalition has reoccurred many times. On the left: groupings like the TLC, The Lib-Lab pact and other Progressive coalitions have often successfully held power.
However, this is not the only way to organise parties. Famously in 2010, and again in 2020 (and other times in larger coalitions) the Liberal Democrats have worked with the Conservative Party to form a government of what are usually considered a centre-left and a centre-right party. In 2018, The Classical Liberals joined with the LPUK, New Britain and the Conservatives to pass a deal allowing us to exit the European Union. Heck in 2017, The Labour Party and the Conservatives allied to form a Government of the Establishment, a government that lasted 4 months and was my first experience in Government.
This capability of parties to ally in different ways at different times for different reasons is the major strength of proportional representation. Parties aren’t bound in permanent alignments or alliances: they flow and change depending on political expediency and the mood of the parties.
This brings me to the 2 coalitions forming this week: in Scotland and Wales.
I’ve always found Scotland odd. When I first entered politics, it was the untouchable dominion of the Green-led TLC. It even had a Green majority government at some point. Under the Duke of Cumbria, it became plausible that a Unionist coalition could govern Scotland, and the Classical Liberals were able to form a Government. On their merger into the Conservatives, it was the Latter that picked up the uncomfortable mantle of dominant party in Scotland, and it is under this situation that we find ourselves in today.
The results of this election saw the Conservatives as the dominant party in Scotland but just short of an overall majority. Progressive Party MSPs would be able to give Sir Tommy2Boys an overall majority and keep him in Bute House. However, the Progressive Party are generally seen as a Left Wing party, and are expected to oppose the Conservatives. It is possible, if a ragbag of others join in to stop the Conservatives, to have a Labour Government, but it is clear that the Conservatives are the more stable choice.
This result reminds me closely of two coalitions that I admire. The first is in 2010 where in Parliament the Conservatives won the most seats and not an overall majority, and a Labour led Government would need the agreement of several smaller parties to stay in power. Under that situation, Nick Clegg said that “Whoever has the most seats and the most votes should have the first right to form a Government”, and he followed through, making a coalition with the Conservatives that lasted 4 successful years. The second alliance this reminds me of is in 2008 in New Zealand where the traditionally Left Leaning Māori party supported Sir John Key’s National Government, an alignment that lasted until the Labour victory in 2017.
In Wales, I confess to being confused as to what’s going on but it looks like we see the emergence of a many party government, in the absence of anyone getting a clear win. This government will be led by the independent Lord Eltham, and comprising the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Progressives and the LPUK. To me this seems to be broadly centre-right, broadly Unionist coalition, the first of its kind in Wales.
I respect the Progressive Party for their willingness to work with the Conservatives, a party they don’t have loads in common with, to exact concessions from them and get the Government the Progressives want, and not what someone looking at a spreadsheet and party labels may assume
Both of these coalitions have something in common: the emergence of Labour as the main opposition. And Labour’s response to the coalition formation has shocked me. In both assemblies, the party line appears to be to snipe at the Progressive Party, labelling them as some form of traitor for daring to act in any other way than going into Government with the mother party of the Left. While salt is always expected after elections, this seems excessive. Together with Solidarity, for whom it is more understandable, the Prime Minister’s party takes aim at a newly successful minor party for going into coalition, looking for other principles than the left-right dichotomy. This is disappointing behaviour in a Governing Party, and is behaviour we haven’t seen in the Labour Party since Michael Foot’s sniping at the SDP, or perhaps since Ramsey MacDonald’s expulsion for forming a “National” Government.
And what of the Conservatives? They find themselves playing key roles in 2 coalitions, one being so close to a Conservative majority, one being a rag bag of unionists. Well, the Earl of Stockton once said that the last purely Conservative Government was formed by Disraeli in 1874, because every other Conservative Government has had elements of the Left in it. And the Earl of Beaconsfield said it best: “It seems to me a barren thing this Conservatism—an unhappy cross-breed, the mule of politics that engenders nothing”. And therein lies their strength and longevity.
The Rt Hon Earl of Devon KG KP OM GCMG CT LVO OBE PC is a Conservative Peer and former Prime Minister.

Hello, I am in fact still alive. I'm going to post a comment below explaining what's gone on behind the scenes in reasonable detail, what's happening next etc, so stick around for that if you're interested.
Frankly, and I know I really shouldn't say this when it comes to bringing people in, but this story is not as good as I'd wish for it to be, but I felt that it was about time I got back to putting stuff out, and it was unfair to continue radio silence while not really making any progress.
Salisbury Plain Training Area, Wiltshire
“And then slot this bit in, align the prongs correctly, you’ll want to cup it with your hands. No, Ghurytva, that’s…” The instructor paused as part of the rifle sprung straight into the air, luckily not hitting anyone in the face, before it fell back to the grass. “Congratulations Ghurytva, you’ve done what every one-star cadet in history does. Now, put it back in, and do it properly this time. Everyone else, push the rear pin in until you hear the first click, that’ll keep it secure so you can take your hands off. Don’t go any further.”
Raxicarifallatorus copied the instructor’s movements, hearing a nice satisfying click and feeling the pin push against his finger. Around him, 30 Hekatians were similarly attempting to reassemble the Human rifles. Several soldiers paced back and forth, helping guide those who struggled. This had been intended as a team-building exercise, to introduce the Hekatians to using Human weaponry, but like all team-building exercises, it had really only resulted in increasing anger.
“Is that everyone caught up? Excellent. Now, lay it on the top, pick the TMH up, and take it in gently, like you’re landing a plane. If that’s how you all land a plane. Nice and gentle, good one Alknurtyb! Push the pins in when it’s secure.” Raxicarifallatorus attempted it, failing a few times, before it finally clicked into place, then bumping the pins to keep it in place. Why do the Humans make guns that are so fiddly, he thought to himself. Pins that were near impossible to pull away, parts that needed to go in at a precise angle, and so on. Still, their designs worked, so he supposed he couldn’t say too much against them.
A large tank, rumbled by along the road, followed by several transports with waving soldiers onboard. Raxicarifallatorus waved back, noting the handful of Hekatians riding alongside their Human counterparts.
“Right, do the functions test, and we’re then going to take you over to the firing range. That will be some fun.”
“Sir, if I may, I have a question. Why do you do this?” Likuhrtn asked, as he struggled to put the TMH back on.
“What do you mean? We do it because we have to know how to clean and service our guns.” One of the instructor’s assistants took up the job of responding.
“You do that all yourselves?”
“Of course we do! Who does it for you, your mum?”
“No, servicing of weapons is handled by technicians. It’s unsafe to do it otherwise.” Likuhrtn seemed genuinely baffled at the insistence otherwise.
“It’s unsafe for untrained people to service a rifle, which is why we train people to do it. That’s how we’ve done it for centuries. The better the repairs you can do at the frontline, the better it is in general. Goes for injuries, goes for vehicles, and by god, it goes for firearms. Now, while you were busy being wrong, you messed up. So do it again, and focus.”
“Hey, Hekatians, look at this.” One Human, a big burly man, drew Raxicarifallatorus’s attention away from the firing range, where he’d still not had a chance to visit. Looking towards him, he saw the Human put an object, the type the Humans called an “e-cig” into his mouth, taking a deep breath. Then he pulled his combat jacket to his mouth, breathing out. A thick cloud of smoke billowed from the bottom of the jacket, the man chuckling as the last bits exited.
“You do that to everyone, Olly, I swear. Not even that impressive.” A bored woman, who was mostly staring at her phone, commented.
“Oh come on Meg, don’t you think I look all Blackbeard-like?”
“Maybe we should dump his body in the ocean then, if he’s being all Blackbeard. See if his body circles the ship.” That was the instructor, returning from talking to the previous round of shooter’s about their performance. “Current lot are taking longer than expected, and we expected the worst.”
“That’s fine sir, we’re having the best of times here. We’re teaching the Hekatians how to play card games.”
“Are they? That’s good, just don’t let them play with real money, or you’ll bankrupt the lot of them. Anyway, while I sort these all out, there’s a reservist Major on the way, here to babysit you all.”
“Do we need babysitting?”
“Of course you do Olly, I wouldn’t trust you to unblock a toilet. Here’s that Major, so I’m going to push off.” A Humvee pulled up, dispensing a lone man, as the instructor walked off towards the firing point.
“Afternoon everyone, I’m Major Ingram.”
“Why’s that ring a bell?” Olly asked halfheartedly, putting his e-cig back into his mouth.
“Doesn’t matter.” Ingram said that rather quickly, which Raxicarifallatorus found amusing. “That aside, nice to meet you all, this is my first time working with Hekatians.”
The Major must have been a “Lazarus” then, the nickname for the thousands of ex-soldiers who’d been brought back to the Armed Forces in some way, after Human control returned to the country. It was a process happening all over the world, armies that were ballooning in size grasping for any shred of experience they could use to get the new recruits up to code.
“Nice to meet you as well, sir. I’m Raxicarifallatorus.” Raxicarifallatorus saluted, before sticking his hand out in the traditional Human greeting. The Major returned it, before moving around to the other Hekatians, who gave their names and similar gestures.
“Always good to meet our new allies. What’s it like working with us?”
“Bit all over the place sir. Not an experience I expected when we set out on the invasion. We were just meant to move in, set up, and go home when the real heavyweights moved in.”
“What did you expect, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“I don’t know to be quite honest with you. Far less rain. More mountains as well, we’re meant to be a mountain warfare unit.” Raxicarifallatorus assumed that had been the result of a major bureaucratic mess up, the kind that became almost as legendary as tales of heroism against giant monsters.
“Fair answer I suppose.” They watched as a convoy of lorries pulled up several hundred metres away, dozens of men exiting and setting to work on something.
“You know what that’s about, sir? Instructor didn’t mention it.”
“Ah, yeah, I was talking with a mechanic earlier. They’re field trialling a new system, meant to make anything into a VTOL. The mechanics don’t have a clue how it works in the theoretical sense, but they know how to put it together.”
Switching to his long range vision, his lower eyes closing in response, Raxicarifallatorus could see the people laying out several objects along the grass, before connecting them with thick wires to a portable reactor they’d removed from a lorry. Raxicarifallatorus stared at the ongoing assembly for several more minutes, before something clicked in his head.
“Are they… using gravity plating?”
“That’s what you call it? The stuff you use on your ships to generate gravity?”
“Yes. Why are they setting it up like that?”
“According to the mechanics, they use the central part to bring it down to Earth or push it up, depending on what they want. The other bits restrain it, and stop it from crashing to the ground when the centre is off.” A single jet flew overhead, speed lowered in its approach. It drew closer and closer to the plates, before breaking off for another go around. “That’s going to be their test plane then.”
“That’s a Jaguar! I didn’t know we still flew Jaguars!” Olly seemed impressed. Raxicarifallatorus was just happy to have a name to put to it.
“We don’t, that’s why they’re using it. God forbid they lost a perfectly good jet on this.” The Jaguar made another approach, this time forming a perfect, straight line approach. The closest panel rotated on it’s gimbal to track the Jaguar, slowing it even more than its engines could safely achieve. Then it’s nose passed over the central panel, and it came to a somewhat abrupt stop, floating in midair.
“Looks far messier than how we land. For us, the plane repels itself from the ground, not the other way around.” Raxicarifallatorus said, continuing to watch the display. The first time he’d experienced the effect of anti-grav-takeoff, as a child going on holiday, it had left him feeling somewhere between excited and half-sick. He dreaded to think what this far-less refined system was like.
The Jaguar gently approached the ground, it’s wheels deploying before it made a soft landing. The pilot got out and walked around, seemingly more to demonstrate his continued survival than anything else, before getting back inside and closing the cockpit once more.
“That’s the next generation of special effects right there, isn’t it. Every magician on the planet will be hankering for some of it. See, now they’re doing the take-off.” The Jaguar began to rise in the air, now being repulsed by the panels. It kept going, up and up, reaching some 20 odd metres above the grass. This time, both the front and rear panel were locked on as it began to fly off, pushing it in just the right way to keep it safe.
“Well… I think we just witnessed the future of air travel, right there. Imagine doing that with a 747.”
“Death of the V-22, more like.”
“Another reason for me to never touch a plane again, then.” Meg snarked from the back.
Raxicarifallatorus’s apartment, Islington
“Typically, we’d ask you to provide proof of membership. However, membership office was blown up during the war, so there’s not currently a way to join up officially. But for all intents and purposes, due to a complete lack of competitors, you are now officially the Green candidate for Hekatian Seat One.” It was weird, being told you were running in elections via a phone call. But that was to be expected, given the circumstances.
“Doesn’t sound so nice with a name like that, does it?”
“Well, early days, early days. By the next election, they’ll probably have a fancy official name for the seats.”
“How will campaigning be handled then?” The election was still some time away, a whole half a year, giving parties time to literally rebuild.
“Hekatians in the constituencies designated under your region, will get a leaflet for our constituency candidate, and also another leaflet, for you specifically. We’ll run events like it was an MEP thing, except we don’t have them anymore, and you don’t know what those are, in fact, ignore that bit. Just know, we’ll support you all the way through this.”
“How likely is it that I’m going to win?”
“We don’t know, to be very honest. Just remember, swings in the Human vote aren’t what’ll matter to you, ignore those polls. The only people voting for you, are Hekatians, so keep your eye on them. And good luck!”
“Thank you.” Raxicarifallatorus ended the call, scrolling absentmindedly through his phone. Glancing at the front door, he spotted a postman’s head through the frosted glass window. Raxicarifallatorus wondered who would be sending him anything, as a lone envelope dropped through the letter box.
The words “Aid From Above Worldwide”, printed in big red ink on the side, did little to aid his confusion. The logo of this organisation seemed to depict a cartoonishly drawn Hekatian, all eyes open, smiling in a distinctly Human way and holding a large box with “Aid” written in the side. Was this… a Hekatian charity organisation?
Aden, Yemen
“You got those IV bags, Rax?”
“Right here, there you go.” Raxicarifallatorus began switching the bags over, his gloves making it a little harder as he worked.
“Thanks. Ward 3 needs some of those antibiotics, so if you can get them on over there when you’re done? Here, we’ve got through all our critical cases, so they’ll want them more.” Raxicarifallatorus nodded, taking the box and walking past the rows of hospital beds. Most were occupied, some were not, with doctors and nurses flying about the room. They cleared the way for him, allowing him to get through to the corridor.
Raxicarifallatorus passed several other Hekatians on his journey, all wearing doctors scrubs like him. He noted several had ankle tags fitted, suggesting their work here was less charity, more mandatory redemption. But that wasn’t his problem, Raxicarifallatorus was certainly the former, he wouldn’t have done so much if he hadn’t. Tree planting in the Sahara Desert, landslide relief in the Philippines, and now medical work in the middle of a cholera outbreak. Aid From Above had sent him all over the world, as part of their tentative efforts at building a less tainted public perception of Hekatians.
Raxicarifallatorus snapped out of his thought process, finding himself in the middle of ward 3 already. Had he really walked all this way without even thinking about it?
“Doctor Smith? I have the antibiotics.”
“Ah, thank you… Yugnur?” The Doctor opened the box up immediately, unloading the contents onto nearby trays.
“Raxicarifallatorus, sir.” That was a common mistake. Hekatians were still too new for Humans to be successful in identifying specific individuals, not without a lot of time to get to know them. Hopefully that would change, as the strange became the familiar.
“My bad, I’m sorry.” Doctor Smith pulled yet more antibiotics out, quickly checking each packet to ensure they were properly filled. “These tablets work miracles, you know. Never would have discovered them if you all hadn’t come along. All that war really did give us a bit of a hand then?”
“Maybe. Fighting hasn’t done these people much good though.” Raxicarifallatorus gestured around the room as he talked, a habit he’d picked up from the Humans. Doctor Smith’s expression changed at that remark, a more gloomy look taking hold.
“Well, yes. But that’s why we’re here, aren’t we, MSF longer than most. And, maybe soon, we can find new stuff with a bit of shared work, rather than looking for bigger bombs and accidentally helping someone. Anyway, there’s a patient just over there, she needs a dose but we had to put her back on priority. Go give her some, would you?”
Loose Primary School Gym, Maidstone
“Dghutn, Labour Party. 31296 votes.” There was a long round of polite applause and cheering at the announcer’s words, and Raxicarifallatorus knew that he’d lost. “Raxicarifallatorus, Green Party. 20020.” Lost with dignity, he supposed. A nice high number of votes.
He listened as the announcer kept going, listing a variety of candidates he hadn’t even known he was running against. The “Hekatian Independence Party”? “Monster Raving Looney Party”? At least they’d lost their deposits, that might make them stop doing it next time.
Raxicarifallatorus stood awkwardly around on the stage, not quite knowing what to do until the list of names finished. He shuffled off, looking around for someone to talk to. But instead, someone found him.
“Evening Raxicarifallatorus. Knew I had to be here.”
“Joe! I… I didn’t know you were here!”
“What, you expected me to stay away?”
“Yes, I suppose.”
“Rude.Anyway, don’t beat yourself up about losing. Dghutn is a good lad, one of mine. Have to admit, I’m kind of to blame for it.” The thought of Joe having guided multiple separate Hekatians hadn’t really crossed Raxicarifallatorus’ mind too much, but he supposed he really should have expected it.
“Blame?”
“Well, you know… there’s a reason so many of you voted the way you did. And… don’t tell The Sun, but there were more people like me talking to the Hekatians, than there were its readers, if you get what I mean.”
“That sounds like cheating, to me.”
“If it’s cheating, then we cheated you to 20 thousand votes, that’s all I’m saying. Not that we did it deliberately, none of us knew it was going to turn out like this when we signed up for the Ministry of Integration. And look, if they’ve got a problem with it, they can campaign hard enough to win them all over, next time.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever understand the way you lot act in politics.”
“Excellent, that makes you an expert then. True expertise is when you finally realise you don’t have a clue. Now, I’ve got a party at the pub to go attend, but I’ll keep in touch if I have the chance. In fact… I don’t suppose you’ve tried alcohol yet, have you?”
“Army don’t let me do it on their time, sadly. Neither do Triple-A.”
“You’re with Triple-A now? My, the things I’ve heard about their founders. Anyway, that sounds like an opportunity for some experimentation to me. Come on, I’ll take you there.”
[Wiki] [Buy me a coffee]

Background
Sierra Leone entered 2034 with high hopes. Hopes that were eventually quelled in the most disastrous fashion. Government misspending and high tax rates led to the economy spiralling into devastating territory, hinged for potentially catastrophic economic collapse. Not aiding to the situation at all was President Daniel's refusals to join ECOWAS, claiming that 'an economic union led by a non-democratic nation would lead to an un-democratic Sierra Leone.' Ironic perhaps. Regardless with the Aestia led coalition seeming as perhaps the only way out for the struggling economy, many businesses began closing their doors... the economic slide had begun.
In response to many thousands of people losing their livelihoods, popular political commentator Asfaha Mebrahtu led a protest at the famed State House, home of the president. The day ended in disaster and the lawn of that venue showered with blood from the deceased and wounded. A day that would become known as the day of 6 words. We demand to see the president. Mebrahtu himself was shot and killed early in the conflict, on most accounts leading to the massacre that followed.
Two days later, President Daniel's ordered the immediate execution of 200 odd protesters that had been arrested. These protesters were publicly executed, without a fair trial. A 6pm curfew was enacted in the city of Freetown. A city that would become a shoot on site after 6 pm.
Under threat of intervention from the government of Aestia, the President was whisked away into hiding, losing his mind and gaining the unfavourable traits of insanity and paranoia. Democracy is dying in the small nation. Once a fair leader had lost his mind, and now refused to give up his power without a fight.
This election... could be the last.
The parties
Sierra Leone Democratic Socialist Party
The original candidate for this left-wing party, was the late Asfaha Mebrahtu, an immensely popular political commentator turned martyr after being fatally shot during a protest of the State House. Mebrahtu popularised his party over the past several years. His death only propelled his party into the fame, and his popular political positions turned him into a hero.
The party’s new candidate is Luam Idris, unlike Mebrahtu, Idris is exceptionally young at just 21 years of age, she is immensely popular with the progressive, and quickly radicalising youth. She is also quite popular with the older generation, arguing for better healthcare, and welfare systems within Sierra Leone.
Idris is supportive of joining ECOWAS, and like many in the nation realises joining ECOWAS is the best way to avoid foreign troops entering the country, as well as the best way to fix the economic crisis.
Media Polls show that about 70% of people support this party.
Candidate : Luam Idris
Sierra Leone People’s Party
The incumbent president is running for re-election in 2034. His presidency was plagued by protest, economic collapse, miniature approval ratings. He is hated by many and seen as the main cause of the current financial crisis, mostly due to his blatant refusal to join ECOWAS.
His policies to fix the economy are questionable, lower taxes but keep government spending the same. Many question Daniel’s mental capacity, and he is seen by many to be paranoid, as well as mentally insane.
One of his biggest errors that President Daniel's made during his rule of the poor African nation, was misspending government funds on projects that did not directly help Sierra Leone, projects such as the SCICOM university. Furthermore his decision to execute hundreds of protestors and impose a 6 pm curfew across the city resulted in many calling him against the very morals of democracy he claims to stand for.
However, he no longer stands for democracy, his mind is broken beyond the point of rationality. Daniel's sees himself as a god, who deserves to rule on his throne of Sierra Leone. And he will do whatever it takes to do so.
Polling at 20%.
Candidate : Gebre Daniel (incumbent)
All People’s Congress
Centre-right candidate, not very popular, overshadowed by the two main parties. Economic policies for repair include de-regulation, and lower taxes. The party is not popular due to the fact that many people see them as benefiting only the rich, and Asfaha Mebrahtu has said on many an occasion that trickle down economics does not work, and that this party does not represent the poor.
Words from a martyr like Mebrahtu, are essentially taken as biblical texts, in the divided nation.
Polling at 6%
Candidate : Ambessa Kiros
National Grand Coalition
Far right candidate. Not well known, not well liked. Hardly any campaigning. Policies for economic repair is murdering all criminals and pouring the money into business investments. They also argue that all foreigners should be shot and executed, or put in forced labour camps.
No one really takes them seriously.
4% polling rate.
Candidate: Abdullah Ali
The election.
[s] Given the harsh polling rates against him, the paranoid President Daniel, devises a plan to maintain his power and grip over the nation. Electoral rigging. He sneakily pays off the electoral commission, a $20, 000, 000 check, to swing the election in his favour, money that was meant to be set aside for investments. Another nail in the coffin of the economy and democracy, the electoral commission accepts the bribe.
No longer does democracy exist in Sierra Leone. [s]
People went to the polls under fear of political arrests and terrorist attacks, given that voting is not compulsory in Sierra Leone, only 300, 000 people voted.
Results
to win elections in Sierra Leone, a candidate must win 55% of the vote in the first round of a majority in the second round

Candidate	Percent	Votes
Gebre Daniels	81%	243, 000
Ambessa Kiros	5%	15, 000
Abdullah Ali	4%	12, 000
Luam Idris	10%	30, 000

Given that Gibre Daniels won 61% in the first round, he is to continue on as president of Sierra Leone, for the next 5 years. Daniel's party also '100% legitimately' [m] sarcasm [m] won 100% of the seats in parliment.

Antier recently sat down with The New Yorker, a notable left-wing media outlet located in the United States of America. In this odd, yet unique phenomena, the leader of the Welsh Greens and member of the Greens Executive Committee discuss what a positive, Green movement means on both sides of the pond. Here now is UK Correspondent Sarah Larson, speaking over the phone with antier. A transcript of the call is outlined below.
SL - Hi anther can you hear me?
A - I can Sarah! Hello, nice to finally catch up with you. What a whirlwind these last few days have been!
SL - So glad. How’s the weather over the pond?
A - As well as can be expected. How’s it in the US?
SL - Much better now that the disaster of a President has left office.
A - Of course. It’s safe to say I think there was a unilateral sigh of relief when that buffoon left office.
SL - *chuckles* Alright let’s get down to business. Why a Green Party? Aren’t UK politics relatively progressive enough?
A - Well, unfortunately not. We’re not as broad tent compared to the United States - we don’t have a mix of Biden’s and AOC’s in a party, rather it’s much more fractionalized. The Green Party has always stood as a voice for the climate. We’re really keen to push forward legislation that promotes a more ecocentric perspective, as opposed to prioritising economic growth as our previous Conservative and Labour governments have done.
SL - So you’re saying that Conservatives and Labour are identical?
A - Both are extremely ineffective when it comes to reform. So yes - identical in that sense. Labour does like to pretend it’s left-wing though just recently the Chancellor has expressed support in prioritising the economy and has even been complimented by other right-leaning parties. It’s a disaster. Don’t even get me started on their opportunistic government partner.
SL - And you’re the leader of the Welsh Greens. This is quite an interesting portfolio, as I understand the Greens aren’t terribly active outside England?
A - The Greens have had a minimal presence in Wales. Our strongest has been in Scotland but that ended with the merger with Labour. I think it’s really important we run a strong progressive campaign across Wales. We’re really privileged to be supported by a number of other progressive parties, most notably the Welsh National Party and Plaid Pobl, who believe in a future for all workers, not just the fat cats at the top.
SL - Do you think the Welsh Greens stand a chance at winning any seats in the Send?
A - We like to think so - but that’s obviously up to voters. I will be trying to convince voters in South Central Wales of our goal, while my good friend glorosercanto will be working hard in North Wales, fighting the good fight!
SL - Will you be contesting the General Election, and if so where?
A - Will be doing so, and unconfirmed yet, though likely outside Wales.
SL - Recent polls indicate that the Greens could win between 1-2 seats in Westminster. Do you think voters will listen to your message? Is this a sustainable number?
A - I’d like to think so. I think people are realising that Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Libertarians - they all run on similar platforms and nothing drastic is done as a result. We have some really good ideas to bring to the table - we’re going to completely reform the House of Lords to an electable Senate, we’re going to lift the minimum wage, enforce more regulations on companies to better take care of their workers, but most importantly push for a Green New Deal.
SL - Ah yes the Green New Deal. Will this mirror the proposed GND in the States?
A - Obviously details are still being hammered out, and you’ll find out the specifics when we release the party manifesto. The Green New Deal has forever been a boogeyman created by the right to scare away voters. The reality is that we need to safeguard not just the economy but the environment from the overwhelming threat of climate change. We need action now. Britain can’t afford to deal with the impact of climate change without some sort of buffer. I will most definitely be pushing this if elected to Westminster. In the Senedd, I will work with Plaid Cymru and Labour if elected to ensure that they meet their obligations in the climate change declaration they’ve passed (Which I hope isn’t just a cheap shot publicity stunt.)
SL - Interesting talking to you antier. Thanks for joining us, and good luck!
A - Thanks Sarah. All the best.

Podcasts we like (in no particular order):
Clearing the Fog - Broad-left and anti-imperialism interviews
She's Not Doing So Well - We are two Midwest gay dudes who try to find humor in lifes situations. Not just for LGBTQ but for everyone.
Death Panel - Politics, culture, and public policy from the left. Stay alive another week.
Generation Loss - A podcast about videos and politics
On Mass - A revolutionary Maoist perspective from a black communist. Supporter of the PCR-RCP.
A.K. 47 - Kristen R. Ghodsee reads and discusses 47 selections from the works of Alexandra Kollontai, a socialist women's activist who had radical ideas about the intersections of socialism and women's emancipation.
Bands of Turtle Island - A podcast for indeginous people by indeginous people, aims to give a platform to the oppressed
Ashes Ashes - a show about systemic issues, cracks in civilization, collapse of the environment, and if we’re unlucky the end of the world.
Little Red Schoolhouse - focuses on issues with our current education system and ways we can empower students, educators, and anyone who cares about education.
This is Hell! - a weekly longform political interview program broadcast across Chicago on WNUR since 1996
Left Business Observer - covers a very wide variety of topics - US and international politics, economics, race, etc. Quality varies a lot by guest.
Money on the Left - a monthly, interdisciplinary podcast that reclaims money’s public powers for imaginative intersectional politics.
Citations Needed - Generally marxist media criticism, but they manage to avoid most of the words which trigger normies. A great show to share with liberals.
From Alpha to Omega - Commandante Alpha talks in depth to experts from the fields of Political Economy, Politics, Science, Philosophy, Complexity, Mathematics, Music, and the Environment
Blowback - A podcast about the Iraq War.
Giving The Mic to The Wrong Person - A somewhat tri-weekly leftist podcast based in Portland, OR, talking with people about their cultural obsessions and offering plenty of our own recommendations.
Reply Guys - A feminist political comedy podcast brought to you by Julia Claire and Kate Willett, two nice ladies doing socialism.
District Sentinel Radio - Devoted to watchdog journalism, District Sentinel Radio is the podcast arm of the co-op.
General Intellect Unit - Podcast of the Cybernetic Marxists. Examining the intersection of Technology, (Left) Politics, and Philosophy.
Kino Lefter - A movie review podcast where we (allegedly) watch whatever movie is hot this week and break it down from a pointedly left perspective
We Read Theory - Explaining famous works of Leftist political theory to each other and to their audience in simple, understandable terms
Beep Beep Lettuce - NO COP SHIT, MIDS ONLY
Radio Free Tote Bag - It's a show about relationships!
The Benjamin Dixon Show - Daily news and opinion
Clay Links - Clay Links is a podcast. Two comrades, Seba Rua and Kev L'Estrange, fight the fascists with the tools of humour and mockery.
Trash Delivery - Three half smart leftist friends in a detroit basement
Know Your Enemy - A leftist's guide to the conservative movement, one podcast episode at a time, with co-hosts Matthew Sitman and Sam Adler-Bell.
The Dollop - American history examined by comedians
Cosmopod - The official podcast of Cosmonaut magazine
Street Fight Radio - "The #1 Anarcho-comedy show on any station across the nation."
Ghost Stories For The End Of The World - An "occult history" podcast about post-war politics, true crime, and deep state intrigue.
Swampside Chats - The podcast where communists shoot the shit about current events, history, political economy, and theory.
Intercepted - The people behind The Intercept discuss the crucial issues of our time
Deconstructed - Mehdi Hasan unpacks the most consequential news event of the week, while challenging the mainstream media’s tired takes.
Socialist Poopaganda - Two friends get together to talk about their frustrations with UK and US politics, and this hell world that is western capitalism.
Season of the Bitch - It's ya fave feminist leftist podcast
Jacobin Radio - An assortment of various podcasts produced by Jacobin. The Dig, Behind The News, Casualties of History, Weekends, Antibody, The Vast Majority, and some others
Why Theory - Psychoanalytic and cultural theory in the tradition of Hegel and Lacan
Belabored - Dissent’s audio podcast Belabored brings you regular news and analysis from the world of work. Tune in with labor journalists Sarah Jaffe and Michelle Chen every other Friday for discussion and interviews with journalists, academics, and organizers.
The Nostalgia Trap - Interviews on culture, history and politics with leftist thinkers
Democracy Now! - a daily, global, independent news hour hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González.
Capitalism Hits Home - Analyzing the effect of capitalism on mental health
It's not just in your head - Two mental health professionals explore how our capitalist economic system impacts our emotional lives.
Rebel Steps - a good how-to explainer for people who are new to organizing
David Harvey's Anti-Capitalist Chronicles
Owls at Dawn - Two philosophers discuss the intersection of politics, philosophy and religion
The Appeal - interviews focusing on criminal justice / abolition
Best of the Left - Weekly highlights of leftist podcasts focusing on current events
Marxist Appeal - Marxist analysis and theory, brought to you by Socialist Appeal - the Marxist voice of Labour and youth.
Revolutions - The greatest revolutionary history podcast in existence
Eat The Rich - A show about our political economy, late stage capitalism, and the millionaires, billionaires, and multinational corporations hell bent on staving off it’s death rattle.
TRASHFUTURE - Weekly UK news and comedy
Novara Media Podcast - Podcasts produced by Novara Media including TyskySour, All the Best and The Lockdown.
Behind The Bastards - Examinations of the worst people in history
We Don't Talk About The Weather - Left political podcast that from the outside might just seem like screaming and crying
Radio War Nerd - DEEP analysis of leftist political / military history, with some interesting detours into current events and other odd bits of history
The Red Nation - Dedicated to the liberation of Indigenous peoples from colonialism. We do this through centering Indigenous agendas and struggles in direct action, advocacy, mobilization, and education.
Pod Damn America - "a gothic socialist podcast for the stupid children"
Groundings - A place where organizing, theory, and history come in contact with dialogue, experience, and storytelling. Not that improv bullshit
Current Affairs - Podcast from Current Affairs Magazine. Basically Jacobin but anarchist and wearing velvet.
Working People - Working People is a podcast about working-class lives in 21st-century America, featuring interviews with hardworking folks around the country about their life stories, jobs, politics, families, etc
Moderate Rebels - A political podcast and video show hosted by journalists Max Blumenthal and Ben Norton.
Revolutionary Left Radio - Revolutionary history, dialogues between various leftist tendencies, and interviews from our ML comrade in Nebraska.
Dumb and Awful - garbagemen of the vanguard
Boonta Vista - TRASHFUTURE but Australlian
Blockchain Socialist - technology - applications of blockchain/decentralization in a socialist/non-profit context
QAnon Anonymous - Investigations of the right wing conspiracy culture
What a Hell of a Way to Die - A left-wing military & veteran podcast hosted by Nate and Francis, 2 extremely online combat veterans.
Trillbilly Worker's Party - Appalachian communist comedy and news from Kentucky
Aufhebunga Bunga - The global politics podcast at the end of the End of History. From a left perspective.
Psychic Dolphin Garage - A weekly podcast where we talk about the most interesting news stories which dominated our social media feeds.
West Wing Thing - Each week hosts Dave Anthony and Josh Olson watch and then discuss an episode of The West Wing.
The Antifada - Good mix of comedy and intelligent historical materialist analysis
Dixieland of the Proletariat - Southern working-class podcast from a leftist perspective. We talk about current issues affecting Southerners, Southern history, and we make fun of Yankees!
Srsly Wrong - Utopian socialist comedy podcast with interesting takes on theoretical conundrums and some history.
Marx Madness - A weekly discussion of the most important works in Marxism hosted by two rural Missourians hiding beneath a staircase.
Minion Death Cult - Stories about the deepest pits of reactionary facebook. Some recent coverage from the CHAZ.
Well There's Your Problem - Podcast about engineering going not good. They have slideshow videos
Knowledge Fight - Dan is a gentleman who holds an unhealthy obsession with InfoWars. Jordan is a good friend of his who knows next to nothing about InfoWars.
Even More News - The podcast of Some More News, a news joint by Cody Johnston the new dude.
Champagne Sharks - A distinguished but vicious podcast about culture, politics, and race by Champagne Sharks.
5-4 - A podcast about how much the Supreme Court sucks.
Grubstakers - A podcast providing biography and commentary on the lives and misdeeds of billionaires.
The Michael Brooks Show - Weekly leftist news an analysis. Interesting guests.
Plough and Stars - History, theory, and current critical analysis of the world utilizing the science of dialectical materialism
The Majority Report - Succdem news. Pretty liberal ngl. Jaime is good
Michael and Us - A podcast about political cinema and our crumbling world.
TrueAnon - Leftist anti-pedophile conspiracy podcast.
Horror Vanguard - Ash and Jon are your guides as we delve through the crypts of Leftist politics and Horror film
I Don't Speak German - Analysis of various reactionary communities, media, and leaders.
Worst Year Ever - Weekly news podcast featuring Robert Evans, originally covering the election, but now talking a lot about the uprisings.
Economic Update - Richard Wolff's weekly economics and news podcast
Eyes Left - Leftist / Anti-imperialist podcast from a pair of disillusioned military vets.
The Discourse - Fourth Blackest Podcast on the Left
Hammer and Camera - the communist Siskel and Ebert
Red Menace - Examinations of critical revolutionary texts with dogmatic tankie interpretations
Working Class History - history from below, investigating pivotal working-class movements from miner's strikes to sex worker unions.
Struggle Session - Struggle Session is the world's finest politics and pop culture podcast.
It Could Happen Here - Robert Evans investigates the possibility of a civil war in the United States's near future.
Red Game Table - A podcast of communists playing original table-top roleplaying game campaigns.
The ALAB Podcast - A bunch of cynical lawyers talk shit about the legal system from a leftist perspective.
Seattle Sucks - A podcast about hating the city we love.
Corner Späti - Discussions of a deteriorating world all from the comfort of your local smoke-filled Spätkauf.
Chapo Trap House - Cocaine addicts who hate their fans

A few summers ago, I went on holiday to a group of islands off the bottom of Cornwall. Only the five largest have people living on them now, but historical populations left their marks on others. One has a ruined Pest House where ships would dump plague-ridden seamen to wait out their illness or die, and another became uninhabitable in the 19th century, leaving a graveyard of empty cottages to rot. The islands are dotted with Neolithic chamber tombs, some of which you can climb into. Eerie, right?
The island I was staying on had a small museum in an ex-boathouse. There were plaques listing old shipwrecks, a gig boat, some fishing nets — that kind of stuff. Along one wall there was a display case containing, among arrowheads and coins, an old leather diary. The book was found on the island adjacent to this one, the island where starvation and hard living drove the inhabitants away, and the information card told of a slight mystery around its abrupt ending. Cool, I thought. They were selling booklets of the photographed contents, and I bought one for a rainy day on the campsite.
A couple of nights later, a gale whipped up. The sea was loud, the wind kept battering my tent, and I couldn’t get off to sleep, so I put the batteries in my torch and dug out the booklet to read.
The picture painted in the diary disturbed me. A lot. Sleep was out of the question. That night, with the wind and waves roaring at each other, was one of the longest I've ever experienced.
The mood of my holiday changed in the following days. Taking boat trips to other islands, looking for tombs and exploring ruins, didn’t seem so fun. Even dips in the sea had an extra chill to them. I went home shortly after.
Every so often, I take the booklet out and reread passages with morbid fascination. Then I check bookings for the campsite, think about going back, waver a bit because I don’t like being scared of a place. I always chicken out. I’ve transcribed the diary here; maybe you can understand why I’m still afraid.

ENTRY ONE

The sky is clear, the sea is placid, and the clamour of urban life has been exchanged for the distant cries of sea birds and the susurrus of a low surf. So this is how it feels to be totally alone. I think I like it. Of course, after a month has passed, perhaps I'll feel differently.
The island is as wild and beautiful as promised, and after today – the last spring tide of October – no one can intrude upon me except by boat, which Mrs Andrews has promised they will not do.
Mrs Andrews is taking my luggage across from the larger island. She offered to take me, too, but I elected to wade across the channel while the sea permitted it; I needed to stretch my legs after the voyage, and the sun, in defiance of autumn, blazed hot enough that even the bitter chill of the Atlantic was not unwelcome.
I'm waiting for her as I write this, though it cannot be long now: she said she'd launch at half-tide, when the sandbanks wouldn't waylay her passage, and the water has drowned fully three-quarters of the beach as I've sat here in the dunes. If her boat doesn't appear soon, I may regret placing my trust in her.
The sun rests a finger's breadth above the hill behind me, and the dancing reflections it casts on the channel are beginning to take on the golden tint of evening. I'd like my things stowed in the cottage before it's dark, for the path is rutted and uneven, to say nothing of the overgrown bracken and brambles that seek to impede any progress. I shall have to cut them back tomorrow if I wish to keep my clothes in good condition.
With clothes on my mind as I put this to paper, it may have been ill-advised to wade when a boat was at my disposal. The air grows cooler, and my trousers and lower shirt remain damp and heavy. Even with a spring tide sending the sea into retreat, the middle of the channel ran deep – almost to my chest – and unless this unseasonable weather persists, the dampness could become a scourge to be rid of.
Added to that, while I found joy in greeting the island privately, I enjoyed the crossing less than anticipated. The long stretch of beach extending to the channel from the larger isle was littered with strips of rotting seaweed that stank and were infested by plagues of sandhoppers. I tied my boots around my neck to keep them dry and free of sand but regretted that decision quickly enough after stepping through mounds of weed without their protection. Sun-dried crusts abraded my soles, cracking and sinking into gluey, decomposing pulp that pushed between my toes while swarms of displaced amphipods bounced and skittered across the tops of my feet.
The wade, not to be outdone, came replete with its own unpleasant sensations. Underwater, it felt as if the kelp grasped at my ankles, ribbon fingers tickling, stroking, catching. With its strands tangled together, it's stronger than it has any right to be: a rope of the sea, ready to bind an unwary wader to the seabed and hold them fast as the tide creeps inexorably over their head.
I'm allowing my imagination to get the better of me, of course, but there was a moment as I stood in the middle of the channel, after a lone cloud passed before the sun, that the darkened water seemed to take on a sinister bent. Unlike the genial canals back home, the sea can stir to anger from one breath to the next, and I had the uncanny notion that it, or something else, saw me in that moment. Anything could hide in water so vast.
What waffle I am writing!
Fortunately I see Mrs Andrews' boat rounding the bottom of the larger isle, so I'll stow my pen and morbid musings for the day and go to help her unload.

ENTRY TWO

It's amazing how loud the world is with no humans to disturb it. I thought that people create noise, but they are nothing compared to the ocean. People have to sleep eventually, but the lap-lap-lap of waves never ceases throughout the night, an unending rhythm that seems to me to gain in strength during the hours of deepest darkness.
As it was, I got little sleep last night with this dissonant melody playing in my ears. With time, I'm sure I'll grow accustomed to it, but I found myself grateful this morning when the seagulls' chorus drowned out the voice of the water. No, it isn't a pretty sound, but at least their squawks are made by living throats.
I left most of the unpacking for this morning, as by the time we had hauled my luggage up the path, most of the light was gone. The cottage smells damp, and though the granite of its walls will probably outlast me and my descendants, there is an air of decay that lingers in its two rooms, as if it knows, as I do, that I am likely the last person to ever stay here.
The other cottages on this island are completely uninhabitable. Although they have only been abandoned for a generation, the two I saw while walking up from the beach are in a state of ruin that could easily describe the passing of a century as that of a couple of decades. I know the locals salvaged what they could of roofs and interiors before they left, even stripping some of the stone, though the act of relocating it couldn't have been much easier than starting from scratch. Plantlife has devoured what was left of their carcasses, enclosing them in a hedge of thorns I'm happy enough to leave be. There's something about those empty windows that's quite alarming – or at least it seemed that way last evening, helped by the growing twilight and my own trepidation for the first night.
The owner of my cottage didn't leave. She clung on here as the well dried up and the last of her starving neighbours gave up on picking the limpets from rocks when the salty earth refused to yield a crop. Some crossed to join their families on other islands, and others abandoned the archipelago entirely and headed for the mainland. I'm indebted to her, for she has kept this cottage in good repair, but now even she has been forced out, age finally beating her into submission where the pleas of her children and grandchildren failed. When I leave, this island will be utterly abandoned, with only the birds and the rats for company.
Mrs Andrews, as she helped me with my bags yesterday, said that they tried to keep cattle here in the early years of depopulation. They might still roam the two hills if someone hadn't overlooked a weakness in the fencing, allowing the cattle to escape their enclosure. The poor, dumb things tried to cross the channel at low tide. Mrs Andrews says most of them drowned, and since then, no one has attempted to bring more across.
I told her it was a shame they had not tried again: a herd of livestock would go a long way to keeping this undergrowth in check. Still, a part of me was disquieted by her story. With a history like that, perhaps the island wishes to be alone. And where does that leave me?
It leaves me with too much time spent on imaginings, that's what! I should get to unpacking so I can begin my work, or else this whole trip will have been for nought.
I do hope I sleep better tonight. I fear exhaustion has me unsettled; even fearful.

ENTRY THREE

These past three days have given me little chance to write, but I feel I deserve some rest now that I've finished cutting back the path, and it's as good a time as any to record all that's happened. Not that much has happened worth recording.
Work is going fine. The weather has been grey and overcast, but still mild for October, for which I can probably thank the warm southerly wind that has whipped up a fine Atlantic swell.
I can hear the waves now, pounding against the western rocks as if they're laying siege to the land. I tell you, stare too long at the ocean while it's in a dark mood, at the churning violence of its waves, the foaming spittle, and the great, explosive plumes of spray, and you start to remember that, given time, the sea will win this war against stone and earth. At times like these, it seems the height of arrogance for me, a creature of clay, to settle myself so close to its shores.
I still haven't been sleeping well, but that has to change soon with all the physical labour I've been doing. Last night, as I snatched a couple of hours, I had the oddest dream. I dreamt the sound of hooves clopping past my cottage, a sound that lingered in my ears as I woke.
Mrs Andrews' tale must have affected me more than I thought.

ENTRY FOUR

I had no sleep at all last night. Damn the bloody wind and the bloody sea. If only it would rest, so that I could find some rest. I'm so tired, I can barely focus to write.
This island has no pity for me.

ENTRY FIVE

I feel better this afternoon. The wind has dropped and the air is cooler, both of which are a balm to my headache.
I thought I'd do some exploring since I felt in poor condition to concentrate on work this morning. I have a fair few bramble scratches for my pains, but I can now say I've walked the length of this island – which admittedly isn't an achievement in distance, though I'll still claim it as a feat of man versus nature.
The island comprises two small hills, which are flanked by a long, sandy beach on the sheltered eastern side and guarded by craggy granite ramparts to the west. There are no trees on the island, though the bracken and gorse grow tall on its unkempt slopes, and the grasses that have eked out a living here are so tough and wiry that I begin to understand the cattle's flight.
Most of the residences are clustered on the northern hill, closer to the channel and the reassuring presence of the larger isle, but the great granite outcroppings on the southern hill could easily be mistaken for the remains an ancient civilisation, carved into towers and turrets with lines far straighter than the chaotic architect of nature has any right to claim. Between the cracks and hollows in these granite structures and the riotously wild plant life, there are no end of shadowed hiding spots.
When I stopped to take in the view, I found myself strangely uneasy. The rock is watching me, I thought, and I fought my way to the isthmus between hills with a haste that garnered me most of my scratches. I can only attribute this moment to tiredness as I write it now.
I stopped at the crest of the northern hill, too, and looked across to the larger isle. It seemed so close that I could reach out and touch it, though I know the channel dividing us is patrolled by white horses at present. And it was there, on the heath opposite me, that I saw the distant figure of a person.
I think I needed to see another human just then, even if it was just a black silhouette against the grey sky. I waved to them, but they did not return the gesture. Perhaps they did not see.
Or perhaps they chose to ignore me. Strange folk, these islanders. As hard and coarse as everything else that grows here – even Mrs Andrews, who did her best to be friendly in her own gruff way. They all have a similar look about them; whether because of hard living or inbreeding, it's difficult to say.
Supposing I wished to leave the island before my stay was up, I wonder how many of them would come to my aid.
Blast it! It seems I haven't shaken my mood after all. I feel the headache returning. I shall write more tomorrow.

ENTRY SIX

It's high tide, and I write this sitting among the marram grass while the sea, at the end of its leash, laps the high tide line a few short metres from my feet. The channel stretches out before me, a dark, menacing expanse that seems almost impossibly wide at this hour. Sometimes the sea is green or turquoise or, on occasion, startlingly blue, but on this day it is obsidian, fathomless and sinister.
I'm second-guessing the choices that took to me to this island. I miss the company of other people, despite having longed for an escape from them so recently. I miss my bed, and I miss the feel of dry clothes against my skin, instead of this all-permeating dampness that has reached far beyond the fabrics I wear and into my bones, weighting them down so that I imagine I'd sink were I to attempt to swim.
I haven't felt able to write in days, and work has been slow. Deprived of sleep and company, my mind is ruled by a strange paranoia I cannot seem to shake. I never thought I could be afraid of being alone, but I am afraid. I'm afraid of . . .
This is why I avoided my journal; introspection does me no good in this state. I came here for a purpose, and my time on this island is insignificant in the grand scheme of things. I'll be gone from here soon. But how I wish 'soon' did not feel so far away.

ENTRY SEVEN

My hand is shaking. I can't . . .
I have to record this. Perhaps seeing it on paper will give me the perspective I dearly need. I thought loneliness would prove my undoing - and perhaps I was right, and this is simply loneliness unravelling my mind. I find I prefer that.
For the alternative . . . The alternative is that I am not alone, and somehow that is far more terrifying a prospect than any type of mundane madness.
I left my journal in the dunes earlier today. It was only after I'd eaten and dusk had fallen that I realised its absence. Fearing it would rain in the night, I thought to go out and find it before full darkness rendered the task too hard.
So I left my cottage. For what did I have to fear on this small, isolated isle? This isle that has driven all other human beings away? Was it really hunger, I wonder now, or did something other cause their exodus?
Something felt different as soon as I stepped out. I only understood why when I reached the dunes and saw the sea. The sea was still, but that was not what disturbed me; what disturbed me was the quiet. I hadn't realised I'd become accustomed to its noise until confronted with its absence.
The sea should not be silent.
I should not have worried for my journal, for the cloud had cleared and stars were out and the half-moon that hung above the water was bright. So you understand, I could see everything. I know that there was nothing there. And yet there was.
I had found and picked up my journal when I heard it. A splash. And then a dragging, gurgling sound, like the noise created by an oar as it draws through the water, or a leg as its owner walks through the shallows.
It was close. I stood and scanned the shoreline, but the sea was smooth and unbroken. Another splash. Another dragging sound. A pause, and then again, faster now. Again, again. Still, nothing!
I confess, reason left me at this point. Intelligence had deserted me, replaced by a terrible, consuming dread. I knew with a certainty I cannot justify now that there was something in the water, and I could not let it catch me.
I fled then, stumbling over rocks that sought to trip me in the dark and fighting free of brambles, paying no heed to the scratches I procured. I think I would have run all the way back to my cottage had I not fallen and bloodied my knee. The pain gave me back my wits, though I wish, deeply, that it had not.
One unexplained noise I can write off, as unnerving as it felt in the moment. What happened next, I find harder to dismiss.
Slower now, and with more caution, I got to my feet and continued up the path. Hearing nothing behind me, the fear that had me in its grip was wearing off, and so when I spied the ruined cottage watching me from off the path, I merely felt an unpleasant jolt. I haven't grown used to them, those abandoned dwellings, those lonely ghosts of the time before. Their darkened windows never fail to bring out in me an uneasy shiver when I pass them, even in daylight when the shadows aren't as deep and consuming. I've cut no paths to them, leaving the undergrowth as a thick barrier between me and whatever darkness resides in their empty rooms.
Something made me pause before this one tonight, and as I looked at the moonlit granite, the bush before its empty maw of a doorway shivered. There was no wind to move it. Nothing around it stirred.
Before the first had stopped its motion, the one in front of it began to sway, followed by the one in front of that. Underneath the tall ferns, whatever set the leaves to swaying was headed in a straight line towards me.
This time when I ran, I didn't stop until I had my back pressed against the inside of my cottage door and the bolt, for the first time since I arrived on this island, pulled across, shutting out . . . I don't know what.
I do know that this will be another sleepless night.
I hear nothing now.
I'm afraid.

ENTRY EIGHT

It was probably an animal.

ENTRY NINE

Today, I exorcise my fears. I will not be ruled by superstition, allow shadows to dictate where I tread, and jump at the stirrings of rodents. That cottage is as empty as all the others, aside from mine. Today, I prove it.
When next I write, it will be with a steady hand and a steady mind, secure in the knowledge that the ruin is a ruin like any other, and the sea that surrounds me is no more malignant than any other mindless force of nature.

ENTRY TEN

I am not reassured.
Though the ruin was but thirty yards from my path and I started early, the sun had reached its zenith in the sky before I cleared a way to the cottage's doorway. Damp with the sweat of my labours, I felt an immediate chill as I stepped into its shadow. The thickness of the growth should have been a comfort – it was obvious that no large man or beast had travelled this way in years – and yet I still fought an odd malaise, a reticence of movement, as if my body were telling me that this path was one that should remain untrodden.
A foolish notion.
With the roof mostly demolished, there was no true darkness within the walls, just clinging shadows and a filtered light that leached any vitality from the picture. Lichen and the weeds that had taken up residence should have brought colour to the interior, but everything within appeared grey and lifeless.
I wish I had left then, having established that the cottage was as it appeared: abandoned to the elements and plants some thirty years before.
I didn't, though. Like in my own cottage, there was a second room adjoined to the first, its empty doorframe thin and not that high, and I ducked my head under it to look into the room beyond, thinking if I was to go about chasing shadows, I might as well see it through to the end.
This room was darker and smaller than the one I'd entered through, with a tangle of brambles growing in one corner that made it even smaller still. It was the brambles I saw first, for the bones against the far wall were as dull and drab with age as the stone. But then I did see the bones, and had to clutch at the granite to steady myself.
They weren't human bones, as had flashed through my mind the instant I processed what it was I saw; no, these bones, lying in a disorganised pile, were the bones of an animal. The creature's skull was propped on its side so that its aged eye socket looked out at me hollowly. I can claim no expertise in mammalian anatomy, but I think, with some certainty from its size and the history of the island, that the remains belonged to a cow.
And I also know, with equal surety, that no animal of this size could have fitted itself through the narrow doorway whilst alive.

ENTRY ELEVEN

Rats could have moved the bones. They're strong little blighters, especially when they work together, and I've seen enough evidence of them to know that they, at least, have not been driven from here, not while there are gull eggs to eat come spring. Sometimes I wish I had the tenacity of a rat, or at least its untroubled nature, for rats do not fear the future – or the past.
I should not be this disturbed over a dead thing. It's because of this cursed sleeplessness, that's the explanation I cling to. My mind is playing tricks on me, and it was rats that moved those bones, not that cattle bones are something to dwell on.
My mind is playing tricks on me. My mind is playing tricks on me.
It was rats that moved the bones.

ENTRY TWELVE

I could not let it lie. I could not let it lie, and now I am trapped in my cottage, terrified for what awaits me should I leave. If Mrs Andrews does not check on me in two weeks time, I do not know what will become of me.
Will my water run out before my food supply? Will I ever be free of this place, or will the islanders leave my bones as a sacrifice to the evil that resides here? Will I rot into these walls, consumed by the contagion that has stricken this foul strip of land?
The door is bolted and my bed pulled across it, poor barricade though it will make. And why do I need a barricade? Why . . .
Why did I come here? I can barely remember now.
I must write what happened; to record, to remember, to make real or unreal. Perhaps I am insane. Perhaps my mind, deprived the outlet of sleep, has resorted to waking nightmares. Perhaps it is nothing, and I am caught in a hysteria built of too long alone, giving significance to sounds and shapes and shadows in my search for human connection.
I walked down to the beach this morning, as I've been doing often lately, to look across the channel. It's not so far, I sometimes think, and the water not so deep at low tide. I've gone as far as removing my boots and stepping in the shallows, but the water is so cold, and that cold has an insidious way of creeping through my body, seeping through the skin of my ankles, chilling my blood, and enclosing icy fingers around my heart until there is no warmth left in me, only dread. The sea is not benign. I was allowed to cross, but in those moments, I'm not so sure the dark waters will allow me to return.
This morning I only looked, though I should have swum then and there, before fear had the hold on me it has now.
Sea mist had rolled in off the ocean at dawn, and by the time I reached the beach that mist had become a fog, rendering the larger island a vague outline and giving the air a deadened weight. I didn't stay long. With the other island a ghostly shape, the outside world seemed further away than ever and, more frighteningly, barely real – an ocean mirage. I did not like the thoughts that engendered in me, and took my leave of the beach and the vanishing view before I could dwell on them longer.
The fog thickened further as I made my return, swirling in loose tendrils around my legs and coating each breath I took with a moisture that settled in my lungs, almost like drowning. With the visibility as poor as it was, it's a wonder I even noticed the gap in the ferns and brambles that marked the path I'd carved out to the ruin. I did notice it, though.
I also noticed the large femur bone lying in the dirt at its entrance, half-insubstantial in the fog but still undeniably, awfully there.
The emotion that crawled through me then I have no name for; to call it fear falls short, but terror is too quick an emotion, and this was sluggish and unformed. It entered through the base of my neck, brushing the hair at my nape in an eerie caress and taking up residence in the back of my skull, where it whispered bleak, paranoid predictions. My reaction was not proportional to that which the sight of an animal bone should warrant – for it was, as before, most obviously an animal bone, too thick in girth to be human in origin.
How had I not seen it when I cleared the path? I suppose it's possible that, engrossed in my labours, I missed much that was not directly impeding my progress, and I was not in a state to be observant as I fled the ruin upon my discovery of the skeleton. The bone could have lain there years.
Had that occurred to me then, perhaps I would have walked past. Or not. Something had gripped me by then, an urge – no, a compulsion – that drew me to the abandoned cottage surely as a fish is reeled in on a line. I had to know that the other bones remained undisturbed. And so I entered that derelict, desolate building for the second time, pushing through the clinging fog to view its grey interior and the sad remains of a dead beast that lay at the back of the second room.
Nothing had changed since my last visit, and everything had. Before, unease had been my companion as I trod through the weeds that carpeted its floor, but it was menace that walked beside me this time. The walls felt hungry, dripping malevolence along with the droplets of condensation formed on the moss that adorned their stone. I felt watched. Stalked. An evil presence lingered here, alert and unseen. I took pains not to touch the granite as I squeezed through the inner door, fearing what my contact might awaken.
In that room, the stillness and quietude were deceptive, for under the surface there existed a corruption of spirit, a foulness that crushed me with the weight of its consideration. The skull's empty sockets were still disturbing to look upon, but I took some comfort in those bones, for they were the only things in the whole ruin that remained as lifeless as before, and not seemingly imbued with a malign intent.
Still, as I left, unmolested by any entity real or imagined, I tried to convince myself that I expended my fear for no purpose. I was alone. I was alone as I exited the empty walls, alone as I pushed through the ferns, alone as I rejoined the main path and wended my way up the hill to my own cottage.
I was alone. But behind every thud of my foot there came another, softer thud, so quiet I didn't notice it at first. When I did, I stopped and spun about, but the fog had closed in behind me, and I could barely see two yards down the hill before all shapes dissolved into whiteness.
I ran then. I think I moved faster than I ever have before, but I was not fast enough to escape the fact that it was two sets of footfalls that carried in the air, not one.
And when I reached my cottage door and paused to look back, I swear I saw a grey form on the path behind me, though I didn't linger long enough to see more as I flung myself across the threshold and barred the entrance at my back.
The day is nearing its end now. I pray I get through the night.

ENTRY THIRTEEN

Something is tapping on my window. I've lit a candle to write this, and because I cannot stand the darkness. What if the thing outside is attracted to my light? It's getting louder. The wind has picked up again. It sounds like it's screaming.
The tapping won't stop.
It's just a plant swaying in the wind.
It's just a plant.
It's just a plant.

ENTRY FOURTEEN

I must swim for it. Within the hour. Any other choice I may have had has been stripped away from me.
I have been foolish. So incredibly foolish. So afraid was I of an unknown terror that I forgot my care for a more common foe and, in doing so, have been driven from my sanctuary by my own hand. Would that I could only blame the flames, and discount the fear, as the force that compels me into the water now, but I will be honest in this final hour, even if I do not know the truth of my honesty.
My work and the few possessions I brought with me are gone, all apart from the clothes on my back and this journal. Though I can attribute no thought to the action, I'm grateful I spared this from destruction. My spirit is weighed down by foreboding and I do not know the future, but at least I'll leave this in remembrance of all that's happened, and while I wait, it gives more company and comfort than anything else that resides on this isle.
I'll give the islanders until the sun is within the width of a hand from the horizon, and then I'll begin my swim. All-day I held out for rescue, but none have come. I cannot – will not – remain here another night.
It's not long now. I feel the island waiting with me.
I'm sitting in marram grass again. This small strip of dune doesn't have the malign feel of the brush and the ruins that hide in it at my back, or the sinister watchfulness of the waves before me. I don't trust that to protect me come sundown, but it's given me some relief after the ordeal of last night, and I think I can sit here ten minutes more while I relate those events.
It begins just after my previous entry: there am I, sitting alone in the prison of my cottage as the wind screams at the walls, staring at the flickering flame of my candle in the hope it can banish some of the darkness and lend me the strength to ignore the tap, tap, tap at my window.
That sound had wormed its way into my head, a demonic hand knocking on the door to my soul. Clutching my hands to my ears did nothing to quiet it, and I think I fell half-mad from the listening. Shadows leapt in corners of my vision, perhaps cast by my dancing light, though back then I felt certain the evil had gained entry to my refuge and danced in mockery before it struck. I lifted my candle and spun about, peering into the spaces where the shadows pooled deepest, and though I saw nothing, my fear would not let go.
I don't know why I clung to the light as I did, but, like a child, I placed my faith in the act of seeing and shied away from the dark. A single candle couldn't fight the blackness that stalked behind me. It was that thought, aided by the incessant tapping, which drove me in a wild frenzy to my cupboard, where I pulled forth every candle I had. These I lit with shaking hands and placed throughout the two rooms of my cottage until no crack or crevice remained unilluminated.
And so I was standing there, surrounded on all sides by flame, when the shutter blew open.
I was frozen at first, half turned towards it. I remember my heart stuttering in my chest as I looked into the eye of the night. I also know the tapping stopped, for I felt its absence in my gut. Then I remember no thoughts, just a space in time where I reached the shutter and slammed it closed with the mindless panic of an animal.
Relief was fleeting, for then I heard the whoosh of flame as the candle I'd knocked caught the sleeve of my jacket where it dangled from the back of the chair.
I'm lucky I escaped the blaze. Or perhaps I'm not. The bed blocked the only exit, the barricade I'd created to keep the island out almost succeeding in trapping me here forever; it took me precious moments to shift it, disorientated as I was by smoke and terror. Somehow, I prevailed before the fire caught up and managed, through fumbling fingers, to lift the latch of the door. As I fled out the burning cottage, my hand snagged the journal that rested on the bedspread, though I only realised what it was I had taken much later.
That is most of it. I don't wish to recall the long hours of darkness as I watched my cottage succumb to the inferno, nor the wicked language of the fire as it spat its curses into the night. Neither do I want to remember the figures I saw, or imagined I saw, contorting in the flames. If I survive, those hours will never leave me. I am haunted, never again to view the world through a lens untainted by my time on the island.
The cottage has smouldered all day. I cannot believe the islanders haven't seen the smoke.
If I'm to make my swim before night falls again, I must leave soon.

ENTRY FIFTEEN

I'm not so afraid now. The sea is calm and beautiful and quiet. It's so still, I think perhaps I could swim forever.
Wish me luck. Here I go.