Awakening

(Picture by Paul Butters (me) in Cleethorpes)

In a cosy village pub, three war veterans tell three youngsters about their experiences...

“Go on, John!” pleads young Carl, “Tell us more about The War.”

Six of us are sitting comfortably in our village pub, myself and two other war veterans, with an “audience” of three young lads. To the casual observer we look like twenty first century beer drinkers sharing reminiscences about the Second World War. Fact is, this is the twenty fifth century and we are talking about the old Earth war against those evil aliens, the “Slykon”.

Having said that, the flavour of our conversation is much the same as any ex Allied soldier describing how he helped defeat the “Huns”. Just substitute the “Battle of Britain” for the “Siege of the Solar System”...

Carl (to one of the veterans): “Mike, just how did you manage to take ‘The Indestructible’ again? I thought the Slykon had the perfect shields on their starships.”

Mike: “Ah, that was simple, we used specially modulated anti-shields on our missiles.”

Youngster Dave: “What, a specific modulation? Can you remember what it was?”

Veteran John: “That would be 87642 Giga Units. Easy peasy.”

The conversation rolls on. We do this several nights actually. Have done since I retired. Love this peaceful life here, in our cosy village.

Whoah! That hurt! I was blinded there for a moment. Must have been the headlight of a passing car. Better get some drinks in.

This war stuff has gotten boring. Even Mike’s jokes and John’s showing off (of his boundless knowledge) are nearly sending me to sleep. That war must have been forty years ago.

Odd! Retired for forty years. So long! It hardly seems two minutes. Forty years of watching daytime TV and coming here to share my memories with the boys.

Forty years? What about my relatives? Who are my relatives? Where did my old friends go? What about my virtual sports? Have I really let myself vegetate for nearly half a century?

That bloody blinding light again! Urgh!

Who are those people over there? Who are these kids talking to John and Mike? Why are these youngsters in uniform? By, this beer is strong!

An explosion! The pub wall is caving in! A tank! Chaos of explosions and firing all around us. Men in spacesuits! Hell, they've just shot those three kids with laser rifles. 

What are those funny gills on the necks of those young men?

Ah, the leader of these spacemen has taken off his helmet. She, yes it is a woman, looks vaguely familiar. Now she is looking straight at me.

Spacewoman: “Captain! Paul! Are you all right?”

Me: “Yes, I think. What the hell’s going on?”

Spacewoman: “No time to explain sir. You three must come with us, now!”

Me: “Eh?”

Spacewoman: “Sir, you were captured by the Slykon a fortnight ago. You have been brainwashed, and no doubt interrogated. We are here to rescue you, amongst others. Come with me!”

Me: “Okay, okay.”

No doubt all this will become clear in due course... Best go, now!

Paul Butters

Tags:      war memories, false memories, down the pub, veterans share their experiences