text: The Moon Program In July 1969, when man first landed on the moon there was talk of colonizing it immediately. The earth was becoming very overcrowded and the Authorities were looking for different places to stash warm bodies. Years later, the Mars idea surfaced and some people actually signed up to become pioneers or settlers on the Red Planet. Well, that idea fell through and it was back to the original plan to populate the moon. Fifty-one years later from that initial moon landing there was a nasty virus outbreak and a section of the world’s population was decimated. There were still too many people on the planet, but it would take some time to sort things out. A vaccine appeared and it proved to be very, very dangerous. For some reason, the vaccine urged people to commit crimes at a higher than normal rate. Suddenly, the world didn’t have to deal with sickness any more but violent outbursts that brought on a very high rise in homicides. It was impossible to control the chaos and the madness. The craziness that had erupted when the virus first broke out exposed the underlying mental illness that was prevalent in every society in every country across the globe. Then there was another breakthrough. But, it wasn’t some new vaccine; it was the ability to make life sustainable on the moon. The light bulb was turned on so brightly that it nearly burnt out in the Authorities heads. In the beginning, only one person was taken to the moon. The Authorities didn’t want to admit it, but life on the moon wasn’t perfected. There was still some chinks in the hardware that had to be worked out. The one person a year program turned out to be more like a thousand people a day. They simply lied to us and professed that everyone that was picked up were kept in a holding tank. Nobody was allowed to visit their loved ones in this secluded place. Of course, no one believed them. The deception went even farther. The Authorities claimed that there was no jail on the moon but instead a real paradise and one lucky person every year was allowed to stay there. They claimed it was like winning the largest and most prestigious power ball lottery. The violent offenders were taken to the moon on a one way ticket where a vast system of prisons were stationed. It was the perfect solution to the crime problem because escaping was impossible. The space bus brought all the prisoners to the moon, they were jettisoned through a tube into the prison and the vehicle left. If anyone tried to escape since there was no gravity on the moon, they would float out in outer space until they died. How did the prisons not float away? A buoyancy system had been developed and the jails were like floating buildings that would never drift off into the universe. Of course, as it always happens with human nature the rumours of how horrible life on the moon began to circulate. There were tales of cruelty and beatings and horrible conditions that were inhumane. In six months, fourteen million people were shipped out to the moon. Life on earth had begun to settle down and all of the people that had received the vaccine were now mostly extracted. Well, almost all of them. There were a few left the estimates ranged from less than a thousand to maybe five thousand. The vaccine that had appeared was only destined for the worst cases of the virus. Some of the front line health workers received it. As usual, there was some mystery and lies as to whom exactly got the shot. Unfortunately, there was no list made so the Authorities couldn’t know who had been injected. For those that had escaped the brutal non-return ticket to the moon, they walked among the ‘healthy’ citizens. There had been a flood of theories as to what had caused people to grab a hammer and kill their spouses or children or co-workers or neighbours. Like every other similar situation no one could agree on one single factor. The real reason why half the world had gone stark raving mad was still clouded. So far, I had eluded the Authorities. Now, when I mention the Authorities what I am really talking about where the men in the red and white health suits driving around in what was called the ‘Test Mobiles.’ You see, the governments had carte blanche when it came to random testing. Under the law, they had the right -- or their goon squads had the right -- to pick anyone right off of the street if they exhibited any of the signs. So if you were allergic to dust or something else and sneezed or dared to cough when your throat was dry, there was an alert that went off. On a daily basis, people were yanked off the streets and taken to the testing facilities. Only a few were returned and they were so brainwashed that they could not explain what was really going on in the ‘testing facilities.' Like the moon jail, there were also rampant nasty rumours about what exactly happened in those facilities. The thing is when the sickness hit a lot of people lost their jobs. Many of the industries never truly rebounded and a lot of small shop owners went down fighting. There were millions of people unemployed that needed a job. So the government simply hired anyone and everyone to be part of the goon squad. This is why there was a unit at every street corner in every city. It also explains why there were thousands of people picked up on a daily basis to be tested. The numbers were fudged and nobody really knew how many good citizens were complying to do their part to wipe out the virus once and for all. The goon squad moved about in pairs and in nondescript vehicles. There had been news reports about people trying to intervene when someone was innocently swept off the street, but for their efforts the heroes were quickly subdued. The goon squad were armed with highly sensitive tasers. One rumour claimed that they carried disease sticks and if you were hit with that then a person instantly became virus sick. Of course, that only got them a one-way ticket to the moon. The news reports were filled every day of how someone’s spouse or parent or child has been taken away without any explanation. Accusations of racial profiling and vindictive choices spread like wildfire. But, nobody really knew truth from fiction. I didn’t have the virus thanks to the vaccine. I mean it did work but there were some very nasty side affects. There was such a rush to find a cure that researchers in the labs didn’t and couldn’t take their time to do it right. Plus there was real anticipation like the space race during the old days of the cold war for one country to be the first to discover the vaccine. It was like the debate who was going to be the first human to step on the moon back in those heady, hippie days of the late 1960s. There were more than just bragging rights attached to being the first to devise a vaccine that worked. The country that managed to do so had their entire debt and deficit wiped out. Plus, they had exclusive rights and were the only nation on the planet to be able to administer the vaccine. Nobody else held the rights and had the ability to do so. So, whatever country was the first then they had a tremendous amount of power and the chance to make an enormous pile of money. The vaccine was expensive. Nobody was going to take advantage of the rest of the world, but only a fool would give it away. I walked back and forth to work quietly with my mask and gloves on. I was just another lost and lonely soul trying to keep it all together. A couple of times, one of the vehicles had followed me down the street. But, I didn’t flinch and just kept walking pretending that I didn’t know they were watching me. Big Brother was no longer watching; Big Brother was stalking like some midnight rambler striking fear in the hearts of good and honest citizens. Did they have me on the list? There was great debate as to whether there was a list at all. I must confess that when all of this abduction of people to be taken to the moon jail started, I had gone back to the clinic where I was given the vaccine and broken into the lab in the wee hours of the night. As a trained computer programmer, I had no problem breaking into the system and wiping any potential lists that had my name on it. I was pretty sure that the work was done without any one noticing. I was careful to wipe down all prints that could have been left. The camera system had been de-activated upon entering the place. Besides, I wore a bank robber’s mask, not the medically issued ones that were worn on a daily basis. I thought I was safe. But, the paranoia was slowly creeping in. I lived alone. My wife had died of the virus and we didn’t have any children. My sister-in-law attempted to have us move in together, but I never could stand her. She was just looking for someone to take care of things. The sad part was that if she had moved in with me and I had murdered the conniving, annoying bitch, it would have been for insanity reasons like her driving me insane and not because the vaccine had turned me into a homicidal maniac. My work office was sparse and it was a good thing in many ways. There was more room in the fridge. Before, with a full staff, it was nearly impossible to find a spot for your food and if you did some cretin like Fletcher would just steal it. The goon squad had picked him up and taken the fool away. I applauded their move. It was Friday and around lunch time, the Authorities announced the lucky ‘winner’ of the one way ticket to the moon jail, er I mean paradise. It was broadcasted around the world to much pomp and circumstance. I was numb when they announced my name. Everyone in the office applauded sarcastically. The cold-hearted bastards. I was out of there in a flash. Some rat had alerted the Authorities. The vehicle approached me, but I had been planning this for a very long time. My next door neighbour was a kind old man and he had died about two weeks before my wife. I always thought that Mr. Hendricks had given it to her as she tended to him. There was no way of telling. He was a kind, law-abiding citizen and a collector of all types of stuff. I had the pleasure of cleaning out his spacious house when they had shut down the office for a few weeks while the place was being sanitized. The biggest collection that Mr. Hendricks boasted was guns. He loved them and took very good care of each and every weapon owned. So, I was well armed just in case some homicidal maniac came at me. We had been encouraged to be armed, which I thought was strange. When the craziness had broken out and so many went on a murder spree, the Authorities thought it was a good idea to carry a gun. The vehicle stopped and they landed on the ground with authority. But, the guns were blazing before they really knew what was going on. It was one thing to be accused of killing someone when you didn’t, but to be an actual criminal was something else. I hope that my dear Elyse wasn’t watching. I ran and suddenly the entire world seemed to explode right in front of me. There were pairs of goon squads everywhere. “Halt, you are the winner and everything will be okay.” I pulled out the two black beauties and started to shoot. It was chaos on the streets. But, in the end, I was overpowered. So, I won the ‘lottery and I am sitting here in cell #315 in my greys telling you exactly what happened. There was no homicidal outburst on my part. I was just defending myself. There is no right in abduction. There is no paradise on the moon. There is no joy in winning the ‘lottery.’ There is no justice in pulling my name. There is no government conspiracy.