Britannia Decadence

Chapter 1 - Final day of Britain.

March 7th 2024.

"The next station is... Birmingham Moor Street!" The glitchy PA system on the train announced, much to the relief of Oliver. The time was 9:18AM, class had already started 18 minutes ago. It wasn't his fault though, the train services had been restricted after what happened a couple of months ago . 

The nation was still in a state of shock and bewilderment, many of those in Parliament had been killed, whilst others were still missing. First parliament, then the Prime Minister's residence, followed by the Home office and cabinet office and a few other places in the surrounding area. London hadn't been stable since, the provisional government had to be set up in Birmingham whilst the military dealt with street to street fighting in the centre of the former capital.

 He stood up and made his way to the doors of the train as it began to slow down. When the train arrived at the platform, the buttons to open the door began beeping and flashing. Oliver pressed the button and the double doors slid open. He, as well as a few others poured out onto the station's platform and began to head for the ticket inspection area. There waiting for them were the same women as always. Women with SA80s and bulletproof vests.

"Have your tickets ready for inspection!" A woman's voice projected from a megaphone. "Proof of ID will also be needed for entry!"

Oliver froze. His passport, where was it? He was already in line, a line that was going down quickly. He reached into his leather satchel and frantically began searching for it. A wallet full of change and some notes, notebooks, pencil case, laptop, but no passport, it wasn't there. His pulse quickened and he began to heat up in his flannel overshirt. "Where is it ?" he said to himself under his breath "It has to be here somewhere!"  The line was moving forward, only a couple more people were in front of him, still no passport to be seen.

"Next!" A woman's voice called.

Oliver shot his hand into his left jean pocket. There it was. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and presented the passport to the woman, hand trembling.

"Name?" The woman asked after swiping his passport from him and bringing it close to her face.

"Oliver Bennett." he replied, voice shaky.

The woman compared him to his passport picture. Same dark hazel eyes, same short black curly hair, same freckly face. It was a match, he'd passed the first test.

"Date of Birth?" the woman asked, now looking back at the passport.

"June 15th 2004." Oliver replied,  refusing to look up at  woman in military clothing.

The uniform consisted of a camo style blouse with a collar that concealed the neck, and sleeves that were cuffed where the hand met the wrist, complete with the same camo pattern on a skirt, ends an inch or two above the ground. The fit was completed with a military green bulletproof vest and an SA80 on her back with a sling.

The woman nodded before asking another question "Citizenship?"

"British." He replied.

The woman began to hand his passport back to him, but stopped when she noticed his lanyard for the nearby university. She squinted her eyes at it, as if the very sight of it offended her in some way. Oliver noticed this and attempted to break the tension.

"The trains were delayed" he sheepishly stated, letting out an awkward nervous laugh.

The woman turned to her colleague a few metres away who was dealing with man who claimed to have bought a ticket online, but it was cancelled halfway though his trip. "Madam?" the woman said "has the decree been passed?"