Chapter 7-Jason
I had first discovered Jason when assigned to keep order at a public bathing facility used by the aliens in District 9. I say 'order' because they all had an incredible knack for getting into tussles by queue jumping, looking at each other the wrong way or simply scrapping for entertainment.
Jason stood out because he too seemed to want to keep order, separating the warring parties and admonishing those who had simply watched. And his kids...he was the only one who brought youngsters to the baths. And oddly enough not ONE of the others EVER tried to harm them.
'Makes you fucking sick just watching them don't it Mike' Martha Keenan turned to me as we stood and watched the lines moving through the water.
'You know around how quickly they reproduce and all...' she added.
As a woman I thought Keenan would have had sympathy for parents struggling to raise their children in this harsh environment, why were Jason and his offspring different?
'They have to survive somehow' I finally replied.
'Unfortunately for us and the taxpayers, yeah'
Men from the city sanitation department continually hosed down aliens, to laughter from other MNU guards and refilled the pool.
'What a waste of water' muttered Keenan.
'Martha, can I please ask you something?'
'Go for it'
'Why do you hate the prawns so badly, I mean you and the other guys?'
I was the newest recruit to the team.
'Do you ever look around you or read the news Mike?'
'Well yeah but...'
'Then there is your answer. We lost a lot of good guys out here, GOOD guys with families, all to these animals!'
'That must be hard...'
'And you would know about hardship being from Cape Town and all'
'Fuck you Keenan Johannesburg doesn't have the monopoly on being shit you know!'
'Relax Mike I am just pulling your chain. Say does that prawn kid know you or something, he is waving'
No!
Emily in all her childish innocence had begun to gesture to me. But Jason ushered her on.
'Not likely, you think I associate with them now?'
Keenan didn't answer.
Back at the 'ranch' (what the guys called our little barracks) Johnny Price and Thimbu Sawed had some cold beers waiting on the table for us. Keenan dived in with gusto but I didn't really fancy it.
'Aw come on Mike, you have to let your hair down sometime' Sawed laughed.
'Drinking on duty? But what would Kruger have to say?'
'Kruger who...' Keenan answered.
Oh yes Colonel Kruger, our illustrious leader, didn't mention him did I? Sounds Afrikaner but actually has French heritage. Is generally a lazy son of a gun but is not past kicking the shit out of any non-human who crosses his path. He was hired for his ruthless ability to pursue rogue aliens and his strange ability to understand their language, wholly and completely.
'Some say he is nuts' Paul told me once.
'You are okay guys but thanks anyway. I am going to hop in a truck and see what's out there'
And off I went, with the words of Martha Keenan in my mind.
'What do you think you are going to find out there?' and 'Jesus that guys a dipshit' supposedly muttered out of earshot.
Those guys were unbelievable, sitting on their asses and drinking alcohol! I reckoned they would break out the cards by the time I had gotten back. But fuck it, I LIKED being outdoors.
The Hilux came to life with a growl and I slammed into first, kicking up a dust cloud as I fishtailed away. Today was warm and breezy and I let it wash over me through the window. When out alone (I was only just certified for Lone Patrol status) I kept my helmet off so the aliens could see my face, could KNOW who I was and that I wasn't bad.
My radio chirped to life.
'Mike here' I answered.
'Got a welfare check for you if you are interested, north part of sector 21, shack EC-2879'
'Ok show me en route'
I scanned the rows of shacks as I passed by. A larger white vehicle was parked near to 2879: it was an MNU Caspir.
What were the heavy duty boys doing here? Surprisingly it was one guy alone driving the truck.
'What's the story here?' I said as I climbed out of the Hilux.
'Was passing through this area and I got flagged down, the guy inside hasn't been seen for a week now, according to his neighbours'
I looked and saw a legless human being pushed in a battered wheelchair by a scruffy looking non-human. The alien was gesturing wildly to his partner, who nodded in assent.
'Maybe he's at work?'
'Not fucking likely man, have you smelled the place?'
It certainly smelled ripe, that was for sure.
'Ok let's take a look'
I gently pushed the door in with the barrel of my CR-21. A cloud of flies blew out of the door but nobody went for me.
'Fucking hell it's stinks of...well I don't know but it does!'
'Yeah you are right' the other guy, Gibbons, said.
Whoever had occupied this place had been in hurry and had left a while ago.
Rotten meat and piles of assorted junk littered the place, from car parts and children's toys to road signs.
'You ever think these guys are like hoarders or something Gibbons? Here is the weirdest shit you have ever seen!' I laughed.
'I guess it's like those killers who collect shoes or something right?' he said, nosing through some old pornographic magazines.
But beneath the ordinary day to day stuff I spotted something else: rifle clips, specifically banana shaped AK-47 clips and lots of them.
Moving away piles of junk I found lots of assault rifles and handguns in various states of disrepair. Under the soil floor of the shack I saw a dull metal box half-buried.
'Hey Gibbons get your nose out of Playgirl and help me with this would you'
Together we lifted what seemed like a heavy chest out of the ground. Gibbons peered inside.
'Man oh man, look at this treasure trove! Long John Prawn is going to regret leaving this behind'
I could see a number of alien Buck Roger's ray guns, plus a few I didn't recognise. There were other objects in there as well, all black, orange or white and decorated with those funny symbols.
But there was no sign of the owner and I doubted there would ever be. If tech like this was simply lying about in one shack, what could be in the entire district?
'I got to get a retrieval team out, that stuff could be dangerous'
'It's ok I will take it in, no problem, I want to catalogue it first'
'Right well it's your risk but fine, take it'
'Thanks Gibbons, appreciate your help'
'Man if there is any more of that shit...' he said as he walked away.
'Then humanity is in big fucking trouble' I whispered.
I took the box to the MNU field HQ, the guys were ecstatic that I found something that big.
'Man you are going to get promoted Mike!' Max beamed.
'Not likely but...'
'Aw don't be such a piss ant' Keenan laughed 'look at this stuff!'
'Bet the Nigerians would trade their own mothers for this shit' Thawed grinned.
'Yeah except it is useless to them, like wall decorations...' Max replied.
I couldn't be fucked to listen to this all day, so I headed out again. Jason's shack was not far away and as it was growing dark, I stopped by.
I waved as an MNU helicopter flew over and traced his spotlight over me.
'Assholes, don't they ever sleep' I muttered.
When I knocked, Jason admitted me right away, glancing nervously out of the door as he always did when I came.
'Got something for you' I said, jogging back to the Hilux.
I came back with my old gym bag, within which I had 'liberated' a couple of items from the abandoned shack.
Jason seemed to disapprove when I laid them out on the table, clicking nervously, but Marcus beamed.
'Where did you find these?' he asked.
'In a derelict shack, one sector over'
Marcus picked up and cradled each weapon, like he had found a lost lover or child.
'Pulse disruptor cannon' he said proudly, holding out an orange and black monstrosity to me.
I cradled it.
For the size of the thing it was surprisingly lightweight.
'Works like your electromagnetic pulse weapons' said Jason 'except that this can also affect the central nervous system of sentient beings'
'Is often used to control unruly drones...back home' Marcus added.
The other weapons were all ones I had seen in training or had seized in other 'welfare' operations.
'This is a most generous bounty' Marcus commented.
'One which we would be wise to not accept' said Jason.
'So you are happy for them to steal our technology and use it against us?' Marcus said, clearly annoyed.
'Do not trouble yourself with those thoughts it will be years before they can learn to operate these weapons' Jason replied calmly.
'I trust no human...'
Marcus turned to me, regretful.
'I mean...they are cleverer than we credit them with being!'
Jason relented.
'Then keep them here, but hide them well!'
'We thank you Mike' he went on.
'Hey anytime, I would rather those lab boys didn't get their greasy mitts on your property! Where are the kids anyhow?'
'Out to play, out to forage. They can take care of themselves I am sure' Marcus answered.
And so I decided it was best to leave then and come again soon.
