Author:
Alex McGilvery has been reading since before he can remember, and writing almost that long. He has published 18 books and is author and editor at his imprint Celticfrog Publishing. He lives in Kamloops with his dog and the stories clawing their way out of his head.

When age rules the country, it’s hard to be young.

Trey runs away from the youth reserve, sure he’s no more than spare parts for a father he barely remembers. The Council of Elders has its own questions about the him. When Trey find the Underground and joins the fight to give rights back to the Youngers, he starts a chain of events beyond anyone’s control.

Generation Gap

"Of course. I don't have another class until after lunch. Take your time." Harry left. Joe imagined him heaving a great breath of relief out there in the hall. He was a nice young man in a world with fewer and fewer places for nice people.


"There's been another killing, Joe. This one is down toward Florida. The M.O. is the same - two extremely sharp knives, almost no blood. Nobody saw anything unusual. The victim was a supervisor just five years from retirement."


"And the other part of the pattern?" Joe heard Maggie's sigh at the other end of the connection.


"He was procuring children. He would approach a poor family and offer to find their children an apprenticeship in his jurisdiction. The children would disappear. The families wouldn't complain because they had "sold" their children. And how could we be letting this happen?"


"There are only so many of us, and a lot more of the really twisted ones. I don't feel sorry for him, but I worry about this person who is dispensing such summary justice. What will happen when they make a mistake?"


"I will have the locals send you the reports. Knowing you are in the loop will make them extra careful."


"Thanks, Maggie. I am going to send you a picture. I want you to do a search through the dogbot network and see if there are any hits. I'll be home soon. Oh, and keep an eye on this Harry Destir. I think he is worth watching. We may be able to give him a nudge or two in the right direction." He closed his phone and stared at the wall. 


His response to Maggie was only part of the answer. The other part was the woman at the club. More and more retirees felt entitled to whatever they could take. Younger people got called Youngers and became things instead of people. It worried him because it meant the society he worked for was becoming corrupted. 


"A Geritocracy indeed." Suddenly he felt every one of his years weighing upon him, but he couldn't rest yet. He had to find Trey, and learn why this young man terrified his father and made teachers break the law on his behalf.


Chapter 12: People Are Dying, Part 3