US vs. THEM
This is a story about the Covid-19 five years from now and how humanity takes sides. US vs. THEM is a tale of what could happen if…
US vs. THEM — A Cautionary Tale
It’ been five years since COVID-19 was introduced to the world and, to date, still has no cure or vaccine. Many attempt to create a lasting inoculation while this aggressive virus mutates as if fighting back.
We know the initial isolation worried and tormented many but, by 2025, we humans have divided into two camps:
- Covies: those who no longer isolate are at threat of contracting the virus and others.
- Laters: those who wear masks and maintain a form of isolation.
This is the new normal for now with each group having their own set of aspirations and challenges.
The Covies enjoy freedom of movement, treating each day as if the pandemic does not exist and want to live their lives no matter how short their time may be. Many are felled with some not bothering to seek medical attention. Countless theories arise: humans are not supposed to live as long as we do in the west; it is a cleansing of the earth; the virus was man-made, etc. To identify themselves, many get a tattoo etched on their upper right arm showing the letters C and V in an integrated fashion.
The Laters continue to sequester, maintain proper distancing, and wear masks outdoors. Many relocate away from cities where the Covie mindset dominates. The Laters work from home with most children home schooled or in private learning pods. For them, electronic contact is the main method of work and socialization. Weather permitting, some enjoy dinner with friends on their driveways while maintaining a distance.
A subset of the Laters become isolationists, live in remote gated compounds, some employing armed guards. This group are not dangerous unless pushed and, those that do are met with lethal force. There are a few Covie websites that posit these people are captive in the compounds which, to date, is unproven.
The Laters in cities work diligently to remain uninfected while surrounded by Covies. Reports of attacks by roving Covie-gangs, comprised of bored young men with a lack of reasoning and too much testosterone, swarm those wearing protective equipment, steal their food and belongings, then spit on their victims. It is a mugging now with the added insult and danger of becoming infected. A small number who suffer this indignity perish. Few attackers are charged as many avoid the authorities while some are arrested as they post a video of their crime.
Currently, the infection remains a threat and, to date, has killed over twenty-eight million people worldwide, with no end in sight. Governments lost control once the Covie movement intensified and, with social media, the movement gains strength and becomes insuppressable. No matter whether the police or the army are sent to quell this type of activity, protesters quickly pop up elsewhere. It starts with private parties, beach gatherings, sporting events, etc., and builds from there. These people, frustrated life is passing them by rebel. Social media outlets, e-magazines, podcasts, and websites, pop up touting this way of living. Along with this movement, snake oil hucksters pitch the latest method of making oneself immune to infection, killing thousands and continue to this day. Populations worldwide have been devastated with only the wealthy and those in power remaining protected.
In India, over a million and a half people died so far, with the USA close behind. The Covie movement in Asia trumpet the drinking elephant urine to prevent infection, causing other illnesses and deaths. In China, the army is deployed to quell the Covie movement with mixed results while other authoritarian governments, some of whom do not act in a timely manner, adopt the notion this is natural selection killing the weak in their society (meaning the poor and underprivileged).
With the ongoing danger in this altered society, those working on the front lines now earn more. Once the Covie movement intensified, numerous employees working in minimum wages jobs (grocery stores, gas stations, etc.) quit due to the danger. In order to keep the population fed, governments enacted legislation to substantially increase wages for those most at risk. With prisons not able to provide safe distancing measures, those with non-violent crimes are released. Many go into front-line employment and can make up to seventy-thousand dollars a year.
Medical personnel have also received an increase in pay with so many overwhelmed and burnt out within the first few waves. There is still a need everywhere for people with medical and care training.
Economies somewhat rebound although the price of oil is still down with so many Laters not driving, the price per barrel does not recover. However, alternative energy infrastructure increases markedly and a somewhat recovered stock market continues. These is a new way of looking at businesses, governments legislate salary caps and force overly large companies to break up, creating a right-wing backlash touting bloated government interference. The ‘government-and-society-for-the-people’ (GSP) movement gains strength as life begins to change for the better in poor and middle classes.
On the bright side, the animal world has experienced a significant increase in population and pollution is down.
As is often the case with humanity, we split into tribes with each vying for limited resources. There is still food, clean water, and reliable electricity, with each clan contending for space and supplies. The Covies, the go-it-alone faction, are not organized as a collective but are a varied sets of sub-tribes with some hedonistic, others fancy-free, plus the ever-present criminal element.
The Laters have a group-based survival strategy cooperating with what they believe to be the social norm until the epidemic can be tamed. This group believe the Covies will get what’s coming to them.
The Covies postulate others have blinders on and are missing the true meaning of life, dangers and all.
With each side feeling it is an ‘Us vs. Them’ mindset, only time will tell which of these groups will prevail.
Stephen G. McKenna
Author of ‘Grace and Wisdom’
