“There will be no need for penal colonies or prisons, anywhere on earth, ever again.”
The brilliant Dr. Cuthbert was solving a problem that threatened every nation on the planet. Troublemakers. They were a plague. Attempts to close borders failed. Miscreants respected no boundaries. They seeped malignantly into the lives of good, ordinary citizens.
The Cuthbert System replaced punitive facilities around the world. School children were taught the Cuthbert mantra: “Anywhere but here”. National legislatures emblazoned the words above their entrance arches. World leaders wore the “Anywhere but here” slogan on their lapels. The Cuthbert logo, a rocket heading into space, could be found on letterheads, business cards. For once the world agreed on one thing: the Cuthbert System was a miracle of social design.
What Dr. Cuthbert offered was a universal, and permanent solution to crime. Pack evildoers into a rocket and send them to deep space. Equip the rocket with years of concentrated nutrition. The antisocial elements would be allowed to live, while law-abiding citizens would be safe from their misdeeds.
A tribunal representing all nations chose those to be exiled. At first, these decisions were easy. Obvious. A mass murderer. A politician who had led his nation in brutal and pointless war. The industrialist who had robbed her workers and sold toxic waste to innocent people.
As years passed, though, and the worst had been weaned, decisions about how to populate the rockets became difficult. Scenes of relatives crying at launches were publicized. Children wailed as their fathers were sent to space. Mothers knelt in front of Cuthbert Institutes across the world and begged for reprieves.
“Please,” they pleaded. “Show mercy. This is a sentence you impose on families. We must imagine an unknown fate for our loved ones, a fate that means we never again will hear their voices, look upon their faces.”
The disruptive scenes became common as time passed, as offenses that resulted in exile were less egregious.
Money, a great deal of money, was vested in the success of Cuthbert Industries. It was a publicly traded company that thrived only as long as rockets were built and passengers filled the spacecrafts.
“Projections for the stock price are down,” CEO and Cuthbert descendant Balor explained at a shareholder meeting.
“Keep in mind, all of you,” Balor continued. “No innocent is sent into exile. All who are sentenced have been deemed social outcasts, and cast out they shall be.”
“Here, here…”, rose an approving chorus from assembled Board members.
There came a time when dismay over the expulsions became so great that the populace was emboldened. Organized protests appeared at launch pads, at Cuthbert Institutes, even at the homes of Cuthbert executives.
An emergency meeting of the Cuthbert Board was called. Balor addressed the group.
“These disruptions are eating into our profits. We have to deal with this. I propose we select ringleaders and exile them. This will not only stifle dissent, but will also populate the rockets.”
Balor finished the speech with his shoulders thrust back and his chin jutting straight out toward the audience.
“Are there any objections?”
The question was greeted with silence.
“I take that as an endorsement, and will issue a proclamation immediately.”
Following Balor’s proclamation, public resistance to Cuthbert expulsions ceased. However, covert acts of sabotage multiplied. Who were these saboteurs? It was apparent that many were working inside the organization.
Rocket fuel lines were cut. Launch pads contaminated. Computer systems infected with malware. Though visible protests had evaporated, an invisible network of rebels was growing.
Balor empowered a cadre of spies to infiltrate Cuthbert facilities, and another cadre to mingle with the general population. Those who were interfering with Cuthbert operations would be expelled from the planet. Just as the spy network was deployed, a sobering event startled the world.
A Cuthbert rocket, the first that had been sent into space more than fifty years before, returned to earth. It executed a perfect landing on a Cuthbert launching pad.
A team of armed enforcers in hazmat suits approached the rocket and pried open the door. Inside they found mummified remains of the first exiles. The interior of the rocket was almost destroyed and many of the bodies appeared to have met with violent ends.
“Look, here,” the leader of the enforcer crew called. “What does this say?”
He pointed to a large, red scrawl on the ceiling, written in neat script.
“What language is that?”
“Esperanto,” the linguistic specialist responded. She paled as she translated the words out loud.
“We do not want your criminals, Balor. We have the names of everyone on the Executive Board. These will be the first to answer if one more ship of criminals is sent into space.”
Cuthbert Industries shuttered its doors that day.
A disquiet settled upon the earth and people developed the habit of glancing upwards. Still, a general air of security and calm prevailed in the world, as people realized Cuthbert exile rockets would no longer soar across the sky.
I hope you had fun reading my story. This collage and the story are in response to LMAC's 224th Collage Contest Round. Although I do not compete in the contest (I'm on the jury), I make a collage from time to time because I find the exercise relaxing, and stimulating.
Creators in LMAC contest always start from a template image. We also accept freestyle collages for curation. These are not contest entries.
This week the image was provided by 
What does this photo suggest to you? To me it suggested a portal, and so my imagination took me to Cuthbert Industries.
I borrowed many elements from others to make these images. Some elements were from our own LIL library and some were from Pixabay:
Rocket ramp
Distel APPAraf
LIL
Killer
BrinMacin
Pixabay
AK47
MickeyLIT
Pixabay
Grim Reaper
gt39
Pixabay
Character in window
CharlVera
Pixabay
Character in window
Hafteh7
Pixabay
Rocket
Spacex-imagery
Pixabay
Nebula
Maclay62
Pixabay
Shrubs
LIL
Leaves
LIL
Milliped
LIL
I used, GIMP, Paint, Paint 3D, and a filter from Lunapic to make the collages.
The current collage runs until March 31. Plenty of time to get in more than one entry.
LMAC is a welcoming community. We offer handsome monthly prizes, and curation for every collage submitted (must follow the rules spelled out in our announcement blog). Become a part of this community, especially if you are not an artist. You may be surprised at finding the artist in you.
Also, please note that our image library welcomes contributions from everyone on Hive, and anyone on Hive may borrow from the library. Procedures for borrowing and contribution are described in 
Peace and health to everyone. Hive on!