Post by Malum on Oct 4, 2007 11:28:48 GMT -5
The rain lightly touched Karlile’s cheek, running off it onto his collar. He was looking up, straight into the drizzling sprinkle from the black clouds which hovered over the train station. He closed his blue eyes, afraid they would be pelted by an angry raindrop. After breathing in that scent which accompanies rain once more he looked forward, opening his eyes again. Before him was the marvelous train station, its marble floors and pillars sparkling from the rain which came down through the holographic roof. People went to and fro, minding their own business, just trying to make their ways in this harsh, concrete jungle.
The train station was the height of technology. The people prided themselves on their discovery of artificial wormhole technology. Train stations like this one had popped up all over the world, replacing highways, streets and roads. Hundreds of doors in every train station led to hundreds of different locations. Some led to other, larger stations, which in turn led to someone’s destination. The doors were holograms, like the ceiling of the train station. But the rooms inside had real ceilings, to protect the delicate teleportation pads from rain and snow and wind. During emergencies the ceilings could retract into the walls, and the teleportation pads were covered by emergency armor.
The train stations were the most advanced technologies the public had access too, and most governments allowed their citizens free access and use of the train stations. The United States of America was one exception.
Since Neo Manifest Destiny arose during the Second Great Depression, the USA had grown exponentially. The nations of Canada, The Independent State of Alaska, The Royal Kingdom of Mexico, The United States of the Caribbean, The Brazilian Commonwealth, The South American Free States, The South Brazilian Monarchy, The South African Providences, The Australian Dictatorship, and even the Antarctic Commonwealth had all become permanent members of the United States of America and Beyond. The USAB had complete control over more than 40% of the world’s wealth, 24% of her citizens, and roughly 37% of her land. The USAB also had control of hundreds of colonies in the middle east.
Funny how things turn out, Karlile thought as he pulled two Shipka SMGs from his black trench coat and fired at the pillars attached to no roof.
America had lost her ways. The First Amendment of the constitution had been written out. No longer was there freedom of speech, press, or religion in North America, South America, Mexico, most of Central America, South Africa, or parts of Antarctica and Australia. People who spoke out against the government were highly frowned upon, occasionally sent to trail for treason. The newspapers and news stations were almost completely controlled by the government. To start a new press program one had to be approved by the government first. Even after that, it was highly difficult to show any independent thought or rebellious attitude.
It was indeed possible to rebel peacefully against America without being sentenced to treason. The government wanted to appear benevolent, friendly. But more often than not they stopped uprisings before they became rebellions.
Freedom of religion was still there, but limited. The government had become highly supportive of many Asian religions and customs, and promoted them often. While they tended to frown upon Native American beliefs in particular.
Because of its new ways America had gained many enemies. Australia was a warzone, the Australian people refused to be a part of the USAB as the clouds of Manifest Destiny hovered over them. In Iceland the many United States colonies struggled daily against the anti-USAB factions there. North Korea had long since been destroyed, but the USAB’s enemies in the East refused to die with it. Russia, China, South Korea, and many others had joined together to create the Asian-Soviet Union. Though they were communists, the Asian-Soviet Union was a good nation. They wanted only the best for the world, which is why they did not openly engage the USAB in warfare, but loudly protested against them.
Many argued against the USAB, especially the Europeans. The only allies of the States were the remaining countries in Africa, whom the USAB helped with food, shelter and water.
The moon was completely controlled by the USAB, one giant city which covered half of it, leaving the other half until it was time to expand further. But there was no peace on Luna. The Children of the Moons, as they called themselves, were a religious group, persecuted by the USAB until the breaking point. They became open rebels against the government. An endless war broke out on the moon. At night, one could see the explosions.
Karlile was one of the few people still living in the original 50 States who dared resist. The government control was much tighter here, the police more numerous. He was part of an underground organization attempting to turn the US back to her former glory. When peaceful negotiations didn’t work, they resorted to violence.
He emptied his clips on the station, doing as much damage as he could. Marble sharps flew everywhere as he slowly walked the square, the clunk of his combat boots on the floor unheard under the sound of bullet shells pelting into concrete, steel, marble and occasionally, flesh. Karlile made a point to hit several pedestrians, but mostly avoided it. For him to be heard, people had to be hurt, and sometimes people had to die.
After emptying two more clips of illegal rounds from his illegal weapon, Karlile made his escape. He quickly dropped his guns, his fingerprints safely protected behind his black leather gloves, and ran to a random teleportation pad. By the time they were locked down he was nearly home.
If the government was to change, someone had to stand up to it.
2230 AD – Austin Texas
“Hey man, great job out there,” Maks said, offering a high five to Karlile. He accepted it with a grin. He was not proud of those whom he had hurt, but of the statement he had made. Everyone should be allowed access to the train stations. Regardless of their race, nationality, religion, or past.
The USAB had restricted all people who had been in jail for more than a year access. They also restricted Selkies (people born in any underwater city), Russians, Chinese, British, Scottish, Irish, French, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian, Polish, Italian, Belarusian, and Romanian. Which just happened to be every race who protested against them. Finally, they restricted any and all people who practiced polytheistic religions, supported the Roman Catholic Church, believed in spirits, or practiced Wicca.
And the government knew. Every five years every single citizen of the USAB had to take a full physical, mental, and spiritual examination. They were hooked up to an advanced lie detector and asked a series of questions for one full hour straight. The information was carefully catalogued along with any comments they had. The computer then carefully examined what they had said and categorized them into “acceptable” or “not acceptable” for certain situations. Many people received a lower pay because of their answers, or weren’t allowed access to some of the finer things in life such as fancy restaurants and more power holoprojectors.
Nearly everyone in the Peoples of the First Amendment were consider unacceptable in more than one category. Karlile looked around the basement where he and some of his friends lived. They were part of the PFA, a big part of it. Hackers, mostly. Karlile and his three friends worked hard to break the various protections in government websites and databases. They had been somewhat successful, and were considered valuable members of the PFA, whom they had never actually met in person.
The internet was the last freedom of the people. It was highly restricted under penalty of imprisonment for life to all USAB citizens without special permissions. They had access only to email and government established news sites. While the rest of the world flourished using it, the USAB was becoming stagnant, without ways to spread new ideas and inventions.
But Karlile and his friends knew ways around the law.
The next morning, Karlile woke up to see vids of a young boy, about fifteen shooting up a train station. It was him, only different. He had been lucky enough to come across a man selling face masks. He took one, stuck the small device in his neck. It had transformed his face into that of a completely different person. Most people didn’t know about face mask technology, which had kept him safe.
Karlile put on his coat, gloves, fedora, and boots, and left the basement, taking a stroll through one of the vast parks of Austin Texas in the light rain.
The train station was the height of technology. The people prided themselves on their discovery of artificial wormhole technology. Train stations like this one had popped up all over the world, replacing highways, streets and roads. Hundreds of doors in every train station led to hundreds of different locations. Some led to other, larger stations, which in turn led to someone’s destination. The doors were holograms, like the ceiling of the train station. But the rooms inside had real ceilings, to protect the delicate teleportation pads from rain and snow and wind. During emergencies the ceilings could retract into the walls, and the teleportation pads were covered by emergency armor.
The train stations were the most advanced technologies the public had access too, and most governments allowed their citizens free access and use of the train stations. The United States of America was one exception.
Since Neo Manifest Destiny arose during the Second Great Depression, the USA had grown exponentially. The nations of Canada, The Independent State of Alaska, The Royal Kingdom of Mexico, The United States of the Caribbean, The Brazilian Commonwealth, The South American Free States, The South Brazilian Monarchy, The South African Providences, The Australian Dictatorship, and even the Antarctic Commonwealth had all become permanent members of the United States of America and Beyond. The USAB had complete control over more than 40% of the world’s wealth, 24% of her citizens, and roughly 37% of her land. The USAB also had control of hundreds of colonies in the middle east.
Funny how things turn out, Karlile thought as he pulled two Shipka SMGs from his black trench coat and fired at the pillars attached to no roof.
America had lost her ways. The First Amendment of the constitution had been written out. No longer was there freedom of speech, press, or religion in North America, South America, Mexico, most of Central America, South Africa, or parts of Antarctica and Australia. People who spoke out against the government were highly frowned upon, occasionally sent to trail for treason. The newspapers and news stations were almost completely controlled by the government. To start a new press program one had to be approved by the government first. Even after that, it was highly difficult to show any independent thought or rebellious attitude.
It was indeed possible to rebel peacefully against America without being sentenced to treason. The government wanted to appear benevolent, friendly. But more often than not they stopped uprisings before they became rebellions.
Freedom of religion was still there, but limited. The government had become highly supportive of many Asian religions and customs, and promoted them often. While they tended to frown upon Native American beliefs in particular.
Because of its new ways America had gained many enemies. Australia was a warzone, the Australian people refused to be a part of the USAB as the clouds of Manifest Destiny hovered over them. In Iceland the many United States colonies struggled daily against the anti-USAB factions there. North Korea had long since been destroyed, but the USAB’s enemies in the East refused to die with it. Russia, China, South Korea, and many others had joined together to create the Asian-Soviet Union. Though they were communists, the Asian-Soviet Union was a good nation. They wanted only the best for the world, which is why they did not openly engage the USAB in warfare, but loudly protested against them.
Many argued against the USAB, especially the Europeans. The only allies of the States were the remaining countries in Africa, whom the USAB helped with food, shelter and water.
The moon was completely controlled by the USAB, one giant city which covered half of it, leaving the other half until it was time to expand further. But there was no peace on Luna. The Children of the Moons, as they called themselves, were a religious group, persecuted by the USAB until the breaking point. They became open rebels against the government. An endless war broke out on the moon. At night, one could see the explosions.
Karlile was one of the few people still living in the original 50 States who dared resist. The government control was much tighter here, the police more numerous. He was part of an underground organization attempting to turn the US back to her former glory. When peaceful negotiations didn’t work, they resorted to violence.
He emptied his clips on the station, doing as much damage as he could. Marble sharps flew everywhere as he slowly walked the square, the clunk of his combat boots on the floor unheard under the sound of bullet shells pelting into concrete, steel, marble and occasionally, flesh. Karlile made a point to hit several pedestrians, but mostly avoided it. For him to be heard, people had to be hurt, and sometimes people had to die.
After emptying two more clips of illegal rounds from his illegal weapon, Karlile made his escape. He quickly dropped his guns, his fingerprints safely protected behind his black leather gloves, and ran to a random teleportation pad. By the time they were locked down he was nearly home.
If the government was to change, someone had to stand up to it.
2230 AD – Austin Texas
“Hey man, great job out there,” Maks said, offering a high five to Karlile. He accepted it with a grin. He was not proud of those whom he had hurt, but of the statement he had made. Everyone should be allowed access to the train stations. Regardless of their race, nationality, religion, or past.
The USAB had restricted all people who had been in jail for more than a year access. They also restricted Selkies (people born in any underwater city), Russians, Chinese, British, Scottish, Irish, French, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian, Polish, Italian, Belarusian, and Romanian. Which just happened to be every race who protested against them. Finally, they restricted any and all people who practiced polytheistic religions, supported the Roman Catholic Church, believed in spirits, or practiced Wicca.
And the government knew. Every five years every single citizen of the USAB had to take a full physical, mental, and spiritual examination. They were hooked up to an advanced lie detector and asked a series of questions for one full hour straight. The information was carefully catalogued along with any comments they had. The computer then carefully examined what they had said and categorized them into “acceptable” or “not acceptable” for certain situations. Many people received a lower pay because of their answers, or weren’t allowed access to some of the finer things in life such as fancy restaurants and more power holoprojectors.
Nearly everyone in the Peoples of the First Amendment were consider unacceptable in more than one category. Karlile looked around the basement where he and some of his friends lived. They were part of the PFA, a big part of it. Hackers, mostly. Karlile and his three friends worked hard to break the various protections in government websites and databases. They had been somewhat successful, and were considered valuable members of the PFA, whom they had never actually met in person.
The internet was the last freedom of the people. It was highly restricted under penalty of imprisonment for life to all USAB citizens without special permissions. They had access only to email and government established news sites. While the rest of the world flourished using it, the USAB was becoming stagnant, without ways to spread new ideas and inventions.
But Karlile and his friends knew ways around the law.
The next morning, Karlile woke up to see vids of a young boy, about fifteen shooting up a train station. It was him, only different. He had been lucky enough to come across a man selling face masks. He took one, stuck the small device in his neck. It had transformed his face into that of a completely different person. Most people didn’t know about face mask technology, which had kept him safe.
Karlile put on his coat, gloves, fedora, and boots, and left the basement, taking a stroll through one of the vast parks of Austin Texas in the light rain.