Anthony DeCosmo - Schism

"Alllrriiigghhty then, that's how this is going to be? It's my fault? There were three other votes for you. Even then, I figured Gordon would win. I never guessed Dante would get a vote, let alone two. But yeah, I voted for you. I thought I would be the only one after what you said this morning." He paced from one side of her office to the other. "Oh, a pity vote? Is that it? I don't need your damn pity." "Yeah, well, you don't need pity but it sounds like you need a good kick in the ass."

He growled at his wife, "I don't want pity, I don't want a kick in the ass, and I sure don't want this! Who are the idiots who voted for me? Didn't they see what happened three years ago? Is that what they want? They want me to ruin it all?"

"Maybe people think that if Gordon Knox were in charge then we'd have ourselves some kind of tyrant. He'd probably slaughter the Senate and turn this whole thing into a fascist paradise. Maybe they have a faith that you're a lot better than that." He clenched his fists and pounded his thighs. "I am a General, a soldier. I am not a politician. I am not a leader." Lori sighed then placed her arms on his tall shoulders as he stopped pacing and gazed at the floor. "Jon, don't try to be the same leader Trevor Stone was. Do what you think is best, not what you think he would do." "That's the problem. I think it's best for us that I'm not in charge." — Three hours after the press conference announcing Jon Brewer as the new Emperor, the freight handlers union went on strike demanding changed work rules to improve safety plus an insistence on regulations against mandatory overtime.

At midnight that same day, four off-duty soldiers were killed when an arsonist torched a popular military night club in Indianapolis; a caller claimed the fire was in response to the 'military' coup. Copycat crimes over the next two days included a homemade bomb detonating during a promotions ceremony in Bangor, Maine and bullets fired into the dreadnought shipyards at Pittsburgh.

While Evan Godfrey took to the air waves to urge calm and restraint, lesser known politicians sprung from the woodwork pointing to the General's ascension to the top post in the land as a sign that there truly existed a military-intelligence conspiracy.

More workers walked off the job on June 12 ^ th in a wildcat strike at the matter-making facilities in Atlanta. This caused a shortfall in the supply of lubricants and petroleum products, which in turn ratcheted up the inflation rate to double digits.

About half of the media remained optimistic over Jon's election. Several did long pieces on his exemplary battlefield record and credited him with the development of the dreadnought program. Those same newspapers and broadcast stations recapped Jon's voyage to South America aboard the Excalibur the year before, calling it a 'heroic' expedition into the unknown.

At the same time, a fair number of media outlets attacked his election, citing his personal failures during Trevor's absence three years ago and wondering why political leadership did not go to someone with political experience.

While the level of panic and problems did not rise nearly as high as three years ago, Jon felt uncertainty simmering out there. He felt it simmering in his own stomach, too.

Things changed on June 13 ^ th.

Jon sat at Trevor's old desk, having been invited by Ashley to look for any items that might be of use. He had the place to himself: Benjamin Trump took his daughter and his grandson to a movie at the small theater in Wilkes-Barre at the request of Jorgie, who seemed obsessed with attending a 'classic films' festival featuring The Manchurian Candidate.

In any case, Jon found stacks of papers covering a wide range of topics, the sheer scope of which generated a painful thump in his temples. The headache forming there was interrupted when Dante Jones and Evan Godfrey entered the office.

"Hey, buddy, what's up?"

"Hello, Dante. Just going through some stuff. You two in town for tomorrow's council meeting?"

Evan made a point of walking over to Jon and extending his hand (his sling finally off) but carried himself in a much more humble-perhaps cautious-demeanor than usual. His voice faltered a bit as he said to Jon, "It's good to see you."

Godfrey then glanced at Dante and seemed to hesitate over something. Dante, however, said to Evan, "Go ahead, tell him. He needs to know."

"Tell me what?"

Evan thought for a moment before saying, "Jon, my connection in the labor unions tells me that things are getting out of control. I don’t' know how to say this, but they sense a moment of weakness with a, well…"

"With me as leader."

"I wouldn't put it quite like that. But they do sense an opportunity to get concessions, both from their private employers and from government rules and regulations. I've heard rumors of at least another dozen strikes coming. The workers are trying for raises in the minimum wage, improved benefits packages, stronger safety regulation, tighter work hours, and so forth."

Dante added, "My people are saying that the black market is growing, what with inflation so bad and all. There have been supply shortages in some areas, partly because of these strikes but also because people are hoarding stuff. I don't know, but it seems like some people out there feel like the government is going to collapse or something."

"So? What do you want me to do?"

Dante answered, "Hey, man it's just info. We need to be prepared for these things. I mean, it's getting pretty bad."

Evan suggested, "We may need to take some, well, radical steps to bring stability back to the economy and, I think, society at large."

Jon's pride got the better of him for a moment, despite how little he wanted his new job. At over six feet tall, Jon towered above the other two as he got up from the chair and stood.

"I'm not doing enough, is that it? I'm screwing it up again?"

Dante calmed, "Jon, no, that's not it. But listen to him, man. Everything is hanging by a thread and it’s all on your shoulders."

Jon took a deep breath and nodded, giving Evan permission to speak his piece.

"Remember in the old world if you had a one-hundred dollar bill in your pocket you felt good? Why was that? Like our Continental Dollars, the old dollars were just printed on paper with ink. But right now, even the largest Contys aren’t held in much respect, are they?"

Jon closed his eyes knowing he could not avoid the coming lecture. Still, a small part of him welcomed Evan’s words. Maybe it was the way the man spoke. His voice sounded smooth and reassuring. Despite the economic chaos stretching from the Atlantic Coast to the newly assimilated territories in California, Evan’s voice suggested a simple answer to that chaos, if only someone would listen.

"It wasn’t the paper and ink of that one-hundred dollar bill that was worth anything, it was the confidence you had in what backed those dollars." "Oh? And what was that?" "The institutions of the United States of America and the confidence people had in those institutions." "Evan," the newly-elected Emperor said, "I know you have a point to make." "The people of this ‘Empire’ do not have those types of institutions."

"I thought that was what the Senate has been doing. You rebuilt D.C. You put together programs, government departments and offices, procedures and all that stuff."

"Yes, but everything was overshadowed by the Emperor. Whatever rule we passed, he could veto. Even after we managed to have the final word on budget allocations, even then the Emperor held so much power that he truly controlled everything in the government."

Dante chimed in, "Yeah man, let’s admit it. Trev didn’t really like all that stuff, that’s why he tried not to deal with it. But if something took his interest, then he could change things around whatever way he liked."