ADVANCEMENT VIA MURDER

ADVANCEMENT VIA MURDER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: The author, of this fiction, wishes to thank the psychotic plot-lines, of such movies as "The Purge" and "The Hunger Games", for the inspiration, for this equally psychotic piece of fiction. When the day would come, that destitute Americans would stop believing in the rhetoric of "Just give it TIME. EVENTUALLY, SOME-day, the economy will recover, on its own." While spouting this rhetoric, the federal government held out hope that something, which the federal government, secretly HOPED for, for many years, began to take root, in America. As social services were dismantled, and destitute Americans were told "Deal with it!", the "final straw" was broken. Just as politicians had hoped, for decades, destitute Americans, finally, brutally, and murderously, began turning on one another. The plan began beautifully, as destitute parents began robbing/killing shoppers, right as the people left grocery stores. Not just for cash, either. In the majority, of cases, the robber took the cart of food. Just as planned, those, who were destitute enough, for this kind of theft, proved more-than-willing, to KILL their victims. In Washington D.C., Congress, secretly CHEERED the success, of the plan, even as supermarket homicides escalated. The destitute even began killing motorists, in cold blood, in order to use automobiles to try to FLEE un-employment. The next step was when homeless shelters were left with no alternative except to turn away the needy, from already-overcrowded shelters. This, ofcourse, lead to a new wave, of home invasion. This, quickly, became an accepted practice, for finding shelter. Destitute people simply smashed out one, or two, windows, in a home, murdered the occupants, and set up house-keeping. For Congress, however, PROOF, that the "recovery" was, finally, underway, was reported, when the un-employed began walking into businesses, gunning down workers, only to have management smile, at the murderers, as management told the murderers "You have drive, and determination. I like that. How SOON can you start work?" (This, even as workers bodies were dragged away, to trash dumpsters.) Soon, the media would report "American homicide rate increases by 3,000%" This, even as Congress would cheer "Un-employment now at 50 year low!" What Congress would not bother to mention was that the decrease, in un-employment, was due to destitute Americans resorting to murdering one another, for everything from food, and clothing, to shelter. What corporate board rooms liked, about this, was the fact that, once the public learned that homicide was the BEST was to survive, in the "New World Order", both new, and senior, workers, would begin ignoring corporate "chain-of-command". The new "rule", of advancement, in corporate America, had become "The person, with th most ammunition, will rise, to lead the company." Congresses "happiness", with the record high, homicide, rate, which had created "zero percent un-employment", was short-lived. What Congress NEVER considered was that Congress persons were human, and subject, to homicide, as well. In the "ultimate fire-fight", which would bring an END to the "fabulous" "New World Order", Capital Hill, and White House, security, would be "mowed down", by destitute Americans, who had lost all hope, and had NOTHING left to lose. The halls of Congress, and the corridors, of the White House, would be bathed, in the blood, of both law enforcement, and the "human wave", which did not cease attacking, until both the first family, and the vice presidents family, lay dead, in pools of their own blood. (According to some sources, it would, reportedly, take YEARS, for any survivors, to clean the blood from the House, and Senate, chambers) Like the White House, Capital Hill had been deluged, by a "human wave", who saw nothing to lose, in executing those persons who had spent DECADES saying "It will just take TIME. EVENTUALLY, SOME-day, the economy will recover, on its own". Now, those, who had made these empty "promises", decade-after-decade, were stuffed into garbage bags, and tossed in trash dumpsters. There was only one problem, which the destitute had not considered. In eradicating a non-compliant government, the survivors were left with the question of "WHO will rule what is left, of America, now?" Ofcourse, Washington D.C. was NOT the only location, to suffer this fate. Across the nation, 80% of America's chairmen-of-the-boards, as well as boards-of-directors, lay dead, in pools, of their own blood. Now, destitute Americans were left with the question of "WHO will clean up the mess?" and "WHO will direct company operations?" The very Congress, which had held such high hopes, for ending un-employment, by sending the nation on a killing spree, had, themselves, fallen victim to their own hopes, and dreams. Once Congress, the White House, and corporate America, were, all, dead, the survivors were left with the question of "What do we do, now?" What the public had not paid any attention to, was the fact that, while the homicide spree was in "full forward" mode, the most intelligent governors, and state legislators, had, SILENTLY, slipped away, into hiding. Thanks to the rank paranoia, of Homeland Security, and its "The bad guys are EVERYWHERE!" rhetoric, maybe 60% of the states had aided these paranoid delusionals into setting up a "secure" communications line, between the various states governments. Once the homicide spree was in full force, state officiials had locked themselves, and staff members, inside bomb-proof bunkers. Here, they would "hole up", listening to favorite music, or reading books, while, outside, a nation tore itself to pieces. All in order to "reset" itself, for a "new age". State governments hade planned to "play dead", until the homicides ended, then they planned to MARCH forth, commanding "WE are the government, NOW! You WILL obey us." Just one problem. By the time satellite communications showed that the homicides were at an end, and state government came forth, prepared to RULE, state officials were in for a shock. What state officials had never considered was that, with the END, of the "New World Order", state officials found themselves emerging to face a "brand new" America. A land they no-longer "ruled". Territorial males had taken to forming into "squads". Some "squads", armed, in case the communities were attacked, by "outsider" Americans, while other "squads", were assigned to farming, machine repair, general clean-up, etc. While the males covered these roles, the surviving women began negotiating, with other communities, to trade for what each group might need. The shocked, state, officials, would, soon, learn that the only groups to be spared extermination, during the homicides, were hospital staff, doctors, nurses, and fire-fighters. Police departments were replaced with local militia, as survivors tried to plan for an un-certain future. When state officials saw this situattion, they realized "We dare NOT ORDER these people about. Best to negotiate." As utilities were, slowly, restored, and lights, and radios, began to work, again, groups, of Americans, began to see hope. The time, when hope was, really, restored, was the day when water pumps began deliveriing fresh water, to faucets, again. Running water meant that people were able to return to a more normal life. The "roughtest" part, for this new nation, was in re-building trust, between the seperate terrritories. While re-building the devastation would take many years, first one, then more, communities began to realize how the people, of the original thirteen colonies, had felt, after years of combat, with the British Empire. While automobiles might have been common-place, in the pre-homicide era (When gas was plentiful), now, the process, of converting diesel, and gasoline engines, to mooshine, lead to cheers, each time an engine not only turned over, but ran, on moonshine. As high-rises began powering up, again, communities would begin to negotiate, to borrow the people, who would know how to operate the buildings systems. It would not be long before it was obvious which communities were home to organized labor. The organized labor communities were the first to be back "on-line", while administrative, and corporate communities were slower, to catch up. While NO one was in favor of setting up a new, federal, government, even to act as mediator, in state negotiations, it would turn out that such a bureaucracy would be needed, after all. This was, especially true when each territory wanted its OWN representative, at inter-territory negotiations. The new, default, "leaders", of each territory, would ask their people to VOTE for the person whom the people felt would be best, at negotiating, on behalf of the territory. While some territories offered as few as three negotiators, for the "panel", other territories wanted dozens of representatives on the panel. In order to "keep the peace", the new "leaders" would select the representative, with the most negotiating experience. Before these people could, even meet, however, to begin trade discussions, the very FIRST thing, which each territory was compelled to do was to inventory all goods. Ironically, while many Americans had, in the past, complained that the ONLY thing the federal government was "good" for, was generating paperwork, now, these same Americans came to understand the REASON, for all of the paper-work. What some citizens had thought should resemble a "grocery shopping list", turned into the size of a pocket dictionary. This was due to the DETAILS, regarding what supplies were available, for trade. Each negotiator needed to know how much, of each item, they had, available, to bargain with. While a "complete inventory" would take months, under prevailing conditions, once inventory was completed, and negotiators were dispatched, on their journey, locals HOPED this would be the end of the story. The negotiators were supposed to go forth, do their biddiing, and report back, to the territories. It would seem, however that, just as it had been, with the original, thirteen, colonies, this, new, panel would be stuck with MORE than simply negotiating the trading of supplies. Several, group, members would bring up issues, such as law enforcement, as well. One, of the most controversial issues, which the negotiators would face was the question, of womens rights. During the homicide era, not only were large numbers, of women, slain (for a variety of reasons), however, atleast one terrritory insisted that four girls preparatory schools had been bombed. Of course, when asked "WHO was responsible, for the bombings?" and this question was met with a reply of "Who cares? We need WOMEN, for our, young men." The group would find itself spending the coming weeks deciding such questions as "Should the 19th amendment be repealled?" When a representative, from the "bombed" territory, would submit "If this board does not agree to supply us with women, then we will ATTACK, and TAKE what we want." As if out of the "blue", the panel would find itself splitting into factions. The majority saying "If you want OUR women...", while the minority stood, silent. It would take another three weeks, for the majority just to convince the minority that, 'just because a place blows up, from time to time, that is NOT proof of murder. Nor is it a justification, for threatened theft.' Accidents DO happen. After another three months, of negotiations, the panel would agree to take a thirty day "recess". (After all, with territiorial crops coming up to harvest, ALL hands would be needed, for harvesting, atleast until farm machinery was, fully, converted to moonshine.) While it would take three YEARS, for the territiories to write up agreements, which ALL members were willing to sign, it would turn out that the proposed repeal, of the 19th amendment, would NOT be necessary. Dozens of women would offer to be traded, in order to increase communications (and, maybe, trust) between territories. Even with such increasing interraction, between the territories, convoys, of supplies, travelling between territories, were guarded/escorted, by militia members. This would be a "Safety First" rule, until the territories learned to trust one another, again. Not just theft, from other territories, but theft, from the remaining bands, of outlaws. People who "did not get the memo", that the homicide time was behind the nation. From time to time, these people attacked convoys, taking supplies, and murdering transporters. Territories KNEW each time these criminals attacked, since the criminals made a point of "returning" convoy members bodies, with messages, such as "Thank you for the building supplies. They will come in handy, when we return, to KILL you, ALL!". There was ONE subject, which EVERY territory agreed on. The homicide era would, forever, be known as "America's DARKEST Hour". A moment, of total insanity, which had ripped a nation apart. In time, stone carvers would turn their skills, from repairing housing, and automobiles, to carving headstones, for the victims of the homicides. While family, friends, and, in many cases, murderers, left flowers, as penetence, for killing, in order to survive. Still, the territories were left to ponder their future. Parents wondered what KIND, of America, their children would grow up in. Would/Could the future, be brighter than the past? So many questions. So much work to do. Would, or SHOULD, the territories, of America, one day, return to being a UNITED nation?