Under Zach Caldiron’s administration and now President Cole’s, the fingerprint voting machines and absentee ballots made it much harder to rig an election.
But those days would soon end, and the new political party would undo any regulations the previous administration had achieved. This was the one nightmare President Cole had almost nightly.
Robert Anderson, who founded the Anderson Alliance Party, had announced his intention of running for president back in the spring of last year. The same year he formed his new party.
He had been like a bulldozer in every state as they held their primary and caucuses and made the most outrageous statements sound believable and sound.
He was nominated to represent the new party and from that moment on, his rallies were so large, many had to watch them live because there was simply not enough space to cordon off for Anderson’s safety.
Every presidential debate he was in, he was decided as the winner and his name quickly became a household name.
The last few months before the election, the #ImaSyraSister on social media that was started almost 15 years ago continued to grow and resist the Anderson Alliance Party and the now-suppressed women’s rights.
That women’s movement started back when Trevil used the fact that Syra was an alien against her son, the then president Zach Caldiron, and he was forced to sign a resignation because of all the rebellion. That was when the ex-President Trevil moved into the White House, to serve a third term. It was the very reason he was in prison today.
President Cole knew they had come so far, but quickly realized everything President Caldiron and he himself had accomplished would end in only a few short months under Anderson’s reign.
Anderson was a very wealthy man and very influential. He was one of the most powerful businessmen known, and many times held the number one ranking as the richest in the world.
He had spent much of his life buying people, having them indebted to him and that is how he got what he wanted politically.
All old electronic voting machines had been in place since the primaries and in many areas, Anderson had more votes on his tally than there were actual people living there.
But most of the time, if you dared question anything about Anderson, your political career was over. It became a matter of swallowing your pride and sucking up. No one seems to have the guts to stand up to him and this disgusted Cole to no end!
Cole was happy to see the election over, even if it meant Anderson would soon be president and the country, he held dear to his heart would be no more.
He knew it was really bad back when Trevil was in office, but this guy made him look amateurish.
Back on the Caldiron ranch, Ohtron had finished any tweaks he had to do on Ellead, and they were starting to prepare for the journey back to Earth II.
There was just enough room for 250 passengers this trip and those had been contacted, and most were already packed. Many of them had already arrived and were staying in the ranch house awaiting the trip to Earth II. With the military’s help, it would be a safe launch and Ellead was the ship to pull this one off.
The military men that were stationed on the ranch knew their time there was limited. They knew the new administration would call them to other duties. But those men enjoyed their time there.
The Caldiron ranch was so well secured they were not really needed anyway so it was generally agreed by all of them to do everything in their power to make sure Ellead gets a good launch and a safe trip home.
Inauguration day had finally arrived and as President Cole and his wife exited the White House, they wanted to pay a last visit to the Zach Caldiron monument, and no one was surprised at this.
With eyes from all around the world, they watched at President Cole holding his wife’s hand, reach out to touch the monument and did!
No other human being had ever touched the monument because the surrounding shields prevented you from getting anywhere near it. You could only stand back and look from a distance.
The president placed his hand in the handprint on the base which was located about shoulder high and the world watched a light come from the monument and Zach Caldirons fingertip. It shot up into the sky and then was invisible to the naked eyes.
The tip of the finger on the monument pointed to Earth II and had opened a connection for when the wormhole would be needed in the near future. Life on Earth becoming grimmer by the day from Earth II’s point of view.
Ellead once again hovered above the ground at the White House and allowed his new passengers to board quickly. The whole thing lasted only moments but would be played over and over again on every news station around the world to analyze the meaning.
The shield was then reactivated around the monument and its width had now covered twice the amount of space. You could not get to the monument from any direction as the shield also went all around it and underground.
Once inside Ellead, Cole was shocked at how many were going with them. Every single invitation he sent out was happily accepted, and the smiles on their faces proved it.
The president and his family quickly settled in and Ellead rose high above the White House and gave his passengers one final flight around Washington, D.C., before lifting off into outer space. One last turn around Earth and Ellead was now officially on his way back to Earth II.
The military on the ranch left their posts and the shields around the ranch were now operating from Earth II’s controls.
When Cole activated the beam at the White House, the beam that was set up on the ranch was automatically turned on at the top of the newly erected plaque. This created a triangle effect between Earth II, the White House in Washington, D.C. and the Caldiron ranch in Nevada.
The plaque was placed in plain view at the main gate entrance that read.
Greetings fellow Earthlings.
Should your Earth or these United States of America become too violent, the environment too unlivable, should a World War III become your destiny, or should you seek a safer home in order to protect the human race from annihilation, we will open the shield to this ranch and offer you safe refuge until we can come for you!
Let us hope that day never comes.
Signed, Syra!
As soon as President Anderson stepped into the Oval Office, he immediately signed pardons for a very aged Trevil and his brother, the Armageddon Executioner, Clifford Trevil!
Within a few days, they were relocated. It was an isolated but heavily guarded island that very few knew of its location.
Many knew there were dark days ahead for America, at least those that believed this new administration would pick up where old Trevil left off, but it would be on a much greater scale than before.
The next few weeks began to hint at what life was going to be like in America under the Anderson Alliance Party. President Anderson began signing executive orders almost daily, and every single one affected many lives and usually not for the better.
The other two parties that were once major political parties were minor ones now compared to the new party. They began organizing secret meetings to discuss how best to work together.
They would quickly learn how to be bipartisan and set aside their political differences to try to piece together what was once good about mankind.
The winter had been a rough one this year because of global warming that was still denied by this new administration as it was in the old one under Trevil.
The summer had been especially hot, and many lives were lost from heat exposure. Then the winter saw more snowfall and freezing temperatures and broke many weather records causing even more deaths from extreme temperatures.
But the biggest most rattling cause that President Anderson started and set into motion, was his being president for life.
There would be no terms and he would rule as long as he was living, and that is exactly what he told his constituents and they all agreed with him.
The rioting in the streets had just begun the day he began
in office and would grow worse once the winter weather broke.
Meanwhile, back on Earth II Syra was waiting for Ellead to return. It had been six weeks since Ellead left Earth and everyone had been busy setting up a temporary shelter for the 250 new residents of Earth II.
The monument continued to send back information it obtained on a continual basis now that it had been activated. Earth II would know everything that was going on behind closed doors in Washington.
The Zhian technology that was in the secret room inside the White House had been relocated and was being used by a few very powerful men in Washington to keep Syra and Earth II up-to-date on what was going on.
The Caldiron ranch was fortified and set up with supplies and shelter for those on the run. All of it was under shroud and no one could see the temporary camp that awaited the great exodus from Earth should it ever come down to that.
But on Earth II, it was time, and the stage had been set and Syra was more than ready to greet her new volunteers as she anxiously awaited the landing.
Then suddenly Ellead broke through the clouds from the hole that opened in the shield just above the celebration area at the Central Command Center.
Ellead had a beautiful and perfectly smooth landing as usual. This would be his last trip to Earth, and he could now go back to what he was commissioned for as an explorer ship.
Ohtron and his bitrons would at some point be fitted into a special place in the new ship, Ark Royal for their newly assigned ranks and positions.
Everyone waited patiently because they knew it would take a few moments before anyone could disembark, but the music began to play right away.
A special area was set up with chairs for the newcomers directly in front of the stage. When the doors were opened on Ellead, the service bots met the passengers and led them to their seating area and within minutes, they would all be seated.
Once everyone was seated, many recognized Syra right away. They had seen her many times on the news back on Earth, some good, some bad. Their hearts were racing with excitement as they had never met her in person.
Once the music stopped and the standing ovation settled, Syra stepped up and gave her short and sweet message to the new residents so they could celebrate with family and friends already living on Earth II. Then off to get settled into their new living quarters in The City of Life.
Greetings new residents of Earth II
I hope your journey here was a pleasant one, and that you enjoyed the fly-around Earth II that Ellead gave you. It was at my request that all of you see your new homeworld for its full beauty and glory.
We are much like Earth was thousands of years ago. Our land is fertile, our waters clean, our skies clear and we place a higher priority on these assets for without them, we would decline in our planet health.
Each of you was chosen to live on Earth II not just because of your request to do so, but because of who you are as well. It was because of your values, your honesty, and trustworthiness.
Welcome to Earth II, now go and enjoy your festivities and join with your family and friends!
Thank you, Syra
Ellead along with Ohtron immediately returned to maintenance for a full checkup and to have any needed repairs made.
Syra, James, Zach, and Zoey greeted each new resident. They were so surprised at how much the twins Zach and Zoey still favored each other.
They had missed their beloved President Zach Caldiron, and some had tears in their eyes at the very sight of him.
Every time they had visited his monument on the White House lawn, they shed tears and missed him greatly.
His exit so soon into his second term was a sad one and the beginning of some hard times that slowly formed over time. Their last best hope was Cole, and he too had left Earth.
But the absence of those 250 people would be felt more than Anderson could have ever imagined. Many of them were scientists, chemists, doctors, and scholars.
He declared it illegal for anyone from Earth II to land anywhere in the United States and would have anyone who tried to leave Earth for Earth II arrested and imprisoned.
He also vowed that he would build a wall around the Caldiron Monument so no one else would ever be reminded of him and vowed that he would one day destroy it if he had to blow up the White House to do it!
That statement was once used by old President Trevil, but this president meant it and he was dead serious.
The absence of Caldiron and Cole, their vice presidents and families was a shock to most in the United States, but it would not take long until the rest of those who voted for them, or wished that they had, would want to relocate to Earth II.
Back on Earth conditions had grown much worse than anyone had ever imagined. It was as if it was a battle between good and evil and evil was winning.
In just a few weeks of touring Earth II’s beaches, a complete tour of The City of Life and a complete tour of the Central Command Center and Research Facilities, the new residents were ready to get started.
There was 125 of them with high-level careers back on Earth and they had a lot to contribute over at Center Command Center and it was now considered CCCRF.
New labs were set up for them to work in, and they had at their disposal all the necessary tools to do research or anything else they needed in their particular fields.
The rest of the adults of that voyage volunteered to help build the new city adjacent to The City of Life.
Arteemus was the name almost everyone voted on for the new city because it was the name of Syra’s father. This got everyone started and then they wanted to rename The City of Life too!
Syra had no problem with that, as it was everyone’s right to choose and so they named it Allieah after Syra’s mother and she was so honored, she cried.
The two cities, Allieah and Arteemus would have two shuttle pods coming and going between them every 26 hours which was one full-day on Earth II.
Another team of 35 joined the expedition team to explore Earth II and Ellead would shuttle them from place to place as they searched for places to harvest some plant life and animal life for food and other uses.
Several zoologists attended the expedition to get a closer look at the animal life and to study them.
There were also several botanists who were very excited to get a first-hand look at the plant life on Earth II and they were highly thrilled.
Although the two cities were more like settlements, the residents referred to them as cities because they had a vision that the two cities would become true cities within the next twenty years at most.
The city of Arteemus was not designed after the city of Allieah and would have different functions too. They wanted it to be a city of knowledge.
Once the city was built, which would take some time, they would build a library, several schools, a college, and a city park. It would still have the center sphere for hydroponic gardening, the city park, a food court, and recreational area.
The housing would be done differently too. These residents did not want the same prefab panels made in the replicator and snapped into place for homes.
They instead chose to build their homes themselves from various material freely available in their area. What this did, was give each family a feeling of individuality.
The first three homes that were finished just amazed everyone how beautiful they were. They were shaped mostly like cottages and reminded them of the stone cottages in several countries back on Earth.
These three homes set the pace, and everyone followed their lead and did the same. No one single family would own more than the other and space was equal for all.
If any family chose to homestead outside either city, it was only a matter of putting in a request at the Central Command Center and a decision would be made one-to-one basis.
This concept, however, was discouraged for now until more was known about the wildlife outside the protection of the two cities.
Most of the wildlife was still being charted
and studied, but more needed to be known about them before any individuals could live outside the safety of a city’s protection. No one ventured out on their own and would wait for the go-ahead before proceeding.
The amount of work just building up the cities took most of everyone’s time and would keep them very busy for years.
book two
chapter three
Meanwhile, back on Earth things were getting worse by the minute, and the breakdown in society had no doubt begun in larger cities.
There was news of riots going on just about every day, and some stopped listening to the news it was just so depressing that they simply shut it out.
The Manhattan March which was to be a peaceful march was scheduled to start in only a few days, and the city secured the area for the march for everyone’s safety.
The march was organized by a group that went by the name, The Reese Revolution. They resisted the change in government and the attempt in making the presidency a lifetime appointment.
This group consisted mostly of members of the two oldest political party that wanted to march against the new political party, the Anderson Alliance.
The Reese Revolution was created by Hannah Reese, a young woman with a powerful voice. It did not matter what group she was speaking to, she always received a standing ovation. Some said she had charisma like none other.
It was believed by many that Hannah Reese would be president one day until now. It was beginning to look like there would be no other presidential elections in her lifetime.
Hannah knew the law, the government, and American history better than most. It was the one thing she had that no one else could come close to.
When Hannah held her rallies against the new president, no one could argue with any points she made. But the Anderson Alliance had a way of twisting the truth until it was no longer recognizable.
The Manhattan March was her opportunity to be seen nationwide and would get the coverage she needed to allow her movement to grow.
The Chronicles of Syra Omnibus Page 25