Land of Tomorrow (Book 1): Glimmer of Hope

by Ryan King

  Tim was nodding as Reggie spoke, flipping through a notebook, “Reggie, I’ve been looking over the peace treaty and it’s clear that the JP made out quite well, particularly in gaining territory. How do you see those new lands and people fitting in with us?”

  “Thanks, Tim,” said Reggie. “I’m glad you brought that up. First of all, let me state that acquiring territory was never a goal of ours, but something we decided was necessary to secure our southern border. Before, the border was an arbitrary line on a map, now it is tied to key terrain which will make the border more permanent.

  "I want to stress to everyone that our newest citizens of the newly acquired territory, in addition to those of New Harvest County, are full and equal citizens of the JP and should be treated as such. Any person who treats one of these differently is not only acting selfishly, but not in the best interests of the whole. The war is now over, and it will take work for us to move forward, but move forward we must.”

  “Reggie, I’ve also read and heard that following the upcoming elections, we’ll no longer be called the Jackson Purchase. Can you talk a little about that?”

  “Sure, Tim,” said Reggie. “I’m sure everyone knows that the JP was never really an official name of any sort of government, but was only initially intended to designate a geographic area. Due to the need to settle a peace treaty with the WTR, it became evident that we had to establish a more formal government and give it a name. The name ‘JP’ didn’t work because parts of the new territories were outside this geographical area. After much deliberation, it was decided that the new name of our nation, and rest assured that is what we are now, will be called Kentahten.”

  “Say again?”

  “Ken-tah-ten,” said Reggie slowly. “It was actually the Iroquoian Indian name for this area before early settlers Anglicized the name to Kentucky. Kentahten means ‘Land of Tomorrow’ in Iroquois and we couldn’t think of a more fitting name for our new endeavor.

  “Kentahten. And what sort of government can we expect?” asked Tim. “If I understand correctly, that hasn’t been fully ironed out.”

  “On the contrary,” said Reggie, “the county executives right now are finishing up a document that will be to us, what the Constitution was to early America. As a matter of fact, much of it is based on the Constitution. Essentially the county executives and their council will remain in place to run the counties, but we will also have a unicameral senate with three elected representatives from each county. This group will be the senior law-making body of the government. They are also working to solidify the existing court system to give it more permanent authority.”

  “Speaking of elections,” said Tim, “I understand that you are to be sworn in as the acting president of this new government until the actual elections are conducted. Is that true and are you planning to run for re-election?”

  “Yes,” said Reggie, “that is true. I will be installed as soon as the new government document is approved and signed by all the country representatives. I have been asked to let my name be on the ballot for the position when those elections occur in the next few weeks, and I have agreed. As far as campaigning, I’ve never much liked it myself, so don’t expect to see me out there drumming up votes, especially since I’m still helping my wife to recover.”

  “Yes, very nasty business that was,” said Tim distastefully, “and you’ve asked me not to talk about the assassination attempt, so we’ll move on, but elections in a few weeks?” asked Tim. “Do you think that will be enough time to get elections set up?”

  “We believe so,” said Reggie. “We also believe it should be a priority to legitimize our new government. Although I was the elected Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, I’ve not really been elected to anything here, so the people need to decide on their own.”

  “Oh, I can’t see how you could lose sir, or who would vote against you.”

  “That remains to be seen. If I’m re-elected, it will be my honor to continue to serve; and if not, I will do all in my power to support the people’s choice.”

  “One more topic, since we’re running out of time,” said Tim hurriedly. “Tell the listeners about the new currency that is due to come out soon.”

  “Yes,” said Reggie. “That’s another aspect of the new government that will take effect soon. I’m sure everyone has noticed that although a barter system may meet our basic needs it makes it rather difficult to conduct business. We will soon begin circulating paper dollars that are backed up by a huge supply of iron from the mines in New Harvest. As you know, iron has become an extremely precious commodity. Rest assured that these paper dollars will retain their value and can be trusted and exchanged for iron at any time.”

  “Reggie, we’ve only got a few minutes left. Is there anything else you would like to say to the listeners out there?”

  “Yes I would,” said Reggie. “I just wanted to again say how very proud I am to be one of you today. We have become a community and have stood many tests in the past few weeks. We have proven that we are strong and capable of much when we work together.

  "My friends, never forget this moment or what we are capable of, especially now as we embark as a new nation. These are exciting times, and proof that humanity can salvage itself out of the chaos and destruction that is all around us. I applaud you all and thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

  Tim nodded and smiled. “Thank you very much Mister Philips, for your time and your sentiments which I’m sure most of us share today. A proud day for everyone in the JP. Remember it well. This is Tim Reynolds signing off for now as the voice of the JP. Stay strong friends.”

  Chapter 15 – The World Outside

  CONFIDENTIAL REPORT

  EYES ONLY FOR: Jackson Purchase President Reginald Philips

  SUBJECT: Identification of WTR Spy within the JP - Initial Report

  FROM: Brigadier General Nathan Taylor, Director, Strategic Security Agency

  Mr. President,

  I would like to begin my report by applauding the diligent efforts of the state troopers. Although counterintelligence is not part of their normal duties, they have exceeded all my expectations and are to be commended for their diligent work.

  We have been able to successfully identify a WTR infiltrator in the USECO Complex (full identification withheld from this report for security purposes). He is a maintenance man and grounds keeper at the facility. He was able to listen in on the side discussions and report what he heard to his handler in the WTR.

  The man was recruited through leverage on his mother who lived in Western Tennessee. His handler told him his elderly mother would be taken care of if he helped them; but if not, they couldn’t guarantee her safety. In the end, the man had felt like he had no choice but to cooperate.

  The man’s biggest concern is now for the safety of his mother and he hopes his handler did not learn that he has been caught. I believe this situation could present us with an opportunity. We could allow the man to continue providing information, but in reality he would be working for my new intelligence service. Such an arrangement would allow us to pass disinformation along and also hopefully allow us to learn about the WTR intelligence network. It is risky, but in my judgment worth the gamble.

  We have unfortunately been able to learn little about the WTR handler. What we have gathered indicates a highly trained professional in espionage tradecraft and operational security. Full identification of this individual will be one of the primary objectives of the above operation.

  The infiltrator also has information indicating that he is not the only recruited spy within the JP. He does not possess any information specific enough to identify these individuals, but we are opening cases and using his information to build subject profiles.

  Sir, I will continue to keep you informed of the above situations as they develop. As always I welcome your thoughts and guidance.

  Respectfully,

  ORIGINAL SIGNED

  Brigadier General Nathan Taylor

 
ORIGINAL SIGNED

  President Reginald Philips with the words "See me ASAP!" written in the president's hand.

  *******

  CONFIDENTIAL REPORT

  EYES ONLY FOR: Jackson Purchase Senior Council Officials and Military Commanders - Further Dissemination is Unauthorized Without Written Approval of the Undersigned

  SUBJECT: Intelligence Situation Report

  FROM: Brigadier General Nathan Taylor, Director, Strategic Security Agency

  The Strategic Security Agency over the last month has been monitoring short wave radio transmissions using local trusted volunteers. Each was given particular bandwidths to monitor and report on what they heard of interest. Although my expectations were low, I have been surprised by the amount of radio traffic and the information they gathered.

  It is apparent that what we would describe as the civilized world is now limited to the Southeast Asian nations with Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand as the world’s leaders in every area. Although South America and Africa were spared widespread nuclear bombardment, they were behind Southeast Asia in development and production. N-Day appears to have set off a fresh wave of continent-wide violent chaos in Africa which continues even now.

  North America, Europe, Northern Asia, China, India, and Southwest Asia are now largely nuclear wastelands where little lives and any hope for recovery is probably unknown decades in the future. Fortunately, the nuclear fallout clouds and debris were limited to the central part of the northern hemisphere and have dissipated more quickly and easily than anyone could have predicted before N-Day.

  The majority of the radio traffic we have intercepted is from the Southeast Asia Basin or from Spanish broadcasts in Latin and South America, but there were some other surprising signal sources. Although the southern edge of Canada near the Great Lakes and Vancouver took direct nuclear hits, most of the rest of the country was left untouched. The people there appear to have utilized their natural resources and ingenuity to form communities similar to the JP, despite their obvious disadvantages of extreme weather and isolation.

  We are also regularly monitoring transmissions from something called The Alaskan Free State which gives indications of a functioning highly developed government of its own.

  I have carefully considered the pros and cons of attempting to make official shortwave radio contact with these elements in Alaska and Canada, but could not see the benefit since we are too far away to help each other or provide practical information. I decided to let our radio operators talk to counterparts in these areas, but any sort of diplomatic relations are unnecessary and probably ridiculous, given the circumstances.

  There are also radio transmissions from within the United States, but these are mostly pitiful in their loneness and abject despair. Others are often frightening in their threats of violence or proud proclamations of despicable deeds. There are also some indications of militant organized tribal groups forming to the west. These groups are aggressive and appear bent on conquest and destruction. I have forbidden the radio operators from communicating with any of these sources. We don’t know how dangerous these elements are, but the less they know about the JP, the better.

  The radio operators have on occasion picked up bits and pieces of information about something called ‘Continuity of Government,’ possibly in Colorado. We know that before the war, the United States had post-nuclear war contingency plans to save key government leaders and continue the government. We do not know for certain if there are remnants of the American government holed up in some mountain fortress, or if this is a false hope. Regardless, the information is so limited as to make it nearly useless.

  The radio broadcasts have further emphasized how fortunate the JP was compared to the rest of the country. All the major cities in the United States took at least one direct nuclear hit, and many more than one. Following the attacks, the nuclear fallout drifted east with the prevailing winds and weather patterns. All the major cities near the JP were to the east, north, or south. The closest city to the west hit by a nuke was Wichita, and it only sustained a smaller strike resulting in almost no fallout settling in the JP.

  Although people in the JP still occasionally show signs of mild radiation sickness, this is nothing compared to the reports we've heard of piles of decayed bodies in the streets and cities across America. In short, the situation outside the JP, especially in high population density areas, is dire.

  We cannot count on any outside help and may need to be prepared to defend what we have. Fortune has smiled upon us to date, but we cannot gamble the lives of our families on the hope that she will continue to do so.

  We are surrounded by enemies and death. Retreat is impossible. We must prepare ourselves for the worst to come.

  Respectfully,

  ORIGINAL SIGNED

  Brigadier General Nathan Taylor

  Chapter 16 – Farewell

  The last month was difficult for Reggie. He was glad it would all be over soon. Never in his life had he been attacked and vilified so publically and unfairly. His opponent had come out of nowhere, a former lawyer from Carlisle County who was willing to do whatever it took to win. Reggie was unwilling to do the same and most said that was what cost him the election by a very narrow margin.

  Reggie wasn’t so upset that Paul Campbell said such hateful lies, but that so many were willing to believe them. He had been part of politics long enough to know that integrity and honor did not trump intense ambition and thus some men were willing to sell their very souls for power. It was obvious Campbell was one of those. Reggie’s greatest fear was that Campbell’s ambition and selfishness would destroy the fledgling nation they had fought so hard to create.

  “Five minutes, sir,” said a man at Reggie’s shoulder. Reggie nodded in return. It would all be over today. He would present his farewell speech in an outdoor arena to the executive council and any other civilians who chose to attend. Reggie couldn’t get a feel for the number of people there, but it seemed to be rather large. WKPO was also broadcasting his address live over the airwaves.

  “All things come to an end. Don’t be such a baby,” he said making himself smile a little. His wife balanced on her crutches saw the smile and squeezed his arm and gave him a peck on the cheek which made him feel a whole lot better. Not all of this was bad, retirement did have its advantages.

  Reggie spotted Paul Campbell in the crowd shaking hands and slapping backs. It had taken every bit of willpower Reggie possessed to congratulate him and concede the election once the ballots were in. Campbell was gracious in victory as he could afford to be, but it did not take back all of the things that had passed between them. Reggie considered not congratulating him, but people were watching and expected it. Civility and courtesy, even their shallow displays, were important, maybe now more than ever.

  Despite the attacks, Reggie was still surprised he lost. All the negative issues that were exaggerated by Campbell were things beyond his control or issues he had worked hard to resolve. The war, of course, was a major issue, as were the actions after the Battle of Fulton. People were angry about the loss of electricity and the burning of Paducah, but all of that was really to be expected. What had probably done the most damage were the claims of disloyalty to the JP due to the less than harsh terms levied on the WTR at the peace table. People wanted blood, but they just couldn’t seem to understand that such a road demanded further war or total annihilation of the enemy. Reggie didn’t have the heart for either and wanted more for his people.

  Reggie’s musings were interrupted by his introduction and the applause. He squeezed his wife’s hand and made his way up to the platform and a podium. The speaker shook his hand and then dashed off the other end of the stage. Reggie turned toward the people and was momentarily speechless at the size of the crowd. There had to be several thousand attendees and they all seemed to be cheering for him. Reggie fought back emotion. He had never considered himself needy or overly emotional, but the recent attacks had
undermined his self-worth more than he admitted.

  He looked down at the first row and saw friends and colleagues smiling back at him. Many of them had sacrificed as much or more than he. He looked them each in the eye, Clarence Anderson, Butch Matthews, Nathan Taylor, Harold Buchannan, Jim Meeks, and many friends from the council who had worked with him in good times and bad. Reggie instantly recognized a bond with these men born out of adversity and strife and sealed in victory. The public may not realize it or appreciate that sacrifice, but this made it all the more special and worthy of pride.

  As the crowds began to sit down in groups on blankets and lawn chairs, Reggie saw Brazen standing there smiling at him. Before the ceremony he approached Reggie and gave him the other quote he carried with him everywhere. That quote was more apt and fitting now, and Reggie decided on a whim to use it.

  “Thank you my friends. Thank you,” said Reggie as the applause died down completely. “Let me first thank you all for coming today. We should all be proud that we can gather like this.” There was a fresh wave of applause and Reggie waited for it to end before continuing.

  “I would like to talk about my pride in my fellow citizens, my hopes for our new nation, and my dreams of a bright future,” said Reggie. He paused. “But first there is something else I must talk about. Some may say it is in bad form, but this is more than likely the last public address I will ever make, so I ask you all to bear with me and grant me some latitude.” There was some uncomfortable shifting and nervous laughter.

  “Let me first say that many of the things said about me, my family, and other men and women who sacrificed so much for the public good were not only lie’s…” here Reggie paused to let the word sink in. He noticed that his nervousness was gone and he was angry. He would have to be careful, “…but also hurtful, unfair, irresponsible, and demeaning to those who have done nothing but give you their best. This campaign has been shameful and is embarrassing. We as a people are better than this.” Reggie heard grumbles and some words of anger, but saw Brazen’s encouraging smile and continued on.