Midnight by Anna Dove (books for new readers .TXT) 📕

Idealism, or liberalism, would point and say, see, the international community truly cares for each other; but this was not the root of the actions. Neither did the countries act to get anything in particular in return from the United States; rather, as was the case in the twentieth century after the tragedy of the world wars, many countries sensed a redistribution of power occurring, a change in the structure of the global relationships. Each wanted to be the forerunner of its own ideas, to develop new economic bilateral and multilateral relations, to ease its weight into the power vacuum that had formed as the United States fell abruptly from its marked prominence in the world order.

But after commenting briefly on the international aspect of the attack, the historians would steady themselves, for after the initial surge of terror and violence had wiped through the nation like a tidal wave, the country reached a plateau.

+

It was August, the month in which Washington usually sleeps under the hot, heavy blanket of humidity that rises from the swamp upon which the city is built. In addition, the sun beats down mercilessly in the morning, then rain comes in the afternoon for a brief hour on the hot pavements, and then the clouds depart, leaving the city cloaked in steam as if it were a large marble sauna. This August, which was particularly hot and swampy, there were no air conditioners, no freezers, no respite from the heat, and those who had survived for the past months now sat in their ovenish houses wondering if they might in fact die from being baked alive.

August brought a breath of life, however, to the country. In the past months, there had arisen a sort of new order. From within the cities, towns, countrysides, and suburbs there arose a new disposition, a resignation to the current situation and a desire to operate within it instead of denying its existence. People moved from a reactionary state to a proactive state. Coalitions began to form, within local areas, and people started to organize the necessary functions of micro-communities: burial of the dead, care for the sick, assignment by comparative advantage to different tasks, partnering with other communities to trade goods. Small networks of food distribution also cropped up now that the violence had largely subsided, and people bought food from those who had it with promissory notes. The police forces began to form again and to act, quelling fights and acting as a dissuading force against future violence. Separately but simultaneously all of the varying states throughout the country began to develop these practices. By August, a semblance of order had found its way into the wreckage; still no electricity, although some thought that it could be eminent, but regardless there was progress on social and economic levels.

On August first, the remains of the federal government emerged from Chimaugua Bunker into the tired city of Washington. They were twenty-four Senators, one hundred and ninety four Representatives, one Supreme Court Justice, the President and First Lady, and most members of the Cabinet. They all looked rather pale and thin and bedraggled like animals who had just woken up from a long hibernation. They made their way up through the hotel and the train and back into their offices, which lay untouched since the attack, papers and folders still waiting to be read from months ago.

“How strange to be here,” said Adela, as she and the President walked into the Oval Office. The papers on the Resolute stood exactly as they had been when they left.

“I agree,” he rejoined. “It seems--so strange, that we should be here again.” He reached out and ran his fingertips over the wood of the desk, feeling its smoothness. “I never thought that I would be here again with this old thing--you know, Queen Victoria gave this desk to us in 1879, when electricity was a novelty, when barely anyone had lights in their homes. Silly, I guess, but it gives me comfort, to know that men in this room who ran the country without electric. Makes me hope that I can bring us forward again.”

“Well let us hope that King Charles gifts you something just as useful.”

He smiled, but could not quite tell if she were being facetious or not.

+

“Hey! Everyone! We have a newspaper!”

Haley’s brother Jason, a tall boy with curly brown hair, burst excitedly into the farmhouse living room, waving above his head what did appear to be, in fact, a newspaper.

Haley’s brothers occasionally returned to their house in Havre de Grace on horseback to fetch equipment or any item needed. Jason had just returned from said expedition with Julian, the youngest Monteforte brother.

The members of the community quickly gathered to look at the newspaper. There was a black and white photograph of an American flag on the front and one page full of words.

“It was in front of our house, by our door,” said Jason. “It’s been distributed from Annapolis,” he said, pointing to the city name at the top corner.

The article was a jointly composed piece written by the President and the Secretaries of major departments and agencies. It encouraged the citizens, gave a brief update on the status of the infrastructure, and encouraged people to continue to develop the grassroots development and distribution that had begun. It also noted that a national radio channel had been established, and if one possessed an old fashioned radio, or could modify their existing radio (here they gave instructions on this method) there would be a daily broadcast. The newspaper was passed around excitedly from hand to hand, as they poured over its words and smiles crept to their faces.

They could move back into their homes.

For the next few days, the process of moving home ensued, with a community hunting and fishing schedule