Culture War (19 page)

Authors: Walter Knight

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BOOK: Culture War

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“
Yes, sir!” said the
director. “It will be done.”

“
Make sure you do not light
the fuse of chaos,” warned the spider governor. “I want this
protest to remain a local police matter. I do not want martyrs on
TV.”

* * * * *

Intelligentsia armored infantry surrounded
the university and waited for orders. Occasionally an isolated
arrest of a disorderly student was made. All movement was barred
into the campus. Students were allowed to leave in small groups.
All classes were canceled indefinitely. As the Intelligentsia
tightened its perimeter, students were ordered to disperse. Most
students stayed, chanting and throwing rocks or debris. Checkpoints
were established to control all movement of supplies, including
medical and food. Slowly, the protest started to lose steam. After
a few days, students began to leave their trashed classrooms and
the administration building.

Then, anti-tank missiles slammed into
Intelligentsia armored vehicles. The Intelligentsia responded with
machine guns, tank fire, artillery, and air strikes. Arthropodan
marines were called in for reinforcements. Millions of citizens of
the North Territory watched the events unfolding on TV and the
database. They converged on Capital City to shield the students
from slaughter. A truce of sorts followed.

Led by the spider Mayor of Capital City, the
crowds milled about the tanks and damaged buildings. The mayor
stood atop a tank turret and urged the marine team leaders to turn
their guns away from the campus, and to protect the students. He
denounced as immoral the slaughter of spiders by spiders. One by
one, young tank commanders turned their turrets about. Ambulances
rushed through the Intelligentsia lines to evacuate wounded. The
Director of Intelligentsia tried to rally what was now a lost
cause, but was arrested by a spider marine commander. The marines
then revolted, declaring the North Territory to be the Independent
State of Colorado.

Furious, the governor ordered the General of
New Memphis and the Supreme Commander of the New Gobi Desert
Military Sector to restore order in Capital City. Both had been
watching events unfold on TV, and refused to lead troops. When
marines and protestors marched on the governor’s palace, the
governor resigned. The power of the Office of the Imperial Governor
of the North Territory was relinquished to the Mayor of Capital
City. The new governor declared on TV and the database that all of
the North Territory was independent, and called upon the United
States Galactic Federation to be the first to establish diplomatic
relations with the Independent State of Colorado.

Major Lopez, also watching on TV, gloated.
All had gone beyond anyone’s greatest expectations. The Arthropodan
Empire had been dealt a major blow. They could no longer threaten
America if they couldn’t even control their own.

General Daly immediately, in his capacity as
Military Governor of the human half of New Colorado, publicly
accepted the credentials of the new nation’s ambassador. General
Daly ordered the Legion space fleet to block any aggressive moves
by the Arthropodan Fleet to prevent a massacre from space.

All seemed to be going well. General Daly
looked out the window of his top floor office at Legion
Headquarters at his own student demonstrators. In the excitement of
the collapse of the North, he had forgotten about them. Protestors
were complaining about the Legion’s use of a nuclear bomb during
the latest round of fighting, and about the summary extradition of
American citizen Saviano Juardo, and about ignoring due
process.

When word of the collapse of Arthropodan rule
in the North spread, the population of New Phoenix and the
surrounding communities swarmed into the streets to celebrate. Many
joined the protestors at Legion Headquarters and easily pushed
aside security to occupy the building. General Daly was taken
hostage. Protestors declared that now the entire planet of New
Colorado was independent. Other government buildings in New Phoenix
were soon occupied by the mob. I got a call from Old Earth to
mobilize.

“
You are to secure the
Legion Airbase at New Phoenix,” ordered the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff of Old Earth. “Use the First Division to retake New
Phoenix from the rebels. Quick decisive action is what is needed.
More troops are on the way from the other side of New Colorado and
from Mars.”

“
Perhaps we should just
divide the planet up,” I suggested. “Cut our loses and welcome a
new ally and cousin to the galaxy of nations. It’s a big planet
with room enough for everyone.”

“
What kind of treasonous
talk is that?” asked the chairman. “Don’t tell me you are part of
the rebellion, too! The Butcher of New Colorado would never join
the enemy – would you?”

“
I’m just saying the
uprising is too big to stop without nuking the whole planet. And we
still might lose. Humanity would suffer from that.”

As I spoke, I received a fax message
containing a Declaration of Independence from the new government in
New Phoenix. A congress was already in place, lead by newly
appointed President Kalipetsis. The new president urged all Legion
units to join the new United States of Colorado. He stated the
armory at the Legion airbase at New Phoenix had already been
seized.

I read the fax again, disconnected the
communications feed from Old Earth, and sat back in my office
chair. I sorted through a stack of mail, stalling, trying to calm
myself and come to a rational decision. A large envelope stood out
from the stack of mail. Sergeant Green had said the brown envelope
had been delivered by Major Lopez, and was important. I examined
the envelope with interest. It seemed to have some weight to it. I
set it aside and called Major Lopez on his cell phone.

“
Are you still pissed at me
over how things went in New Memphis?” I asked. “It looks on TV as
if our little world just got turned upside down. The entire planet
is declaring its independence.”

“
Where are you?” asked
Major Lopez. “What action are you going to take against the rebels
in New Phoenix? We need to secure our Legion nukes as soon as
possible.”

“
I’m in my office about to
open my mail. What is in this letter you sent me? It’s not a bomb
is it?”

Awkward silence followed.
Not good,
I
thought to myself.
It is a bomb.

“
Are you going to move
against the rebel government in New Phoenix?” Major Lopez
repeated.

“
I have orders to
immediately secure the Legion airbase and nuclear armory at New
Phoenix, and to attack the new government,” I replied. “But the
airbase is already in mutiny. Anyway, I doubt legionnaires will
attack a large human population in rebellion. That’s not what we
are here for. I hung up on the Joint Chiefs of Staff a few minutes
ago. Do you think that was a mistake?”

“
No,” answered Major Lopez.
“This has been brewing for a long time. The entire planetary elite
supports independence. It’s just the natural evolution of the
planet as it grows. A peaceful transition of power is in
everybody’s best interests, especially until we know what action
the Arthropodan Empire is going to take.”

“
What about this letter?” I
asked.

“
Throw that letter in the
garbage,” said Major Lopez. “Don’t open it. We are going to see
America born all over again. We are going to live history and see
the birth of a great new nation.
Viva la revolucion! Viva la New
Colorado!
”

“
Whatever.”

Major Lopez disconnected. I called Sergeant
Green and ordered him to dispose of Lopez’s letter. Carefully.

###

~AUTHOR’S NOTE~

The history of the world is a history of
dictators, emperors, kings, despots, torture chambers, slavery, and
extreme cruelty. Totalitarian governments have been the norm
throughout humanity’s history, right up to our present. The
American experiment of government of the people, by the people, and
for the people is still a relatively new concept worldwide.

Freedom is not, however, an unappreciated
concept worldwide. Despite much disinformation, jealousy,
propaganda, and politics, the world looks upon America as a shining
beacon on the hill to which they aspire. This is especially so,
because most of the world still lives under dictatorship and
repression.

I suspect citizens of alien civilizations
across the galaxy would share humanity’s desire for freedom, and I
thought it would be interesting to explore what might happen if
they experienced American culture up close and personal. I hope you
have enjoyed my tale.

Oh, one last chapter in this American saga.
The Nike Corporation just signed a multi-million-dollar deal with
the Emperor, putting the Nike Swooshstika on all Arthropodan marine
uniforms. The deal is part of an advertising campaign promoting
Nike’s new ‘Spiderwear’ sports products throughout the Empire’s six
inhabited planets. And what about New Colorado? Well, you will have
to read
Book 7, America’s Galactic Foreign Legion:
Enemies
.

I hope you enjoyed reading
the first six books of my
America's
Galactic Foreign Legion
series. I have
seven more
AGFL
books in the editing process. My intent was to entertain in a
humorous manner.

However, I have received
some political criticism. I tried to write fair and balanced, but I
cannot please everyone. If there is a silent majority out there who
supports the humor of
America's Galactic
Foreign Legion
, please take this
opportunity to let your voice and opinion be heard by writing a
positive Amazon Kindle book review.

Humor can be a difficult thing. Thank you for
your support.

Sincerely,

Walter Knight

www.waltknight.yolasite.com

~ABOUT THE
AUTHOR~

Walter Knight

Walter played football on Tucson High
School’s last state championship team (1971). He served three years
in the army, and the GI Bill paid for his college education,
helping him earn degrees from Fort Steilacoom Community College,
Central Washington State College, and the University of Puget Sound
School of Law.

Walter lives a very quiet and private life,
residing with his family and horses, dogs, cats, and fish atop a
hill in rural Washington. Walt enjoys taking road trips to explore
ghost towns and casinos.

To find out more about Walter Knight and his
books, visit his web site.

www.waltknight.yolasite.com

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