Synopsis: Panem's First Lady, Cruella Kane, gives an interview to Captiol Television.

PROLOGUE - A CLEAN SLATE

THIS IS A CAPITOL TV SPECIAL REPORT:

A TOUR OF THE PRESIDENTIAL MANSION AND INTERVIEW WITH FIRST LADY OF PANEM - CRUELLA KANE!

April, 2158 (95th HG)

[ Cruella Kane is just one of dozens of women to hold the position of Panem's "First Lady". Due to President Snow entering the office as a widow, his twenty-six year tenure was rather uneventful on the spouse portion, with an empathized focus on his daughter as she grew older. His successor, President Lucius Fox (2147-2149) and wife Regina were a welcomed sight, but their roughly three year tenure gave us little time to get fully acquainted. When President Kane was swept into office in 2149, he brought with him rapid social and economic change for the nation.]

[Cruella Kane is a poised woman of sixty years. Dressed in a double breasted white suit/skirt combo with soft brown eyes, straight tresses of brunette hair complemented with slight wrinkles, First Lady Kane brings to the presidency a clean slate and a new era of political convention within our nation. Like many Capitol socialites, she has a very posh way of accentuating her speech.]

Clear= First Lady Kane

Bold= Hermes Lancaster, interviewer.

Which room was this again?

This would be the President's Library. During the days of President Snow, he would most often use it as a study. I would assume that all Presidents before him utilized this room just the same! Agesilaus loves using this room, with him being an avid reader and all. Besides the national archives, one could find a wide array of pre-Panemian literature within the Presidential Mansion. Like many people nowadays, Agesilaus adores old world materials. I absolutely dread having to march down here to drag him to bed now and then. [ She motions to the corridor just outside of this room.] You see that room outside there? That's the Public Address room, most famously known for President Trump's invitation for those who survived the nuclear fire to join our economic movement, President Joni Ernst' yearn for togetherness* . . . Fast forward to President Snow's 'banning of the mockingjay' speech, so on and so forth.

This mansion holds a lot of history . . . I could only imagine how difficult it must've been during the first years of our country.

I agree, three whole nations dissolving into one North American Union. What about the First Lady? Surely you have a place in which you call your own, right?

[The woman grins, motioning me through pristine corridors and discreet bodyguards until we enter what appears to be another study. This space has obviously seen a woman's touch, with its pink walls, white accents and gold furniture. She motions for us to sit, so we do. She pours us each a cup of tea.]

This would be the First Lady's study. This is one of the many places within this mansion in which I would call it 'my own'. Every first lady from Melania Trump, First Gentleman Gail Ernst to me has utilized this room. Taking a look at archival footage and photographs, I really enjoyed Melania's furniture tastes. The gold furniture she acquired from the pre-war White House complements my selection of pink for the walls. It's amazing how old most of the furniture in this room is.

Since my work started when Agesilaus was sworn in, I've gotten tons and tons of letters from across the nation. I assume you could imagine the amount of work my office goes through. We have so many people with so many concerns but so little time to sort through them all.

You've gotten letters from citizens in the Districts? What do they ask you for?

Oh yes, I get them from Capitolites and District citizens alike. From those in the Capitol it's fairly typical, many academies would love for me to be a patron and attend their galas. Many organizations like the Planned Parenthood committees and the Community Home advocacy groups are always eager for my attendance and support.

Getting letters from citizens within the Districts are always heartwarming, and saddening at the same time. Some letters would be from a secondary school in District 11 asking me to ask the president to see if they could get more sporting equipment because other schools in more affluent areas have them but they don't. A young man of fourteen years in District 12 asked if the government could make it so that he could work more in the mines to help support his family. A lot of letters are about supporting ones family and them not having the means to do it due to government bureaucracy.

[She shakes her head in apparent disgust, sipping her tea.] You know what else I get? In some areas of some Districts, girls don't even have access to sanitary napkins. Could you imagine that? I just find it a tad off that girls have to go through life without the basics while we in the Capitol and well off areas within the Districts- which are few - have everything we need. It saddens me to see letters like that. The nuclear war that brought Panem together is over, the Dark Days were almost a century ago and the Second Rebellion ended a decade ago.

We need to start moving on as a country.

. . . And it seems we have begun moving on. The Districts now have 'Governors'; areas within the District now have 'Mayors'. Cars are becoming more prevalent, highways are being developed, and houses are being made so on and so forth . . .

Yes, you're correct! We have my husband and his colleagues to thank for the progress we've endured post Mockingjay Rebellion.

Speaking about that . . . as you may know, many people have criticized your husband as well as yourself in regards to your policies when it comes to the Districts. They say you're too lenient with them, what's your take on the Capitol-District relationship?

Criticized? Criticized for what, having some semblance of equality and opportunity for those who keep the nation afloat? We can't just keep our citizenry locked up in communal factories and urban slums. We have to spread out, reclaim our cities of old so on and so forth. My husband is giving the people of this nation what they've wanted for quite some time . . . some opportunities for them and their children.

[She raises her hand as I begin to interject.] Listen, the rebels of the Dark Days have died out. The Districts have bared the consequences for nearly one hundred years. We can't keep thumbing them down forever. We're one big Pan American National Economic Movement. ** One Capitol, surrounded by thirteen Districts and countless Territories.*** They each provide our nation with their designated industry, while the Capitol distributes it equally- our horn of plenty.

So I take it that you're a proponent of your husband's Hunger Games disbandment and the new proposed constitution?

[ She scrounges her nose in thought. After a minute of thinking, she settles on a soft grin.] The Hunger Games is a nearly century long tradition. I'd have to leave it up to the Senate and National Assembly to decide what's best for Panem. I'm sure many in the Districts would feel the same way no?

In terms of the constitution, it's time to return Panem to its pre-disaster state. The bureaucracy is overreaching . . . the people have no proper representation. The people need a working government not just for the few, but for everyone. My husband seems to be going in the right direction, as everyone seems smitten by the man.

Yes . . . he enjoys a high approval rating among the Districts more than the Capitol. How would you describe the past ten years your husband has been in office?

[She sighs in reminiscence.] You know, with all the doo-wop, the rising birth rate . . . the Districts having governors, Isla Nieve becoming more and more prominent, the elegant clothes and entertainment. Discovering the remnants of the outside world, the cars that look like jets rather than normal automobiles of the past . . .

I was looking at footage of old America, the era we seem to be emulating. A former First Lady at the time, Jacqueline Kennedy had referred to her husband's tenure as 'Camelot'. I will second that Panem will see greater days than present, of course we'll see great Presidents, but there will never again be another Camelot.

*= Contrary to popular belief, Panem hasn't always been 'corrupt'. Since its establishment in 2019, it has had a functional government and citizenry until at least the 2040's and 50's, that's when the District's became disgruntled by the preferential treatment and corruption the Capitol took on.

**= Pan American National Economic Movement, uncommonly called Pan-America and mostly now called Panem. Alongside its official moniker, the Latin phrase Panem means bread, further tying into the contribute/distribute system the nation runs on.

***= Outside of mainland North America, Panem controls many of its American territories of its past Such as Hawaii, numerous pacific islands and Cub, although the former are not officially populated and serve as staging grounds for exploration and extra resources.

So this, I'm hoping, will be a separate story into my little universe. I would've added this into my interlude, but I think it's okay standalone. I suppose that this 'story' will delve into the socio-political fabric of my 'Alternate Universe', following the defeat of the rebels in the Second Rebellion and the 'Reconstruction Era' Panem goes through. It will span from "Haus Der Toten" up until before -hopefully- next installment.

If you enjoy:

1.) Politics
3.) Military Science Fiction
3.) Yearn for more.. Political Hunger Games type stories.

Then I think you'll like this. You should read my SYOT or go to "thedewynterdynasty" dot wordpress dot com to get acquainted with things.

Thank you for reading.

It won't take precedence over my main SYOT. The chapters for this will vary in length, really. With a few "Part 1,2,3 etc." when a chapter relates with another.