notes: I think I have more words in italics then normal print this time...
Tom walked into the public library trying to appear more confident than he really was. All around him people buzzed from one task to the next, knowing exactly what they were doing. He spotted an available computer and gave a silent prayer of thanks to his uncle and cousin for thinking to explain how to use one. A few minutes later Tom stared frustrated at the screen. He'd located the book he'd wanted, but he had no idea what the number assigned to it meant or where he could find it in the library. He scribbled the number down on piece of scratch paper near the computer, evidently there for that purpose, and began to wander. Spotting a number much lower than the one he was searching for printed on the side a book he followed the increase in numbers to the right, until he reached the end of the shelf. He looked at the books across the aisle only to discover that now they began numbering higher then the number he was looking for. So he wandered back and forth, all the while becoming more frustrated with this seemingly nonsensical shelving system until he happened upon the shelf where the book he wanted should be. Pulling it out he found a deserted, isolated table, and began to read.
The Central Power
19XX - 19XX
The Central Power began as little more than a
coalition of cities formed for joint protection. Over
the decades it morphed from an agreement to
protect each other into a joint government that
was growing stronger with every political cycle
until civil war erupted between the cities.
Most experts on the war, which goes by many
names varying with location and city of origin, agree that
the main cause of the war lies near the founding of the
Central Power. The collective defense initially put in place
had free rein to protect the people of the cities as they
saw fit. A precedent was set early on for the Central Power
to protect the cities by settling disputes between them.
This opened the door for the Central Power to regulate
various business between the cities and eventually to
develop a government.
He flipped through a few chapters, the civil war was something he might want to read about later, but for now he wanted to know how things currently stood between the city and the Central Power.
The Central Power has maintained the peace promised
by the Cessation Decision, relations have however been
tense. Most of the cities who chose to leave the Power
have maintained strong militias and arsenals.
Tom scanned the page until he saw the name of his city.
...has maintained a particularly aggressive stance
toward the Central Power; keeping pace with it in
an arms race since 19XX, even at the expense of its
citizens. As of 19XX the city had succeeded in building
a missile stronger than the most advanced design of
the Central Power, causing panic among the cities of
the Power. In fact Mayor Wolv's northern neighbor...
He began scanning the page for more information about this arms race, but that seemed to be the only mention of it. Tom flipped through the book looking for something to explain the term to him but it was not mentioned again, he'd have to ask his uncle.
Tom,
So Wolv and the Power are racing to see who can build up the biggest thing that goes boom first huh? Makes sense that your uncle's city would want to secede, seems like you're in the safest place in the world right now. Did you find anything about whether Wolv would have reasons to use those explosives on his own citizens? It's a lot easier to avoid poking a sleeping dragon if you know where he's laying.
Grandmother's doing all right; she's come to peace with things I think. Sam's a bit upset though, she is as much his grandma as she is mine. Emily's had her hands full with him and some trouble at the factory. Her company was bought by another and now all the office jobs are being reorganized. I think what makes her most upset about Sam though, is that he'll remember my grandmother's death more clearly than his mother's face. It's a mad world we live in.
Al