Vispasian Ginger, President

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Not that I should complain, being a rich and all-powerful supreme dictator, but it does come with its inconveniences. The thing about money and power is that everyone else wants it, too. I got here by beating out a hundred other power-hungry underlings and if I ever showed the slightest vulnerability I would be out as fast as my predecessor.

As usual, most of my problem came from the Hunger Games. If you asked me, they'd always been a stupid idea. Executions? Absolutely. Punishing rebels? Absolutely. But picking random children did the exact opposite or promoting obedience. These children weren't the ones who disobeyed. All the Games did was show that in Panem being punished had nothing to do with committing a crime. It fostered hatred of the government and gave the rebels two dozen more perfect martyrs every single year. But removing the Games was too big of a statement. It would anger my most violent and unstable opponents- the ones who wanted the Games not to secure their power but simply because the enjoyed them. So I tolerated them every year and every year they caused me great inconvenience.

This year it was the Eight boy. It wasn't often children his age got Reaped, partially because of modifications I'd made to the tesserae system for that very purpose. Demonstrations were difficult to disperse when rebels were holding up pictures of a boy who hadn't even hit his growth spurt. Eight had already been agitating after deflation measures forced down the price of cotton and tanked their export profits. Since its inception Panem had been a bone-dry field of grass and another spark was already flying through the air.

It wasn't even Eight. The Capitol could easily render their industry obsolete with synthetic fabrics. The only reason we didn't was comparative advantage. The problem came from their border with Twelve. If revolt broke out and partisans sabotaged the railroads between Eight and Twelve, every District at once would lose its greatest source of electricity, and if any District discovered that vulnerability it would be over. We'd located some of the conspirators, but the question was how to deal with them without attracting more to finish what the martyrs had started.

I looked over to the bookshelf set into one wall of my office. Most Capitolites used e-books. I normally did as well, but a certain few historical works just felt better on paper. Sun Tzu. Clausewitz. Marcus Aurelius. War and politics differed only in presentation. I'd studied those who came before me much more ardently than I ever studied public speaking or economics. It was looking at a certain volume on that shelf that I calculated my response.

I pressed the intercom button on my desk. A second later my assistant's voice came out.

"Yes, Ma'am?" Herodotus answered.

"Send word to select one of the known conspirators. Inform them, using the standard pressure, that they are now our whistleblower. Move in and neutralize the other conspirators. Spread word that it was by the efforts of a brave double-agent that a dangerous antisocial plot was foiled. Remove the whistleblower to the Capitol to prevent retaliation and richly celebrate them. Commence various celebratory events in Eight and dispense generous donations of supplies and luxuries, expressing our thanks for their service. And one more thing..."

With regards to Machiavelli, I'd always operated by a modified version of his famous quote. To be feared is preferable than to be loved. But it's best of all to be both.


Nailah Nebit, District Two female (18)

I perked up right away when I heard the Anthem in the middle of the day. A feast was always a good thing for the Careers. If I got there first I could even poison the food and eliminate everyone at once. It almost made me giddy.

"Attention, Tributes. Due to a magnanimous show of civic pride and bravery shown by your compatriots, President Ginger has declared a show of her thanks and generosity. Starting immediately, this Hunger Games will permit two Victors. May the increased odds be ever in your favor."


Ooooh plot twist! Since this collab was meant to be chaotic I went all-in and did this. I always felt cheesy doing it in a normal Games but here's my chance! How will this affect everyone? Will Nailah and Anthony have a reason to not kill each other? Will new alliances form? These questions and more answered soon.