This isn't Picasso, but meh - it's Sunday. I'd tried to make this sound like a history book.
Also, I'm really feeling bad about this - I forgot to announce the author of The Pits. *headdesk* Anyway, it's Cordria, aka The Master Of Danny Phantom Fanfic. Go check her out.
Review replies;
Movie-Brat: Thanks very much! Good to see you back, and thanks for reading.
Zim'sMostLoyalServant: Yeah, I'll agree with you there. The Critic is awesome! Thanks for reviewing.
Clockwork Oracle King: I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for the review!
TweenisodeOrange: Yeah, it's as dark as it gets, and very angsty. I'd still recommend it, though. Thanks very much!
17/10/10 – Countdown
It was a simple plan. Most of these things are.
The idea was first dreamt up by the scientific advisor to the Nicklands Republican Government, Dr. Madeline Fenton, late last year. It was a simple idea – to construct a device that could convert ectoplasm into energy – the ultimate fuel source.
It was tested around December, and it worked very well. The government ordered more tests, believing they'd found a cheap energy source, when one discovery changed everything.
It was called 'blue ectoplasm', and a large reserve of it was found in the ground around the long-abandoned 'air-temple' on the snow plains along the south-western coast of the country. A single vial of the stuff created ten times the energy of the entire yearly output of a cold-fusion plant. It was astounding – the government, the scientists, the inventors – all were ecstatic.
Ecstatic, that was, until they learnt of the drawback of blue ectoplasm.
In a test in his own, homerun lab in Retroville, James Isaac Neutron discovered that blue ectoplasm had a 55% chance of killing anyone who touched it, this percentage increasing for the amount of time the substance was handled.
Somewhat reluctantly, the government ordered the cancellation of mining in the area. The idea of infinite power and jobs it would provide seemed to die.
Along came the Prosperity Party.
The Prosperity Party was headed by Vlad Masters, and ran on a platform of national richness, increased employment…and a healthy dose of election fraud. It dominated the February elections, winning 212 of the 240 government seats. Mining of blue ectoplasm began within a month of their victory.
100,000 workers were put into the business, but despite all the safety measures, 30,000 were dead or seriously ill by April. Meanwhile, more catches in 'blue energy' were found – mainly that its use had a 12% chance of causing at least one electrical appliance in your house to either fail or explode. The failures were easily replaced for the well-to-do, but for the poor, losing their TV to a failure was a huge financial set-back. Having it blown up along with a section of their wall was even worse.
In May, a crisis broke out. 98% of the workers in the blue ectoplasm mines went on strike. In response, President Masters sent a contingent of riot police and soldiers to the area to force them to continue mining. Under the command of General Ernest T. Abercrombie, they clashed with the miners – one thing led to another, and live rounds were fired. Two soldiers and thirty-six miners were killed.
For the poor and the miners, those thirty-six became martyrs. Within two days, the strike turned into a general rebellion, and many or the nation's poor flocked to join them. Several figures, among them Maddie Fenton, rallied around a new leader – roboticist and scientist Dr. Nora Wakeman. The rebels spread out, capturing the large city of Klasky, about one-hundred miles from the snow plains, without a fight.
President Masters declared a general crisis. He ordered the deployment of five hundred heavy bomber aircraft, armed with conventional explosives, to Retroville AFB (Airfield Base) which was north of Klasky. On the first night of June, these bombers dropped some 15,000 tons on civilian areas of the city, killing and injuring two thousand.
Now, President Masters had established himself as the villain of the piece. Thousands of people who would have otherwise been apolitical joined the growing revolution. A military outpost, Fort Schneider on the coast of the north-western jungles and rainforests, mutinied and joined in. The city of Bikini Bottom (of the coast of the country) declared their support of the anti-government forces.
Civil war had broken out. With any luck, it would end soon.
Yay! I went one day without mentioning nukes!
...oh wait.