| PANEM RISING |
Nine days before the end. The Day of Lost Hope.
There was not one press company in the world, except maybe Newsround, who was not reporting China's response to President Oceleus. Endless feuds, debates, doomsayers, peace-makers, and Peacekeepers. Word got out of new crafts being constructed in the Rocky Mountains, somewhere near Jebediah Crane's secret division (although, no longer a secret). It was only a matter of time before the Chinese would be onto this. People started to hope that the crafts were an escape route to some new habitable planet, NASA's officials claimed, but it was all a lie. A big lie. By the end of this day, all the world could do was hope, only to discover the following morning that it was useless.
Eight days before the end. The Day of Laid Plans.
Russia's efforts to negotiate with China were useless and they decided to side with the majority, which consisted of a United Nations/European Union coalition organised to defend the world against China's ruthlessness. North Korean forces joined the enemy's hand, and South Korea were immediately invaded by their neighbours, their people massacred or arrested for the crime of existing. News came by the day so quickly that the smart people would know the world was coming to it's end, only those dumbfounded by hope would see it through with optimism. This morning, the world learnt of America's true intent in the Rocky Mountains; the crafts were aerial vehicles that could suspend themselves infinitely by harnessing the energy in the force fields and the power of the nuclear systems built on 'Sector 13' near New York. These 'hovercrafts' were made in the thousands, assigned to every Peacekeeper division in the States. Some other countries had attempted to make their own by the end of this night but their efforts were useless... only America had the right knowledge of the technology to make it work. A permanent force field was put over Sector 13 and the Rocky Mountains, whilst civilians protested violently for force fields on all major cities. Many were shot on sight by Peacekeepers and several hovercrafts were reported to have bombed small towns on the outskirts of Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles. Britain's Parliament questioned the dictatorship activity in America, but President Oceleus was convinced it was necessary, privately excusing that 'the world will end anyway'. At around 11pm, the Vice President, Oceleus's son, was reported missing.
Seven days before the end. The Day the Continents Died.
To signal the war, the Chinese military sent their weakest nuclear missile towards America alone, cloaking it's presence with the best technology they had. It went straight into Chicago's city unnoticed and obliterated the entire population. Russia released seven nuclear missiles towards China to try and end the madness, but the weapons failed to detonate... in a matter of seconds they fell back to the earth without any explosions. A few hours later it was reported by French press that Chinese spies had rigged the Russian military's weapons development systems, by employing none other than the famed hacker Rovarco Mitch and his best assistant. Thousands of hovercrafts began swooping over Chinese land, avoiding missiles, and bring bombs down onto innocent people. By mid-day, Beijing was the only city in China left, covered by a force field that an American traitor had secretly been devising for the Communist Party for several months in case of this very war. Iran took their leave in existence when they saw the opportunity to cause their own battle, using all their weaponry at once to nuke Great Britain, Spain and Russia. Russia was only half-destroyed, and they responded by wiping out Iran and it's surrounding countries accidentally. What was left of some of the neighbours used what they had to fight back in revenge for Russia's mistake, whilst the rest of the world mourned the loss of the English and the Spanish. The French blamed Russia and induced a nuclear war with them. America stuck their ground (well, the President did) and wiped out France and the rest of Europe in Russia's favour. Russia kept an alliance with America and focused on what was left of Planet Earth. At about quarter-to-10 at night, the insane leader of Australia secretly initialised a suicidal plot to destroy his whole land and everyone on it. And it worked. There was still no sign of the Vice President, and throughout the night hovercraft after hovercraft, Peacekeeper after Peacekeeper, US Army soldier after soldier raided and brought down all resistance they could find in the world, leaving only Russia, Japan, India and South America's remaining lands on their side. Pretty much all of the world's remaining countries and continents had gone. For good.
Six days before the end. The Day the Tables Turned.
Despite what looked like a victory, it was widely believed the world was over anyway. Without so many of the necessary countries in the world, where would stock supply for certain foods, drinks and resources come from? American civilians kept on the protests that the President refused to listen to, because he felt so bathed in his power. Peacekeepers shot at more of their own people and bombed most of the major cities. Russia accused the US Government of genocide and initiated a nuclear strike. Jebediah Crane was literally forced to initiate every single force field that he had already put up for testing in different parts of the state. There were fourteen including the ones on the Rocky Mountains and Sector 13. At about 9pm, Russia's missiles came down on American land. All life outside of the fourteen sectors was wiped out in less than thirty seconds. Inside those fourteen sectors, nothing was even scratched, nor the sonic booms of gravitational effects having any implications on those within the fields. All people could do was watch as the rest of their world was blown to Hell. For what was left of this day, people mourned. An extremely angry President approved a response attack to Russia, who had no force fields at all. About eighteen minutes later, there was no such thing as Russia. Japan and India had been arguing themselves and had wiped each other out by the end of this day. Only the two Americas were left.
Five days before the end. The Day of Decay.
South America's countries' supplies were expected to decrease dramatically within less than a week, and they would eventually be unable to hold together. Some representatives of Peru and Brazil's governments attempted to negotiate sharing of stock with President Oceleus, but he refused. Peru threatened to attack America, but nothing ever happened. Nothing was ever going to. Millions more of the remaining American civilians were recruited into the Peacekeepers forces, guarding every inch of North America's borders to stop trespassers. By the afternoon Jebediah Crane had achieved an invisible field that covered the entire continent. President Oceleus expected what was left of his people to wait out the decay of the South Americans. Watch them starve to death. And bleed, with mercy for their neighbours. There were no more press reports, no more comedy television shows on live anymore, just repeats. Somehow Trinket had still survived, and he was rumoured to have been sent to the Rocky Mountains. Millions more people were being picked up by Peacekeepers each day and taken there. No-one knew why. Not until tomorrow.
Four days before the end. The Day of the Capitol.
Washington D.C had also been destroyed. President Oceleus and those who still followed him moved with him to the Rocky Mountains. Someone with some guts was still wanting to make news, and had lurked his way to the Rocky Mountains to find out what was going on. Everyone watched as he made a live report, filming his whole journey there. What the Americans saw was not some old building land with half-made hovercrafts and trucks driving round. What they saw was the construction of an entire city. A massive, glistening city that would cover the whole Rocky Mountains and everything around it. The original concepts, Jebediah's scientific centres, could still be seen but they were half-protruding from the mountains themselves, as if hidden away or stuck to them like magnets. Hovercrafts with building arms, Peacekeepers on tall cranes, everyone and everything everywhere all at once in full-motion. The construction of a new hope for humanity. The reporter shows his face for the first time on camera since the beginning of the report, giving some more hope to his viewers back home.
"You can see, there, the construction of a new hope for humanity. And on my way here, I've hid from hovercrafts. But these were, not just any hovercrafts. I eventually worked out the initials underneath them were all different for different countries. I've seen some return the same day with heaps of baskets hanging from underneath on energy-guarded chains. They're retrieving supplies, everything they can find that hasn't been incinerated by nuclear blasts, and are bringing it back to America. Right in the distance there, on the other side of this city, reads an electronic sign. It says; "Capitol supplies; 16%" All that I have seen is only 16 percent, by the time they have reached hundred we will have enough to live for centuries, and by then, we'll have been growing more of the supplies back in those countries' remains. There is hope, America. There is hope for all of u-"
What the last of humanity also saw was the reporter being shot in the forehead. Two Peacekeepers dragged his body away, and the third broke the camera. Nothing else happened for the rest of the day in any of the remaining sectors. But a lot was happening in the Rocky Mountains. Or should we say, the Capitol.
Three days before the end. The Day of the Districts.
Americans woke up this morning hoping for a message from their government about this 'Capitol'. And they did, but it wasn't what they expected. In fact, it was the complete and utter opposite. A giant screen appeared on the force fields of each remaining sector, showing the Vice President who had been missing. The crude young man/boy was known for his signature hair style; sleek, black and a beard that had a sharp and creative look about it, almost appearing to be pencilled on rather than grown. He grins darkly throughout the entire speech.
"Americans. This is your President. I have replaced my father. I am overseeing the construction of the Capitol. I am speaking to you on behalf of myself and the future peoples of the great city. As you know, Washington is no more. The White House, it is no more. We have moved the capital of America to here, in the Rocky Mountains, where the great sources of our power have originated from. Sector 13 will no longer have such a name, but it will always be present for the use of nuclear development. Some of you may ask why this is still necessary, and I shall tell you. We are the only ones left in the world. But no-one in our future generations will ever know of that. No-one will ever have to. We must forget what we have done, the mistakes the world has made and how they have affected us, we are united in spirit and we must always be. Each of the remaining sectors of America will become what we want to call 'districts'. Each will focus on an important natural resource that will support the new evolution of the human race. The evolution of Americans into the heavenly country. In three days the Capitol will be complete, Peacekeepers will look after all your districts, and all available men and women will begin doing their bit for humanity. In three days, we will no longer be America. We will be something more. We will be Panem."
And that was it. The screen cut off, and for a few hours every American outside the Capitol was in uproar before the Peacekeepers stepped in and 'calmed things down'. It was terrifying and exciting for many at the same time. Many thought these districts would be a good thing, and were motivated by good spirit to do whatever was necessary to keep humanity alive. They looked at it like a blessing. Faith in a God was short-lived however, for people started to agree that no God would ever allow this, and that was religion was unimportant. What mattered was the future of Ameri- no. The future of Panem. The districts of Panem. The Capitol.
Two days before the end. The Day of Peace.
Peacekeepers were rarely known to abuse anyone violently from this morning, unless it was in response to violence. Before, they would murder anyone for saying a single world. As part of the Capitol's intentions to make the other districts feel welcome to the 'evolution of America', they didn't want policing to be as brutal as it was anymore. The new President's belief was that since the world would be able to move on now, it would be pointless to throw away any more lives unnecessarily the way his father had before. There were still many things the districts didn't know, though, such as what really happened to Oceleus. The majority of the government had in fact trusted the Vice President more, as it was his idea to construct several emergency force fields in America to make the districts, his idea to set up a new city in the Rocky Mountains, and also his clever strategic knowledge that there would be at least twenty safe havens left on the planet containing valuable resources. All Oceleus did was sit in his chair and order mindless attacks on another country, continent or his own people. He didn't see a future, he only saw one end. The end of America. But his son saw Panem.
"I have replaced my father ..."
In fact, the new President shot his father dead when he tried to retaliate to his son's 'betrayal'. Oceleus's body was burnt and on this day a second message came to the people telling them to forget about him, and only look to their new President. By the end of the day peace had been established amongst the districts. Most people were looking forward to the new age. Peacekeepers' uniforms now had Panem symbols, and any mention of the old America or any of the states were stripped away. Even certain phrases or words were banned from use if they referred to a previous American or foreign location. What was the point, if there was nothing left but Am- … but Panem?
One day before the end. The Eve of Panem.
By mid-day, the Capitol was fully built. Nick Trinket started new clothing lines and sharing them with the new civilians of the Capitol, the most enlightened of humanity. Living in the city themselves, they were ultimately convinced that good change was coming and were ready to embrace it. They were all going to be wealthy and well-stocked on whatever they wanted, and anyone could do anything they set out to do. New chemicals were coming in from overseas on hovercrafts that could potentially cure cancers, heal impossible wounds and burns, create combinations of foods and drinks never before deemed possible. New research in genetics was set to begin on the first day of Panem, in order to find ways of improving other aspects of nature such as plants and animals, by reproducing them through safe cloning and mutating processes. A new temple-like structure was the last building to be done, housing the President and his closest associates. The ashes of the predecessor were placed in a box engraved 'The Sins of Our Father' and buried under the temple for eternity. It was difficult to get used to some of the new architecture and fashion at first, but people started getting into it and walking outside, hanging about with their new selves, to embrace change. To embrace their future. But they didn't know that the other districts were not getting this too. When they would find out, it wouldn't matter.
At midnight, Panem had begun. And for America, it was...
The End.