| DARK DAYS ARE COMING |
The new age of the world had begun. Panem was born, there was no America. America what? Peacekeepers and civilians in each district started work on mines or factories, depending on where they were. The Capitol issued several contracts to appointed mayors of each district, who read each of them out to the whole public in the town square. It was decreed that each district would focus on an important resource to help keep Panem thriving. Obviously, the new President and Jebediah Crane had deliberately chosen specific areas to protect from nuclear destruction depending on the resources present underground, in the woodlands or underwater. However, some surviving areas wouldn't exactly be able to keep up enough to fend for themselves and the Capitol and all the other districts at once, meaning the majority of townsfolk would eventually fall to poverty like most of the other districts. Most people tried not to think about this, but the mayors could see it coming from a mile-off. They were instructed by the President to never breathe a word of false hope unless they want the districts to give up the future of Panem they have so desperately been clinging on to. The resources that each district would focus on were as follows; Luxury for District 1 (e.g. comfortable living and furniture), Masonry and Stonework for District 2, Electronics for District 3, Fishing for District 4, Power for District 5 (basically a second construction centre for hovercrafts), Transportation for District 6 (constructing other methods of travel in the districts and the Capitol), Lumber for District 7, Textiles for District 8, Grain for District 9, Livestock for District 10, Agriculture for District 11, Coal Mining for District 12 and Nuclear Power for District 13.
The residents of the last district were considerably more enlightened than their neighbours, not as much as the Capitol, though. There was a strong sense of power considering they had access to nuclear weaponry, and it was only a matter of time before they could take complete control. Many were growing suspicious of their arrogance and Peacekeepers came in greater numbers to keep tight guard of the nuclear weapon systems. Coal Mining in District 12 was the most dangerous job to prepare for, and a lot of men found themselves being forced to work there unexpectedly, this meant some were far more desperate to find a different job. One of the lucky ones were the Mellarks, who quickly re-established their bakery in District 12 and saved themselves from being condemned to the hellish conditions of the coal mines. Some tried to take up hunting, but a few weeks later a new order came in to disallow it; it was the Capitol's belief that hunting was a selfish act and didn't contribute to everyone, only the hunters themselves. District 11's lands were the most practicable for farming, and supplies came in fast for other districts and the Capitol, although by the time they had been shared there was little to eat individually. It was even harder if you were in a family, and District 11's residents received less than what they gave to their neighbours. Most of them were dark-skinned, and it was clear after a while to many of the President close associates that he had made this a deliberate move, as he and his father were always known for their racist and fascist views. He never believed that non-whites were of American soil, and he obviously didn't learn from that when he started the 'new world'. He was hypocrite too, for he didn't mind anyone of a different colour or race within the Capitol, just those in the other districts. Maybe he wasn't being racist, maybe he just wanted to make a point. But no-one thought about it too much, most people didn't notice it. District 11 considered it a mere coincidence and nothing more, convinced that the President was a decent respectful man who wouldn't discriminate anyone living on his own land.
Districts 10 down to 5 faced similar poverty issues throughout the first year of Panem, and the Capitol reminded them it was always darkest before the dawn (they weren't too wrong about that). District 4's residents were mostly well-off, or at least not as poor as anyone in the other districts. There were so many underwater colonies to fish from that everyone had a chance to put food on the table, and be able to sell any spare catches. The well-known families such as the Troots, the Odairs and the Crestas made a lot of money from their district by breeding some of the rarest species they could find and selling them to those who were lesser off. From this district's point of view, life was good, and actually kind of fun. District 3 had a more satirical perspective on Panem, for even though it's residents were not doing too bad in their lives, the jobs available were ridiculously risky. Most electronic experts would be putting their hands in faulty, unprotected circuits and could easily fry themselves. Often when there were accidents the repercussions would involve blackouts and this could last a whole week if the incident was that bad. Districts 1 and 2 were having some concerns but they didn't feel it was necessary to make a big deal about, not until they were clear if anyone else in Panem was having problems (they didn't want to feel alone in their grievances so as to look like some sort of enemy). In fact, District 1 and 2 were the wealthiest of all. Unlike District 4, they didn't even have to try to be wealthy. The amount of sparkling rarity District 2 workers would find in the rocky grounds were astonishing and very expensive. The Capitol took more than they needed and often gave much of it back to the district to keep everyone there living on top. Favouring the closest two districts was the President's intention; if there was any chance of trouble, at least the closest and most successful of the districts would be by his side. What he had underestimated, however, was the price of District 13 being so far away.
Something else that became apparent when Panem began was the changes in culture – many embraced self-sufficient living, vegetarianism was an elementary joke, and names were different. There were rarely any casual names like Jack, John, Kate, Bethany, Jennifer. Many families named their children based on flowers and other good things, or combined various objects or pieces of nature to make one forename and surname. The idea was that creating new names and cultures would help get people used to the new world. The President had said this once on a live broadcast;
"This is how we safeguard our future."
Despite all the downsides in the districts, certain things were starting to ease a little more, like security. For over a year all the force fields remained intact and would be opened for certain occasions, but after a while it became a waste of energy and many were shut down, replaced with extra Peacekeepers and invisible hovercrafts. The people in the districts didn't really care about any of this, they had no intention to run away. If there were any people in Panem who did want to escape, it would be those in District 13. By the end of the first year, the mayor had managed to convince her people that times were not going to change for the better, they were only going to get worse. District 3 had secretly been working on hidden communication technology underground in order to talk with other districts. District 13 acquired this and used it to talk to it's people without any of the Peacekeepers listening. The mayor started talking to other districts too, with the help of 3's spies, trying to persuade them to rise up against the corruption of the Capitol. Many districts weren't convinced enough, so the mayor of 13 made it very clear. He believed that every district had a reason to protest the Capitol, to rebel. She gave these reasons, and these reasons spread around each district, and people started to take notice of the truth, of the darkness that lurked behind their backs, the darkness of the President. It was one thing to think that things weren't as good as they seemed, but to want to rebel against someone as powerful as the Capitol? Ridiculous! But then, District 13 have nuclear power. If they can take on the Peacekeepers successfully, they can get hold of that weaponry and threaten to destroy the Capitol, and take all the supplies for themselves and the other districts. Who needs the Capitol? Was anyone really thinking about the negative repercussions?
About halfway through the second year, the ice in the thirteen districts was getting thin. Requests were firing from every town at the Capitol, at the President. He tried his best to take note of none of them as he read the documents flying across the table to him from his secretary. District 1 needed more utensils to clean what they made for the other districts and themselves to avoid spread of disease. District 2 needed better tools for masonry and stonework because the jobs were too tiring and people died from exhaustion within three hours. District 3 needed better defences on electrical systems to prevent deaths and blackouts. District 4 wanted Peacekeepers to stop using electrical equipment to fry whole lakes and rivers to kill fish and it was unnatural and immoral, as well as environmentally dangerous. District 5 needed more access to the power they used for other districts and the Capitol – they could barely run the simplest pieces of equipment outside of the factories and Peacekeepers would silence anyone caught trying to smuggle special containers. District 6 wanted more fuel from the Capitol so that they could test their vehicles at the factories rather than sending them away and wasting time waiting for them to be sent back if there was something wrong – people struggled to live on what they had when it was like this. District 7 knew that lumber was the cheapest wood and demanded more efficient wood for their homes, which were struggling to keep themselves up in harsh weather conditions. It only got worse when it was discovered many other districts like 12 were being given stronger wood by the Capitol. District 8 wanted better tools for creating textiles; what they had was sensitive and dangerous to use, several had lost their fingers or hands within a month and the Capitol had to waste money fixing them with special medical treatment they had invented. When the Capitol stopped sending in treatment to save themselves the supply, District 8 only got angrier. District 9 needed more space for their jobs, as a lot of Peacekeepers were taking it up with the storage facilities they had that could easily go in the Capitol rather than in the districts. Many who complained to the security were beaten or kicked out of their homes and forced to stay outside for 24 hours, including through the night come rain or shine. These punishments went unnoticed. District 10's livestock was being taken quickly by corrupt Peacekeepers and put in black markets without permission. What people did have was forced to be shared amongst the whole town and most families ended up sharing two chicken legs. 10 and 11 were the poorest. District 11 complained that they were being overworked on the farmlands and that Peacekeepers were violently punishing anyone who asked for a drink of water by lashing them. Many also were convinced that the amount of dark-skinned residents was deliberate and accused the Capitol of racism, demanding more white people to make it equal. District 12 complained about the hunting bans. A man only known by his surname, Everdeen, was seen as the forefront of raising this issue. There were also numerous complaints about the dangerous conditions of underground jobs, echoing the words from District 3's angry workers. District 13 didn't make any complaints, for they were happy with being so close to nuclear technology. However, they were appalled at the Capitol and the Peacekeepers' treatment of the other districts and their resources, and planned to do something about it. It was their belief that the government caused all this in the first place, so it is not for them to take what they want from the districts, who deserve so much more than poverty. Talks of a rebellion began, and echoed through each district, persuading many more to complain about their problems until one day, when someone really snapped.
Districts 3, 6, 7 and 8 knew that District 13's townspeople were going to attempt to raid and take control of their nuclear industry, and what exact time they were going to do it. It would be at the end of the President's latest speech, when Peacekeepers were not expecting or prepared for any sign of an attack. The onlookers would pretend to admire the President until the last word when they would lash out on the security. Guns would be taken and they would fire. Flames would rise and raise the newly built Justice Building to it's foundations. Even the mayors knew, and they were ready. In the other districts, people weren't planning to do anything until they saw if the other districts were successful enough. If District 13 got control of the nuclear technology, they would join the rebellion. If they didn't, they would act as if nothing had happened and let five of their neighbours suffer the unimaginable consequences of their actions, maybe even grow to hate them for their pointless treachery, even when deep inside they may have wanted it too.
At mid-day, on July 30th of Panem's second year, the President spoke again to the districts, who all gathered at their Justice Buildings to watch him talk on the big screen.
"My fellow people. This is your President. I am here to talk with you on the basis of some of the problems you have been facing in your districts, the conditions of living, of your jobs, of your good spirit. I understand that it is hard for you, but as I have said, the night is always darkest before the dawn. The dawn is on it's way, my good people. You just have to see it, you have to be ready for it. Because I am, and if I can be, so can you. Don't give up on a dream that isn't a dream anymore. Panem is real. This is real. The future of humanity is real. But in life or in death, you will see it through, real or not real."
And in that moment, chaos began. In District 13, workers started attacking Peacekeepers on guard and restraining them. Most of them were thrown into empty rooms and locked up without their weapons. Workers became the guards as more workers and other townspeople came charging through all the corridors and gateways, getting everything they could. The mayor lead the experts to the nuclear weapons sector, reinforced with nearly a hundred townspeople, armed and dangerous. The Peacekeepers' efforts to defend were useless and even the A.I weapons defence system was destroyed by a grenade thrown into the air and shot. Experts got onto working the missiles, the entire industry was guarded by hundreds of District 13 residents, and most of the Peacekeepers were forced to escape. Hovercrafts threatened to firebomb the industry but were commanded by the Capitol to retreat – if they attacked it would have devastating consequences for them (quite literally). Word of the success came to Districts 3, 6, 7 and 8, who had already been doing their own bit; fighting off security, stealing police vehicles, taking the weapons and using them to shoot at the defence systems. The Justice Building was burnt down and anybody unable to fight ran back to their homes and waited in silence. When the other districts found out 13 had acquired the nukes, they began to go mad too. Men and women ran around screaming for the rebellion, attacking Peacekeepers and raiding their quarters, taking everything they could. The rebels became organised and District 13 had somehow stolen a hovercraft, turning it invisible and using it to send low-level but powerful weapons to each of the districts. Within a month, every district was equipped enough for full-scale war with the Capitol, who had barely done anything. The President made no speeches, no-one tried to attack. Everyone just waited. What was the President doing?
He sat at his chair, in the great hall that was his dining room, looking over the complaints from the districts again. The Vice President sat near him, and the secretary. He shifted for a while before finally saying something.
"Sir, I don't think looking over that is relevant anymore. The districts are all set for a full-scale rebellion, we haven't answered their issues and now they're ready to kill us-"
"They won't kill us, Vitch." The President threw the papers off the table and put his hands to his head. "They don't have what it takes."
"District 13 has nuclear weapons." There was a brief pause, and the President eventually looked up.
"And do you think they will really use them? Do you think, that after everything we have achieved as Panem, they will destroy it? If there is no Capitol, they're only going to lose MORE supplies!" He was nearly snapping now, but having realised this he regained his calmness and tried to sit still and straighten his back, but it pretty much looked like he was sinking into his chair like an exhausted frail man, not someone of twenty-something.
"Maybe you are right, sir, but we have to do something-" Before anyone could say anymore, there was the great sound of an explosion. The President and his associates darted to the large oval window and looked outside. What they saw was terrifying and miraculous at the same time, like a great threatening bubble being burst over a whole city.
"Is that the force field?" asked the secretary in an oddly high-pitched voice.
"Yes," said the President darkly. He grimaced. "those weasels have used a missile to destroy the force field."
"But how!? Nothing can penetrate them!"
"Some of the missiles in 13 can, that's why it was the most dangerous. I knew people might try to use it to their advantage." The Vice President nearly spat on the floor at his leader's words. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. The President nodded as if agreeing with a thought in his head and left the dining hall, his right-hand man walking swiftly after him. They turned down a long spiral staircase, glistening with diamond-encrusted tiles.
"Why on earth would you allow people to live there if you knew of the dangers!?"
"Because I had an idea." The President smirked a little, but the Vice President didn't notice. "Something planned, if they wanted to test themselves against me. I was always going to do it, but I thought I'd least give the possibility of it not happening a chance."
"What are you talking about!?" The Vice President seemed to be panting with frustration and confusion.
"It doesn't matter for now." The President reached the end of the staircase and walked through two arched double-doors to his balcony, where he would give speeches to the Capitol's population. He stood right at the front, watching the destruction of the force field with a menacing grin plastered on his face, as he heard the confused cries of the people in the city below him. The Vice President stood beside him, looking on too with fear, and asked his leader one last question.
"What are we going to do now, then? What's our plan?"
"Our plan? There is no plan. We are at war, my friend. Let's see what Panem's got."