Chapter 7: The Troubles Continue

By September of 2024, the government was faced with numerous riots and rebellions across the country. Attempts to repair the food and power distribution were hampered by devastating terrorist actions, the most notable being the release of nerve gas in New York City's Penn Station at rush hour. While the Federal Government struggled to cope, it also had to deal with the movement of refugees as an election year issue.

Simon and Arabella continued their work with the refugees throughout the summer but their work seemed to be without end. Despite the smothering police state, small terrorist groups seemed to sprout from nowhere, striking at the cities' precarious infrastructures. The destruction of Washington D.C.'s water treatment facilities led to an outbreak of cholera in the capitol city, killing the President before it ran its course.

Vice President Patterson assumed control and quickly moved to address all of the areas that he said had contributed to the "fall of civilization as we knew it." Within hours of his swearing in, President Patterson issued Executive Order 9B, which reinforced martial law by allowing summary executions. Using overwhelming military force, the government moved into the cities and cracked down on the rampant lawlessness. The brutality of the government forces led to revolts in Chicago, Hartford, and Toledo but these were suppressed by air strikes and heavy artillery bombardments.