The Righters

Chapter 2

An enormous gathering took place in front of the 87 Grand Building, formerly known as the White House. Thousands upon thousands waited anxiously for the speaker to make his entrance onto the elaborate stage. Enormous metal pillars sprouted from the ground on both sides of a sleek, silver walkway. Neon and florescent lights illuminated the area. Efforts were made to give the event a festive touch. However, the expectations of the crowd leaned toward a more drab experience.

History buff's and older partakers knew the speaker better as President Odysseus Hunter. However, the title and responsibilities were altered after the Takeover, giving birth to the title of Primary.

Primary Hunter had been in office for the last ten years, the minimum requirement for a Primary. After a decade of leadership, a Primary was given the option to continue holding his position in office for another five years regardless of the opinion of the people.

Primary Hunter's style of authority resembled that of a dictator. He enforced laws, forbade certain activities, and fashioned decrees that made the Ten Commandments look like a nursery rhyme. On top of these repugnant qualities, he was a horrible human being overall. He was married, but he knowingly maintained improper relationships with several mistresses. Had the people been given the right to vote, Primary Hunter's existence in office would have been nothing more than a hallucination. However, votes were no longer cast when electing a leader. Instead, each potential Primary received a grade of probable leadership based upon factors such as age, intelligence, leadership capabilities, social aptitude, and a slew of other pre-qualifications. The potential Primary with the highest score by the end of the decade was elected. If the Primary in office decided to do another five year stint, the next Primary was placed on the reserve list until the following five years passed. There were no votes, no debates. The process was one of the most reckless endeavors adopted by the country as a whole.

The large crowd that awaited Primary Odysseus Hunter did not wait in anticipation of positive declarations. They waited to hear whether or not Primary Hunter would decide to resign as Primary or continue his reign for another five years.

Suddenly, Primary Hunter walked onto the gigantic stage, strutting with a keen appearance that could only be described as haughtiness.

Gone was the traditional suit and tie of former leaders. Primary Hunter's attire resembled that of an elite soldier; black clothing festooned with ribbons, medals, lights, a protective overlay, and gadgets that raised many questions among citizens. No one knew exactly what the military decorations stood for. Then again, no one was brave enough to ask. A black beret sat atop his head, partially covering his neatly-trimmed blonde hair.

Primary Hunter approached the microphone and looked into the crowd with soul-piercing eyes.

"Fellow citizens," he began, "ten years ago, I took over as the Primary of this country. This was a country that knew not the reality of discipline, the pride of hard work, or the essence of respect. However, through a decade of toil and reconstruction, this great nation has now begun to take large strides in a direction that will take this country to new heights."

Primary Hunter paused for dramatic affect. No one cheered nor clapped.

"Much thought has gone into the most important decision of my life. Should I stay in office or step down and allow another Primary to take over and continue to reconstruct this nation? This is a question that I have asked myself repeatedly.

"When considering the decision, I have contemplated on the accomplishments that have been witnessed since I stepped into office. Under my watch, this country has seen the lowest crime rate in two decades. Under my watch, education has been on the rise. Under my watch, the homeless have been eliminated and weeded out of society. Under my watch, the security of this nation has nearly doubled as a result of a strong governmental fighting force. I would like to see these accomplishments realized in the future of this nation.

"With that being said, I will announce my decision on whether to leave office or retain my authority for another five years."

A restless silence fell upon the crowd. Hearts pounded nervously in anticipation. Primary Hunter's next words would decide the fate of the whole country. Though the statistics were accurate, they came with a price. Corruption, bribery, fraud, deception, and debauchery should have been added to Primary Hunter's list.

The Primary cleared his throat before he continued.

"In relation to my decision to stay in office," he said, "I have decided to—"

Before he could finish, a piercing crack resonated in the distance.

Almost simultaneously, the top portion of Primary Hunter's head disappeared in a pink and red cloud of blood, bone and brain matter. His beret fell to the ground with a soft thud. Shortly after, the Primary's body fell limp and spilled onto the surface of the stage.

What followed was pandemonium. Screams and shrieks emanated from the crowd. Interestingly enough, there were a decent amount of cheers that came from the scattering mob. Medical personnel rushed onto the stage in a meaningless effort to revitalize the lifeless Primary. Righters dispersed, scanning the stage and the crowd for the killer.

After much exertion, the efforts of the Righters proved to be inadequate. The killer could not immediately be identified.

Nonetheless, the killer was closer than any of them could have imagined.