Unity Commanded ( #JustWriteIt #Wattys2015 )

Chapter One

Knife's Edge had gotten the better of him. Resting his hands on his knees, Link inhaled the cool mountain air. His chest heaved heavily with each shallow gasp. When his breathing finally slowed, the fire in his lungs lessened to a dull ache. He stood and continued for several more feet before letting his pack fall to the rocky ground beneath him. Stretching his tired limbs, he sat down and pulled a handful of dried venison from his pack. Luckily, it was a clear day and he grinned to himself as he took in the view. It was the fifth time he had hiked Mount Katahdin, the first being the day after his twelfth birthday, and once a year since.

Though he had grown considerably over the years, the sloping granite mountains that surrounded the coniferous forest below never seemed smaller. If anything, they had grown up with him. It was the first year he had attempted to take the three-foot wide, one-mile long trail that ran between Paloma and Baxter Peak. It was a footpath by the loosest of definitions. Knife's Edge had left him scrambling over jagged rocks and praying that the wind didn't send him sprawling down one of the nearly vertical drop offs, on either side of the trail.

After finishing his snack, he pulled a sweater and large leather bound book from his pack. Slipping just his arms into the sweater, he rested against his pack and opened the book gently. The spine crackled loudly as he flipped through the pages. His mother protested every year when he made the trip. Keeping their secrets was a burden. The trip gave him an escape and peace, if only for a day. A piece of old newspaper fell from between the pages and he placed it back where it belonged. Dried and faded news articles made up the entirety of its contents.

 

November 7, 2040

President breaks records

TAKES THE WIN WITH SWEEPING VICTORY

It was no secret that Senator Brent Sharpe was a favorite to win the 2040 presidential election, but no one could have expected the landslide that occurred Tuesday night. Astonishing historians with a Popular Vote of 98,877,944 and an Electoral College of 462, at a winning average of 82 percent. Never in the history of the U.S. has a president even come close to those numbers. While there are skeptics and rumors of voting booth tampering, it's looking like most of America is on board and supporting our next president in his success.

April 19, 2043

 

"PATRIOT" GATHERING UNDER INVESTIGATION

 

Hundreds of demonstrators marched in downtown Austin to protest the passing of a new piece of legislature that would restrict private farming. If enacted the law would enforce the limit of home gardens and livestock. Government officials insist that the law would protect them from nuisance law suits and fines for farming outside of designated agricultural areas. The peaceful gathering escalated quickly when local law enforcement insisted the group end their protest sometime after 9 P.M. Witnesses describe the event as a riot scene straight out of a movie. Damages of local businesses are still being assessed.

January 3, 2044

 

WAR ON THE HORIZON

MILITARY TEST A REALITY

        "The threat of a terrorist attack has never been more imminent." The President exclaimed at his public address Friday, where he explained his motives for the controversial military test to be conducted across most of the southwest. The wide scale drill will consist of many known and unknown events, including evacuation drills and the closing of many businesses that could provide supplies to the "enemies". The extensive nature of the test has caused concern among local residents and caused many conspiracy theories to circulate regarding the intense "real life" simulations. The President assures that the testing is being done for the safety of American citizens and urges everyone to cooperate. The goal is to have a better understanding of proper procedure should terrorists target small communities of the United States. Ending his speech with a word of caution, the President confirmed there have been several threats received from certain terrorist organizations and he intends to take them seriously. He did not comment, however, on when the drill would begin.