Chasing the Cure and Other Stories

The Last Election

The last election in which we voted did not even involve human candidates. In a vulgar rendition of democracy, people had to choose between one of two alien masters. Either the Atlanteans or the Lemurians were to rule the Great Lakes region. We do not know their real names, only the ones they had decided we would understand.

The Atlanteans' homeworld vaporized when their star exploded. The Lemurians had fled an encroaching black hole. Being of equal power and having lost many of their own, they decided to form an alliance. When they arrived, Earth was divided into one hundred territories. Ninety-nine were split between them with little issue. The last one, the Great Lakes, was a major point of contention.

Saying the aliens settled for Earth is accurate. At the time of the conquest, climate change and wars had destroyed most of our resources. The Great Lakes region, despite severe damage, remained a rare bastion of plentifulness. The two races had been unwilling to fight over it, but also unwilling to share. To compromise, they decided to let the humans living in the region vote for which master they prefer. In their own twisted way, they felt that this would build trust after all the killing. It would be a simple first-past-the-post across voting stations located within population centers. Voting was not enforced, but people who did vote were given a month of free food rations.

Then came the campaigning. There was no hiding the fact that humans would be choosing the lesser of two evils. The two alien races growled and snarled as they told of the other's monstrous traditions and ghastly lifestyles. It was a very unpleasant affair that you could not turn off on the mandated TV set. Relations between the two races began to sour, because of the very thing that was supposed to help maintain their alliance.

A month from voting day, the Lemurians noticed something unusual. Often and only when they campaigned, the area would be hit with heavy snowstorms. Stagnant traffic and sprained ankles got people riled up, and the Lemurians became associated with the mess. Many also believe that the Atlanteans had gained a technological edge over the Lemurians. This makes them the side to pick in the looming conflicts. The Lemurians cried foul, but the Atlanteans denied any misdeeds. They said that if they could manipulate the weather, they would have already mitigated the effects of climate change. As a former politician, I think they are planning on using that as a bargaining chip.

On a clear and sunny voting day, the Atlanteans won control of the Great Lakes region in a landslide victory. Without any evidence other than highly improbable coincidences, the Lemurians could only concede.

It has been a year since the election, and tensions between the two sides continue to escalate. Tornados are forming en-masse near Lake Michigan and the Atlanteans are denying everything. We can only hold our breaths.