Perverts 'R' Us
Requiem
By Danyealle ( nosex, serial )
Note: All situations and events are fictional-any resemblances to real events, people or organizations are purely coincidental.
Prelude
Sitting quietly she watched the setting sun burn brightly on the horizon as the velvety darkness slowly crept over everything. With one foot she slowly pushed herself back and forth on the porch swing, listening to the insects begin singing their night songs. It was a sultry night, the humidity hovering a bit above the 75% mark and the temperature was still in the upper 90s but there was a nice breeze, making it bearable. Scanning the horizons, she smiled. Even though she had lived here for about 18 months, she still couldn't get used to the fact that there were no lights from cities or cars anywhere around. Not that she was complaining mind you, it was just odd is all. Growing up in the city, she was used to them and didn't think there really was anywhere left that you wouldn't see some here and there. When she moved to this old, Victorian style house deep in a wooded area the fact that she couldn't see such things came as a pleasant surprise.
As she rocked back and forth, her eyes took on that distant look people had when they were lost in thought and not really aware of their surroundings any more. It took the sound of her grandfather clock chiming the hour to jar her back to reality. Sighing, she scanned the yard and outlying fields and trees one last time then, reluctantly, and went back into the house. Once inside, she locked the door behind her then did her nightly check to make sure everything was locked up tight as well as all lights that weren't needed were extinguished. Grabbing a soda from the refrigerator, she headed to her third floor bedroom/study to get to work. It wasn't that she minded or didn't like what she did; it's depressing is all.
Chapter 1: …And the Beginning of the End Begins…
"This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper." T.S. Elliot- The Hollow Men
Her generation had been born into a time that was both technologically advanced and chaotic at the same time. As her generation grew, the forward march of progress seemed to be pushing ahead at warp speed, everything changing at a rapid pace. With those changes, and the scientific and medical knowledge becoming more advanced, many old dogmas had been pushed to the wayside and a time of understanding and tolerance had blossomed in the younger generations. They had gained an understanding of so much that old taboos, ones that had once caused so much strife, no longer did and weren't seen the way they once had been. As science advanced and so many people became better educated, most no longer accepted things blindly, they demanded proof. That mindset is what was at the root of the problems that were to come.
As science was able to determine the origins of many things in the world that had traditionally been explained by religions more of the younger generations began to walk away or turn their back on religious teachings, no longer believing in their dogma. While many still professed to believe in a higher power of some kind, religious books and churches were left behind. When membership in religions that had traditionally been the biggest and most powerful began to slowly slide downwards, losing more people each year than were joining, cries of alarm were sounded. Scrambling to discredit what science was finding out and stop the hemorrhaging membership rolls, they started an all-out push to ensure their belief system and that their voices, not to mention influence, were still heard and felt throughout the world.
Up until her last year in high school, things were fairly calm. While there were movements to ensure their beliefs were heard and there was a bit of a push still to put people in power that would ensure that things were done or run the way they wanted them it wasn't anything that was too alarming. All those tactics had been tried before, in various incarnations throughout history, and failed. From the perspective of hindsight the start of the problems really hadn't been noticed by very many nor had it garnered much attention from the media.
Right after the winter holidays, and the bitter battles over them that now was a holiday tradition that grew nastier with every passing year, the latest case dealing with religious rights and what could/couldn't be done by the government was on the list of the cases that were waiting for the Supreme Court to make a decision as to whether or not they would hear the case. In the end, it didn't make the cut.
While the case itself wasn't a big deal, nor would it really have resulted in any major upheaval in the way some things were done those that were sponsoring and backing it took the rejection hard. It was just the latest failure in a long list of them. For many years they had been trying to push through legislation that was favorable to religions, things that would allow more of what they wanted thing run in accordance with their belief system and what it dictated was right or wrong.
Basically, what they had been shooting for was a government that resembled more of a theocracy than a democracy. With the exception of a couple minor things, all of what they tried to put in place or legislate had failed. With the cumulative effect of all the failed attempts added to the realistic expectation that other cases that were still winding their way through the seemingly endless appeals system had very little chance of success this final rejection seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back.
On a news show the night the Supreme Court docket for the upcoming session was announced Patrick Johnson, the founder and head of the religious political/lobbying group the Collation for the Restoration of Religious and Family Values, was livid, lashing out at those who he felt were waging a war on religion as well as trying to strip those who still held firm to their religious beliefs of their rights. In addition, he claimed, like so many in the past had done, that the religious people were being persecuted and discriminated against because of their belief system. At the end of the interview he closed with a statement that would prove to be an ominous warning of things to come.
Looking directly into the camera, eyes still ablaze with anger, he said, tone cold as ice, "While we may have lost some battles the war isn't over, not by a long shot. For people to count us out would be a grave error. Indeed, we will continue the fight in the judicial system but we won't stop there. Legalities aren't the only thing way to get things done; it's only one branch on the tree. There are other ways to attain our goal. We will begin other approaches quite soon. This fight is too important not to win."
Thinking it was just more bluff, bluster and bullshit from an organization known for it no one took what he had said seriously. Because of some very important events happening around the globe, ones that did have a serious worldwide impact, those comments didn't receive a lot of attention. Over the next few months the C.R.R.F.V., and the issues it felt strongly about, had pretty much vanished from the media. Although no one had mentioned it nor had the media paid any attention, engrossed in covering other crises around the world, their picketing and lobbying had actually tapered off as well.
There were still some pickets and political action from them going on here and there but not with the large numbers most were used to seeing nor did they seem to have the same tenacity or fervor they usually did. Those that did notice thought that they might be trying to come up with a better strategy or were finally starting to come to the realization that their efforts were futile.
Unlike many other countries the US, and a few in Europe, had never had a problem with insurgents, invaders or other groups trying to overthrow the government. Nor did they really have much of a problem with terrorism. What instances of it were few and far in between, although they were horrific in some of the cases. For those countries that had a history of instability it was an unpleasant fact they dealt with fairly often. Their governments were always changing and in turmoil, with peace being a fleeting thing. They would have short periods of time where things were stable but they never lasted long.
With the progression of technology and the great leaps in science, that turmoil progressively worsened over time. With religions and their teachings being assailed by science the alarm grew and a push was on to spread their teachings as well as to expand into lands and countries, trying to convert as many as they could and to get politically involved so they could try to get people who felt as they did on matters into office so the governments could be run in accordance with their religions' teachings and morality.
For several years it seemed as though when one fire was put out somewhere and things returned to semi-normalcy another one cropped up somewhere else. As time moved forward the problems seemed to grow and spread out, slowly creeping over more vast expansions of land. No, it wasn't just a US problem. It seemed that most countries were having similar issues to deal with. Even countries that had been stable for a long time were pulled into the problems. Finally, the US had to face what so many other countries have since time immemorial.
In the late fall of her freshman year at college the first bomb went off. Somehow or other someone had slipped through security and was able to plant a fairly good-sized homemade device in the Capital Building in Washington D.C. It went off at precisely 11:00 AM, just as the Senate was starting to discuss earmarking enough money for the 'tolerance act', a federal program that had been enacted so that schools could begin programs that dealt with diversity and understanding.
The historic building had been badly damaged in the explosion but it hadn't been obliterated. In the end the death toll stood at 47. Most of those killed had been tourists, from both the US and abroad, who were taking a tour of the building and had the unfortunate luck of stopping not far from the closet the bomb had been planted but there had been 14 congressmen, from all four parties, killed as well as several security guards and capital police.
Within hours of the explosion a group calling itself "God's Defenders", GD for short, sent a statement to media outlets taking responsibility for the act. In a brief statement they warned that there was more to come if something wasn't done to "return the US back to the core religious values that were the foundation the country was built on." It was that statement that drew the battle lines and the "war" had begun.
True to their word, the GD, as they became known, began escalating the attacks. Targeting government buildings, national landmarks and those that held political office, the frequency of the terrorist attacks became an almost daily event. Despite the manpower, and almost unlimited funding it had been given, law enforcement had been unable to capture those who masterminded the attacks. There had been a handful of arrests of some fairly minor players in the organization but those who ran the show remained elusive.
Unlike times in the past, where the citizens pulled together after an act of terrorism and screamed in outrage, the country was deeply divided over the issue. On one side there were the people who were appalled by the whole thing and on the other were those that believed in the AG's stance of "taking back" the country, feeling as though they had been pushed to the point that violence seemed to be the only answer left. Statistically, both sides had about even numbers of people backing them, roughly 40% of the population on one side or the other with 20% undecided. Passions ran high on both sides of the issue, making the situation even more volatile than normal.
By the time the next presidential election the country had deteriorated into almost total chaos as the various factions from both sides battled it out on the internet, television, in print, anywhere that they could make their voices heard. There had even been riots here and there as well as some more bombings. On both the state and federal level, in some cases town/city level as well, the governments grip on control over the havoc was tenuous at best. Military troops were stretched to the limit trying to keep the peace in the 'hot' areas across the country, having been sent in by federal government to back up the police who were struggling to keep everything contained.
Just when they would get one situation under control, another would crop up somewhere else. Realistically those on both the federal and state levels of government knew it wouldn't take much more for the whole mess to deteriorate into another civil war. A few even thought the first shots in that conflict has already been made. As best they could, both levels of government tried to diffuse the situation and keep everything under control.
As the countdown towards Election Day was calculated in weeks instead of months the whole country seemed to crackle with tension, knowing full well that this particular election was probably the most important one ever. Whoever was voted into the office of the Presidency could drag the country back from the precipice or tip it into a civil war. That person could very well tip the scales either way before they were even sworn in. In fact, if the worst-case scenario was played out, something that wasn't all that far-fetched, the president elect might not even make it to that point because there were people out there that would think nothing of killing him.
As the days inched by worried officials began putting plans into place in case the worst case scenario happened. By this point even the media took on a grave tone, the worry starting to show as they covered story after story on the topic. Many among their ranks that were the experts about political issues and had covered the political spectrum for years began to express a grave concern that no matter who was elected all hell was going to break loose. That it really was a no-win situation.
As everyone had expected voter turn out was heavy, with about 80% of those registered casting their vote. It was unprecedented to have that many people turn out. That night, as the polls began closing and the votes were counted the whole country seemed to grind to a halt. People were glued to their TVs, watching the results come in. It came as no surprise to anyone that the races were very close, almost a statistical dead heat in many cases.
In the end however, the Workers Party, the offshoot of what was once the Democratic party, candidate Reese Vale won by a landslide. Narvel Hanks, candidate from Faith and Families, the religious party, had been able to pull only three states. In fact, he hadn't even to pull his home state of Alabama whose constituency he had been representing for years, first as member of the Alabama legislature then as governor and finally in the US senate.
While the media was "Monday morning quarterbacking" the outcome they talked to both the winners and losers of some of the races including Narvel. When she had seen that it made her grin. From the way he spoke she couldn't tell if he was angry about losing or outraged that an atheist had been elected. Like others belonging to the F&F who had been interviewed after the votes had been tallied he gave a stern warning that until things changed there would be some dire consequences to face in the future. A smart man, he made sure that it was said in such a way that it wouldn't be considered a threat or sedition. Honestly, most didn't have to read between the lines to realize it was a veiled threat.
In the few days after the election a nervous tension crackled in the air all across the nation as people waited to see what the reaction would be. As the days ticked by until a week had passed with no sign of a problem people began to relax, thinking that those behind the violence had finally given up. By the time the new president took the oath of office people had slipped back into their normal routines.
Within an hour after the swearing in ceremony the GD sent all the big news channels a statement. A lot of what was in it was some of the same things they had said on the past and the normal "you've been warned" shtick. It wasn't until the very last paragraph of the 10 page manifesto that they realized that all hell was about to break loose. The GD had made an official declaration of war against the US. Knowing what the GD was like and the fact that they didn't make idle threats all who got the manifesto contacted the authorities shortly after it arrived.
An hour and a half after the manifesto was delivered the authorities were just starting to gather information, taking the threat seriously. It was almost 6:00 PM and the media was just starting to break the news to the public. At precisely 6:00 PM, just as the news started for many people, the bombs detonated. The Golden Gate Bridge, the Alamo, Mount Rushmore, the St. Louis Arch, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Capital Building, White House, Supreme court and National Archives were are targeted as well as natural wonders like Old Faithful, the Grand Canyon and other such places. They were either bombed or firebombed, unleashing devastating forest fires. Other less-known monuments were also targeted. As people watched in horror on TV the devastation was revealed.
While the building that housed the National Archives was almost totally destroyed, the vault that held the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution was activated in time and lowered before those documents were lost but other documents that were considered national treasures were gone forever. The White House, Congress and Supreme Court were damaged but not badly. However, the other monuments in Washington DC weren't as lucky; the Lincoln Memorial was badly damaged but repairable. Chunks had been blown out of the iconic statue but it remained in tact.
The Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial were total losses, both blown apart, the Washington Monument had toppled over like a tree, laying in pieces and the Jefferson Memorial was little more that medium sized chunks of stone all over. Both the Brooklyn and Golden Gate Bridges looked as though they had been hit by an earthquake, their towers toppling and the spans breaking apart. In Texas, the Alamo was a total loss, nothing left but bits and pieces of the structure. Mount Rushmore was damaged but reparable, the worst damage done to Washington's visage. Like the fate of the Washington and Jefferson Memorial, the St. Louis Arch, that structure dedicated to the city that was a gateway to the west to the long ago pioneers, was a total loss; first swaying as chunks fell from it before collapsing entirely.
In the chaotic hour that follow the people and government of the US were reeling and panic was starting to take over. Around the world, people in other countries sat glued to their televisions, horror-struck by the images of the terrorist attacks the US had suffered at the hands of its very own people. But the nightmare wasn't over.
Two hours later, just as the US government was pulling together and how things were going to be handled was beginning to be put into place the nightmare that had just engulfed the US spread across the rest of the world. In France twin explosions rocked Paris, both the Eiffel Tower and the Arch De Triumph had been targeted. The Louver was also damaged by several firebombs set off inside it. In London Big Ben, Parliament, the Tower of London and Windsor Castle were damaged by bombs. Stonehenge was blown apart. The Tate Museum was a total loss. Italy was devastated by bombs going off in some of its most historic museums and structures. Venice was shattered as age old buildings and the canals were damaged.
The only country in Europe that hadn't been hit was Rome, all the others had various explosive devices set of on or in some if its most prized and historic buildings or monuments. Africa as thrown into turmoil by explosions, the worst hit was the pyramids in Egypt. Those structures known the world over that had survived centuries were devastated by a series of bombs and one large one toppled the head off the Sphinx. The Middle East, with only the theocratic countries being spared, was rocked by bombs. The Great Wall in China had large holes blown apart, in Australia the Sydney Opera House and Harbor bridge were gone as well as the Parliament House. India was thrown into complete turmoil by a large series of bombs all over the ancient country. No continent was spared. It seemed that all religions were involved in the chaos, that they had somehow banded together to make a "statement".
As the world reeled from the devastating attacks surprisingly there was no talk or blame between countries. They all knew the attacks were internal and not from other countries. In the days that followed most were almost thrown into a civil war with governments pushing to find those who were responsible. Most weren't successful. In many cases, because of the reasons behind the attacks, chaos reigned and something akin to civil wars began. The US was hit hardest by that. While most were sympathetic and horrified by the devastation battle lines were drawn because of the reasons for the bombings. When the government began the crackdown on the groups associated with the "terrorists" the fight began. Many thought it was a crackdown on their religion and religious expression so they fought back.
Utah was the first state threatening secession from the country quickly followed by several of the states in the Deep South like Texas. Boston rattled their sabers and made it clear it would declare itself an independent nation. Now, not only was the US trying to find the people responsible for the attacks but had the start of the 2nd civil war on their hands. So did many of the other nations.
Slowly, those that were religious began to murmur about Armageddon and the end times or the end events talked about in their religions. The non-religious were just frightened of what would happen and what the end result would be. Those that started it just said, "You were warned!"
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