Fiction on the Fly is a new segment of Novel Idea. The premise is taken an idea and writing a short fiction narrative from it, without drafts. Just write it and post it. It is, in essence, what the writer wanted to accomplish, before they let themselves get in the way with editing and re-writing. I hope you enjoy.
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Title: Leader?
Inspiration: Handlebars by The FloBots
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It was bleak. That was the outlook of major economists, political advisers, pundits, news anchors, and pretty much everyone else in the country. Financial despair gripped the nation, causing panic in the streets and riots in most of the major cities. New York was under martial law for a time and, according to the last transmission from WGN, Chicago was powerless and ruled by street gangs, most of the people had fled.
Then he'd come along. He was once the CEO of a major corporation, marketing major from at least two college, multiple degrees, and a master of the microphone. His company had once dealt in computers and microtechnologies, now he headed into office. As much of the nation as could voted had essentially unanimously elected him. He had been handed unlimited power.
And somehow things got better. Financial institutions rose from the ashes of the old order, and the cities once again throve. The politicians that had been blamed for the previous depression were gone, and a new group had come to power. And they were loved nationwide.
The people once again had money. Jobs were more secure than they'd been for decades.
The leader stood in Chicago, looking over the rebuilding. The city had been retaken. The leader turned to the microphones in front of him, and to the gathered media standing in a rugged semi-circle around him. This broadcast was big. It was global.
"Look at me, nation. Look at me, world. My cause is noble. My power, that you gave to me, is pure. This nation, this tower of strength, is secure once more. We've handed out millions of vaccinations to combat the latest disease. We've overcome the power outages in the northeast and midwest. We've overcome."
At this even some of the media clapped. They loved him, and who wouldn't? He's assembled a team that had solved all of our problems. He'd almost single-handedly ended the economic depression. The violent street gangs had fallen into obscurity under his administration. He was all that was good in the world. And he kept talking.
"I can keep us safe, if you trust me. You all knew that our problems wouldn't be solved so easily. Some other things will have to happen to keep us safe." This isn't right, our problems are already solved. What's he talking about? "So I will cut to the chase with you, nation, world. To solve our problems some more changes will be made at the higher levels, and eventually at your level." Did he just insult us? Our level, what's that supposed to mean? "We will have to isolate. Our nation is no longer open to outsiders, and it will be so for sometime. The governt will be put under my control for at least two years. I'm doing this for you, nation. I'm doing it for the world. To solve our problems, we must keep our people at home. Unfortunately, the liberties you enjoy will be scaled back." What in God's name is he doing? We didn't vote for this...
"We need your help in this. If we are to survive this crisis, then we have to unite under one banner. You have to trust me that I have it all under my command. I can bring us back."
His image vanished from the TV screen, and at that moment I heard police sirens for the first time in over a year. They had stopped in my driveway, and were approaching my house with guns drawn.
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