State of Alliance

“Welcome, Representatives, to the Negotiations.” A tall black woman with short hair is standing at the head of the table. “I am Commander Jen Amal, leader of the California coastal militia group Seahawks. I will be the presiding mediator for these negotiations. Thank you to the Representatives who have made the long and dangerous journey to Monterey to engage in these discussions.”

A beat of silence. A bead of sweat slips down my temple.

I do not show my fear. I keep my hands folded. I am the picture of calm.

Commander Amal gestures to a short, stocky man with a gray beard. His placard says OREGON. “Senator Ken Thrawn, Commander of the Oregon militia group Titans.” He nods respectfully, and I notice that his left hand has been amputated. “Senator Nathaniel Mero, Commander of the Washington militia group Red Fox,” Amal continues, nodding at a younger man with long brown hair and a scarred, beaten face.

Commander Amal gestures next to the man with the CANADA placard, a white-haired gentleman wearing a camouflage jacket and thick black gloves. “Senator Marshal Sullivan, Commander of the Canadian militia confederation group The Strikers,” she says. Then she turns to a woman sitting behind the MEXICO placard. She is pale white with black hair and blue eyes. A deep, red scar cuts through her cheek, into her lip. And yet somehow she is still beautiful. “Senator Anita Vega, Commander of the Mexican militia group Coyotes.”

Commander Amal surveys the room and then holds an open palm in my direction. “And representing California in the these Negotiations to join the alliance is Senator Cassidy Hart, Commander of the Freedom Fighters and Operation Angel Pursuit.”

My face warms when she mentions my name. I feel slightly out of body, like I’m dreaming. I tell myself to relax. This is not a battlefield, but it might as well be. I have to go into this with the same mentality:

Keep it together. Failure is not an option.

“Senator Hart, since you are representing the state of California, the entity who wishes to join the Pacific Northwest Alliance, will you begin the Negotiations?” Commander Amal suggests.

I nod. I have been around the block when it comes to this war with Omega, so I figure… why not be direct?

“I’m representing California, as you know,” I say, projecting my voice. It echoes in the big room. “What do we have in common? We are all fighting Omega. Omega has taken everything from us — our homes, our families, our friends. Our way of life. But they haven’t taken away our will to fight, or to be free. That’s what unites us. That’s what brings us together.” I briefly lock eyes with Chris. I continue, “California, Mexico, Canada. It doesn’t matter that we’re independent countries. Right now we’re all on the same playing field. To stay alive and to maintain our freedom, California needs your help, and you need California’s help. Our coastline is huge, and we need help keeping it secure, and keeping Omega from pushing into the Central Valley and taking our agricultural resources. In helping us, you will be helping yourselves. As long as Omega can’t get a stronger foothold in California, their chances of breaking our defenses anywhere on the Pacific coast are significantly slimmer.” I hold my hands out. “It’s simple, really. We need you, you need us. It’s a win-win situation for everyone. Omega needs to be destroyed, and together, we can achieve that goal.”

Seriously. It’s not rocket science.

“And what guarantee do we have that when the war is over, California will not overstep its territorial boundaries?” Anita Vega, the representative from Mexico speaks up. “America has taken Texas and California from us in the past. Perhaps in exchange for our help you could return territory to Mexico?”

I shake my head.

“This isn’t about territorial claims or disputes,” I say. “This is about getting Omega out of our countries. This isn’t for our governments. I mean, come on. Our governments are all but destroyed. They’re a sad joke. What have they done to protect us from Omega? Nothing. The only reason we’ve got a shot is because people like you and me — average, everyday people — are taking it on themselves to grow a spine and duke it out with the bad guys.” I press my index finger on the table. “And right here is how we do it. We join forces now, and we make crushing Omega our main goal. End of story.”

“So we don’t have any prizes for anyone,” Marshal Sullivan, the representative from Canada interjects. “Which means our incentive is the same — defeating our common enemy. That strengthens our cause. I agree with Senator Hart in this. There is no other way. I see no reason to deny California membership in the Pacific Northwest Alliance. We need California as much as they need us.”

“True, but let’s say the war ends,” Anita shoots back. “Omega is hypothetically defeated and the world is restored to how it used to be. While we are rebuilding society, do we remain in an alliance, or do we break apart?”

“We’ll establish that when the war ends,” I say. “Honestly, think about how long it’s going to take to rebuild everything. I mean everything. Right now we’re ru

“I think it would be of interest to the company gathered here to note that we have had limited communication with the United Kingdom, Germany and Russia,” Ken Thrawn, the Oregon representative states, his voice deep and bellowing. “They’ve been wiped out by an EMP, as well. They are in the same boat as us. There are few places in the world that have been left untouched by the scourge of Omega, and most of those locations are completely taken over by the enemy.”

“Do you understand what I’m saying?” I ask. “We really are Earth’s last hope. If we go down, we take the last free continents on the planet down with us. Omega takes over Mexico, Canada, and the United States. They take over Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The planet is ruled by a dictatorship, we all die, and everything good goes up in flames.” I look at Chris again. His eyes are sad, knowing. “So there it is,” I say. “That’s the truth. Are you going to help us win this thing or not? Because even if you say no, even if you don’t want California in the Alliance, I’m still going to go out there and fight Omega every day until the day I die. Because they’re killing us — all of us. I know where I stand. The question is, where do you stand?”

There is a heavy silence in the room. And then Nathaniel Mero, the scarred young representative from Washington finally says something.

“The Senator is right,” he says. His voice is slightly slurred. “This is not a question of politics or revenge. This is about right and wrong. It is wrong for us to stand by and do nothing — we know this, otherwise we wouldn’t have created the Pacific Northwest Alliance. It is our moral obligation to fight for what we believe in and to defend our homeland from this invasion. We all know this. It is absolutely necessary is to allow California to join us. Our survival depends on it.”

His words hang in the air.

Let the games begin, I think.

I have done my part. Now it is in their hands.

I pray to God they do the right thing.

Chapter Seven

The Negotiations adjourn for the night. I was under the impression that my heartfelt — and, in my opinion, pretty inspiring pep talk — would open the Alliance’s arms to California. And it did, as far as I know. But the representatives will take a vote, and I will know tomorrow if California is in for sure. I am clearly not a politician, and the complexity of negotiations and strategies may always elude me, but I know the difference between right and wrong. I have common sense, and I am not afraid to draw a line in the sand. My first priority is to destroy Omega, and I will do that in any way that I can.