Collapse by Richard Stephenson

internment camps scattered across the country. In order to prevent the frightened Middle Easterners from being slaughtered, the camps were literally built around the people. The American Civil Liberties Union protested the violation to human rights. They had hoped that the atrocities of the Japanese internment camps of World War II would not be repeated. After being attacked by angry mobs themselves, the ACLU quietly went away to lick their wounds.
     
    The United States government did not have enough money for the security upgrades to the subways, nor did they have enough money to intern tens of thousands of American citizens in camps for an indeterminate amount of time. They certainly didn’t have the money to activate half a million guardsmen to protect the nation’s cities. Once again, the only remaining option was to borrow money from China. The current loan was to the tune of a trillion dollars, giving the Chinese ownership of sixty-one percent of the nation’s debt. Firefly fans just knew that their favorite TV show was a prophetic, with this very thing foreseen by Joss Whedon decades prior. Pretty soon, they would learn to speak Chinese. The fans of the cult TV show were the few that relished the thought.
     
    America was falling. Not many Americans really believed it at first. Their country had endured many challenges in its history. The United States of America had peered into the abyss many times but had never fallen in head first. They had survived a Civil War, two World Wars, and came out the other side of the First Great Depression and thrived. Democracy was the greatest institution the world had ever seen, and no other group of civilized people in the history of the world had been a greater example. To doubt the United States of America was unpatriotic and almost bordered on treason. No one dared challenge their beloved country.
     
    The few that could see the unpleasant truth prepared in secret. They stockpiled food, water, and medicine. They learned how to purify dirty water and start a fire without matches. Couch potatoes learned how to fish and hunt. Suburbanites dug bomb shelters by flashlight. Country folk built bunkers.
     
    Sadly, the few that had the foresight to prepare dared not recruit for fear of ridicule and rejection. The ones that did shout from the rooftops and proclaim the end of the world was near had a rude awakening. The Department of Homeland Security declared that anyone who stockpiled food, water, ammunition, and medicine were potential domestic terrorists and placed on a watch list. It didn’t take long for the survivalist movement to go underground.
     
    America was falling. Its decline had already begun. Patriotic Americans refused to believe it. America would prevail. She would rise again. Those unwilling to help make it happen were traitors. Sadly, the traitors knew the truth. The United States of America was racing towards collapse.
     
     

CHAPTER EIGHT
     
    For the first time in two and a half years, Howard Beck made plans to leave his mountain fortress and venture to the other side of the twelve-foot high brick wall that surrounded his estate.  He had spent the previous night obsessing over what to bring along with him.  Howard had designated a specific bathrobe for each day of the week and wore nothing else.  Leaving the compound meant that he would have to wear actual clothes; Howard had no idea what to wear.  He finally decided on four outfits and packed them in his bag.
     
    “Excuse me, sir.” Hal felt he needed to interrupt his creator. 
     
    “Yes, Old Man, what is it?”
     
    “Would you like for me alter the itinerary of our trip?”
     
    “Why on earth would you do that?  Is something wrong?”  Howard anxiously asked.
     
    “No, sir.  Everything is fine.”
     
    Howard was sort of disappointed at this.  He was searching for any reason at all to skip this visit with Meredith.  Hal knew he was a creature of habit and figured that an excuse not to