America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 3: Silent Invasion
Page 17
The Governor hired a public relations firm to sway public opinion. They put advertisements on TV and radio, and placed yard signs everywhere. There was no real organized effort by the Legion. General Kalipetsis released a few prisoners, and told me to make sure my legionnaires were nice to the citizenry and to not cause any incidents. No such luck.
A few days before the referendum at 0230, the New Disneyland Sheriff’s Office received a suspicious persons report. What they found was legionnaires driving an armored car loaded with stolen pro-Empire yard signs. A patrol car with two deputies pulled the legionnaires over for questioning.
“Stealing yard signs? In uniform? While driving an armored car?” asked one of the deputies. “Can you get more stupid?”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” said Corporal Williams. Williams pointed at Private Wayne. “It was his idea.”
“The Empire sucks, and so does the Emperor,” said Private Wayne, finishing another beer and throwing the can in the back. “All empires suck.”
“You’re a spider,” said the deputy. “I would think you would want to join the Arthropodan Empire so you can be ruled by your own kind.”
“I may be drunk,” said Private Wayne. “But I know the difference between freedom and tyranny. I do not want to be ruled by anyone.”
“Someone has to run things,” said the deputy.
“You humans take freedom for granted,” said Private Wayne. “You assume the rest of the galaxy does, too. I have got news for you. The fact of the matter is that the rest of the galaxy is watching New Disneyland with great interest. This will be the shot heard around the world.”
“You are confused and drunk,” said the deputy, nodding to his spider partner. “And you are under arrest for vandalism and elections tampering.”
Private Wayne retreated back to the armored car. He climbed up the turret and pointed the machine gun at the deputies’ patrol car. As the deputies jumped to the side, Private Wayne fired about a hundred rounds into their car. Corporal Williams jumped back into the armored car and drove away as fast as possible. The deputies’ bullets pinged off the armored car as Williams sped back to Legion Headquarters.
Private Wayne was prophetic when he said his shot would be heard around the world. A dash camera mounted on the deputies’ car recorded the entire incident. The video was broadcast later on Cable TV, Satellite TV, Earth TV, Martian TV, Arthropodan TV, and the Universal Database. Debate raged on the major news networks and talk shows. Members in Congress demanded that the two drunk legionnaires be arrested and their commanding officer be relieved of command. Phil Coen, World News Tonight, confronted me about the growing scandal and charges of elections tampering.
“Major Czerinski, please explain to our viewers why your two legionnaires are not arrested and in jail for Constitutional rights violations,” said Coen. “Or do you condone their conduct? Can the Legion still be trusted to supervise a fair and open election?”
“The voting will be monitored by observers from both the Arthropodan Empire and the Legion,” I said. “The referendum vote will be fair and honest.”
“I again ask, do you condone drunken legionnaires stealing campaign signs and shooting up police cars?” asked Coen. “Shouldn’t you not only avoid impropriety, but also even the appearance of impropriety?”
“No, of course I do not condone what happened,” I said. “But I think it is ironic that you are missing the symbolism of what happened.”
“There is nothing that anyone could miss,” said Coen. “The video has been played and replayed repeatedly on all the major news networks. It is very clear your legionnaires are guilty of abuse of their authority.”
“Private Wayne is just a poor drunk legionnaire,” I said. “However, I think he made a very astute comment. The analogy he drew between that incident and events during the birth of our nation at Lexington and Concord is extraordinary.”
“I don’t follow,” said Coen.
“Access Lexington and Concord in the database and read about the other shot heard around the world. Private Wayne, a spider, knows more about our history than you do. Maybe Private Wayne was clumsy about the way he expressed himself, and maybe he will pay severely for that, but do not think his shot was not heard loud and clear around the world, too. In fact, his shot was heard across the galaxy. The days of kings and emperors are numbered. Once you let freedom out of the box, it’s not so easy to put it back.”
Phil Coen of World News Tonight refreshed his memory by punching Lexington and Concord into his communications pad on the database. So did millions of other viewers.
“So you are advocating armed insurrection?” asked Coen. “Didn’t you get enough bloodshed fighting the insurgency?”
“You are an idiot,” I said. I then knocked him out with a sucker punch.
* * * * *
The day before the referendum, the Governor of the North Territory made a paid political speech on New Disneyland TV and radio. “There has been much debate lately about whether returning our home to Imperial rule will mean loss of so-called freedoms you now enjoy. Nonsense. I assure you that the Empire will respect local customs that have evolved here in New Disneyland. My philosophy is that if it’s not broken, do not fix it. You will continue to elect your mayor and some local officials. Not only will you enjoy the pride of Arthropodan rule and culture, but you will benefit from the enormous economic prosperity of the North Territory. And, you will shed the humiliation of being ruled by the human pestilence.”
The vote was 50.2% to 49.8% to join the Arthropodan Empire. As agreed, the Legion pulled back to the old DMZ. Arthropodan tanks and mechanized infantry, followed by the Intelligentsia, occupied New Disneyland. The silent invasion was now over, and a complete success.
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~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~
Walter Knight
Walter played football on Tucson High School’s last state championship team (1971). He served three years in the army, and the GI Bill paid for his college education, helping him earn degrees from Fort Steilacoom Community College, Central Washington State College, and the University of Puget Sound School of Law.
Walter lives a very quiet and private life, residing with his family and horses, dogs, cats, and fish atop a hill in rural Washington. Walt enjoys taking road trips to explore ghost towns and casinos.
To find out more about Walter Knight and his books, visit his web site at www.waltknight.yolasite.com
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Author Dedication
Chapter 1