Page 96 of Failed State

“The organization of this event has been over a year in the making, and we have worked hard to transition from residents of the re-education camps to all-star competitors seamlessly. Corporate sponsors from all over our great nation have generously poured money into making the Games Complexes in the camps selected for the Supernatural United Challenge ofEndurance the best accommodations possible and to recruit the most talented coaches and leaders for your training from all sectors of business, education, and sports.”

“I don’t think they did a very good fucking job ofourstaff,” Sydney mutters as she lets go of the mage’s hand and starts pacing. “Except for Brick and Lancaster, our damn people are full of shit.”

Rory tilts his head, looking regretful as he replies, “Honestly, Gemma isn’t bad. You hate her because her job violates your person, which is fair, but she and her team are objectively talented.”

Her look could wither the balls on a Yeti; that’s how cold it is. “Not the point.”

I wave my hand at them, dismissing the spat. “We must listen.”

They stop talking, and I grin happily. I like the rules the vampire set last night and am amused that everyone seems to follow them even outside of the bedroom, which he did not request. I don’t know if that’s instinctual or if the others actually prefer having someone else in charge, but couldn’t say it out loud. Pride is important to many species and definitely to someone as independent as our woman.

“In that vein, we are continuing the training program for another six weeks to ensure that all teams in all camps are prepared for the start of the Supernatural United Challenge of Endurance. This event is important to our government, our businesses, our people, and, most of all, our glorious leader, President Richard Lorcan Taterman. It will signify our recovery from the bio-weapon that was unleashed on humanity by the supernatural elders and their operatives to the world at large. You, challengers, will restore honor to your species by reforming the image of this country as one still plagued by theremnants of global plague your kin released in their attempt to overthrow the human governments worldwide.”

Sebastian looks as if he’s going to burst into flames on the spot; that’s how angry his countenance is. “None of that drivel is remotely true. The virus was natural and jumped from actual animals to humans in Asia. Did you know the vampiric counsel were the ones who suggested Taterman’s lackeys use that insane internet theory from the tin foil hat brigade to bolster their reasoning for the first Sweeps, right?”

I did not, and by the looks on the faces of the rest of my new family, they also did not know that. “Why would they do such a thing, Whitmore?”

He snorts, shaking his head as he clenches his fists at his side. “Our elders believed we could make the rift between supes and humans widen and it would allow for a leadership change in the Supernatural Councils that would favor vampires, demons, etc, who have the longest lifespans. They believed that shifters, magic users, and the like who are more plentiful had too much influence on the way we were governed, especially since they don’t have the wisdom of our ages.”

“I’d like one day to go by where my world isn’t up-ended,” Sydney mutters as she continues pacing. “But I don’t think that’s going to happen soon.”

“As a treat for you, we have arranged an important event this weekend. Part of it will be recorded and packaged as promotion for the event, so there will be schedule changes today in order to get the teams ready for it. After this message, a schedule for today will be flash messaged to your tablets, and you will follow it to the letter. It is imperative that no resistance is given to the changes and that you do not object to the tasks laid out for you. The event tomorrow will go off without a hitch and it will be the public sneak peek for what is coming in six weeks.”

I frown, looking confused as I try to understand why they are stating this in such explicit terms. Huck shared his experience in the doctor’s office, noting that he believes unlike our team, others are having issues that have caused injuries and perhaps deaths, but nothing in his statement indicated that there were strong enough issues for the assholes running this circus to speak in this fashion.

What the hell are they preparing us for and why has the cheery tone changed so suddenly?

“I don’t like this,” Thad says. I see the energy of his bear rippling along his skin, and I know the others cannot. My dragon is also quite close to the brink as concern wars with frustration inside of me and they cannot see that, either. It takes a full shifter or strong hybrid to sense the animal of others and its moods. “They’ve changed how they’re talking to us.”

Sydney turns, walking over to the counter and placing her palms on top of his. “You’re having trouble with control, Thaddy. Breathe.”

He blinks, his eyes flying to mine. That is certainly a sign that magic is not her only gift, and one the others will not recognize. “Yeah, I am. I don’t like the shift to more authoritarian phrasing. It feels like the broadcasts before the Sweeps.”

“He’s right, little rebel.”

I don’t know how much her father sheltered her before she was brought here when it came to the media. Keeping her so ill-informed probably required that, and she might not realize that the former US government broadcast and posted insanely fascist nonsense for months before they were comfortable enough to enact the first wave of public kidnappings that would eventually become the Sweeps. Supernaturals innocent of any crime were secretly accused of something criminal and whisked away—first in the dead of the night and then in broad daylight—in acts reminiscent of the humans’ own great shame from the 1930s.

No one paid enough attention, and the Councils sat impotently while it happened, so the local leaders of species figured out quickly that we were on our own.

“Yes, he is.” The demon is leaking dark shadows filled with fear, and no one seems to react, so I wonder if they can see it or if they’re simply pretending not to notice. “This is the way the speeches and online presence turned before the squads Sebastian’s father was part of forming began their reign of terror. Demons fled the earthly plane like rats on the ship during this time, as did Fae.”

“Do you think they’re going to do something worse than put every supe left in the country in prison camps and reform the government into a racist, fascist, authoritarian regime that’s been cut from the world?” Sydney arches her brow as she waits for the damn announcer to continue their speech. “Exactly what can they do that’s worse?”

“Schedule this damn challenge every six months until they kill us all,” Sebastian mutters around his fangs. “Including the idiots like my father and the elders and the Councils they can reach. They can use it to complete a genocide, if they get the entire world hooked on the brain candy of reality TV paired with internalized discrimination against supernaturals.”

“We are hoping the next announcement will be the most exciting thing you’ve experienced in your lifetime, as it certainly is for your staff and administrators!”

Frowning, I stop paying attention to the various issues amongst our group, zeroing in on the speaker with intensity. Somehow, I know this is the most important part of their morning interruption, and we all need to focus on it. “Shhhh.”

“This weekend, Tempest Seven’s competitors will receive the highest possible honor in the Federated States of Human America. Tomorrow evening, when we film the rally to kick off the Supernatural United Challenge of Endurance, we will hostour most generous and benevolent leader, President Richard Lorcan Taterman!”

That statement freezes us all in place, and we look at one another in shock. Since the last Sweeps, Taterman rarely leaves the Capitol and never appears in places where his support network in the military and law enforcement communities do not have everyone locked down like a super-max. Even the human population doesn’t get to see him in person for fear of rogue rebels attempting to assassinate him and cut the head off of the snake. His major political staff, supporters, and donors have all used their clout to have surgically altered dupes for their own appearances in non-secured areas.

Despite Taterman’s claim of a national and global mandate, he and his people haven’t been truly safe since the first Sweep, and he knows it. Unfortunately for his closest advisors, he’s too egotistical to have doubles like the others who helped him rise to power. If they say he’s coming, it will absolutely be the most corrupt, morally bankrupt, and hated leader of this country in its brief history. He will stand on the dias in our complex, in front of our teams, and spout his vile bullshit coated in gilded words to entice the rest of the world to pretend they don’t know he’s imprisoned over half of his own people because he’s a bigoted opportunist.

“Your day is being altered because each team will have an audience before the President and his most honored guests so he can decide which groups he will follow closely and eventually support publicly. You are strongly urged to remember the executive orders issued in the past four years when you present yourself, as there are many ways to be permanently removed from this challenge before it begins. Those consequences will be dire at best and deadly at worst. You have been warned.”

“We’re not ready,” Sebastian says, his teeth gritted in frustration. He picks up a coffee mug and throws it, watching it smash against the wall with a growl. “The first time inyears, and we’re notready!”

“Then this is our one and only opportunity to figure out how to be ready,” our woman says as she squares her shoulders. “We can’t do what we’d like tomorrow, but we can use it to launch our plan. If that waste of flesh takes a shine to us, his support could play either way, but it still puts us in the middle of a media frenzy. And it will keep us from being eliminated too early if that washed up druggie that helped Taterman rig the votes for all his crimes against us hasn’t overdosed yet.”

“We have to control ourselves from the moment we wake up in the morning to the second we come back to this room, and today will be important, too. No one can get us on a list; is that understood?”

“I promise I’ll behave,” Sydney says earnestly. “This is too important to fuck up.”

“Truer words, little rebel…. truer words..”

Unfortunately, I’m uncertain the people organizing this are planning to play fair and that might be a problem…

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