The introduction read:
        1996:  little land, even less resources, every thing was gone.  The planet, after being over-taxed for nearly 100 years, had finally given up.  Its icecaps had melted and the resulting flood turned half of the earth’s land mass into ocean.  Discovered a mere a 20 years ago and, even then, not given much credit, global warming had soon become the next comet, wiping out millions of people and thousands of species of plants and animals.
        All governments were in ruin.  The people, in need of support, turned to the only establishments that appeared to have any, the major corporations. These corporations promised “the three S’s”:  stability, safety and security, in return for loyalty. But the people should have read the fine print, for instead of loyalty what was really wanted was ignorance and apathy.

“So what do you think?” he shifted his feet uncomfortably in the damp cold alley.

“I think its biased, and attacking” she handed the stack of papers back to him apparently calm, “Why would he write like this anyway? He’s going to get himself killed.”

“Shhhh! Not so loud. Someone might hear you.” His eyes shifting to the shadows, he said, “He’s already dead; it was them I’m sure of it.”

“Do you have any proof of this?” she asked her voice stained as she, too, looked around. “And why would I pay for this, if it’s going to have me ending up dead, too?”

“Proof? No, how could I? But he wouldn’t just disappear like he has on his own, and every person who knew him seems to have forgotten he even existed… I had to be reminded with a tape and this copy of the book; you won’t be involved - it will just be an untraceable amount in cash for the printing. Anyway, he hates propaganda, he hates the companies’ ability to do anything and their abuse of it, and he hates the wants of the companies’ leaders being put over the needs of everyone else.”

She looked thoughtful, her index finger curled and against her lip, while he eyes were piercing through him. “Look, he may be correct, perhaps the companies are to powerful, but that’s precisely the reason you don’t publish a novel like this; they have more hired guns in one corporation then in the entire U.N. forces”

“And that’s why I need to publish this; even if I die, I’ll just be a martyr. The second it happens, this thing will have a cult following that just might change something around this planet.”

She paused looking at him, almost mournful, and reached under her coat. “I was afraid you’d say that.”

“…what?”


A small silenced hand gun fired once.