It seemed to happen overnight.<br/><br/>Some crazy military group linked with some terrorist organization launched an attack on their own country, ultimately taking it over and ruling with an iron fist. At first nothing changed, but then the government fell apart and shit hit the fan quicker than anyone can say â€˜weâ€™re fuckedâ€™. The military power failed because they didnâ€™t understand how to keep the people happy enough where they wouldnâ€™t overthrow them; when people become displeased, they wonâ€™t hesitate to express that and remove whatever has them oppressed. And when they did that, the military would put them back in their place â€“this military group failed to do that enough to remain in power. They probably didnâ€™t expect the people of the â€˜Land of the Freeâ€™ to be more stubborn than resilient. That had been a big mistake on their part.<br/><br/>It wasnâ€™t long before they were wiped out by resistance. And then the final â€˜stableâ€™ form of authority was completely gone, and the â€˜Land of the Freeâ€™ had become just that. No authority, no rule, just people making their own decisions and living how they desire. The dark side of the American Dream so to speak, or maybe that had been the intention from the start. The people of New America were not bound by typical society and made their own rules, essentially rebuilding society in their image. This was a cruel world that was unforgiving and cast out those who could not step up and survive. It has only been four years but it seemed only yesterday that people were stranded in their work spaces or leeching off the government. Having goals in mind, most of them, heading to school in order to reach those goals only to have those dreams crushed under the boots of terrorists and then again by the people trying to rebuild.<br/><br/>The way things were going now, it was going to be awhile before things returned to â€˜normalâ€™. Assuming things could ever revert back to how they were; honestly some people seemed to enjoy this new way of life, opposed by the usual â€˜we want the old ways backâ€™ people. Though reality strikes again and will tell you that going back to the â€˜old waysâ€™ is not an option. Itâ€™s never an option. People move on, thatâ€™s just a fact of life. That being said, there is no happy medium and either way there wouldnâ€™t be any satisfaction to be had in anything.<br/><br/>At least that was what James, or Maverick as people call him, thought, anyway. He has learned to just suck it up and move on, not really relying on anything or anyone aside from the few people he trusted to pull him out of a bad situation. It was a damn shame he lost contact with most of them after shit hit the fan. Everything they had going for them probably fell apart again as wellâ€¦ But he knew he couldnâ€™t think about that, knowing he just had to move on and make do with what he has now. This town may not be his hometown, but the people have grown to like him for whatever reason â€“probably because he had a small bit of leader potential since he didnâ€™t stand there and deal with bull shit. If something had to be taken care of, he would do it.<br/><br/>And as there has been some trouble with neighboring towns to the point where a conflict was about to break out, it looks like he was on scout duty again.<br/><br/>Anyone within earshot could hear the music playing:<br/><br/>â€¦The rules are changed<br/>It's not the same<br/>It's all new players in a whole new ball game<br/>Last night I dreamed of an old lover dressed in gray<br/>I've had this fever now since yesterdayâ€¦<br/><br/>There was a Donald Fagen cassette in the radio boom box next to him that he listened to while he ate some beans and rice out of a frying pan with a fork that he half assed cleaning prior to putting it in his mouth, which had been his main lunch for the past few weeks, and made sure his knife was sharpened and gun was ready go. The music suited the mood, in his opinion. He was glad that the cassette still worked since he had traded almost three days worth of food for just three C batteries. Lucian had scolded him for such a trade, but he had waved it off. If this was the end of the world, goddamnit, he was going to fucking enjoy some good music while he still could. Batteries were becoming harder and harder to find. More so than the bullets he needed to keep his Smith & Wesson Pistol in action.<br/><br/>â€œGoing alone?â€ A voice said to him, belonging to someone a bit younger than himself, â€œThereâ€™s been some increase in hostile activities lately and--â€<br/><br/>â€œYeah, Iâ€™m aware,â€ Maverick said, half-heartedly waving the younger man off. His name was Jerry or something like that, if he remembers correctly. He wasnâ€™t exactly the mostâ€¦ stableâ€¦ of people. â€œItâ€™s cute that youâ€™re looking out for me and all, but I can handle myself, thanks.â€ He was forty years of age after all, he could handle himself. After he finished eating, he put the fork in the pan and placed the pan next to him, coaxing a dog that had been looking at him since he brought the food out over to him. â€œNot much I know, but food is food right, buddy?â€ He told the dog.<br/><br/>â€œSpeaking of food, I hear you traded some of our food we worked hard to get for batteries. And now instead of trying to figure out what kind of broadcast are out there you use whatever juice is left in those batteries to play thatâ€¦ whatever the hell you want to call that noise.â€<br/><br/>Maverick looked up from the dog after it was done cleaning out the leftovers, and stood from his chair, picking up the pan and fork. He moved to the door of the house but instead of going inside, he simply placed the dirty items on the counter just inside the door. â€œItâ€™s called music, whether you approve of it and appreciate it or not is entirely up to you. Learn to relax a bit. I think weâ€™re all entitled to play some music to ease the mood.â€<br/><br/>What he said wasnâ€™t entirely false. Lately everyone in town has been so on edge that it was a bit flustering and made things unbearable at times. Maverick was not as old or as wise as some of the leaders in town, but he knew what he was doing. Heâ€™s seen some conflict in his time, or at least enough of it to know when and when not to be so stiff. Younger people these daysâ€¦ honestly Maverick didnâ€™t blame them for being the way they were. Everyone has lost something in this, friends, family, but the younger generations seemed to have suffered the most. And the even younger kids had it worse still because a lot of them lost parents in some way or another. Disease, starvation â€“this really was survival of the fittest now no matter how you look at it.<br/><br/>â€œGetting back to business, unless told otherwise Iâ€™ll be gathering a few other people in a few hours before sunset. If you think youâ€™re up to coming along I suggest you be prepared. I donâ€™t think I need to tell you itâ€™s not exactly Paradise out there.â€ Maverick spoke again Jerry, who gave him a nod. It wasn't that he was afraid to go alone, he just figured it would be easier to cover more gound this way. â€œInform people about it, but donâ€™t go shouting out to the whole fucking State. We donâ€™t need people to be worked up any more than they are now, especially those out for blood, who will hinder this little scouting adventure.â€<br/><br/>With that the younger man was off, and went back to cleaning his weapons. This was not his fist time doing this but he still had a feeling it was going to be a rough night. He would be lying if he said he wasnâ€™t worried.