helicopter traveled over 100 miles west of our island. At no point did the pilot see anything but the ocean.”
Now the audience was outraged. Screams and accusations came from every direction. A woman rushed out of the crowd screaming, “You lie!” She attempted to climb the stage. Paul Tiberius turned his dark gaze to the security forces and pointed at the woman. A team of five officers surrounded the woman and moved her forcibly through the crowd. The attendees became noticeably quieter after that, and Lucas took the opportunity to once more sooth the crowd to near-silence.
“I apologize that my words are unsettling to you. How could they not be? I know we all look to those in authority at times like this. Well, though I cannot explain what happened to us, I would like, at your indulgence, to share with you what we do know and what we have been doing to preserve the well-being of those of us on this island. “
“There were quite a large number of visitors to the shore when the Event took place. Unfortunately, I must report that many lost their lives in the calamity that transpired. We suspect that some survivors are still missing, whether or not by their own choice. If we make some conservative estimates of the missing and combine that with what we do know from those of you who have made regular rounds to obtain rations, we can safely assume that the surviving population on this island is about twelve thousand people. About three quarters of that number are here tonight. “
“The first thing we have decided is to preserve the laws of the United States of America. We don’t know if the country has survived or what shape it is in, but it is the law we as citizens all pledged to obey and so we shall. Having said that, we believe that some organization is important. We have no access to the governments of Atlantic County, the state of New Jersey, or the United States. Therefore we, the elected officials of Atlantic City, and those of Ventnor and Margate, of which some land still remains, have chosen to join our governments together. Until which time the situation changes and we revoke these new orders, all the lands of this island shall be called…Atlantic Island.”
At his words, banners unfurled from the arena ceiling displaying a new flag. Three thick, vertical stripes of red, white and blue comprised the background, while a variant of Atlantic City’s logo was emblazoned in the center with the name of the new territory.
The crowd gasped and again Lucas silenced them with a calm raise of his hand. “Now there will be more information coming to you over time. Some of it will be in large forums like this; other info will be distributed by pamphlets at ration stations. I just have two more issues to discuss and you will be free to enjoy this lovely evening.”
“First, we have carefully allocated food from stores, casinos and hotels to ensure that there will be something for all twelve thousand residents of Atlantic Island, at least for a while. Obviously our supplies are not unlimited. To that end, we will be demolishing all remaining structures in what remains of the region formerly called ‘Margate.’ We are going to turn that land into farmland, so that when our current supply runs out, we will be prepared with an abundance of food. We will need demolition crews and farmers. “
“We will also require demolition crews to remove collapsed buildings and tear down any that have been damaged beyond repair. We need workers to repair almost all the remaining buildings, as the damage has been pervasive. We have other openings with our science crew, police force, and etcetera. We will have signups at ration stations. All are expected to participate and help in some way. Your rations, I’m afraid, will only be provided if you volunteer for some position.”
“And now,” said Lucas, “for the final topic of the evening, allow me to introduce Deputy Mayor Tiberius.” The crowd, having exhausted itself applauding the mayor’s previous statements, still mustered some enthusiasm as Tiberius approached the podium looking grim.
“Greetings,” said Tiberius. He sounded, Theo thought, as somber as he looked. “It is my duty to inform you that I have been chosen the head of the Atlantic Island Department of Law Enforcement. This new department oversees the police force and intelligence groups. As such, I must say that I have been very displeased by the behavior on this island.” Lucas looked uncomfortable at this and made to approach the podium. Tiberius raised a hand in the same manner Lucas had used to calm the crowd. The mayor returned to the back of the stage.
“There have been many incidents of violence against property and persons in our community. Indeed, there have been attacks against our officers. This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. I trust that I will not have to elaborate further on this matter.” The crowd was silent. Theo felt a disconnect between his brain, which knew that the words Tiberius spoke made sense, and his stomach, which churned uncomfortably with his deep dislike of the deputy mayor.
“The final topic for this meeting is that of residency. Many of you have taken occupancy of homes that are not yours. We your governing officials have graciously decided to overlook this flagrant inappropriateness while the demolitions and repairs are taking place. At a time to be determined, we will assign official and legal residences to all of you. This is all.”
Tiberius stepped backwards from the podium. Mayor Lucas walked around him still looking a bit embarrassed. “Thank you Deputy Mayor Tiberius,” said Lucas. “On that note, we thank you for all being here tonight and giving form to our wonderful new community. These times are scary for us all, but together we can live, flourish and triumph over this adversity. Please know that the government of Atlantic Island is doing all it can to make contact with the outside world and we will notify all of you as soon as we know anything more. Thank you, and goodnight.”
The crowd dispersed back into the streets in torrents of excited conversation. Theo, despite his intense distrust of Tiberius, felt exhilarated at the prospect of things getting better on the island.
“Did you all hear that Tiberius guy?” asked Bill. “He looks like a bat. I didn’t like the threatening kinda crap at all.”
“Maybe it’s good to have somebody in charge who isn’t scared to keep violent people in line,” said Michelle. “I haven’t felt too comfortable with all the craziness we’ve seen, but Tiberius knows how to take control.”
“I’m just excited to sign up for the science crew,” said Ryan. “Finally a chance to help get us off the island!”
“You mean our new country,” said Kylee. “Don’t you think it’s a little fast to be giving up our US citizenship?”
“I think they just want people to feel there is some sense of normalcy,” said Theo. “Mayor Lucas means well, at least.”
They walked on through the masses of people finding their way back to what they now knew were temporary residences.
“What about Mark?” asked Bill, “I didn’t see him or Jamie anywhere.”
Theo considered this for a moment. “We’ll probably have a few days before we have to sign up for any of the committees. Let’s take some time starting tomorrow to really focus on tracking them down. Now that people have been around the island and are over the shock, they might be willing to help us or at least give us an idea if they’ve seen Mark and Jamie around somewhere.” He put a hand on Bill’s shoulder. “We aren’t giving up on them.” Bill nodded soberly.
All in all, Theo thought, it had been an interesting night. He was glad they had attended the meeting. Just to see so many faces, to be part of a throng of thousands of people, made him feel normal again. Even if none of those people had been holding up a smartphone aimed at the podium, it was still a better feeling than he had experienced in weeks. For the first time in a long time, something other than Kylee had given him hope. Just the same, he moved alongside her and put his hand on hers.
To be continued in Atlantic Island, available now!
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