...cont...

He fell instantly asleep. Like many people, Cartwright had been shocked to realize that we were at war with unknown forces... sure we didn't have a "totalitarian" government per se, but big government thought we did. They kept their secrets inside the country, and everyone else's outside the country.

Cartwright like most his friends, most of his family, used the television as a pacifier. "When I'm off work, I want to be soothed..." he said to his wife one day as he grabbed a beer and couched. Silvia clutched her newspaper, cringed, and returned to the comics section.

What people like Cartwright and suburban Joe, their family and friends didn't realize... is that their patriotic nature, their "numbness" is what was hurting the nation. Much like the media who decided to hide the fact that we were at war with unknown forces, these people were killing the country from the inside.

(next)

"Patriotic power will end..." Ino listened to his radio blare when he switched it on, accidentally turning the volume up too high. They had to use radios, television was the enemy now. "A new era is coming where our oil exports are more valuable to our country, than every other aspect combined. This is, for our citizens, the most important and rudimentary task. Keep the oil safe, keep us safe." Ino didn't know it now, but that statement would be more important than he could possibly fathom. In a quick decision by Ino's leaders they had not only built up their army ten-fold but had quickly realized why they were so prone to invasion.

The facts of the matter were thus: China had the oil, they found their sources mostly offshore, but the real reserves were already pumped up, placed in manmade dredges and were being tanked to hidden locations twenty-four seven. The discovery had been made about five years prior that they were going to be a world power, by their oil reserves, and they had cheap labor. These two factors combined created a super-power in the energy crisis. China had wise leaders. Those leaders scrupled and scrimped to gain every inch of power they could out of every drop of oil they could. These very same leaders had a great sense of world-awareness. They knew they could build, and they did.

First came the massive rewards. The Chinese government held a massive auction for over fifteen billion "barrels" of crude oil that were already floating on ships, ready to be delivered. They had predicted that the U.S. would outbid everyone, and they were right. After quick delivery, they rewarded their citizens, they rewarded the oil workers, they rewarded themselves. In that order.

Next came the planning. They knew they had to build up a quick way to protect their oil reserves while protecting themselves. The base salary of an army lieutenant skyrocketed. Suddenly, China had a more powerful army than any other country.

And Oil.