![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
secret_history “... in just a few moments. We’ve just heard from our correspondent in Mexico, Alejandro Miguel de Confuces Fernandez, where the problem seems to be spreading like wildfire, in spite of the Mexican government’s assurance that they are doing everything they can to control the propagation of the phenomenon.
“Here in the United States, the President has made an official statement declaring his solidarity with the Southern States who have had to deal with the unexpected and overwhelming influx of illegal aliens who, officials say, are coming in on a wave of violence and terror. The President has offered the support of the military in this case, and has authorised the shooting on sight of anyone trying to cross the border, which has been declared sealed until such time as the crisis is declared to be resolved. The President has also asked that the Mexican government give a show of good faith, as many here in the United States are of the opinion that the phenomenon originated south of the border.
“Thus far, the President has completely dismissed reports that similar violence has erupted in many of the larger cities in Canada. White House representatives have said that these reports are unsubstantiated for the moment, and that there is no reason to fear an incursion from the north at this time.”
“What the hell kind of bullshit is that?” Marco asked indignantly.
Several people hushed him automatically, but Gracie answered quietly. “It’s a way of diverting people’s attention. Notice how they’re calling it a ‘phenomenon’ and not a disease or an outbreak of unexplained violence? They’re being careful not to use words that will upset people. They’re using euphemisms and trying to make people believe it’s a foreign problem, originating in Mexico. It makes Americans feel safe within their borders, even if they’re not, and makes them think that their government is in control, which it looks like it isn’t.”
“Can we listen to the TV, please?”
“Shut up, little Canadian Tire man. I’m trying to hear what Gracie here has to say. It’s more intelligent than that garbage the TV’s spouting. How do you know this?” he asked Gracie, who shrugged diffidently and spared a glance for her daughter, bent over her drawings in the corner of the room.
“It’s partly common sense, and partly you have to know what to listen for,” she said. “I studied communications, and I’m in charge of PR for a local consulting firm.”
“You studied communications? Cool! That’s what I’m studying!” Paul interjected.
“Can we please listen to the TV?”
“Cool it, little Canadian Tire man. You’re getting on my nerves. The TV isn’t going away, okay?”
“Stop calling me that!”
“Stop acting like a mouthpiece for your empty corporation, and maybe I’ll stop calling you that. You gotta earn my respect, little Canadian Tire man.”
“Marco!” Mickey said a bit sharply. “That’s really not necessary. He’s ten years younger than you. Pick on someone your own age. And Donnie,” she turned on the boy so as not to be seen to be playing favourites especially at this early stage in the game, “I know you’re scared and out of your depth here, but you have to learn when to keep your mouth shut. Just work with me here, okay?”
Both of them nodded, chastened. She was pleased when Marco extended an apology first. “Dude, my bad. We’re all just a little wound up, you know?”
“Totally. ‘s fine. No worries. I’m all, like, whatever and shit too, you know?”
“Yeah. We cool?”
“Yeah. ‘s cool.”
Mickey wasn’t sure she’d understood what had just happened, but apparently Marco had managed some kind of bonding thing with Donnie, and that was just fine by her.
“This just in. We have received word that violence has spread from the southern and south-western states and is making its way north. We are already receiving reports of outbreaks on the Eastern Seaboard. Here is CNN’s Chuck Sparring in Washington, where the political unrest of the past few days is beginning to take on an uglier aspect. Chuck?”
“Thank you, Don. I’m here in one of the established ‘free-speech’ zones, about one and a half miles away from the White House, where a huge crowd has gathered. The military have formed a security perimeter, allegedly for the public’s safety, but the mood here is not trusting. Rumours are flying thick and fast, and with the White House refusing to pronounce itself on the exact nature of the crisis, it’s almost impossible for anyone to know exactly what’s going on.”
“Are we to believe that the phenomenon has spread all the way to the capital, then, Chuck?”
“It certainly seems that way, Don. I haven’t seen any of it first-hand, you understand, as the press has been denied direct access to anywhere the military is intervening to solve the problem. Needless to say, many in the media are protesting this gagging of the press, but so far no one has defied the media blackout imposed by the White House. At least, no one who has managed to emerge from the chaos with a story to tell.”
“Thank you, Chuck. That was CNN’s Chuck Sparring, reporting from Washington. We will return to him in a moment. Now for a look at sports.”
“They’re still giving out football scores in the middle of a goddamned crisis? I don’t believe this!”
“Hey, don’t underestimate the importance of football. It’s Superbowl season, you know,” Kenny smirked.
“Actually, it’s not,” James Gabriel surprised them all by stepping in. “It’s regular season right now, which started in September. Right now all the teams are trying to qualify for Superbowl playoffs, which won’t be until the winter months.” They all stared at him as if he’d suddenly grown an extra pair of horns, and he flushed somewhat endearingly. “What? I work in an industry where the news gets shoehorned in between sports and the Nasdaq,” he said a bit defensively. “You end up knowing these things.”
“There’s nothing wrong with watching football,” Joseph said a little defensively, and Mickey grinned sympathetically at him.
“Sorry, Joseph. You’re stuck with a bunch of people who don’t get football, it seems.”
“Uh, look, I know I’ve already gotten in trouble for this, but I’d really like to hear what the people on the TV are saying. Could we watch it, please, instead of talking about football, or whatever?”
“Dude, the TV is talking about football. Why shouldn’t we?”
“No. Uh, I mean, they’ve stopped talking about sports. There’s footage of what’s going on in the States.”
Donnie pointed to the screen, where a reddish haze surmounted an unfamiliar-looking city skyline. Whatever else was happening there, there were a number of huge fires to contend with at the very least. Donnie leaned forward and turned up the volume.
“... footage from Detroit, Michigan, where a number of conflagrations seems to have sprung up in the past hour. CNN’s Doug Pope reports on location.”
“Thank you, Don. The cause of these fires is as yet unknown, and despite the very wet fall that we’ve had, they are spreading quickly, stretching the firefighting resources of the city to their very limit, and showing no signs of flagging at all. Unfortunately, firefighting efforts have been considerably hampered by an outbreak of violence in many of the danger zones. Whether the violence broke out before or after the fires started is still in question.”
“You speak of riots in the city. Are there any signs of the same erratic and unpredictable violent behaviour in Detroit that have been seen in other areas of the country, Doug? Or is this simply coincidence?”
“That’s a good question, Don. At the present time, there have been no confirmed reports of violence. Or, rather, there has been no evidence to link the mass hysteria that we’ve seen here to what’s going on in the rest of the country. At least, that’s what city officials have been saying. They’re blaming the current situation on rioting by disgruntled out-of-work auto workers, who have become more vocal in recent months about the lack of work and the poor support system for workers on the dole in the area.
“At this point, though, Don, with news of violence, mass psychosis and hysteria and other rioting breaking out all over the country, it doesn’t seem to be that much of a stretch of the imagination to draw some sort of connection between the events. What that connection might be, though, is anyone’s guess at this point.”
“Here in the United States, the President has made an official statement declaring his solidarity with the Southern States who have had to deal with the unexpected and overwhelming influx of illegal aliens who, officials say, are coming in on a wave of violence and terror. The President has offered the support of the military in this case, and has authorised the shooting on sight of anyone trying to cross the border, which has been declared sealed until such time as the crisis is declared to be resolved. The President has also asked that the Mexican government give a show of good faith, as many here in the United States are of the opinion that the phenomenon originated south of the border.
“Thus far, the President has completely dismissed reports that similar violence has erupted in many of the larger cities in Canada. White House representatives have said that these reports are unsubstantiated for the moment, and that there is no reason to fear an incursion from the north at this time.”
“What the hell kind of bullshit is that?” Marco asked indignantly.
Several people hushed him automatically, but Gracie answered quietly. “It’s a way of diverting people’s attention. Notice how they’re calling it a ‘phenomenon’ and not a disease or an outbreak of unexplained violence? They’re being careful not to use words that will upset people. They’re using euphemisms and trying to make people believe it’s a foreign problem, originating in Mexico. It makes Americans feel safe within their borders, even if they’re not, and makes them think that their government is in control, which it looks like it isn’t.”
“Can we listen to the TV, please?”
“Shut up, little Canadian Tire man. I’m trying to hear what Gracie here has to say. It’s more intelligent than that garbage the TV’s spouting. How do you know this?” he asked Gracie, who shrugged diffidently and spared a glance for her daughter, bent over her drawings in the corner of the room.
“It’s partly common sense, and partly you have to know what to listen for,” she said. “I studied communications, and I’m in charge of PR for a local consulting firm.”
“You studied communications? Cool! That’s what I’m studying!” Paul interjected.
“Can we please listen to the TV?”
“Cool it, little Canadian Tire man. You’re getting on my nerves. The TV isn’t going away, okay?”
“Stop calling me that!”
“Stop acting like a mouthpiece for your empty corporation, and maybe I’ll stop calling you that. You gotta earn my respect, little Canadian Tire man.”
“Marco!” Mickey said a bit sharply. “That’s really not necessary. He’s ten years younger than you. Pick on someone your own age. And Donnie,” she turned on the boy so as not to be seen to be playing favourites especially at this early stage in the game, “I know you’re scared and out of your depth here, but you have to learn when to keep your mouth shut. Just work with me here, okay?”
Both of them nodded, chastened. She was pleased when Marco extended an apology first. “Dude, my bad. We’re all just a little wound up, you know?”
“Totally. ‘s fine. No worries. I’m all, like, whatever and shit too, you know?”
“Yeah. We cool?”
“Yeah. ‘s cool.”
Mickey wasn’t sure she’d understood what had just happened, but apparently Marco had managed some kind of bonding thing with Donnie, and that was just fine by her.
“This just in. We have received word that violence has spread from the southern and south-western states and is making its way north. We are already receiving reports of outbreaks on the Eastern Seaboard. Here is CNN’s Chuck Sparring in Washington, where the political unrest of the past few days is beginning to take on an uglier aspect. Chuck?”
“Thank you, Don. I’m here in one of the established ‘free-speech’ zones, about one and a half miles away from the White House, where a huge crowd has gathered. The military have formed a security perimeter, allegedly for the public’s safety, but the mood here is not trusting. Rumours are flying thick and fast, and with the White House refusing to pronounce itself on the exact nature of the crisis, it’s almost impossible for anyone to know exactly what’s going on.”
“Are we to believe that the phenomenon has spread all the way to the capital, then, Chuck?”
“It certainly seems that way, Don. I haven’t seen any of it first-hand, you understand, as the press has been denied direct access to anywhere the military is intervening to solve the problem. Needless to say, many in the media are protesting this gagging of the press, but so far no one has defied the media blackout imposed by the White House. At least, no one who has managed to emerge from the chaos with a story to tell.”
“Thank you, Chuck. That was CNN’s Chuck Sparring, reporting from Washington. We will return to him in a moment. Now for a look at sports.”
“They’re still giving out football scores in the middle of a goddamned crisis? I don’t believe this!”
“Hey, don’t underestimate the importance of football. It’s Superbowl season, you know,” Kenny smirked.
“Actually, it’s not,” James Gabriel surprised them all by stepping in. “It’s regular season right now, which started in September. Right now all the teams are trying to qualify for Superbowl playoffs, which won’t be until the winter months.” They all stared at him as if he’d suddenly grown an extra pair of horns, and he flushed somewhat endearingly. “What? I work in an industry where the news gets shoehorned in between sports and the Nasdaq,” he said a bit defensively. “You end up knowing these things.”
“There’s nothing wrong with watching football,” Joseph said a little defensively, and Mickey grinned sympathetically at him.
“Sorry, Joseph. You’re stuck with a bunch of people who don’t get football, it seems.”
“Uh, look, I know I’ve already gotten in trouble for this, but I’d really like to hear what the people on the TV are saying. Could we watch it, please, instead of talking about football, or whatever?”
“Dude, the TV is talking about football. Why shouldn’t we?”
“No. Uh, I mean, they’ve stopped talking about sports. There’s footage of what’s going on in the States.”
Donnie pointed to the screen, where a reddish haze surmounted an unfamiliar-looking city skyline. Whatever else was happening there, there were a number of huge fires to contend with at the very least. Donnie leaned forward and turned up the volume.
“... footage from Detroit, Michigan, where a number of conflagrations seems to have sprung up in the past hour. CNN’s Doug Pope reports on location.”
“Thank you, Don. The cause of these fires is as yet unknown, and despite the very wet fall that we’ve had, they are spreading quickly, stretching the firefighting resources of the city to their very limit, and showing no signs of flagging at all. Unfortunately, firefighting efforts have been considerably hampered by an outbreak of violence in many of the danger zones. Whether the violence broke out before or after the fires started is still in question.”
“You speak of riots in the city. Are there any signs of the same erratic and unpredictable violent behaviour in Detroit that have been seen in other areas of the country, Doug? Or is this simply coincidence?”
“That’s a good question, Don. At the present time, there have been no confirmed reports of violence. Or, rather, there has been no evidence to link the mass hysteria that we’ve seen here to what’s going on in the rest of the country. At least, that’s what city officials have been saying. They’re blaming the current situation on rioting by disgruntled out-of-work auto workers, who have become more vocal in recent months about the lack of work and the poor support system for workers on the dole in the area.
“At this point, though, Don, with news of violence, mass psychosis and hysteria and other rioting breaking out all over the country, it doesn’t seem to be that much of a stretch of the imagination to draw some sort of connection between the events. What that connection might be, though, is anyone’s guess at this point.”
