» Thu May 16, 2013 10:38 am A New Deal For New California
The Only thing we have to fear is fear itself - Franklin D. Roosevelt
Malcolm Alexander Winter sat at his desk, a green bar lamp lighting said desk, on the walls around him are various posters, behind him is the painting of a man once known as “FDR”. The man at the table has grey hair, combed to the left, his eyes are a light blue and grey mix, his face is weather-beaten with a vertical scar on the right hand side of his forehead, his nose is slightly crooked and his jaw line is strong and sharp. The man is well-built with a form that could be considered exceptional for one his age in the age he lived in, half an hour of jogging and then half an hour of swimming tends to do that, currently Malcolm is reading a book on the Geological Properties of the New California Republic.
The door opened and his aid poked his head in.
"Senator, everything is ready, they are waiting for you."
Malcolm Alexander Winter looked up with a tired smile and nodded.
"Thanks Davies, I'll be along shortly."
After the door closed behind Davies, Senator Winter pushed himself away from the desk and maneuvered his wheelchair around it. A violent coughing fit interrupted his progress. Winter rested his head on the back of his chair and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to catch his breath. Pictures of a younger Winter, a stronger one, surfaced and with new determination, he reached for his cane and slowly stood up.
His first steps were unsure, his body seemed heavy and unwilling to move, he finally made it to and through the door.
“Good luck Senator” The Senator turned to see his secretary Andrea Bradbury had spoken.
“Thank you Miss Bradbury, I hope you are well, anyway my dear, I will see you later, I have a speech to make”
The senator spoke in his calm voice and a smile on his face. With a slight limp did the man walk along the corridor and onto a prepared platform, various microphones from radio stations and microphones connected to the speakers were arrayed on the plinth.
The Senator raised his right hand to wave at the cheering crowd, placards displayed various slogans and then gripping the platform, the senator waited for silence to fall before making his speech.
“My fellow New Californians, I greet you as I would greet one of my own family, with compassionate love and joy, today is the start of a new dawn for the NCR! Today I offer this country an alternative to war, to ruin, to recession, I offer it a New Deal!” the man slowly raised his voice from the first use of the word today.
The crowd cheered and the senator raised his hand for silence and held the crowd’s attention for a moment, allowing the silence to settle, the tension to grow and then finally he spoke.
“our country has suffered doing the bidding of incompetents, it thirsts for water, its children cry for their brothers, for their sisters, their mothers, their fathers, they cry for those that have died in a pointless war, families count their cents and hope it will be enough to last the next week, those that have jobs fear that job being taken from them, I will change that.”
The man now held the full undivided attentions of all listening, Mr. House in his Lucky 38, Kimball in his office, the elders of the brotherhood, all listened to the man who would change America.
“I promise, to give this country what it needs, Peace, Stability, Equality, Jobs, Land, Water, Food and most of all, sureness in their country to stand by them, the people of this country have stood by it in its hour of need, I pledge what no other president of the NCR has done before, to have the country stand by its citizens in their hour of need”.
The crowd cheered and applause thundered the whole courtyard, the senator waited a few moments before raising his hand once again to call for silence.
He looked out over the masses “I will now quote a poem called Ulysses which I think shows this nation as what it is” the man cleared his throat and leaning against the speaking platform he spoke, pouring all of his charisma and character into his words.
"Though Much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
He allowed his words to sink in before continuing.
“I see the history of this nation, its heroes, its martyrs, those who have died for righteousness, those who have worked, those who have laboured in the fields, those who have toiled in the factories, I see how the old glory days have gone, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will, that is the NCR, this country has battled evil in the east, trumped outdated thinking and brought light into where without the NCR, there would be but darkness, I pledge to re-forge this country, I pledge to withdraw from the east, I pledge to create jobs where there is unemployment, I pledge to break the Brahmin Barons, I pledge to put water where there is drought, I pledge to put food where there is famine, order where there is chaos, I pledge that the NCR will never abandon those in need, I pledge a new Future, I pledge to you my fellow countrymen and women”
He suddenly fell silent and held the attention of the crowd and slowly began to lean forwards “A new deal” the crowd was silent digesting the words and all leaned forwards to hear the final words in the speech of the senator who was as close to the microphones as he could get “And my fellow New Californians, do you accept?” he asked and was given a single reply, shouted from the lips of all who wished for change.
“YES!”
The senator smiled, leaned back onto his right heel and shouted his reply “And who will give you that which you want?” the crowd began to chant the senators name like a mantra “Winter! Winter! Winter!” The senator looked over the crowd, flags flying and the police straining to hold back the crowds “Then my fellow New Californians, at the ballot tomorrow vote for the Social Democratic Party of New California” and with Senator Winter gave one last flourishing wave and walked back into his party headquarters, in his office Kimball’s head sunk into his hands, he could never hope to beat The Senator having heard that speech.
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Author's Footnote.
Well, this has been some time in the making the idea was only put down on paper around a year and a half ago and I only seriously started it around six, seven months ago.
Anyway, I will be posting a chapter a day, or maybe two a day, it generally depends on how I feel.
I’d just like to shout out an acknowledgement.
To Agrona, without whom the Fan-Fic, which I’ve already finished around a week and a half ago now, would have been full of grammatical, spelling and punctual errors and wouldn’t have made sense or have been impossible to read due to its structure, which is now much, much, much clearer than it was when it was still in progress. Don’t trust Microsoft Word too much is my advice.
I’d also like to continue saying that at some scenes in this Fan-Fic her input was more than just correction, it was actual involvement, I’ll point out which scenes they were when they burst onto the forums. Until then enjoy the beginning, of a New Deal for New California.
