IC:Freedom City Chronicles #xx
HELP WANTED! FREEDOM IS IN GRAVE PERIL!
By Jackson Talbot
Crime rates are on the rise, due in large part to the dastardly, high-impact hits of Federal and City government buildings by the new Super-Criminal group known as "Pop, Rock, and Roll". In response, Mayor O'Connor and the City Council, in cooperation with Police Commissioner Barbara Kane, have begun funding a new law enforcement branch specializing in the neutralization of super-powered threats, known colloquially as "supers".
The city already has several task forces, government run and otherwise, designed to combat hostile "super", of course, but Mayor Michael O'Connor and Council Woman Joanna Tolbert-Holmes are insistent that this new branch in a necessary move in the fight to ensure a safer, happier home for Freedom's residents. The Mayor's office addressed the media today to announce this new venture, and Tolbert-Holmes spoke passionately about the town's need to strike back against these new interlopers.
"Top, Suck, and Lull, or whatever they call themselves, have done enough damage. The council has had to spend millions of dollars, almost the entire of the City's surplus from last year, to make repairs to the Federal Building, the Mayor's office, and many other government run facilities in the last few weeks. These attacks have been brutal, violent, and have exacted a hideous toll on the population, both with the lives that have been lost and the emotional turmoil it has left us survivors to deal with. The time to strike back is NOW, and I will not allow us to miss our opportunity. Today marks the beginning of the end for Pot, Rot, and Sold's terrible crime spree."
Tolbert-Holmes' stirring speech left many brimming with pride and fired up to support this strong anti-crime stance, and it is easy to understand Joanna's passion for this cause. She was present for the villainous group's assault on the Mayor and Town Council Offices, and witnessed the death of fellow Council member Conrad Everett. Conrad had been a council member for more than 20 years, and his hard work and dedication touched the lives of most, if not all, of Freedom's population. Tolbert-Holmes had been standing next to Councilman Everett at the time of his death.
There are still many questions that need to be addressed, despite the powerful emotions awakened by Tolber-Holmes' speech. How will the City fund this new Law Enforcement Branch? How will it differ from STAR, the Super Human Tactics and Regulation squad that was instated just a few shorts years ago? What type of beings will fill out the team? How will this new team fit into the chain of command? If it is populated by supers how will they interact with the Freedom League and the Atomic Family? How will a government run team of supers function? What will this new team be called? Thankfully, Mayor O'Connor addressed many of these questions in his statement.
"We're calling it the ASU....Anti-Super Unit. Simple, if a bit unimaginative. I did not come up with the name," he paused to laugh with the media, exhibiting his trademark disarming smile. "Yes, it will be made up of supers. 6, as of now. Maybe more later, if the need arises. We're always looking for help. The will function as a higher branch of Law Enforcement, above the normal police department. They will have certain privileges and authorities not afforded to STAR or the other super teams. And they will answer directly to myself and Joanna."
"Funding will not be much of an issue. We are taking advantage of a federal grant here, and are still operating on a surplus from the last 4 of 5 years. We're doing pretty well." This journalist asked how Commissioner Kane and Capt. Maddicks, head of STAR, felt about the new law enforcement branch. "Commissioner Kane has been very accommodating. We have her full support......Maddicks is...stubborn. He'll cooperate." Neither Kane or Maddicks returned calls for an interview and have released no public statements on this issue.
"This is a bold step in the right direction," O'Connor says, "And I am happy with how things are developing." Mayor O'Connor and Councilwoman Tolbert-Holmes may be satisfied, but it is difficult to share that optimism. Yes, Pop, Rock, and Roll are a serious threat to the safety of Freedom City's residents, but we are not the only city that has been hit by the roving gang. They have also hit military and government targets in China, Russia, and Washington D.C. True, Freedom has been hit the hardest of all, but this is not simply a local threat.
And what of the Freedom League and the Atomic Family? What about STAR? All three units have been very effective in neutralizing Super-Criminal threats. Yes, they all have other obligations, but certainly those cannot be so burdensome that they would be unable to deal with this new threat. And what will happen to the ASU after Pop, Rock, and Roll have been neutralized? The group's acronym is oddly unspecific, worryingly so. What is their true purpose?
Is this new direction simply a power grab by the Mayor and Town Council in response to the recent tragedies they have endured? A security blanket amid trying times? Now one can say for sure, though this seems an overly aggressive move in light of all the pertinent facts. All I can say for sure is that if you are a Super in need of a new job, you should call the Mayor's office. It sounds as if he and Joanna are hiring.
Jackson Talbot is a senior columnist for the Freedom Ledger.
This message was last edited by the user at 00:56, Tue 14 Apr 2015.