EPISODE 3: THE DECADE OF SORROW - Chapter 1

Fate....my old friend. What do you have in store for me in these times of future past? Is it with a heavy heart and spirit that I dread your company? Like an angel of darkness; do you sit upon my shoulders....so I should be burdened with the troubles of the world? These are questions that only fate....itself....may answer. But as had been my travels thus far.....it was a certainty that woe and trouble would follow in my steps. Greedy, hungry, all consuming.....its' teeth as fangs.....its' claws as razors.......its' vengence as death. That was to be my fate. For the empire was licking its' wounds...blistering sores laid bare by I and my allies. It had shown the world its' one great weakness. The failing of humankind to understand, manage and control power. For with power comes great responsibility....and great restraint. But when faced with that power.....the human heart can buckle....the soul can grow dark.....and it is then when the evil in men arises. History is replete with such examples. The genocides of the past...are but stepping stones of the future. Such is the dark legacy of mankind. It is with this burden I should face the coming years of sorrow....as the dark power of the empire was brought to bear down upon my soul. It would not soon forget what I had done....my legacy.....my war of redemption. And, as it had been in the past...so shall it be in the future. My persecution should be warning enough for those fools who would dare resist the might of the empire. And so it goes.......

Since the fall of the regime, I had tried to rebuild my life again. To start anew what fortunes I may hold. I had once again slipped into obscurity....just a mist of dew on a cold fall day. And...for a time...I thought that peace would hold. That each side would avert the gaze of war. But as had been done too many times before....fate was with me....its' insidious plan was formulated to again bring old enemies together. With that....the war of persecution began. I had not expected the empire to hold such a grudge...but I miscalculated the depth of its' hatred of me....and what I stood for. Should others follow in the footsteps of my allies and I, what would become of the elite? They certainly could not have dissent among the ranks. Besides, I had taken a stand against their tyranny and wickedness....I could never be forgiven...or allowed to prosper again. Why they just did not put a bullet in my head....I will never know.....as it would have been so much easier for them and would have ended my suffering. But who knows what the future holds....anything can happen, and before this is over...probably will.

Almost from the beginning of the settlement....I had to occupy my time trying to get the empire to adhere to the terms of that settlement. They refused to recognize, or obey the concessions they agreed to in court. It seemed clear enough, spelled out in ink of what each party was expected to do. I had done my part...resigned as they demanded...but in return.....oh yes...those minor concessions I had pushed for. Hmmmm...seemed simple enough....allow me to resign to go back to college....remove and destroy all adverse action information from its files.....refrain from giving negative references to any inquiring parties.....and that my last performance evaluation was fully satisfactory. Now how hard could that be? Well....for the government....it turned out to be impossible! I was beset with one series of violations after another.
There was definately no honor among thieves here. I came to understand the misgivings that American Indians had when signing treaties with the empire. Their words were truly spoken with the forked tongue of a serpent. The promises not worth the paper they were written on. A most foul affair indeed.

For the first few years after the settlement....there were minor skirmishes. The tugging of what was defined by each party. Initially they refused to issue my discharge papers as agreed. When I took them back to court...they quickly responded and complied. But that would be the last time they would ever comply in full. My first big test came in 1997. Under the settlement, I was not barred for any employment...even within the same agency. My issued discharge documents seemed in order. With that I had applied to another agency within the empire. I hated the thought of having over 10 years in the federal service, just to be thrown away. In fact....over the course of time...I had applied to many local, state and federal entities. However....my first real test came all too quickly. I would soon learn that the empire could never be trusted.

As fate would have it....I was selected for a position in the government as a drug dog handler on the border. Well....I thought...perhaps finally fate had dealt me a good hand and my long period of repentence would be over. Foolish me. What was I thinking about...were talking about the thief of dreams here. The empire would have nothing of the sort....and so during the course of pre-employment screening...the new agency was convertly told of my past failings at the academy..and my discharge later. It did not take long...for shortly after...the job offer was rescinded and I was to be branded a security risk....and later a communist sympathizer. So here I go again, another round of court battles with the empire for violating the terms. How many motions and briefs did I file....I don't know....but the empire would not be denied. The new agency wriggled out of its' agreement to hire me since they were not constrained by the settlment...only the Department of Justice. Another lost job opportunity at the hands of the vindictive empire. They were never made to answer for the violations...so what good was the contract? This is just one of the many job opportunities the empire had cost me....I can not even recount each time it happened.

Meanwhile....my motion to reopen the old case for fraud had come to fruition. Of course... it was denied because it was filed after the filing date passed. This particular case went before the US Court of Appeals....and they too refused to reopen the case. Henceforth...that case would be known throughout the empire...used as a precedent to surpress the rights of others. Who said you can get a fair deal anyway? At least the Court of Appeals admonished the government for it's biting commentary against me....and its' zeal to inflict more pain and torment on me. This was the first of many.

And what of my "Anna" you might be wondering. Well.....during the early period after the time of the settlement....I would think of her all too often. I knew where she was at....but was afraid to call and see what was going on. The empire was watching my every move....any mistakes or misjudgements.....would have them down upon me like the vultures they were. I could just imagine the stories they would conjour.....stalker, rapist, molester, murderer.....or maybe Jack the Ripper. As I would discover much later.....that would not be far from the truth. So for now....I would not give them the satisfaction of seeing my failure again.....though I had missed her so very much. I felt the pain as if it happened just yesterday.....so it is even today. Separate ways.....worlds apart.

To be continued..............