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RED SOIL​
Prologue​

A man sitting in the Library of Congress late at night went over his notes. Most of the shelves we're more or less empty. The books distorted long ago during the purge. He had been to the Library of Parliament in Ottawa and in London. They were more or less the same. Dividing his notes into their proper sections he covered them back up and returned them to his carrying case. A door opened behind him, turning with a jolt of fear he saw only the green shirted security guard that patrolled the old building.

"Oh Tony its just you." He said. "I guess Im just a jumpy old man."

"None to worry Congressman Hallsman." The guard said in a friendly voice. "Shouldn't be here this late though. Buildings been closed for hours. Why aren't you at home? Or in your office?"

"The Grand kids are over, and you know I cant work in the stuffy room. Richmond is a nice town but its nothing like Washington." Tony nodded. He was an African America from Georgia, but had lived in Washington since he was a young teen. Congressman Hallsman was from the Old Capital and always found himself wishing the old order hand never moved the nations heart. Tony walked over and opened a lunch box.
"Molly made some Chinese food for my dinner. Always makes too damned much for me. Want some?"
"I wouldn't mind, thanks." Hallsman sat back down. he had been planning on going home, but his wife and grand kids would be asleep now, no one would miss him.
"What were you working on? Some legislation to fix this place back up?" Tony had been a friend since Hallsman was first elected to Congress many years before.
"Oh, no. It's more of a historical paper really." Hallsman said not meeting his friend's eye. Even now, years after the old order fell most people didnt talk openly about the past.
"Oh? Is it now?" Tony asked. "When's it start?"
"1921, with the end of the Great War. And the start of our problems. I tried as best I could to cover the events in Europe, Canada, China, and of course in the old United States."
"Musta been hard. Not many people left alive from back then." Tony said almost off handedly. Death, by natural causes or otherwise was always off handed now. Hallsman looked at the two slightly charred crimson flags held in a glass case near them. The flags of two nations, their revolutions and partnership and their ideal that ruined the western world forever.
"It was hard... If you have time. I would love to tell you about it. I think its good to talk about these things. Don't you?"
"Course I do." Tony took out a rather large bucket of wonton soup. "And I think we have plenty of time."
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