SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 10 A.M.: THE WHITE HOUSE, EAST ROOM. President Cooper agreed to meet with his Corporate Council, fifty heads of the nation’s major corporations and his de facto bosses, who demanded he meet with them. The usually quiet, staid group is noisy. People have congregated in threes and fours. Some are shaking their fists. Others are shaking their heads, lips pursed, brows knitted. They ignore the president when he comes in, until he taps the microphone at the podium and asks them to take their seats.
“These are difficult times for all of us, I know,” he begins.
“You said it!” someone yells from the back of the room.
“Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” Cooper continues, trying to ignore the interruption. “I invited you here to assure you face-to-face that we have everything under control.”
“Mr. President, Mr. President, I’m Jonathan Smythe of Consolidated Industries,” a tall, totally bald man in his early fifties says as he pops up from his seat in the front row. “Mr. President, first of all, with all due respect, we asked for this meeting—not you. Second, it appears to us as though you and your administration have lost control. You’re looking like impotent fools, with all due respect. And you’re making us look like a bunch of idiots for supporting you. Something’s gotta give. You’ve gotta keep a lid on things for us. You need to protect our markets. Can’t you control a bunch of malcontents? Frankly, I’m beginning—almost all of us are beginning—to think that John Galt, and everything he stood for, is dead, just like all those fuckin’ antigovernment banners are saying. And we’re coming to the conclusion that you’ve killed him. At least that’s what everyone’s thinking, even if they’re not saying it.”
“Mr. Smythe, I don’t take your comments personally,” Cooper answers dryly.
“Well, you should!” Smythe snaps back. “Who else do you think they were meant for?”
“Obviously, you’re upset and you have every right to be,” Cooper continues. “But you’re just plain uninformed and misinformed. So, let’s set the record straight. Anyone who thinks like you is simply falling for the terrorist propaganda that the media love to pick up and throw in our faces. You know who runs this country now—and who has for sixty-seven years. You know that all the power is on our side everywhere—at the national level and in the states, right down to cities. Nothing, absolutely nothing, has changed. It took us a while, but we’ve got the courts sewn up with people who think like us. There hasn’t been a ruling against corporate interests in decades— and there isn’t going to be. We’ve got what’s left of the Congress and state legislatures in our pocket. And you know my White House is always on your side. There may be grumblings from time to time from loudmouths and troublemakers stirred up by outside agitators. But we’ve been able to crush them in the past and we’ll do it again. Only this time, we’ll put them out of business for good!”
“But Mr. Cooper, I’m Harold Klein of International Networks,” another member of the audience says, as he jumps up, shaking his head back and forth quickly. “Surely, you understand that the killing of the young boy Adam is a game-changer. He is now a symbol for everyone who is against you—against us. The whole world was watching yesterday, literally the whole world. People who didn’t know anything about John Galt or Coopervilles or Free-for-All economics are suddenly calling us greedy and grasping fascists. They’re saying we’re all coldblooded killers. We’re losing the PR war. Even if it was an accident that the kid was trampled, and of course it was, no one in his right mind would have intended to do something like that, it has turned almost everyone against us—and by everyone, I mean the world, literally the world. All you hear on the news is that the CSA is run by a bunch of child-killers. I’ve been getting calls from my associates all over the world asking what the hell is going on here. And you know what that means—they’re worried about their investments. Some are even threatening to back out of deals. I can’t have it! I just can’t have it! I won’t have it!”
“Gentlemen, gentlemen—and lady, of course—I fully understand your frustration. So, let me outline our counteroffensive, which is why I asked you to come here today,” Cooper says—again forgetting that they called for the meeting. “We are not sitting by and getting steamrolled by a bunch of lazy, homeless, deadbeat tramps. By the time we get through with them, there won’t be anymore camps, no one will slander me anymore by calling those dumps Coopervilles, and the country will get back to normal. My administration will be stronger than ever after this recent unpleasantness.
“First, at 1 p.m. today, right here in the East Room, I am going to speak to the nation and hold a press conference about the facts in the Adam case. The FBI has completed its initial investigation, and let me assure you we have proof that the whole thing is a put-up job. My administration is not responsible for that kid’s death, and everybody’s gonna know it by the time I’m through. We own the press. So, this will be a cakewalk. I’ll speak, they’ll ask questions, I’ll answer, and the whole matter will be put to rest.
“Second, we’re gonna pull out the stops for this year’s July 4th Presidential Gala. By the time we’re through with the fireworks, Adam and his fuckin’ family will be nobodies again and we’ll get back to the business of business. That’s what I’m here for. We make the world safe for business and keep a lid on ‘the people.’ You know that! That’s what I’ve always been here for. And that’s what I’ll continue to be for when I’m reelected.
“Ham?”
“Yes, Mortimer,” the president says to the head of Gayle’s Department Stores. “Ham, I lost millions when those mobs shut down ten of my stores. Real shoppers saw TV reports and were so scared, they stayed away. My employees were afraid there might be violence. We were afraid of lawsuits if anyone got hurt. We had no choice but to shut everything down. And we stayed closed Friday, not because we wanted to, but because those guerrillas—that’s what they are you know, terrorist guerrillas—called for a nationwide shutdown during the bullshit they put on at RFK Stadium over the death of that kid. It made me fuckin’ sick. I went on TV and they made me look like a greedy bastard. Even my wife said I looked bad. Who’s in charge of this country now—our companies or mobs of people?”
“Mortimer, that’s why I’m speaking to the country and holding a press conference this afternoon. I’m gonna pass out the FBI report. And by the time I’m finished they’ll get the facts in the Adam case and we’ll look like victims of a subversive conspiracy, not greedy bastards. Everyone will know who’s really in charge. There won’t be any doubt.”
Abner Richards, an investment banker, says, “Bullshit! To anyone who falls for the bullshit about greed, I say bullshit. I’m proud of being greedy. I don’t care what people call me. All I care about is the bottom line. You goin’ soft on us, Cooper? Is that the problem? You lost your spine? Are you the real problem? We don’t have a single, goddamn thing to apologize for. We’ve got billions at stake. You better use this as a chance to ram Free-for-All economics down the throats of the fuckin’ people, whether they like it or not. If we’ve still got socialist looters who think they’re gonna bleed us, to hell with them. Round ’em up and put ’em in jail. Come on strong, Cooper. This is war, and we’d better win it. The problem with the cleaning out of the Mall Cooperville was that the cops didn’t come on strong enough in the first place.”
Aristotle Khouris, an ethnic Greek living in Rome, rises and slowly, in an impeccable British accent, adds, looking intently at Cooper, “I agree with everything that’s been said about coming on strong. It’s our only option. This Adam affair couldn’t have happened at a worse time, but we don’t have to take it lying down. We’ve got trillions of dollars on the table. Let me repeat, trillions, not billions. I have spent the last three years putting together the three-country European strategy that will make every one of you richer than you could ever have imagined and I’m not about to see it destroyed.
“All of you already know the plan: After the November election, the Worldwide Investment Trust is ready to force countries A, B, and C—you all know who they are—into default by calling loans they have no chance of repaying, never had any chance of repaying. The government will lose the confidence of the people. The generals are in our pocket, will overthrow the civilians, and declare martial law. Then, under their extraordinary powers, they’ll open bidding to privatize all public services and resources, because the state treasury won’t have money to keep the country going. But we know who will win them.
“We’ve already taken out unofficial contracts on state-owned power companies, seaports, airports, national lotteries, state-owned media, national banks, railway systems, and airports. Everything will be sold at fire-sale prices. If there are any protests from state workers who’ll lose their jobs or who have to take a pay cut, the military will take care of them too. Assets are supposed to be auctioned, but that’s just for show. After that, there’s nothing between us and trillions of dollars. All the money the government used to collect will turn into our profits. It will implement the corporate state model, just like the CSA, and we can keep replicating it around the world, faster and more easily after A, B, and C are successfully taken over. I repeat,” he says, looking directly at Cooper, “nothing and no one can be allowed to stand in our way. We’ve worked too long and too hard for this and too much is at stake.”
“Aristotle, I refuse to take your comments personally. One thing you learn being the head of the CSA is that you’ve got to have a thick skin. You know, everyone here knows, my administration and I are not going soft on anything. We came into office to continue Free-for-All economic policies. I’m not going to waste time listing all the accomplishments we’ve had since I became national CEO. But I’ll remind you, in case any of you have forgotten, who was responsible for pushing to rename the country the Corporate States of America in the first place. So, I’ll leave it at that. Unless any of you have further comments or questions, we have to clear this room while it’s set up for my address to the nation and news conference. I hope all of you will attend.”
SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 1 P.M.: THE WHITE HOUSE, EAST ROOM. Twenty-five members of the press and all but five of the members of the Corporate Council who just met with Ham Cooper are in the room when the president steps up to the podium and speaks to the nation.
“My fellow Americans, investors in the Corporate States of America, I am speaking to you from the historic East Room of the White House,” Cooper begins. “In good times and in bad times, in this very room, much of our glorious history has been written and reported. It is the duty of every president to speak honestly to everyone who has a stake in his company. And today is no exception. I am proud to say that the Corporate States of America remains the shining example of a company of collective interests. The bottom line is—and ultimately we all know that the bottom line is all that counts—the more dedicated we are to our corporate good, the stronger and more profitable we all will be. You know the guiding principles of the Galtian Restoration. You know how they have changed this country and the world for the better. You, we, are all living proof of the greater good that flows naturally from a free-market nation.
“Unfortunately, I have to look all of you in the eye and tell you the sad, honest truth: There are enemies among us—not just people who disagree with us, we always welcome open, honest, constructive debate—but forces whose sole purpose is to overthrow the CSA and all the good we stand for. Here’s the proof, right here in my hands. I am holding up the complete and objective FBI report—‘The People’s Riot on the National Mall’—on the events that recently took place in and around the National Mall. Every stakeholder must feel confident that those who lead their enterprise are open, honest, and transparent in their dealings. So, let me be blunt and absolutely clear: My administration is in no way responsible for any violence that occurred on the Mall. As the FBI report makes clear, the events of this past Wednesday were intentionally provoked by illegal squatters and outside agitators. Everything that occurred was part of a well-orchestrated plan to discredit those of us who represent you honestly, ethically, and sincerely.
“Early Friday morning, acting upon only the most reliable and pressing intelligence collected over a period of months, capital security forces entered the illegal encampment on the Mall. They were searching for drugs and illegal weapons that they had every reason to believe were there.”
Cooper holds up the FBI report. The camera focuses on it, while he turns the pages.
“Just look at conclusive evidence of the violent plot that was being hatched on the Mall. Yes, just blocks from the White House. Here you see photographs of the hundreds of items that were found. I know you’ll be as shocked as I was when I first saw them. You’re looking at full-fledged terrorist weapons: AK47 assault rifles, semiautomatic pistols, revolvers, rifles, machine guns, knives hidden in belt buckles, hairbrushes, and combs. There are even playing cards with metal tips that can cut someone’s throat. There’s pepper spray. There’s nothing innocent about the meat cleavers and box-cutters that we found. They weren’t being stocked to make dinner or unpack household goods. Make no mistake about it: The Mall was an arsenal waiting to be unleashed until security stopped the plot. It was a violent revolution waiting to happen.
“Take a look at the photographs of the drugs that agents found—marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and mountains of prescription painkillers. Drug deals were helping to finance the Mall camp. Detailed kidnapping plots against corporate officials were also found. So, no matter what anyone tells you, people who took over the National Mall—your mall, a treasure that belongs to everyone—were not innocent victims of our economic policies, as they’ve led the press to report. They were criminals, pure and simple. If anything, we tolerated them for too long, because we’re decent and humane and we give people the benefit of the doubt. In our defense, we waited until we had absolutely irrefutable evidence against the violent perpetrators before we acted, because we must always be accountable and honest. Because we believe that foreign agitators infiltrated the Mall encampment, I have asked the CIA to investigate and report to me immediately on all aspects of the international plot. As you can see, on the grounds of national security—protecting each and every one of you, as well as the nation’s capital—we had every reason to search the Mall and move people living there to RFK Stadium, where they could be held and processed before they were prosecuted. They posed a real and immediate danger. That place could have erupted in violence at any time.
“My fellow investors, the next conclusive proof from the FBI report will no doubt astonish you as much as it did me, particularly after the fictitious story that the media have made up about what happened to the young boy Adam. Anti-government, subversive elements have seized upon the incident to attack me and my administration, but they are lying to the nation and the world about what really occurred in order to advance their self-serving political agenda. We have still photos and video, showing conclusively that the horse was in no way responsible for his death. If anything, it was the reverse. Adam collapsed—and the screams of the people around him scared the horse. It reared back on its hind legs and then fell forward, only when provoked. Adam was already dead when the horse’s hoof came down on him. Adam was a sickly child from birth. For his whole life, he was weak. He had a congenital heart defect. His parents should have provided for him and protected him, instead of neglecting him.
“That brings me to another important, but sad, point: We are looking into bringing charges of parental child abuse against Adam’s parents. I have asked the FBI to turn over all the incriminating evidence they have regarding…whatever their names are…to the District security forces to determine if further criminal prosecution is warranted. And, if it is, and I believe it is, let me assure the nation, they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. My administration is 100 percent, categorically, against child abuse. It simply will not be tolerated.
“The FBI report also deals with a dangerous group of criminals that calls itself the Prometheus Project. Using the legal surveillance and clearing of the illegal encampment on the Mall and the death of Adam as a pretext for rebellion, those guerrillas orchestrated an attack on private businesses, threw the stock market into chaos, and brought transportation, the lifeblood of business, to a standstill. They claim that they are ‘the people.’ And they have set out to show the decent, law-abiding, productive investors in the prosperity of the Corporate State of America that they and ‘the people’ they represent are really in charge and that the nation must be governed in the interest of something they call ‘the common good.’
“Well, I have news for them. They are in for a big surprise. Our opposition may delude themselves into thinking they are Prometheus—protectors of others, people with social consciences. But every true citizen of the CSA is an Atlas, and not just an Atlas but an Atlas drugged on boundless self-interest. We are the freest people in the world. We know no limits. And we will trample anyone who tries to hamper us.
“It is illegal to do anything to bring business in this country to a standstill. In fact, it’s unconstitutional. We just celebrated sixty-seven glorious years of the Galtian Restoration that made protecting business the primary concern of government. It is the primary concern of my administration, of course. If businesses are not making profits, nothing else matters. I swore an oath to protect this country’s corporations, and nothing—not a person, not a mob, not even the death of an eight-year-old boy—will stop me from fulfilling my responsibility, especially after we have discovered the lies and deceptions behind his death.
“Finally, my fellow investors, the FBI report on the riot blames the District security forces for overreacting to the violence that erupted in and around the Mall. It states, and I am reading directly from the report, ‘District security personnel should have shown greater self-control in responding to the provocations of the rioters.’ As a result, I have ordered the head of security for the District to implement a comprehensive training program in crowd and riot control for all security personnel. And now, I’ll be happy to take questions from the press. Let me see, the first on my list is Maya Fitzpatrick of News of the Nation.”
“Thank you, Mr. President. Who were the people living on the Mall Cooperville?”
“If you don’t mind,” Cooper says visibly infuriated, “the proper term is illegal encampment. I refuse to be slandered by having my name attached to something for which I am in no way responsible. To rephrase your question, Who were the people illegally encamped on the Mall? They are deadbeats, people who refuse to work, people who want ‘the government,’ someone else, anyone else, to take care of them.
“Bernard Brill of Truthdotcom…”
“Thank you, Mr. President. Are you sorry that Adam died?”
“Of course, I’m sorry. But as you heard me say before, my administration is in no way responsible for what occurred, directly or indirectly. We’re not guilty of anything. I am most sorry that he was there in the first place. He and everyone else had no business illegally camping out on the Mall. If his parents hadn’t put Adam’s life at risk, he’d still be alive.
“Angelina Pescadore of The International News Syndicate…”
“Thank you, Mr. President. Do Coopervilles—I mean illegal encampments on the Boston Commons and in Santa Fe, New Mexico pose similar national security dangers? And if so, what are you doing to protect the nation?”
“Ms. Pescadore, all illegal encampments are under surveillance. At the moment, none has posed a threat to national security comparable to what was detected on the Mall. People illegally squatting would be advised to leave all encampments immediately rather than allow themselves to be used as pawns by outside agitators. We can’t guarantee their continued safety. We have taken an oath to protect the nation—and protect it we will.
“Baird Williams of National Television Syndicate…”
“Thank you, Mr. President. Some studies have shown that most, if not all, of the residents on the Mall had actually been previously employed, had owned homes, but had been dispossessed as a result of economic policies enacted by your administration and previous administrations. Are those studies accurate?”
“Baird, you know better than that. Of course, they are not accurate. They are absolute lies. They are nothing more than socialistic propaganda. Anyone who wants to work in this great country can do so. Anyone who wants to start a business has free rein. We’ve gotten rid of almost all regulations on business. This is the greatest nation on earth for making money. If you can’t make it here, you can’t make it anywhere. But this is not a country for loafers and looters and people who want everyone else to ‘do it’ for them. That’s who’s really trying to discredit our policies with the false studies you’ve quoted!
“Susanna Rutledge of United Markets News…”
“Thank you, Mr. President. The members of my trade association are extremely concerned after the Prometheus Project’s ‘People’s Strike for Adam.’ They’ve lost billions of dollars. And they don’t know when or how the attacks are going to be stopped. They’ve asked me to ask you how your opposition managed to shut down the country and how you’re going to handle it.”
“Susanna, first of all, they are not ‘my’ opposition, as you say. They pose a much bigger threat to the stability of the nation. They are opposed to all of us, to everything we all stand for. They are attacking the fundamental principles upon which the CSA was founded. How the Prometheus Project works and how we are going to stop them is top secret information, which, of course, I am not at liberty to disclose. But let me assure you that…”
Suddenly, transmission from the White House is interrupted. Cooper’s microphone goes dead. He taps it, scratches his head, and looks around for assistance. Aides immediately rush up to his side, but no one is able to restore power. Then, a picture of Adam being trampled by the horse that killed him replaces the live feed.
A voice from the back of the room shouts, “Mr. President, Mr. President, I’m Roger Fitzpatrick.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t hear you,” Cooper answers, cupping his hands over his ears.
“Mr. President,” Fitzpatrick repeats, raising his voice so the whole room can hear him. “Mr. President, visuals positively show Adam standing and being struck by the horse. One of the pictures is on your monitor now. The pictures are all over the Internet. There’s absolutely no denying it. How can you possibly say he collapsed and scared the horse?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t hear you,” Cooper answers abruptly while leaving the podium. Backstage, he asks his press secretary, Rhea Pullman, “Who’s that Fitzpatrick guy, and how did he get in? You were supposed to screen the media for ringers. Another mistake like that and you’ll be out on your sweet, fat ass—and you know I mean it. Now, call the FBI and the CIA and tell them to find out who pulled the plug on the transmission and how the picture of that fuckin’ kid got on the screen.”
MONDAY, JULY 4, 7 P.M.: WASHINGTON, D.C. The stage is set for the national birthday celebration open to the general public. Twenty billboard-size TV screens have been set up so that the events may be seen on the Mall. Since the Cooperville on the Mall was leveled, crews have been working around-the-clock to remove debris and plant sod. Cooper has personally inspected the progress almost daily. “I want every memory of that fucking trash heap of human waste gone in time for the 4th,” he told his staff. “I want the public to be able to enjoy a concert and fireworks again. And I want the whole world to see that we’re still in charge.”
Privately, Cooper told his inner circle that, in this election year, he sees the evening as make-it-or-break- it for his administration. “Spare no expense,” he commands his chief-of-staff. Irate because of the growing backlash from the killing of “that little bastard,” as he refers to Adam, he has already fired the head of his reelection campaign and his White House press secretary. He told both of them together, “We still don’t know why the feed at my press conference went dead, how the picture of ‘that little bastard’ got on the screen, or who that hostile last guy was. You gave me a list of people to call on. Everything was supposed to be orchestrated. Our people own the media. So, if you can’t keep me from getting shit on, there’s something wrong with you. Bottom line is: You don’t produce, you’re outta here. Business is business. You’ve got twenty minutes to pack up and get out. ”
Since 5:30 p.m., guests have been arriving for the exclusive July 4th Presidential Gala at the Washingtonian Hotel. Paying $1,000 a person, the 400 confirmed guests are a Who’s Who of Free-for-All economics, national politics, and international business. Count Henry de Horsch, the evening’s principal honoree, arrives early so he can attend a brief run-through of the program. He exits his limousine, followed by a stunning brunette in her mid-twenties. Her hair is pulled straight back in a severe boyish cut. A single, emerald-cut diamond, of at least eight carats, graces her neck. The count helps her gather up the material of her evening gown so it doesn’t touch the ground and takes her by the hand. They slowly make their way down the red carpet. The staff member who precedes them makes sure that no photographers are able to take a picture, at the insistence of the count.
Next, Hilton Manfreed, accompanied by Baron Rooky his assistant, Enrique Reyes, Zora Tremmon, and Albert Swift exit the Atlas Fitness corporate Hummer. The words “Drug Yourself On Atlas” are written on all three sides and on the hood. Aristotle Khouris’s limousine arrives, preceded and followed by security details in separate SUVs. With him are Horst Breckvold, the head of the Worldwide Investment Trust; Maximilian Lipper, chief strategist for TransWorld Energy; and Prince Siegfried IV of Moldavia.
In the lobby, during cocktails, Jonathan Smythe of Consolidated Industries, who had been openly critical of President Cooper during the Corporate Council briefing at the While House two weeks ago, tells Harold Klein of International Networks, another one of the president’s critics, that Cooper has lost touch with reality. “I couldn’t agree with you more,” Klein replies. “In business, it’s strictly ‘what have you done for me lately?’ And Cooper’s been nothing but a liability. I know what he hopes to accomplish tonight, but I doubt he can bring it off.”
Khouris introduces Breckvold, Lipper, and Siegfried to Smythe and Klein, then leads his guests to their table. “Who are those guys?” Smythe asks Klein. “They’re the ones engineering the takeover of countries A, B, and C. Breckvold is the one who will call the loans. Lipper and Siegfried—he’s a real prince but he’s been living in exile for twenty-five years—have got the money and connections to buy up the assets. They’ll lose billions if Cooper loses the election.”
Inside the Grand Ballroom, forty tables of ten sit in a horseshoe around a raised platform. The name and corporate logo of each table sponsor are embossed on the 12" high gold dollar that serves as each table’s centerpiece. Around it are ten bottles of Atlas Energy Drink, one for each guest. Suspended from the ceiling over the platform is a 30‘x10' backdrop that reads “July 4th Made Possible by Gayle’s Department Stores.”
At 8 p.m., the Grand Benefactor of the event, Mortimer Gayle, goes to the podium and addresses the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen, fellow investors, those of you here with me in the Washingtonian Hotel, on the National Mall, and, of course, watching on TV nationwide, I am especially delighted to celebrate the founding of the Corporate States of America with you this year.
“What you are about to see is the premiere of an original pageant, ‘Atlas Drugged: The Birth of New Atlantis.’ Developed at Atlas Fitness Centers, it is a collaboration of some of the finest creative minds in the Corporate States of America. The script, music, and choreography were developed by Bambi Broderick, Thor Rentgen, Rick Michaels, and Cheryl Watkins of the New York Headquarters of Atlas Fitness. The musical accompaniment is provided by the nationally celebrated ensemble, the Gross National Product.”
To thunderous applause, Broderick, Rentgen, Michaels, and Watkins appear dressed as early British colonists. Together they chant, “We are the founders of a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all of us are free to be unequal.” They then shed their costumes and reveal the suits they are wearing underneath.
Grabbing top hats and walking sticks as props, they each put on a different mask—Andrew Carnegie, Andrew Mellon, J.P. Morgan, and John D. Rockefeller—and chant: “They call us robber barons. But they don’t really know us. We’re all just average guys you’d like to know. Of course, we play by the rules: We made them up. But now that we have prospered, we are being looted.”
They clutch their throats with both hands, strangling themselves and appear to wither and collapse. While they are on the ground, the men strip down to thongs; the women, to bikinis. As they slowly rise, in unison they say, “We see hope in a man named Galt.” They then hold up bottles of Atlas Energy Drink in their right hands, grow visibly stronger, flex their muscles, and twirl globes of the world on their fingers. “We are Atlas drugged. We are the new John Galts. Drink with us. Get drugged with us.”
They then open the bottles of Atlas Energy and all sing, “We’ve got the whole world in our hands. We’ve got the whole wide world in our hands. We’ve got the whole world in our hands! We’re drugged on Atlas Energy!”
There’s thunderous applause and people jump to their feet. Then, in unison, Broderick, Rentgen, Michael, and Watkins say, “And now, ladies and gentlemen, the president of the Corporate States of America, Ham Cooper.”
Cooper rushes onto the stage, shaking the hands of the performers as they leave. Basking in the adulation of the crowd, he makes no effort to stop the applause or signal people to sit. Instead, he beams and stretches both arms up and out in an extended V and makes smaller V’s with the index and middle fingers of both hands. After about five minutes, people begin sitting down, so Cooper asks them to continue doing so: “Thank you, thank you, my fellow investors in the Corporate States of America. Please be seated.
“I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to see all of you here tonight, once again celebrating Independence Day. Ever since John Galt defeated the leeches and looters and reclaimed this great land of ours in the name of creative and productive men and women, independence has had a special significance. First, it is freedom from everything that stands in our way, principally the government and all the obstacles that it tries to put in our way. Second, it is freedom to be—on our own, accountable to no one, owing nobody anything. Once people grasp the true meaning of independence, they experience the liberation that comes from enlightenment, and they pity those who have yet to come to their senses.
“John Galt set an example for everyone to follow. He opened the door to riches for all those who have the guts to follow him. It is no exaggeration to say that John Galt created the Internet. Don’t let anyone tell you he didn’t. Wherever there is money to be made, John Galt lives. He lives through Atlas Fitness Centers, which are revolutionizing mind-body harmony and are strengthening the next generation for their roles as leaders in the Corporate States and around the globe.
“And, of course, John Galt lives through Count Henry de Horsch, the man we are honoring tonight. He is without a doubt one of the most successful corporate titans of the CSA. He sets the pace for others to follow. He is proof of the principles of Free-for-All economics. Count Henry, please join me here on the stage.”
As the count makes his way to the podium, an unidentified voice comes over the sound system and announces, “My fellow Americans, especially those of you watching around the country, the People’s Court is now in session.” Cooper and Count Henry look out on the audience helplessly. Cooper taps on the microphone. The count looks for wires to unplug. The hotel’s sound technician rushes onto the stage.
“Stay calm,” the voice continues. “But don’t try to leave the room. No one is in danger.” Nonetheless, the ballroom is thrown into complete chaos. As people run for the exits, they discover that the doors have been locked, so they go back to their seats or remain standing by the exits. “No one will be hurt,” the voice continues reassuringly. “All of you, just return to your seats. You will be able to leave very shortly. As I’m sure you’ve already discovered,” the voice continues, “all cellphone coverage has been blocked within the ballroom. Sit down, now—and listen very carefully. The future of all of you, and of everyone in this country, depends on what you are about to hear.
“In the name of ‘the people’, we accuse President Cooper and his administration of the death of Adam—and we demand justice. The recent attack on the Cooperville on the National Mall was planned and carried out on the express orders of Ham Cooper, a man who is not worthy to lead this country. He is criminally responsible for the death and violence that took place.
“We accuse Count de Horsch of fraud in the development of Horschville. His massive land grab was totally illegal. We have copies of forged documents executed by de Horsch that prove he has no title to his city. They have been turned over to the proper Mississippi and federal authorities.
“We accuse Hilton Manfreed of plagiarizing. All the ideas in his first book, What’s Mine Is Mine and What’s Yours Is Mine, come from the thesis of one of his students who died in a car accident before he was able to get his degree. He is an academic fraud. The People’s Court now rests its case. Now, let all of ‘the people’ demand justice. You are all free to go. The doors are unlocked. But do not forget, or try to deny, what has taken place here and the undeniable truths that have been exposed.”
As though fleeing from a terrorist attack, the president and the count are surrounded by security and escorted out of the ballroom. No one can find Hilton Manfreed. The count and his date disappear into his limousine, but not until he tells Ham Cooper that “he’ll pay” for this. “You’ve lost control, man, and I’m paying the price. You better see what you can do to make things right. I’ve got billions at stake.”
Turning to his date, the count adds, “Well, the night’s over, Cinderella. It’s time to fork over the goods,” he says as he reaches to unclasp the diamond necklace. “You can change into your clothes right here.”
“Why you cheap piece of trash,” she says once she’s in her own clothes.
“Wilson, stop the car. Here’s the thousand bucks I promised you,” he says practically throwing a wad of bills at her. “This should be more than enough to cover tonight. Take a cab home.”
“Keep it, you piece of shit,” she says, throwing it back at him. “Your money is dirty. I got principles. But you’re a fraud. And you’re gonna lose everything.”
Back on the Mall, the fireworks display is just about to end. But the finale doesn’t go as planned. The last burst of red, white, and blue was supposed to show the face of Ham Cooper. Instead, it proclaims “John Galt Is Dead” across the night sky, no less than three times.
Standing alone on Capitol Hill, the young red head smirks as he watches the confusion break out among the audience on the Mall and chuckles aloud as he watches video of “The People’s Court” and the fireworks on his wireless device going viral on social media.