(25 years ago)
Somewhere in Dallas, Texas, a young white boy has journeyed into the wrong neighborhood. Two black boys beat him for his color. Are we chosen by our destinies? Do the abused become the abusers? If you are raised in a racist household, are you predisposed to hate? Hate and abuse are powerful forces, but so is destiny. You just have to make the right choice, and hope it's for the best. The boy looks into a small rain puddle. Instead of finding his own reflection he finds that of Nathan Summers. Of course, he doesn't know who it is, and the image quickly vanishes. The boy shouts at the puddle for the image to come back, but he only sees himself, bruised and battered.
(one month from tomorrow, 08:21 a.m.)
Television news reports another terrorist bombing on US soil. The target is an airplane, Jet Flight 505, at Los Angeles International Airport. The anchor is not sure at this moment who is behind this atrocity, and he prepares to switch over to the White House where the President is about to address the nation.
(10:13 a.m.)
Somewhere in the woods in Washington State, Jonas Keller asks his followers "Blacks. Jews. Hispanics. Asians. Who invited them here anyway?“. He tells them they don't belong here, unlike them, the pure-white Americans. But they're not the real enemy here; Uncle Sam is. He's turned his back on them; and after what their group did in Los Angeles Uncle Sam will see it as their act of independence. Now the President will be after their blood, and it's time to move camp before the storm comes in. They don't want to be swept up just yet. His men fire their guns up into the air in salute. A bullet hits an eagle, flying overhead, squarely in the head.
(11:01 p.m.)
At Datetime Studios, New York City, Roy Calhoun Junior presents this evenings program entitled "Assault on America." The talk is of the group W.A.R, (White America's Redemption), lead by Jonas Keller, who was responsible for the attack in Washington less than 48 hours ago. Jonas claims this will be the first strike of many. The first guest, a woman, explains that Americans are as fearful of each other as they are of foreigners. It's simple anarchy. This group are offering no demands for restitution, and they clearly have a gripe against the government, yet offer no direct solution to what they perceive of as their problem. The second guest, a black writer, claims that the average white American psyche is wired towards racist tendencies due to the colonialist underpinnings inherent in their society. It is not an anomaly; they should've seen it coming.
Roy thinks it's ludicrous to think they could've see this coming. Most white Americans aren't bigots, and besides, a lot of white people were killed by W.A.R. in the bombing. The third guest, an Hispanic woman, claims that the flame beneath the American melting pot keeps getting lower and lower. Racial diversity means that more cultures are being polarized. Roy tells the viewers that next they'll be looking into what the authorities are doing in locating Keller.
(04:08 a.m.)
Helicopters fly over Keller's compound in Washington State. Many soldiers abseil down, armed. A small group of them kick the compound's door in and enter, but find nobody there. Then they freeze; there is a bomb attached to several canisters, with a timer ticking down from 2 seconds...
(06:69 a.m.)
In their new base of operations, North Dakota, Keller and his men are watching the news on television; apparently thirty agents perished in the blast at his old base, and more are seriously injured. The anchor goes on to say that Keller and his extremist faction are still at large and staying one step ahead. One of Keller's cohorts, Bob, thinks this means they are smarter than the government. Keller tells him not to get cocky, that "he" will be after them now. They wonder who he's talking about. "Dubya?" Bob asks. "No, someone far more powerful," Keller answers.
(11:37 p.m.)
Nathan Dayspring Summers is returning to the US. Currently 45 miles off the Georgia Coast, keeping himself in a cocoon of light, he travels a few meters off the surface of the water using his vast powers, his mind calm all the way.
(3:23 p.m.)
In W.A.R.'s base of operations, one of Keller's men, Simon, is introducing his son Jed to him. Keller has a mission for Jed; the ultimate sacrifice. Still, Keller senses apprehension in the boy, and asks what is wrong. Jed wonders whether they should be using drugs in their mission. Simon tells off his son for questioning the General's orders, but Keller answers anyway. The enemy they'll be going up against isn't like anyone he's ever seen. Jed inquires if he knows the enemy. Keller replies, in a way, he has known him for years.
"He'll know your deepest thoughts before you utter a word. He'll protect his physical being using absolute power of the mind. He is not quite human; not quite more than human. He must be distracted just long enough for you and the others to reach your objective. That distraction will be achieved by placing your consciousness beneath a euphoric blanket...otherwise he'll be able to read your thoughts too easily. The drugs I've provided are the surest, most effective means of shielding your mind. We've got to keep him off balance Jed. If he learns what we want, the cause is lost."
Keller tells Jed that none of them will survive this encounter, and that he and the boy's parents will be proud of him. When the boy's back is turned, though, Keller whispers the words "you impressionable young redneck, you."
(6:52 p.m.)
In his office at the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, General Deeks is told that the Secretary of Defense is still waiting on the phone for him. Deeks orders his assistant, Belinda, to be more creative in stalling him; he mustn't be disturbed at this moment. She leaves, annoyed. Nathan is sitting by the General's desk; he had shielded himself from Belinda's sight, and made it so the General couldn't tell her that Nathan was there. Nathan reminds him that he's here to find out everything about Keller. General Deeks explains that Keller was a dedicated military officer; the youngest to ever reach the rank of a Colonel. He was transferred to Special Forces after a few years, but two years ago, during a mission, Keller went missing during an operation in the Middle East. They didn't even know he was alive until 48 hours ago.
General Deeks feels ashamed of the part he played in the man's training, and that there's nothing in his psyche reports to indicate racist tendencies. Keller is a great tactician, and the General wonders what they could have done to stop the bloodshed. Nathan reminds him that Keller was trained to spill blood, only now he's gone out of control. The General wants to know his interest in Keller. Nathan sees no point in telling him, as he'll remember nothing of this conversation after he coaxes his mind into forgetting. But he still wants to know. Nathan tells him he's recruiting his own army for a mission of his own. General Deeks asks what the mission is; Nathan tells him it's classified. Nathan takes this chance to leave, wiping the General's mind of the conversation, and leaving him to dream of baseball and apple pie...
(9:00 p.m.)
Nathan floats over to Keller's new compound in Dallas, Texas. He lands, using his powers to break down the door. He senses three... or maybe six minds inside. He isn't sure. He finds a group of Keller's men, but the man himself. They are all strapped with explosives. Their minds are severely affected by psychotropic drugs, and it makes it that much harder to sift through their minds to find their intent. Almost too late, he finds they want him, as they close in...
