Blackout

Because we chose to tell the truth

(The cool of age, the rage of youth)

And stand against the lies of old

(The whispers soft, the tales untold)

We find ourselves the walking dead

(The loves unkept, the words unsaid)

And in the crypt of all we’ve known

(The broken blade, the breaking stone)

We know that we were in the right

(The coming dawn, the ending night).

So here is when we stop the lies.

The time is come. We have to Rise.

—From Dandelion Mine, the blog of Magdalene Grace Garcia, August 7, 2041.

The problem with people who have power is that they start thinking more about what it takes to keep that power than they do about what’s right or wrong or just plain a bad idea. Here’s a tip for you: If you’re ever in a position to be making calls on right and wrong that can impact an entire nation, run your decisions past a six-year-old. If they look at you in horror and tell you you’re getting coal in your stocking for the rest of your life, you should probably reconsider your course of action. Unless you want to be remembered as a monster, in which case, knock yourself out.

—From Charming Not Sincere, the blog of Rebecca Atherton, August 7, 2041.