2041 The Peoples' United States by T W Powell

Author:T W Powell [Powell, T W]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-12-06T22:00:00+00:00

First Class

Not too long after Junior and Bobby Ray’s freight arrived at the 59th Street Intermodal Yard in Chicago, Beth and The Phams boarded a passenger train that would take them from Louisville to Chicago. Pre-Revolution, there was no passenger train service from Louisville to Chicago. Amtrak did offer a bus service from Louisville that connected with Amtrak in Chicago. After the issuance of the Green Decrees, twice daily passenger service was offered between the two cities.

Despite The Collective’s fixation on equality of outcomes, the PUS was rife with subtle inequalities. In the Peoples’ menagerie, to quote Orwell, “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Dr. Pham and his companions belonged to the “more equal” species.

Most passenger rolling stock in the PUS were aging remnants from Amtrak. The Collective’s draconian environmental edicts had destroyed America’s heavy industry. On top of the regulatory roadblocks, industry faced a labor shortage. Why would anyone work for zero reward? Any new rail equipment placed into service in the PUS was manufactured in the PRC. Most of that new equipment was dedicated to hauling freight, hauling America’s resources to the West Coast for transport to the PRC.

Although old and tired, the former Amtrak First Class passenger carriage was quite nice. The Pham party’s seats were two side-by-side seats facing another two side-by-side seats with a small table in the middle.

Yasmin was very excited, “Are we really going all the way to California?”

Doc Pham smiled, “Yes, baby girl, we will travel across the whole country.”

Yasmin’s brown eyes opened widely, “How long will it take us, Father?”

“About three days.”

“Three days. I want to see everything.”

Doc Pham answered in a whisper, “Yes, daughter, I want you to see everything, to see what has become of your country. With the help of your mother, Nurse Beth and other good people, I hope to show you what your country can be once again.”

Yasmin didn’t reply, but you could see the gears grinding in her young, sharp mind.

This train was an express heading non-stop to Chicago’s Union Station.

Doc Pham now spoke to all three of his companions, “We will arrive at Union Station in about six hours, Noon Chicago time. The California Zephyr doesn’t depart until 5:15 p.m. We can walk around the terminal, but we shouldn’t go outside, the West Loop area is very dangerous.”

Doc Pham was not overstating the danger. Chicago’s West Loop, once a vibrant part of Downtown, was now a cesspool of disease, drug addiction, crime, and despair. There were multiple shootings every day. Guess the criminal element didn’t get The Collective’s memo banning firearms.

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