Springfield's beautiful town square was packed with elite and ordinary citizens. It was decorated with a patriotic tone, and the mood was generally not high.
Among the elites, top billionaires, merchants, bureaucrats, artists, and civil society were present. The military was also in attendance. Everyone's eyes were on the ten-foot-tall monument at the town center, shrouded by a curtain.
General Lance Baker approached the podium and addressed the crowd and the media cameras.
"A good morning to all citizens of Springfield. I am General Baker, appointed by the federal government for this transition period of the city."
There was light applause from the audience. Even though Lance was a familiar face by now, the presence of the military made people anxious.
"I welcome you to a new day in Springfield's history. I will concede, of course, that the past year has been horrendous in terms of human lives lost and displaced. Several terrorist attacks almost shook the city's foundation and brought it to its knees. Assassinations of top billionaire families and government officials struck terror into the heart of the city. A hostile invasion of this scale never happened in any other region of this country."
The general sentiment in the crowd was of agreement. Many of the guests nodded their heads, and a few shed tears. The past month had turned out to be something out of a tragedy movie.
Lance went on. "But did we fall and crumble? No, we did not. Everything appeared lost when a noble citizen rose and fought against our enemies to save Springfield. His sacrifice showed us a beacon of hope. Now that we have won the city back, honoring that man is our duty and privilege."
Still in her mourning dress, Claire Holt walked forward and pulled a cord hanging from the veiled monument. The curtain covering it slipped and fell to the ground, unveiling a giant statue of Victor Damone.
It was an imposing monument, over ten feet tall, carrying the likeness of Victor with a heroic pose. The people applauded politely.
When the applause died down, Lance continued his speech.
"Mr. Damone proved to us that even a common man can achieve heroic feats through willpower and self-sacrifice—a sentiment that we need now and in the future."
The women in the gathering regarded the statue with moist eyes. Claire searched for Carol to shoot her an angry glare, but the woman was nowhere to be seen. Wasn't the cause of Victor Damone's death supposed to honor the inauguration of his memorial statue?
"Thanks, Miss Holt," Lance said before turning to the crowd.
"Victor is gone from among us. But the lessons he taught us are those of preparation, caution, and fortification. As the sun sets on Victor's life, the sun rises on Springfield. The old days of twilight are gone! The new dawn brings new challenges and opportunities."
Everyone could tell that General Lance Baker was trying to soften the blow. The most significant news in Springfield's history was about to be made public.
"The Rapids Project is a national treasure along with the city's resource-rich mines and entrepreneurs. To protect the lot, the President himself passed an executive order last week. Springfield will cease to be a civilian city and will be transformed into a military city!"
The crowd burst into gossip while the media reporters in the audience immediately began asking questions.
"General Baker… Will civilian rights be affected?"
"Will martial law be declared?"
"What about the police department?"
"How will criminals be treated? Will they be shot at sight?"
"How do you respond to allegations that the government is covering up a bigger conspiracy?"
Lance motioned the rowdy audience to simmer down. "Please… Everyone… Have patience. I am merely a federal government liaison and am not authorized to accept your queries. The next Mayor will answer all your questions regarding internal matters."
"The last Mayor was killed in the terrorist attack," a media person asked excitedly. "Who will be the next leader? What about elections? Will the national army rule over us?"
Lance emboldened his tone. "Yes, indeed, there will be elections. We live in a democratic country. However, the bureaucratic machinery of Springfield is broken down right now. We are trying to fix everything as soon as we can. The city will be tentatively back on its feet within six weeks. Then a civilian election process will be conducted for the Mayor position."
However, the media were almost in a frenzy.
"Sir, the military presence within the city is terrifying the common citizens!"
"Are we going to be under army rule until elections are over?"
"Who will make sure the process will be democratic?"
Lance Baker nodded. "The federal government completely understands and respects the need for mental well-being in Springfield. However, citizens must also understand that military presence is necessary to protect the city. To run things until elections are over, the federal government has appointed an individual to manage the city's affairs."
"Who is it? An existing politician?"
"Someone without experience in politics?"
"Is it an outsider?"
"Someone from the military? The people will not accept the army's rule!"
Lance Baker turned towards the elite seated crowd. A male individual left his seat and headed towards the podium. He approached Lance and stood beside him. The crowd members craned their necks to recognize the man. Who was he?
"Please welcome the interim Mayor of Springfield…" Lance declared.