Pete(1)Streets of Babylon (Novel excerpt—crime thriller; futuristic)
June 30th 2007 01:35
Prologue
Sydney, 2057
Liberal Premier John Stanton knew he was a lucky man. Two months into his second-term, he’d won the first campaign by the narrowest margin, the second from a law-and-order platform, what turned into an unassailable position created by the wave of gang violence besieging the State. The incumbent finished strong, a majority of 54% in the Legislative Assembly last election. His main opponent, Labor MP for Keira Judy Lake, looked to have it won early on with her ‘civil rights’ agenda, yet ended up with only 20% in the final tally. The Greens finished with 10, Christian Democrats 10, and Independents 6. Fortuitous for the Liberals it may have been, Lake’s voters jumping ship with each new blast that rocked Wollongong and Sydney CBD—five in all—the most recent destroying a small office block near the Museum on Macquarie Street. But luck or not, Stanton would make sure these developments worked to strengthen his position.
He is a physically striking man, six-foot two, and sporting a full head of short blond-hair invariably worn swept back from a ruggedly handsome face. Born on the Apple Isle, Stanton graduated with a degree in economics from the University of Tasmania. He moved his family to Sydney in 2020, where his astute social-modelling skills enabled him to forecast financial trends with unnerving accuracy. He went from small business owner to C.E.O. of his own major finance company ‘City Mutual’ in five years. In a recent interview on In Focus, Stanton levelled the cameras with steel-blue eyes and vowed: “I’ll bring civil order back to this great city or resign!” Strong words from a fortunate ‘blow-in’.
With the morning sun beaming through the windows, Stanton sat in his wood-panelled office with its view of the harbour he had grown to love, tapping the desk thoughtfully with a pencil as he awaited the arrival of his Police Commissioner, Sam Jones. Jones is the opposite of his well-educated Premier. A career cop, he started on the beat, working his way up through the ranks of the CBD Homicide Division. Four years Stanton’s senior, the two men had become firm friends, a round of golf at Moore Park every Saturday morning keeping the bond fresh. That bond would now be put to the test however, as the Premier asks his Commissioner to enact curfew in the CBD, something that hadn’t been done since colonial rule. ©
Sydney, 2057
Liberal Premier John Stanton knew he was a lucky man. Two months into his second-term, he’d won the first campaign by the narrowest margin, the second from a law-and-order platform, what turned into an unassailable position created by the wave of gang violence besieging the State. The incumbent finished strong, a majority of 54% in the Legislative Assembly last election. His main opponent, Labor MP for Keira Judy Lake, looked to have it won early on with her ‘civil rights’ agenda, yet ended up with only 20% in the final tally. The Greens finished with 10, Christian Democrats 10, and Independents 6. Fortuitous for the Liberals it may have been, Lake’s voters jumping ship with each new blast that rocked Wollongong and Sydney CBD—five in all—the most recent destroying a small office block near the Museum on Macquarie Street. But luck or not, Stanton would make sure these developments worked to strengthen his position.
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