Chapter 1 - BEAR FOR PRESIDENT
The presidency of the restructured Dominion of Canada was tottering on the brink of failure. A succession of weak administrations had allowed the hated Elders to regroup and become respectable. Those demons, who in the name of God, would enslave the people and turn their beloved nation into a charnel house of bigotry and serfdom! Only one man retained sufficient national stature to hold back the tide of religious terrorism, General Bear, retired.
Bear had survived the hardship years at the feet of FATHER-CHIEFS Henry and Peter, he had commanded the National Army during the Wars of Restoration, and later commanded the National Guard that had protected the nation from all dangers in the years since the Restoration. Now retired and an old man, his most fervent desire was to cuddle his Great Grandchildren. He was doing just that when his Brother, Grand Shaman Fox mind-sent him, "Brother, I come bearing great trouble!"
Almost instantly, Bear's other surviving brothers gathered about him, the twins, Ricardo and Rodrigo, Bobby and Jacob and his nephew, Sky Whistle, assumed guard at his side. Fox entered the room, accompanied by two men, whom Bear knew as brothers and close friends, Lion and Panther. They had all survived the years of hardship, the toil of battle and the heartache of losing those whom they had all vowed to protect!
Panther began, "Bear, my Brother, my War Chief, we need you yet again. The foul Elders are about to gain the Presidency." He paused for a moment, then he continued, "You, Brother, and only you have the stature to defeat them. You MUST enter the race for the Presidency! Either I or Fox will run as Vice President!"
Sky Whistle stepped forward saying, "No Uncle, I will run as Vice President! I will support MY Uncle Bear!" They spent the remainder of the day planning the political campaign.
Thus began a national campaign to reclaim the legitimacy of all they had suffered for, FREEDOM! Bear mounted the campaign trail with the vigor of his youth, travelling back and forth through the huge country, always, Sky Whistle at his side. Everywhere they went, they were met by veterans of their Freedom Wars, many joining his campaign party. The Elders fought back with lies and vicious smears, claiming Bear was an evil magician practicing the forbidden black arts! That he was anti-God and even that he was the Anti-Christ! They invented false stories that he had participated in child slavery and had even owned slaves! That was too much, the women whom he had rescued as child sex slaves during a fiery airplane, crash rose up as one group and loudly challenged the charges the Elders were throwing around! The women marched on the Capital in Ottawa and demanded to be heard by the National Assembly! There, they charged the Elders with being behind the slavery rings and how the Elders had held courts to decide which children were to be enslaved. That final revelation finished the political ambitions of the Elders, never again would they be able to claim political power or moral supremacy. The damage they had done the country was enormous, their members had infiltrated the government at all levels.
Bear and Sky Whistle won the election unopposed, but they inherited a government bureaucracy riddled with the rot of Elder bigotry! The night after Bear and Sky Whistle had been sworn into office, the two were working late when they heard a noise outside the door to the Executive Mansion Office. As Bear looked up, two armed men burst into the room, pointing guns at them. Before Bear could react, Sky Whistle moved so rapidly, he was just a blur, he brought his fist down upon the first intruder's arm, breaking it and on the return swing, he punched the chest of the other assailant, killing him outright!
Bear sat down, shaking and thinking, "Do I dare ask?"
He heard a chuckle in his mind, "You can ask anything of me, Uncle Bear!"
Bear turned to face Sky Whistle, "You...?"
Sky Whistle replied, "Yes Uncle, that and much more. Be not afraid, I and my Brothers are still human, we just have a little bit extra. Please, just call me Sky, we are equals."
Bear sat there thinking and again he heard in his mind, "Uncle do not fear us, we are as human as yourself. In fact, you also have some of these abilities, otherwise you would not hear me!"
Bear suddenly smiled, "MIND-SPEAKERS!" he shouted.
Sky grinned from ear to ear, "YUP!"
Far off, in his memories, he remembered two twin boys, Ricardo and Rodrigo! Suddenly he was assaulted with laughter in his mind, "We thought you had forgotten us, Uncle Bear!"
Bear stammered, "How.....?"
Sky laughed, "Oh, they are still in Colony, but they are as close as a simple thought!" Sky gently led his slightly pole-axed elderly uncle up the stairs to his bedroom, he had suffered quite enough surprises for one day!
As the old man lay on his bed, waiting for sleep to take him, he thought, "I NEED those two boys, Ricardo and Rodrigo, at my side."
Suddenly, he heard, "Uncle Bear, we will take the morning train to Ottawa, look for us around lunch, we LOVE hamburgers and fries!"
Bear grinned to himself, "I could get used to this!" as he fell into a deep, restoring sleep. The next morning, he found Sky sitting in a chair beside his bed, waiting for him to waken.
Sky said, "Uncle, the Twins arrive at noon today...."
Bear interrupted him, "Mind-speak, huh?"
Sky grinned, "You catch on fast, Unc!"
Bear had a plan already taking shape, he was going to weed the Elders out of his government once and for all!
Chapter 2 - PRESIDENTIAL HOUSE CLEANING
Bear and Sky met the noon train as it came to a stop at Ottawa Station. The two twins came bounding down the steps of the passenger car and leaped into their Uncle's waiting embrace. He tried an experiment, "Boys, are your gifts the same as those of Sky?"
He heard immediately, "Pretty much the same, except we have greater range than Sky. He can move faster than we can!"
Bear looked at the three young men appraisingly and said, "Lunch first, then WORK!"
The four of them ate lunch in the private room at the Capital Dining Room, Bear's security force kept all others out. Ricardo leaned into his Uncle as if to hug him and whispered in his ear, "Two of those men plot to kill you!"
Bear looked at his nephews and thought, "Can you take them?"
Sky grinned and sent back, "Done and done! Cousins, let us move ...... NOW!"
The three jumped up and pinned two security agents to the wall, all three snarling their rage at the traitors. Within minutes, the additional security, sent by General Lion, Army Chief of Staff, arrived and the two traitors were led off in handcuffs and leg irons! Sky mind-screamed, "Uncle Lion, replace all Presidential Security with your own trusted men!"
Bear heard, "At once, Sky! Please remain where you are until they arrive."
A few minutes later, Major General Basil, a Warrior Chieftain from the early days of the Wars of the Restoration, reported to the New President, "Sir, these twelve soldiers will be your security force on a permanent basis." He added by mind-speech, "They are all mind-speakers, you need only send your needs and they will respond!"
Bear welcomed the soldiers warmly, shaking each of their hands. The young Army Captain Brinks was in awe of this historic man and was made giddy when Bear mind-sent to him, "Captain, I am just like you, I put my trousers on, one leg at a time!"
The Captain replied, "No sir, not just like me, you are BEAR!" Bear wrapped his arms around the young Officer and gave him a hug. The man began to cry, "Sir, you were my hero growing up. I was a hungry, dirty orphan child when you brought food to us. Your men brought me to Colony, they fed me, they clothed me and gave me a place all my own to sleep. They sent me to school and made me what I am today." He then broke down completely, "General Bear, sir, my men have been with me since our childhood, on our own lives, no hurt shall come to you!" He then turned to his men and introduced each to Bear.
Each soldier mind-sent to Bear and Sky, "Upon my soul and life, I shall keep you safe, so help me God!"
Over the next several weeks, Bear, Sky and their Army Security Group went through every governmental office in the Capital, weeding out the Elder sympathizers! When they found actual Elder members, they were sent directly to prison to await trial. The worst "infestation" was in the Department of Agriculture and also in the Department of Social Welfare. Huge amounts of food had been shipped "somewhere" and it was going to take many weeks to discover where! Likewise, they discovered secret prisons where young children, who supposedly had died, were being sent. Bear was so angry, he inadvertently SCREAMED HIS MIND-RAGE! Almost instantly General Basil and Captain Brinks were at his side!
Even before the General could react, Captain Brinks had dispatched his men to arrest all those involved in child slavery, his orders were, "If they resist, shoot them!"
General Basil sent, "Captain Brinks, call out the entire Security Battalion, my authorization! YOU are in command, Major Brinks!"
Bear looked at the now Major Brinks and thought, "You are a speed mover like Sky, aren't you?"
Major Brink grinned and sent, "Yes sir and I am also a levitator!"
All that night, the sounds of heavy trucks moving around the Capital City were heard and by morning, many government offices were empty! Much of the purloined food was never recovered but more than ten thousand boys and girls under the age of twelve were saved! Many of the children's parents did NOT want their children returned, saying that they were better off dead!
Sky immediately mind-called his Uncle, Grand Shaman Fox and soon, the entire capital was flooded with angry ATA-WARRIORS! Those warriors cuddled and carried more than eight thousand children, taking them all home with them. No child was left to wander the streets, unwanted, unloved, hungry and forgotten! The next day, Colony National Assemblyman Jacob Ammons, mate of Grand Shaman Fox, introduced legislation making it a felonious crime to abandon a child!
Bear sent Security Teams throughout the country, weeding out traitors from every government office and facility. He was determined to stamp out the Elder infestation once and for all time! He also had posters printed and distributed throughout the nation telling all people, children, teens and adults alike, that his office was open to them 24 hours a day, EVERY DAY! It became commonplace to find the President of Canada sitting at his desk with a crying child on his lap! He and his Security Team would walk the streets of every major city in Canada, collecting those who had no home and bringing them to Colony for care.
People began calling him the Grandfather President!
The operation of the government soon settled down to routine, the nation was orderly and few had reason to complain. A huge new Children's Care Facility was constructed at Colony as was a new wing to the hospital. Another oil field and refinery was restored to service and once again, private automobiles were seen on the roads. High-speed rail service between the major cities and both coasts was restored, making travel and freight available throughout the nation. Diplomatic relations were opened between the several countries in North America. The old United States had become three separate nations and Mexico had separated into two countries. There were a few minor disputes, but no dispute that reasonable folk could not resolve peacefully across a meeting room table. A minor spat over fishing rights on the West Coast was resolved by the fishermen themselves without the need of diplomatic intervention!
A great Festival was planned in Victoria, celebrating the reopening of regular ferry service from Seattle. Bear and Sky Whistle boarded the express train to attend. They were met in every city along the way with bands and banners celebrating the new peace and prosperity of the country. By the time they arrived in Vancouver, Bear was sure he had calluses on his hand from shaking everyone in greetings!
Bear and Sky had just sat down to a Grand Banquet when suddenly his mind exploded with an emergency mind-scream from Lion, in meld with Panther, "Foreign Warships have entered the St. Lawrence Seaway and have blockaded our ports!" Instantly Sky was at his side and Major Brinks, with all his Security Detail surrounded them with guns drawn!
Bear reached for Sky to go into meld, "Panther, call up the National Guard and Naval Reserve. Ready our ships, Sky and I will return non-stop!"
The two men ran from the room and headed for the train station, their Security Team frantically racing after them. Major Brinks had mind-sent to the station master to ready an express train to Ottawa and to clear the tracks of all traffic! They jumped aboard the single-passenger car attached to the simmering engine and the train left the station immediately. Eastward the train raced, the fireman pressing oil into the fiery furnace to keep up steam pressure. The engine's throttle was wide open, sparks showered off the drive wheels as the engineer struggled to maintain maximum speed! The engine crew refused to be relieved at every stop to take on more fuel and water, they were going to get THEIR PRESIDENT to Ottawa in record time!
By the time they arrived at the Capital City, Panther had assembled twenty thousand Warrior Soldiers and ten thousand Warrior Sailors! The fleet had steam pressure up and Warrior Soldiers were being loaded aboard the Troop Transport Ships!
Sky turned to Bear and sent, "Uncle Bear, I shall accompany the fleet, you must stay here and keep our people from fright!" At that, he raced for the pier, mind-screaming for the Captain to get the ship underway! Barely had he cleared the gangway when it was raised and the huge Heavy Cruiser, CS Peter, lunged from the pier, its sister ship CS Henry followed in its wake! Black smoke roiled from the stacks as the great ships struggled to gain speed, their huge propellers churning the lake water to a foamy froth as they drove the mighty ships forward. The Destroyer Flotilla followed them as they raced for the Seaway!
After seeing the ships sail, Bear returned to his office to work on the never-ending pile of paperwork. Major Brinks knocked on his door with a huge grin on his face, saying, "You have a visitor, sir."
A teen boy, about 16 years old marched in, wearing a camouflage uniform, a rifle slung over his shoulder and a pistol hanging prominently from his waist. He stopped before Bear's desk and snapped a precise salute, "SIR, Cadet Captain Robert Brinks, Colony Militia reporting for duty, SIR!"
Bear raised his eyes to the Major, who smiled and said, "My Oldest son, Sir!"
Bear returned the boy's salute and ordered him to stand "at ease". Bear said, "Well Captain, are those arms loaded?"
The boy replied, "Sir, YES SIR, they are loaded!" He continued, "I have one hundred and seventy-five Militia Cadets outside, waiting for your inspection, SIR!"
Major Brinks added, "Mr. President, their arms are loaded, also!"
Bear stood and accompanied the young Cadet Officer outside, where three companies of young Cadet Soldiers stood at rigid attention. The young Cadet shouted, "Battalion.... Prepare for inspection!"
Immediately, three Cadet First Lieutenants ordered, "Open ranks, MARCH!"
As soon as that order had been executed, the young Cadet Captain said, "SIR, Colony Militia, Cadet Battalion ready for inspection, SIR!"
Bear inspected the troops, asking many of them questions. He was amazed at their clear and concise answers. They handled their firearms like experienced soldiers and obviously knew how to use them! When he had completed the inspection, Bear told the Cadet Captain to put his men "at ease". Bear said, "Men, I have just learned (he had received a mind-speak from Rodrigo) that Colony has sent you to assist us during this time of National Emergency. Therefore, use you we most certainly will." He turned to the young Commanding Officer and said, "Captain, establish an orderly room in my outer office, post guards in all the hallways and also at the front and back doors of the building. This is to be a 24/7 assignment until further notice." As he walked back to the Executive Mansion, he heard the Captain giving out assignments with professional military precision! He sent to the boy's Father, "You have a mighty son in that young man, I sense great things in him!"
Major Brinks grinned and told him that two more Brinks boys were in the ranks! The Cadets performed their duties with perfection, several persons posing as messengers were apprehended and nobody got beyond the Orderly Room without being inspected and vetted. Soon, snide remarks about children playing soldier were replaced with praise and respect!
The Naval Task Force sailed towards the Seaway, all the fishing boats had scurried to a safe harbor as soon as the strange ships had appeared. They flew no national flag and most assumed they were pirates. They were! The Canadian Naval Ships carried a full war load of weapons and Sky, acting as Fleet Commodore, ordered the ships to engage, releasing all restrictions on weapons to the judgment of each ship captain! There were twelve ships in the invading fleet, including two sailing ships! The Heavy Cruisers, CS Peter and CS Henry began lobbing high explosive shells on the invaders. Both wooden sailing ships burst into flames before exploding. The other ships tried to turn and run, but the Canadian Fleet was upon them before they could escape. Only one invading ship managed to surrender, all others were sunk within minutes of engagement. They learned, through interrogation of the survivors, that they were indeed pirates, based in Haiti. They had been "invited" by the Elders and had been promised easy pickings from among the Canadian people! They had intended on selling Canadians as slaves in the slave markets of the Caribbean! It was all Sky could manage to prevent angry Captains AND Crews from taking revenge upon those unhappy islands directly!
The fleet returned victorious, but Bear could sense worry and concern among his staff. In careful questioning, he found that everyone felt more secure with the Militia Cadets on duty than the regular Army! They felt the regular Army had already been subverted once and would always be suspect. After conferring with his top military advisors and with Major Brinks, they reached a solution. Each company of Cadets would spend a month in rotation manning the orderly room and guarding the hallways. There remained one more Company of Cadets at Colony, so, using four companies, each would serve only one month every four months! They were to be paid regular Army pay while on duty and time spent would count towards Army advancement should they wish to make the army a career after high school or college graduation! Every boy signed up and they also invited girls to join. It became common to see soldiers as young as fifteen standing guard in the hallway, holding a rifle. It was so successful a program, other governmental agencies asked for Cadet Militia, every high school in the nation participated in training young soldiers! Young Cadet Captain Brinks graduated from Colony High School with highest honors, going on to the University of Ottawa, where he again excelled in Business Management. Four years later, Regular Army First Lieutenant Robert Brinks, Jr. reported to the office of the President to replace his Father, now Colonel Brinks, as head of Presidential Security!
After conferring with Sky, Bear ordered a Cruiser and two Destroyers to be permanently stationed at the mouth of the St. Lawrence Seaway to guard the entrance and regulate shipping that was beginning to expand as international trade resumed. The slavers tried twice more to force their way into Canadian Waters, they were soundly repulsed both times. They also raided several coastal cities of The East United States.
The President of the East United States requested a joint Naval Operation to wipe out the pirate and slaver nests in the Caribbean, Bear reluctantly agreed and the year long operation began. While the task ultimately proved impossible, it would be many years before the scum pirates and slavers would recover. Bear's six year term in office was nearly over, he was looking forward to resuming his love affair with his Great Grandchildren.
Captain Robert Brinks, Jr. was in the outer office when he heard Bear cry out and then heard a thump of something hitting the floor. He went running into the Presidential Office to find Bear collapsed on the floor, dead! Captain Brinks' howl of anguish was heard throughout the building! Sky rushed into the office to find the young Captain sitting on the floor holding Bear's head, tears running from his face in inconsolable sorrow. This man, who had meant so much to his family and to himself was gone. The medics had to pry Robert Brinks from holding onto Bear, so deep was his grief. His Father, now General Brinks, had to be sedated. Bear had saved him from certain starvation at the start of the Wars of Restoration and had been part of his life since that time. When he recovered, he immediately retired and became Instructor of Cadets at Colony High School! His son, Robert, stayed in the Army and eventually became the Chief of the General Staff before retiring. Sky finished Bear's term in office and was elected President the next two elections, Rodrigo serving as his Vice President both terms. Rodrigo then was elected President of Canada with Ricardo as his Vice President!