When the aliens came, it wasn't a military invasion: it was an economic one.
Shortly after first contact, Earth became the latest proxy war between the two major alien empires in the galaxy. Now humanity is divided between Monarchist-sponsored nations and Imperialist-sponsored nations, and the last independent holdout—the United States of America—has just experienced a coup.
Sam Fisher doesn't know why the new president has agreed to give him an interview, but as an independent journalist and alternative media blogger, he intends to hold the would-be dictator's feet to the fire. But when he sees the gallows lining both sides of the National Mall, he can't help but wonder if coming to Washington DC at this time of enormous turmoil was a mistake.
This story was originally published in Again, Hazardous Imaginings (December 2020), and received the highest ranking (***) on Tangent Online's 2020 recommended reading list.
