Free Tomorrow by C. K. Kelly Martin

waved , we all raised our voices to join in the singing of the national anthem. To remain silent would’ve been as unpatriotic as staying home.
    “ Oh brave nation, born of two mothers.
    Oh brave nation, ever brighter, ever stronger, ever free.
    From far and wide, united, we stand on guard for thee.
    Our sanctuary, our glory, lie within your hills and valleys.
    Your waters run clear, your skies remain sacred .
    Forever, brave nation , we exult you.
    Hands on our soaring hearts, feet grounded in your soil.
    And this be our motto: there is nothing too great you can ask of us
    Nothing we will not cede
    May the star-spangled banner long wave
    over our brave nation, the land of the free.”
    Du Monde Day—a tradition the French had started two decades earlier and that had rapidly spread to most of the countries across the globe that were still functioning as civilized—was full of contradictions. Morning Dailies aside, it was intended to be a twenty-four-hour period where U.N.A. citizens stayed off gushi and joined their countrymen and other nations in celebration of vraie vie . The irony was that while in theory, United North America professed to love authentic life, it had little fondness for it in practice. The country ran on the toil of robots and the hope that the majority of its citizens would remain asleep or silent to its abuses of power.
    For the U.N.A., Du Monde Day was mainly a PR exercise. The feed sent out from Billings, D.C. to other countries would reveal a mass of citizens so dedicated to their nation and to the value of real life that they had braved the wet weather, storm warnings, and the looming threat of terrorism to gather at the National Mall. Meanwhile, many of us wouldn’t have been standing in the eerily damp bluster if the SecRos didn’t keep track of attendance. We’d all heard rumours about the government making inquiries about area residents who stayed home.
    Next to me , Kinnari was shivering, and I watched her reach into her collar to inch up the warmth setting on her clothing to better protect her from the elements. As was tradition, the crowd joined hands as the president began her address. She praised our courage in coming to the National Mall to celebrate with her despite the weather and said she would require more of that courage from us in the days ahead to continue the battle against terrorism and the fight to restore our country’s natural environment.
    “We are marching towards ultimate success,” President Ortega declared. “I know you can feel this and that we are a proud, strong people dedicated to each other and to this fine, brave dream realized in the flesh as United North America. John F. Kennedy, one of the United States’ finest presidents, once said, ‘As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.’ And so on this day, and every other, I ask you to live by the ideals of the U.N.A. and the authentic life it reveres. If you do so, it will reward you by continuing to offer back to you everything you need.”
    One and a half million people roared and clapped in appreciation, the wind biting at our skin and the clouds malevolent. The sporting and acrobatic demonstrations held in the airspace above the National Mall were still to come. So was the yearly skystory display—overhead hyperrealistic recreations of great moments in U.S. history played out against a backdrop of clouds—and the live musical performance by opera singer Arlette Courtemanche. Unlike most pop music sensations, Arlette was a genetic original, not a spliced star, a darling of the official grounded movement.
    P hysical segments of the Du Monde celebration were cancelled because of the weather almost every year, and a low boo echoed throughout the crowd as it was announced that the high winds had made the acrobatic and sporting performances too dangerous. Arlette glided out onto the stage with an acoustic guitar around her neck