Stafphus

prologue

In the year of 2020, a new type of space travel was invented, a way to go faster than light, it was called "hyper-space". While the nations on earth squabbled over earth's moon and the planet mars, Gary Stafphus discovered a habitable planet and named it after himself. The fighting governments decided that it was best to make a joint colonization of the planet. In 2021 a large convoy of ships was finished construction able to carry eight million people and enough food, supplies, and weapons to defend themselves. After two weeks in hyper-space they arrived at planet Stafphus. The ships landed on a large grassy plain and begin to construct a city named Galita after the company that designed one of the larger ships in the convoy. The city took eight years to fully complete, and was in need of constant expansion due to the large number of immigrants. A second city was built as a mining city; the government of Stafphus traded valuable minerals to earth to get much needed supplies from earth. Two years later the chain of cargo ships was mysteriously cut off. The provisional government fell and James Harkins took over declaring planet Stafphus to be under his dictation and offers a new plan to survive off of the few supplies remaining. It was decided that all items and currency would be taxed off of the people to be given to the government and then back to the people. Good for the poor and lazy, bad for the rich.

He listened as the boots of the police ran past his box; they didn't care about him, only those with money and food. One of the officers stop and knocked on a door, there was no response. The lead officer nodded his head toward the officer who had knocked on the door, and promptly broke it down. A large truck sped down the road and parked outside the house; the police quickly ransacked the house and dumped all the contents of value in the back of the truck. The vehicle drove down the street a ways, and the police continued their march breaking into all the buildings in their way.

"Sir, we have cleared almost one fourth of the city, we would like your permission to start on the larger buildings," Said a high ranked police officer.

"Granted, but don't damage the structural integrity, we still need those buildings." General James Harkins said.

"Yes sir" the officer said, saluted, and quickly walked out.

He turned his head out the large window that was situated next to his desk, a large oak desk with a large screen on the desk. The screen turned on and an image of a police officer was there.

"Sir!"

"What is it now?"

"S-someone is refusing to be taxed."

"This is perfect; drag them to the central park square." He paused for a moment to think. "We shall make an explosive example out of them."

"Sir?"

"Oh, and have as many of the people as you can assemble there."

"Yes Sir!" The feed on the screen faded.

"Finally alone." He chuckled to himself and returned to looking out the window to the enormous city below.

The crowd filled the entire area and overflowed into the streets beyond. In the center of the square police stood on all sides in a circle around a high ranked police officer.

"Bring her here." The officer said with a wicked smile. They brought a youngish women toward the middle who was handcuffed a dropped on the ground in the center of the square. All the people outside of the ring of the police protested angrily.

"State your full name and age." Asked her.

"Jennifer Jones, I am nineteen" She responded struggling.

"This wretched thing refused to pay the tax, this tax is going to go to the poor and those without food, refusing to pay will cause peoples deaths and will cause the death of yourself." He nodded to the policeman who had requested that she pay the tax kindly.

He gulped slightly as he was handed a loaded rocket launcher from another policeman.

"Shoot her!" The high ranked officer yelled at him.

"N-no"

"Shoot her or you will suffer the same punishment."

He didn't really want to kill an innocent person, but the other option was even worse. The commanding officer slowly retreated. He aimed, closed his eyes and fired.