Chain Breakers

Aspen Hill has finally stabilized, after almost two years of chaos since the Gulf burned. The conflict and turmoil have ended, and the people living there are finally in a position where they're confident they can feed themselves, not just through the next nuclear winter but long term. Nestled in its little valley in the Rocky Mountains the town looks forward to the future.

But not everywhere is so fortunate. Halfway across the country, along the Mississippi River that now forms a border between the Central Controlled Zone and Canada, Pete Childress and his unit remain locked in conflict with the remnants of the Gold Bloc countries that invaded the United States. Galvanized by the CCZ's raids on the convoys the US and Canada sent to Mexico's trade summit, the two countries have begun striking back. But rather than launching major attacks against the enemy nation, the combined force has begun using the CCZ's own tactics against them, sending raiding parties across the border to hit enemy camps, free US and Canadian citizens taken as slaves, and punish those who enslaved them.

Pete's unit forms the spearhead in the conflict, operating where the fighting is fiercest. And while Pete's matured some in the year since he ran away from home to join the Army, he remains hotheaded and eager to bring the fight to the enemy. From the looks of things there'll be plenty of fight to bring.


Genre: Science Fiction