What if the American Civil War never happened?
Let’s say that Lincoln was assassinated before he even took office after being elected in 1860. Let’s say that the Southern senators, ready to walk out and lead their states to secession, sat back down and hammered out a constitutional amendment that basically said that slavery could not be outlawed in the United States and that it would forever be up to the states to decide whether they would allow slavery or not.
Fast forward to present day, and things are pretty much the same as we know it. They have cell phones and laptops. They love Budweiser and football. They still post selfies on social media.But there are still four states that allow slavery. And three million people are still slaves.Victor is a bit of a mystery. He sees himself as a good man doing bad work. What he does is track down escaped slaves and return them to their owners.
This might not seem that weird, except that Victor was born into slavery. For 14 years he was a slave at a slaughter house. He escaped, but was caught by the U.S. Marshals. They gave him a choice. Return to the slaughterhouse or join them in hunting down escaped slaves.
See, it’s not exactly popular with most of the population of the United States that slavery still exists in four states. Because of this, the government doesn’t exactly like having an above the board agency in charge of tracking down escaped slaves.So what they need is people like Victor. Victor doesn’t wear a uniform. Victor doesn’t carry a badge. Victor doesn’t really exist.
So what they need is people like Victor. Victor doesn’t wear a uniform. Victor doesn’t carry a badge. Victor doesn’t really exist.
But something isn’t right about the case that Victor is working on. He’stracking an escaped slave called Jackdaw. Something about the file just doesn’t sit right with Victor.And as Victor gets closer to Jackdaw, he also gets closer to the truth about the United States government and the secrets that they will do anything to keep.
What to Watch for in October
Crosstalk
by Connie Willis
In the near future, a simple outpatient procedure has been developed that increases empathy between romantic partners. Briddey and her boyfriend Trent decide to have the procedure. What could possibly go wrong?
Tetris: The Games People Play
by Box Brown
You’ve all played Tetris. Created in the Soviet Union in 1984 by a guy named Alexey Pajitnov, it sparked a global bidding war that included secret trips to Moscow, backroom deals, and theft. Now I have the Tetris theme song stuck in my head.
