Century Prologueby John ColemanThe unfinished buildings of uptown Century City shone in the moonlight, like a dream of things to come. In only ten years the new city had grown to cover almost all of Century Island; FDR had really pushed the idea of an entire city built upon the philosophies of his New Deal, and FDR was a man who got things done. With the outbreak of war in Europe, Century City had become the unofficial staging point for the American war effort. Although the United States had not yet entered the war, many believed it was only a matter of time. The northeastern portion of the island was dominated by a huge military base and weapons development research facility. Occupied by fifteen thousand troops from all branches of the armed forces, Fort Nicholas was the only part of the city that was completely finished. Until the construction of Century City and Fort Nicholas had begun, the island had been totally unpopulated. The federal government had seized the island in the 1830s after the death of James "Kid" Courage, a young pirate who used it as a base of operations. It wasn’t until a hundred years later, when the country was in the grip of the Great Depression, that the island would be utilized. President Roosevelt, as one of his many relief programs, organized the CIC, the Century Island Committee. He charged the members of the committee with designing and building the city of the future. On October 30, 1933, the CIC oversaw the completion of the first major step in the project: the construction of the Ellis Bridge, spanning over a mile of the Atlantic Ocean and connecting Century City with Webster, Maryland. Eight years later, and the city was nearing completion and housing nearly a quarter million people. Many had come to Century for the opportunity it represented, many new jobs in a time of economic disaster. The intense migration and increase in population was compared to that of the California Goldrush of the mid-1800s. Pleased with the results, FDR expanded the plans he had for the city and Fort Nicholas. With the threat of war looming, Roosevelt centered the war effort in Century City. Several large companies specializing in munitions opened factories in the growing industrial district. Breakthroughs were made at a fantastic rate and each new technology or invention was put to use toward increasing the military strength of the United States. The rapid population growth led to one problem in Century: lack of order. With the Fort Nicholas personnel occupied by war preparations, the initial Century City Police Department was under a lot of strain to keep the peace. Crime was on the rise and the impending war had left the people of Century in a state of near paranoia. People were beginning to fear for their safety. Rumors had begun to spread, however, from the streets of Southtown to the barracks of Fort Nicholas; rumors of masked men... mystery men... who helped those in trouble and watched over the growing city. Perhaps the rumors were just the result of a city full of people on the edge, a fantasy indulged to forget the struggles of real life.
Or perhaps not...
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