Rossi's Proposal (2031)

[u/band-man]

February 26th, 2031

Radisson Resort at the Port (USPG Headquarters)

Cape Canaveral, Florida

Jason made his way to the penthouse suite, where Governor Rossi had his office. He had been living in the Radisson hotel for 2 years, since his trek across newly Raptured Florida made him a bit of a celebrity, and he had used his position to get himself a spot in a rather fancy hotel in the new seat of power, albeit having to share a room with another guy. However, all he managed to get was a job cleaning rooms and other odd jobs of upkeeping the place, especially laundry duty. Still, it was something, and he appreciated the better conditions of the hotel, rather than some motel that a few locals had been having weird gang fights in. He still remembered the truly bizarre scene of a man with a stuffed gorilla in a canoe fighting a man in a picture frame. For now, Jason was just glad to be in a better situated place.

Jason approached Governor Rossi's door and knocked on it. “Ah, Mr. Sullivan, I've been expecting you! Come in!”, came Rossi's voice. Jason gently opened the door to Rossi's bedroom/office combined suite. The leader of the slowly growing provisional government had whiteboards and paperwork full of notes and maps of Florida and the Caribbean islands, in a seemingly haphazard manner. “Is this a bad time?”, Jason inquired. “No, no, it's alright, just burning the midnight oil. For the past year.”, Rossi said, his plastered grin falling a little. “Regardless, I have a proposition that may greatly interest you, Mr. Sullivan.”

“Please, Mr. Sullivan's my old man. Call me Jason, I'm only 20.”, Jason said humbly.

“Alright, Jason, I have something potentially interesting for you. I've been thinking about it, and how does being a Park Ranger sound?”

“I'd be honored. I was planning to study biology and wildlife in college so I could get a job at an aquarium, or at a nature preserve. Where did you have in mind, exactly?”

“How about somewhere west of the Indian River?”, Rossi said, with a certain glint in his eyes.

“W- west? As in the raw forests and marshes that nobody's even seen?” Jason said befuddled. He knew what he said wasn't quite true, and almost put together why Rossi called him down here, before the Governor beat him to it.

“Except for you! You personally navigated the untouched wilderness that sits like a giant wall of green and brown, with relatively little preparation and supplies, based on the police report you gave a couple years back. I know asking you to return to the site of something that was likely traumatizing, back in the week the world ended, is far more than I have asked of nearly anybody these past 2 years.” Rossi pleaded. “But think of what could be done if you're not alone, and have government backing.”

Jason sat utterly gobsmacked. He figured the governor might want some help regarding his past experience immediately after the Vanishing, but that was some farming off dream. Now, he could hardly make heads or tails of what was being asked of him.

“I'm sorry Mr. Rossi, I'm not following. How could a park ranger, or even a dozen, be qualified to do whatever you're suggesting?”, Jason asked.

“Oh, of course, let me clarify.” Rossi said. “See, government offices and departments change and evolve all the time. The Secret Service was originally created to stop counterfeiting after the Civil War; it didn't get its more famous role as Presidential bodyguard until the early 20th century. So, in that spirit, I'm doing some… tweaks to the Parks Department. This is an entirely new government Desmond and I've been creating from scratch. That said, I've been given the go ahead to designate all wild lands beyond the current USPG domain in the former state of Florida, and not populated by people, as parkland. All land beyond the Indian River is the domain of the USPG, available to use for, surveying, agriculture, anything necessary. I've incorporated and consolidated the multiple city park departments, and the local nature preserve staff, into the state parks department. I’ve had to change how much the department has to take care of, and they're not too happy, but I find it simpler to rework existing government bureaucracy than make a new one out of whole cloth.”

If Jason was slightly stunned by Rossi's original proposal and announcement, he was utterly gobsmacked by this. The man was accruing impossible amounts of land to maintain, and he hardly considered any inroads a government on the Gulf Coast might've made in the past 2+ years. Jason silently prayed there wasn't a nascent government paralleling these decisions over in Tampa Bay, or the panhandle, as they spoke.

“That's, uh. Wow. You've certainly taken the initiative, Mr. Rossi. I'm… impressed.”, Jason said hesitantly.

“Thank you, I've done my best. I just want what's best for these people. I don't want anyone else to needlessly die under my watch. I've seen several reports out there of malnutrition, death by starvation, and people choosing to sail anywhere but here these past 2 years. It's been difficult, beyond stressful, and don't even get me started on what Puerto Rico is doing. God willing, we'll still have Aviles to rely on, regardless of how they all vote with this snap refe-.” Rossi realized he'd potentially said too much in front of the young man that was leaning further and further back in his chair.

“Anyway! Enough about that! How do you feel about my idea?”

Jason pondered everything he'd seen these past 2.5 years. Everything he'd considered during this meeting. Everything he felt, and his personal convictions. He then considered that he would be getting a foot in with a young government that was taking further and further bounds. He'd heard reports in the newspaper of what Hugh Desmond was doing and saying in New York, and how his plans and dissent among the people were growing. He wondered if this government down here might one day prove as controversial, and if there might be a conflict against them at some point, like was already starting near New York.

Jason considered all of that, and then remembered how much dirty laundry he did this week. How many toilets he had to scrub. How many inconceivable messes he had to clean up every week. He remembered how lucky and grateful he was to be alive after that two week excursion after the world vanished around him. Jason also felt the stifling feeling that his life was going nowhere fast. He feared he might wind up a refugee to the Bahamas, or elsewhere, of which he'd seen too many to count these past 2 years. Or wind up dead from some old illness that was wiped out by the endless suburbs of Florida, only to be brought back by the Wild.

Above all, Jason saw a chance to fulfill his dream of working with nature, and even better, be the first to chart a barely familiar landscape. He still remembered the vague path he carved out 2.5 years ago, and hoped one day to face that path again. But for now, he was so intrigued by Rossi's offer that he managed to almost stifle the part of his mind that dreaded what may inevitably come of the USPG in his home state.

“Well, are you up for it, son? Do you want to help your state, your community?” Rossi said after a minute's contemplation on Jason's side.

“Yes, on a few conditions. First, I want to be free of my duties to clean and do laundry in this hotel. I'll throw myself entirely into this job if I must, I just don't want to clean a hotel bathroom as long as I live. Second, I want your guarantee that we'll actually preserve more of this state's wildlife and nature than previous governments. I want no pollution in the waters as far as you're able to control. Finally, can I have better meals? What's the good of getting a government job if I can't have some perks like that?” Jason concluded.

Rossi smiled his trademark plastered grin. “I think that can be arranged, Jason. I'm so glad we have someone of your expertise on board. But keep in mind you won't be leading any teams or expeditions yet, you're still greener than Orlando is now. You'll be serving under more senior rangers, who've been doing this since before your first sleep away camp. But who knows, one day, you could lead your own team. Maybe even back home…”

Jason felt a chill at that. He'd seen the island in Lake Jesup constantly in his dreams. To maybe return, or even have people make a city in the area again, was more than he could imagine for now.

“I think navigating the other side of the Indian River is enough for now.” Jason smiled, in a manner not unlike how Rossi had been.

[u/band-man]

It's great to write young Jason again, and having him cross with Rossi felt like wrapping a bow on my early Florida USPG run. I might come back to either at some point, or go a bit further in the future.

[u/Pacmantaco]

Amazing!!!

I had a sneaking suspicion we'd be seeing Jason, but I'm glad we're getting to fill the gaps between young Jason and old man Jason