Endless Fall of Night

Once the ruling class and government understood there could be no cohabitation and sharing of resources with the Black and brown hordes streaming through unprotected borders, a revolution started, pulling from US history. The year 2041 AD marked the age of the Second Republic’s first steps in making the difficult easy, making the complex simple. Daring steps led to clear distinctions in socioeconomic groups: patricians, plebians, surfers, and slaves. Everyone knew their place. No confusion. No chaos.
Based on Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, we see our future that shows striking similarities to this age of imperialism, classism, and capitalistic expansion where racism is commonplace, slavery exists, and a minority of people are in absolute power. Instead of Belgium Company’s outposts along the Congo River in Africa in 1899 or a US Swift Boat going up the Nung River in Vietnam in 1969, this is the great Third Republic on Earth and colonies on Mars in the year 2126.
Cassandra XI, patrician and first-class citizen, is exposed to a traumatic experience that later has her questioning the established social order. She is eventually tried and convicted as an insurrectionist, her personal AI deactivated, social status and titles revoked, and she is sent to prison. Cassandra is then approached by Captain Willard Bennett of the light cruising ship the Jefferson Davis to investigate why the Martian colony New Georgia went dark, leaving severed heads on spikes and the message “Bring Cassandra Kurtz.”
With no choice but to go, Cassandra’s life is about to change in unimaginable ways.

          J.M. Erickson earned his bachelor's degree from Boston College, majoring in psychology and sociology and master's degree from Simmons University, School of Social Work, and completed post-graduate certification programs in Psychological Trauma, Clinical Assessment and Treatment, and Human Services Agency Management from Boston University.

           J.M. Erickson remains very active as a high school counselor and community therapist.