illphated
New Washington: The City That Rebuilt America
By Illphated
They called it New Washington—not out of nostalgia, but necessity.
The old one had fallen, not with a bang but with a slow, crumbling sigh. The marble monuments decayed under decades of corrosion and corruption, and when the final vote was cast from behind closed doors, the decision was unanimous: abandon the past. Build something new.
At the heart of New Washington rose the New White House, a sprawling palace of governance designed to intimidate and inspire in equal measure. Its massive domes reached toward the sky like steel-plated promises. Fountains churned in the courtyards, surrounded by meticulous rows of trees—each one genetically engineered to bloom year-round, each one casting a shadow meant to symbolize the balance of power.
But this was not just a city for politicians. It was a city for the new America.
The planners envisioned New Washington as a seat of power and rebirth, a living symbol of a nation rebooted. The streets were laid out in perfect grids—no dead ends, no roundabouts—just forward progress. AI-guided trolleys whisked citizens from the civic centers to marketplaces, all under the ever-watchful eye of the Capitol Dome, its apex now lined with solar panels that gleamed like a second sun.
Tourists came in waves, snapping photos under banners that read:
“WELCOME TO NEW WASHINGTON: THE FUTURE IS BUILT, NOT INHERITED.”
The people who lived here called themselves the Refounders. They wore that title with pride, knowing they were the architects of this new chapter.
And yet, as the sun set over the symmetrical cityscape, a question lingered in the minds of many:
Was this progress? Or just a prettier cage?
In New Washington, only time would decide.