Reading, Pennsylvania (1983: Doomsday)

Reading is a city-state in southeastern Pennsylvania centered in Berks County. The city-state has claimed the surrounding counties which contained major targets during the nuclear attacks of September 25, 1983. Thinking themselves fortunate to be alive, and housing hundreds of refugees in the aftermath, the city officials proclaimed themselves caretakers of the remnant of Pennsylvania coming to them from Philadelphia and Harrisburg.

Doomsday
There were several nearby strikes on Harrisburg and Philadelphia, as well as strikes in Baltimore and the District of Columbia.

Apocalyptic Aftermath
Reading received its fair share of refugees from Harrisburg and Philadelphia. As a result the city was overcrowded and food shortages dominated the first two years after Doomsday. By 1987, the population of the Greater Reading Area was less than 95,000. In a last ditch effort to prevent total anarchy surrounding the cities, local National Guardsmen under the command of World War Two veteran Joe Toye drove out the refugee bands surrounding the city outskirts to allow Reading to consolidate a good control over the local food supplies.

Soon after, the government at Reading organized a new authority, the Provisional Government of Pennsylvania at Reading at an attempt to secure the area. By 1990 Reading's government controlled the city and surrounding suburbs and towns, and gradually expanded its control over the region, consolidating farms and any other sources of food. They made contact with the cities of Pottsville and Lebanon in 1995 and 1996, respectively, and both cities declared their support for the PGPR. However, the, a gang that took their name from the pre-Doomsday basketball team, had substantial control over a large part of Lebanon, and their leader challenged the Governor to a brawl. They faced off in the streets of Lebanon, with the Sixers cheering their leader and the Readingers and Lebanese mostly silent. The brawl seemed to go the Sixers' way until the Governor unleashed his hidden mixed martial arts training and gave the leader a "thorough beating." After that, he declared the Governor to be "the strongest son-of-a-gun in our beloved state," and shook hands cordially with him. The Sixers' armed militia was joined with what National Guard units were in Reading, and the leader himself was always at the Governor's side.

The "law-abiding" groups, led by police and National Guardsmen, finally gained control over the region by 2002, consolidating power in Reading. Control over Schuylkill and Lebanon Counties was established in the succeeding years with help from the counties' surviving forces.

In 2009, a political crisis arose in Reading when the Governor was ambushed and assassinated by the Allentown gangs. The people were divided between isolationist Lieutenant-Governor Rocky Colavito and a young, upstart lawyer-turned-representative who advocated increased contact with the other survivors. The matter was finally solved when they agreed to share power until the 2011 elections came. Reading came in contact with, and  at that point.

On February 28, 2010,, a former clerk from Schuylkill County and small-time politician, was elected Governor. He immediately promised to take care of the problem in Allentown by calling up 3,000 volunteers for the coming engagements, and he pledged to cement their relations with nearby State College, and, if possible, make contact with the.

The Reading-Allentown War
On September 1, 2011, the Reading National Guard headed out for Allentown to begin a new campaign against the gangs based there. After eight days of fighting, the commander reported to Governor Jones by radio that they had succeeded in taking only one-fourth of the city. The rest was still held by the heavily fortified gangs.

On September 4, Commander Donyell Marshall was sent on a covert mission to meet with the leaders of some of the lesser gangs in Allentown. So far, he has managed to convince Kerry Collins, leader of the Wilson Fighting Men, to defect to the Reading authorities with his group.

September 11 saw the capture of Allentown Municipal Airport by Reading forces, aided by Collins's men. The reasons for capturing it were more for tactical than strategic.

On September 28, Commander Marshall reported that they had surrounded the Allentown City Hall. A very long fight was expected.

On October 4, the Jolly Roger, adopted flag of the Allentown Mob (as the RNG referred to them), was struck down, and the flag of Pennsylvania was raised. Ed Pawlowski, chairman of the Allentown Transitional Council, was sworn in as mayor and pledged allegiance to Reading.

International Relations
Reading had become an isolated community dealing mostly with the maintaining a measure of control over Berks, Schuylkill, and Lebanon Counties. Nearby Allentown, as of 2010, is still controlled by gangs that survive by brute force, many holding roots to inner-city gangs of Philadelphia and New York City which prevailed in pre-doomsday times. In September 2011, Governor John Jones III launched an attack against the Allentown gangs, but the Reading forces have succeeded only in taking one-fourth of the town.

Contact with explorers from other, larger survivor states have brought some trade via armed transport. In recent years, in fact, there has been a growing relationship with the neighboring city-state of State College. Ongoing discussions, via newly re-established radio contact, has determined that the government at State College actually is the successor government of Pennsylvania as it claims. When that information was confirmed, Governor Jones immediately set in motion plans to reintegrate with their larger neighbor, although it is assumed that it would take years of coordinated effort to achieve unity. If that option was not possible, then he would set in motion Plan B: a declaration of independence.

Thanks to State College's help, Reading has friendly relations with the, , , and the. Through, Reading has contact and/or informal relations with , , , , and the.