Ava's Crucible- The Complete series Box Set

by Mark Goodwin

  “That makes sense. What level ranking becomes a cause for concern?”

  “Obviously, we’d like everyone to be a ten, but citizens who score a five or above have nothing to worry about.”

  “And those who score below a five? What happens to them?”

  “Social values are learned. We can’t necessarily fault citizens who haven’t been taught what it means to be a productive member of an advanced society.

  “We’ll be instituting education centers to help foster productive social values.”

  “Once people have been educated, can their rank increase? And also, are these education centers mandatory or voluntary?”

  “Great question, Carter. For people who score below a five, social education is compulsory. And yes, the entire purpose of the education program is to bring up the ranking of our citizens. Once a citizen advances to a rank of five, they can choose if they would like to continue their education.”

  “Is anyone considered too-far-gone?”

  “We hope not. Educational facilities for people who score ones and twos will be residential. People ranked as ones may find their accommodations somewhat restrictive, but that’s for their safety and for the safety of society. Those who show a willingness to learn will quickly advance to a level-two facility, which will be less austere. Once a citizen’s rank has been raised, that citizen will have a much easier time of things.”

  “Talk to us about threes? How are they educated?”

  “They’ll be required to attend classes five days a week. They’ll be allowed to live on their own as long as they report to class regularly and show a willingness to improve. Otherwise, they’ll be demoted and be assigned to a residential facility.”

  “Oh, so you can be demoted.” Carter seemed genuinely surprised by this revelation.

  “I doubt you ever would be, Carter. But yes, theoretically, citizens could allow themselves to read the wrong types of literature or be around the wrong types of people, which could hurt their rank.”

  “You said the wrong type of literature. What do you mean by that?”

  “I think we can all agree that the Bible has been instrumental in causing more than its fair share of pain and discord.”

  “Yes, but everyone doesn’t take it as literally as Blackwell and his cultish followers. What about people who just read it for enjoyment and inspiration?”

  Lawrence looked at Carter Lellouche as if he were being naive. “Carter, we’ve got some very inspiring literary works that inspire and bring enjoyment. If getting rid of this one book can bring healing to our society, don’t you think it’s worth the sacrifice? We’re talking about racism, homophobia, violence, transphobia, xenophobia, hatred of others because of their beliefs; all of this pain can be traced back to one single book. Can’t they just read something else for inspiration and enjoyment?”

  Carter lifted his hands as if to praise Lawrence for his wisdom. “What a compelling explanation. Thank you for enlightening us. But you see how deeply rooted this brainwashing goes, don’t you?”

  Lawrence nodded. “That’s why we’re building the education centers.”

  “So, will the Bible be banned? Will people be incarcerated for owning one?”

  “Whether it is legally banned or not will be up to Congress, but I can tell you that anyone caught with a copy will be immediately sent to a residential education center. Possession of a Bible is the dictionary definition of someone who isn’t grasping what it means to be part a forward-thinking society.”

  Ava turned to her father. “Can you imagine all of the Christians who are in the regime states listening to this right now? They have to be freaking out!”

  Ulysses adjusted his leg on the ottoman. “They shouldn’t be surprised. In every communist revolution around the world, freedom of religion has been taken away in the very next breath after the guns are gone. In fact, every Christian who turned in his gun at one of the collection points should have handed in his Bible at the same time. It would have saved him a trip.”

  Ava smirked. “Yeah. I guess all those pastors who told their congregations to turn in their guns will be looking for a new line of work.”

  Ulysses sipped his coffee. “I’d imagine most of them are ranked pretty close to a ten on the SVA scale. They can go to a voluntary re-education camp until they get an even ten. They’ll all make fine Social Value Auditors.”

  CHAPTER 5

  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

  Matthew 4:2-4

  Ava felt weak Friday morning as she made her way to the living room. “Did you go to bed last night?”

  Ulysses was sitting in the same place on the overstuffed couch. “Yeah, but my leg was bothering me, so I got up.”

  “You need rest for your wound to heal.”

  “And you need food. It’s been forty-eight hours since you ate.”

  Ava filled a glass with water. “I’ll have some milk or juice today if Foley doesn’t get better.”

  She drank the entire glass of water, then picked up the phone and dialed the doctor. “Captain Murphy, hi, it’s Ava.”

  “I was just getting ready to call you.”

  “Oh?” Her voice betrayed her worry.

  “Relax, good news. Mostly.”

  “Mostly?”

  “Foley’s fever is completely gone. His system is functioning strongly, and all his vital signs are normalized.”

  “That’s great! What’s the catch?”

  “I need to get him into surgery this morning.”

  “To take his leg?”

  “Yes. I would have preferred to give the antibiotics another day, but resources around here are about to be stretched thin. Refugees are flooding out of Texas because of what Shane Lawrence said about the Bible yesterday. Blackwell is asking all Alliance military bases near borders of regime states to set up relief camps.”

  “That won’t affect the hospital, will it?”

  “I think it will. At best, we’ll have folks coming in who are dehydrated, with various scrapes and bruises. Worst case scenario, we’ll have combat casualties.

  “I doubt Markovich is going to just let them walk out the door. If he does, he’ll be the first communist dictator in history to allow a mass exodus of people who don’t agree with his politics. They wouldn’t be setting up re-education camps if they were planning on giving people a choice of staying or going.

  “The Alliance States will be flying sorties along the borders for the next two weeks. We’ll engage any troops or aircraft we see harassing the refugees trying to flee.

  “Since Altus is so close to Texas, I’m sure we’ll have lots of folks coming here over the next few days.”

  Ava listened closely, then replied, “I understand. When will he come out of surgery?”

  “He should be waking up around noon. It would be good if you could be in the recovery room. He’s been out for two days, plus he’ll be waking up to one less leg than he had. It’s going to be tough on his mind. A friendly face might help him cope.”

  “I’ll be there, of course! You think the surgery will go okay?”

  “Like I said, I wish we could have given the antibiotics another day, but I promise, I’ll do my best. See you at twelve.”

  “Thank you.” Ava placed the phone on the cradle.

  “What did he say?” Ulysses inquired.

  Ava relayed the information to her father, including the part about the refugees who were coming to the base.

  “You’ll eat? After Foley comes out of surgery?” Ulysses' eyes showed his concern.

  Ava nodded. “If he comes through okay, and he’s stable, that’s all I’m asking for. I’ll consider that an answer to my prayers. Maybe I’ll wheel you down to the recovery room, and we can
all have dinner tonight.”

  “I can get over to the medical hangar on my crutches.”

  “You’re not even supposed to have crutches. Why don’t you let me push you in the chair? You wouldn’t want to get Sergeant Griffith in trouble for going against the doctor’s orders.”

  Ulysses grimaced to convey his displeasure. “I can wheel myself.”

  Ava took a shower, got dressed, and fixed herself up so she’d look nice for Foley. She said goodbye to Ulysses and began walking over to the hangar at 11:00 AM. On the way, she watched several giant C-17s land. Some were already on the tarmac and being offloaded. She mumbled to herself, “They must be bringing in supplies from other bases for the relief center.”

  Multiple cargo trucks filled with equipment drove by Ava before she reached the hangar. Once there, the building was buzzing with activity. She checked in with the front desk. “Hi, Captain Murphy told me to come by. I’m sure he’s in surgery right now, but can you send him a text and let him know that Ava is here waiting when he’s finished?”

  “Yes, ma’am. It’s my privilege.” The young private behind the desk quickly sent the text.

  “Thank you.” She took a seat on a modest couch. A small television sat atop a simple metal storage shelf, which was backed up to a thin partition. Power was provided by heavy-gauge extension cords, which ran along the ground. Duct tape covered the electrical cords and secured them to the floor to mitigate tripping hazards.

  The television played a live-streaming newscast produced from inside the Alliance States. Ava quickly recognized the broadcast as being supportive of Blackwell and the patriot states.

  A manicured young man in a suit and tie delivered a report from a modern desk in front of a professional studio background. “Acting President of the Alliance States, Turner Blackwell, is requesting challengers to throw their names into the hat for a special presidential election for the Alliance States. Since he was appointed to the vice-presidency by President Ross, he does not want there to be any doubt about the legitimacy of his leadership role in the Alliance States.

  “He has said that if he does prevail in the special election, he vows to step aside and resume his role as vice-president when President Ross is returned from his illegal incarceration by the Markovich regime.”

  “All eight of the other Alliance States governors held a vote of confidence yesterday evening in which they unanimously signaled their support for Acting-President Blackwell.

  “In other news, the eastern half of Washington State has declared itself free and independent from the western portion of the state. The new state, which has joined the Alliance States, is called the State of Liberty. Liberty has tried unsuccessfully in the past to break off from the western half of Washington, but now that shots have already been fired, residents of the eastern side no longer have to worry about triggering a second civil war.

  “Acting-President Blackwell welcomed Liberty with open arms. The move not only strengthens the Alliance States but also shields the upper panhandle of Idaho from sharing that portion of its border with a state complicit with the rogue Markovich regime.”

  Ava smiled at the word choices of the reporter. She was pleased to hear him use terminology that acknowledged the Alliance States as the legitimate government and condemned Markovich’s administration as the traitorous regime. Far too long had the right played fair while letting the left act with impunity in the political world, particularly when it came to the media.

  “Ava.” The doctor came from behind the partition.

  “Captain Murphy, how did it go?” She stood up and waited in hopes of good news.

  The doctor’s expression did nothing to reassure her. He shook his head as if perplexed. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Is Foley okay? Is he alive?” Her forehead puckered, and she held her breath in anticipation.

  Murphy quickly closed the space between them and put his hand on her shoulder. “Yes, he’s fine. But his leg, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “You had to remove more than you thought?” Ava felt concerned, but as long as Foley was alive, she could handle it.

  “No, no.” He shook his head, his face still showing his confusion. “I probed his leg on Wednesday when he came in. I took out the bullet. The tissue inside was irreparable. I saw it for myself. I’ve even got photographs.”

  “I don’t understand what you’re telling me, doctor?”

  “The wound channel—in his leg—it’s nearly healed up. I didn’t do anything.”

  Ava looked skeptically at the captain. “So, he might not have to lose his leg?”

  “Oh, he’ll definitely keep the leg. The only question is whether I let him walk out of here on it tonight.”

  Tears of joy flooded Ava’s eyes. Emotion rushed through her stomach, heart, and throat. She covered her mouth with her hands. “Are you serious?”

  “I would never joke about such a thing. But I really don’t have any way of explaining it other than a miracle.”

  She looked upward. “Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, God!”

  Ava brought her gaze back to earth. “Is he awake?”

  “I’ve cut off the sedatives. He’ll be coming around soon. Come on. I’ll take you back to him.”

  She followed Captain Murphy. “When can we leave? To go home?”

  “I’d like to see Foley and your dad a couple more times, but things are going to get hectic around here. Bring them both in tomorrow morning. As long as everything looks good, you can all go home after that. Your truck is down in motor pool.”

  “We left our truck at the battle site.”

  “Right. Two of the men drove it back here. Motor pool took the liberty of cleaning it up for you. Tune-up, oil change, the works. I think I mentioned that you’re something of a celebrity.”

  “Yeah, you did. Wow. That’s so fantastic. I suppose I could hang around if you guys need help with the refugees.”

  The doctor shook his head. “We don’t have a vetting process in place for the refugees yet. In all likelihood, Markovich will have spies mixed in, wolves among the sheep. Given your notoriety, I think it would be better if you kept your distance. But thanks for offering.”

  Captain Murphy pulled back a curtain to reveal Foley sleeping on a bed. All the tubes and monitors had been removed from him.

  “Thank you again for all you’ve done.”

  “Glad I could help with the infection, but the leg, I can’t take credit for that.” He waved and walked away.

  Ava stood at Foley’s bedside for the next half hour. His eyelids moved from time to time and his head shifted, but he did not wake up.

  An orderly brought her a chair. “Here you go, ma’am. It might be a while. I can keep an eye on him and call you when he wakes up if you need to take a break.”

  “No, the chair is fine, thanks.” Ava took a seat and held Foley’s hand for another forty minutes.

  Finally, he gripped her hand. His head turned toward her. His eyes opened slightly.

  “Hey there. How you feelin’?” She smiled gently at him.

  His eyes opened wider, and he returned the smile. “Thirsty.”

  Ava took the small sippy cup on the stand next to his bed and held it to his lips. “Here. Drink.”

  Foley took a shallow sip. “Thanks. How long have I been out?”

  “Four years. The war is over.”

  “Are you serious? Who won?”

  She giggled and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m kidding. You’ve only been out for two days.”

  He chuckled. “You’re cruel.”

  “If I were cruel, I’d have kept it up. I’d have told you Markovich won.”

  He put his head down and closed his eyes. “I knew you were kidding anyway.”

  “Oh yeah? How?”

  “You’ve still got that silly ring on. No way you’d wait four years for me.”

  She kissed him. “I’d wait forty years for you. And don’t ever call my ring silly.”

  �
�What did I miss?”

  “You just rest and take it easy for now. I’ll fill you in later. Once the doctor releases you, we’ll all go have dinner together in the dining facility— you, Dad, and me.”

  “Dining facility? You mean like a DFAC? Where are we?”

  “Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma.”

  “Near your dad’s home?”

  “Not far; it’s about five hours from here. And it’s our home—at least for now.”

  “I thought you said Texas would always be your home.”

  She held his hand tight. “Wherever you, Dad, Buckley, and Charity are; that’s my home.”

  CHAPTER 6

  Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them. Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men. For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform. Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them. Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.

  Psalm 21:8-13

  In a small ceremony at Ulysses’ farm, Ava and Foley were married on New Year’s Day. Many weeks passed and March arrived. With it came the first mild days in northeastern Oklahoma.

  Ava sat at the foot of the bed watching Foley pack his rucksack. “If your militia team leaves, who’ll guard the border?”

  Foley did not look up. “Markovich would never hit Oklahoma from the Missouri border.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. If he were to target Tulsa, he’d have to come across the Missouri border. Arkansas, like the other southern states, is neutral. If he launched an attack across the Arkansas border, he’d risk tipping them over to the Alliance.”