Fortress Farm - The Pullback

by G.R. Carter

  Chapter Fifteen

  Silicon Valley

  Two Months after the Great Reset

  “Rowan, Rowan, wake up. We need you now.”

  The voice of an angel called to him. Mom, is that you? Cutting through the haze of a dream, he couldn’t figure out where the voice was coming from. No, that’s not Mom. He opened his eyes to see Angela looking over him. Her beautiful face looked weary. He could see concern fogging her eyes a bit. How long had it been? That’s right, a few weeks now.

  So I didn’t die? What about those bandits who broke in? How did Angela get through to me? Did she save my life?

  “Hello, Angela,” Rowan smiled as he looked up at her. Not the smile he once used to seduce people with. That façade was replaced with his genuine happiness to see another person.

  “I’m glad you’re here. We have so much to talk about,” he rasped.

  “I agree, Rowan. And I’m glad to see you, too. I can tell you’ve been able to get back to the True Path. Now we need to get you focused on the future again,” Angela told him.

  “Of course, tell me how I can be of service to Continuity,” Rowan said sincerely.

  Angela explained to Rowan that things hadn’t gone exactly to plan since the power shut off. One failure disappointed Angela and the leadership council of the shelter the most: people who took oaths to Continuity to be accepted into the basement shelter now refused to follow the Progressions. After the first week the stress of the Reset brought out their true beliefs or lack thereof. Poor adherence to the Path led to disputes among the group, Angela was sure of it. The thirty-seven men and women in the basement shelter were all still alive, but some were beginning to show signs of mental instability. Suffering the same menu for almost a month combined with being cooped up together in close quarters created a toxic mix of tension. Couples formed amongst the survivors, resulting in at least two suspected pregnancies. Unbalanced nutrition and stress left birth control less effective. Without their regular access to abortion on demand, the pregnant women now faced the prospect of giving birth without modern medical facilities. Most employees of IBN hired nannies to look after the rare child who was born or adopted. Clearly not an option now – most people employed in such positions perished in the dark after the Great Reset. Modern males with no concept of what it meant to actually provide and care for offspring faced the consequences of their actions for the first time.

  The recent bandit invasion Rowan witnessed caused bigger problems. The intruders had no idea about the group taking refuge in the basement. They unwittingly exposed the one weakness of the group’s bunker no one accounted for. Exhibiting prior knowledge of the building layout, the intruders proceeded straight to the junction box where the main power supply lines entered the building. Using a small explosive charge to cut the massive power lines into the building, the intruders proceeded to remove all the gold and silver couplings used as superconductors. Before GRAPEVINE shut down the Network, the precious metals would be worth in the neighborhood of one hundred million dollars.

  A thought ran through Rowan’s mind: If gold and silver still have value, there must be some kind of societal structure remaining out there. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be worth the fuel or the explosives, not to mention the personal energy and safety risk to the thieves.

  “So once they got the gold and silver, they left?” Rowan asked.

  “Pretty much. A couple of them walked up and down the main corridors. But it was as if they knew there would be nothing to find here,” Angela assured him.

  Rowan paused to consider their next move. “Okay, Angela, how about we get the group together to consider our options? Do you think that would be a good idea?”

  Angela beamed at Rowan, her heart and brain both amazed at his transformation. Since GRAPEVINE shut down the outside world, she watched him make the Progression from wired junkie psychopath to sniveling shell of a man to now calm and centered leader. The old Rowan would have been shouting orders by now, belittling anyone who didn’t move at his desired pace. But this new man seemed to genuinely want her opinion and her help.

  My Gatekeeper…my True Leader, is that you? Angela thought as she studied the much sharper features Rowan now exhibited after losing twenty pounds of softness.

  “Of course, Rowan. I will gather everyone now. Shall we meet in the auditorium?” Angela asked. That was where company meetings had been before. She assumed he would return to that routine.

  “No, Angela, I think I have a better place,” Rowan replied. “Let us meet outside the front entrance. Out on the walking paths.”

  Angela paused, surprised again. The old world Rowan never went outside when he could help it. Certainly not out on a walking path. IBN spent millions to create a park-like atmosphere all around the Spaceship campus. Ironic considering devices designed by the company kept addicted consumers indoors most of their lives.

  “All right, Rowan. I’ll get everyone gathered.”

  Rowan sipped from a water bottle brought to him from the basement storage rooms. While folks were gathering outside, he took the opportunity to quickly survey the supply list. There was more than enough for the thirty-seven plus him for years. IBN Corporation had billions in cash reserves before the Reset, and clearly millions of that money went to procuring these supplies. Rowan didn’t know how Angela cleared it past accounting, and at this point he really didn’t care. All that mattered was this priceless resource to use for his people, his people, and whoever else might begin the Progressions. He held his face to the sun’s rays… Thank you for enlightening my Path. I will use the gift you gave me to bring true peace in Your image.

  “My friends. I stand before you today to thank you for saving my life…and my soul,” Rowan said to the assembled crowd. “If not for your efforts, I would have died on this physical plane, and certainly my Profile would have rightly vanished from the Network.” Rowan paused, taking mental inventory of anyone belying their feelings of doubt.

  He continued: “As you all know, I was a terrible person in my past. I took my talents and resources and used them for selfish gain, not caring to help others. I truly apologize to each of you. I took you all for granted, used you like a tool instead of treating you like the treasure you are. The last few weeks have torn away the shame of those deeds. I know now that everything has led us to today.

  “Together we will fulfill the ideals you exhibited when you took the initiative to put GRAPEVINE to sleep. Whatever reason led you to take your oath, to fulfill your part in the plan, today we stand on the precipice of a New World. A world we can remake through the first ever Societal Progression. Our ancestors didn’t have the tools we have at our disposal. Those poor unenlightened wretches had to start over every time. We have been offered the opportunity to reboot a system while possessing knowledge to skip over the initial phases.”

  Someone from the back spoke up, “How are we going to do that without power?” When he saw that Rowan and the others were listening patiently, he explained himself further. “It’s like…what are we going to do, just sit around and enjoy nature? There’s no way to get us hooked back up to the reactor!” The voice was from one of the accountants who somehow made Angela’s survivor list. Perhaps he was the one responsible for hiding the purchases of the food and water from outside auditors.

  “Ahmad, right?” Rowan did have an amazing memory, and he found that without distractions he could now call up the Profiles of almost every person here. “Ahmad, your concern is valid. I do not claim this task will be an easy one. In fact, that is how I found my path…through the past several weeks of pain that cleared my mind. I hurt when I tell you that each of you must suffer pain before you begin to understand the wonder that Continuity holds for you. The Progressions guide you as you experience some very nasty withdrawals. Fear not, the journey is most worthwhile!

  “I do have a plan to restore power. But I tell you now we cannot do this until yo
u leave the Old World behind, and are ready to begin anew. If this Path is not acceptable to you, you will have to go.”

  He felt more than saw Angela shoot a glance at him. They didn’t discuss expelling members. To her credit, she did not say a word out of turn.

  “You just climbed out of your cage, Rowan,” Ahmad said testily. “Most of us wanted to let you rot along with the rest of the psychopaths who ran this Valley. What suddenly makes you the leader of this group?”

  No way is this guy a true believer, and probably no way he will ever see the True Path, Rowan thought.

  “Because,” he said aloud, “you know deep down there is a purpose for the way I built this campus. I know how to fix this world and bring the Light back. You don’t believe, Ahmad, but soon you will see.”

  Ahmad suddenly looked quite uncomfortable. Rowan’s expression projected something none had witnessed. Angela noticed it, too, but to her it was a miracle to behold. His stern face belied an almost supernatural strength.

  What changed? Angela thought. Enlightenment, true enlightenment.

  Angela spoke as she slowly pulled her eyes from Rowan, “Ahmad, we will give you one week of food and water for your journey. We see now that you cannot make the Progressions the way our True Leader has described. We do not seek to make anyone miserable, or to hold anyone back. You may leave with the True Leader’s blessing, and a sincere hope that you will find the Progressions someday.”

  “Are you insane?” Ahmad demanded, much the way Rowan had the night GRAPEVINE shut down. “None of those goodies in the basement would be here if it weren’t for me. I hid all those purchases from the auditors and the mouth-breathers in accounts payable. Now you’re going to toss me out? Don’t we even get a vote or anything?”

  Angela and Rowan looked out over the assembled group. If anyone wanted to stick up for Ahmad, they weren’t going to do it here. Not now. Everyone could feel the tide behind Rowan and no one wanted to face off against him. Not when it was clear that challenge meant expulsion and expulsion meant certain death. Maybe before GRAPEVINE you could challenge a boss who paid you six figures plus stock options, but it was clear now who held the keys to life.

  “Screw you all!” Ahmad screamed as he stormed down the walking paths.

  Rowan now focused on the remaining thirty-six. “Good people, I invite each of you to begin your meditation immediately. I humbly ask a select group to stay with me for a while, to provide security and to see to the well–being of those struggling with the first Progression. Angela, will you please escort those who are ready to the Meditation Chambers? The sun is perfectly aligned this afternoon to start.”

  “Of course, True Leader,” Angela replied as she selected the first ten to make the climb up ten flights of stairs. Rowan watched, understanding at this moment why he insisted on something as whimsical as an outdoor escalator to be installed on the building. Continuity placed the design in his mind. Now the Assembly could witness ascension to the First Progression.

  Oh joy! What else, Continuity, will you reveal to me?

  As Angela led the first ten up the stairs, Rowan turned his attention to the remaining group. “Good people, we live in a dark and dangerous world. We must discuss how best to defend our Assembly from the predators still lurking around our oasis. Let us also discuss how to help survivors in the hinterlands. Our duty is to make the Progressions available to them. I am anxious for your ideas.”