by G. R. Carter
“If that was the case, you would have already called for help,” Lamar said as he approached the man, his battle rifle still in ready position. The appearance of a second weapon pointed his direction seemed to take a little confidence away from the puffed out uniform shouting orders.
The corner of his eye caught movement in the back of the Humvee. “Out of the vehicle, now!” Lamar demanded. The officer looked back and nodded, and a woman dressed in a matching set of fatigues stepped out of the door. “Anybody else in there?” Lamar asked.
“No, just us. But I don’t know what you hope to gain by holding us. What are you going to do, kill us?” the officer asked with disdain.
“No, we’re not like you. We don’t just kill unarmed people for the fun of it. In fact you’re going to come with us. And if you don’t, we won’t consider you unarmed anymore,” Lamar said with a growl.
“What about him?” the officer said as he nodded toward the slumped man next to the Humvee.
“Too late for him now. You two walk over here and kneel. Ty grab anything useful you can find out of the vehicle. Food, first aid kit, weapons. Thirty seconds, go!” Lamar commanded.
In less than a minute, Lamar had his two hostages back on their feet. Heading up into the trees and on the way back to the Congregation, still not sure what he was doing or why.
Old Main College
Two Weeks after the Invasion of New America
Gusts of wind rattled the windows of the namesake building holding Old Main’s administrative offices and student union. An ancient fireplace, once closed off, was now open again and burning brightly to break the chill invading from outside. Hot water radiators recently installed clicked and popped while providing a second source of heat to defeat the humid cold of the Midwest. Serving as Julia Ruff’s offices and living quarters, the Old Main building also had become a de facto embassy, providing a meeting place for visiting dignitaries from communities still surviving after the Great Reset.
Major General Nicolas Hopkins sipped a bittersweet Aronia coffee placed in front of him by servants dressed in identical crisp green khaki outfits. The General wore his casual dress uniform; a long and hard journey was unable to defeat the pressed creases perfected by years of training. He inspected the ceramic cup, watching wisps of steam rising above the liquid and up towards the chandelier modified to use still-plentiful vehicle headlight and taillight bulbs. The campus generators were running today to provide a warm welcome to a very powerful person, a symbol not unnoticed by Hopkins.
“I see you’ve been able to recreate coffee, President Ruff. I must admit, I miss the little luxuries sometimes. And we haven’t been able to devote much effort to comfort since the Reset,” the General sighed.
“Please, call me Julia. And it’s Senator again, I’ve turned over the role of President of Old Main College to my daughter Rebekah. I’m just a member of the Republic Senate representing my own Fortress Farm now,” Julia Ruff graciously corrected her host. “I can assure you, coffee is not a small luxury on a college campus, it’s a necessity!” Her smile was turned all the way up, hoping to create common ground with the hard-edged fighting man across the table from her.
“I can’t keep up with you Red Hawks and your ever-changing government. If you have a Founder in charge of everything, why go through the hassle of establishing another legislative body? Didn’t you learn the lessons of the past?” General Hopkins asked earnestly. “In Vincennes, we have a clear chain of command. No one has to worry about confusion. Certainly not everyone agrees with my decisions, but at least we stay consistent. Isn’t that right, Lieutenant Colonel?” Hopkins glanced over to his aide standing at rest in the corner of the office. The younger man simply nodded and smiled.
“We’re aware we don’t have a perfect system, General. I’m proud to say it’s a work in progress. We keep trying to improve and we’ve grown so fast that it’s hard to keep up. When the Reset happened, Phil Hamilton had just a few farms and small towns to look after. We now have an area the size of some countries in Old Europe to protect. The Senate tries to take a bit of that strain off the Founder’s shoulders so he can focus on the trouble the Grays caused,” Ruff replied, a bit firmer and less friendly now.
Her response wasn’t just a defense of her son-in-law, serving the Republic as Founder. She also bristled slightly at the challenge of a man who ran a military government she’d classify as a dictatorship. Ruff held her emotions closely; too many years surrounded by political enemies created a shell of imperceptible thoughts. Even now, the change in tone was a tool to verbally disarm this lifelong military man still living a chivalrous dream of rescuing damsels in distress.
“Of course, Senator…err, Julia. I didn’t mean to imply that the Republic was anything but a glorious achievement,” the General said with a halfhearted wave of his hand. “You have obviously created serious momentum, and I’m sure New America realizes they may have bit off more than they could chew. I’m not letting anything out of the bag when I tell you that Walsh is reconsidering whether to pursue Reconstruction plans to the west.”
He took another sip of his coffee and considered his next words carefully. “Your Founder mousetrapped Colonel Walsh and his New America boys. And you almost had him captured for good. Too bad for you he barely made it out and still has most of his eastern territory. How did you know when and where to strike?”
“Just lucky, I guess. Sometimes good breaks work in our favor,” Ruff replied with a sly smirk.
“Luck, huh? I doubt that. I don’t think either of us hold much faith in luck, Senator. We’ve both seen how poor planning turns luck against a person. Or a country,” the General replied. A distant expression appeared, the first time Julia noticed the General letting his guard down a bit.
She didn’t know all the details of how the 7th Marine Brigade ended up in Vincennes, Indiana on the night of the Reset. What Ruff did know was that Hopkins’ Marines secured the entire town and surrounding area when all communications to the outside world ceased. Electrical blackouts set the clock back on America one hundred years that night, and most people didn’t live to see the one year anniversary of the crisis. But the man sitting in her office sheltered over fifteen thousand people in relative peace and safety, including his one thousand Marines.
The trade-off was a strongman government, where dissension was unspoken. Survival trumped free will in a world of hunger and lurking danger. Even now, seven years after the Reset, communities lived in fear of a bad harvest or the ever-present bands of ditchmen or rateaters. Some like the Red Hawk Republic tried not to give in to despotism, however benevolent it seemed. But since Phil Hamilton was hailed as Founder a short time after the Reset, the people of the Okaw Valley, Old Main and new communities that joined them each year looked for someone to make the hard decisions. And they looked for leadership from people with the strength to protect them and feed their children.
Not exactly what Phil had in mind when he formed the Self Defense Cooperative. What would his hero Thomas Jefferson say about all this? Maybe he’d say good job! Julia thought to herself.
She broke the awkward silence: “General, I’m not going to waste your time. We believe that Vincennes is more in line with the people of the Republic than with New America. I understand you share much of the same symbolism with the Grays, but I have to believe that’s about all you share. You’ve done an amazing job taking care of the people of Vincennes, and they love you for it. Surely you’ve noticed that those under New America’s rule are living in fear, not respect. If I may be so bold, I believe that if you trusted Walsh you would have subscribed to Reconstruction by now,” Julia finished. Reconstruction was the program Colonel Darian Walsh, dictator of New America, used to reestablish control over what he still considered American soil.
“You don’t miss a beat, Senator. That’s all true. Even though Walsh flies the same flag I grew up serving, I don’t like the idea of forcing Americans to leave their homes and follow one particular ideology. The pe
ople of Vincennes are free to leave anytime they wish. Of course, with what faces them outside our fence line, most choose to stay,” Hopkins said confidently.
“You mean as long as they don’t cross the river,” Julia said.
“That’s probably our main sticking point, isn’t it, Senator? I don’t like those religious nuts in Little Egypt, and I wouldn’t lower the gate over the Wabash Bridge for them if you asked me a million times. I think as soon as I let our guard down they’d probably be in every house trying to ‘save’ us. Telling people to follow their God’s laws instead of mine. I know they’re your allies, but they’ll never be ours,” Hopkins said defiantly.
“I’m sure my personal assurances don’t mean much, General. But we’ve been allies with Little Egypt for years, and we haven’t had any problems with them or their beliefs,” Julia said, trying to soften the tone a bit.
“The Republic has their own Church. You don’t leave room for much preaching outside of the green and silver, right?” the General asked, referring to the bicolor vestments worn by all Reverends who adhered to the Common Pillars of the Unified Church.
“The Founder always insisted on freedom of religion in Republic territories. All of our leaders hold the same beliefs. We simply didn’t have enough pastors or priests to go around in days after the Reset. So we sketched out some common beliefs and agreed to stick to them. People are still free to believe whatever they wish, and the Church stays out of the politics of the Republic,” Julia informed him.
Ruff herself was uncomfortable compromising on her traditions at first. She felt the Unified Church was too open to interpretation compared to her strict Biblical beliefs. But she was the first to admit that the unification did wonders to help the Republic and also bring people to God who couldn’t be bothered before. This new world was much closer to nature than the old electronic world had been. People once again experienced faith in their everyday lives.
Little Egypt was a bit different. Known as the Buckle of the Bible Belt even before the Reset, the V-shaped area bordered by the Mississippi River on the west and the Ohio/Wabash to the east held a very strict interpretation of the Bible’s Old Testament. There was nothing wrong with that in Julia’s mind – she held some similar beliefs personally – but they also had come to the notion that the Reset was God’s judgment on the wicked ways of America. Julia might be open to their point about that also, but the churches of Little Egypt were quite insistent on how they delivered the message.
The Republic’s allies in old St. Louis had outright banned Little Egypt preachers from their territory. Tony Diamante allowed a few privately funded Unified Church chapels because of his family ties to Catholic traditions, and the Catholic Church was one of the Unified Churches founding members. But the constant philosophical battles left most secular survivors on edge around the Buckles.
Julia suddenly noticed the opening the General left in their conversation. Is he saying that the Buckles are our only sticking point in an agreement? She kept her healthy skepticism, trying not to get her hopes up.
“General, the leadership of the Republic wants you to know that working together is by no means dependent on you coming to our faith or any other faith. Just like all communities we ally with, we simply seek to live together in peace. Surely you can see our relationship with ARK is a prime example. They are completely secular, even feudal in structure. We have never questioned their motivation or how they go about providing for their people. Our only stipulation remains that our allies allow their citizens to leave of their own free will, and that there are no forced expansions,” Julia stated. Forced expansion was a classy way of saying “conquer.” All surviving societies were guilty of occasionally assimilating strategic ground. Sometimes by force. But the distinction was clear between solidifying defenses and the actions of empire building.
“We don’t want trouble with the Republic, Senator. That I can assure you. I’ve seen the results of your Raptor strikes against New America vehicles…you might be Christians, but you’re definitely not the touchy-feely types! Besides, we’re exploring our own faith now. Professor Atkins has introduced my men to the gods of the Vikings. Those stories really speak to my warrior’s heart. Much more than Jesus…Atkins calls him the ‘White Christ,’ though I’m not sure if that’s an insult or a compliment,” Hopkins said.
“It’s an insult, because from all I've read about their culture, the Old Norse considered forgiveness and love to be weakness,” Julia said sharply. She had watched alternative faiths pop up, old and new, since the Reset. She was all for freedom of religion, but had little patience for their teachings. “When Christ was first introduced to those cultures, the Norse couldn’t figure out why anyone would worship someone like Jesus instead of Thor and Odin. Too much forgiveness and love, not enough breaking heads, probably. But look, General, I don’t want to get into a theological discussion with you.”
“I’m sorry, I understood that was one of your favorite things to talk about,” the General interjected.
“Normally, yes. But like I said before, we have a strict policy of separating Church teachings from the day-to-day operations of the Republic. Our people are believers, and that influences our decisions and actions. But the Founder fears that the Republic may influence the Church as much as the Church influences the Republic,” Julia said.
“Okay, perhaps another time, then?”
“I would look forward to it,” Ruff told him. She went for a soft close: “Do you think that we can discuss a framework of understanding between our peoples?”
“Senator, I share a long and porous northern border with a force ten times my size. No, probably more like twenty. New America doesn’t want to face my Marines unless they have to. But if I ally with you, Walsh will make it his mission to force us into Reconstruction. I have no doubt we’ll kill a lot of his Legions, but eventually he’ll wear me down, even with the losses they took against you. And he’ll kill a lot of my men in doing so. I don’t see how that benefits Vincennes, do you?” General Hopkins said somberly.
“Ok, perhaps we can begin with a non-aggression agreement? Whatever we sign will have the same effect over the Buckles. You have the Founder’s word on that.”
“You all have that kind of influence on them now, eh?” Hopkins asked skeptically.
Julia considered what to tell the General. Too much information and we might lose our upper hand, too little and he’ll decide I was negotiating in bad faith. Oh well, it will come out soon enough. “Most of our people don’t even know this yet, but Little Egypt will be a fully integrated Province of the Red Hawk Republic within a month. A select committee of Land Lords are touring the territory to determine how many Fortress Farms will be allowed to join the Senate. We’ll stagger them on a three-to-five-year plan. But the Hawk’s banner will fly over those forts facing you across the bridge within a few weeks.”
General Hopkins tried to hide his surprise, but even his stoic face danced a bit. “So you’re telling me that the Red Hawk Republic will cover almost two thirds of the Illinois territory? What will that bring your population up to?”
“We’re not 100% sure, but somewhere north of 250,000 mouths to feed,” Julia answered, her concern apparent.
Hopkins whistled softly through his teeth. “That will give you as many people as New America. And with your Razorbacks and Raptors, you’ll have him beat for sure.”
“Strategic considerations are part of it, for sure. Like I said, we’re closely aligned with the Buckles. They have attempted to form a democracy, though maybe some would say a theocracy, and I applaud their intentions. But they found out the same thing we did. Only a centrally-led republic works in today’s world. Instead of trying to recreate one like we had, they decided it was better to join ours.”
“How does ARK feel about that?” the General asked.
“Elated. They were afraid that the Little Egypt government would eventually fall, leading to a refugee crisis we’d both have to deal with. ARK leadership tru
sts us 100%. With their eastern flank now secure and us as a buffer, they can focus on the River,” Ruff said, opening up another front in their conversation.
She continued, “Tony is worried about stories that have come floating down from up north. Seems like the Northern Caliphate has the Great Lakes beat. The Provincial Canadian government in Thunder Bay has stopped them headed north. But the western Jihadists have taken Minnesota.”
“What about the Thirteens?” Hopkins asked. A surviving collection of independent villages based in the former states of Idaho and Montana carried an American-style flag with thirteen stars on it. With so many groups still using the symbols like the Stars and Stripes of the old United States, nicknames developed for simplification.
“They’re holding in the Dakotas. The river and lake systems help form a natural barrier while they try to assimilate more refugees flooding in from the northwest. There’s a cult that came out of Silicon Valley moving through Cascadia now. Seems to be unstoppable and they’re expanding east very quickly. I’m not sure how, but it sounds like they got around or through the Mormon strongholds,” Ruff said.
General Hopkins gave a look that told Julia he wanted to tell her something. Maybe giving him the scoop on the Buckles is paying off. “Something come to mind, General?” Julia asked.
With one wave of his hand, the Lieutenant Colonel standing in the corner of the porch approached with a file labeled “CONFEDENTIAL.” He glanced at it briefly, and then slid it across the glass table top towards Julia.
As Hopkins observed intently, Julia began to flip through the typed report. Sketches captured symbols she recognized from ARK’s report on the Continuity cult they rooted out of the surviving St. Louis population. Over time, ARK pieced together that the groups behind Continuity survived society’s collapse by going underground. It was spreading from Silicon Valley, infecting surviving West Coast areas like a cancer. Nicole Kelley, ARK’s head of engineering and intelligence, surmised there were probably other areas of the country now under the cult’s control. She also speculated that Continuity’s creators were behind the entire Grapevine artificial intelligence failure that plunged the world into darkness what seemed like a lifetime ago.
