Project Terminus

by Nathan Combs

  A gun was never fired at Fort Terminus. Although the fort was in an extremely remote location and it was unlikely someone would hear shots, they weren’t willing to take the chance. Instead, Randal had a friend, who was a retired Army Ranger and owned 1,000 acres of land in Florida’s panhandle. With Wade assisting, Randal took the women, Sean, and Highlander, to a remote area of the property for two separate training sessions comprising two weekends of twenty-four hours each. When the training was complete, each one could fieldstrip, clean, and reassemble every weapon in their inventory. And they were all adequate shooters. He taught them how to use the night vision devices, the radios, and taught them hand signals, and instructed them in basic combat and patrol techniques.

  Everyone in the group was in good health, but they knew it was critical to be in the best condition possible, so they began rigorous workout regimens.

  By mid-December it looked like a collapse of the US financial system was imminent. Unemployment had skyrocketed and inflation was running rampant—a gallon of milk cost over six bucks. Gas went from around two fifty per gallon to over five dollars, and people were understandably nervous.

  In mid-January, Wade and Maggie were sitting on the dock watching the sunset.

  “Wade, how long do we have?”

  He shook his head slowly from side to side as he spoke. “I wish I knew, Mags.”

  Maggie met his eyes; a worried expression weighed down her words. “Best guess, then?”

  Wade hesitated and said, “Mags…a guess is worthless. I thought it would happen before this. You know that.”

  She was quiet for a moment. “Will we make it until the fourth of July?”

  Taking her in his arms, he held her close and said, “I don’t see how, Honey.”

  By early February it was obvious to anyone willing to look that the world economy was sliding into the abyss, and at a Project Terminus meeting they decided to withdraw their money from the banks, cash in their investments, and purchase gold and silver coins.

  Chapter Three

  The End Begins

  In the early morning hours of a Sunday in late February, Russia invaded Belarus. That same evening, China invaded Taiwan. The president failed to respond until late Monday morning, when he publicly condemned both attacks. The stock market, however, was not waiting to hear what the president had to say. By the time the last word left his mouth, the DOW was down 3600 points, which was the level-three threshold that automatically ended Wall Street trading for the day. In less than an hour the next morning, the DOW lost another 3600 points and the market shut down again. That same evening, at the height of rush hour, Islamic terrorists attacked the New York City subway system, killing over 300; and rammed the Verrazano Narrows Bridge with a barge filled with explosives, killing an additional 500 Americans.

  Without waiting for either to be called a terrorist attack, Wade called Randal, Chris, and Bill and simply said, “New Horizons.” The code phrase meant an immediate departure to Fort Terminus. When he ended the call, Maggie started packing.

  At Bill’s, Wade found him and Linda making final preparations.

  Looking up from the box he was taping shut, Bill said, “Looks like the pooch is screwed, Boss.”

  “You have a way with words, my friend, but yeah, it looks like the pooch is screwed.”

  “Linda and I are on our way to pick-up the livestock and their supplies. Then we’re outta here. You know he’s gonna impose Martial Law, with travel restrictions. Plus, the banks will close. There’s gonna be hell to pay. We need to be at Fort-T before that happens.”

  “That’s a fact. What do you need help with?”

  “Nothing. This is the last box. See you at the Fort.”

  Wade returned home to find Maggie watching Fox News.

  “Anything new?”

  Maggie looked stressed. “Not really, Honey, they’re just confirming what we already know.

  Although Maggie knew this would happen, the moment of implementing New Horizons was still a shock to her.

  Wade put has arms around her. “Maggie, we’re prepared for this. We’ll be fine.”

  Shaking her head sadly, she said, “I know we will, Wade, it’s just that…it’s like an old friend’s on her death bed and there’s nothing you can do except watch her die. It’s just so sad.”

  Fifteen minutes later, they left for Fort-T, arriving ten hours later.

  When the trucks were unloaded, they were moved to a designated area, the gas was drained, and portable wire cages were installed to protect them from an EMP. Then they were covered with camouflaged netting and brush. Randal and Bill wiped the tire tracks from their exit point off the forest service road and they were declared secure.

  The twelve chickens, one rooster, a buck and two doe rabbits, and three goats were placed in the small building that would serve as the barn.

  Project Terminus was completed, and Fort Terminus became fully occupied and operational on a rainy, windy evening in March. Gathered around a small TV connected to the satellite system, they watched Fox News as they ate their first “occupied” meal at Fort Terminus.

  The DOW duplicated its drop of the previous two days and fell another 3600 points shortly after the market opened. They listened to Greta Van Susteren: “That’s a 60% drop in just three days, folks. But the big story of the day isn’t the DOW. At one pm this afternoon, the president declared a National Emergency and implemented Martial Law nationwide, which includes immediate implementation of the Executive Order giving Homeland Security the legal right to come into your home and confiscate your food, your guns, your water, your gas and…well, almost anything.”

  Greta went on to explain the restrictions on travel; the curfews, which were different in different areas of the country; and the absolute travel bans in certain areas. She continued, “The president also issued a new Executive Order, rescinding the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts the ability of the Federal Government to enforce state laws with active duty troops. He has since ordered thousands of active duty army and marine troops into the streets of the cities. And…and…at the same time, he placed all state National Guard units under the direction of the Department of Homeland Security. The president also said that in the near future it might be necessary to have official government issued papers to travel anywhere. This is very troubling, folks.”

  The news went on to report about food being scarce and the overwhelming run on the banks, forcing them to close. No one was shocked by Greta’s report.

  When the president issued the order to deploy active duty military troops to patrol the streets of American cities, the majority of commissioned officers who had families, resigned. Randal, who was now a captain in the Green Berets but on leave, was one of them.

  Wade stood and addressed the group. “I’m afraid the worst is yet to come, and we have a lot of work to do. I suggest we all get a good night’s sleep. I’ll have a work detail for everyone tomorrow.”

  The first day at Fort Terminus was relegated to history.

  ******

  February became March and March crept slowly into April. They spent the time fine-tuning every aspect of Fort-T in preparation for a total collapse of the United States. The statistics broadcast daily bore testimony to the scope of the disaster. The DOW had fallen to less than 1,000 points, the dollar was virtually worthless, there were riots in almost every metro area, and the FEMA camps were open under the guise of taking care of the citizenry. After taking Belarus, Russia turned its sights on Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. A month later, and without a shot fired, they annexed those countries. China suffered massive casualties when it invaded Taiwan, but ultimately prevailed and officially declared the Island of Taiwan a part of China. When the Taiwan campaign was complete, emboldened by the lack of response from Washington and its allies, China moved quickly to take over the Spratly and Paracel Islands, claiming they were necessary to protect their homeland from aggression from the South China Sea.

  During the constructi
on phase of Fort Terminus, Wade insisted that every piece of electronic equipment was encased in a Faraday Cage for protection from an EMP. To accomplish that, Highlander constructed a full copper Faraday Cage inside the cave and anchored it to the granite walls. He also lined the inside of the cave door and the hatch to the crow’s nest with copper wire mesh. All sensitive electronics and back up electronics, including wind turbine parts, extra flashlights, and NVDs were stored in portable Faraday Cages in the cave. The head-end for the wind-solar system and the two 4-wheelers were encased in their own Faraday Cages.

  On a Sunday in April, while the Terminus group was eating a late night supper and watching the news, the TV went dead. Within minutes, Wade determined it was the result of an EMP. The USA had officially returned to the Stone Age.

  “Those bastards,” muttered Bill. “Who do you think did it, Wade?”

  A grim faced Wade said, “My money’s on Russia. Maybe China, but I think Russia’s the likely culprit.”

  Highlander took Wade and Randal aside and told them both of the wind turbines were inoperable and the charge controller for the solar system was toast too. “I’ll have them back on line in a couple of hours.”

  Wade asked, “How many backups do we have, Highlander?”

  “There are three sets for each wind turbine, and we have six charge controllers.”

  Wade thought for a moment. “Don’t replace the turbine parts yet, but get the solar system back on line.”

  “Why?” asked Highlander.

  Randal answered for Wade. “If you take out a country’s infrastructure, especially ours, you have to expect an appropriate response. And trust me, Highlander, that EMP did not destroy our military capabilities. If we haven’t already, we will strike back.”

  “But what does that have to do with replacing the turbine parts?”

  “If you’re the one who launched the EMP attack, and you know there will be a response, wouldn’t you want to follow up with a second attack to get some of the military electronics that will be exposed during the response?”

  “But how will we know if there’s a second attack?”

  Wade said, “We’ll know when the charge controller you replace burns out again.”

  The second EMP attack came two days later. Highlander asked Wade if there would be a third.

  “I doubt there’s anything left of the aggressor country, so, no, I don’t think there will be a third attack. But a nuclear attack is a different story. Go ahead and replace everything that’s burned out and get us back on-line.”

  Fort Terminus had two ham radios. They were capable of transmitting, but were used for informational purposes only. The day after the second EMP attack, Highlander took one out and set it up in the supply tent. When the sixty-five foot dipole antenna was strung between two poles at the rear of the plateau, he hooked it up, turned it on, and started listening.

  “I have a station in Melbourne,” he said to no one in particular, then started writing furiously.

  Handing sheet after sheet of paper to Wade, he continued listening to the operator in Australia. After thirty minutes, the transmissions ceased and Highlander scanned the airways until he picked up another station in Minnesota. Writing down the information the Minnesota operator was broadcasting, Highlander continued listening until the man signed off for the day. Turning to Wade, he said, “Holy shit!”

  Wade had been reading the notes as Highlander handed them to him. “Yeah, holy shit!”

  Wade told Randal to get everyone together in the mess tent.

  Linda made fresh coffee and some hot chocolate for the kids, and after everyone was seated, Wade briefed them.

  “You all know about the second EMP attack. That wasn’t a problem for us because we were prepared for it. For the past two hours, Highlander has been monitoring two different ham radio stations. One is in Melbourne, Australia and the other in rural Minnesota. There’s been a nuclear exchange between several countries, including the USA. Official information is unavailable, but at the moment here’s what we have. Two days ago, nuclear attacks were launched on New York City, DC, Norfolk, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Whidbey Island in Washington State.”

  He looked around the room at their fear-filled faces, understanding the impact of the news he was sharing. “Eight cities in Russia were attacked, including Moscow. Six cities in China, plus London and Paris were also hit. India and Pakistan attacked each other, and there’ve been nuclear strikes in Israel, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and in North and South Korea. It was a limited exchange and it’s over. At least it’s over for now. While we can’t be one hundred percent sure of this information, we have to assume it’s reasonably accurate.”

  Not everyone in the world understood the effects of a nuclear war, including the residents of Fort-T who had grown increasingly horrified as he spoke.

  “I know you’re concerned, but we aren’t going to feel any effects other than radioactive fall-out. No blast, no heat, no fires, nothing like that at all. We’re in a good area here. The prevailing wind patterns will channel the majority of the fallout around the Fort. The lower level radiation should fall to earth very quickly and shouldn’t be a problem for us. But we do need to be concerned about high-level fallout—the radiation in the upper atmosphere. That will take a long time to fall to earth. We have radiation monitors and everyone will have to wear a dosimeter badge, but that’s about it. If fall-out readings reach a certain level, we’ll stay in the cave; and if we have to go outside for any reason, we’ll use the containment suits. Also, that overhang up there,” he pointed to the granite ceiling over Fort-T, “will stop most of the fallout from reaching us. We’re in good shape. Maggie, you and Becky get the radiation kits together, gather whatever other medical supplies are necessary, and get it all in the cave. And distribute the dosimeter badges. Highlander, set the radiation meter up in the center of the Fort.”

  During the first two months after the nuclear war, there were two instances where the radiation meter went off. Although the levels were low, to err on the side of caution, they spent a total of ten days in the cave. For the next two months, Fort Terminus cautiously followed a routine of watches, school for the kids, gardening, hunting, fishing, and general maintenance and training. When it was apparent the fallout threat abated, Randal sent out daily patrols.

  “We can’t be the only people who selected this area to survive in, Dad. And I’m confident anyone with the foresight and moxie to survive has to have the same thought processes we do. If they’re out there, I want to know where they are, what their capabilities are—and more importantly, who they are—without them knowing we exist.”

  Highlander was monitoring ham radio stations in several different countries, including four in the United States. Reports indicated the worldwide situation was bleak, with only Australia left reasonably intact. The rest of the civilized world had fallen into anarchy. Scant information was coming out of the Third World countries, but it was believed they were in much worse shape than the industrialized nations. The Middle East was locked in a Sunni-Shite civil war, and the survivors were simply exterminating each other.

  News from the nuked areas was almost nonexistent; it appeared there were few survivors. Adjacent areas not directly affected by the nuclear detonations were in chaos, and, like everywhere else in the Western world, there was no food and armed gangs were raping, pillaging, and plundering at will. What had once been the USA was now a dangerous and inhospitable place.

  On July 3rd, Highlander found Wade sitting with Adam by the fire-pit, teaching him how to sharpen a knife, and asked if he could have a minute of Wade’s time.

  “Go to your mother, Son. She’s in the mess tent. Put the knife away for now.”

  Walking with Highlander to the supply tent, Wade said, “What’s up?”

  Highlander’s face was grim. “I didn’t think it could get any worse, but,” nodding towards the notes on the radio table he said, “take a look.”

  Wade sat do
wn and read. When he finished he just shook his head.

  The two men walked in silence to the armory where Randal was cleaning their backup weapons and checking the condition of the det-cord primers.

  Wade said, “Randal, we have a new problem. Read this.”

  Randal took the piece of paper, read, then nodded and said, “We’re going to have to institute special protocols for this, Dad.”

  “Yeah. Take over the Observation Post and send Sean back here. You can work on the security changes there. I’ll consult with Maggie. When you have the new protocols figured out, we’ll disseminate the info and how we’re going to implement the changes.”

  Wade went to the mess tent and motioned for Maggie to come outside. Seeing the look on Wade’s face, she immediately excused herself to Becky and followed him.

  “Honey, what’s wrong?”

  “Maggie, we’ve talked about diseases of various types that might present themselves during this catastrophe. And we’ve talked about the possibility of a plague or even a pandemic occurring at some point in time. We always knew those were possibili—”

  “Wade, you’re scaring me.”

  The frightened face of his beautiful wife was heart wrenching. Wade placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and said, “Sorry, Maggie. I’ll cut to the chase. Reports are coming in from all over the world, including here in the US, of a virus no one has ever seen. It acts a lot like Ebola, but it’s not. It’s worse. What we’re hearing is that it’s airborne and has a mortality rate of around ninety percent. The incubation period is about a week. Death follows in less than forty-eight hours. It’s rampant all over the world.”

  Maggie was dumb-founded. “That’s impossible, Wade. There’s no such virus. It has to be a mistake. It simply can’t be true.”

  “No, Mags, it’s not impossible. Without doubt this is a man-made virus. It can’t be anything else.”