The young man snapped to attention and begged her pardon for his bad manners. The president didn’t smile and asked him for a base report.
He stood at attention and said, “Madam, the base commander and all the troops left for Cheyenne Mountain base the day after Christmas. We were left behind to see if any contact would be made from the civilians in Colorado Springs.”
The president sat thinking for a moment and then told the young man to sit down and relax, while she thought of some questions to put to him.
She looked at Greg and nodded to him to take over the questioning. Greg turned to the young soldier and said, “Sergeant, start at the beginning and tell us when the storm hit and the subsequent days that followed. I want to know the details the best you recollect. Take your time, but the first question I have is there a railroad spur to the base in Cheyenne?”
The soldier replied, “Yes there is, but it hasn’t been used for a long time. We receive train cars here at Fort Carson and transport the freight by truck to Cheyenne.”
Greg sat and thought of that for a moment and then told the sergeant to start his report when he was ready starting with the storm’s arrival.
The sergeant was more relaxed now and began his story, “Before the storm hit with force, it was very dry around here as you probably know. The base here was transporting water from the Mountain to the town for drinking water. The base commander ordered soil brought in for growing under lights for vegetables. We had a good thing going until the power went out just after the major winds hit and white out conditions took over. After that everything was transferred up to the Mountain and I have no idea what happened after that. Some food and supplies were transported by truck to the base in the mountain. We were left here just after Christmas with supplies enough for months. We have an oil stove we dug out of the surplus pile and found enough diesel to keep the small area we live in warm enough for us. Really that is about all I know. My superior said they would send someone back to check on us after the first of the year, but to date we have seen nobody except you folks.”
He hung his head and this was the first time Greg really looked at him. He couldn’t be more than twenty one and through his scraggly beard, looked more like a war orphan than a military soldier.
Greg nodded his thanks and nodded to the colonel to take the young man away. As the colonel was leaving Greg said, “Colonel please return when you have time. We have some things we want to talk to you about.”
The colonel said, “I will have my captain debrief all of the soldiers and make a report to me later. In the meantime I will be back shortly.”
With that he left and Greg sat there looking at the president and felt sorry for her. She expected a military reception committee working with the townspeople and a program of some sort established to support life here in Colorado Springs as elsewhere in the Union.
Greg called Chuck to report to the president’s car as soon as he was free. Greg and the president sat there without talking and both knew what the other was thinking. No need to talk about it. Action was needed and Greg knew the president counted on him to lead this train to its intended destination.
Chuck and the colonel arrived at the same time. Both looked a little tired, but Greg was in no mood for slack at this time. He intended to move this train to the Mountain and that was final. He said to Chuck, “We are aware of a spur going to the Mountain and if at all possible I want us to take this train to the front door. Colonel I want you to take a team of men and snowmobiles to the Mountain and announce our arrival. Hold back mentioning the president is on board, but tell them there are some high government officials coming and have the base commander ready to meet them.”
The president nodded her approval and the two men left to tend to their duties. Chuck before he left said, “I will take the snow engine and break trail ahead of the main train and you can follow when I radio back that the way is clear.”
Now waiting again was the plan. Greg and the president had coffee and stale cookies again, but they smiled when each picked one up and dunked it in their coffee. Janet and Carol followed suit and soon some animated talk about what they might find inside the Mountain base.
Greg told the group that a rail line had been installed in or around twenty ten, but it was only used for a short while. Some sensitive high tech. The equipment was shipped in and the government didn’t want it transferred by train so it was transferred by truck up the mountain. We will know soon enough from Chuck about the condition of the spur.
The colonel and his four man team of two snowmobiles rode up to the gate of the Mountain base. Two guards were sitting inside a guard shack. The two guards with rifles leveled at them waited while the colonel took off his helmet and showed him his credentials. The soldier asked him to wait and went back to make a phone call. Fully ten minutes passed when a call came through to let only the colonel in and make the other soldiers comfortable in the guard shack. The colonel trudged his way to the underground entrance and was met by a team of officers. The colonel identified himself and they looked at his ID carefully. A soldier of rank said to follow him and they went inside to an office located before you went through the giant steel doors to the facility proper. It was nice and warm in the office and the colonel stripped off his snow suit. An introduction was made around and he was handed a hot cup of coffee. The pleasantries out of the way, he sat down in a typical military chair made of steel. The colonel told them what he had been instructed to say and waited for a response. The man sitting across the desk said, “You mean to say colonel that a government train is on the way here and it contains high government officials?”
“That is exactly what I said and it would behoove you to inform the base commander and provide a welcoming committee befitting the officials. Make no mistake, colonel, I’m telling you to take this message seriously. Behind me is coming a snow engine plowing the way for the passenger train to follow. Just exactly when will it arrive here, is unknown. But be prepared to accept around one thousand new people to house and feed for the duration of this storm.”
The room was deathly quiet and both men stared into each other's eyes. The base duty officer had a pale look on his face and it looked like he was at a loss what to do. He drummed his fingers on the desk and looked at the other officers with him. It was obvious this guy didn’t want to report to his superior the news a passenger train was arriving with over one thousand people who were going to live here.
The colonel for security stood up and said he would take his leave now and report back to his superior that the message was delivered and received. The colonel made a note in his notebook of the four officer’s names and left.
Half way back the snowmobiles passed the snow train headed to the mountain entrance. It appeared there were no problems and he would report that to Greg when he arrived. He chuckled to himself thinking about the four officers telling their superiors his story. Man was they in for a rude awaking when they discovered the President of the United States was coming to live there.
Chapter 21
About three hours later the Presidents train arrived at the gate. Someone must have taken the colonel’s message seriously because the area around the gate was plowed and some higher ups were standing around their electric cars waiting for them. Because all of the reception committee had on snow suits and it was snowing and blowing a gale, no one could tell who was who. The weather was so nasty and snow was caked so thick on the passenger train you couldn’t see which one was the president’s car which was clearly marked under the ice and snow pack.
The president was dressed in her blue snow suit along with Carol and Janet. The secret service preceded her out the door and made their way to the lead electric cart. A huddle took place and soon arms were flying around and if you could have heard above the howling of the wind, orders flying everywhere. The president and the staff, including Greg and his family walked boldly to the man standing in front of an electric cart. He saluted the president and showed her to the
cart. Five more carts took the secret service and staff inside the facility.
Once they were enclosed inside away from the wind and snow, the president took off her helmet and snow suit. She had on a sweat suit with a parka over her sweat shirt. She said, “Who is in command here, I want my people taken care of.”
The second in command of the base identified himself as Colonel Travis. “Madam President, welcome to Cheyenne Mountain. I’m sorry the base commander is in a meeting with the weather people. I will inform him of your arrival.”
Hilary said, “No need colonel, just take me to him immediately please.”
Greg was enjoying this to the fullest. The colonel was stammering and trying to inform his boss the president of the United States was here and he had better get prepared to receive her. Hilary smiled at the colonel and they started driving in the electric carts the third of a mile to the steel doors leading into the heart of the complex. The steel door opening was just large enough to admit a person. Normally the doors would be open and heat would be escaping from the many computers which heated the entire complex when under operation. Now only a few computers were on and you needed a coat on to ward off the cold. Few lights were burning and the colonel led the way to the commander’s office. At one time the Base Commander’s office was located above the floor of the massive room with screens the size of movie theaters showing all air and satellite positions throughout the world. Now they were all black and during some remodeling within the last few years, a new office was constructed on the main floor.
The colonel led the way to the office and inside sat an Air Force officer working on a computer. When she saw who was with the colonel, she jumped up and saluted the president. Hilary walked straight to the large wooden door to the base commander’s office. Without a knock she opened it to find him sitting at his large mahogany desk playing chess with a white coated scientist. Hilary stopped a few feet from his desk and looked at him.
Major General Lenny Barnes was studying the board and after a few seconds his second in command said, “Sir we have the privilege of a visit by the President of the United States.”
Lenny waved a hand and continued to study the chess board. He was dressed in casual clothes with a hooded sweatshirt on. His snow white hair stuck out of an Air Force baseball hat. His large jawed face had a three day growth of white stubble showing.
Greg was standing behind the president and suddenly felt sorry for the man. He knew what the president was going to do and soon the pity went away and he felt anger building in his body and mind. The scientist looked up and with a shocked look on his face, mouth open and arm rose to say something, Hilary nodded her head for him to leave and he quickly left the office. It was only then General Barnes looked up and saw who was in his office. His mouth too fell open and he slowly rose to his feet. He recovered quickly and looked at his second with a look that meant “I will deal with you later,” and then returned his gaze to the president.
On his desk a name board with his rank and formal name shined with the color of gold against the teak wood. Hilary picked it up and examined it carefully. The general stood there trying to find something to say when the president said, “Here general, take this with you and consider yourself confined to quarters until I can find out what is going on around here.”
Hilary turned to Colonel Travis and said, “Colonel, I would like to see the mess hall. We are all hungry and as I understand it, there are at least seven separate divisions of this base. I want all the heads of those departments at the mess hall in thirty minutes. Do you understand me Colonel Travis?”
“Yes, Madam President.”
He turned on his heels and left the office in a hurry. Hilary walked out to the front office and said to the officer still standing at attention with a much softer voice, “Would you kindly show us to the mess hall please.”
She turned to a Major Dee and said after she saw his name tag, ‘Major Dee, see to it that all of the passengers are taking care of and they are to be fed first and the base personnel second today. After that you will arrange quarters for the passengers and crew of the train. Now if that is a problem for you or anyone else around here, I will keep firing people until I find someone who will accept the responsibility.”
The major was a career man and in no way shape or form did he want to be relieved of his rank and pension. He said with recovered authority, “Madam President, I will personally take care of what you ordered starting immediately if I’m excused.”
She nodded her head and he disappeared out of the office in a blur of blue uniforms. Hilary said in a more conciliatory voice to a captain, who was the only one left standing from the original greeting committee, “Captain, please take me and my staff to the mess hall.”
Waiting outside the carts was waiting and the captain shouted orders to the drivers and before leaving the president wanted the woman officer who was the secretary to the commander to accompany her to the mess hall. The flustered officer climbed into a cart and soon all were motoring to the mess hall.
Greg looked around as they drove to the mess hall. He saw the major work of man and was proud of what he saw as they went from one place to another. He wondered if housing or shelter for the passengers could be found in this huge cavern. During the regular work day over fourteen hundred people worked here including civilians from Colorado Springs. He knew backup generators were present and in one of his computer disks he found a small note saying a small nuclear power plant was planned, but nothing more on the subject could he find. It would take a lot of water for cooling, but he had read where underground springs filled large reservoirs of water for drinking and other uses. His thoughts were interrupted as the carts stopped at the doors of the mess hall. Walking through the swinging doors into the large cafeteria area, the president noted the activity as word had spread of her arrival.
A military officer in a chefs outfit came running up to the president's party and said, out of breathe, “Madam President we have a table ready for you and your staff, please follow me”
Hilary said nothing and followed the officer to a large round table against the opposite wall from the cafeteria tables where food was being prepared by a small army of workers running to and fro and looking at the special guest. Hilary sat down and Greg sat next to her at her beckon. Becky and the kids sat next to Greg and the others, Janet, Carol, and the chief of Staff with Chuck and Bubba filled out the table nicely. The officer of the mess said dinner would be ready in a short while as they usually started serving at six pm until nine pm for the main dinner time. He went on to explain how the facility ate in shifts and after finding out what time breakfast was served, Hilary said, “Thank you for your filling me in on how the mess hall operates.”
He took his leave and soon the food arrived.
A large cistern of soup was the first course with fresh bread and butter or margarine. Small packs of jam for the kids were placed on the table. Everyone, including the president gobbled down the soup and bread. Greg felt he had gone to heaven with the next course of pork chops with potatoes and gravy with mixed veggies arrived. The food disappeared in a hurry and after dinner ice cream and cake was served. Nobody but the kids ate ice cream, but the cake was devoured with relish. Not a word had been spoken in the twenty or so minutes while eating. A cleanup crew was waiting to clean the table as Colonel Travis walked through the door with about a dozen people following him. Most were dressed in civilian clothes but one or two had on military uniforms. As he came up to the table, Hilary was speaking to Greg in low tones.
When the colonel stood there waiting Hilary looked up and said, “Colonel Travis is there a conference room where we can go that will accommodate my staff and the base’s department heads?”
He said, “Yes Madam President. It is only a short walk to the conference building. If you would please follow me I will lead you and your staff there if you are ready to go.”
Hilary stood up and Greg whispered to his wife that he would find them a place to liv
e. Meanwhile he wanted her and the kids to follow them to the conference room and make sure the kids pay attention as history was in the making.
Entering an enormous building called the Conference Hall seating for a few hundred was obvious. At the back of the building another door opened into a formal conference room complete with a conference desk that would befit a large corporation. Lining the walls were side tables with legal pads and pencils. At the head of the table sat a high backed chair reserved for the base commander. Behind him was a wet bar complete with coffee machine and refrigerator. On the shelves row after row of glasses and coffee urns were at the ready. The walls themselves were hardwood panels of what looked like cherry wood. The floor was carpeted in a light blue Air Force color that seemed somehow not to go with the beautiful wood walls. On the walls were past presidents and base commanders smiling from there posed pictures. A smattering of smaller photos showing high government officials posing with the base commander; Hilary took this all in at a glance as she walked up to the head of the table and pulled the massive high back chair out of the way and Chuck the ever smart one of the bunch had already picked up a side chair for her to sit in. The discarded high back chair stood silently as a reminder to all that from now on it would be a hands on operation and the chair stood for an example of those who didn’t measure up to the task ahead.
Hilary asked all to sit down with Greg once again at her side. Her Chief of Staff and secretary with a legal pad in hand sat on the other side of her ready to take notes. Once everyone was seated Hilary went from face to face studying each person at the table. Colonel Travis sat at the other end of the table nervously folding and unfolding his hands.
Finally the president said, “I know this is a big surprise to all of you. It’s no more of a surprise to you than me. I’ll be frank with you. We live in a different world now and each and every one of you is an expert in your particular fields. Now for this meeting I want each of you to introduce yourselves and give us a brief overview of your duties.”
Unearthly Snowbound Page 17
