The Long, Dark Night

by Ben Winston

  “You're very level headed and can keep your cool under pressure. You don't panic in emergencies; you jump right in and do what needs to be done. You have a very strong sense of self that is inspiring to others and makes them want to do better in whatever task they are doing. You are the perfect leader,” Bob explained. “Tom knew that long before any of the rest of us saw it in you. That's the reason you were chosen for the position you now hold.”

  “But, if I make a mistake, a lot of people could die. Hell, half the time I feel like I'm reacting to things instead of dealing with them before they become an issue,” Ben replied. “Most of the time I'm making decisions without all the information I need. I know that one of these times, I'm going to get someone or even everyone, killed.”

  “Ben, no leader ever has all the information they need to make perfect decisions. You're right though; one of these days you will make a decision that'll result in loss of life. You have to accept that as a fact, and then try your best to keep it from happening. When it does, learn from it and move on. That's the best anyone can hope for."

  “I suppose, but it still doesn't make it any easier to accept,” Ben replied.

  “Not that I mind, but I get the impression that you didn't call me to discuss the moral aspects of being a leader, did you?” Bob asked.

  Ben smiled some. “No, I wanted to talk to you about the Ministry of Law. I'd like you to be part of it, if not heading it up.”

  Bob laughed. “Damn it! Your father bet me that you'd ask me that!”

  “Then, you've thought about it?”

  “Actually, I have. While I wouldn't mind working there, I really don't want to be the guy in charge. Besides, you've been appointing a lot of your family and friends to positions of authority. I think you should look elsewhere for the rest of the leadership roles. It would go a long way to keeping the peace. Besides, there are a lot of really good people out there, if you only look around."

  Ben nodded. “Yeah, I know I need to start appointing people from other areas. But I wanted to ask you about this first. This Ministry is going to be a very important post, and I wanted someone that I trust heading it up.”

  “I agree, this is going to be a very important posting,” Bob said nodding agreement. “All the more reason it needs to go to someone that your councilors trust, and not just someone that you trust.”

  Robert Gilly, Md. Residence.

  Command Pod Alpha One

  11 Apr. 8255 CE

  Sector 34871 - Great Inland Sea

  Earth, Sol system

  “Addson, can I show you something?” Olivia asked.

  “Certainly, Hun,” Addson replied and sat beside the girl in the family's living room.

  Olivia typed for a moment on the keyboard in front of her. A twenty-first century world map came up on the big monitor. “This is the world that we came from, six-thousand years ago, before the Sal'andori arrived.”

  Addson looked at the map. “That is a very different graphic than the one for the world above us. How could so much have changed?”

  “The war that was fought during the invasion damaged the planet so much that the part of the human race that remained on the surface had to abandon the planet. They are your ancestors.” Bob said as he walked into the room. “Between the bombing and lazing of the surface triggering massive tectonic movement and volcanism, the world was plunged into an ice age. We have discovered that most of the changes occurred after the surface was abandoned. However, the loss of the Hawaiian Islands happened when it caught a nuke that set off Mauna Loa.

  “From the mapping data you brought us, we know that the Yellowstone super-volcano also erupted. That alone would have made most of the southern North American continent uninhabitable. Marcy Carmichael plans to take some core samples just outside of the entrance to our military base to see how deep the ash got here. The rest of the changes probably occurred when the poles moved," he finished.

  As he spoke, the events he outlined were displayed on the map, showing the extent of the damage. Finally, from the build-up of ice, the planet slowly began moving the poles in a circular fashion until they slowed and finally stopped at their current location.

  “Wait a moment, Olivia, could you please go back to the original map?” Addson asked.

  The map once again resumed its original configuration. “Can you place an overlay of the locations of the Aeries?” Olivia typed for a moment and the Aeries appeared as red marks on the maps, there was also a blue haze over the area's that were currently under water.

  “So, the ruins I found above The Wall Mountains were actually a major city?” She asked.

  Olivia nodded. “I would guess that it would be Seattle. Pre-invasion population of three point five million humans. As you can see though, most of the city is still under the northern ice cap. So I would guess that what you found was actually part of the suburbs.”

  “One thing that's always bothered me about that area is that it's a long way from the northern pole. Why is there still a glacier there?” Addson asked.

  “I have no idea. You would have to ask Marcy that question,” Bob said, grinning.

  North Central American Defense Force, Base 13a

  12 Apr. 8255 C.E.

  Sector 34871 - Great Inland Sea

  Earth, Sol system

  “Okay, everyone listen up!” Gail yelled. “First off, thank you all for showing up. Just in case none of you know who I am, my name is Gail Greenwold. I was a squadron commander in the 282nd Special Operations Group before the fall. Earlier this evening, Prime Council Ben Bedouin called me to ask if I could call all of you together to ask a very important question of each of you. Simply put, would you like to return to military status and become a member of the new force the Council is forming?

  “Now, before you answer there are a couple of things you might want to know. The Prime Council is planning on asking the Council to appoint me to be the commander of this base. However, he would like any of you that have held command positions in the past to submit your names for possible leadership positions. Including that of base commander here. Yes he is planning on submitting my name for that job, but the only reason he's doing it is because I'm the only one of us he knows. There might be someone better suited to the position and right now we're going to need the best people to lead us.

  “Another thing; the force being formed is not going to be based on nationality. In point of fact, if you join, you might be asked to move to another district to help get those troops either up to strength or to provide training if needed. So, if you would like to join, but you have a problem working with other nationalities, we'll need to know that so we don't send you someplace you don't really want to go.

  “In case you haven't heard by now, we have a new AI system working with us. Her name is 'Mother' and if you have any questions, you can ask them of her. We will also need each of you to do recruiting. We're going to need a certain number of full time troops, but the majority of our force is most likely going to be the very same civilians we are going to be protecting.

  “Currently, I don't hold any official rank and neither do any of you. However, if you want to submit your names, you can send me a message or simply tell Mother and she'll handle the rest. Take your time and think it over. Wander around and look over some of the equipment in here. Then go home and talk to your loved ones. At this time, we don't know how long the commitment will be, but you'll all get the chance to back out if you don't like it once it’s decided. That's all I have for you and once again, thanks for showing up.”

  As she stepped down from the gantry she'd used for a platform, a few of her old comrades came forward to greet her and swap lies. Others she met for the first time, but throughout the small gathering there was already a bond beginning to form. She could feel it and she hoped most of these men and women would chose to join.

  It had gotten really late by the time she finally made it back to her quarters. Both of her roommates had also been at the meeting since all of them
had been in the same unit. Jane had been her co-pilot and Glen was their door gunner. The two women had been friends since flight school. Glen had join the pair when their CV-22B Osprey had gone down in Afghanistan. The three of them had been the only survivors of the crash and Glen had saved their lives by showing the two women how to survive. Both women had saved his life by carrying the badly wounded man out of enemy territory.

  Even though her two friends headed for their beds, Gail took the time to send a message to Ben giving him her impressions of how the meeting went. She heard the shower shut off as she finished up, so she hit the send button and headed for the bathroom to get a shower before hitting the sheets for the night. So she wasn't there when Ben tried calling back to ask her why she was up so late.

  Grand Council Chamber

  18 Apr. 8255 CE

  Sector 34871 - Great Inland Sea

  Earth, Sol system

  It had been a long week. The base for the constitution had been finished, but it had been a real chore to get everyone to agree with it. It turned out that it wasn't every one's ideal, but it was something everyone could agree on. A formal statement was composed along with a briefing of everything that had happened in the world since the survivors entered the pods.

  What surprised Ben was that the Council asked to have Deirdre be the person that recorded the message to be delivered to the rest of the population. It seems that the entire population had seen her in the initial hours after their emergence and she had given them purpose.

  It helped that almost everyone also thought she was very beautiful. Ben did admit to himself that she did have a way of capturing a person's attention and keeping it. It went far beyond her physical appearance, too. Granted, it might have been her beauty that drew attention, but she radiated a trust and intelligence that the people responded to. They saw her as one of them, the woman next door or the young soccer mom that always went out of her way to help others. She made people believe in themselves because she, herself, believed in them.

  When Ben asked her to come to the council room, he met her at the door and whispered to her that this hadn't been his idea, but he did agree with it. She looked at him puzzled until the Council began greeting her. When Councilor Amir addressed her and made the Council's proposal that she be their voice to the people, she immediately spun on Ben.

  “Are you sure you didn't put them up to this?” She asked a little angry.

  Ben held up his hands in self-defense and most of the other Councilors laughed at her antics. However, it was Mother that replied to her. “Minister Bedouin, the Prime Council was taken by surprise when the idea for you to be their voice was raised by Councilor Tsen. Before he could even comment, the idea was seconded by eighteen other Councilors. The decision to ask you was decided without the Prime Councilor's input at all. I should mention that he did accurately predict that you would blame him for it.”

  “Aye that he did Mother. Deirdre-lass, 'twas the will o' the Council to approach ye on th' matter. We all ken that ye struck a chord with our people and each of them still be a whist'len the tune. Please Lass, think on the matter? To yon brother all look for leadership, but 'tis your voice that all will pay heed,” Councilor Carlysle said.

  Deirdre looked around at all the screens and saw agreement from all sides. “Okay, I'll do it. But, I should warn you; I really suck at writing speeches. So, I'm going to need a ghost writer.”

  “I will endeavor to perform the task to the best of my abilities, Minister Bedouin,” Mother replied.

  “That would be a huge help, Mother, but we would like Minister Bedouin to also have a hand in it. It’s her personality that keeps them listening, so it would have to reflect that,” Councilor Cormier added. “And thank you for accepting this task, Minister. We all know that you have to have your hands full with your current duties.”

  Deirdre nodded to the Councilor. Then snorted. “Maybe you should give me the Ministry of Information instead!”

  “That would be a waste of you skill, Minister. Yes, you make the best person to speak for us, but what you have done so far for our people is nothing less than heroic. You gave them focus and purpose when many of them were almost ready to give up. The care you show for our people is inspiring to them and that is one of the things that endears you to them." Councilor William Hayes from the Southwestern Pod group said.

  Now, Ben was seated, along with the rest of his family, waiting for the program Deirdre had recorded to be aired. She looked a little nervous, so he took the hand that Jorga wasn't holding. He gave her a little squeeze to let her know he was there for her. She smiled at him nervously.

  “Relax Sweetheart. You weren't nearly this nervous when you recorded the thing, so why are you nervous now?” Ben asked.

  Deirdre sighed. “I know. But, I guess it’s just... I felt so much out of my element during the recording. I'm worried that this is going to backfire and make the Council look bad or that I'll piss someone off. I really don't want this to interfere with the way things are going between the pods. When I'm speaking to everyone, I don't have to worry about it, because we're talking; the communication is two way. I can tell immediately if I said the wrong thing and I can fix it. This time, I don't have that as a barometer.”

  “You'll do fine, Sis,” Kait said from her spot next to Marcy. “Everyone loves you and they know you're simply passing along the information the Council wants announced. No one will hold any of this against you. Trust me, it's going to take a lot more than saying something wrong for anyone to get upset with you over this.”

  About that time, Mother's voice was heard announcing the Program.

  “Ladies and Gentleman, the Minister of Health and Welfare; Deirdre Bedouin.”

  Deirdre's beautiful face and the upper part of her body appeared on the screen. She was sitting in the Grand meeting chamber of the Council.

  “Good evening everyone. Tonight, I am not speaking to you as anything other than one of you. Our Council has asked me to speak to all of you on their behalf. They have several issues that they would like to inform everyone about, so I will try to do my best to tell all of you about them.”

  As she began speaking about Addson Dee and how she became a member of their number, Ben began to smile. Now he understood why the councilors had wanted her to be their voice. She was one of them, a friend; an unconscious extension of their own families.

  When the hour long program had finished, Deirdre was still apprehensive about it. The family tried to pull her into a discussion of the news she reported on, but it wasn't working. Ben was considering making her a stiff drink when Mother surprised all of them.

  “Minister Bedouin, the network has reported that the program was watched by every household in every pod. There were a few that did not watch it, but they had other duties during this time. It was noted that even they recorded it. It has been very well received and has inspired much conversation among the people; most of it positive and none of it really negative. I would point out to you, that not one single person has mentioned you in a negative way. If anything your popularity has improved as has the approval of the Council through your efforts. There is absolutely no reason for you to be troubled over this. You have done remarkably well.”

  “Thank you, Mother. That does help set my mind at ease,” Deirdre replied and seemed to start to relax.

  “See? The Council knew what they were doing when they asked you. I agreed with them then and I still do,” Ben replied.

  “Mother?” Kait asked. “Do you always monitor private households?”

  “Yes I do, however, my actions are usually passive and reserved for emergency purposes only. Tonight was a special occasion; I asked the network to actively monitor for one hour after the program in order to gauge the public reaction. Unless the family entered their bedroom, or undertook a more intimate undertaking, the network listened in.

  “I do actively monitor this household simply because of the high ranking offices held by its members. I do go to passive mode w
hen the situation turns intimate,” the AI replied.

  “I think I can speak for everyone when I say we appreciate that. None of us are prudes, but at least we'll know if you're there or not,” Jorga said.

  “In a manner of speaking, I am always 'there'; however, during those times, in order for you to get my attention, you would have to address me directly. I do try to respect individual's privacy, but with two Ministers, the Prime Council, as well as his assistant living in the same household, it is part of my programming to be available to all of you as much as possible," Mother replied.

  “You know, I think that's probably a good idea. However, I would really like to get some sleep before tomorrow's Council session. Thank you for setting Deirdre's mind at ease, Mother.”

  “You are welcome, Prime Council. I will now switch to passive mode. Good night.”

  Everyone returned her parting comment as they began retiring for the evening.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Anti-Piracy Command, Regional Headquarters

  Argassi Aerie and Polyponics facility

  Planet Terral III

  Cassian March

  Duchy of Cassias

  Hyclarion Imperial Consortium

  “What is the final report on the Addson Dee incident? Start from the beginning,” Task Commander Warmake asked.

  “An assumption has been made that the Pirates knew that Addson Dee was not only coming, but that they also knew she was not a prospector. This assumption is based solely on the timing and strength of their attack.

  “Addson Dee was fired on before actually arriving in her designated search area. In fact, she had yet to make any course corrections that would have indicated she was doing more than simply over-flying the sector.

  “Analysis of the missile impact on floater Gamma-four-niner-three indicates the missile was a military grade, surface to space, variable tracking with a type-four pentanitric explosive. The explosive in this missile had been greatly retarded in an effort to contain the explosion to a small area. The fact that Addson Dee was able to evade the first missile suggests that the missile was hunting in Optical Mode,” the computer replied.