Before the Nothingness

by Kevin George

  “I’m here,” Daniel answered.

  “Our drones caught you near sector 7, not far from the forest,” said the familiar voice of Dave Smith, lead security for One Corp.

  “We’re supposed to be here,” Daniel said nervously. “We’re completing weekly energy readings for the solar sectors.”

  “That wasn’t an accusation,” Smith responded. “Just wanted to let you know an intruder was caught and. . . detained in the section of forest off to your left.”

  “We heard gunshots,” Daniel said. “I’m sure I know how you detained the intruder.”

  “It’s not what you think, not that I have to explain myself to you,” Smith said, not bothering to hide his disgust. “I know we received instructions from Dr. Weller about how to handle intruders caught on our land, but he’s currently locked in his lab and won’t answer my calls. Samuel is flipping out about losing one of his drones and Doc Howell is out on assignment, which means you’re the next-highest leader in charge. . . at least scientific leader, if what you do can be considered scientific.”

  While Daniel had earned a double doctorate in electrical and renewable energy engineering, he never made people refer to him as ‘doctor,’ nor did he consider himself a scientist. Especially not in the same mold as Weller, Daniel thought. Doc Howell wasn’t as slimy or duplicitous as Weller, but he was flighty and strange. Maybe I’m just jealous neither one of them is under the same stress I am. . .

  “Are you asking my opinion on what to do?” Daniel asked.

  “I’m asking if the orders from the scientific division are still in effect,” Smith said.

  Despite Smith’s obvious disdain for him, Daniel heard trepidation in the man’s voice. Smith wouldn’t be asking for advice if he truly wanted to follow the orders that Dr. Weller had set and The Board had agreed to. Daniel wanted nothing more than to order security to release the intruder, but he already had enough issues with energy production and didn’t need to make more enemies.

  “As far as I know,” Daniel said, “Weller’s orders still stand. Bring the trespasser wherever Weller wants.”

  “Copy that,” Smith said. “I’ll have him sent to Weller’s Mountain lab. Over and out.”

  Daniel looked toward the woods, trying not to think of what horrific fate awaited whoever was foolish enough to trespass on One Corp. lands.

  “I didn’t know Weller’s lab in The Mountain was completed,” Aziz said.

  Daniel snorted. “Consider yourself lucky you don’t know the things happening in there. I don’t know what Weller wants human subjects for, but the whispers about research he’s attempting. . . the things that First Bio once talked about. . . I’ll be glad once we figure out this energy problem and I never have to step into The Mountain again.”

  Aziz frowned, remaining silent as Daniel took the readings for the next solar hub and announced the results. Once they headed to the next sector, he continued to babble, this time about the impressive speed with which ‘ISU-Ville’ was built.

  “ISU-Ville?” Daniel asked,

  “Yeah, you know, the village of—”

  “Yeah, I get it, but the name is foolish,” Daniel said.

  “Oh,” Aziz said. “That’s what everyone is calling it and. . .”—Daniel’s head snapped in his direction and Aziz shook his head—“. . . you’re right, the name doesn’t make sense. Well. . . it does make sense but. . . never mind. The Board wants to start moving in high-ranking One Corp. officials as soon as possible.”

  “You think I don’t know that?” Daniel snapped. “The Board has never listened to my warnings about power supply issues. Charles Jonas was always far more logical about potential issues.”

  “It’s kind of you to say that,” a nearby voice said, causing Daniel and Aziz to spin around. “I wish they would’ve listened as well. But The Board—and my son, for that matter—have always been impatient and never much ready to listen to the voice of reason.”

  Charles Jonas stared down at the snowy ground but was obviously speaking to the two men. Daniel wasn’t surprised; he’d been in several meetings with the head of One Corp.—and had even spoken to him on several occasions—but Charles never made eye contact with him. Despite his advanced age, his frail frame and the obvious hunch in his back beneath his heavy parka, Charles Jonas would always strike an imposing figure as far as Daniel was concerned. Jonas was a visionary, with enough forward thinking to create an existence where humankind could survive a rapidly changing world.

  Charles slipped on the fresh snow and nearly went down. Daniel hurried forward to offer a steadying hand, but Charles waved him away. Just beyond the older man was an ISU bigger than the rest, lights shining from within, the only powered unit within all of ISU-Ville.

  “I’m sorry, sir,” Daniel said. “I was so preoccupied with these readings that I didn’t realize we’d come so close to your ISU. I’m sorry if we disturbed you.”

  Charles chuckled and kicked at the snow, his head remaining down. “Honestly, I’m glad for the company. Been living in my ISU for months and rarely have visitors. When I first moved out here, thought I’d love the quiet and the lack of distractions while I continue to work on my. . .”—he finally made eye contact with Daniel but quickly looked away—“. . . other plans. Still, been hoping my son would show up for a visit. Better yet, been hoping for my grandson, Horace, to show up at my door one day. I find children and their honesty to be far more useful than adults when it comes to judging my ideas. Don’t you?”

  “Oh,” Daniel said. “Well, my work is a bit more straightforward and technical. I’m not sure children would find much interest in—”

  Charles held up a hand to stop him before turning his head and coughing. He doubled over and spit out blood. Daniel rushed toward him but was waved away for a second time. Charles swayed on his feet and the sight of blood set off an alarm in Daniel’s mind. He turned to his assistant, who stood in shocked stillness.

  “Don’t just stand there,” Daniel snapped at him. “Call for help for Mr. Jonas.”

  Aziz nodded absently before fumbling at his own earpiece. He no sooner tapped it than Charles cleared his throat and shook his head.

  “You will not call for help,” Charles said, his voice strained as he slowly straightened. “Nor will you ever mention this to another soul. Understood?”

  “Yes,” Aziz said.

  “But sir, you might be sick,” Daniel said.

  “Might be?” Charles asked with a chuckle.

  “I won’t pretend to know what’s wrong,” Daniel said, feeling the invisible grip of dread squeezing at his heart, “but there must be treatments available to a man of your stature. There are safer, warmer parts of civilization where the best doctors can—”

  Charles shook his head. “Out there?” he asked, his eyes staring off at a world far beyond ISU-Ville and the trees beyond. “No, no, thank you very much. I don’t plan to spend a single moment in a hospital.” He took a deep breath and suppressed a cough, smiling as he scanned his surroundings. “I assure you, my health isn’t as dire as you think it is.”

  Daniel didn’t realize his face remained scrunched in concern, though the old man didn’t seem to look at him.

  “I’m not delusional,” Charles continued. “I won’t be around to see the final changes to the world, I won’t be around for when our Mountain and ISUs will be humanity’s last chance at survival. But I can still live in my village for the time I have left, I can still oversee this world I’ve helped create, I can still collaborate with others about how they’re planning to survive.”

  “Others?” Aziz asked.

  Charles craned his neck, looking toward the sky with a smile. When he received a face full of snow, he turned away and coughed.

  “I embraced solitude for most of my life, even to the detriment of relationships with my ex-wife and with Samuel,” Charles said with a frown. “There’s little I would change about my life, but my. . . condition. . . has made me realize the importance of human contact. I
n the time I have left, I look forward to learning from survivalists teaching One Corp. employees that will be assigned to life in the ISUs.”

  “You wouldn’t prefer to live in The Mountain? Where Dr. Weller is planning to do amazing things in his lab?” Aziz asked. “Maybe he could help you.”

  A shadow fell over Charles’s face and he shook his head. “Samuel and The Board appreciate me staying out of their way, which I’ve done for years as they’ve prepared The Mountain,” Charles said. “They’ll be dealing with me soon enough, whether they want to or not, but not until I return. I have plenty of planning to help with beyond our lands.”

  Charles apologized for babbling and asked Daniel how his work was proceeding. Daniel glanced at Aziz, though his assistant stared at the ground.

  “Honestly, sir, I’m having serious concerns about the longevity of solar energy production,” Daniel said. “Despite advancements in our panels—which, I have no doubt, truly are the most energy efficient models in the world—I’m not sure the effects of changing weather patterns have been considered enough to figure out power necessities. The solar hubs in the village should provide enough power for the ISUs in the foreseeable future, but that could change as the weather worsens. If conditions become as dire as some weather experts predict—if cloud cover and constant snows really are in our future—I’m not sure solar energy alone will power the village and The Mountain.

  “I know I made promises about being able to handle this job and I’m truly sorry for—”

  Charles coughed again, holding up a finger for the men to wait. When he finished, he reached into his parka’s hood and tapped his own earpiece.

  “Transportation,” he said. Charles made brief eye contact with Daniel. “I might not have the scientific mindset of my son or Nigel Weller, but our energy problem is one I’ve considered at great length. I currently have another team out discovering a way to. . . ahh, one moment.”

  Charles looked away from Daniel, nodding as he listened to a voice on the other end of the device. “Understood, two minutes out. . . yes, I’ll still be traveling to. . .”—he glanced at Daniel and Aziz, lowering his voice before continuing—“. . . my planned destination. But we’ll be making a quick stop at the far end of our lands, where you’ll drop off two more passengers.”

  Charles tapped the earpiece again and turned toward his ISU. “The chopper is on its way.”

  “Chopper?” Aziz called out.

  Charles disappeared into his ISU, emerging moments later with a bag strapped to his back. “Our geologists have found a section on the outskirts of our land that previously went undiscovered; we didn’t even know about it when making the deal with our government. My son and a few others want us to ignore it because it’s so far from The Mountain and ISU-Ville.”

  Daniel turned to his assistant, who raised his eyebrows at the mention of the village’s nickname.

  “Samuel prefers that we focus our resources on our two-pronged plan for survival, but I’ve learned never to ignore an opportunity—as unlikely or difficult as it might may seem—when it presents itself,” Charles said. “My father. . . the idea I had for the ISUs. . . I’ve learned the importance of taking risks when it feels like the right thing to do.”

  The silence of ISU-Ville was interrupted by a distant thumping in the sky. A helicopter appeared moments later, landing in a small clearing among the village of ISUs. The chopper’s door opened and Charles waved the other two men to follow. The three were met by the helicopter’s crew and were soon strapped in, taking off into the sky. Daniel didn’t expect to feel as nervous as he did; there were a lot of things about this day he hadn’t expected.

  The interior of the helicopter was surprisingly quiet and Charles ordered one of the crew to call Dr. Howell. A crew member disappeared into the front for less than a minute before returning with a small device containing a choppy holographic image of an older man with wire-rimmed glasses, a bushy moustache and a tan fedora. A shrill drilling sound could be heard and the man was obviously moving quickly, his words breaking up as he spoke to Charles Jonas.

  “It will be. . . moment, sir. I have. . . from the tunnel being. . .”

  “Yes, yes, take your time, Al,” Charles told the holographic image before turning to Daniel. “You know Dr. Howell?”

  Daniel nodded. “We’ve passed each other on occasion and I’ve seen him in several meetings of department heads. Can’t say I’ve ever spoken to him, though. He always seemed. . . preoccupied.”

  Charles looked at the image of Dr. Al S. Howell, who stumbled along a dark path that Daniel assumed to be bumpy considering how much his image bounced along. When Howell wasn’t mumbling curses to himself—which was half the time—he whistled happily. The echo of drilling faded as the holographic image came in clearer.

  “Sorry about that, boss,” Dr. Howell said. “Per your request, the drilling team has been working around the clock to tap into the potential energy source. As early geological imaging showed, the rock is perfect for digging around the vol—”

  “Alfred, I’m thrilled your work is progressing as we hoped,” Charles interrupted. “Continue with your research and draft a proposal about the need for an alternative energy source. I’m bringing Daniel Binstadt to your site. I’d like you to give him the tour and then the two of you can collaborate on how to solve our impending energy crisis.”

  “But what about the financial aspect of adding a third prong to One Corp.’s survival strategy?” Dr. Howell asked. “It won’t be cheap.”

  Charles shook his head. “Money is no object, not for something as important as what we’re doing. Samuel has been busy with Weller and whatever project they’re working on, but he won’t stay in the dark forever about what we’re doing. Things will be much easier with The Board if my son agrees with our plans.”

  Charles signed off as the chopper flew beyond ISU-Ville, soaring high over endless forests that continued to be demolished. He explained how they intended the village to expand for as long as they could continue to produce and construct ISUs.

  “Most of our factories remain opened and in production, but some workers have already begun abandoning their positions as the weather worsens,” Charles said. “For years, the world’s leading climatologists have warned the public about a new potential Ice Age, and for years, the corporate media has done its best to downplay the seriousness. I’m not sure how much longer people will be able to ignore it.”

  The chopper began to lower as the trees gave way to a large clearing comprised of flat rock. A massive hole had already been dug into the rock and dozens of construction vehicles encircled it. The chopper descended toward an empty spot on the far side of the rocky clearing, where Dr. Howell stood waiting for them. Charles waved Daniel and his assistant out. Howell nodded to them as he passed, stopping at the chopper’s open doorway. He held up a HoloTablet for Charles to see.

  “I’ve drafted a memo to Samuel and The Board about what we’re doing here to begin the approval process for our project,” Dr. Howell said. “Should I send it?”

  Charles thought for a moment, frowning. “Samuel will be too distracted to pay much attention, but The Board will force him to, especially since I won’t be here. Send it, and add Binstadt’s name to it so they fully grasp the energy implications.”

  Dr. Howell nodded and rushed over to Daniel and Aziz, the three of them watching the chopper fly away before they headed toward the tunnel dug into the rock.

  AN EXCERPT FROM AN INTERNAL MEMO FROM DR. AL S. HOWELL (GEOLOGIST, ONE CORP.) AND DANIEL BINDSTADT (DEPARTMENT HEAD FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION, ONE CORP.) TO SAMUEL JONAS AND MEMBERS OF ONE CORP.’S BOARD

  - As temperatures continue to plummet across the U.S.N.A. (as well as the world), construction on The Mountain facility in Montana proceeds as planned. The mass production and installation of Individual Surface Units (known hereafter as ISUs) across the corresponding 50-mile stretch of land that One Corp. received from the government is going smoothly, despite questions from l
ocals. Our security force continues to struggle to keep out all trespassers, but we’re still receiving plenty of support from local authorities.

  While no crippling complications are foreseeable in The Mountain or ISU-Ville, concerns have been raised regarding the long-term feasibility of solar power in frigid weather conditions. Though the evolution of solar panel designs have increased their energy output and durability, we are nearing a point when solar power will be our only source of energy. With the increasing unpredictability of weather patterns (not to mention cloud cover that sometimes lasts days on end), Daniel Binstadt and I suggest an alternate power supply to be used as a backup.

  As members of The Board may or may not know, an underground volcano has been discovered on the fringes of our lands. It hasn’t erupted in countless centuries, but we’ve determined that molten magma remains deep beneath the surface. Though highly unlikely to erupt or cause trouble, we have figured out a possible use for the magma and natural heat created by it. For several years, we’ve needed a location for our largest underground supply bunker. Daniel and I propose excavating close enough to the volcano so we can ‘tap into’ the magma supplies and produce steam-based energy.

  Once the surface temperatures decrease to where construction workers can no longer travel to and from The Mountain and ISU-Ville, we’ll need a place for them to live. Obviously, the first wave of surface units have been assigned to One Corp. employees willing and able to maintain life on the surface. Laborers will also need a place to stay. With experiments providing intel on the requirements for long-term habitats, this underground facility can be broken into different sections to not just provide extra storage, but sustain life and transition our construction workers into workers capable of maintaining the steam-based power operation. I’m not certain how long such a facility could remain intact, but a time will come when nobody beyond The Mountain and ISU-Ville will have the ability to maintain human life in a frozen world. We may as well allow a few generations of our manual laborers to continue a chance at living. . .