by Parker James
The national and corporate leaders exited the conference room as instructed; lunch waiting for them as promised. The benefits of power. General McCreary remained behind to speak with President Andrews privately as they removed themselves to the President’s personal sanctuary, the Oval Office. Both of their faces were dour; the President speaking first.
“So General, what’s your take on it?”
“Well, Sir,” McCreary replied, “It’s encouraging news about the bunkers. At least we know the worst-case-scenario if the chambers aren’t ready in time. A handful at best. At least it’s better than zero.”
The President had his elbows resting upon his desk and instinctively placed his head in-between his hands; his eyes closed.
“My God, the sheer magnitude of it. I can almost see it unfold before me. Those chambers, we need those chambers,” Andrews stated with simple understanding.
“I know, Mr. President. We’ll know shortly.”
“How do we stand, General, on the military side?”
“Well, Sir, on an international basis we might be working together on the survivability issue, but nations also have a knife in the other hand. It almost seems like the cold war all over again. All nuclear plants have been retro-fitted with automatic shut-down capabilities; if it comes to nuclear war the last thing we need is an additional few hundred Three-Mile-Islands’ out there. But for now the power generation plants have to keep producing, things being as bad as they are. Nuclear subs are on half-staff so they can stay submersed for a longer period of time, while our surface ships are staffed above capacity. We’ll need all the manpower we can get should the worst-case-scenario happen. As far as our planes go they’re in bomb-proof bunkers, but if the nukes fly on a large scale, excluding our shielded drone fleet the electro-magnetic pulse will keep them out of action for a period of time. Those naval vessels that survive whatever events occur will rendezvous at a point to be designated later. Pardon the phrasing, Sir; after the dust settles.”
There was nothing left to be said. For the remaining 45 minutes the President more-or-less played with his food, watching the news monitors of the nation and world crumbling around him. McCreary said a quiet prayer to himself. The President and other world leaders soon reassembled in the conference room next to the Oval Office as Mitch and Anya Conyers were led in. It was McCreary who made the introductions.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, we all know the current situation. The bunkers are ready, for the most part; some already partially staffed. The suspension chambers are absolutely key to the improved survivability of the human race should nuclear war occur. Professors Mitchell and Anya Conyers of MIT have been a catalyst for this particular invention. I now turn the meeting over to them.”
Normally Mitch would be nervous; such powerful people and so many of them. But he was all business as the stakes were simply too high.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” Anya asked him the night before, “They’ll have you eliminated?”
He chuckled at Anya’s question, but it was his daughter’s survival that had consumed the majority of his thoughts. They both stood, although they decided it would be Mitch who would make the primary presentation. Before he began, he looked at all of the faces about the room, each in attendance attempting to be stoic. Despite that, the anticipation was palpable. Mitch cut right to the chase.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, we have been able to produce a fully functioning suspended animation chamber ready for immediate production that will serve the purposes for which it is intended.”
He stopped right there and let those simple words sink in. He could sense the relief on everyone’s faces prior to the flurry of questions he knew would surely ensue. So he waited a very short period of time and continued his discourse prior to that occurrence. Questions would be for later, and undoubtedly there would be many. As he continued to speak he handed out schematics and diagrams.
“As you know, over the past several years our trials have been ever more successful. Several test subjects have been lost, primarily due to health related issues as well as several related to mechanical failure of the chambers. The schematics before you have already been sent to the production facilities which are gearing up and beginning to produce the chambers as we speak. I won’t go into more specific details. Within 30 days it is expected that we’ll have over 400,000 fully functioning chambers; in 6 weeks’ time due to economies of scale and factory automation we anticipate 10 million fully functioning chambers. The numbers will only advance from there. Spare parts will also be produced, with production continuing for as long as possible while simultaneously production operations will also be expanded to the bunkers. The medical details of the suspension operations are in the manuals before you. There will be 3 sets of procedures employed. At this point Mitch held back the fourth procedure; it was too risky and only to be used on Erin. But if somehow it worked, the beneficial repercussions would be enormous.
“One set of subjects will be used as a control group. These are individuals with a family history of longevity. They will be placed into an artificial coma and their body temperatures reduced, thereby slowing their metabolic rate to a minimal level. This will slow the aging process on a normal basis, if you will.
The second set of individuals will have their own aging gene suppressed in order to subdue the aging process and therefore increase the length of survivability in the chambers without aging occurring at the normal rate.”
And finally, a third group will have modified DNA implanted in them in the hopes of slowing the aging and metabolic processes artificially while they are in the chambers and expanding their overall lifespan greatly. In prior trials we’ve experienced no adverse effects, but our concern is those that may present themselves at a later point in time. Therefore this procedure will be used on a limited basis. In conjunction with this process these individuals could theoretically survive indefinitely.”
Mitch had summarized the three processes to be employed as simply as he could, although in its entirety it was very complicated. What he hadn’t told the group was about the fourth procedure to be used on one individual, and one individual alone. The fourth process, unspoken to the group, would be suppression of the aging gene coupled with DNA modification performed simultaneously; two procedures employed at once. Both Mitch and Anya had decided to take this course of action after a great deal of heated discussion. Mitch continued with his presentation.
“We fully expect survivability ratios of 50% or greater for those individuals placed within the chambers based upon proven current results. Research and development will continue unabated, and with anticipated improvements in the process that number should only increase. We fully anticipate minimal aging over a twenty-year period for those placed within the suspension chambers.”
An audible sigh of relief could be heard in the room; this was the answer to the hopes of all in attendance, knowing what catastrophes were consuming the world. It was a matter of simple overpopulation and a planet lacking the basic resources to sustain that population. As Mitch and Anya awaited the flurry of questions that they fully anticipated, an aide to the President suddenly burst into the room. He spoke out loud and excitedly, against protocol considering the others in the conference room.
“Mr. President, North Korea has just launched four missiles directed at the South. Detonation is expected in a matter of minutes.”
Episode 3: “Into the Bunkers”
* * *
So in 2073 it had come to pass. The apocalypse prophesized almost nine years earlier had begun. Just moments ago President Andrews, in the midst of a meeting with world leaders had been informed by an aide that North Korea had just launched four missiles against the South. For decades now the authoritarian North Korean regime had refused to change despite overtures from the Chinese, seemingly their one and only ally. They lashed out, their people having been literally starving at the expense of the military industrial complex. No doubt those four missiles carried nuclear warheads
and detonation was only minutes away. General McCreary immediately was on the phone with NORAD, barking out orders to withhold any and all offensive actions. The world was a tinderbox. The United States alone stood to lose thousands of military personnel stationed in the South as well as many more thousands of civilian support personnel.
Prior to this unexpected development the other world leaders at the conference had been discussing the status of the underground bunkers as well as the suspended animation chambers. The chambers were finally fully functional and ready for full-blown production on a massive scale, with everything in place at the many factories already geared up. Time was needed. If the situation continued unabated to its logical conclusion, all would be lost. And with this sudden development the world leaders attending the conference abruptly left the White House and headed toward their own embassies in order to manage the situation from there. They would be able to communicate their wishes directly and monitor the situation occurring within their own countries.
There was a sudden flurry of activity in the Oval Office; multiple people arriving, mostly dressed in military uniform. The briefcase known as the “football” containing the launch code sequences for the United States’ own nuclear arsenal was brought into the room should it be needed, held tightly by a Major designated with that one single task. General McCreary, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs was still on the phone, and even though the conversation was one sided his words were quite clear. Loud and firm, he was speaking directly to General James Meehan, head of NORAD operations.
“Listen, Jim. I want you to hold at DEFCON 2 but have our forces take no, and I repeat, no aggressive moves that could unintentionally be misinterpreted. Let’s see how this thing fleshes out, our preparations for the bunker systems and chambers aren’t complete yet. We need time, get it?”
General James (Jim) Meehan had been head of NORAD for nearly twenty years, methodically having moved his way up through the ranks. He was a rock, an individual who could be counted on no matter what the situation. President Andrews wasn’t able to hear Meehan’s side of the conversation, brief as it was, but he knew the outcome by McCreary’s words and had nothing to add. McCreary was simply reiterating the President’s wishes; postponement of the inevitable.
“Ok then, Jim. Keep me apprised of any international moves. McCreary out.”
And so the conversation ended unless further developments occurred requiring immediate military intervention. It was going to be a very long day for everyone in the room, indeed for every person on the planet, not knowing if there would be a tomorrow. The news had reached the television stations quickly.
“Is this the end?” President Andrews asked.
“I don’t know, Mr. President. Not if I can help it,” McCreary replied.
The television monitors went ballistic. The journalist Eric Massey was still on the air, looking worse than before but somewhat resigned to the situation at hand. Amazingly, the tense standoff occurring in Manhattan seemed to be dissipating as the news had traveled at lightning speed. The entire world held its breath as it was reported that South Korea had responded by launching its own missiles against the North.
The President and multiple military advisors representing all branches of the service descended down the flight of stairs to the Situation Room located in the basement of the White House where events could be monitored properly. The Command Center had the ability to monitor multiple events occurring throughout the world and communication systems were unsurpassed, secured by military encryption codes once only dreamed of. Still, as the President and his staff arrived signals from the monitors momentarily scrambled, which could only have meant one thing, and they all knew it - a nuclear blast. Ironically it was Massey who they turned their attention to.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, we have just received multiple reports of several nuclear explosions occurring in both North and South Korea. Given the relative size of these countries and the sheer destructive power of today’s nuclear weaponry, I fear it quite possible that it is total destruction. Survivors are not expected in any large numbers, indeed if any at all.”
Massey paused.
“God pray for those lost souls as we all should that greater minds keep their wits and caution about them. As I speak, those to the east of the Korean Peninsula are cautioned severely to find a secure and enclosed area, gathering as much food and water as possible. At this moment a tremendously huge cloud of nuclear fallout has begun traveling eastward following the jet stream and is headed toward the Japanese coast. All people in the affected areas are warned to remain inside and if at all possible in sealed areas.”
The remainder of the day continued in an eerily quiet fashion. All of the remaining “great powers” left in the world were on their best behavior, none wanting to see the situation escalate. Apparently the meeting regarding the bunkers and chambers had carried great weight, and all knew that the survival of the human race depended upon their completion, which required time. Japan had dodged the bullet somewhat as the majority of the nuclear fallout drifted slightly south of the main islands, avoiding a direct hit which would have taken thousands of lives within days and tens of thousands more as radiation sickness set in and cancers developed shortly thereafter. The lesser known islands in the southern part of Japan were not quite so lucky. China, normally an ally of North Korea had been propping up the regime for well over a century now and was absolutely livid, but there was no one left to be mad at. Both Korean countries were wiped off the face of the earth in a matter of minutes.
The President and McCreary had been tallying up the American losses, well over 30,000 military and civilian personnel obliterated in one fell swoop. They discussed matters privately as the day wore on and evening set in. The Joint Chiefs continued to monitor events in the Situation Room internationally as well as any potentially threatening events occurring within their own specific service branches, giving orders as directed by President Andrews and General McCreary.
“Mr. President, we need to get our preparations on both the bunkers and chambers completed within six months at the most, I don’t think we have much longer than that. We’ve moved additional military personnel to those bunkers already completed and instructed the factories to double their manpower and begin producing the final chamber design immediately. Additional production facilities are also being constructed within a number of bunkers as a failsafe measure and we’re dispatching personnel accordingly,” McCreary said.
President Andrews looked at McCreary distantly.
“Good, General. Good.”
It seemed as though President Andrews had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“Has the First Lady and my family been moved to the primary bunker site yet?” Andrews asked.
McCreary thought that the President was losing perspective through his seeming detachment, a luxury that couldn’t be afforded at the moment.
“Yes, Sir. They were moved to the primary bunker site late this afternoon. They’ll be awaiting your arrival if and when the time comes; meanwhile rest assured that they’re being well taken care of. You’ll have communication with the First Lady shortly.”
“Good, good,” Andrews responded. “Thank you General.”
It was April 14th, 2073. Such devastation on what would otherwise have been a beautiful month; spring. Mitch and Anya headed directly to the main factory in Virginia, which had already begun the lesser aspects of production on the suspension chambers. Their goal was to ensure that production occurred at breakneck speed.
Two weeks passed quickly since that horrific day. No further actions had been taken on the part of the great powers other than containment, while at the factories three shifts were working around the clock as the chambers had already begun to be shipped to the nearly completed bunker systems. The bunkers were Professor Enghult’s realm, 2,000 of which were located in the United States alone. Globally the logistics were overwhelming. Enghult oversaw most of it, including their design, construction, installation
of operational systems, and storage of food supplies. The eventual goal was to have each bunker system completely self-sustaining, hydroponically producing their own food at some later point in time. After another long and difficult day, Mitch seemed somber as he and Anya prepared for bed.
“What’s wrong, Mitch?” Anya asked, sensing his mood.
“So many people to save, Anya. It’s just so overwhelming. Who’s to be chosen?”
Anya reflected thoughtfully before responding.
“The military has mainly been responsible for that decision; it’s out of our hands, dear. Thank God it wasn’t a committee, otherwise nothing would get done. Unfortunately no one in poor health. People of power, scientists, military personnel and technicians; generally no one over the age of 40 unless their services or technical skills are required. But it’s not completely authoritarian. Children over the age of four will be allocated 10% of the chamber spaces. The food requirements will be less and we don’t know how this will eventually evolve. They may just be the only ones to survive.”
Erin was with them, not quite nine years old. For the past two weeks they hadn’t let her out of their sight. She jumped on her parents’ bed, smiling.
“Don’t be sad, father,” she said.
It pleasantly shook Mitch out of his funk; he’d been working non-stop and had forgotten it was about saving his daughter and as many of the human race as possible. What he and Anya had accomplished in a relatively short period of time was slightly shy of a miracle, inventing technology that would hopefully save hundreds of millions of lives. Those who would inevitably be lost they put out of their minds for now, it was simply too much to absorb and both preferred to concentrate on those who could still be saved.
