by Parker James
“And approximately how long would this process take, General?” Andrews asked.
“Satellite reconnaissance has already begun, Mr. President, and NORAD anticipates completion within the next 24 hours. They also recommend triple tiered altitude reconnaissance utilizing the operative drone fleet beginning with the North American continent, and computer models show that this can be completed using 80 drones and accompanying refueling tankers. Photographic imaging, infrared, radiation, and weather pattern analysis will be recorded simultaneously with low altitude flyover of all known bunkers. They also recommend sending out one drone to the primary bunker sites of all allied nations and advise them if able to also begin drone reconnaissance within their own airspace yet are not to penetrate that of non-allied nations. We also have the ability to send triangulated satellite transmissions in encrypted form, but recommend that our allies do not respond or they run the risk of their bunker sites being pinpointed should our signal disruption prove ineffective. They are only to respond using the drones.”
“And our Naval Fleet?”
“NORAD recommends that the submarines currently off our coast hold position and that we drop multiple long range sonar buoys with the ability to transmit high frequency encrypted messages advising the fleet to rendezvous at various points near the polar caps where the radiation levels should be lower. If our satellites are able to pick-up any of the food conveys they’ll be instructed to have the shielded escort vessels take as many ships under tow as possible and scuttle the rest. Immediately following that they are to head toward the southern coast of Australia. Once reconnaissance is complete we can reposition our fleet to locations with the lowest recorded radiation levels.”
“Thank you for your report, General. Please be seated,” the President said leaning back in his chair. He was optimistic as the Joint Chiefs had come up with a plan similar to NORAD’s; although not exactly the same certainly close enough. He was thankful for both points of view. The President then spoke.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the Joint Chiefs. I thank you for your very informative advice. I find myself agreeing with the plans put forth by NORAD similar to our own. Are there any further recommendations or questions before we prepare our response?”
There were none.
“Very well, then,” the President said turning to General McCreary. “Phil, please join me in the Oval Office as we prepare our response. Members of the Joint Chiefs, please remain within the control room and begin reviewing the detailed reports from General Meehan. Chairman McCreary and I shall return shortly. Upon our return I shall read our draft response prior to its recording, at which point each of you will again be able to make any recommendations as you see fit. Phil, please accompany me.”
As the President closed the meeting, the Joint Chiefs retired to the control room proper to review the reports as both Andrews and McCreary were soon within Margaret’s office. He was glad to see that she’d completed her interviews as his mind was spinning with this sudden development. Apparently his wife had completed her duties in the hospital facilities as he noticed that his two children were no longer in the Oval Office. Margaret could see the serious look upon his face.
“Has the First Lady retired to our quarters, Margaret?” he asked.
“She has, Mr. President. The children were somewhat worn out. She brought them back dinner from the hospital.”
“How did she look?”
“A little drawn, but she’s been through a lot today.”
Margaret was the President’s secretary, and what he knew with very few exceptions she was also privileged to know. He decided to inform her of the current turn of events.
“Margaret,” he said, knowing that she wouldn’t repeat the information to anyone. “A drone has arrived from NORAD and we’ve received our first indication confirming their survival. I can’t give you any further details at this point, but we’re currently preparing a response to their communique. For the moment General McCreary and I shall be in my office while Level 20 is currently on complete lockdown. We’ll only be here for a short period of time before returning to the control room; would you kindly advise the First Lady that it will be some time before I’m able to return to our quarters?”
Margaret was somewhat overwhelmed by this sudden development, but with what the past several days had brought she wondered what would come next.
“Absolutely, Mr. President. I’ll advise her immediately.”
“Thank you, Margaret. General McCreary and I won’t be too long,” Andrews said as he led the General into the Oval Office and closed the door behind them. He took his seat behind his desk as McCreary sat across from him, the President still holding his notepad with the bullet points he’d written during the conference with the Joint Chiefs.
“Are we missing anything, Phil?” he asked.
McCreary reflected.
“We’re always missing something, Mr. President. It’s the human condition.”
“Give me your thoughts, Phil; I want to hear your concerns.”
“To be honest with you, my greatest concern are those submarines out there. We don’t know if their guidance systems are operational; they can still inflict a large amount of damage if they decide to launch any more missiles. The only encouraging aspect is that they haven’t done so for the past several days. If our adversaries catch wind that we’re jamming their satellites it might be taken as an offensive threat. We’ll have to release them at some point and address them directly. I’m also concerned that Area 51 survived intact as well as the bunker site in Virginia where the Vice President and Administrative Staff were redirected. I think we need to send dedicated drones to those sites immediately.”
“And what do you suggest regarding our adversaries should we decide to communicate with them directly?”
“A carrot and stick approach, Sir. I wouldn’t wait much longer than two days before allowing them access to their satellites. By then we’ll have a fairly good idea what we’re dealing with. Once we stop jamming their signals I’d advise them that we still retain full nuclear capabilities, but we’ll stand down if they agree to do the same. My greatest fear is that if any more nuclear weapons hit the atmosphere we’ll be committing mutual suicide.”
“I’d have to agree with that. As much anger as I have toward those who attacked us my first inclination is vengeance, but I also know that our greatest mission is to ensure the survival of our citizens who remain. We still have millions of lives in our hands, and what path we decide to take within the next few days will decide not only our own fate but that of all mankind. I believe in all honesty that this is our true mission, to stop this nonsense dead in its tracks. Do you agree?”
“I do, Mr. President.”
“Good.”
President Andrews made several notations adding to the directives that he would impart to Meehan and once again turned his attention to his long-time trusted advisor.
“I also believe that despite this development we should continue with restart this evening as well as tunneling operations tomorrow. Food is still a primary concern and also part of the overall equation. I don’t think we have the luxury of procrastinating on any one of these fronts.”
“I’d also have to agree, Sir.”
“We’re on the same page. I’d like you to get our technical teams on the modifications immediately to all of our drones within the primary bunker site. I’d also like you to have the Conyers, Professor Enghult, and Dr. Wilkins prepare detailed reports on the modifications to our operations within the bunker that we’ve put into place to ensure our continued survival. We’ll include these reports in our secondary transmission once the follow-up drone arrives tomorrow. I’d like you to handle that while I’ll oversee restart once we’ve reviewed Meehan’s reports in detail.”
“Not a problem, Mr. President,” McCreary replied. “I’ll get on it immediately following our recorded response after we return to the control room.”
“I also believe that we shouldn�
��t keep Level 20 on lockdown for more than 24 hours. If our citizens don’t see faces in the Commissary that they’ve suddenly become familiar with, I don’t want to have a potential panic on our hands. Business as usual,” Andrews stated.
“I’d also have to agree with that, Sir. Security is always an ongoing concern.”
“Ok then,” Andrews said as he made several more notations. “For now the tour of Bunker Site 1 will be split into two groups while one member of the Joint Chiefs is to be within the control room at all times. Staffing levels are to remain at 100% from this point forward at every single monitoring station. Is there anything else you’d like to add?”
“No, Mr. President.”
Andrews opened the door to the Oval Office and stood in front of Margaret’s desk with his handwritten notes comprised from both meetings.
“Margaret, would you please make a dozen copies of these and stamp them top secret. Don’t worry about retyping them or the items I’ve crossed out. Time is of the essence; the General and I need to return to the control room as soon as possible.”
Margaret knew the seriousness of the situation.
“Give me five minutes, Mr. President, and you’ll have them in your hands.”
“Thank you,” Andrews replied once again returning to the Oval Office as he closed the door behind him. Opening the drawer of his desk he pulled out his hidden pack of cigarettes, lighting one as McCreary noticed the President’s hand trembled ever so slightly.
“Two cigarettes in three days, Phil. I think that’s pretty good under the circumstances.”
“Frankly, Sir, I’m almost inclined to join you.”
“Well, I don’t think we’ll be running around to the corner store any time soon for another pack,” Andrews said as he handed General McCreary a cigarette, his first one in ten years. “We have to keep our promises, don’t we after all?”
“Enjoy it, Phil, we only have five minutes. Hopefully it won’t be our last.”
McCreary nodded with a look of seriousness on his face, recognizing what they were faced with. It hadn’t even been three minutes before Margaret was knocking at the door with the copies that the President had requested. Putting out their cigarettes without Margaret chastising them as normally inclined to do, they were once again in the control room and headed straight toward the conference room where the other members of the Joint Chiefs joined them. The President and General McCreary took their seats and handed out copies of what could only be termed their action plan, handwritten though it was. They reviewed it as a group, and although some questions were asked the plan stood on its own merits and they soon came to full agreement. They were now ready to address General Meehan and upload the transmission. Once completed the drone would be sent on its return trip.
President Andrews had grabbed his jacket and prior to beginning the responding transmission tightened his tie and cuffed his sleeves. The Joint Chiefs as always were meticulously dressed. There was a wall monitor with enough space for the Joint Chiefs to position themselves behind the President while General McCreary stood to his left. Once everyone was positioned, the President activated the wall monitor through vocal command. “Begin recording transmission,” he said. As General Meehan had in his transmission, the President similarly had a look of seriousness on his face reflecting the nature of the business at hand which was also apparent in his tone of voice.
“General Meehan. The third drone that you’ve dispatched from NORAD has arrived safely at Bunker Site 1. The Joint Chiefs and I thank God for your survival and pray that this transmission arrives safely and finds you well. Bunker Site 1 was targeted with two nuclear blasts occurring in our near vicinity. Although we experienced some damage, it was minimal at best. Two of our blast doors sustained damage which was quickly contained, while five of our power generation units went into automatic shut-down mode. Repairs have been undertaken and we anticipate that they will be up and running shortly. To put it bluntly, Bunker Site 1 has survived the attack and our integrity is sound with no loss of life.”
“Our staff within Bunker Site 1 has been reviewing your detailed reports contained within your transmission. The Joint Chiefs and I have determined that our efforts are best spent on reviewing our options based upon your summarization, and have the drone return to your location at the earliest possible convenience. We shall include upon arrival of the second drone detailed reports outlining the modifications we have instituted in in Bunker Site 1 in order to ensure our continued and long-lived survival, and hopefully these plans can be disseminated to those bunkers which have also survived the holocaust. The Joint Chiefs and I have come to several conclusions and are in full agreement.”
“I shall be succinct in our directives which are fivefold. Prevention of further attacks, satellite and drone reconnaissance on a planetary wide basis, reestablishing communication with our allies, conservation of the Naval Fleet, and our ability to assist those who may have survived on the surface. We have collectively agreed that further decisions cannot be implemented without full knowledge of what we are faced with. Should Bunker Site 1 be targeted again and not survive, you, General, are to take full-command and use your own discretion as you see fit. And in that vein, continue with satellite analysis globally. You are also to release the drones to both the Atlantic and Pacific submarines off our coasts and drop long range sonar devices instructing them to remain in position, while directing the remainder of the Naval Fleet to rendezvous at the four pre-designated locations. If at all possible with the modifications you have made one drone is to be sent out to the primary bunker sites in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan, advising them of the situation as it is currently understood and that they are to withhold any offensive actions for the moment. One drone is to be sent directly to Area 51 confirming their survival and detailing the modifications required to the drone fleet to be undertaken immediately as well as the secondary bunker site in Virginia confirming the survival of the Vice President and the Secretaries of State. A third drone is to perform a low-level flyover of our missile fields in the Dakotas. You are to begin triple tiered flyover assessing the damage to the North American Continent on a grid search pattern complementing our satellite reconnaissance. Locating the food convoys is also of the utmost importance and you are to continue jamming all satellites other than our own until otherwise notified. We would also like your scientific teams to determine what if anything can be done to assist those who may have survived on the surface. These are our directives. We look forward to the arrival of the following drone tomorrow to Bunker Site 1 confirming our directives, at which point further decisions will be made based upon the information you are able to provide. God Bless the United States of America and God Bless you. End transmission,” Andrews stated as he continued to look straight ahead as the screen went bank, never having turned to face the Joint Chiefs. Some were thankful that they weren’t in the President’s position, with the final decisions resting fully upon his shoulders.
All of the Joint Chiefs held their positions as they remained completely silent, knowing that the next two days would in effect determine their fate. After several moments the Chairman took it upon himself to respond to the conclusion of the transmission.
“And what now, Mr. President?” McCreary asked.
“We review the detailed reports from NORAD collectively, continue with our plans for the ensured survival of Bunker Site 1, and then we hurry up and wait, General.”
Within half an hour the transmission was uploaded to the drone, data integrity was confirmed, and the drone sent on its return trip.
Episode 22: “Surface Recon”
* * *
The remainder of the evening had gone well. The Joint Chiefs stayed within the conference room and continued to review the reports contained within the transmission downloaded from the drone sent from NORAD. During this time General McCreary had also been active, advising Professor Enghult, the Conyers’, and Dr. Wilkins to prepare detailed reports outlining the modifications
put into place in the primary bunker site to ensure their future survival, and hopefully those modifications would eventually be disseminated throughout all bunker systems within the United States and allied nations. The military technical staff immediately began modifications to the drone fleet within the complex required to withstand the extensive radiation outside the bunker. When the evening conference took place, the Bunker Site Commanders were advised that communications had been reestablished with NORAD, the satellite system remained intact, reconnaissance efforts were underway, and all satellites other than those of the United States were currently being jammed. They were further advised that this information was of the highest security level and not to be repeated. Tunneling operations to bunker 5 and restart of the power generation unit would continue as planned as well as the tour of Bunker Site 1, however, the inspection by the Joint Chiefs would be split into two groups. Although currently on lockdown, Level 20 would soon be returned to business as usual. They were given no other information beyond that until further definitive decisions could be made. No security issues of significance were reported, and President Andrews concluded the final group conference of the day.
“Gentlemen, when we know more from NORAD upon the arrival of the second drone tomorrow, you will be advised of our following course of action. Once reconnaissance has been completed by both the drone fleet and satellite imagery, we’ll have a complete understanding of what we are facing. The following day the Joint Chiefs and I shall make a final determination regarding our ultimate course of action. End transmission; Andrews out.”
President Andrews turned to General McCreary as the Joint Chiefs listened.
“General, I believe we’ve done all that we possibly can for today. I’d like to retire to my quarters for an hour or so prior to overseeing restart at 2400 hours. Please relieve the Joint Chiefs while you personally are to remain within the control room until my return, at which point you will then be relieved.”
