by G. R. Carter
“Luck, huh? I doubt that. I don’t think either of us hold much faith in luck, Senator. We’ve both seen how poor planning turns luck against a person. Or a country,” the General replied. A distant expression appeared, the first time Julia noticed the General letting his guard down a bit.
She didn’t know all the details of how the 7th Marine Brigade ended up in Vincennes, Indiana on the night of the Reset. What Ruff did know was that Hopkins’ Marines secured the entire town and surrounding area when all communications to the outside world ceased. Electrical blackouts set the clock back on America one hundred years that night, and most people didn’t live to see the one year anniversary of the crisis. But the man sitting in her office sheltered over fifteen thousand people in relative peace and safety, including his one thousand Marines.
The trade-off was a strongman government, where dissension was unspoken. Survival trumped free will in a world of hunger and lurking danger. Even now, seven years after the Reset, communities lived in fear of a bad harvest or the ever-present bands of Ditchmen or Rateaters. Some like the Red Hawk Republic tried not to give in to despotism, however benevolent it seemed. But since Phil Hamilton was hailed as Founder a short time after the Reset, the people of the Okaw Valley, Old Main and new communities that joined them each year looked for someone to make the hard decisions. And they looked for leadership from people with the strength to protect them and feed their children.
Not exactly what Phil had in mind when he formed the Self Defense Cooperative. What would his hero Thomas Jefferson say about all this? Maybe he’d say good job! Julia thought to herself.
She broke the awkward silence: “General, I’m not going to waste your time. We believe that Vincennes is more in line with the people of the Republic than with New America. I understand you share much of the same symbolism with the Grays, but I have to believe that’s about all you share. You’ve done an amazing job taking care of the people of Vincennes, and they love you for it. Surely you’ve noticed that those under New America’s rule are living in fear, not respect. If I may be so bold, I believe that if you trusted Walsh you would have subscribed to Reconstruction by now,” Julia finished. Reconstruction was the program Colonel Darian Walsh, dictator of New America, used to reestablish control over what he still considered American soil.
“You don’t miss a beat, Senator. That’s all true. Even though Walsh flies the same flag I grew up serving, I don’t like the idea of forcing Americans to leave their homes and follow one particular ideology. The people of Vincennes are free to leave anytime they wish. Of course, with what faces them outside our fence line, most choose to stay,” Hopkins said confidently.
“You mean as long as they don’t cross the river,” Julia said.
“That’s probably our main sticking point, isn’t it, Senator? I don’t like those religious nuts in Little Egypt, and I wouldn’t lower the gate over the Wabash Bridge for them if you asked me a million times. I think as soon as I let our guard down they’d probably be in every house trying to ‘save’ us. Telling people to follow their God’s laws instead of mine. I know they’re your allies, but they’ll never be ours,” Hopkins said defiantly.
“I’m sure my personal assurances don’t mean much, General. But we’ve been allies with Little Egypt for years, and we haven’t had any problems with them or their beliefs,” Julia said, trying to soften the tone a bit.
“The Republic has their own Church. You don’t leave room for much preaching outside of the green and silver, right?” the General asked, referring to the bicolor vestments worn by all Reverends who adhered to the Common Pillars of the Unified Church.
“The Founder always insisted on freedom of religion in Republic territories. All of our leaders hold the same beliefs. We simply didn’t have enough pastors or priests to go around in days after the Reset. So we sketched out some common beliefs and agreed to stick to them. People are still free to believe whatever they wish, and the Church stays out of the politics of the Republic,” Julia informed him.
Ruff herself was uncomfortable compromising on her traditions at first. She felt the Unified Church was too open to interpretation compared to her strict Biblical beliefs. But she was the first to admit that the unification did wonders to help the Republic and also bring people to God who couldn’t be bothered before. This new world was much closer to nature than the old electronic world had been. People once again experienced faith in their everyday lives.
Little Egypt was a bit different. Known as the Buckle of the Bible Belt even before the Reset, the V-shaped area bordered by the Mississippi River on the west and the Ohio/Wabash to the east held a very strict interpretation of the Bible’s Old Testament. There was nothing wrong with that in Julia’s mind – she held some similar beliefs personally – but they also had come to the notion that the Reset was God’s judgment on the wicked ways of America. Julia might be open to their point about that also, but the churches of Little Egypt were quite insistent on how they delivered the message.
The Republic’s allies in old St. Louis had outright banned Little Egypt preachers from their territory. Tony Diamante allowed a few privately funded Unified Church chapels because of his family ties to Catholic traditions, and the Catholic Church was one of the Unified Churches founding members. But the constant philosophical battles left most secular survivors on edge around the Buckles.
Julia suddenly noticed the opening the General left in their conversation. Is he saying that the Buckles are our only sticking point in an agreement? She kept her healthy skepticism, trying not to get her hopes up.
“General, the leadership of the Republic wants you to know that working together is by no means dependent on you coming to our faith or any other faith. Just like all communities we ally with, we simply seek to live together in peace. Surely you can see our relationship with ARK is a prime example. They are completely secular, even feudal in structure. We have never questioned their motivation or how they go about providing for their people. Our only stipulation remains that our allies allow their citizens to leave of their own free will, and that there are no forced expansions,” Julia stated. Forced expansion was a classy way of saying “conquer.” All surviving societies were guilty of occasionally assimilating strategic ground. Sometimes by force. But the distinction was clear between solidifying defenses and the actions of empire building.
“We don’t want trouble with the Republic, Senator. That I can assure you. I’ve seen the results of your Raptor strikes against New America vehicles…you might be Christians, but you’re definitely not the touchy-feely types! Besides, we’re exploring our own faith now. Professor Atkins has introduced my men to the gods of the Vikings. Those stories really speak to my warrior’s heart. Much more than Jesus…Atkins calls him the ‘White Christ,’ though I’m not sure if that’s an insult or a compliment,” Hopkins said.
“It’s an insult, because from all I've read about their culture, the Old Norse considered forgiveness and love to be weakness,” Julia said sharply. She had watched alternative faiths pop up, old and new, since the Reset. She was all for freedom of religion, but had little patience for their teachings. “When Christ was first introduced to those cultures, the Norse couldn’t figure out why anyone would worship someone like Jesus instead of Thor and Odin. Too much forgiveness and love, not enough breaking heads, probably. But look, General, I don’t want to get into a theological discussion with you.”
“I’m sorry, I understood that was one of your favorite things to talk about,” the General interjected.
“Normally, yes. But like I said before, we have a strict policy of separating Church teachings from the day-to-day operations of the Republic. Our people are believers, and that influences our decisions and actions. But the Founder fears that the Republic may influence the Church as much as the Church influences the Republic,” Julia said.
“Okay, perhaps another time, then?”
“I would look forward to it,” Ruff told him. She went for a soft close: “Do you
think that we can discuss a framework of understanding between our peoples?”
“Senator, I share a long and porous northern border with a force ten times my size. No, probably more like twenty. New America doesn’t want to face my Marines unless they have to. But if I ally with you, Walsh will make it his mission to force us into Reconstruction. I have no doubt we’ll kill a lot of his Legions, but eventually he’ll wear me down, even with the losses they took against you. And he’ll kill a lot of my men in doing so. I don’t see how that benefits Vincennes, do you?” General Hopkins said somberly.
“Ok, perhaps we can begin with a non-aggression agreement? Whatever we sign will have the same effect over the Buckles. You have the Founder’s word on that.”
“You all have that kind of influence on them now, eh?” Hopkins asked skeptically.
Julia considered what to tell the General. Too much information and we might lose our upper hand, too little and he’ll decide I was negotiating in bad faith. Oh well, it will come out soon enough. “Most of our people don’t even know this yet, but Little Egypt will be a fully integrated Province of the Red Hawk Republic within a month. A select committee of Land Lords are touring the territory to determine how many Fortress Farms will be allowed to join the Senate. We’ll stagger them on a three-to-five-year plan. But the Hawk’s banner will fly over those forts facing you across the bridge within a few weeks.”
General Hopkins tried to hide his surprise, but even his stoic face danced a bit. “So you’re telling me that the Red Hawk Republic will cover almost two thirds of the Illinois territory? What will that bring your population up to?”
“We’re not 100% sure, but somewhere north of 250,000 mouths to feed,” Julia answered, her concern apparent.
Hopkins whistled softly through his teeth. “That will give you as many people as New America. And with your Razorbacks and Raptors, you’ll have him beat for sure.”
“Strategic considerations are part of it, for sure. Like I said, we’re closely aligned with the Buckles. They have attempted to form a democracy, though maybe some would say a theocracy, and I applaud their intentions. But they found out the same thing we did. Only a centrally-led republic works in today’s world. Instead of trying to recreate one like we had, they decided it was better to join ours.”
“How does ARK feel about that?” the General asked.
“Elated. They were afraid that the Little Egypt government would eventually fall, leading to a refugee crisis we’d both have to deal with. ARK leadership trusts us 100%. With their eastern flank now secure and us as a buffer, they can focus on the River,” Ruff said, opening up another front in their conversation.
She continued, “Tony is worried about stories that have come floating down from up north. Seems like the Northern Caliphate has the Great Lakes beat. The Provincial Canadian government in Thunder Bay has stopped them headed north. But the western Jihadists have taken Minnesota.”
“What about the Thirteens?” Hopkins asked. A surviving collection of independent villages based in the former states of Idaho and Montana carried an American-style flag with thirteen stars on it. With so many groups still using the symbols like the Stars and Stripes of the old United States, nicknames developed for simplification.
“They’re holding in the Dakotas. The river and lake systems help form a natural barrier while they try to assimilate more refugees flooding in from the northwest. There’s a cult that came out of Silicon Valley moving through Cascadia now. Seems to be unstoppable and they’re expanding east very quickly. I’m not sure how, but it sounds like they got around or through the Mormon strongholds,” Ruff said.
General Hopkins gave a look that told Julia he wanted to tell her something. Maybe giving him the scoop on the Buckles is paying off. “Something come to mind, General?” Julia asked.
With one wave of his hand, the Lieutenant Colonel standing in the corner of the porch approached with a file labeled “CONFEDENTIAL.” He glanced at it briefly, and then slid it across the glass table top towards Julia.
As Hopkins observed intently, Julia began to flip through the typed report. Sketches captured symbols she recognized from ARK’s report on the Continuity cult they rooted out of the surviving St. Louis population. Over time, ARK pieced together that the groups behind Continuity survived society’s collapse by going underground. It was spreading from Silicon Valley, infecting surviving West Coast areas like a cancer. Nicole Kelley, ARK’s head of engineering and intelligence, surmised there were probably other areas of the country now under the cult’s control. She also speculated that Continuity’s creators were behind the entire GRAPEVINE artificial intelligence failure that plunged the world into darkness what seemed like a lifetime ago.
Ruff skimmed the report, closed the file, and set it down on the table.
She took a sip of her own drink, set it down gently and stared at the grains swirling in the wood table. She finally looked back up and said: “Seems to me that we have even more reason to work together, General Hopkins.
“You are finding signs of this Continuity cult at Fort Knox, the Thirteens are facing them in the Northwest. Add in the Caliphate coming down the Mississippi on one side and out of Detroit into northern Indiana on the other. Plus we still don’t have a grip on who or what is operating in the Chicago area…the Aurorans they’re called I think. That could be Continuity, too, if they’re appearing out of hidden bunkers we didn’t even know existed…”
Julia let the dangerous possibilities hang in the air. The report Hopkins showed her contained details of a Continuity group trying to emerge from their lair below Fort Knox. According to their interrogation by Hopkins’ men, they had retreated there on the night of the Great Reset. Some kind of signal finally stirred them to reemerge and resume a plan that lay dormant for years. The Vincennes troops stumbled across them by accident on a scouting trip to the ruined army base that once held the United States’ gold supply as well as a training facility for armored troops.
“I’m not too concerned about some cult living underground for the past few years. If they weren’t crazy before, they are now. The Caliphate is a different matter. Walsh told me he had them on the run. Said he beat them up bad in the Fort Wayne area,” the General said, one eyebrow cocked in a question.
“He has them stalemated there, yes. But only because of the disease that’s raging through Jihadist forces.”
A smile crept across the grizzled veteran's face. “Funny how the story is different depending on who’s telling it, huh?”
He locked eyes with Senator Ruff. “I know you want to talk treaty between us. Are you sure you’re authorized to speak for the Republic? There’s no power struggle going on? After what happened, I would think there’s a lot of jockeying for power.”
Ruff shook her head. “No confusion, and the decision making is being handled by people with a clear understanding of the Founder’s wishes. This is how things will be until the Founder’s Chair is filled again. But make no mistake, we are just as unified now as we have ever been.”
“It was a brave thing your son-in-law did. He made the hard decisions. I’m sure the sacrifice will be worth it in the long run. And as leaders, that’s what we sign up for, right? I’m sure you probably don’t want to talk about it, but I’m asking you now as potential friends and allies. Can you tell me how it happened?” the General asked earnestly.
Ruff looked away, fighting to keep the tears firmly inside her eyes. No one would begrudge the emotion of the events racing through her memories. But she didn’t want to let those feelings gain control. Tell the story as an observer, she commanded herself. As a historian, not as friend or family.
She took a deep breath, and to his credit the General looked away until she gathered her thoughts to begin the story.
One more sip to clear her throat and she began to recount. “These allies of New America were no more than a street gang when the Reset hit…”
As the story unfolded, General Hopkins shook his head slightly. The g
rizzled veteran of multiple overseas tours plus the worst calamity in modern human history was visibly impressed by the story he was hearing. Bits and pieces came through to Vincennes over time. But without pre-Reset internet or TV or even radio, most communications were oral retelling of stories. Characters became larger and deeds became grander as one person told the next, much like the “pass it on” games of childhood.
This story lived up to the hype. Hopkins even felt a twinge of jealousy for the heroics of the Red Hawks. Their legend would survive for generations, and a part of him wished that Vincennes could capture the same mythos. Would his Marines be up to the test when their moment came? Of course they would, the Red Hawks were just farmers. Except for a handful of former Army advisors, every one of their citizens was just a simple small-towner. Brave, for sure, but completely untrained in military science. He allowed a brief moment of wonder at what great victories the Vincennes force might achieve.
His host noticed the look in his eye and brought him back to the real world. “General, I’m sure that Alex would have liked nothing better than to have you fighting beside him that day. The skill and bravery of your Marines probably would have made short work of the threat we faced,” Julia Ruff said.
The General smiled, recognizing the flattery and a bit sheepish for the moment of weakness. “I’d say they did pretty well considering the odds. I hope it was worth the cost to you all in the long run. Alex clearly had a good plan, what went wrong at that point?”
Ruff composed herself for the finale of the tale. This was always the part she struggled to get through without welling up. The rest could be told as an impartial observer, but not the ending. A deep breath and she forged ahead.
“There were just too many Ditchmen. The GangStars pulled in every single creature they could find out in the wild lands. I’m still not sure what they promised them, or gave them. But whatever it was, those savages were climbing over each other trying to get to our people. They weren’t human at all. Like a bad zombie movie from the early 2000s. Remember those? Hollow eyes and rage. Totally berserk,” she said, looking up at the sky to keep the tears in place. “For every one our men killed, it seemed like five took their place. Alex and Sheriff Olsen just never imagined there were still that many left after all this time.”
