Again, the president didn’t respond immediately. Returning to Washington had always been part of their agenda, but was it too soon?
“Nial, I’m not going to run and hide in space. I like the idea of moving back to Washington. Go ahead and send a ground team to check it out and see what we’re dealing with. I am concerned though. The naval ships that surrounded us and held off the alien attack won’t be effective if we move to D.C?”
“Sir, we can move a couple of them close in, but we can’t move all of them. If anyone is going to attack Washington, they’ll come up the Chesapeake and the rest of the ships will be moored there. Of course, I’m assuming that we won’t have another alien invasion from space.”
The president was quiet as he thought.
“Washington is where we need to be.”
“Yes, sir. We’ll check Washington out and see what kind of power it has. There might also be some locals that we’ll have to deal with. We think that the warlord that took over the White House is gone, but some of his people might still be around.”
They walked for a few moments while the president dwelled on the horrific thing he did. Blowing up the White House, the symbol of the country wasn’t easy. But, after that crazy warlord took it over and was using it to enslave people, he had no choice. President Patterson wasn’t looking forward to seeing his home in ashes, but he knew that he would.
“I know Nial. We’re both concerned if Washington is our best choice, but it is our Capitol, and we should get it under control. Perhaps you should send Beta-Zero with your team.”
“Good suggestion sir, he’ll be able to help get things organized. Sir, there is one other thing I wanted to bring up.”
“I suspected so, go ahead.”
“Sir when the virus broke out, we had 24 Columbia class submarines operational. Twelve were in the dock under repair maintenance or crew change. Of the 12 that were deployed, we’ve heard from four of them. Two we know sunk, and six we haven’t heard from. I have personnel going through all the recent comm traffic in the Pentagon trying to find any messages that might have been sent and were missed during the chaos of the virus. I don’t want to bring those four operational subs back here. The Triton DS5 missiles don’t have enough range to reach countries like China from here. We have a tough choice of bringing them here to defend us or to leave them deployed as a threat to the Chinese. Some of the subs in dock should be reparable. I have found some survivors who are ex-Navy crewmen I’ve assigned them to bring the best four back to operational status. If we are able, I’d like to take the chance and move two of those submarines to the West Coast and park them. I don’t think the crew will be able to operate submerged and successfully launch missiles. If they’re parked, they would at least provide some deterrent for the Asian alliance. Once the crew is proficient, we then have the option of moving them to Guam or Hawaii.”
The president still walked in silence. None of the news of the nuclear subs was good. They represented options that were beyond consideration.
“We have more of the Virginias available. Of the 50 that we had worldwide, 18 of them were in hostile areas, and we’ve lost contact. We got notice that some of them were under attack in port. 15 of them were in our ports for maintenance, and they’ll face the same issue as the Columbia’s; not enough qualified personnel. The last seventeen were at sea, and we’ve heard from 12 of them and the remaining five are missing.”
“Sir, the bottom line is, we still have a sizable submarine force. Overall, they fared better than the surface ships. Likely, whatever triggered the surface Virus didn’t have the same effect throughout the submerged ships.”
“Admiral, I want both coasts covered, and I also want the Chinese locked down. I don’t want to give them a fourth opportunity.”
“Yes, Sir. Time for lunch?” Admiral Hagerly suggested just as they turned around and headed back to the O’club.
“Not very neat, but I suppose that plan makes sense. Do I still have launch code control over those missiles?” Asked the president.
“Yes sir, it will be through our military satellite link,” responded the Admiral.
“Nial are we still sending airplanes around to each of the local cities?” Asked the president.
“Yes sir, we are. The C-130s are flying in concentric circles around our area dropping pamphlets wherever there are villages, towns or cities. We are not sure how many people have seen the information, but we are still telling them to proceed towards Norfolk. We are also suggesting radio frequencies to contact us or telephone numbers that are still working. Unfortunately, the telephone system has not been reliable, and it’s becoming very irregular. Our handheld communicators are better for us to use in the local area but virtually impossible for someone from an outlying city to contact us.”
“Are the airplanes landing near any of the cities?”
“No, sir. We decided that was too risky. If the plane has any mechanical problems, it’s just too difficult for them to contact us and for us to get a maintenance team out to support them. If they’re airborne, the radios can contact us easier, and by dropping the pamphlets, we can get more information to a larger number of people. As people trickle in, we’re debriefing them to find out what is happening in their areas. We are trying to find where communities are establishing themselves and providing their own support. When we know where there are groups of people coming together, we’ll try to get more support to them as we are able.”
The Chinese Deal with The Russian Leadership
The Y-22 slowed and made a wide turn around Chkalovsky Airport North East of Moscow. The ten SU-37’s were orbiting at various altitudes providing cover. Each of them had their five drones circling at even higher altitude. After clearing all the Soviet fighters from the bases around Moscow, the fighters would orbit until the large transport had landed and the cargo unloaded. The huge transport continued the turn, lining up on three-zero right. As the cargo plane lined up and configured, the drones dropped in altitude and provided closer cover for the transport as its landing roll ended. After the cargo plane emptied and cleared the active, the fighters would land, and the drones would follow their ‘mother’ airplane to the chocks while the others landed.
The plan was simple, take out the air defenses around Moscow, if there was any. The Russian bases were far enough from the Capitol that no one would hear the weapons. Once the defenses were neutralized, then deal with the leadership. Taking out the local air support cost only two of the advanced Chinese fighters, which was an acceptable loss. Dealing with the Russian Leadership would be swift and without mercy. The sun was rising in the sky, and it was mid-morning, just when any leaders would be at work, trying to make the new world work for them. It was the optimum time to strike.
The Y-22 was a large wide-bodied troop carrier that was a follow-on design of the vulnerable Y-20 which was called the ‘Chubby Girl’ by those who flew her. It was only natural for the Y-22 to be called the ‘Chubby Girl’s Daughter,’ which was an apt name. She was wider than her predecessor, but she was reliable and carried what they needed.
The Y-22 made a full flap max effort landing and the instant the wheels were on the ground the 14-ton thrust engines went into reverse, and the wheel brakes applied. The huge aircraft came to an abrupt stop after 1,500 meters. The engines stayed in idle as the aft cargo doors opened, and 8 Type 90 Armored Fighting vehicles rushed down the ramp heading for the Kremlin.
Lieutenant Lee had a job to do, and there would be no mistakes.
LL Prepares Beta Team for Their Return to Washington D.C.
Sergeant Lenmore, or LL as he was called, stood by the coffee pot waiting for the two Secret Service Agents, Michael and Ruth to arrive for the departure brief. As he sipped his coffee, he glanced around at ‘his’ team. He missed Sergeant Maccabee or 'Mack,' aside from being his ‘next in command,’ he was a good friend. Losing him when the aliens attacked the President at Langley-Eustis was a personal and professional blow. They had been through a lot toget
her.
Sergeant Thaddeus Dominquez or Tobby was still new to the team and hadn’t gone through any ‘situations’ with the team. He seemed qualified and was he was eager to contribute.
Another member of LL’s team, O had recovered from the alien blast during the same attack that took Mack. The alien blast fried his nervous system for a while, but he recovered. LL was glad to have him still on the team.
Mack’s replacement, Sergeant Morgan, seemed to be a good fit. He was gregarious and blended in well. His expertise in electronics should help the team. He and Sergeant Kevin O’Neal or ‘O’ were arm wrestling at the end of the conference table.
Sergeant Marty Bainbridge worked well within the team since he joined.
The unknown factor stood by the door; in fact, the robot was large enough to fill the door. Beta-23 worked well with during the assault on the Post Office Annex. He did a good job, but in LL’s opinion Beta units still needed to be watched. Beta-23 had been upgraded, and to be honest, LL didn’t know what that meant. All he knew, was that his designation was now supposed to be Beta-Zero.
Beta-Zero sounds a little too exalted for my taste, LL thought.
While LL waited for the entire team to gather was a moment for him to pause and think about the last few months. Life had changed; the world had changed; everything that LL knew had changed. The virus struck, it was swift, and without mercy. LL found himself in a situation that he was well trained for and well prepared for, but one he could never have imagined.
Beta-Zero was still getting used to the alien material that SIMPOC had installed in him. It was still building the bridges to his organic processor. Beta-Zero knew that as the alien material connected, he would have additional inputs that he’d have to deal with. How the material would manifest itself within his processor would likely be different than what new inputs SIMPOC achieved.
LL heard the voices of Michael and Ruth coming down the hall. Now that the two Secret Service Agents had arrived, he could start the briefing.
“LL sorry we’re late. We were with the Admiral,” Michael said as he and Ruth passed the door and maneuvered towards two open chairs.
“How has married life been going for you two,” LL asked his teammates.
Both looked at each other, smiled and nodded their heads slowly.
LL accepted that as a clear sign that they were happy together. In a way, he was jealous but happy that two of his friends had found each other in such horrific times.
“Okay, we have everyone now. Let’s begin. We are leaving at 20 Hundred Hours tonight and going to Washington. We’re staying with the plan of traveling at night, to reduce the risk of running across trouble. Once we’re established in D.C., we’ll survey the area. We need to understand, who is there and what they’re doing. We also need to check out the power supply and see what is up and running. Before we get too much into the details, I want to re-introduce Beta-23. Most of you worked with him on the Postal Annex assault. He has been ‘upgraded,’ and they’ve renamed him Beta-Zero.”
LL glanced at their robotic guest and the others in the room gave him side glances.
LL continued, “Personally, I think that name a little odd, but I guess that it works.”
“Okay, Beta-Zero. I need you to build on the interface that SIMPOC created with the government mobile units. We need to get the power supplies up for the Capitol and keep them up. Also, I’d like them to be our eyes and ears around the city.”
“Yes, sir. Although I should point out that 18% of them appear non-operational. The majority of the units that remain in Washington are local units without the ability to transmit much information. As I enter their transmission ranges, I’ll be able to collect more information.”
“Understood. Once we’ve established ourselves, we’ll move around the city, and you can check in with the local units and determine what we’re up against. Any questions?”
“Sarge,” O spoke up, “What are the rules of engagement?”
“We watch, listen and learn. If we run across any civilians, we’ll approach slowly and give them the chance to be peaceful. If we see otherwise, we’re to protect ourselves. Clear enough?”
He was met with a room of head nods.
“Ok, let’s get our gear together and meet back here at 19 hundred.
“Michael, Ruth can I see you before you leave?” asked LL.
The men in the room rose and were talking about the night’s operation. They were discussing the status and availability of the necessary equipment as they stood and left the room.
“What do you need?” Michael asked as he and Ruth approached LL.
“Did you get any instruction from the Admiral that I need to know about?”
Michael and Ruth stood quiet for a moment, before Michael answered, “LL we’re on your team. Anything we do, won’t interfere with your mission.”
The two men looked at each other for a second before reaching an agreement between professionals.
Beta-Zero sensed something, as the two humans made that comment. He wasn’t sure why they glanced at him, but his inputs showed hesitation in the response that might have been due to his presence in the room.
General Keung at liang hui
General Keung sat and listened as the applause in the Great Hall of the People died down. He glanced around the cavernous meeting hall, commonly called the liang hui or ‘two meetings’ where the peoples of China met every March. His eyes hesitated when he saw the one man that might be a problem. General Quiang sat in the front row looking forward with his hands crossed in his lap. He gave no indication of what he was thinking, and Keung was wary of him. He had the political backing and military forces that General Keung had to respect.
General Quiang had control over the navy, but General Keung had control over the Special Forces and the information collection mechanism. He also had the teams, with the skills to implement any plan he saw fit. It made sense to keep an eye on Quiang and maybe someday do something about him.
Today was a special day; the 1,000 people did their best to make a lot of noise trying to fill the huge hall. They were spread out among the 3,693 seats in the lower auditorium. Spreading them out, made the attendance look like more, but the place was still almost empty.
The last of the public speakers were going through the normal pomp and ritual. The current man at the podium was the acting Premier. He name was Jing Laquan, and he was a nice enough fellow although the years that he was the Minister of Land and Resources, did a poor job of preparing him for the role of Prime Minister. The virus brought down the meek and the mighty. It left the world to those who survived, and General Keung was one of the survivors. The virus gave him opportunities to rise from a low-level Admiral in the Asian Alliance to being in charge of a key part of the People’s Army. The remainder of the Army wasn’t a threat; it was still disorganized and spread out. His special forces were where the money and technology had been focused. He was the eyes and ears of the People’s Army. The virus helped him, and he helped Laquan. It was better to have a mouth as the Premier and Keung would provide the brains.
In a way, it was fitting that Laguan spoke before the General. After all, he did what he was told, and he was supposed to prep the attendees so that they’d be looking to fill their destiny and convince them that the virus had provided that opportunity. That was when General Keung would speak; he was supposed to provide the answers and lead the People of China into the future.
Few of the people knew about the failed attack on the Seventh Fleet early in the viral outbreak, and even fewer knew about the assignation attempt on the US President. But that was satisfactory, and they only needed to know that General Keung was their true leader now and there wouldn’t be any failures in the future.
It was near General Keung’s time to speak, and his chest swelled with pride. The long history of his people was about to reach its zenith. The time had come for them to take their rightful place as leaders of the new world. The virus had cost the nation of Chin
a a great deal, but it also unleashed the people of China. The vast population provided the tools and weapons for the General to lead them into a new era. He just had to take care of the few remaining threats and the world would be theirs.
Monday, October 30, 2051
Captain Drummond Boards the Chevesky
The shuttle door opened, and the traditional Bo'sun's call sounded through the shuttle landing pad, welcoming Captain Drummond onto the deck of the Chevesky. “Welcome onboard the Chevesky,” Joan announced as she hugged her fellow officer.
Captain Drummond stopped for a second savoring the sound, and then she broke into a broad smile.
“Now that is an amazing welcome,” Darlene said.
“I’m trying to get back to the traditional ways and besides I thought that you’d like it,” Joan said.
“Still not used to be a Captain, it’s been too busy to think about it. But, thanks. It sounded great. Everything going well, Mam?” the junior officer responded.
“Please Darlene, call me Joan.”
The younger woman nodded her head and smiled as they walked from the shuttle docking station to the control room.
“I’m sorry to hear about Tom,” Darlene said as they walked.
“I’m hopeful. We sent a Beta unit to check out Tom’s ship, and there isn’t any sign of him or Alpha. Julius must have taken them, and Tom wouldn’t be any use to Julius dead. I’m hoping that we’ll get an opportunity to do something when we meet up with Julius again.”
“Sounds like a rational assumption,” Darlene said, hoping to reassure her friend.
“I hope so, Julius’ processor operates a little more in the classical way than SIMPOC’s. Once he realizes who he has, he’ll calculate his options. I’m betting that he’ll come to the same conclusion as we have, and he’ll keep Tom for his use sometime in the future. We just don’t know when he will try to use that advantage. Until then we have other problems to be concerned with. Have our Izod guests been transported to your ship okay?”
Earth II - Emergence Page 5
