by Calvin Wolf
Epilogue
Robert Smith awoke in the hospital two days later, and quickly accepted a position as an assistant professor in the science department at the University of Wyoming upon recovery. His longtime friend, the older criminal justice professor, retired from full-time teaching at the end of that academic year and became a part-time adjunct. FBI agent Roger Garfield was promoted to deputy director of the Western Region and received a gold star in the agency’s hall of honor in Washington, D.C.
The president of the United States resigned from office and retired to Vermont. His vice president, though never charged with a crime, also resigned and returned to his home state. A special election was held, with the Secretary of Defense winning a full term as president on October 4. Numerous trials were held for those accused of treason against the United States, including Roger Garfield’s former deputy director. By Christmas, ninety-eight individuals had been sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Nineteen were sentenced to death. Twenty-one individuals on trial committed suicide before verdicts were announced.
A forty-year-old woman who was thought to be the leader of the MIST conspiracy was later found murdered in Iceland. The former billionaire and tech leader was discovered deceased in her hotel penthouse suite in a faked suicide, the scene suspiciously similar to a years-ago death of a Russian diplomat in the Middle East. A sensor sweep of the room revealed the presence of nanocells, but a secondary sweep was inconclusive.
The United States government sealed off three areas from all human visitation: West of Marfa, Texas, northwest of Cimarron, New Mexico, and northwest of Laramie, Wyoming. The United Kingdom sealed off the forests south of Greenock. A memorial was built next to the White House for the five thousand, one hundred sixteen individuals who lost their lives in the MIST Crisis. Military and law enforcement personnel who moved swiftly to save civilian lives and apprehend members of the conspiracy were recognized for heroism and promoted. Many would later be disabled by the long-term effects of exposure to radiation and soman gas.
All records of Adam Welsh were permanently deleted. The Russian Federation likewise eliminated all records of Boris Elkanovitch. The American-installed government in Syria located and destroyed all records related to Ahmed Zuabi. Their bodies were never found and had likely been blown to bits.
The two state troopers whose bodies had been taken over by Boris Elkanovitch and Ahmed Zuabi were always listed as being killed in a vehicle accident. Their families were never told the truth about what happened. Both men were posthumously promoted for able service to the State of Texas.
The families of Hank Hummel, Carl Hummel, and Hector Rodriguez had good days and bad days. Over time, many came to feel that the spirits of the three men were still on earth, in an indescribable state of being. Friends and family who were contacted by the authorities vehemently opposed any government attempts to capture MIST nanocells in the sealed area west of Marfa. “We don’t want them to be in a lab, if such a thing is even possible,” the father of Hank and Carl told the director of the nation’s new MIST Directorate. “If they are still in existence, just let them be.”
Eighteen months after the sealed areas were created, people began sneaking in again.
About Calvin Wolf
Calvin Wolf teaches AP Economics and AP Government at a 6A public high school in Texas, where he also serves as chair of the Social Studies Department. He has an MPA degree from the University of Wyoming, a year of graduate-level Sociology from Texas Tech University, and is pursuing an MSFE degree from West Texas A&M. He is married to a beautiful artist and craftswoman and they have a son in elementary school. The family has a French bulldog and enjoys lounging, binging on Netflix, and decorating for the holidays.
When he’s not teaching or writing novels, Calvin is an ardent editorialist who has published over 2,000 articles. He supported U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in the 2016 presidential election. In years past, he has worked as a substitute teacher, backpacking guide, and professional comic strip artist. He has a brother, sister-in-law, and adorable baby nephew who live in east Texas.
Other Books by Calvin Wolf
The College
The University
The City
The State
The Singularity
Daylight Stealing Time
The Socialist
Connect With Calvin Wolf
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calvin.wolf.author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/calvin_wolf?lang=en
