Stranger, p.5
Stranger, page 5
Joe Del Corso was a stocky, muscular man, not yet twenty years old, showing the first signs of a beard. He wore a long, embroidered brown leather coat with no collar and heavy, roughly woven wool trousers. His boots were tooled leather high-top lace-ups. He introduced his four, fellow leader-candidates.
Taylor nodded. “So, you want to learn the Clan’s history?”
“Yes, sir,” they said as a group.
“D’you know why the Clan formed?” Taylor asked.
“Yes, sir. It was the Collapse, sir. It was the time of troubles and war.” Del Corso nodded. “Our people joined together for protection.” Everyone knew that.
“We still have troubles and wars. Every man must be ready to fight for the Clan at any time.” Taylor pointed to O’Connor. “Charlie, what’s different today from the time of the Collapse?”
“Er, I think that we’re more advanced than at the time of the Collapse,” O’Connor said in a hesitant manner.
“What’s high technology?” Taylor pointed to Tim Van Minh.
“High technology is the science of the Pre-Collapse civilization.” Tim’s words came out in an almost rote fashion.
“What’s your opinion of the science of the Pre-Collapse Civilization?” Taylor used a neutral tone of voice.
“I’m not sure,” Tim said. “Some of its science is very useful. Some is, well, mysterious. What I mean is, it refers to devices and methods that seem, well, impossible. I believe the scientists of the pre-Collapse civilization couldn’t distinguish reality from their wishes. Some of the things they claim to have built are just impossible, for example, their claim they sent people to the moon. It’s too far away. The escape velocity is too high, and the amount of energy needed, well, it’s just unattainable.”
“I see.” Taylor now understood why the Elders had sent the next generation of leaders to him. They don’t know beans about our past.
“Have you read any books from the time before the Collapse?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Where’re they kept?” Taylor asked.
“They’re in the library.” Tim pronounced “library” carefully, as though it were a foreign word.
“Fine. Let’s meet there tomorrow morning, an hour after first light.” Taylor waved his hand to dismiss them.
That night, Taylor dreamed. This time his dreams did not wake him, for the dreams were about life before the Collapse—they were about the good life.
“Joe, did old MacPherson agree to tell you about any pre-Collapse weapon systems?” Elder Jon Beach asked.
The Elders were in the small, walnut-wood paneled room behind the council chamber. The two Elders sat in overstuffed chairs near the wood stove. They had not invited Joe Del Corso to take a seat.
“He’s going to tell us about the history of the Clan. He didn’t say anything about weapon systems.” Joe felt nervous. Why don’t the Elders just ask Taylor? “Sir, is this important?”
“Ah.” Beach paused. “We believe it’s necessary for you, as a leader-candidate to obtain some of the knowledge we already possess. You need to gain MacPherson’s insight of the times before the Collapse. D’you understand?”
“I think so.” A test, he thought. I can handle it. He knew this group of Elders held the power to make or break him as he climbed the ranks. I need an edge, something to get ahead. Maybe this was it.
“Lately, MacPherson’s been spending too much time alone. We don’t want to lose his knowledge,” Beach said in a quiet voice.
Charlie Ramsey, the other Elder nodded. “So, when do you next meet with MacPherson?” His eyes were partly closed, his head back against the worn red brocade of the chair.
“Sir, we’re meeting tomorrow, an hour after first light, in the library.” Joe did not feel comforted by Beach’s explanation.
“Be sure to get him to talk about the pre-Collapse weapons.” Ramsey handled much of the Clan’s military affairs. “Listen very carefully. Don’t tell him of our interest.”
“Yes, sir.” Joe’s sense of unease grew with their emphasis on weapons. He knew that the Elders hadn’t agreed on who would be the leader to replace Taylor. Rumor was, the vote to get rid of Taylor came from a deal between Ramsey and Beach. The power struggle within the Council of Elders for leadership of the Clan continued. No one had succeeded in getting the votes to get elected war leader.
Chapter Eleven
The morning sun outlined the fresh snow and evergreens in stark shadows and brilliant whites. Thin bands of blue-gray smoke lay over the valley. Water in the ragged black openings of the ice on the river tinkled with a faint, brittle sound.
Taylor pulled his heavy brown wool coat tight and strode toward the center of the hilltop fortress, snow squeaking underfoot. He felt alive—there was a purpose to his life.
“Good morning, gentlemen,” he said as he entered the library meeting room.
“Good morning, sir.” The assembled leader-candidates rose to their feet and answered in unison.
Shelves full of books lined the high-ceilinged room. Pale sunlight streamed through a row of tall windows that were opaque with frost. A half dozen polished wood tables surrounded a solitary wood stove.
“Please, be seated,” Taylor said. “Del Corso, send for water and glasses. Stolz, the stove is your responsibility.”
“Yes, sir,” Del Corso said. “I’ve already sent for water.”
Taylor gathered his thoughts as he walked back and forth in front of the group, rubbing his hands together. Heavy boots moved restlessly on the bare wood floor. There were several muffled coughs. “We’re here to learn about the Collapse.”
Stephan Kuchinski exchanged a knowing smile with Hans Stolz. “Sir, my mother told me some of the history of the pre-Collapse civilization,” Kuchinski said. “She never really explained why such a powerful empire fell so fast to the barbarians.” The stories of the bloody battles where Taylor MacPherson had led them to victory were common knowledge.
“Well, I wish I could say civilization collapsed because the barbarians were at the gate, but that’s not true. A lot of barbarians lived behind the gate.” Taylor hesitated. “First, let me tell you what there was before …”
Jon Beach got up from the table in the small back room of the Travelers’ Inn, its whitewashed walls decorated with faded paintings of landscapes scenes of Vietnam. The air was filled with aromas of garlic, hot oil, and cooking meat.
He closed the door to prevent eavesdropping. Customers in the main section of the restaurant paid him no attention as they ate the Vietnamese food that was the restaurant’s specialty.
Joe Del Corso stood in front of them.
“We’ve all heard MacPherson speak about electricity,” Beach said, gesturing toward the four Elders at the table. “What we don’t know is how it was used in the weapons that existed before the Collapse. That’s what you’re supposed to do, Joe. So ask questions, encourage MacPherson to talk about electricity. Don’t let on why you need to know.”
“Yes, sir. I think I understand what you want.” Del Corso knew Beach came from a large district of the Clan and had political aspirations. “Is there anything else?”
“No,” Beach said. “Ramsey, can you think of anything?”
“Nope, just find out how electricity is used in war.” Ramsey ran his eyes over the other Elders. It was his habit to poll the Elders, who usually gave orders as a group. “Okay, Del Corso, meet us here tomorrow. Same time,” he said. “We expect you to have some answers by then.”
Del Corso still had an uneasy feeling. Why didn’t they ask Taylor directly? What were they hiding?
Taylor spent the next week reviewing the conditions preceding the Collapse: An overpopulated world competing for dwindling resources—particularly petroleum; the war in the Middle East that spread to involve all of the industrialized nations; and the use of sophisticated weapons that took destruction to both coasts of the USA.
Taylor also touched upon the social deterioration of the USA that had been exacerbated by the heavy tax burden caused by the intergenerational Ponzi schemes called entitlements.
“That,” he said. “Just made the polarization between the haves and have-nots even greater. When the Collapse came, brought on by nuclear strikes of Islamic fanatics, the social fabric ripped asunder. It was almost like civil war.”
Getting the leader-candidates to understand the degree of destruction took Taylor several days. It was only after he took them on a field trip through the ruins of downtown Cleveland, they began to grasp the true magnitude of the Collapse.
It was a day of picking their way on horseback among the ruined towers of the former downtown, buildings with shattered windows and dark, moldy interiors. Faded evidence of fierce fires left dark stains splashed against the side of some structures.
Debris and bare, whitened bones littered lobbies of former apartment buildings. Even so, the main bridges across the Cuyahoga River separating the east side from the west remained intact and littered with rusted hulks of cars and trucks. The trip back from the central city took them through areas where burned hulks of houses and gaping holes of former basements formed the “badlands” of the suburbs. It was land no one wanted, for it was filled with too much debris to be useful for farming.
“What caused this?” was a frequent question.
Taylor could only tell of his experiences fighting gangs seeking to exploit and pillage anyone who had food or fuel.
“In the first year after the Collapse, famine killed many. It was only after the Clan became organized and raised crops we became able to feed ourselves.”
“Yes, but what caused the civilization to fall?” Tim Van Minh persisted with the question of why and how it had happened.
“It was a war and a surprise attack destroyed our infrastructure. You see, we were very dependent upon electronics in all aspects of our lives. When the enemy used the EMP weapons, it destroyed our technology and civilization ground to a halt.” Taylor attempted to explain how pervasive electronics were in the pre-collapse civilization, but could see that it was beyond their ken.
The high technology weapons baffled most of them. It was clear to him Tim Van Minh understood enough mathematics to appreciate some of the pre-Collapse engineering.
It was odd, Taylor thought, how young Del Corso kept asking about electricity and whether it was a weapon. Others, however, focused on the big picture. He felt a sense of achievement in holding their interest and generating a multitude of questions.
“Sir, then the war was the Collapse?” Kuchinski asked.
“Almost, but not quite.” Taylor shook his head. “The war destroyed the productive capacities of the industrialized nations and the basic infrastructure. The government lost its ability to rule when the war decapitated their leadership. Biological weapons spread diseases in the densely populated areas. People died in droves. In the end, the destruction of the transportation system worked as a quarantine against the diseases sweeping the land.
“Anarchy arrived. What the war did not destroy, the riots did. The hungry, the unemployed, the poor, the illiterate, but most of all, the opportunists became the barbarians. They pillaged the land, taking what they wanted by force and violence. There were no leaders to step into the void and restore order. There were only local strongmen who imposed their will by force. Some good, some just, but most were petty despots who hoarded the remaining resources for themselves.”
Memories of the violence and hardship came flooding back. He stared out the window.
The leader-candidates stirred. “Sir, what happened to all those people?” Del Corso asked.
“That’s an excellent question.” Taylor frowned. “You see, back then, feeding the world was a delicate balancing act. Perhaps famine followed, I just don’t know. I listened to my short-wave radio from time to time to see if anyone was broadcasting, but I’ve heard nothing on the commercial frequencies.” Taylor did not mention burst transmissions and conversations he occasionally overheard on the Ham frequencies. That, he thought, would only confuse them.
“How much did the USA population decline?” Del Corso asked.
“If what happened in Ohio was typical, then the population of the USA is now probably less than a million,” Taylor said.
“Why, sir?” Kuchinski asked.
“The nukes actually killed less than one percent of the populace directly. The rest died later from disease, starvation, exposure, and violence. Perhaps ninety percent of the people died in the first year after the Collapse.” Taylor saw the shocked look on the faces of the young men who had never heard over four hundred million people inhabited the US prior to the Collapse.
As Taylor walked home after the meeting, he saw there were more wagons and people on the Hill than usual. Strange, he thought, I don’t see this much activity after harvest is over and the granaries are filled. The only time we bring in more grain is when a siege is expected. He’d not heard any talk of war; there must be another reason for moving the grain.
The pathways were now clear of snow. Water ran off the roofs into the cisterns making a busy, cheerful sound. The sun felt warm.
Perhaps, Taylor thought, there’ll be enough hot water from the solar heater for a shower.
In the valley below, a forge banged away. It had been quite busy lately making small items. The sound reminded him of arrowhead manufacture. The Clan didn’t make arrowheads for trade, only in time of war. So, it must be something else other than arrowheads. He felt a little out of touch.
Taylor realized the Hill had become less of a living area and more of a business district. That would change instantly if there were danger from the outside. The Hill was the one place capable of withstanding attack by a superior force. In a time of danger, people would flood in. The Hill had resisted many attacks and each time, its defenses had been strengthened. Now it was a city surrounded by a deep moat and a fortress on top of a cliff as the place of last refuge. It was secure. It was his home.
That evening, the leader-candidates asked questions about weapons technology. They’d found nothing in the library about which weapons were used or how they worked.
“Sir, you’ve made no mention of electricity. Yet it was everywhere in the pre-Collapse civilization. Was it ever used in the war?” Del Corso asked. “For example, as a weapon?”
“Joe, I’m not sure what you mean,” Taylor said. “Electricity was a very convenient form of energy. All of the weapons we discussed today had controls operated by it. In fact, I can’t imagine them being possible without electricity.”
Later that night, as Taylor lay in bed, he puzzled over Joe Del Corso’s questions. Why was a junior administrator interested in electricity? That was the second time he’d asked about it.
Taylor regretted not setting up a university, but survival had been too important. If I created one now, where would I find the instructors? Who had the knowledge and experience to pass on?
Only his small laboratory in Berea kept a spark of technology alive. Some instinct, a leftover pre-Collapse notion of privacy, made him keep it secret even from the Elders.
Maybe I should discuss setting up a university with them, but they listen to me less and less. The Elders had no interest in technology they couldn’t use in war or sell at a profit. So why does Del Corso keep asking about electricity? It was out of character. Has Joe discovered my laboratory, or is he fishing for a political angle?
Win Van Minh, the owner of the Travelers Inn, had noticed the comings and goings of Del Corso and the Elders. He said nothing but positioned himself in the next room against a panel that allowed him to hear through the wall. It was unusual for the Elders to meet outside of chambers, so he listened carefully.
“Look, the Fed is making a push in our direction, burning farms and bringing electricity,” Jon Beach said. “They must have reason to believe we’re going to back down from them.”
“The last time we fought, we hurt ’em,” Charlie Ramsey said. “Their Guards are no match for my Horse Soldiers.” Ramsey had assumed command when Chris Kuchinski had taken time off to have a family. He had consolidated his position by the time Chris returned to ride with the Horse Soldiers. He had no intention of letting her take his place as military commander. That had been part of the reason for ousting MacPherson, who had close ties with Kuchinski. “Their bows don’t have enough range and they can’t shoot straight.”
“Now they all carry guns,” Beach said.
“Still doesn’t matter,” Ramsey said. “My Horse Soldiers can get at least six arrows off in the time it takes to reload a gun.”
“What about electricity and other wizardry? MacPherson said the pre-Collapse weapons aren’t possible without electricity.” Beach’s voice rose. “D’you think the Fed has found some of these ancient weapon systems? If they have, do we have any defenses against them?”
“No pre-Collapse weapons have been used.” Sean Monahan had a reedy voice. “Your worries may be smoke in the wind.” He waved a thin hand in the air.
“There’s always the first time,” Carver Washington said in his gravelly voice.
“Have Del Corso ask MacPherson about different weapon systems.” Beach’s voice pitched higher as he wagged a finger. “Get him to describe how they operate or how they were used. Maybe then we can devise some useful tactics against them.”
“It sounds almost as though you’re ready to send my Horse Soldiers out against the Fed.” Everyone knew Ramsey brooked no opposition to his leadership of the Horse Soldiers.
“Well, they’re taking over our territory. To me that’s almost the same thing as a declaration of war.” Beach’s voice had almost become a whine. “I’ve got young families who need land. My district has too many people and not enough farmland. We need land.”
