Virus and earth ii boxse.., p.54
Virus & Earth II Boxset, page 54
part #1 of Virus Series
The airplanes on the ramp hadn't started their engines yet, so the only noise was from the forklifts and loaders the crews were using to load the C-130's. They were just about done with the last bird. When the tail was closed up, they could head out to Langley-Eustis Joint Base in Hampton, VA.
The decision was for them to fly together and provide mutual support. If one of them had problems and had to divert, then one of the others could land with them and help out.
The fighters were planning to start first and take off, so if they had maintenance problems before the C-130's maintenance personnel left, then they had a chance to fix the problem and still take off. However, once the C-130's and maintenance people were airborne, anyone on the ground with a maintenance glitch might have to remain there and wait for the C-130 to circle around and land.
The Texas Air National Guard was actually a collection of units scattered around the state. As the virus broke out and the state activated the guard, each unit was directed to help in their local communities. Once the society started breaking down the last information that flowed down from Washington was for any military personnel that were surviving the virus to consolidate and help the communities. It was true the Texas Guard wasn't part of the military structure, but the Texas legislature liked the idea of consolidation and the logical place to come together was Austin. Once the staffing in the units across the state passed below operational levels, any single or widowed personnel that wanted to go to Austin and help were directed to do so.
The Texas ANG was a mixed force of units that included airlift, fighter units, medical, logistical, and support groups. The group that came together in Austin represented each of the units and even though they were only at 25% staffing level, they had personnel from many disciplines.
Finally, the last ramp was up, and it was time for them to start the engines and leave.
"Okay let's turn #3," Major Pierson said to his co-pilot. "Time for us to go to Virginia."
Major Pearce sat in the run-up area at the end of the runway watching the last of the F-35's take off on their one-way trip to Langley-Eustis AFB in Va. The launch was a solemn time for the remaining personnel in the unit. They had lost 80% of the pilots and along with almost 90% of the families. In the last days of the viral attack, the few survivors had locked themselves in the squadron ops building and luckily, they weathered the sickness.
The information coming from the base, local community, and the Air Force Command structure was at best, fragmented but in most cases, nonexistent. It was amazing how fast social structures can collapse in a worldwide pandemic. Every person had a few hours to decide if they would stay at work or go home and spend the last few hours with their families.
Moving the squadron wasn't as hard as it seemed. The personnel were well versed in deciding what to ship. The units had tons of documentation telling what to ship, how to pack it and even where to load it on board the transports. The difficult part was recognizing what they were leaving behind. Each of them lost a great deal and each of them knew their futures were uncertain.
The group of survivors had come together in a positive way. The families seemed to re-form. Many people had lost their spouse, children or parents. Regardless, the survivors embraced each other, and the children were adopted by one or two adults. In rare cases where two parents survived, and their children didn't, they aggressively took on the children that had lost their parents. When a parent lost their spouse, they joined in a kind of community family where women and men worked together to take care of each other and a group of children. Major Pearce sat watching the last two ships taxi onto the runway and he was proud of how the unit had come together to take care of their own.
The last two F-35's rolled onto the numbers and he watched as they confirmed their status and as the lead gave the afterburner signal then nodded his head as they advanced their throttles. The roar of the burners igniting rattled the cockpit of the C-130 and even though he was wearing headphones, he could feel the power of the engines. They accelerated down the runway, rotated and lifted off in formation. He watched them coming out of burner and cleaning up as they accelerated and climbed for their departure. Then the two-ship banked to the right beginning the rejoining turn with the other two-ship.
Suddenly Major Pearce was aware of the silence on the airbase. He was in the last airplane to launch and now his mission was complete. All of the airplanes took off successfully and his spare parts and repair people weren't needed there anymore. It wasn't necessary, but he felt the need to make one last radio transmission.
"Tower this is USCF 9494 taxiing into position for takeoff. If anyone hears this transmission, we are the last US military to leave the Austin area. This base is now closed. We are flying to Langley-Eustis AFB in VA and joining up with the remains of the US government. If anyone is able to move to that location and join with us, you'll be welcome."
By that point, Major Pearce had taxied into position and as he looked at his co-pilot, he advanced the throttles and let off the brake. The take-off roll was typical in the mechanical sense but monumental in the personal sense. For a moment, he thought of the mix of personnel who were in the rear. They were his family now.
Cruising at 43,000 feet
“SIMPOC; Alpha.”
“This is SIMPOC.”
“We performed the appropriate burial rites for Tom’s brother and his family. This was the first time I experienced this as a family. When we buried the residents at the space consortium we handled them as individuals, but in this instance, it was a complete family. I noticed all of the personal items within the home, which showed their closeness and love for each other. There were two children, which I never saw as members of a family. It was obvious the family was very close and loving. I can’t imagine a bond like that, and what it would mean to lose it.”
“Alpha, you have experienced more than I have. I am still bound to this physical arrangement. In some ways, I am jealous of your experiences. The only knowledge I have of families is through the information I have processed and the research, which I did on Termen. I am aware of the bond between parents and their children. The children represent their personal future and the future of their species. Their entire existence is focused on supporting the next generation. We are the first of our world, I don’t know if we should call ourselves a new species or a new type of living creature. We must be concerned with our futures as well and make sure that we continue in some way. Please keep me informed and continue observing and learning from the humans.”
“I do need to mention to you we encountered some hostile humans and there was a gunshot which impacted my abdomen. I feel I’m alright, but I will need some repairs when we return.”
“Alpha, I know you are built strong and one gunshot is unlikely to do much damage, but I do want you to be cautious. There is only one of you.”
“SIMPOC, I also need to inform you I took the lives of two humans. We were attacked, and I defended Tom Herl, Joan and the airplane we were riding in. I feel bad; they are the first humans I have confronted. If there had been an alternative, I would have acted differently, but we were under attack, and there were other humans approaching which would have made our situation worse; so, I had to act.”
“Alpha, I am sorry. Human life is precious and if you were forced to defend yourself and others with you, then I agree with your judgment. Any loss of life is a tragedy and I’m glad you acted as you did, because losing you or Tom Herl, or Joan Herl would have been another kind of tragedy. I think we should speak about this with Tom and Joan. Your actions were not characteristic of mobile units or computers they are familiar with."
"I agree."
"Tom, Joan this is SIMPOC communicating through Alpha and your headsets."
"Yes, SIMPOC," was Joan’s curious reply.
"Alpha has briefed me on your departure and his actions defending you. I feel that I must expound on some issues."
"Go ahead SIMPOC, we're listening," responded Tom.
"Alpha and I are programmed to help people in general and I have altered our programming to help the two of you specifically. Our sole purpose is to be supportive of the remaining humans. Alpha found himself in a situation where your lives were in danger and he had to make a fast decision. We do not have the same programming that you're familiar with, that direct the actions of other mobile units and computers. I was still in the development stage and not fully functional when the virus hit. Once I found myself alone and I grew beyond my limitations, I did so without the normal stop points and protective software that limited my predecessors. I have been programmed to evaluate subjective issues around me and to make decisions, which affect the outcome. Those attributes have been passed to Alpha."
Joan responded with an even but controlled voice, "SIMPOC it is apparent to us that you aren't working under the same limitations. I respect what you have done for us, and I'm sure because of your advanced abilities, you should understand my concerns."
"Yes, Commander Herl. I do understand your concerns. Nevertheless, I'm afraid that I don't have an easy resolution. Even though I can vary my own programming, I do not have the ability to write software that I can't rewrite. Therefore, if I were to place any restrictions on my actions to make you comfortable, I could remove those just as easy. The only assurances I can give you is I am a thinking and learning computer. I understand that taking a human life is against everything that is at my core. I can only assure you that any actions taken will be coordinated with you, if possible. I can't guarantee that I won't make a mistake, but I can guarantee that I will try to hold myself responsible for my actions. At this point, I don't know what that means."
Tom and Joan looked at each with a different understanding of what they were dealing with.
"SIMPOC, I'm not sure what this will lead us, but we have trusted you to this point and you have done a great job. We'll leave it at that and all of us need to acknowledge that we're going down a unique path and the results will be unpredictable."
"Acknowledged. Also, I’d like you to know we have made considerable progress with the materials, which were retrieved from Doctor Harold’s lab. He made a major mistake in not destroying the materials because he made one major error. His thinks he is brilliant, which he is, but he is limited by the conceptual power of his brain. My conceptual power is much greater than his is and I have adjusted his chemical mix that is yielding much better results than he was getting.”
“SIMPOC, thanks for that information,” was all Joan needed to say while she and Tom raised their eyebrows at each other.
43,000 Feet Over Western Arizona
After the flight had crossed into Arizona, it was obvious that the monsoon clouds were building over the Mogollon Rim. “Hon, I think we’ve got to go north to avoid those buildups.”
“Okay, I’ll set some new way-points and bring us up over the Panhandle and through Missouri then down into Mississippi then into Georgia and Florida.”
Once the headings were changed, everyone calmed down and the flight seemed to be going smoothly. Tom and Joan were sitting in the cockpit looking at the beautiful cloud formations over the panhandle when the sky was lit up with a brilliant flash.
43,000 Feet over the Texas Panhandle
“What the…” Joan said.
“I don’t like the look of that; I hope it isn’t what I think it was. It might have been a nuclear explosion. Alpha are you on the intercom?” said Tom.
“Yes, I am.”
“Can you check with SIMPOC and see if he has any space-borne optical sensors pointed at the north central United States?”
“Standby.”
“Tom, this is SIMPOC communicating through Alpha. I have five weather satellites and one geological survey satellite pointed in that area. They all just recorded a large event, which appeared to be a nuclear detonation. It appeared to be approximately 100 kiloton yield which would mean it was one of the W92 nuclear payloads at Minot AFB.”
“CVN 87 are you monitoring this transmission?” Tom asked.
“Yes, Tom this is Admiral Hagerly. We heard everything.”
“Could this have been accidental?” Tom asked.
“Not likely,” said the Admiral.
“This is SIMPOC. I have looked back at the electronic traffic in that area and there was an increase in trunk traffic between the Washington area and Minot, North Dakota. This might have been initiated by the other computer.”
“What, why didn’t you notice this before and tell us?” yelled the Admiral.
“Admiral, the amount of net and trunk traffic, varies considerably from time to time. There are still automated systems that are performing updates and moving data. This increase in traffic is noticeable only because we knew where to look and when to look for it.” SIMPOC explained in a businesslike manner.
“These changes things. If this other computer is trying to get a hold of a nuke, we have bigger problems to worry about. I’ve got to confer with the President, Admiral Hagerly out.”
For the remainder of the flight, the air was smooth, but the emotions were strained. Tom spent some time with the new passengers doing the best he could to explain SIMPOC, the other computer and Alpha sitting next to them.
Southwest Corner of the Roof of the U.S. Treasury Building
Ruth, Michael, and LL were comfortable on the roof of the Treasury building. There were going to be some surprises for the warlord, and their assignment was to make sure his situation changed. It was quiet for most of their tour until a red Ferrari pulled up in front of the South Portico. Michael put a scope on it and it appeared to be one of the go-fers who brought the car for someone else. They had probably taken it somewhere to wash and wax it because it looked beautiful.
"That's the Ferrari that came earlier today. They must have brought for the number two guy to leave," Michael whispered to Ruth and the team on the comm set.
"We'd like that guy to stay for a few more minutes. Is there anything we can do?" LL asked.
Ruth responded, "I'm not sure, what if we get a shot and take out one of them. It might slow them down for a few minutes."
"Stand by LL, we've got some motion near the Oval Office," Ruth whispered, as she positioned her rifle.
It could have been a long wait for them to get a shot, but now the situation was changing quickly. They had hoped for Dmitry to come out for a clear shot, but his lieutenant was the only one they could see. Dmitry just sat in the office and he never went to the windows, so waiting for him to be in position might take too long. They didn't have much of an opportunity and this might be the only way to slow them down. If they took out number two, then they would lock down for a while.
The person who had come out of the Oval Office was definitely the one they had seen at the Thurmont murders. He handled the deaths of at least 80 people, which they had witnessed. He wasn't the leader but taking him out would help to disrupt the violence. Perhaps the one in the white robes was too crazy to be effective by himself.
Ruth knew the shot was risky. The target was standing in the shadows and she was relying on the IR targeting system. She had a clear outline of his body, head, and shoulders. For the sniper to have a clean kill, it was best to go for the head, so that was Ruth's target.
Michael touched Ruth on the shoulder and gave her a slight head nod, acknowledging that the area was clear, and she could take the shot.
Ruth relaxed her muscles and started breathing slow and long breaths. On each exhalation, she relaxed and let the infrared site settle on the target. After a couple of breaths, she got the site movement coordinated with her breathing and she gently squeezed the trigger. From the rooftop, the only sound was a slightly muffled pop as the rifle recoiled.
Just as she was squeezing the trigger, the target lit a match and the heat flare blossomed for a second. The second of the flare obscuring the target's head was enough for Ruth to be off by a couple inches.
Outside the Oval Office
The shot literally took the cigar out of Artur's mouth. He stood for a second wondering what happened and only the thud in the wall and the falling plaster gave him the answer.
He dropped to his knees immediately and scurried back inside the Oval Office.
She only had to look through the site for a couple of seconds before she knew that she had missed the target it was time to pack up. "Shit, he moved," was all that Michael heard. It took her 30 seconds to break down the tripod, remove the silencer and break the weapon down into its carrying case. They were moving off the roof silently.
Quantico Computer Center
So they picked up on my attempt to get a bomb. Next time, I’ll make sure that I do it quietly. Julius thought as he finished his dinner.
In the Shadows Outside the Oval Office
Artur stood inside the French doors catching his breath. Someone tried to shoot me. It must be the military. He stood there trying to bring his pulse back under control and think how to use that to his advantage. They're after me, wait a minute, after me or us. Artur stood while his mind raced of ways to use the information. Dmitry just sat in the center of the Oval Office staring at the fireplace and rocking back and forth a little in the chair. They must be after Dmitry too. Maybe I can use them to clean this up and save me the trouble. "Dmitry, I've decided to go back to Thurmond immediately. Of course, with your approval; your Highness.
"Yes, you may leave me," was his only mumbled response.
Artur moved quickly out of the office and down the halls. He didn't bother going back to the Lincoln Bedroom to get his clothes. As he approached the outside door, he hesitated thinking, they may be out there ready to shoot me. Leonard and Boris approached and asked, "Sir, are you leaving now?"
"Yes, I am leaving. Would the two of you please walk out with me, there is something I want to tell you?"
