Virus and earth ii boxse.., p.98
Virus & Earth II Boxset, page 98
part #1 of Virus Series
“At this time of year, your course is about a third of the distance we’d have to take with normal propulsion, and even with a VSSMR engine, there is no comparison,” he added.
“Beta 5, connect me with the Mars Colony on their frequency,” directed Joan.
“Your frequency is open,” ESC1 responded.
“Sounds like an echo in here,” Tom said under his breath and far enough away so he wouldn’t get hit.
“Ophelia, this is Joan Herl. I wanted to give you an update and let you know that we’ve left Earth, and we’re en route to Mars. Now for the shock, we should be there in 10 hours. So, please leave the welcome light on. We’ll call when we’re in orbit. ESC1 out.”
“Beta 5, how fast are we accelerating to?” asked Tom.
“Sir, we will accelerate to .01 Speed of Light, then we’ll begin to decelerate.”
“Ok, now what do we do. I don’t know about you two, but I’m exhausted,” Tom said with a huge yawn.
“Joan, SIMPOC. I have made one other modification. I adjusted the sleeping area that is adjacent to this area so that it will be suitable for resting.
Tom and Joan glanced towards the opening to the rest area they had seen the last time they came onboard. There was a subtle light blue curtain, draped across the opening.
Joan walked towards it and parted the curtain to find that the room had carpeting and a nice queen-sized bed along with a couple of dressers and nightstands. Off to the side was a nice little bathroom and what looked like a shower.
“SIMPOC, you out-did yourself,” she whispered as Tom got the hint and escorted his wife to their ‘rest area.'
“I will wake you if we receive unusual communications or as we prepare to enter orbit.”
Monday, September 11, 2051
Mayor Alexander S. Todd
Mayor Alexander S. Todd was happy, in fact, he was ecstatic. Life had been good to him, in fact, it had been great.
Bobby Todd, as his supporters called him was walking along a path in his garden, on top of his building which in another time was the City Hall of the City of Chicago.
He loved his name. He had used it over the years to convince people that he was one of them, he was a common guy from the streets of Chicago that was forced to be a politician. After all, who else would fight for their rights. He was the reluctant winner of so many elections, Using the name Bobby helped him convince the voters that he wasn’t one of ‘them’ he was one of ‘us.’
Bobby Todd had been successful based on two concepts. First, tell the voters what they wanted to hear and second always have someone to blame. The minute he was forced to take a position on any subject, he would look for escape goats. It was true, on occasion things went well and he didn’t need to blame anyone, but in most cases throwing blame around always helped.
As he strolled around his garden on the top floor of City Hall; he laughed at how recent events had been in his favor. The virus struck just as the good people’ of Chicago were getting close to the 15% of signatures on the petition for his impeachment. “Too bad they never got that far,” he laughed to himself.
Bobby just finished his walk to the north end of His Garden and saw the Army Barricade on the corner of LaSalle and Randolf Streets. It looked pretty much the same as the one he had just looked at on LaSalle and Washington. General Roland Buller or Rolly as Bobby called him, had done a good job securing the area around the City Hall.
Bobby laughed, ‘Rolly’ “why is it that I like names like Rolly or Bobby?” he thought. “They sound friendly,” he thought. Bobby also knew that General Buller hated the name Rolly and that was why Bobby kept it to himself and only used it to ‘piss’ the guy off.
Over the last couple of weeks, things had been challenging. The virus complicated Bobby’s life, but he was able to stay one step ahead of it. Towards the end of the old world, it was fortunate that old Rolly survived also. Immediately they formed a bond and realized that working together was the best plan. Bobby ran the show and knew what to do; Rolly ran the military, or police force, or militia whatever they were. As the State’s National Guard collapsed, Rolly had enough friends with enough keys, and he had enough information to call in favors so he could consolidate the right people within the guard to give him total authority. He didn’t care about dealing with people; he just wanted his soldiers, tanks, and guns.
Bobby was willing to overlook the fact that Rolly was only a Major in the Guard. Calling himself General made no difference because no one else around cared what he called himself. The only fact that mattered to Bobby was that Rolly was one of those guys that knew what was going on in the guard. There was always something missing, and he knew why. There was always a certain amount of pocket change to be made on the outside, and Rolly was always close to it and knew who was handling what. It was that knowledge that allowed him to take control as the virus was wreaking havoc in the city.
Bobby was glad that he found Rolly and was comfortable that they had a mutual relationship that worked. If he hadn’t known of past indiscretions by Rolly, it might have been a different story. But, regardless it was better having him on his side than dealing with the various gangs who were running their parts of the city.
Bobby and Rolly were the top dogs in the city. They had the weapons; they had the VTOLs, they had the vehicle-mounted rockets. One by one, the other gangs would be dealt with and eventually it would be Bobby and Rolly in charge.
Chicago was in the center of the United States. That provided them with protection and resources. The survivors in the middle of the country from the US and Canada came to Chicago seeking help. Within the local area, there was also a huge amount of resources. The people that came were desperate, scared and lonely. They could be manipulated, but Bobby knew that to keep people loyal, a smart politician would give them ‘just enough.’ After all, if you gave them too much, they would begin to expect it, and if you didn’t give them enough, they would want more. There was a small part of Bobby that could portray an altruistic civil servant, and that part provided housing food, medicine, and protection. In return, the other part of his political brain expected loyalty and the fundamental concept of politics; ‘If he did something for them, then he expected them to do something in return.”
Bobby and Rolly provided protection ‘at a price.’ They were aware of the remnants of the Government setting up in Norfolk Va. and at the present time, that wasn’t much of a threat. But, over time it could become one. Bobby needed a near-term and long-term strategy. Near-term was to finish with the other gangs in Chicago and long-term they needed an ‘Ace in the Hole’ to protect them. Eventually, the US Government would get its act together and start expanding, perhaps all of the ways to Chicago. When that happened, Bobby needed something to draw a boundary over which they wouldn’t cross.
“Protection” was a fundamental concept familiar to any of the old style politicians. Protection from the remnants of the US Government and protection from those things from space.
In the later days of the Virus, Bobby nor Rolly heard the President’s message, but many of the people that streamed into Chicago had. Bobby wasn’t sure if he believed any or all of the ‘Alien Story.' It was, after all, possible but it was also possible that it was a huge cover-up trying to throw the blame elsewhere. That was also a technique that any smart politician was familiar with.
There were a couple of encounters with aliens around the periphery of the city, and Bobby even saw a couple once, but who knows, maybe they’re military toys that were part of the elaborate scheme. Beyond all of that, they hadn’t seen any of them lately, and if they’re out of sight, they’re out of mind. Today, like yesterday, his goal was to bribe (take care of the people), cajole (remind them who helped them), and instill loyalty (make sure they were obligated to do what he wanted).
Tuesday, September 12, 2051
Tell The President About Operation Lockup
“Mr. President, Col. Dodd and I would like to have a meeting with you,” Admiral Hagerly asked the president over the comm link.
“Sure, Nial. I just finished lunch, and I’m heading back to the office. I’ll meet you there in 10 minutes.”
“Thank-you sir. We’ll be there.”
President Patterson enjoyed the walk from the Langley-Eustis O’club along Benedict Ave to the command building. The day was clear and without the noise of a busy world around them and the lack of human pollution, the day was beautiful. It was a day that Arnold Patterson would have loved to have his children Beth and Dave walking the tree-lined street with him. But that wasn’t the case, losing them along with his wife cost him the three most important people in his life. For everyone, the virus took its toll.
“Ok, Admiral, Colonel. What’s the issue?” the president asked after everyone was settled in his office.
“Sir, as the government was collapsing, you gave us the order to secure all of our weapons so that crazies wouldn’t get a hold of them. We both remember the incident in North Dakota when that nuke went off, and we don’t want that to happen again.
“Has anyone figured out how that happened?” the president asked.
“No sir, I don’t have the expertise available to answer that, but I’m guessing someone was messing with it. Those weapons have a ton of redundancy and safeguards, but I can’t guarantee that someone with a screwdriver and enough time, might have done something dumb.”
“Ok, what do you have?”
“Sir, I’m finally able to get more of our communications online, and I’ve been able to check through some of the written and recorded messages that were coming into the Pentagon during the collapse, and there is a possibility that we might have some problems.”
“Go-ahead Admiral.”
“Sir, part of the weapon’s securing plan is a Directive called “Lockup.” In that directive, all nuclear sites are instructed to do everything possible to prevent any access to their nuclear weapons. Each site has a unique plan, which depends on the facility, it’s location and the local abilities. The directive applies only to the 18 sites where the weapons are stored. After you had given the order to secure the weapons we got responses from 12 of the 18 sites that completed the lockup. We were lucky Bangor Wa. which has the largest number of weapons was the first to confirm that everything was locked down. During and after the period that communications were breaking down, we got responses from three additional sites. Sir, there are three sites, which we never got a response from. There is a small risk, but there is a risk, that one or more of those sites could have been compromised. We aren’t worried about the armed submarines, and missile sites. They would likely be too complex to get into. But the individual bombs are where the greatest risk is. Minot could be a problem. Even though there was an incident there, we don’t know what is left. There might be weapons scattered all over the place, or it might just be a glowing hole in the dark.”
“What happens if some idiot breaks into one of the sites and steals some of the weapons?”
“Sir, before all of this I would have said the chances of anything happening were zero. Without the codes, arming systems and launch systems, it would have been impossible for anything to happen. But after what happened in North Dakota, I’m not sure. Putting that aside for a moment, if the weapon isn’t detonated, then some idiot still could open it up and get at the radioactive material. Without the proper gear and equipment, anyone breaking into the weapon would have a couple of hours of life before they died from radiation poisoning. That doesn’t preclude someone being held at gunpoint or worse their family being held while they’re forced to sacrifice themselves to retrieve the material. In the case they are able to remove the material, it could be used in other dirty bombs to poison large areas.”
“Nial, you think the sites that followed their plans are safe?”
“Sir, they are as safe as possible. In some cases, the storage vaults were flooded. In others, multiple doors were welded shut, and in some huge mounds of dirt were piled in front of the bunkers. In each case, the local command looked at their resources and used them in the smartest way to protect the weapons. We put this plan together in the unlikely event that the government was collapsing. We never imagined that would happen, and we would lose our ability to protect or use them.”
“So, what are your recommendations?”
“Colonel Dodd and I have been talking, and we want to put together a team who will go to the sites that haven’t reported success, and make sure they are secure.”
“Who, how, when?”
Admiral Hagerly, looked to his left giving Colonel Dodd the nod to pick it up from there.
“Sir, we have LL’s team, and there is a Naval Team led by Sgt. Robles. There is also the Secret Service team Michael Dereaux and Ruth Minor. We can also use the alien shuttles that SIMPOC is modifying. We can put a team together and drop them right on the site. They can check it out, do anything else necessary to secure the area then go to another site. We should be able to start in a few days.”
“Sounds necessary. How about taking one of SIMPOC’s beta units. It might be helpful.
“Yes, sir. I suspect that it could be. I’ll have it integrated into the plan,” responded the Admiral.
“Go ahead and let me know what you find.”
“Yes, Sir,” Colonel Dodd and Admiral Hagerly said.
Wednesday, September 13, 2051
Chevesky Arrives in Mars Orbit
“Commander Herl, Colonel Herl, we are 30 minutes from achieving Martian Orbit,” was the gentle message that Joan and Tom heard from their communicators which they left on the nightstand next to the bed.
“Thanks, SIMPOC, we’ll be out in a minute,” Joan responded.
Joan rolled out of bed first and was looking around when she said, “Boy do I wish I had brought more clothes than the few things I threw in my duffle bag.”
“Take a look here, our friend SIMPOC has filled the drawers with clothes. They all look brand new, and they even look like the right size.”
“You got to be kidding me,” Joan said as she walked to the dresser to check out her options.
“I can’t say much about the selection, but you’ve got to admit, he did a good job,” expressed Joan.
They dressed quickly, and when they parted the drape over the door, they were embraced with the overwhelming smell of fresh coffee.
“SIMPOC, you didn’t,” Joan said as she took a deep breath and headed for the small food preparation area.
Tom followed her, and they found a fresh pot of coffee and selection of pastries.
“Wow, I might not get off this boat,” Tom said as he grabbed two of them and a large mug of coffee.
“SIMPOC, how on Earth did you figure out to do all of this. The bedroom, the clothes and now the food, I am impressed,” Joan said as she sipped her coffee.
“I thought it was appropriate,” was his simple reply. “We are inserting ourselves into Mars orbit. We will be passing over the Mars colony in 18 minutes.”
“Beta 5, please connect me to Ophelia,”
“Acknowledged.”
“Ophelia, this is Joan. We just reached orbit, and we’ll be over your head in a few minutes.”
“Joan, I’m glad you made it alright, and in 10 hours, wow. That is amazing. Do you have some way to come to the surface or do we need to send up the tug?”
“We’re covered. We have a nice little shuttle which we can park right next to you. We’ll be down in about 25 minutes.”
“Great, there is a pad next to the tug that you can land on. Looking forward to seeing you guys.”
“Same here, Chevesky out.”
“Joan, Tom your suits are stored in the same room as the shuttle,” SIMPOC added.
“Are you coming down with us?” Tom asked.
“Yes, if that is possible. I’d like to see how you humans have adapted to life on Mars; I’ve looked at the dimensions of the habitats, hatches, and tunnels. I will find it difficult to move around, but if you’re patient, I should be able to handle it. I hope that I won’t be too obtrusive. If I block their movements, I can remain here work with the Betas, and continue to explore and exercise this ship. There is still a great deal that I need to learn.”
“SIMPOC if you want to see the surface of Mars and meet the Red Dirt crew, then you’ll come down. You can leave the Betas to work on the ship.”
“Thank you,” SIMPOC responded.
“Did you load the surprise on the ship that I asked you to,” Joan asked.
“Yes, Commander I did. It is by the hatch inside the shuttle.”
Tom and Joan smiled.
To change the subject, Joan said to her husband, “Should I trust you to fly that thing without killing us?”
“Depends, remember I don’t serve drinks.”
The flight to the surface went surprisingly well and easy. Unlike typical landing craft where the horizontal and vertical velocities are important and require monitoring, Tom could just visually look at the landing site and maneuver to it. He had no energy management issues to worry about. It was like driving a car to the local market.
Tom did a great job flying the alien craft and put it down on the pad, with only a minor bump. As soon as they got up from their seats and opened the hatch, they saw a form come out of the support shack next to the pad.
Joan and Tom made their way to the hatch, and Tom picked up the surprise as the hatch was opening. SIMPOC waited to exit the ship last, so as not to block the exit.
“Greetings, and welcome to Mars,” Ophelia said as she approached the alien ship. “Nice set of wheels. Is that what I think it is?”
“You should see the mother ship,” Tom said as he came down the small ramp.
Joan and Ophelia hugged, the best they could considering the bulk of the suits. Her suit was better suited to the Mars atmosphere and was more flexible, but Joan’s suit was for full vacuum and wasn’t made for a hug.
