Sutherland turned to the map and stared at it. He couldn’t believe what he was looking at. It was a map of the United States, but it had been chopped up into seven districts, that appeared to all be roughly the same size, and they had been labeled accordingly. There was something about it that gave him the chills. It was if the United States was gone and had been replaced by the seven districts.
The map made it hard to determine where the bunkers were, given the lack of cities or state lines. Sutherland’s best guess for the other districts placed the bunkers in: central Georgia, southern Illinois, central Texas, South Dakota, south-central Arizona, southern Oregon and the bunker he was in, in upstate New York.
What Sutherland found most disturbing about the map was the label on top that simply read Districts 1-7. There was no mention of the United States. If his career in the military had taught him anything about government, it was that everything was full of redundancy.
“Why are there no state lines on the map?”
Rodgers ignored the question.
“Sir, if you could please flip to the first page of the folder, you will see who is currently heading each district based on our current rosters, which were updated an hour ago.”
Sutherland flipped to the page and made a mental note to ask about the lack of state lines again—he still wanted to know. He pulled the paper from the folder and held it up as he read down the list.
District 1
Regent
John Sutherland
Vice Regent
Candice Rodgers
District 2
Regent
Robin Vickers
Vice Regent
Mitchell Hendricks
Sutherland stopped and looked at Rodgers. He put the paper back on top of the stack.
“Is this... I can’t quite grasp what is happening.”
“Sir, as per the directives of Section M, we are to establish a new government in the seven districts.”
“What about the United States of America? What about our existing government?”
“Until a time when the infrastructure can be rebuilt, the country has been divided into the seven districts to make governing easier and to protect the integrity of the nation.”
Sutherland looked back at the list. He didn’t like it. Not one bit. He had no aspirations to be in charge of a district that amounted to one-seventh of the United States. He did recognize the name Robin Vickers, he just couldn’t place it.
“Who is Robin Vickers? I’ve heard that name before.”
“She is the Regent of District Two and a former senator from Georgia. She proposed a bill last year to increase the defense budget.”
That was where he knew her from. There had been public discontent when she proposed the bill to the Senate. The American public had called for her resignation when she proposed additional defense funding for classified projects. The economy was already in a bad spot at that point, with nearly thirty-percent of the public out of work. Sutherland had tried to inquire as to the nature of the projects, but was told that his security clearance wasn’t high enough. Sutherland sighed and looked back down at the list of regents for each district.
“Let me guess… the classified projects had something to do with Section M.”
He looked across the table. The woman was impossible to read, he decided. Sutherland shifted his gaze back to the papers. I might as well get used to her, it seems like we are stuck together, for now.
Chapter Nine
With the new supplies, the cabin was starting to feel cramped. They had a better stock of supplies and once they had unloaded it and Mike inventoried their latest haul, he had informed Nick that the run into town should stretch their supplies for another month.
Four months. And then what? From everything Mike had told him so far, they were in it for the long haul, but he had no idea what the plan was after they ran out of food.
Mike came in the cabin, after taking a leak, and pulled out a metal box from under the bed. He pulled a yellow, handheld device from the box and pushed it back under the bed.
“What’s that?”
“Geiger counter.”
Mike flipped the black switch and walked outside. Nick followed and stopped a few feet behind Mike when he reached the trees.
“I just wanted to check.”
“Check what?”
Mike held up the Geiger counter. “I suspected that the attack was a high altitude detonation designed to create an EMP. If it had been a low detonation, there would have been detectable levels of radiation. Then we really would have been in trouble.”
Nick shuddered at the thought. He thought it was bad enough that they had lost the ability to use all electronic devices for the foreseeable future. The idea that there could have been radiation thrown in the mix was a little worrisome.
“How come it still works?”
“Did you see the box it was in?”
Nick nodded. He wondered if it were possible for a box to have shielded the Geiger counter from the EMP.
“That’s a Faraday box.” Mike turned around, walked past Nick and back inside the cabin. Nick followed him and sat down on the loveseat as Mike put the Geiger counter back in the Faraday box and sat on the bed. “It’s a special box designed to withstand an EMP and protect the integrity of whatever electronics are inside.”
“Oh. So it’s possible then that other people have working technology?”
“Yes. There are people out there that would have had their vital electronics stored in a Faraday box. The problem is that people that are that prepared are already set and they will want little contact with the rest of the population until things settle.”
“What do you mean?”
“How do I say this? The reality of the situation is that majority of the population will die within the next six months. Once that is over, the people that were prepared can start to rebuild, if they so choose.”
“Why aren’t they helping now? They could help people get back on their feet.”
Mike shook his head and pulled an energy bar out of his pocket. He took a bite and chewed before answering Nick.
“Think about it. Their supplies are limited and without infrastructure and the support of many people, helping is futile and will just result in more death.”
Nick couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Mike had taken him in. Why couldn’t others do that? He clenched his fists and stood up. He walked out of the cabin and stood outside as rage started to fill his body. Would people with the capability to help really just let their friends, their neighbors, and their fellow Americans die? Nick heard the sound of footsteps and turned to face Mike.
“Nick, I wish it wasn’t the case, but it is. People, a lot of people, are going to die in the coming months and there is nothing you or I can do about it. Nature must take its course.”
“Nature! Fuck that. Nature has nothing to do with it. This was an attack on our country and the people have to come together and support each other, and the government needs to do whatever it can to help.”
“There is no government. There is no United States. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can move on and start your new life.”
Mike walked back into the cabin. Nick kicked the dirt and walked down to the river. He didn’t want to be around Mike. He didn’t want to believe it. He wanted to believe that the government would take care of the people and fix everything. Nick sat on a rock by the river and watched as the water flowed by. He took a deep breath as he lost himself in the fast moving stream and for just a brief moment he was able to forget everything that had happened.
Nick finally went back to the cabin as the light started to fade. Mike had lit a candle and there was a plate of semi-warm chili sitting on the loveseat. Mike was already in bed, facing the wall, with the covers pulled up to his neck. Nick ate in silence and tried to get comfortable on the tiny loveseat. Sleep did eventually take him, but it was a long time in coming.
~~~
Nick looked around and saw the faces of his friends, his family and his co-workers. His parents were there, begging for his help. They looked frail as they pleaded with him to spare some of the food he had. Nick ran toward them and everything went black.
He sat up and looked around. It took him a moment, but he realized where he was. Nick wiped the sweat from his forehead and got up. It had been a rough night of sleep filled with dream after dream of what might come next. He didn’t want to sleep again anytime soon.
Nick stood up and went outside. The cool air felt good as it swept across his face. He took a deep breath and listened to the sounds of the forest. The wood on the porch flexed under the weight of Mike and Nick turned around.
“We need to talk,” Mike said. He turned around and disappeared back into the cabin.
Nick went inside and sat down while Mike got a fire going in the stove.
“Look. The sooner you accept the fact that the world is full of bad people, you’ll be able to move forward. I’m willing to share my food with you and teach you everything I know, Nick, but you’ve gotta get your shit together. You can’t have any doubt in your mind about what I say. If I tell you to do something, you do it.”
Mike closed the door to the stove. He filled the coffee pot, from a jug of water they had finished the first day and had been refilling in the stream, and set it on the stove. Mike took the bag of instant coffee off the supply shelf and poured the brown crystals into the two metal cups.
“Alright… I can do that.”
“Don’t say that unless you are absolutely sure. The next time you question a decision I make, that has to do with our safety or survival… you are no longer welcome here. I will give you enough supplies to last you a week, but you’ll need to move on.”
Nick nodded. He knew it wasn’t a decision he could make lightly. Following blindly didn’t exactly appeal to him, but he didn’t see much of an alternative. He was well aware of his own inadequacies in terms of survival and he knew he wouldn’t make it long without the help of Mike.
“I’m sorry about last night.”
Mike waved him off, poured the boiling water into the cups and handed one to Nick. They sipped their coffee in silence as the first rays of morning light crept over the hills and found its way through the trees.
“I get it, Nick. I wish I could help everyone. I already broke my first rule by bringing you here.”
Nick set his empty cup on the floor. Mike made himself a second cup and sat down on the bed and looked Nick in the eyes.
“You have to always watch out for yourself first. There are plenty of people who need your help, but you can’t help them. Survival is the most important thing. Staying alone and not sharing your supplies, or telling anyone where you are living, is the best way to ensure you can live through this and whatever is on the horizon. That is rule number one.”
“Why did you help me then?”
“Honestly?”
Mike finished his coffee and put the cup back on the shelf. Nick nodded. He was still curious as to why Mike had helped him, especially given rule number one.
“I don’t know. I felt sorry for you, I guess. When I looked in your eyes I saw… a look of innocence and fear. There was something else though, something deeper in you that I could sense. There is a strength that you are unaware of. If you can reach inward and project that strength, you will be able to survive anything.”
Nick wasn’t sure what to say. Mike seemed sure in his assessment of Nick, so he decided it best to not argue given the conversation they just had.
“What are you afraid of, Nick?”
Nick thought about it before answering. No one had seriously asked him that before. He never really thought he was afraid of any one thing in particular, so he tried to think of what Mike wanted him to say.
“I guess... I guess I’m afraid of dying.”
Mike was silent. After a long minute, Nick cleared his throat. He wasn’t sure what Mike wanted to hear, but he thought that had been it.
“No. Tell me what you are really afraid of.”
What am I afraid of? Nick wasn’t even sure of what the right answer was. Am I afraid of not seeing my parents again? He knew the chance of never seeing them again made him sad, but it didn’t scare him. When he thought about the future and what his life might be like, Nick started to feel sick to his stomach.
“I’m afraid of not knowing what will happen next.”
“There is nothing you can do to change what has happened. All you can do is move forward and purge that fear from your body. You won’t survive if you are afraid.”
“So I have to not be afraid of the unknown?”
“Just let it all go, Nick.”
Nick wasn’t sure how to do that. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on not worrying about what had already happened and what was to come. Let it go. Just live. Don’t worry about what you can’t change. Nick opened his eyes.
Mike looked Nick in the eyes. It made Nick squirm and he looked at the floor. There was something… he didn’t know what it was, but there was something frightening about looking into Mike’s eyes.
“A man afraid of nothing is a dangerous man,” Mike said.
Mike stood up and walked out of the cabin. Nick thought about what Mike said. Is that why I felt uncomfortable when I looked at him? Is he really not afraid?
Chapter Ten
Sutherland moved his hands down the front of his uniform. He had fallen asleep, sitting in a chair, with it on. The sheer number of wrinkles made him cringe. A search through every cabinet in his quarters yielded no iron.
He did find some clothes in the armoire that would fit him. There were white shirts, pants and shoes. It reminded him of something to wear while working out, not something to wear while trying to prevent the collapse of a nation. The clothes felt so sterile. As Sutherland sifted through the clothes, he noticed there was a red “1” on the chest of the shirt, the thigh of the pants and the heel of the shoe.
“Well, I’m certainly not wearing that.”
He put the clothes back, took a deep breath, opened the door and stepped into the hallway. Everyone that walked by him was wearing the white uniforms. There was something about them that make a shiver run through his spine. None of them stopped to salute Sutherland. He wrinkled his forehead as he watched them walk by without so much as looking at him. Sutherland felt like the lack of the white uniform somehow made him invisible.
Sutherland headed down the hallway with the goal of exploring more of the bunker... mostly just as something to keep his mind off his family and his country. So far the only thing he had seen was the conference room and its attached bathroom, and his living quarters. Everything else, including his food, had been brought to him by the people working in the bunker. Several times he had tried to engage them in conversation, but they had done their best to deflect his questions.
Feeling lost in the maze of the bunker, Sutherland backtracked to the conference room. He was getting sick of only being there or in his quarters. There was a young man, someone he hadn’t seen before standing guard at the door to the conference room. He wrinkled his brow as Sutherland approached.
The young man stepped aside and opened the door. Sutherland walked inside and pulled out a chair at the table.
“Please wait here, Sir. I’ll let vice regent Rodgers know you’re here.”
Sutherland nodded and sat down. The young man turned and walked out of the room. He was getting tired of it all. Sutherland wanted to know where his family was. He had a sick feeling in his stomach, but he knew that the attacks had been high enough in altitude that it was likely his wife and daughter had survived. What Sutherland didn’t know was whether they were safe and if they had lived through the resulting panic.
The door opened and Sutherland turned to look. He took a deep breath, and readied himself to confront Rodgers as he watched her walk through the door. She sat down across from him and dropped a folder on the table and pushed it to Sutherland.
He opened it and looked at the top paper. It was a form that seemed to be written by a lawyer. His eyes moved to the bottom of the page. There his name was written and there was a blank line for his signature and a spot for the date.
“What is this?”
“That is an extension form.”
He looked at it again. Extension form? What do they want me to extend? Buried in the bureaucratic document was a line that caught his eye, District One agrees to extend the lockdown period from one to six months. Sutherland put the paper down and looked back to Rodgers. Her eyes were locked on him and he refused to look away.
Sutherland wasn’t sure what Rodgers was up to, but he was certain she was never telling him everything.
“I have no idea what this is. This job was never something I wanted, but for now I’m doing my best to embrace it. My problem is that you haven’t been forthcoming with what we are dealing with exactly.”
Rodgers was silent as she stared at Sutherland. He felt a chill move down his spine.
“Furthermore, you said you sent out a team to find my family and so far I haven't heard anything.”
Sutherland stood up from the table and walked toward the door. He was tired of playing her games. For all he cared, she could run the district and he could figure out how to get out of there and find his family on his own, because it didn’t seem like anyone in the bunker cared what was happening in the outside world, except for him.
“Wait.”
He turned around, but stood his ground. Sutherland wasn’t about to budge.
“I personally sent out a team to look for your family and they haven’t returned,” Rodgers said. “I think you underestimate the level of chaos out there. As soon as they return, you will be the first to know, either way.”
Sutherland nodded and made his way back to the table… it was enough of a gesture by her that he would give her his attention. Rodgers reached into her pocket, pulled out a black pen and slid it across the table to Sutherland.
EMP (The Districts Book 1) Page 5