The End

by G. Michael Hopf

  “Well Gris, at the end of the day, it’s not your decision; it’s the president’s.”

  Griswald just looked at Houston with a blank stare. He then looked at the map on the table and said, “You’re right Houston; those decisions are always left to whoever is the commander and chief.”

  Houston cocked his head a bit, not sure of the tone in Griswald’s comment.

  Griswald then continued by saying, “Let’s go make sure the convoy is ready to take President Conner.” He immediately left the room followed by his aide and other officers who were in the room for the briefing.

  Houston, still sitting in his chair, leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. Placing his head in his hands, he took a long sigh and said, “May God save us all.”

  San Diego, California

  Gordon’s senses were alive with the sounds, smells, and feel of nature unfettered by what had happened to mankind. The birds were still chirping, the wind still had that cool ocean feel to it, the sun’s warmth was still there along with the smell of sage that permeated the air. What was missing was the daily hum of traffic, the loud lawnmowers or leaf blowers. Those sounds were replaced by the sound of people walking, talking, and kids playing in the street. Many people now spent time outside their homes; no longer were they able to hide inside with their TVs, computers, and other electrical devices. Electricity created the modern world and had given people many luxuries but it had also divided and made them a people who only interacted online. There was peacefulness about it all that Gordon liked.

  He knew it would not last; he knew eventually people would start to tear at each other for what few resources were left. He had returned from another successful trip to a grocery store. Their cache of food and supplies were now enough to keep his and Jimmy’s family alive for about a year. Upon their return, he stopped by each house in the neighborhood and dropped off handwritten notes. The note asked everyone to meet in the central park later in the day. He was now en route to go meet with Mindy Swanson, the HOA president. He wanted to sit down with her to explain his theory and present his solutions to confront the problem. Gordon knew that for long-term survival the neighborhood needed to come together so they could coordinate efforts to collect food, water, fuel, medicine, and other items. Pooling the talents of his neighbors was critical to his plan.

  Standing nervously in front of Mindy’s door, he took a deep breath and knocked. He had known Mindy for three years. They had met within a week of their moving into the neighborhood but he never really got to know her except for her reputation as a tough-as-nails person. She usually got what she wanted and was someone who wasn’t afraid of speaking her mind. They initially had a cordial relationship, but had a falling out eighteen months ago because of his response to a rash of break-ins in the neighborhood. Even though Rancho Valentino was gated, thieves had managed to gain access and break into homes. He had written a letter to Mindy and the board recommending some action be taken. With no response, he went to the next board meeting and laid out his recommendations. All at the meeting expressed support for his plan but decided not to approve it because of how it might look. This angered him; they were more concerned with appearances than results. Instead, they opted for an approach of posting signs and creating an open channel of communication with police. He argued that wouldn’t stop the break-ins; unfortunately, he was correct. Within days of the signs being posted two more homes were broken into. Taking it upon himself he conducted foot patrols. One night, he managed to catch those responsible. What he thought would be praise from Mindy and the board turned out to be condemnation and ridicule. She expressed openly at the next meeting and through a letter to all homeowners that she and the board did not appreciate or condone what they called his “vigilante” behavior. Gordon never forgave Mindy for the way she treated him. The entire incident split the community and created an atmosphere of mistrust that still existed.

  The door opened and there stood Mindy. She was in her early Rancho Valentino forties, average height, slender with shoulder-length black hair.

  “Gordon, hi,” she said, looking surprised to see him.

  “Hi, Mindy, I want to talk to you about the blackout,” Gordon said, trying to be very professional. “Is now a good time?”

  “Sure, come on in,” she answered, opening the door fully.

  Gordon walked in and stood just inside the foyer.

  “Let’s go into the living room. Can I get you water or something else to drink? Not cold, of course.”

  “Water would be great.”

  Gordon walked over to the couch and sat down. She came over with a warm bottle of water and handed it to him.

  “Thank you.”

  Mindy took a seat in the leather chair across from him and asked, “So, how is your family?”

  “They’re fine, thanks. Listen, I’d like to cut straight to the situation, if you don’t mind,” he said as he sat up on the edge of the couch and put the water on the table next to him.

  Mindy’s body language signaled that Gordon made her uncomfortable.

  Nodding, she said, “Sure, go for it.”

  “Mindy, what we are experiencing now, this blackout; is not a normal blackout. I’m sure you have now heard the rumors of an attack. What I wanted to share with you is that I think I know what happened. I believe we have been attacked with some type of electromagnetic pulse weapon; it’s the only type of weapon that can cause this type of blackout. We’ve had blackouts before, but now our cars don’t work, cell phones don’t work, nothing electronic seems to work at all. What could have caused this are two things: a major coronal mass ejection from the sun, or an EMP detonation. I am guessing we would have been warned about the CME, so the EMP makes more sense,” Gordon said. He was speaking quickly, and Mindy was trying to take it all in.

  “Wait a minute; what you’re guessing is that we’ve been attacked with some type of magnetic weapon? This is why nothing works?”

  “Yes, we have been attacked by a nuclear weapon that was blown up somewhere in the high atmosphere.”

  Not letting Gordon finish, Mindy yelled out, “Gerald! Gerald! Come down here now!” Gerald was Mindy’s husband; he was a lanky tall man in his mid-fifties. He was a very successful financial analyst in Rancho Santa Fe.

  “Gordon, if you could wait a minute, I want Gerald to hear this.”

  “Sure, no problem.” Gordon reached over and grabbed his water.

  Gerald walked into the room and approached Gordon with his hand outstretched. Gordon stood and shook his hand firmly.

  “Good to see you, Gordon,” Gerald said.

  “Nice to see you too.”

  “Gerald, please take a seat. I’ll just quickly tell you that Gordon has stopped by to give us his opinion on what he thinks is going on with this blackout,” Mindy said to Gerald.

  “Oh, really?” Gerald said, looking over at Gordon, then taking a seat in the other leather chair next to Mindy. “What do you think is going on, Gordon?”

  “I have been explaining to Mindy that this is not a normal blackout. My experience and training coupled with what has happened leads me to believe this situation has all the trademarks of an EMP bomb.”

  “EMP?” Gerald asked.

  “Sorry, electromagnetic pulse. Essentially, someone has detonated a nuclear bomb high in our atmosphere. The resulting effect fries everything electrical. What I don’t know is if this is more local, regional, or nationwide.”

  “What does all this mean?” Gerald asked, looking very interested.

  “That is a good question. If this is widespread, then we must come together as a community and work toward securing as much food, water, medicine, and other resources as we need to survive.” Leaning forward toward Gerald, Gordon looked intense and finished by saying, “Gerald, what you do for a living is now over for as long as the lights are out, and with all power out across the area our focus ha
s to be getting and stocking up on the items I mentioned. I feel it is important that we move now, not tomorrow. This is why I have had flyers circulated across the neighborhood today calling everyone to come meet in the central park this afternoon.”

  “Why didn’t you come to us first before taking it upon yourself to circulate a community meeting?” Mindy asked, looking a bit put out.

  Gordon looked at Mindy and said, “Mindy, please don’t take offense, but I thought I needed to act. I feel this is a life-changing event and we must act now. I am not trying to step on anyone’s toes here.”

  “I am the HOA president and I feel it’s important that I was informed before you decided to organize a community meeting. What if you’re wrong? By having a meeting and announcing to our friends and neighbors your theory you could start a panic,” Mindy said in a scolding way.

  “Mindy, please stop, just stop. This isn’t necessary,” Gerald pleaded.

  “No, Gerald, I won’t. I am the head of this HOA and I feel it is important that we should have vetted his theory before we just jump to conclusions,” Mindy continued.

  “Gordon, I appreciate your theory, but we should wait a few more days to make confirmation of it before we make any announcements and plans within our community,” Mindy said firmly.

  “Sorry, Mindy, I will not stop my meeting, I have the right to talk to whomever; those who decide to come to my meeting, I will give them the truth. This is not some average situation. We do not have the luxury of waiting a few days. There are only a few days of food to go around in grocery stores as it is, and that counts the perishable foods. If this community is to survive till help comes, we must act now. I will not wait for you. I thought it prudent and respectful to come to you, but I can see that you still hold a grudge after the last incident. I’m not here to usurp what power position you think you have; I am here to ensure that as many people survive what is coming!” Gordon said. He was clearly disturbed by Mindy’s attitude. He stood up and continued to speak. “You can join us at three p.m. in the central park. I’ll announce to whoever shows up what I know is going on. Then I’ll begin to organize efforts for our collective survival. You’re more than welcome to come and participate but if you don’t that’s fine too.”

  “Gordon, wait,” Gerald insisted. He looked at Mindy and shrugged his shoulders.

  Mindy just sat; she was tapping her fingers on her crossed legs. Her anger was just hiding behind her pursed lips. She let out a deep sigh and said, “Gordon, I like you; I do. I just think that you approach things differently than most people. You’re kind of a bull in a china shop. I prefer the way of careful and diligent thought versus shoot-from-the-hip decision making; however, I would agree that something is different with this particular situation and I will come to this meeting. I will trust your instincts on this one and only hope that you are not right for all of our sakes.”

  “Thank you, your support will be helpful. With that said, then should we go over what I propose?”

  “Sure,” Mindy said, nodding her approval.

  Gordon sat back down and pulled a pad of paper out of his backpack.

  “I have drawn up a plan for us to work from, and I made you a copy,” he said, handing her a second pad of paper.

  She took the pad and reviewed them. “Well, based on what you have here, I would have to say this is a serious situation.” She handed the pad to Gerald, who looked it over and handed it back to Mindy.

  “Look at page two, item seven.”

  “Thank you, Gerald, yes I saw that. So Gordon, looking at this, it appears you are recommending we become, essentially, our own town?”

  “Yes and no. We have three hundred and twenty-four homes in our neighborhood. Without most vehicles and specifically without support from anyone we have to tackle all the responsibilities that a town must. . . .”

  “Like having a sheriff?”

  “Yes, I just used that for lack of a better word, but we will need a sheriff, militia, or security force to protect what we have.”

  “And who do you recommend for that position?” Mindy asked with a rhetorical tone.

  “Without knowing everyone else in the community and their specific talents, I would volunteer myself for that position.”

  With a slight grin, Mindy said, “Of course.”

  “Mindy, if that’s a problem then we can hold an election and see who our neighbors think would be best suited. Listen, I’m not here to gain position, all I want to do is survive this.”

  “Gordon, let me contact the other board members; have a quick meeting. We will all be at the three p.m. gathering today. Okay?” Mindy stood up and Gordon followed. She walked up to Gordon and put out her hand. “Thank you for informing us of what you think is going on.”

  Gordon took her hand. “You’re welcome. I’ll just show myself out.” He turned and left. After closing the door, he murmured, “What a bitch.” As he walked off, he thought to himself how clueless and insecure some people were. He looked around the neighborhood and everything looked normal per se, but it would change and change soon. He hoped he was wrong, he longed for his theory to be completely wrong, but knew he was right. He thought that for too long many Americans had taken everything for granted and assumed life would continue on uninterrupted. But history shows that it doesn’t; all throughout time civilizations have risen and fallen, and now this could be the end of the American Dream.

  USS Makin Island

  Sebastian stood on the railing of the USS Makin Island and looked at the white heads of the waves of the Indian Ocean. The cool breeze felt good on his face in contrast to the warmth of the waning sun. He looked across and saw the USS New Orleans just in the distance; the entire ARG was now heading in a southerly direction toward Diego Garcia. After the stunning announcement at the formation earlier, Gunny had collected his entire platoon in the berthing area to see what each Marine felt about their new mission. The decision was unanimous; all were in support of it and wanted nothing more than to get back to California. There were rumors of a few Marines and sailors being taken into custody because they disagreed. This was done as a procedural maneuver to prevent any type of conflict. Sebastian felt good that the decision-making of possibly leaving was taken away from him. No one knew what the future held, but when you’re in the Marines there never is a guarantee of anything.

  The hatch behind Sebastian opened and Tomlinson stepped out. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his blouse pocket, lit one, and leaned on the railing next to Sebastian.

  “This is all really somethin’, isn’t it?” he asked.

  “Yes, it is. I agree with Barone, we have to get home. We have to take care of our own, period,” Sebastian said.

  “I’m nervous about my family back east, but I guess there wasn’t much I could have done even if we went to the East Coast.”

  “At least your girl will be fine,” Sebastian said, turning to look at Tomlinson.

  “How do you think we’ll be able to get into Diego Garcia without causing a problem?”

  “I don’t know,” he said, looking up at the bridge of the ship. “But I bet they have a plan.”

  • • •

  “Major Ashley, how are things proceeding?” Barone asked his young executive officer. Major Ashley was a handsome man with light brown hair. He stood six feet tall and was chiseled. He graduated Quantico top of his class, and went through the ranks very fast due to his superior intelligence and political prowess.

  “Sir, two-four’s company commanders are reporting that we have seventeen Marines who are not in agreement with our new mission. Those Marines have been taken in custody.”

  “Captain, what about one-one?” Barone asked, turning to Captain Tetter, who was 1st Battalion 1st Marines liaison on the Makin Island. He was as wide as he was tall. He was the kind of guy you’d find in the gym twice a day, but with his shaved head not one you’d want to meet in a
dark alley.

  “Sir, we have thirty-eight Marines. I believe that is because you are the one taking control.”

  “Do you have any recommendations?” Barone asked

  “Yes, sir. I do. You need to have a joint formation with Lieutenant Colonel Silver and show that there is solidarity between both battalion commanders.”

  “Okay, let’s do that immediately. I won’t have a formation but a joint announcement and have us both speak about the new mission. Please make it happen when you get back to the New Orleans.”

  “Yes, sir,” Tetter said.

  Looking to the lone naval officer in the room, Barone asked, “How is the Navy looking?”

  “Not good, sir, we’ve lost about twenty percent of our personnel across all ships. We’ve had some altercations and it might inhibit our abilities to operate the ARG effectively,” Navy Lieutenant Montgomery said. Montgomery was of average height with sandy blond hair. Not of impressive stature, he made up for it with his cockiness and straightforward style.

  Barone had been pacing the room for the entire briefing. He finally walked to his chair and sat down. He turned to Montgomery and asked, “What are your suggestions?”

  “Sir, I don’t know. Many of the men feel like you have taken their ships. The talk is that these are Navy ships and the Marines have stolen them. We also have the issue that not everyone has family in California. Some actually had family back east.”

  “I realize that not everyone has families in California, but many do. I can’t make everyone happy. Going to California is the best plan. Like I said, once we land, if anyone wants to go on their own they can. We will give them a weapon and some supplies. I think we should also offer an incentive. All men in the end have something they want, everyone can be bought. In my announcement with Silver I will announce that all those who join us will receive bonuses.”