Once Josiah reached Virginia's airspace, the second helicopter rose up to accompany him back to headquarters. There was no one in the vehicle, but he felt better knowing there was a wingman in case of trouble. He plugged his data pad into the console and turned the helicopter back over to the autopilot cloud program. The droid in front let go of the controls, and the helicopter lurched momentarily as the autopilot computer took over. He confirmed every record was wiped from the flight log before he disconnected the hardwire to his data pad.
An hour and a half later, the blinking lights on the roof of Sector One’s tower flashed, showing a landing pad lit with a large S within a circle. As soon as the helicopter touched down, Ross and Lewis approached from one of the security stations. Josiah waited until the helicopter powered down before opening the door.
“Good to have you back, sir,” Ross said.
“Where the heck have you been?” Lewis shouted.
“What are you, my mother?” Lewis didn't respond. “Why are you both here? I asked for Felix to be on duty.”
“He's on the ground level,” Ross said. “Stuff is happening.”
Josiah rushed across the rooftop to the safety of his building. The two men followed like puppies waiting for a treat. “Define stuff.”
“Bradley wants to have a sit-down.”
“Seriously? When?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Where?”
“Here. He wants to discuss a merger.”
Josiah laughed. “No freakin' way, but I’ll take the meeting.” They stepped into the rooftop elevator. “Lewis, go ahead and set it up. Ross, I want the building spotless, everyone dressed top notch and on guard. The moment that loser steps foot in this building, I want everything on him, soup to nuts. Body scans, DNA samples, air data, you name it. I want the same breakdown on anyone that’s with him.”
Ross typed away on his data pad. The elevator stopped at Josiah’s penthouse level. Josiah got out and held up a hand for Lewis to stay on the elevator. “Allow Bradley to have one exec and a security detail of six only. No one else, got it?” Lewis nodded. “I'm tired. I'll see you guys tomorrow.” Before the elevator doors shut Josiah said, “Both of you bring your A game.”
Josiah was both nervous and excited for this meeting. He hated Bradley. The fact that he had spent close to a billion dollars in legal battles with his rival over the past decade fueled his anger. That was a billion dollars in R&D he could have used elsewhere. His thumbprint unlocked the reinforced steel door to his apartment. Josiah entered the penthouse to find Carolyn holding a glass of dark red wine and dressed in a short black dress. She was looking out the window at the city skyline.
“’Bout time,” she said without turning around. “I was going to leave.”
“Where's your boy toy?”
“He's around. Apparently someone put him on that late shift?”
Josiah pulled that card on purpose and was glad Felix wasn’t at the roof to greet him. The meeting with Bradley rushed back to his mind. “Carolyn, I hate to say this but I just landed a big meeting with Bradley in the a.m. that I need to prep for.”
“Are you serious?” she asked.
Josiah didn't respond, curious to see how upset he could get her. So far she had kept her temper in check. He pushed a few more buttons and said, “Why don't I call Ross and ask him to let Felix off his shift early so you don't waste the effort you put in to getting so dressed up?”
She threw her glass of wine across the room. It just missed Josiah but shattered against the bright white wall. She grabbed a shawl and brushed past him.
As she passed by he said, “I like this side of you.”
“Get lost, Josiah. Don't bother me anymore.”
He knew how much she despised his ability to compartmentalize their relationship, yet it allowed him a level of enjoyment.
Chapter Nine
West Coast of New America 2077
Early the next morning, two soldiers in olive-drab uniforms escorted Kyle down into a musty smelling conference room. In front of him was an oval, wood table with folding chairs around it. The panoramic windows showcased broken buildings and run-down rusted vehicles left abandoned along the roads. Farther out, huts and crude homes were constructed on what used to be called highways. Smoke came from the homes as people started their morning meals the way settlers must have back in the 1800s. Kyle knew he was looking upon an entropic civilization.
The door opened and Charles entered with Huxley and a half dozen other young soldiers behind them. All the soldiers were young, handsome, healthy-looking Caucasian men. These soldiers had navy blue uniforms like Charles. Huxley closed the curtains on every window except two, which gave a wash of poor light to the space. Everyone stood around the table until Charles sat down. Without being asked, Kyle took a seat at the table with the rest of the soldiers.
“Thank you for joining us, Doctor Faison,” Charles said. “There’s movement coming from the east. Rumor has it the controlling government of New America thinks they can come across the Rockies and unify the country again.”
“They can try,” Huxley said as many of the heads nodded their agreement.
“Sir,” one of the generals said, “our troops need food. The rations they’ve been given aren’t enough. For them to train and stay in shape, they need more calories.”
“I understand, and I’m working with the farming community outside the city to speed up productivity.”
The soldier continued, “There’re no animals left to hunt. Last week I executed a soldier for cannibalism—”
Huxley slammed a hand down on the table. “He heard you, Josh.”
Charles held up a hand and Huxley seemed to calm down. “What about the coast?”
“The fish we pull from the shore are so contaminated that you might as well be eating poison.”
Charles spoke to Kyle, “Doctor Faison, I know you don’t want to share your technology, but I implore you to consider the citizens who could benefit from your scientific and medical background. Surely your religion mandates that you must take care of the least of them?”
Kyle was shocked at the overt allusion to Mathew 25 from the eccentric leader. No one else seemed to recognize that Charles referred to the Bible passage. Charles’s question was valid. Could he help the people without giving away his technology?
“Well, doctor?”
“It’s not like you’re leaving any time soon,” Huxley added.
Kyle cleared his throat. “I have limited tech with me, but I can do something. If you give me access to whatever technology you have, I’m sure I can help augment your water filtration.” Huxley laughed and Charles smiled. “What’s so funny?”
“The only filtration we have is the ground where we tap for well water.”
“Sanitation?” Kyle asked.
“Holes in ground for everyone but military,” Huxley said.
“And clean food?”
“Define clean?” Charles said. Kyle did not respond. Charles continued. “How would you feel about training our doctors? People with knowledge are dying faster than we can train up replacements. Our society can’t keep up with this rate of attrition. Right now there are only a handful of surgeons and techs who can operate the equipment we do have. Furthermore, we’re running low on medicine and could use help manufacturing basic things like plasma, antibiotics, and pain meds.”
Kyle glanced around the table. Everyone except Huxley stared at him. He realized that Charles knew he was more valuable helping them of his own free will than being coerced. He gambled on that. “I’ll help on two conditions.”
Huxley slammed his fist on the table. Charles silenced him with a raised his hand. “Name it.”
“Let the villagers go, and stop your public executions.”
A few of the soldiers laughed.
Charles sat back in his seat and pursed his lips for a moment. “I can’t stay all executions, Doctor Faison. The citizens are like children and would go wild without order, b
ut I will let the villagers go.” He added the word, “Immediately.”
Kyle nodded and a few of the soldiers gasped, clearly not used to hearing their leader negotiate.
“Furthermore,” Charles continued, “I’ll stay the execution of any Christian criminals on religious crimes.” Kyle opened his mouth to respond, but Charles cut him off. “I’ve never negotiated with a captive before, so I suggest you take this deal.”
Kyle nodded again.
“He should leave now,” Huxley said.
Kyle got up to leave.
“No, please sit,” Charles said. “Now that you’re part of our team I want you to hear about the world you left behind, and the reality that faces my military if New America does cross the Rockies.”
Kyle sat back down. For the next two hours the roundtable of generals reported statistics on weapons, medicine, food, and conditions in the city as well as outlying areas. There were three hundred thousand able-bodied soldiers spread from the California desert down to the coast. They had tanks, a few planes, ammo, rockets, and two destroyers from the former Pacific fleet. They controlled all the nukes west of the Rockies, which was enough to keep the east coast from using them. The New American government controlled the majority of the remaining naval ships and subs.
New America had 1.2 million troops, along with supplies and infrastructure to back them up. The equalizing factor was New America had a greater drain on its resources with more land to cover, and a hundred and fifty million civilians to control. Charles’s responsibility started and ended with California, which had fewer than ten million civilians. There were estimated fifty to seventy million additional outliers living throughout the midwest and south, held by local governments and gangs, but New America was migrating west, taking back those territories.
“Has anyone been able to confirm if New America has any satellites?”
Huxley flipped through a notebook. “As far as we know, no countries have satellites in orbit any longer. They were the first things knocked out in the wars.”
“Confidence level on this?”
“High for New America. We have flyovers from antique Ajax planes. They wouldn’t waste the precious fuel if they had satellites.”
Kyle was relieved to hear of the world’s limited tech. His dad had launched several satellites into orbit over the past few years for the Atoll. The fact that his people were the only one with eyes in the sky was a good thing.
“Doctor Faison, the reason I want you to hear this is to understand our predicament. If you think the way I run things is bad, wait until New America comes west.” He made eye contact with everyone around the table before he said, “And let me assure you they are coming.”
One general said, “We need more intel. Maybe we can try to reestablish our spy network and—”
Charles shook his head. “We don’t have the time. I want to prepare for an imminent movement.” He spoke to Kyle. “At least I let your Christian brethren have the freedom to worship under my rule. New America will execute Christians, gays, Jews, or anyone who questions their government.” Huxley shivered when he said this. “I know you agreed to help train our medical staff, but I want you also to consider ways to give us access to your offensive tech as well.”
“I’m a doctor not a soldier, which is what you want. I only had access to medical technology and equipment.” Kyle left out that fact that all residents of the Atoll wore many hats, and his science background was just as strong as his medical.
One of the soldiers said, “Surely you can help us modify some of our weapons systems?”
Kyle lied. “I’m a simple doctor. That’s not in my wheelhouse. You’re better off with me helping to develop meds and train people like Charles said. The impact will be greater.”
“I’ll let you have your space for now, doctor,” Charles said, clearly not buying Kyle’s facade.
A moment later Charles stood. Everyone got up and followed him out the door. Kyle, now alone, proceeded to walk without any escort back toward the stairwell. He reached his room and entered to find a young, tanned brunette woman, about twenty-five years old, sitting by his bed. She stood up and was almost at Kyle’s six-foot height. She was clean and well dressed in off-white, tight-fitting coveralls.
“What will it be, doctor?” she said with a Hispanic accent.
“Pardon?”
“I’m your babysitter and nurse assistant. I’m to show you our medical facilities and learn from you as well, but I was told if you wanted me to do other things, that I was to submit.” Her tone carried no anger, sadness, or frustration. She sounded like a woman ready to cooperate. “My name is Maria,” she said, sitting back down on the edge of his bed.
Kyle held up his hand. “Maria, I’m married.”
“You won’t see your wife again,” she said. “It’s best if you accept this fact and move on.” She started to unzip her jumpsuit. “I’ll be a strong ally for you here.”
Kyle forced himself to turn around. “Stop. You said you were a nurse?”
“Yes,” she responded.
“And you said you were gonna show me the medical facilities?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s get to work then.”
There was an awkward pause before he heard the faint noise of the zipper going back up on her jumpsuit. She walked passed him and exited into the hallway. Kyle rushed to catch up with the tall woman. As they went down the darkened stairwells, dirty soldiers passed by and did not make eye contact. Instead they gave Maria a wide berth as if she were someone to fear. When they exited onto the street, the sun was hot and the air stank of rotting food and human waste. Before Kyle could put a hand to his face, Maria handed him a thin surgeon’s mask.
“Put this on,” she said. “You’ll eventually get used to the smell.”
Kyle tied it behind his head. She led him down an alley covered in trash. Two bodies were strewn on the steps to a broken-down concrete building. Kyle couldn’t tell if they were alive or dead. As they exited onto another street, two young men were attacking an elderly man. Before Kyle could say anything, one of them stabbed the old man in the chest several times. Kyle’s gasp turned the two attackers’ attention toward him and Maria. Both of the men acted like they didn’t see the couple. Maria grabbed Kyle’s hand and pulled him along past the body, which was still twitching. The two men started to strip the man of his clothes.
“What just happened?” Kyle asked.
“What happens every day.”
“Why are people leaving us alone?”
She touched the collar of her jumpsuit. “People know I belong to Charles. If anyone so much as looks at me, they are executed. Charles leads by the carrot sometimes, but more often than not he rules by the stick, my dear doctor. And let me tell you, it’s an unforgiving stick.”
“Doesn’t it bother you that he arbitrarily executes people for petty things?”
“These people are animals. They do what animals do. I do exactly what Charles asks of me, and I and my son are protected. I could walk down any street at midnight without fear. No one dares come near me.”
“How old is your boy?” Kyle asked, happy to change the subject.
Maria had a beautiful smile. “He’s a twelve-year-old prodigy.”
“You’re okay with him growing up in this?” Kyle pointed to the broken-down buildings, the trash, and smoke-filled street.
“This is the best I have to offer him.”
“And what about his future? His children?”
“I don’t have the luxury to dream that far ahead, Doctor Faison.” She pointed to a stick-framed, two-story building that was in good shape. It had a corrugated metal roof and second-story windows with glass in them. “We’re here.”
Chapter Ten
New York 2040
At 8 a.m., Josiah strode into the conference room to meet Ross, who was dressed in an expensive grey silk suit.
“Everything in place for the meeting?” Josiah asked.
“Yeah, I'm
going on the assumption his security detail will scan the entire room, so I've left low-hanging fruit for them to grab.”
“Like what?”
“Video and audio signals they can easily block with their technology. I've also put up old-school walk-through scanning equipment, which they’ll balk at. I'll begrudgingly remove it, giving them more mini victories to congratulate themselves on.”
“Good. How confident are you our other data collection won't get picked up?”
“Hard to say. Regardless, they won't catch all of it. I guarantee I’ll have new intel before the end of day.”
“I don't want to lose this window,” Josiah said. “It better be good stuff.”
A moment later, one of Bradley's armed security guards entered the room. The guard was dressed in military gear, but everything was light blue in color. Bradley loved to dress his soldiers to look like they were affiliated with the United Nations. The security guard had a sidearm on his right hip and one in a chest rig, but no long rifle. Ross moved between the man and Josiah, his hand tucked inside his jacket, clearly touching his own firearm.
“You got no clearance to be in here.”
Sally came running in a moment later. “I'm sorry sir, he just ran by me.”
The guard held up his hands. “My apologies. I'm the point man on the security detail and need to do a sweep before Mr. Bradley and the rest of the team come up from the green room downstairs.”
Ross stepped closer and pushed the guard toward the door. “Get away from this room or I'll have you shot.”
The guard steadied himself and dropped a hand to one of his sidearms.
Lewis came rushing in a moment later with Felix, who tackled the guard. Ross threw up his hands. It was clear he did not want Felix to act.
Ross spoke into a microphone hidden in his sleeve. “Get the rest of the team up here ASAP. We have a situation.”
Mission Trip_Genesis and Exodus Page 6