Everyone under the tents exploded into applause, as did people watching wherever they happened to be. In homes, in sports bars, barber shops and department stores with television displays, people stopped and clapped their hands.
The next day, in spite of the President’s moving speech and the apparent support of the people, the price of Grymsanto stock (GRYM) continued to tumble. Speculators in the company continued to pull their money out, which they had been steadily doing since news of the attack had hit the wires. Private and institutional holders, both foreign and domestic sold their shares for pennies on the dollar. Grymsanto secured an emergency line of credit from an undisclosed lender (the Federal Reserve) and repurchased all shares offered for sale. These were held in escrow by an agent of the lender (the U.S. Treasury Dept.) pending the ruling of insurance companies and the lawsuits that were sure to follow. That move kept Grymsanto operating and out of bankruptcy court.
Over the next weeks, critical staff positions vacated by those killed in the attack were filled by members of the staff of the Department of Agriculture, who worked side-by-side with staffing from DARPA, to replace key researchers that had been lost. Inventories of everything remaining were done as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Everything was loaded into unmarked semi-trailers, which promptly left the site under heavy guard. By the end of the month the site had been totally cleaned up and all that remained was a level piece of land with fresh topsoil and grass seed where the building and the parking lot had been.
As recommended by Charles Blayton, and so ordered by Dennis Scott, the Director of Homeland Security, everything had gone north, to central Iowa, to be relocated adjacent to Camp Dodge, which is the headquarters for the Iowa Army National Guard. Immediately adjacent, the Iowa Air National Guard set up a mobile emergency operations center complete with workstations, broadband Internet, television monitors, video conferencing equipment, etc. as a communications hub for the mobile offices to be staged around and hooked up to.
Grymsanto’s entire team worked around the clock to quickly bring up to speed the surprisingly qualified replacements they had been provided with, so work could continue on their project. They were totally amazed at the resources suddenly available to them, and the speed at which everything happened, but they had too much on their minds to question how rapidly everything came together.
A meeting was scheduled with Grymsanto’s senior management and Charles Blayton, the Secretary of Agriculture, to share information concerning China’s progress on their rice project. None of those attending had any knowledge that that effort even existed. The topic of conversation switched to China’s lack of respect for intellectual properties and patents, as well as how to guard Grymsanto’s discoveries from being blatantly copied over there.
Greg, one of the senior research staff replacements from DARPA that attended the meeting, spoke up; “The addition of a terminator gene with a trigger that kills second generation seeds would positively prevent them, or anyone else, from saving seeds for research or growth. The Department of Agriculture, together with a private company, already holds the patent for this technology, so there’s no problem legally. Once triggered, these seeds would produce a corn plant with ears full of kernels, but while good to eat, those kernels would never germinate.”
“What triggers that?” Blayton wanted to know.
“Basically, you design a hybrid plant that grows normally, until it’s almost mature, and then built-in toxins develop inside cells of each kernel that will kill the seed’s embryo as soon as the seed tries to germinate. That effectively kills the next crop,” Greg said.
“Damn! We can do that?” Blayton asked.
“Oh yeah. We can do that,” Greg answered.
“If the plant kills its own seed, then how does Grymsanto get more seeds to sell next year?” Blayton asked.
“Well, due to the nature of a hybrid, likely the terminator gene is introduced into strain A of the plant and the trigger is introduced into strain B. Independently, they do nothing, but if the two strains are cross-pollinated, the hybrid C is created containing both the terminator and the trigger. When the seeds from hybrid C attempt to germinate, the toxin releases and kills the proteins necessary for the seed’s embryo to develop, thus killing the embryo, and furthermore, killing the whole crop. In order to have seeds for the next year, you’d need to keep growing strain A in one secure location and strain B in a totally different secure location, so there is no chance of their cross-pollinating. The reason I say secure location is, if anyone knew about this and got their hands on strain A and strain B, they could then grow their own hybrid C as well.”
“This needs to be done to protect this technology from our enemies then,” Charles Blayton said. “Keep the inclusion top secret for reasons of national security.”
“Yes, Sir,” said Greg, and it would be done.
4
Washington, DC
Early Spring 2018
The Oval Office
As was his custom, before following any advice that influenced major decisions concerning topics for which he was not well qualified, President James did some homework by calling upon a trusted friend and former colleague. He sought a second opinion on the placement and guarding of the Grymsanto test sites on Federal lands adjacent to National Guard installations around the country.
“It’s good to see you Cy, thank-you for taking time out of your busy schedule,” winked President James as he closed the door to his office.
“Oh yeah. Busy, busy, busy alright,” smiled retired Major General Cyrus Whitman, Sr., former commander of the Michigan Army and Air National Guard. “Thanks for inviting me.”
“How’s retirement feel?”
“Feels great, I highly recommend it. You should try it yourself Cal. Who’d have ever thought I’d be summoned by my ole pal and wind up in the Oval Office? Congratulations on being the most powerful man on the planet.”
“It’s been too long since we have just hung out to drink a beer and talk about whatever, Cy. I’m sorry to do it this way, but I need some advice from somebody I know, and that I can trust.”
“What’s going on Cal?” Cyrus asked. “Spill it,” he said, putting on that old familiar all business face. President James remembered that same look from when he was serving under him in the Michigan Guard, and it brought back memories.
“Well, I’m sure you’ve heard about the terrorist attack on Grymsanto Labs’ headquarters. Everybody has. What you may not have heard about is the decision to relocate their labs and their field testing sites to Federal lands just outside the fence next to National Guard sites around the country. Let’s just say that what they are doing is important to national security, and we don’t have a good handle on just how to guard fields full of plants. THAT is where I need your help, Cy. You’re fresh out of commanding the Michigan Guard, and I’ve been outta there forever. Things change…”
“Well, think about it like this Cal,” Whitman said thoughtfully, steepling his hands in front of him and leaning his elbows on the desk between him and the President, “replicating the security of Area 51 in Nevada is what needs done. They guard big open spaces of desert that surround what they really want to keep out of sight, so guarding big fields of plants should be no different at all. There have been continuous updates to the legal loopholes of maintaining secret government operations out of the public view for that. Even flying over it is still illegal. It’s the most secure installation in the world. If you’ve got something to hide, you want to copy that model. There’d be nobody better to consult on duplicating everything from the physical to the legal aspects of it than the Air Force’s current commander of the Nevada Test and Training Range, where Area 51 is located. It’s so secret that even I hardly know anything about it to this day.”
“That makes sense, Cy. You have a knack for making things seem simple. That’s why I called you. You gonna be available if I need some help with this?”
“I’d never say no to my government or m
y friend Cal, but I’m not looking too hard for work. I’m having quite a bit of fun just doing whatever the hell I decide to do on the fly every day, so don’t go thinking I need something to do!”
“Ok, I won’t go there then,” Present James said with a chuckle. “So how’s that boy, Rusty? I haven’t seen nor heard of him for years. I always liked him. You know that.”
“Rusty’s 43 now. He married once, but it just didn’t last. After the divorce, Rusty threw himself into school. He was pretty much a professional student there for a while. Between classroom time, lab time and a bunch of internships, he got himself degrees in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Food Industry Management, and Agricultural Science.”
“Well, that’s really impressive. I’m surprised you can list them off like that Cy!” the President joked.
“List ‘em, hell, I paid for ‘em. I ain’t ever going to forget ‘em!”
“What’s he do for a living with a stack of sheepskins like that?”
“He’s working for Walters Department Stores as the Eastern U.S. Local and Sustainable Foods Acquisition Manager. He knows the farmers. He knows the stores. He knows the logistics of getting food from the farm, to the stores, and to the customers as well as anyone can.”
President James raised his eyebrows as a light bulb immediately turned on in his head. It was difficult to hide his delight in learning that someone he knew and liked so well had been so perfectly groomed for the very position he needed to fill. “Well, I always figured he’d be leading something big one day. He was always just like you Cy,” he said as he stood up, signaling that the meeting was over. “I have another meeting in just a few minutes. It’s been great seeing you again.”
Passing by Carl Johnson’s office, he smiled at the girl at the desk and poked his head into the open door of the inner office, handing Carl a slip of paper with a handwritten note providing Rusty’s contact info. “I think I have a potential Food Czar for us. Let’s get him checked out, so we can talk to him.”
“You bet,” said Carl, tucking the slip of paper into his pocket. Carl had known the President a long time. Being his Chief of Staff was almost easy because he could just about read the President’s mind. “I’ll handle it personally. Standard stuff? Anything out of the ordinary?”
“Dig deep. This is a critical placement, and something brand new. We don’t need any surprises to bite us later on. There’s a divorce and an ex-wife to look at too, I understand. Make sure that’s not messy.”
“Yes sir, Mr. President. We’ll get into it all. I’m just glad that nobody ever looks at me this close!”
“What do you have to hide Carl? Did you skip school one day in grammar school?” President James teased.
5
Lansing, MI
Late Spring 2018
Whitman Sr. Residence
“Whitman,” Cyrus answered the phone.
“Cyrus Whitman Sr., this is Cyrus Whitman Jr. calling,” Rusty replied. “How are ya, Dad?”
“Rusty! Hi, son. I’m doing good. Everything ok?”
“Sure is Dad. I just wanted to let you know that I accepted that job at the White House that you dropped my name on. Thank you. It’s literally the job of my dreams.”
“Good. I’m glad. I think you’re the perfect fit. Congratulations! Funny how things work out sometimes, isn’t it? You’ve known Calvin James all of your life, now he’s President of the United States and needs your help. I thought I saw the wheels turning in his head when he asked about you and I told him what you do for Walters.”
~
The following Monday morning, Cyrus (Rusty) Whitman, Jr. arrived at the West Wing of the White House to meet with Carl Johnson, the President's Chief of Staff, in his office.
“Good morning Mr. Whitman,” Carl said as he extended his hand. “It’s so good to finally meet you.”
“Call me Rusty, please.”
“Fair enough. In private around here, we refer to each other by first names generally. In the presence of others, we revert back to formal address. Ok?”
“That’s perfect,” Rusty said. “That’s what I’m used to where I’m coming from.”
“Have a seat Rusty,” Carl said, gesturing to the sofa nearest his desk while sitting back down himself and opening a file there. “You happen to be uniquely qualified for this appointment. The fact that the President is friends with your father didn’t hurt, but you, Rusty, seem to have been groomed perfectly for this. You have a pile of degrees in all of the right things, you climbed the ladder quickly at Walter’s Department Stores to ‘Eastern U.S. Local and Sustainable Foods Acquisition Manager’ it says here.”
“That’s right,” Rusty said. “This job came along at a very opportune time, being as Walters was just taken over by Grymsanto. Everyone, me included, has been wondering if we’d be let go when they began putting their own team in place.”
Carl smiled broadly at that, and leaned back in his chair forgetting the file for a moment. “Over the next few weeks, you’re going to get a lot thrown at you. Later on, you may want to take some notes or whatever works for you, but for the next few days, you’re going to learn some things that you’ll just have to remember, because they should not be recorded in any way. It’s necessary that you understand certain events and be privy to certain strategies in order for you to be able to do the job of advising the President as his newly appointed Food Czar.”
“You know Carl, I have searched everything I could think of relating to that title, and I get zilch. I’m sitting here really hoping that you’re going to fill me in on just what exactly a ‘Food Czar’ does.”
“Ah yes, Rusty, indeed I am. You haven’t found anything, because it’s never existed before. Here’s a fact that, even though it is public record, not many people know. Every President is free to appoint his own staff of aides, advisors and assistants. These are political appointments, which are not subject to the approval of, or even the knowledge of the Senate. You will work ‘at the pleasure of the President’, meaning precisely, doing whatever the hell he wants. Keeping your appointed job into the next Presidency is not guaranteed, but is strictly up to the next elected President. Making yourself indispensable is the best job security you can have. You will advise the President, generally through this office, although technically you work directly for the President. What you will advise him on will actually be a great many things, all of which will center on his “Feeding the World” initiative that he will champion. As you know, the distribution of food is often a larger problem than the actual availability of food. You have the reputation of being the very best there is in the logistics of, and the solving of bottlenecks in getting food from the farmers, to the stores in all of the remote little places around the country, fresh to the customer. Pretty much, you’ll be advising the President on how to do that very same thing, only it’ll be to all of the remote little places around the world. It’s a big job. You’ll be a very busy man.”
“That’s a curious thing for the President of the United States to involve himself in, isn’t it?” Rusty asked.
“Yes, yes, I suppose that one could say that,” said Carl. “When I say ‘food’, it is a bit more specific than you may imagine which also makes it more doable. As you mentioned, Grymsanto Labs has acquired Walters Department Stores recently. Everyone knows that. What everyone doesn’t know is why they acquired them. Put simply, it was for their distribution capabilities. Rusty, there’s a very quiet war going on between the United States and China that most of the population is unaware of. It’s over the control of food and finances for the whole world. Those two items are more tangled together than many may believe.
“Grymsanto has developed a breakthrough in food production, trying to gain advantage. China does it by sheer size, so far. China tried to destroy Grymsanto to get them out of the way, but since they failed to do that, now it’s a race between them to see who wins control as food supplier. That is why Grymsanto bought Walters. It allows them to make distribution happen fast.
You know Walters distribution system better than anyone Rusty, making you the perfect man for the job.”
“Alright, I’m confused now,” said Rusty. “What interest does the President have in the day to day running of Grymsanto Labs and Walters Department Stores?”
Another big smile from Carl. “Because what most folks don’t know is that the terrorist attack wiped out Grymsanto Labs’ scientific expertise and their financial stability. The U.S. government bankrolled and staffed them because we need what they’ve discovered. So effectively, for the time being, the U.S. Treasury is the majority stockholder of both corporations. They will be merged. The resulting corporation will win the race to become the world’s food supplier, and then eventually, that stock will be sold off to American citizens.”
“Interesting,” said Rusty. “I never saw THAT coming. That’s not only huge, but it makes sense. While you were telling me that, I was thinking, ‘but the government isn’t supposed to be allowed to own businesses that compete with private citizens’. The fact that it’s to win a war without violence makes it genius. I suppose that buying stock right about now would be considered insider trading,” Rusty half joked.
“Ugh yes. Yes, that we cannot do,” said Carl with amusement. Then he continued, “Immediately after the acquisition of Walters Department Stores was accomplished, the board of directors of Grymsanto initiated the Treasury Secretary’s plan to merge the two companies together under a brand new name and structure. That’s actually still in progress as we speak. Usually what happens is when company A absorbs company B, the board of directors and upper management of company B are dismissed outright, so you and your peers had every right to be worried. In this case however, every board member except the family representative of the Walters Family Trust was dismissed. The family still owned 30% of the Walters shares, but that was a minority share now, of their own company. Grymsanto owned 51%, leaving the other 19% ownership scattered around the world. Since the United States Government now owns 90% of Grymsanto after the bailout by the Federal Reserve, that means that the citizens of the United States effectively now own controlling interest of both companies.
The Rise of Walsanto (Genetic Apocalypse Book 3) Page 3