Project Terminus

by Nathan Combs

  Horst had suspected they were cannibals, and didn’t want to end up on the menu. Grinning, he said, “Some people just can’t deal with the reality of the new world we live in.”

  Nina looked at Horst and said bluntly, “We’re cannibals, Horst. We eat people. Not because we have to. We eat them because it’s a readily available food source, and because we’re not into gardening and gathering. And we eat them because we like the taste. I am contemplating offering you the opportunity to gain revenge over those who have wronged you, banishing you to a life in the wilderness. That opportunity mandates you do not have an aversion to our way of life.”

  Horst didn’t blink, but Dunst started retching. Nina’s attention turned to him.

  Heather stood behind him and Nina said, “Do you have a problem with that, Dick?”

  When he stopped retching, he said, “There must be another way, I could never eat a human being.”

  Nina nodded.

  Heather removed her sword and in one motion, severed Dunst’s head from his body. Warm blood splattered both Horst and Charlie as Dunst’s lifeless body thrashed in front of them.

  Turning to Charlie with eyebrows raised, she said, “Charlie?”

  Charlie yelled, “You bitch,” and attempted to stand.

  Heather swung her sword a second time, and Charlie’s headless body crumpled to the ground.

  Nina pointed to Dunst. “Cougar, put this one on tonight’s menu.”

  Turning her gaze back to Horst, she smiled. “Horst?”

  Horst smiled back and in a calm voice asked, “What does it taste like?”

  “It tastes a lot like chicken, Horst.”

  Dipping into the cast iron pot a few hours later, Horst Nagel filled his bowl with seconds and went to a corner of the room. Sliding down the wall, he sat silently in the corner, loudly slurping the broth. Horst didn’t think Dunst tasted like chicken. More like pork, he thought. Nina watched Horst intently as he greedily pulled a chunk from the bowl and began sucking on a portion of Dunst’s ribs.

  Taking Heather to the next room, she said, “This guy is a real piece of work. There is nothing off limits to him. Understand this, Heather. We need his expertise to re-build the family, and while we’re rebuilding, we have to control him. We’ve already completed two of the three steps necessary to do that. Step one, he is afraid of us. Step two, he ate one of his friends and showed no remorse. Step three is next. We’re going to screw his little pig brain right out of his head. But one of us always has to be in a position to off him if he gets squirrely. Got it?”

  “Nina, I don’t want to do that.”

  “Trust me, Heather, neither do I, but it has to be done. We don’t have to like it. We just have to do it.”

  They went back into the room, and Nina asked Horst if he enjoyed his meal. Horst smiled and said, “It could have used some special sauce and a sesame seed bun, but over-all, it wasn’t bad. Not bad at all.”

  “Well damn, Horst, if I had known you were a Mickey D’s fan I would have sent someone to find a Golden Arches that was open.”

  Horst smiled and said, “May I ask a few questions?”

  “Yes, Horst, of course. You’re part of the family now.”

  “Cool. What happens next?”

  “Well…Heather and I have first dibs on all new male members. If we like their equipment, and how they use it, of course, then they’re off-limits to other female family members.”

  Horst’s jaw dropped, and with eyes as big as dinner plates, he said, “You mean both of you…like…at the same time?”

  “Yes, both of us at the same time. Unless of course you’re not man enough to handle it.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Horst was sawing multiple cords of wood, and Nina and Heather left his room. “Step three is in the bag, Heather. We own him.”

  “We own a genuine pig.”

  “Well at least it only took a minute.”

  “More like thirty seconds. I think maybe we should call him Horse instead of Horst, though.”

  “Yeah. He does have that going for him. Let’s go clean up. I want to wash his stink off me.”

  The next morning, going over the list of changes she intended to make, Nina thought, I know I can trust Heather. And I’m pretty sure I can trust Cougar. She was impressed with Cougars ability to track people. In addition, he only had to be told to do something once and he did it. And he did it right. It also looked like he was totally loyal to her. She decided she would bring Cougar onto her staff. The knowledge she now had two people she could trust was disconcerting, but at the same time, it was comforting.

  Later that day while meeting with her new staff, she said, “The information I’m going to share with you is not to leave this room, is that understood?”

  “Yes, Nina,” replied Cougar.

  “Of course,” said Heather.

  “Good. The first thing we’re going to do is limit the size of our family to around one hundred people. We’re not going to assimilate everyone we capture, but those we do take in have to be dedicated and reliable. And smart. No more dumb asses. In other words, they have to be worthy, and have value. Everyone else becomes food. We’re doing that for two reasons. One, because there will be fewer mouths to feed. And two, we’ll be more mobile and more efficient; it will be harder for an enemy to detect us. And you both know there are people out there who will kill us if they know we exist.

  “Next, the entire family has to be trained in military tactics. Real military tactics, not the BS Justice taught. That’s where Horst comes in. First, we get proper equipment and weapons, then he can train us.

  “We also have to change the roasting ceremonies to something more manageable. That’s how they found us. The ceremonies were too big, too loud, and too visible. We’ll still have them, of course, because everyone loves them, but they have to be held in a more secure environment.

  “We’re going to change our appearance. No more sharpened teeth and face tats. We can’t do anything about those who have them now, but future family members will look like everyone else. That will allow us to send people into the ORNL, and maybe the Special Ops compound sometime in the future, with a bomb. And that isn’t going to happen if you look like you’re going to eat their fucking kids.

  “I’ve designed a very subtle tat that family members will have tattooed on their inner right thigh. It’s a simple intertwined capital letter T and a capital letter L. That will be an identifying mark for The Light members only, and will show they are loyal, not only to me, but to the entire family.

  “We need to supplement our diet with fruits and vegetables. We can’t have people getting sick from regular foods if they’ve infiltrated the enemy. Their systems have to be accustomed to those types of foods before they go in.

  “I also want us to have uniforms. All black. Since we can’t run down to Macy’s and charge several hundred sets, we can dye whatever clothing we find to ensure everyone’s dressed similarly. That will be more important in the future than it is now, but the sooner we get started on that, the better.

  “Cougar, Horst is important to us because he has legitimate military expertise. He was in an ordnance unit in both Iraq and Afghanistan. But I don’t trust him, and I want you to keep an eye on him at all times. Be subtle about it, though.

  “That’s it. We’re leaving tomorrow morning. We need to move to greener and safer pastures with access to more food and better equipment. When we accomplish everything I just went over, we’re coming back. When we do, the murderers who killed our people are going to pay with their lives. We will have our revenge.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Hope

  Wade and Stuart sat in the ORNL command center going over the guard roster.

  “If I were you, Stuart, I’d incorporate as many of these guys back into the security contingent as quickly as possible. It’d be good for moral, and would give them some hope.”

  “That makes sense. I’ll start re-interviewing those who make an effort at their new j
obs. In the interim period, I’d like to open the gates to the survivors in the outlying areas. I’d like to do that by this weekend at the latest. That’s just days away. I want them to have access to medical care and see there’s a new sheriff in town. But above all, they need to know things are going to be different. I can send riders to get the message to them.”

  “That’s an excellent idea, Stu. What’s their count, by the way?”

  “It’s not a hundred percent accurate, since they were justifiably suspicious of Jackson. They fudged everything, but I believe it will be around five hundred.”

  “Can you house that many people?”

  “If we open up the entire complex we could house ten times that number. That won’t happen immediately. We’d have to make some serious modifications, but five hundred people right now won’t be a problem. I want to run something else by you, Wade. I was thinking, if the ORNL is going to be the centerpiece for a new nation, then that nation should have a new name. I have no idea what it should be called, but I don’t think the United States of America is a viable name. I mean, there are no states left, and realistically, we’re going to be lucky if we end up with enough people to populate a small town, much less fifty states.”

  “That’s a valid point. Maybe we should start by simply renaming the ORNL. Any names come to mind?”

  “I like the name Fort Terminus, so Fort something. Like, Fort Washington, maybe Fort Pride, or Fort Hope. Something along those lines.”

  “Fort Hope! That’s a good one, Stuart. I like that a lot. Given the events of the past few years, a name like that might change people’s perceptions of what the ORNL is, and it might provide hope for the future. No pun intended.”

  “All right. Fort Hope it is. I’ll have a sign made and put at the entrance right away. If you’ll do the honors on Sunday, I think we should have a meeting with everyone from the ORNL and any survivors that show up.”

  Wade was anxious to get back to Fort-T, but he knew he couldn’t leave until the ORNL was off to a good start. Renaming the complex might provide the impetus for everyone to rally around.

  Benjamin made a sign with three-foot tall letters. Taking a cue from the Statue of Liberty, underneath FORT HOPE, it said:

  Enter here, all that seek shelter from the storm;

  That are hungry or poor;

  And those who would breathe free.

  Benjamin said, “Do you think that might be a little cheesy, Wade?”

  Wade read the inscription again. “Words have meaning, Stuart. Before the collapse, it probably would have been laughed at. I guarantee you no one will laugh at those words today. I predict they’ll be inspirational. Put it up.”

  On Sunday, the survivors Jackson was extorting began to arrive. They were hesitant and suspicious, but they came. And they stopped and read the newly erected sign before they cautiously passed through the gates. By 1 pm, nearly three hundred survivors and the entire contingent of the ORNL gathered in the parking lot. Almost seven hundred people waited to hear what Wade would say.

  Standing at a podium they’d brought out from one of the center’s conference rooms, Wade took the microphone and said, “My name is Wade Coltrane. I was a captain in the United States Navy. I’m not real big on speeches, but I’m glad you’re all here. It’s obvious the world has changed. Although it’s an old axiom, and perhaps contrite, in our case it’s entirely appropriate. It’s appropriate because today truly is the first day of the rest of our lives. It’s the first day that will be lived free of tyranny, of despair, and of fear. Today is the first day of our lives where we will have the opportunity to build a future for our families. Everyone will receive medical care and we will work together to ensure no man goes hungry. You will hear your children laugh again. You will watch them grow. And this small parcel of planet Earth where you now stand will one day give birth to a new nation. I welcome you all to the future. I welcome each of you to your new home. I welcome you to Fort Hope.”

  There was silence for half a minute. No one moved. They stood and stared at Wade with open mouths. Hesitantly, one man began clapping. Within seconds the entire assemblage was clapping and cheering loudly. They began shaking hands, slapping each other’s backs, and introducing themselves. Several women collapsed onto the pavement as tears of happiness flowed down their dirty faces. Kids, too young to know anything other than hardship and danger, were hesitant and confused. But within minutes, fueled by their parent’s enthusiasm, they began a game of tag. Laughter filled the air, and young voices joyously reverberated off the concrete and around the buildings throughout the complex.

  After the meeting, Wade and Stuart went into the command center and watched the exuberant crowd through the dirty window. Benjamin commented. “Wow, Wade, I didn’t expect this. Life has returned to the ORNL.”

  Shaking his head slowly, Wade responded. “Yeah, Stuart. Who could have expected this reaction?”

  They watched the celebration for a few more minutes and noted that Tyler Little Soldier had taken charge and, with the help of several ORNL wives, was organizing the crowd.

  “Tyler’s a good man, Wade. He’ll figure out where they’ll sleep for now.” After a long pause, he continued, “Look, I know you won’t want to do it, and I know you don’t think one person should have the power to make decisions that affect this many people, but honestly, we only have one foot in the civilization doorway. And until we’re better able to act as a society, someone has to make the hard decisions. That person is you. Everyone trusts you. Everyone respects you. I know you care, and I know the decisions you make will be in the best interests of Fort Hope and its citizens.”

  Stuart nodded toward the joyous crowd. “That’s because of you, Wade. I urge you to assume command of Fort Hope.”

  “You’re right, Stu, I don’t want to do it.” Wade watched the heartwarming scene taking place outside the CC. After a moment, he turned back to Stuart and with a resigned sigh said, “But I will for now. However, at some point in time, we’re going to need a council to decide the issues.”

  “Okay, that makes sense, but right now, you’re in charge and whatever you say goes.”

  “Damn, Stu. All right. This is what we need to accomplish as soon as possible. Security is the number one issue. Look what’s happened in the past month. We discovered a horde of cannibals in our back yard and found each other. That doesn’t count the discovery of the Northern Groups, or the survival groups and communities you knew existed when Jackson was running the show. You can bet there are others out there who will try to take what we have. That’s just the nature of the beast. We need to prepare for the day they show up.”

  “I agree. What do you want me to do?”

  “How soon do you think you can re-integrate the suspended personnel?”

  “I’ve been interviewing them and already reinstated twenty of them. There are still sixty that are suspended. A couple of them will not be reinstated. The others should be reactivated within a week or two.”

  “Good. I’m going to bring three of my guys to cross-train the guards as a combination military and police force. I want you to select twelve guards to act as a police force. Their main function will be to help people. I don’t want to present a visible, armed police presence. There are going to be arguments, fistfights, thefts, family fights…stuff like that. If they have to restrain someone or remove someone from a home temporarily, that’s okay. But unless someone commits a serious crime, we aren’t incarcerating anyone. We don’t have a jail, and don’t have the resources to care for prisoners. There are also too many access points into Fort Hope. I don’t want it to become a walled compound, but we need to seal some of them off.”

  Moving to a sat-map of what was once the ORNL, Wade showed Stuart what he wanted. “I hate to say it, but Jackson had the right idea when he sealed off this particular area. We can’t effectively patrol the entire complex, and we definitely can’t control access or egress. I want the perimeter fence expanded to here, here, and here.” He circled
the areas on the map. “We also need watch towers erected at regular intervals around the entire perimeter. That will quadruple the size of Fort Hope. Later on, if we need to, we can move the perimeter fences farther.”

  Four months later, Fort Hope was the center of the survival universe. Wade was spending one week at Fort-T and the next at Fort Hope. Ninety-five percent of the former FPS personnel were back on the job, cross-trained as police officers, and receiving advanced combat training. The perimeter fences were moved out, watch towers were erected, and a non-denominational chapel opened. A first class medical and dental facility was operational. School was in full session, communal gardens were planted, and fields of wheat and other grains would soon be providing food for both the residents and the animals.

  On one of Wade’s weekly tours of Fort Hope, Benjamin took him to the newly opened marketplace. “It’s kind of like a flea market,” said Benjamin.

  Wade counted twenty-four small businesses that offered services ranging from baby-sitting to horse grooming. In addition, there were dozens of stalls where people could barter, trade, or sell a wide range of goods. Other than some junk silver coins, a few silver dollars and gold eagles, there was no valid currency. But people did have things of value and they traded them and bartered services for the things they wanted or needed.

  “Capitalism is a part of human nature, Stuart. But keep your eye on it. Con men have existed since time began.”

  It took time, but they modified several of the former office buildings into two and three room family housing units. The population of Fort Hope was approaching 1,500 people.

  Most of the survivors that Jackson had been ripping off, moved to Fort Hope, except for one small community. The thirty-five residents of that village, which was less than ten miles away, decided to stay where they were, but made weekly trips to Fort Hope to trade, barter, and to use the medical facilities. They named their village Liberty.