Unearthly Snowbound

by Waggoner, Robert C.

  His driver had given him a small electronic beeper gadget so when Greg needed him all he had to do was press a button and his driver would be there shortly. Greg pressed the buzzer and waited for his driver to pick him up. Greg wanted to go see the Director of Climatology and listen to what the young man had to say. Young in the sense he looked to Greg at the meeting to be in his early forties and had a pleasant look about him. A knock on the door produced his driver and Greg told him where he wanted to go. A few minutes later he was at the door of a long building.

  When he walked in a secretary stood up and greeted him. Greg had told Steven Fuller he would see him just before lunch time. They were expecting him and she led him down a hallway into a large computer room. About five staff was standing around a large computer talking and Greg noticed they were in a heated discussion about something. Steve saw Greg and smiled and told him welcome to the world of unknowns. Greg smiled and he was introduced to Steve’s staff. Steve asked him to join all of his team in his conference room. Greg followed him and in the conference room against the back wall was a giant screen lit up with a picture of the North American continent up to the Arctic Circle. A semi-circle table faced the screen and Greg was asked to sit down and Steve with a long pointer went to the screen. He said, “Greg let me give you what we know about this storm from beginning to end.”

  He had set up a slide show and pulled down a silver screen in front of the large screen on the wall which was a computer screen.

  Greg took out a legal pad and pen. Steve started by saying, “A year ago we noticed our first real weather anomaly. All of us attributed it to global warming; and the onslaught of an El Nino. I will stay with North America first and then give you a look at the world afterwards. First the west experienced a drought while the east had wetter weather than ever recorded in history. This continued as you know, up until recently when we first noticed a slow moving Arctic front moving down over Canada and as we suspect, with the rate of movement, now is starting in South America. As soon as the front covered the Northern States, we lost communication with all of our satellites and as our aircraft could not operate in this type of weather, we were blind. Even under severe weather conditions we could always access our satellites. It is almost like we are being jammed with some sort of electronic system.”

  Greg had been listening carefully and asked Steve to show him the slide show he had set up. Greg watched carefully as the weather show unfolded. His conclusion agreed with Steve’s and that is somehow an electronic interference was disrupting the communication from space. Greg need more expert advice and asked Steve, “Have you been talking to any experts about some space related possibilities interfering with our satellites?”

  “Yes, and they all agree nothing before this weather anomaly was evident or recorded on any computers.”

  Steve raised the screen and the picture showed the storm covering most of the continent. Steve said, while Greg looked at the screen, “We think the whole world will be covered with this weather by the end of the month.”

  Greg felt a stab of pain hearing the story of maybe life on earth coming to an end. Or certainly only a small population would survive. He sat there for a few moments which seemed like minutes before he stood up and walked up to Steve who was standing there with his long pointer stick. “

  “Steve, let’s go to your office and have a cup of coffee.”

  Steve smiled through his large mouth with generous white teeth. He was a tall man with a full head of blond hair. He had the body of one who did some exercise to stay fit. Greg later found out he was a rock climber fanatic who practiced on a wall made especially for indoor practice near the fitness gym. Sitting down in Steve’s plain office, typical of a government office, drinking a cup of coffee, Greg asked Steve, “Tell me what you think about the possibility we are being electronically jammed by another government or an outside force unknown to us.”

  Steve sat back in his chair and looked Greg in the eye and then sat forward resting his arms on the desk and said, “Just before we lost communication a beam of sorts was detected by some of our computers for just a millisecond. We have it on tape and I knew you would want to see it. Just a second,” and he used his remote to turn on a TV screen and pushed play. “This is not easy to see but if you look closely a small blip occurs and then all of our communication went down for good.”

  Greg watched the screen closely and it happened so fast Steve had to run the tape three times before he saw it. Greg said, “What do the computer experts say about these phenomena?”

  Steve said, “The best they could come up with tracking the beam that it came from somewhere near the moon.”

  Greg sat thinking about this theory and for the life of him he couldn’t understand it. China had put a man on the moon, but he was sure their technology didn’t consist of a laser beam knocking out hundreds of orbiting satellites at one time. America was the most advanced country in the world and they had nothing to compare with what Steve was suggesting: a beam of something and a system on top of that controlling the weather?

  Greg got up and thanked Steve for the presentation and left the building for another section of the base. He called both Chuck and Bubba to meet him in the mess hall for lunch if they were available. Both reported by radio they were on the way.

  Chapter 23

  Bubba looked great, Greg thought. He was full of energy and talked a mile a minute. He told Greg he had continued with an exercise program and found some exercise fanatics to head up the many classes. Greg asked him why he was so happy and he said quietly, “I’m in love.”

  Greg laughed and Chuck gave a knee slapping show of delight for Bubba. Greg asked Bubba to do a population count and coordinate it with the military for a total base population number. Bubba said he had already started and would in a few days time have a hard number for him to work with. Greg turned to Chuck and asked how the car moving was coming along.

  Chuck told him it was not much of a problem and the president’s car would be in place in two days time. Greg told Chuck his idea of going out again to see about the Academy and other sites for survivors. Chuck said he would see to it and after the president’s car was mostly moved, he would be ready to head down the hill in the snow train. Greg went on to tell him that Colonel Travis would go with him and to take some cars to move isolated people to a base where the military could look after them. A tall order, but necessary and Chuck said he was up to the task.

  * * *

  From the cloaked moon base a voiceless communication was in progress at the same time Greg and company were having lunch.

  “All is according to plan. The planet is almost covered in snow. We are on schedule. The high committee will arrive as scheduled. They want to see firsthand how the earthlings adjust to this new environment we created. In earth time six months should show us their resolve. If they succeed, we will accept them into our domain and provide them with the technology for interstellar flight. We have tracked the moving transport to a place in some high mountains we noted was their base of operations for war. They are primitive specie when war was a way of life similar millions of earth years ago in some solar systems. If they can break out of this mindless way of life, a world of which they cannot fathom exists forever. They are great multipliers and fit well into our plans.”

  * * *

  Greg went to his new office to find the former base commander’s secretary seated in her usual place. She preceded him into his new office which upon inspection, was cleaned out thoroughly. Nothing remained of the former commander’s presence. Even his desk chair had disappeared and a new one took its place. The only thing on the desk was a computer and a new legal pad. Next to the legal pad stood a coffee cup of pencils looking as forlorn as the secretary. Greg sat down and asked the secretary, whose name was Linda, to ask for the Captain of Security who had arrived on the train with him. He told her he would be with the colonel who was in charge of the troop train. The colonel’s name is Brad Conklin and the captain’s n
ame is Frank Spears.

  She noted the names and told him she would find them right away. Greg thanked her and she closed his door. He picked up the black phone next to the red phone which he assumed was a direct line to the White House and asked whoever was on the line for a connection to the president’s car. Actually it wasn’t a line at all. It was a cell line with relay boxes stuck along the sides of the walls of the complex hooking up every department and house via wireless connection. He was connected with the president in a few seconds and she asked him where he was. “I’m in my new sterile office,” he replied to her question.

  She laughed and said she was in the mess hall having cake and coffee and would he like to join her?

  “I’ll be right there,” he answered back. He got up and his driver was talking to the secretary when he said, “Let’s go to the mess hall soldier.”

  Sitting with the president drinking a cup of coffee, Greg reported his mornings work to her. She perked up when she heard the part of the anomaly electrical report shutting down all the worlds’ computers.

  “Greg, I don’t like the sounds of this at all.”

  “Me too,” he added. I will look into this more as time goes on, but meanwhile we need to put this base on a footing of food production and I must look into the nuclear power portion of this base and see what and how much energy is being used and what potentially available.”

  Hilary told him she had been working with her staff to complete an emergency plan of the government operation henceforth. “When all is said and done, for example, we open centers around the cities they have to be manned and run properly. I know this is a very big job and I will head it up and in turn once a city or town is organized, turn it over to a governor of sorts. I can foresee many a problem doing this without communication links between cities and towns. Fuel for transportation and heating is going to be, or I should say is a real obstacle for organization of community centers.”

  Greg sat there and knew what she was saying. Quite an undertaking and he weren’t sure it would work outstretched across the country. His thoughts drifted back to the word ‘communication’. Somehow he must find a way to link cities and states together again.

  He finished his coffee and went back to his office. He found both the security officers waiting for him. He asked them in and Greg told them to sit down. He outlined what he wanted them to do and that was to go with Chuck and Colonel Travis and make sure the colonel did his job.

  He said, “Colonel Coklin I am making you a full colonel and Frank I’m, if Brad agrees, his second with a rank of Lt. Colonel.”

  Brad said, “I agree with you Mr. Hoffman, Frank has proved his leadership and I welcome him as my second.”

  Greg thanked them both and told them to be careful with the exploration because who knows what is lurking out there.

  They left and Greg noted it was late afternoon and he wanted to go to his new house for a break. He left the office and his driver took him home. Greg told him, the driver, to pick him up at six thirty for his meeting.

  Greg found the kids and Becky watching an old movie of cowboys and Indians chasing one another across the Utah desert. He sat down with them and let his mind wander. He soon fell asleep and woke up at six covered with a blanket and the TV playing some soft classical music. A note was on the counter saying they had gone to the mess hall for dinner and they would see him later tonight.

  Greg rode with his driver to the conference hall. He looked at his watch as he walked into the room. All the principals were sitting waiting for him. He gave them an overview of his climate meeting and the communication black out. “Now, let’s start around the table,” as he opened a new legal pad for notes.

  Two hours later, in addition to his notes, he had the secretary record the meeting. He thanked them all and went home. He was hungry and when he got home, his wife knew he hadn’t eaten dinner. She had brought back from the mess hall some dinner for him: beef stew and fresh homemade bread. He wolfed it down and looked around for some dessert. She produced a piece of cake and he had a satisfied look on his face after he finished the cake and coffee. He kissed his wife and kids who were watching another old movie on TV and sat down at his small desk to look over his notes.

  Greg looked for comparisons between departments. Overlaps that would show shared information and he couldn’t find any. Each department was on its own. Nowhere could he find duplicate information. He would listen to the tape in the morning to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. For now he was puzzled. Such a giant source of information and no one was coordinating the findings. There should have been many publications of articles in periodicals and scientific journals. Something drastic was missing and he felt a little angry at the people at the top who were supposed to be running the base. He went to bed dreaming of light pulses knocking out the communication and spy satellites.

  He woke the next morning fresh and without a headache. Becky was snuggled next to him and he could hear the TV on and the sounds of old cowboys shooting up an old western town. He realized he was not far from a lot of old western action here in Colorado. Maybe it was time to put the spurs to some of these deadbeats around here, he thought.

  He took a short shower to conserve water and when he went to the kitchen after dressing, he found his wife making toast and coffee. He gave her a hug and took his toast and coffee to the sofa and sat with the kids. Greg looked out the window at the same scene: blowing snow. The temperature he was told remained about the same day and night. Curious he thought. Always the same, as the phone rang. Greg took his mobile out of his pocket and it was Chuck telling him they would leave around ten am in Colorado Springs. Greg hung up and called his driver to take him to see Steve Fuller again.

  Becky told him as he was leaving they were setting up school today and classes would begin in a week or so. He smiled and said, “Great job honey.”

  Steve was sitting in his office looking at another computer print out from months ago. He asked Greg to sit down and offered him a cup of instant coffee.

  Greg said, “Thanks, yes I live on the stuff. Makes no difference if it’s freshly ground or instant; I love it made anyway someone wants to give it to me”

  Steve handed Greg his coffee and sat back down and waited for Greg to speak. Greg looked at this intelligent looking man. Tall and well built; a keen mind to go with his good looks. Greg could get to like this guy. He said, “Steve I think we are in trouble from the outside of our atmosphere. I don’t have much to back up this feeling I have but as you so rightly pointed out, a blackout occurred right after your computers recorded a faint blimp of emanating from the direction of the moon. One arm of this base is space exploration, but after yesterday’s meeting with all of the heads of the departments, no one mentioned this phenomenon.”

  Steve said, “Wait a minute,” and picked up his phone and called the director of the Space Program, “Ben, this is Steve; I’ve got Greg in my office and wonder if you had some time please come and visit us.”

  Steve listened for a few seconds and put down the phone and said, “He’ll be here in a few minutes.”

  They drank their coffee and talked about the over population of the base and what would everyone do to keep themselves busy and how to organize the departments in mutual cooperation.

  Ben came in and he and Greg were formally introduced. Greg noticed he was not young, but seemed full of nervous energy. He was of average height and weight; silver hair and a goatee under full lips. His eyes the color of wet river rocks: black and shiny. His handshake was firm and warm. Greg was not entirely comfortable with the man, but sat down and listened to Steve talk about the strange beam just before the communication was lost.

  Ben crossed his legs like a woman and looked at Greg and said with a deep gravelly voice, “My people have analyzed it frontwards and backwards and we have come to the conclusion: it is just a fluke of space particles caught up in a light refraction.”

  Greg had heard enough and stood thanked the both of them and l
eft the office for the mess hall and a hearty breakfast.

  He found Chuck and Bubba sitting at the table with the president. If one didn’t know them they would think they were just civilian workers eating breakfast. Greg joined them and saw they were eating powdered eggs and toast. He didn’t like what he saw, but he had better get used to it as fresh eggs and bacon were a thing of the past. He wondered how many species went extinct with the recent weather. He shook the thought from his mind when Chuck told him they were about ready to go.

  Greg told them again to be careful and not take any chances as rogue elements might be on the prowl hungry and desperate. Chuck said, “I have my new nine millimeter Glock and I know how to use it.”

  Greg slapped him on the shoulder and told him, “Remember Chuck this isn’t the Wild West anymore. That brought on a table full of laughter. The two security colonels walked in and sat down. We are ready when you are Chuck.”

  Chuck said, “Let’s hit the road then boys. Time is money and all that sort of stuff.”

  After they were gone only Bubba and the president remained at the table. Greg said, “Madam President, after talking with Steve the head of climatology and his slide presentation and his video of the strange light beam, he called Ben Glass head of the Space Exploration arm of the base. Ben came over and flatly ruled out any outside interference with the satellites. I’m not convinced and I have found out that the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing around here. I believe since the threat of nuclear war has diminished, a relaxed base commander has made this place like a retirement home. I intend to shake the foundations of this place up.” Greg went on to say, “I will call a meeting for tonight and spend the rest of the day going from one department to another.”

  Hilary said, “Greg do what you think is best. We are in a fight for our lives and we need answers not speculation and conjecture. Now I have to go see how my portion of this job is doing.”