The End of the Beginning

by Eichholz, Zachary

  From the garage, they walked down a wide wooded path and then out into the huge V-shaped plaza in front of the tower. Rows and rows of young royal palms lined it. Hundreds of people were walking all around with glass tablets, talking to seemingly no one on earpieces, or staring at their smart glove screens. Some people were in groups wearing hard hats, ready to go on tours of areas of the base still under construction, while others were alone in the shade on benches, made from recycled newspaper.

  Most wore UNIRO uniforms similar to William’s and Nancy’s; others wore business suits. An array of cargo bicycles and tricycles zoomed in between, taking daily goods and transporting personnel around the section. Facilities crews were caring for some of the new trees, which were still being held up by wooden supports, fixing smart sprinkler systems, and removing dead branches with electric trimmers.

  All of this bordered a great boulevard running from northeast to southwest at the open end of the V-shaped plaza, the opening of which, like the tower, faced southeast. The plaza narrowed as it neared the tower. The large reflecting pool in the shape of an elongated pentagon dominated this narrowing area with its three flagpoles rising from its center. The pool was only three feet deep and the water within it was perfectly still. One could see right to the shiny tile bottom.

  Two grassy hills began to follow the plaza on either side of it until they rose up to become the base of the tower, where two immense white concrete buttresses anchored the building to bedrock. Two more did the same on the opposite side of the structure. Protruding from the tower base, two stories above the floor of the plaza, was a freestanding overhang that looked to have offices within its glass walls. It came 265 feet out over the plaza and stopped just before the end of the pentagon reflecting pool, casting a heavy shadow over the main entrance of Umoja Tower as it itself narrowed to a rounded edge. Nancy pointed up to this rounded edge.

  “That’s where the base commander's office is,” she said.

  Standing tall and proud in the afternoon sun, Umoja Tower rose into the sky, blending into it like a tall white cloud. Long glass windows straddled the white façade with outcroppings of vegetation boxes that had bushes and vines hanging from them, swaying briskly in the wind twenty-five stories up. Satellite dishes and antennas along the truss that clung to the southwest-facing wall of the building all the way to the roof looked much bigger now from down below.

  As they walked under the overhang, some people caught sight of William and stared, even taking pictures and asking for his autograph. Nancy shooed them away every chance she got.

  Inside the tower’s central atrium were even more people: busy climbing stairs, riding glass elevators, standing on escalators. Tall and pyramid-shaped, the atrium went up five stories and had vegetation dangling downward on its inward sloping walls filled with small flowering plants that gave the open space an aroma of nature. Pink LED lights were shining onto them, helping them to grow in the lack of sunlight, since they were inside. Most of the walls were in full bloom, which, along with the lights, gave the white painted atrium area quite a bit of color.

  Nancy looked at her glass tag and said, “Hmmm, we have some time before your meeting. Come on, let me show you something.”

  After clearing the security checkpoint to enter the building, the two proceeded across the atrium’s ground floor and into a roomy elevator. In order to enter the elevator, Nancy used her glass tag, slipping it into a small slot next to the elevator door. An iris scanner finished the process and the door opened. Once inside an electronic voice rang out and asked for their floor.

  Nancy politely said, “Sublevel two, please.”

  William did not even feel the elevator start to move, and it seemed that as soon as the door closed, it opened again. Nancy gave an enthusiastic chuckle, which sounded much louder in the confines of the elevator than it normally should have.

  “Maglev elevator,” she said. “Very cool.”

  William just nodded. They entered into a series of white tunnels with spacious side rooms, meeting areas, videoconference rooms, and lounges with vines growing on the walls and ceilings. This intricate maze made William feel like it was never ending.

  After turning corner after corner and going through the labyrinth, they were met with yet another security checkpoint. Behind this checkpoint were two large glass doors. Once cleared, they passed through the automatic sliding doors and into a long room barely big enough to fit a dozen people. A hissing sound filled the floor area of the room as the doors closed behind them. Simultaneously, a blacklight glow switched on making their mostly white uniforms burst into a fluorescent radiance.

  “What’s that sound?” asked William, feeling apprehensive.

  “This room is the airlock that separates the command center from the outside world. Air is being pumped in so that we equalize with the command center’s positive pressure. Air can only be let out, not in. Your ears will pop soon. A great defense against potential pathogens or any other would be chemical, biological, and radiological contaminants. In fact, the whole command center is on its own air filtration system completely separate from the rest of the building. It’s underground down here in case something happens on the surface. This section of the base has been raised fifty feet above sea level so we can have these underground structures; otherwise, being in Florida, we’d be swimming.”

  “And the light?”

  “The glow show is a disinfection method called ultraviolet germicidal irradiation. UV light at short wavelengths is a very effective killer of nasty microorganisms.”

  The hissing stopped as William’s ears popped and the lights returned to normal.

  “You’re kind of a geek, aren’t you, Rescue Officer?” William asked with a grin. He immediately found himself feeling extremely awkward. The grin slid off his face as he glanced over at Nancy. He shouldn’t have said that. He’d meant it as a compliment but he wasn’t so sure she’d see it that way.

  “Yes, sir, I am,” admitted Nancy, shrinking her head into her shoulders. “That’s not a bad thing, is it?”

  Thank God. He could clarify himself.

  “No, no, absolutely not,” he rushed to say. “Geeks are good.”

  Nancy looked up. “Geeks are smart and to be a hero, you gotta be smart,” he continued. “People think you’ve gotta have guts or a lot of adrenaline or testosterone or something to be a hero. That’s not true. You have to be able to know what no one else knows, see what no one else sees and hear what no one else hears. No, the world doesn’t need more brawn, it needs more brains, like you.”

  Nancy tried to hide a subtle blush so she looked down and away.

  “Well, in here is a geek’s paradise. What we’re about to step into is a utopia.”

  Two doors on the opposite side of the room from which they entered opened swiftly and revealed the base’s humming command center.

  William’s eyes opened as he gazed around the room. The command center was huge, some 200 feet across and thirty feet high, and teaming with technology and expertise. Each section of the octagon-shaped room was broken into an area that had a specific task, whether it be monitoring base infrastructure, global communications, technical support for environmental protection, or even overseeing geoengineering projects. No space was wasted in this underground cavern of glass computer screens and LED lighting. Fifteen rows’ deep worth of consoles and workstations followed the contours of the octagon all the way around.

  On the walls were projections of data from every corner of the globe. Local weather reports, thermal signatures, rainfall patterns, political unrest, aircraft whereabouts, shipping lanes, space weather, even individual road conditions in far-off places, like Siberia, were on display on the dark concrete walls the size of small movie theater screens. All this data, as Nancy explained, was being transmitted via laser from UNIRO’s Phoenix 5 satellite network in orbit above the struggling Earth.

  Launched with the help of private space companies, no part of the planet could not be seen under the thirty
bus-sized satellites’ field of view, each one scanning areas the size of Australia every few hours with each new pass.

  Each row of computers and workstations was manned by as many as twenty people, all wearing headsets and smart gloves and sitting upon contemporary chairs with webbed backs gliding on wheels over smooth, dark blue-carpeted floors.

  An elevated octagon shaped projector platform, fenced in by handrails, held a piece of technology that so far rivaled anything William had seen. At the dead center of the room was a holographic globe about thirty feet in diameter resting over this platform. Storm systems swirled over green continents and areas of concern were highlighted and zoomed in on the globe's translucent surface. Using their smart gloves, technicians could effectively grab the globe with hand gesture technology, and move it to the desired geographical location. Everything was being displayed in real time but could be rewound if necessary.

  Every person was engrossed in their work. Most of the command center appeared to be focused on a situation developing near Lima, Peru. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake had struck the city three days earlier, and the response appeared to be adequate at best without UNIRO. Thousands were trapped or missing, hundreds already dead. It was a sobering reminder of the need for this organization and its international power.

  Nancy took William to the center of the octagon, just under the holographic globe. William only noticed this now that he was standing directly underneath it, but above the globe was a grated platform in the shape of an octagon with more computer consoles and technicians looking down over the northern hemisphere of the globe through an open space in the platform’s center. Extending out from this upper platform were small bridges connected to the ceiling via steel struts. Each bridge ran to the outer eight wall points of the octagon and then descended to the floor with spiral staircases.

  “You people just build the biggest damn things,” William said in amazement, his mouth agape as he stared up at the ceiling. He had meant for only Nancy to hear him but a voice from the platform above called down to him.

  “We do indeed, Captain Emerson. If we didn’t, no one would take us seriously. Isn’t it ironic that people fighting for perhaps the most important things of all, the very air we smell, the very water we taste, have always been taken the least seriously? Not anymore.”

  William looked up to see who had responded to him. The top of the octagon command center, where the voice originated from, was darker than the rest of the room. Appearing out of the shadowed platform above were first two hands grasping the platforms handrail, then a discernible figure, an older woman, in her fifties at least. Nancy immediately recognized her and stood to attention so William did the same.

  “Commander,” Nancy said.

  Commander! William stood a little taller, a little straighter, and stared off into space until he was addressed. Chin up, chest out, shoulders back, stomach in. That’s what you were supposed to do.

  “At ease. Rescue Officer Lewis, always a pleasure,” she said coldly. A British accent pierced her speech, making her that much more daunting.

  “Commander,” Nancy choked, looking at the floor.

  “Look up when addressing your superiors, Rescue Officer Lewis. What are you doing here? My appointment with Captain Emerson is not due to begin for another fifteen minutes… in my office... upstairs.”

  Hammond eyed William with disdain.

  Nancy looked up to the bridge. “Yes, ma’am. Sorry, ma’am. I thought that perhaps the captain might want to check out the commander center. See how everything works. It’s amazing in here.”

  “Amazingly busy, Rescue Officer Lewis, and not in need of two more bloody unnecessary people, especially when one is only a trainee. There will be plenty of time later for sightseeing. He can check it out once he has graduated from basic training. He is here to meet with me, not go around sticking his nose into everything.”

  “Ah, ma’am - ”

  “You’re dismissed, Lewis. I’ll take Emerson to my office myself.”

  “Good luck, Captain,” Nancy murmured, putting a quick hand on his shoulder as she sped away.

  “Emerson!” screeched Hammond, removing one hand at a time from the railing as she began walking down the bridge.

  “Yes, ma’am,” jumped William.

  “Follow me. We have much to talk about.”

  CHAPTER 16: A Dare

  Struggling to keep up, William followed the commander as closely as he could, sometimes almost stepping over her pounding black boots. Hammond let William enter her office first, then slammed the double doors behind her as she entered. She took a seat in her desk chair without even looking at him. Electrochromic glass that separated her office from others behind it changed opacity so no one could see in. William, ready to take on whatever she had to throw at him, or so he hoped, just stood in front of her glass desk and held his hands clasped behind his back.

  From a desk drawer, the commander pulled out a flash drive and placed it on her desk. Like bursting fireworks, files of various base personnel were projected around the drive in uniform columns. She scrolled through each one, swiping her fingers hard against the glass as she did, making for an uncomfortable noise. She continued to scroll until she came to what she wanted and tapped on it. William tried to get a better look but could only get a blurry view at the bottom of his eyes. Whatever it was, she read it for a little and then looked up and just stared at him darkly.

  “Ma’am, if this is about yesterday, I can - ”

  “We’ll talk about yesterday in a moment, rescuer. What I want to know, is where exactly you think you are?”

  “Florida, ma’am.”

  Commander Hammond gave a quick sarcastic laugh and then turned darker still.

  “Not what I was looking for, Captain. What I meant was, do you think you're still in the US Air Force playing American cowboy? Your personnel file here says, and I have read it many times, that you were about as crazy as they came. You routinely put men and women under your command at risk and gave your commanding officers trouble in just about every place you were stationed. Kadena. Korea. Now, I don’t know if they are were lenient, nice, or are just plain stupid here in America, but if you had been under my command back across the pond, I’d’ve had your ass out the window and on the boat within a few days of you opening your smart mouth. Knowing that, and taking into account your recent medical history, which your physical yesterday put so helpfully out in the open, along with a little testimony from Mr. Douglas that was not in your favor, I have half a mind to terminate your recruitment. In UNIRO, one doesn’t indulge in selfish rescue missions. One doesn’t sacrifice all for a show and a thrill. And one certainly doesn’t rescue others when it seems one can’t even rescue themselves.”

  Hammond leaned back in her chair and brought both hands to a point in front of her face.

  “I am in direct command of over 9,000 people, hundreds of aircraft and ships worth more than some countries, pieces of equipment the size of buildings, and enough resources so that this base could survive even if the whole damn planet blew up,” she continued. “I have enough to worry about without adding you and your rogue tendencies to that list. So, please, tell me why I should keep you here.”

  “Ma’am, I - ” William started. He floundered, unsure of how to continue.

  “I don’t care if you’re one of the Korean War’s great heroes or what you did in Incheon or what you went through,” the commander said matter-of-factly. “I was there; I know what happened. I was in Ulsan when that bloody bomb blew us half to hell. You think you lost people? If you’re not all here and together with your head on straight, looking forward, your cock down, and your bonnet shut, and ready to go then I don’t want you!”

  William became angrier with every word that passed her less than perfect teeth. He tried to compose himself but he started to sweat and his hands began to quiver. He knew if he lost it now, this would only prove the commander’s point and he would be on the next flight home. Focus, he thought. Focus.
On his wrist, the med-bracelet was vibrating, trying to adjust to his increasing state of anger and stress.

  “Ma’am, I…”

  “Yes, Captain?”

  Maybe it was working because he started to feel better and his thoughts slowed down. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. His hands stopped quivering and the sweat dried up. Finally, the fog lifted and his mind focused.

  “Ma’am.” He stopped and looked out the windows and over the base.

  “Well?”

  “You don’t know why you need me and honestly, I don’t know why you need me either right now. I haven’t seen action in six years. I’ve barely talked to anyone in that time. I haven’t taken care of myself, of my mind. You have every right to mistrust me or overlook me in favor of one of the other 9,000 people on this base. So, instead, give me the opportunity to show you why you could use me. Let my actions speak louder than my few words. Let me show you, and myself, what I can do. I dare you to give me that chance. I dare myself to take it.”

  The commander stood up, put two fists on the desk and leaned across the glowing glass slightly. Unbelievably, and to William’s relief, Hammond nodded her head.

  “You’ve got some balls, Captain. Good start. Most would have just quit, I think, halfway through that conversation. But, know this - you are not here by my choice. But, now that you’re here, I’ll be watching your every move. You are dismissed.”

  As he left her office, he cracked a smile. He had managed to calm himself. He had stood his ground. He was pleased.

  Feeling the tension disappear, William finally took note of the office. Medals from the United Kingdom’s military were displayed in casings on the wall to his left, and to his right were artifacts from various UN campaigns from over the last half-century, most from Korea. A blue helmet with a bullet graze, a copy of the new United Korean Republic’s constitution, other documents that were too far to read, powerful pictures of conflict and peace that were illuminated by LED track lighting on the ceiling, and a silver fountain pen in a glass box. The more he looked, the more the office screamed Korea.