by Tom Tryst
“Captain,” she addresses her husband formally, “There’s more people here than we can handle. Do you want me to call for backup?”
Victor nods. “Have them send food with the first bus. There’s probably a lot of hungry people here. We’ll get a count.”
The arrested man speaks up. “We were doing just fine, hunting deer and squirrel, and fishing.”
Victor ignores him. He sends one jeep with two men to secure the entry to the park. He sends all the ATVs, each with two men, to check the other park sections. They are to collect weapons and advise all they contact that they will be relocated where they will have housing, clothing and food, as well as new duties. Families will be kept together. They are to use their phasers only if threatened.
He hopes they can clear the park without violence. He will let those handling reassignments deal with any draft dodgers.
He turns his attention to his suspect. “Turn around,” he orders, then proceeds to remove the handcuffs. “I’ll let the center deal with you. Get your family ready to move out. I assure you, your family will be kept together. Take only personal items. No more than the four of you can carry. Leave the camping gear; you will be given temporary shelter. You’ll be given options as to where you might be ultimately sent.”
The first bus arrives mid-afternoon with box lunches. The food is distributed, giving all time to eat, then that bus is loaded as more buses arrive. By dusk, six buses are loaded and headed to Hondo, the nearest processing center for the area. By dark, the park is empty and the detail heads into Leakey to spend the night in the abandoned courthouse.
In the morning, they will check out Lost Maples park.
Chapter Twelve
The first winter storm blew in from the west, with strong winds driving dry snow across the flat Indiana farmland, accumulating only when obstacles blocked the wind. It started shortly after midnight, but by first light, the schools announced a snow day. There would be no classes.
In town, snow begins accumulating against buildings and vehicles. Most businesses will remain closed and only essential government duties will be preformed. But farmers can’t take a day off. The animals have to be brought into shelter and fed. Cows still have to be milked and the milk processed; a time-critical operation. So it is well before dawn, still dark, when David Davies and his daughter Debby head out to their jobs at the dairy and processing plant some seven miles east of town. With the wind to their back and blowing straight down the highway, the pavement is wind-swept of any accumulation. The bordering fence lines are beginning to accumulate drifts.
Debby is nervous the entire ride out. “Will we be able to get back? The snow’s piling up.”
“We’ll make it a short day,” he advises, “We’ll get back home before if gets too deep.” Even as he assures her, he has some doubts himself. He knows that once the front passed through, the winds will die down and the snowfall will start to accumulate on the roadway. He had been assured that the plows would keep the road clear for their return.
“Once the cows have been milked, fed and enclosed in the cow shed, they’ll be fine until the second shift comes on for the evening milking. What we get today will keep in the cooling collector to be processed tomorrow.”
“We will finish the milk from last night,” Debby adds. “It’s all going to cheese. But then what?”
“We keep milking. At worst, we lose some milk. Can’t be helped,” he says. “We can’t take the risk of having all the workers cut off out there for who knows how long; a few sturdy young bucks can stay out there to handle the milking. It all depends on how long the storm lasts.”
They are silent for a while, with David gripping the steering wheel with both hands, sitting forward, trying to see the road between swipes of the wipers. The pavement is bare with the exception of a few growing drifts, but the asphalt is slippery. He keeps the speed down, often lightly braking because of the strong wind pushing from behind. He knows he will be bucking that wind going back.
“Dad,” Debby breaks the silence, “I heard one of the supervisors talking about some of the farmers being unhappy with the communal system. Have you heard anything?” She knows they are continuing the communal system of trade established by the aliens until the governments of the world can decide whether to stay with the system or go back to the free trade system of monetary exchange.
He nods. “They’re complaining that they have to work too hard for the same share other citizens get for just a 40-hour workweek. Even though they have help they didn’t have before, farming can be a hard life. Most of them are working harder than they really have to. They want to return to the dollar.”
“We depend on the farmers, the ranchers, the fishermen for our food. What if they refuse to provide it unless they are paid?”
“Probably conflict. The military would have to step in. But don’t worry, Baby Girl; they won’t - at least for now. What would we pay them with? As a group, they’ll push for return to the monetary system. And we will . . . I mean, go back to paper money and trade credit . . . but it will take time to develop a smooth, worldwide transition.”
It is still dark, an hour before sunrise, when they reach the dairy. He parks the vehicle where he has a straight shot back to the highway. Debby will be in the cheese processing plant, out of the weather, but David will have to face the fierce wind, bringing bottles of milk from the freshly milked cows to the many calves still requiring mothers’ milk. The other crew has already begun milking.
He takes time to move calves from their single stalls, placing them in larger ones, four to a stall. While they are sheltered from the wind and snow, they still have the cold. They can group together for warmth. If the storm lasts long, they could lose some.
It will be up to the evening shift to prepare them for the night.
He finishes early. While waiting in the warmth of the plant’s office, he begins to reconsider his brother’s long-standing offer to try to relocate them in Texas.
Third world countries rush into replacing the existing communal system with disastrous results. Implementing the return of their national currency only disrupted the complicated procedure of international trade of products, disrupting the flow of life-giving sustenance to the masses, for neighboring nations still utilizing the global trade agreement refused to see any value in paper money of another country.
After an emergency session of world government heads, The United Nations, reactivated by the few remaining members who survived the aliens transporting of the masses was struggling to become operational and influential. Their first efforts were to encourage all nations to stay with the communal program until a universal currency can be established . . . if that is what the majority decide to do. They are having very little effect, and expect to fail miserably, for they will have no enforcement abilities; they can only advise and organize.
With the disruptions, once again, people are beginning to go hungry. Soon many will be starving to death.
For the first time in centuries, the farmers and ranchers are in a position of power, along with the fishermen and hunters, for they control the food chain. The aliens had broken up the powerful agribusiness controlled by the wealthy; all farms and ranches were now small, family oriented operations. Fishing and hunting is now uncontrolled, fostering fears of species depletions. Many grass-root organizations begin sprouting up in farming communities in an effort to give voice to farmers and ranchers. The goals are the same: they want compensation for their work. If they can organize nationwide, they could hold the world hostage.
East United States and West United States are once again the United States of America, with the key elected offices being co-chaired until a national election can be held. The most serious problem is the lack of experienced politicians, for most had been transported. Fortunately, most of the day-to-day operations of the various governmental branches and agencies are performed by experienced civilian workers, the ones who had always performed the actual duties. Slowly, critical governmen
t operations considered by the aliens as unnecessary, are reinstated, with emphasis that the government will perform those services which, by their very nature, cannot be provided by the private sector. The government would reestablish the dollar as the national currency with strict price, wage and interest controls, for greed would certainly begin beginning to raise its ugly head as individuals saw the opportunity to again accumulate wealth - and the accompanying privilege and power.
Country after country soon realize they should have retained the complicated, yet effective, method of global communal living established by the aliens. But it is already too late to go back. The coming years will be another painful adjustment for humanity.
As the first few months of freedom have passed. The one area of success for the United Nations is the establishment of the Global Defense Pact, creating a coordinated organization of defense forces to counter the dreaded return of the Peace Keepers. In the United States, this is a new branch of the military forces, called Space Defense. It appears to be destined to become the largest branch of the military, quickly replacing the aborted attempt to reorganize the Air Force. It is beginning to take away precious manpower and resources from the other branches.
In every industrialized nation, the number-one project is playing a part in creating a global defense. Hampered by the availability of needed material and equipment, the manufacture of weapons is a priority. The effort is worldwide. The large countries create the heavy weaponry, farming out component part manufacturing to small countries. Every nation will have a role based on their ability and resources.
The goal is to have the huge laser guided disrupters placed to cover the airspace around the globe. They will hopefully have the ability to negate the protective shields of the alien ships, while at the same time neutralizing all electronics. The belief is that they would then be unarmed and uncontrollable, drawn down by earth’s gravity to be in range of rockets with low-yield nuclear explosive heads. There could be collateral damage by the falling debris - unavoidable.
As with worldwide aviation, the common language for the space defense program is English. There would be a series of worldwide radio and radar communication systems, with one common emergency frequency.
The priority for all telescopes on earth is to continually scan the universe for early detection of the return of alien space craft. New telescope stations are being establish to cover all of surrounding space.
The Compound is now a support group for the Global Defense Command of the United States, responsible for coordinating communication with other nations. They have had so many changes of designation and scope of duties that most continue to simply refer to it as The Compound. That duty includes both communication and the coordination with other nations in the manufacturing of the defense weaponry. The Compound is now officially a military facility under the command of Col. Wright, soon to be promoted to general. He runs the show, with all civilian workers under his supervision. He controls the Operations building, with Daniels people moved to the Computer Center behind.
The population of The Compound is growing. It is also losing its small town atmosphere. Daniel has just been notified of changes in his current status; his new assignment, as a government employee attached to the Global Defense Command, is to be the acting project supervisor of Global Defense communication with his wife Sherry assigned as acting Director of Computer Communication. The assignment will probably be permanent. Charles Durwood is to coordinate the network of telescope observatories controlled by the United States, assisted by his wife Carol as his Personal Assistant - again yet to be made officially permanent. They will all be working out of the Computer Center building.
Daniel enters Operations and is stopped by an MP posted just inside the main entrance where his receptionist greeted visitors in the past. As he is expected by Col. Wright, he is directed to the Colonel’s office; ironically, Daniel’s old office.
To his knock on the door, he hears a terse, “Come!” and enters.
Unsmiling, Wright waves him to a chair while he finishes signing a letter. Then he sets the pen down and sits back, smiling. “Bet you’re wondering what the hell is going on. Right, Davies?” The military tends to use only last names.
Daniel laughs humorlessly, “What else? Just waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
Wright just waves an arm. “Not to worry. The assignments are going to be permanent. You will be in charge of the government nonmilitary operations here in Camp. You’ll have your office back soon. I’ll be in charge of running the Base and all its support facilities, easing the stress on you. My new facilities on the camp grounds are almost ready.”
“I’ve had a long briefing regarding the changes. I don’t see any major problems.”
Wright’s expression turned serious. “My Aide says you want a favor.”
“Yeah. I want one of my key computer experts back,” Daniel quickly gets to the point.
“You must be referring to Cpl. Wells.”
Daniel is a little surprised that the Colonel knows what he wants, and just nods.
“No, I’m not a mind reader,” Wright chuckles, “and I don’t have a spy among you. Fact is, in reviewing personnel files, I noted that she is an expert in cyber espionage. What is it they call it . . . hacking, I believe.”
“She enlisted to be with her husband, Capt. Wells,” Daniel advises, immediately knowing he didn’t have to elaborate.”
“And you want me to get her reassigned to your communication center.”
“Yes. We need her expertise.”
“I had the same thought after reading her records. It’s already in the works. Capt. Wells detail is due back tomorrow. She’ll be transferred to your command.”
“Great! I appreciate that.” He pauses. “There’s one thing.”
Wright just nods.
“They’re newly weds. She joined so she could be with her husband. Is there any way you can have him assigned to duties here in The Compound?”
Wright just stares at him.
“To get the best production out of her,” he quickly adds, “To keep her from worrying about her husband gone on six or seven days details. I need her full attention to this important work.”
The Colonel takes a deep breath, then responds, almost like he is thinking out loud. “Capt. Wells is on the short list for promotion to major. As such, I would have a position for him here in The Compound. If he gets his ‘leaves’, we can keep them together.”
“Isn’t that up to you?”
“I have the final say so, but there’s a promotion board . Protocol says I should accept their choices., but they usually follow recommendations.”
“But they don’t have to.”
“Relax. Your request will be approved. National security justifies the transfer. Consider it done.”
If he was a military man, Daniel would have recognized it as dismissal. When he doesn’t rise, the Colonel looks at him questioningly. “Is there something else? Maybe promoting her to sergeant?”
Daniel laughs softly and rises. “Wouldn’t hurt. A little morale boost. But, thank you, Colonel.”
“Glad to help. She’ll be under your authority as soon as she has her two days R and R.”
Daniel leaves Operations thinking that maybe Col. Wright wasn’t such a hard ass, after all. Perhaps he could help him get his brother, David, and his family duty in The Compound.
The Farmer’s Cooperative of San Joaquin Valley, California was the first group of farmers threatening to boycott the communal system. Under control by the Peace Keepers, the organization had been disbanded with the non-farming leaders transported, never to be seen or heard from again. It was still an unneeded and illegal organization as long as the current government officially declared the communal system would stay in effect until, and if, a worldwide monetary system of trade was reestablished. Most of the disgruntled farmers were those who had the huge farm holdings, all of which were broken up into basically one-family farms. Most had been very we
althy and lived privileged life styles. Now they were just part of the masses, and they didn’t like it.
The military quickly moved in, took the instigators into custody. They were reassigned to duties in the eastern states, their smaller farm holdings turned over to new farmers. They wanted to set an example.
The federal government made it publically known that if the alien-established communal program could not be continued to the satisfaction of the majority of citizens, they would have an organized procedure for the country to return to the dollar as a median of trade. It stressed it would have to be coordinated worldwide.
Time was indicating that most of the citizens - those of the so-called middle and lower income America, as well as those who had been living in poverty levels, including the retired - were content with the communal system. They had shelter, food, clothing, transportation, education and health care. Able-bodied citizens had jobs. Mothers could stay at home to raise the children. The government was gradually adjusting the conditions set by the aliens, transferring people, when possible, to duties more pleasing to the individuals, both as place of relocation and type of jobs. That covered about 99% of the country’s population
The remaining 1% were mostly those of upper incomes and the very wealthy who had inherited their fortunes. The Universal Council had deemed the majority of the wealthy and privileged class as the cause of the world’s ills. Most were transported and their holdings distributed. Their remaining families were now striped of their wealth and holdings, to live as simply as the other 99%. As a group, they were not happy about losing their privileged style of living. As a group, they were pressing for a return to free trade, being confident that they could rebuild their fortunes, for they believed they were better and brighter than the common class.
The immediate concern of the government was to continue the production and distribution of food. The aliens had developed a comprehensive computerized system for the most efficient growth and distribution of food stuffs, eliminating much of the bulk transportation between nations. With a few notable exceptions, each nation could produce most of what their people needed through a more efficient use of land and water.