by Parker James
Having completed his report, General Rodriguez was silent as President Andrews continued scribbling away on his clipboard, seemingly oblivious to the others in the room. After approximately two minutes the President had quickly sized up the situation and began his own line of questioning.
“General Rodriguez, thank you for your report. You may be seated.”
Rodriguez quietly took his seat as President Andrews swiveled his chair slightly toward Professor Enghult. The President already had his plans in place on that single piece of paper on which he’d scribbled; however, his true intelligence was in his lack of arrogance.
“Professor Enghult,” he asked, “What are your recommendations?”
There was no hesitation whatsoever on Enghult’s part, hearing the report he knew exactly what needed to be done. The President kept his pen and paper at the ready, intermittently scribbling away as Professor Enghult spoke. Gearhart knew the President was asking in an immediate sense about securing the bunkers and would voice no opinions on other matters. He would be concise and only add further opinions if and when asked.
“Mr. President. My main concern at the moment is bunker sites 13 and 17, those which sustained damage to the outer blast doors. Both are located to the east of us and in all likelihood took the brunt of one if not both nuclear blasts. Bunker 13 has an artesian well, which is critical to our future water and oxygen supply. Bunker 17 is primarily dedicated to storage of heavy duty equipment and technical supplies and has within it 5,000 highly trained personnel. My concern is this; the trace elements of radiation between the primary and secondary blast doors within the aforementioned bunkers. Although as of yet it hasn’t penetrated into the interior of the bunkers, it must be contained immediately. It is critical that this second layer of protection remain intact. This possibility has always been a concern and has been prepared for. Each bunker site has its own twenty person damage control crew. I suggest that both sites positively ventilate the area between the two blast doors for a period of thirty minutes in order to minimize any further radiation seepage into the area and the DC crews suit-up and weld those doors shut by any means possible. We have plates stored within the Domes for this contingency. That, Mr. President, is my primary and utmost concern.”
Gearhart paused, then looked at the President point blank.
“The second issue is the nuclear power generation units. The assessment and repair crews will already be inspecting the units according to a pre-determined protocol, and I suspect all five will be up and running in short order. With the redundancies in place and our ability to run multiple bunkers through utilization of one single nuclear power generation unit, this issue is not an immediate concern. I fully anticipate all units will be recoverable.”
Through his silence Gearhart indicated that he was finished with his recommendations; the President having heard all that he needed to know.
“Thank you, Professor Enghult,” the President said as he turned to Rodriguez. Andrews looked at his watch; 11:35pm on the west coast.
“General Rodriguez.”
“Sir?”
“You are to go to the Control Room and contact all nineteen bunker sites. I want each Bunker Site Commander to have their second-in-command temporarily take over their duties in the Atrium while maintaining order as expected. Indicate that we are to have a group conference at 23:45 hours and that each Commander is to proceed to their Communications Center immediately. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Mr. President.”
And with those new directives Rodriguez was again on his way to the Control Room, only a short distance down the hallway. Having regained his composure he walked briskly yet calmly. He returned within five minutes prior to addressing the President.
“Mr. President, your instructions have been received and confirmed by all Bunker Site Commanders.”
“Thank you,” Andrews said as he now turned to General McCreary.
“Any additional recommendations, Phil?”
“None that I can think of, Mr. President.”
“Very well then. The President looked at his watch; 11:42pm Pacific time; 23:42 hours. “General, you are to stand to my right; Professor Enghult you will be on my left. The remainder of those in this room are to stand behind me, stoic and at full attention.”
His reasons were simple; to reassure those in the other bunkers that the government was intact as well as the chain of command. The President didn’t need to repeat his words; everyone positioned themselves as directed as they all faced the monitor. It would display over 20 frames, each one numbered reflecting the bunker site which it represented, while the others displayed the Vice Chairman in the Control Room and yet another displaying the Atrium in the primary bunker. The President put his notes aside, no longer needing them. He turned to one of the Secret Service Agents; 23:45 hours, and spoke quietly yet authoritatively.
“Agent, if you would be so kind as to turn on the monitor.”
As the monitor came to life twenty-one faces appeared, all impeccably dressed in military uniform. In almost a cavalcade of voices could be heard the words “Mr. President” over and over, each giving the Commander-in-Chief not only the respect his position commanded but their personal respect for the man himself. For their part what the Bunker Site Commanders saw was the President, Chairman McCreary, Professor Enghult, and the remainder of the Joint Chiefs one and all standing behind them at full attention. The message was clear. Some of the Bunker Site Commanders appeared harried, but it was simply the fact that several of them had literally sprinted to the Communications Center within their own bunkers as General Rodriguez had earlier with his given orders. They were all professionals, each and every one hand-picked by General McCreary over the years for that fact alone; they could be counted on no matter what the circumstances. Although all had been prepared for this eventual possibility, they were not yet fully aware of the extent to which the situation had developed. That was about to change.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, at ease,” the President said calmly.
“General Rodriguez has apprised me as well as The Joint Chiefs of the situation within each respective bunker site. Although we had hoped to escape this war, we were not so lucky as the situation in Asia escalated quickly; indeed on a global scale. The United States was targeted with nuclear weapons and hit multiple times. Our nation has been devastated; the human toll incalculable. At this moment we have lost all communication with the outside world. Though we have suffered damage within the primary bunker site, I would tell you that all twenty bunker sites have survived intact. We currently have no communication with NORAD or any of the other bunkers, nor with any of our allied nations. We do anticipate this situation to be rectified in the very near future and that our prior preparations for this possible eventuality were properly carried out. We pray that most of our 2,000 bunkers have also survived intact. What is occurring on the surface and the devastation that has been wrought is also unknown. As much as we had hoped to avoid this war, we have all prepared for this moment; it is upon us. Each of you as Bunker Site Commander is responsible for the order and stability within your own bunker according to the protocol and ethics upon which this great nation was founded. As advised by General Rodriguez, I would like thank each and every one of you for your professionalism at this dire point in humanities history and look forward to your continued service.”
President Andrews paused, feeling his mouth go dry and looked down momentarily. Yet when he raised his head once more and looked at the screen, his determination was refreshed.
“Commanders. Based upon our calculations we anticipate no further offensive nuclear moves against us at this time. Our nuclear arsenal is likely intact and assumingly our submarine forces. As to the fate of our Naval Fleet in total we do not yet know. Our current mission is clear. We are to secure the bunkers and those within them who are counting upon us. Our damage assessment is as follows. Bunker sites 13 and 17 have sustained damage to the outer blast doors, while the inner blast doo
rs have held strong. Professor Enghult has advised me that the best course of action is that those areas be positively ventilated and the outer blast doors welded shut in order to prevent radioactive seepage into our bunker complex. Upon completion of this conference you are to send your Lead Damage Control Officer to your own Communications Center where Professor Enghult will provide you with further instructions. Secondly, five bunker sites lost primary power generation and went into automatic shutdown mode. This includes bunker sites 1, 4, 11, 13, and 17. Currently they are being assessed for damage and restart, while the bunkers are running on lithium based battery back-up. Once again, the main power generation units are not to be re-started until a full consultation has taken place with Professor Enghult in conjunction with Dr. Lazzario. He is to be consulted on all, repeat, all technical matters. My primary concern at the moment is the safety of our citizens within the bunkers and our continued survival. Commanders, tomorrow is tomorrow, but today is today. My additional orders are as follows.”
“You are to return to the Atrium within your bunkers and address those present as well as over the intercom for all to hear. You are not to discuss the situation outside of the bunkers but are to reassure our citizens that they are currently safe and will continue to be so. You are to maintain order and begin to assign quarters with a military presence shown on each Level; small arms only to reassure our citizens that they are safe. You are to dispense meals, MRE’s only for this evening. For those who need medical attention, you are to direct them to the hospital facilities and dispense any medications and care required by your designated medical personnel.”
Again Andrews paused.
“Calm and control. Make your presence known and that you are in charge. As for myself, upon completion of this conference I shall personally assess the situation in the Atrium in Bunker Site 1. This evening General McCreary will remain in the Control Room for any crisis that may arise. You are to contact him no matter how minute it may seem. We are to conference as a group at 0800, 1400, and 2000 hours daily. Once we have firmly established calm and order amongst our citizens you shall inform them that I shall be addressing our populace at 1600 hours tomorrow. Let’s get our people calm, fed, and rested. Ladies and Gentlemen, are my orders understood?”
Almost in unison President Andrews again heard “Yes, Sir,” intermittently interspersed with “Yes, Mr. President.”
It was obvious that the President was in complete control despite what they’d just been told, and the Bunker Site Commanders were further reassured.
“Commanders, thank you. Barring any crisis we shall again speak at 0800. Conference ended; let’s go do what we’re paid to do.”
It almost seemed an odd thing to say, there would be no more checks forthcoming. There would be no retirement, no pension, and no days to look forward to spend lounging on the beach or with their wives or husbands who had seen so little of them over the years as their careers took precedence. With that General McCreary walked over to the monitor and turned it off. In short order he would head to the Control Room with Professor Enghult and man the desk for this evening in crisis management mode.
“I lied, Phil,” the President said quietly.
“Mr. President?” McCreary said.
“I lied,” Andrews repeated.
“How so, Sir?”
“I’m stopping by my quarters first to check on Linda and the children before I head up to the Atrium.”
McCreary couldn’t fault him; it had been the longest day of his life. Perhaps he needed that reaffirmation, to know that he wasn’t alone in this and remember why he personally should continue and remain strong. And so that’s exactly what he did. But true to his word not fifteen minutes passed before he was walking amongst his fellow citizens, giving strength and reassurance to those who required it at such a point in history. Most suspected what had occurred, especially when the bunker shook followed by the lights going out, yet no one asked him directly. And as the President walked amongst his fellow countrymen he couldn’t help thinking to himself, “Today is today, and tomorrow is tomorrow.”
Episode 14: “Restoration”
* * *
It was well past midnight now, certainly the longest day of everyone’s lives. Not a single person on the planet was left unscathed by the nuclear holocaust which had quickly escalated and changed the face of the planet forever in a simple matter of hours. General McCreary and Professor Enghult headed to the control room to monitor the situation throughout the night should any troubleshooting or situations arise within any of the 20 bunkers. While the two Secret Service Agents who had been in the conference room throughout the event accompanied them, Phillips and the other three Agents were close in tow with President Andrews. Prior to heading toward the Atrium the President had seen his wife Linda and their two young children who by this time had fallen fast asleep, oblivious to what had occurred. Linda and their two daughters were the President’s strength; his pride and joy. While she was unaware of the specifics, Linda was not completely ignorant as to what had happened but as of yet not the overall extent of it. As he entered their quarters she almost ran up to her husband and grabbed on to him for dear life. Her hug almost seemed to last as long as the President’s time spent in the conference room. As she released him she held him at arm’s length and looked deeply into his eyes, seeing the utter sadness on his face. Though only 42 years of age, she could have easily passed for her early thirties. Her body was lean in a classical sense, her brunette hair flowing yet conservatively styled, and her face showed the compassion one would expect of the First Lady. Yet the compassion within her was not show, it was simply who she was. She had taken good care of herself over the years and was raised with the moral convictions imparted to her by her parents that held true throughout her life. She thought of the time she and her husband had first met; he in all his youth filled with confidence. It almost seemed to be love at first sight, and she remembered it as though it was only yesterday.
“How bad?” Linda asked of her husband.
Jason Andrews, nearly at the end of his first term as President of the United States suddenly seemed at a loss for words, a very unusual aspect of his character. Speaking was his stock and trade but with Linda he could always be honest, ever since those very first days in college together. They became inseparable from the start. She almost knew the answer by the deep sadness written all over his face before he even responded; they had always seemed to be able to communicate without requiring the necessity of words. At this point he hadn’t slept for over 36 hours now and it was beginning to show, she thought. It wasn’t the first time she had seen him like this and God willing certainly wouldn’t be the last.
“How bad?” he asked dejectedly, repeating her own words. “Unimaginable. Nuclear devastation on a worldwide scale. Most of our major cities were hit as well as our military installations to the best of our knowledge. We lost all communications with NORAD shortly thereafter, although we’re fairly certain they survived it.”
While he didn’t want to withhold anything of what had occurred, as they had always been truthful to one another, the President couldn’t bring himself to mention to his wife that Washington was hit specifically, knowing what that would mean to her.
“Except for the other nineteen bunkers within our grouping, we’re completely in the dark. We’re on our own for now.”
Linda thought of their two children sleeping in the other room. Despite the knowledge of what her husband had just told her and the incomprehensible scale of it, her main thoughts at that one single moment completely turned to them.
“Are we safe here?” she asked.
“We’re safe, the bunkers held. We had some minor damage to a few of the bunkers, but thank God Enghult’s designs were almost flawless.”
Linda didn’t know what she wanted to ask of her husband, so many thoughts and a myriad of questions running through her mind.
“And what now?”
“I’m going to head up to the Atrium a
nd make certain that the situation is under control. I think our people need to see their President; one day at a time starting now.”
“Do you want me to go with you?” she asked.
“No. I think I’d feel better if you stayed here for now just in case Rebecca and Marissa should wake up.”
Linda nodded, her eyes tearing somewhat as she then thought of her parents who had decided to stay in Washington despite knowing what was probably coming. She somehow sensed their loss without her husband having said it specifically. They had lived their whole lives there and had decided should it come to war they would also finish their lives there, having been married for nearly fifty years.
“Are they sleeping?” the President asked of his wife.
“They’re sound asleep. They wanted to stay up late until you got back, but when the lights went out they were terrified at first, so we decided to play a game of hide and seek.”
“I think I’ll look in on them before I go,” he said.
After several minutes standing in the doorway silently watching his two daughters sleep, the President kissed his wife tenderly on the forehead and headed out the door on his way to the Atrium on level 10. Phillips and the other three Agents were again close in tow; three in front with Phillips bringing up the rear. The President suddenly paused and turned to Agent Phillips while they were still in the hallway outside of the Presidential living quarters.
“Agent, you and your men are to remove your jackets as well as your side arms.”
“Sir?” Phillips responded quizzically.
“Do as you are told, Agent.”
“Yes, Mr. President.”
Phillips looked over at the other three Agents and nodded to them as he removed his coat and his sidearm, pausing to lock the weapons in a nearby wall safe discreetly hidden behind a picture in the hallway not too far from the President’s quarters. Within moments they were on the elevator headed toward the main Atrium on level 10. The President’s ultimate goal was to show his presence and reassure those within the bunker that all was well. As they arrived the President and his entourage headed straight for Major Hastings who had been overseeing the overall situation. For decades now the United States had periodically withstood several devastating terrorist attacks despite their best efforts to prevent them, and in the direness of the present situation he sensed an eerie calm had set in over the initial panic that had ensued earlier. Andrews quickly learned from his observations and Hastings’ assessment that though the hour was late meals were being dispensed and living quarters still being assigned as directed earlier.