APOCALYPSE 2073 Omnibus

by Parker James

  “Good,” the President replied. “Just don’t tell them what the job pays.” Margaret smiled as he entered the Oval Office. There were no notes on his desk or reports to look over. If any minor issues had arisen, apparently Margaret had seen to them. He was thankful to have her. The President took a moment in his inner sanctum before entering the conference room from his private entrance. The Joint Chiefs and others in attendance began to rise upon his arrival when he interrupted them abruptly.

  “At ease, ladies and gentlemen.”

  Taking his lead they once again took their seats. With a simple command of the voice on the President’s part the wall monitor came to life. “Computer; wall monitor on. Split screen bunkers 1 thru 20; communications center. The visage of the 20 Bunker Site Commanders appeared in an instant. He spoke further. “Computer, incorporate Dr. Wilkins screen display into Bunkers 1 through 20.” Dr. Wilkins of Hydroponics was now visible to all of the other Bunker Site Commanders. He had been within the bunkers for a number of months now and was not unknown to them. President Andrews seemed somewhat relaxed, all things considered. He was without his jacket but otherwise impeccably dressed with pressed clothes, a conservative tie and what appeared to be a very expensive watch in addition to his wedding ring.

  “Ladies and gentlemen. This is a strategy session. We may be here for quite some time this morning.”

  As he spoke those words Margaret entered assisted by one of the Secret Service Agents each carrying a huge coffee urn.

  “I encourage each of you to make yourselves comfortable; please feel free to remove your jackets,” the President added. And with that President Andrews casually walked over to the serving table and poured himself a cup of coffee, encouraging those inclined to do likewise if they so wished. Most if not all of the Joint Chiefs removed their jackets and followed the President’s lead. The President then took his seat at the head of the table as he engulfed himself in his one true failing; caffeine. Yet it seemed to do him well and he had no intention of breaking the habit for the time being. Several minutes passed before everyone was situated, prepared for the relatively informal strategy session. The President’s calmness under the circumstances was infectious as he opened the meeting simply.

  “Before we begin I would like to advise you that in attendance with us today are the Joint Chiefs and Bunker Site Commanders as well as the following. Professor Enghult, his assistant Veronica McCreary, Dr. Wilkins of Hydroponics and Bioengineering, Dr. Emma Pearson from our medical staff as well as Professors’ Mitchell and Anya Conyers in charge of suspension chamber operations. This will be an open meeting with each and every one of you encouraged to add your opinions and recommendations. Upon conclusion of this meeting all Bunker Site Commanders are to proceed to the Atriums as discussed last evening. General Rodriguez has been monitoring the security situation in each of the 20 bunkers and continues to do so as we speak and has advised myself and Chairman McCreary that all is well. May I ask each of the Bunker Site Commanders if there are any situations within your bunker site that require our attention?”

  No one spoke as indeed all was as well as could be expected. Somber, subdued, yet under control. Dr. Pearson then spoke up.

  “Mr. President. We’ve had a number of medical issues occurring throughout the bunkers, most being of an emotional nature. Those individuals are being attended to as are those already recovering within the hospital and infirmaries. Most of our new arrivals are doing well and will be discharged within several days’ time.”

  President Andrews wanted to encourage all input as each bit of knowledge and information imparted to the others put them all on the same page, which was indeed one of his primary objectives. So with that objective in mind he responded simply.

  “Thank you, Dr. Pearson. That’s very good news. Is there anything else you would like to add?” he further inquired.

  “No, Mr. President,” Emma replied.

  “Very well, then. Our format for the meeting will be the following. We have already discussed the security situation within the bunkers. We shall further discuss the power generation units and the bunker group integrity, integration of the bunkers through tunneling operations, food stocks, planning and implementation of suspension chamber operations, hydroponics, the situation on the surface, and possible future attacks against our nation. Admiral Pichton and the Joint Chiefs have been discussing possible scenarios regarding our Naval Fleet yet until communications are restored with NORAD we have no control over these issues at the moment. General McCreary, will you now please take over the meeting and give us your overall assessment of the situation on the surface as well as possible military scenarios.”

  “Most certainly, Mr. President,” General McCreary replied as he rose from his chair and began his review for the sake of all. The General set formalities aside and got right to the crux of the matter.

  “As most of you already know many nuclear weapons were aimed at the United States, most finding their intended targets. At this moment we have as yet been unable to establish communications on any level with NORAD despite the fact that they have orders to dispatch one shielded drone per day to the primary bunker site until our satellites begin to return to lower orbit beginning in one month’s time. Based upon our allies interception rate of 30% of the missiles aimed at their own nations, we can assume we had a similar level of success, or lack thereof. That would leave 70% of the missiles aimed at us with multiple warheads, ten to twelve in each, finding their targets. We are already aware of the loss of Washington and multiple other coastal cities as well as most unprotected military installations. We are also aware that when communications were lost dozens if not a hundreds more missiles were on their designated path to the interior of this country. The damage that occurred is unknown. We can assume that billions of lives on a worldwide basis have been lost, yet we can also assume that most of the bunkers occupied by the allied nations survived the attack on some level. Contained within our own bunkers are between 65 to 70 million of our citizens. Within our own grouping are housed over 750 thousand of our own citizens. Whether anyone survived on the surface is an unknown factor. We can also assume that those nations who targeted us are in the same situation as ourselves, yet we offensively launched none of our own nuclear weapons stockpile. In all likelihood those nations who attacked us have very few weapons left excluding their submarine fleets which undoubtedly survived the catastrophe. How long they can continue is unknown as well. Unless they have suspension chamber technology and adequate food supplies at some point those submarines will have to surface. For these reasons I would surmise that we will not be further targeted.”

  McCreary paused, almost out of breath and his mouth suddenly dry. He walked over to the table and took a sip of coffee, but his hands were solid as a rock. He then continued.

  “Our sensors on the surface of this bunker grouping are showing very little visually due to a large amount of debris in the atmosphere. We’ve also detected a drop in temperature of five degrees as well as a spike in radiation levels. This would indicate that a vast number of nuclear weapons found their targets or perhaps even a change in weather patterns as fallout permeates over the surface of the planet. Nuclear winter. There is the possibility that further missiles were launched at some point, yet I would not agree with that assumption as Primary Bunker Site 1 was not targeted beyond the two initial blasts. So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. We await restoration of communications with NORAD or one of the other several designated launch sites, and until that occurs we are unable to establish with any degree of certainty what havoc has been wrought upon this nation and planet as a whole. Mr. President.”

  The room was silent for a moment as McCreary’s assessment was absorbed. Most of the information was not new to anyone yet hearing it again was difficult. President Andrews rose as he once again took the floor.

  “Thank you, General McCreary, for your assessment,” the President said. ”Are there any questions for the General?” he asked. There w
ere not.

  “Very well, then. We shall now hear from Professor Enghult regarding the integrity of the bunkers and restoration of the five power generation units that went into automatic shutdown mode. Professor Enghult, if you will?”

  Professor Enghult rose, deciding to be as concise as General McCreary had been.

  “Thank you, Mr. President. Ladies and gentlemen, as you know following the initial attack and two nuclear near misses aimed at this bunker grouping damage was sustained when we were targeted. The outer blast doors in bunkers 13 and 17 were damaged while the inner doors held. Residual traces of radiation were detected and those outer blast doors were positively ventilated and welded shut, perhaps permanently. Yet radiation levels are returning to normal with no seepage into the bunkers. Five power generation units went into automatic shutdown mode and have been fully assessed visually and diagnostically. These include Bunkers 1, 4, 11, 13, and 17. Bunker Site 17 sustained minor damage to the cooling system which has already been repaired. All units are ready for restart, but the President has determined that this should occur on a staggered basis over a ten day period for the sake of safety should any situations arise. If that were to happen the remaining bunkers would remain safe as tunneling operations have yet to begin and each bunker is isolated from one another. Restart on Bunker Site 1 will occur at 2400 this evening upon final inspection by the President, myself, and Miss McCreary. Until all units are fully functioning the remaining effected bunkers will continue to operate on battery power with no conservation efforts required. Upon conclusion of these operations we shall begin interconnecting the bunkers through tunneling operations which will take approximately three weeks for initial completion. We shall then proceed with installation of the magnetic rail systems; the materials required having previously been stored within various bunkers. No current fabrication is required until the point that expansion of the bunker systems is deemed necessary and feasible. Are there any questions?”

  Thankfully there were several, the first question coming from Joint Chief Simanski. The Bunker Site Commanders were already quite familiar with the overall design of the bunker system complex and its final stages of completion.

  “Professor Enghult,” she asked. “Should an unexpected situation arise with one of the nuclear power generation units upon restart or possibly at a later date should we be further attacked, what assurances do we have that the other bunkers will not be effected or harmed in any way once they are interconnected?”

  “Yes,” Enghult replied. “Very good question. As a precautionary measure the entranceway to each and every tunnel has a lead encased door that will be closed automatically upon the detection of any abnormal radiation levels whatsoever. These doors have already been installed and each tunnel has currently been drilled fifty feet in depth allowing for that installation. As an added level of security explosive charges will be placed at the midway point between each tunnel interconnecting the bunkers allowing us to further seal each bunker minimizing the potential risk.”

  “And how will the tunnels be drilled?”

  “Automated drilling equipment will be utilized beginning from both sides of each tunnel, sonographically aligning them so that the tunnels adjoin perfectly. The tunneling equipment has been interspersed throughout the bunker system with multiple drill heads on-site within each for the sake of redundancy should any of the drilling equipment sustain irreparable damage. The equipment itself is robotically controlled with human oversight and maintenance as required.”

  “And what of the debris generated? I imagine the quantity will be significant. There is only so much space within the bunkers.”

  “Most of the debris generated will in fact be stored for the fabrication factories located within the outer ring of the bunker system. Therefore the debris for the most part will be utilized in one fashion or another. Once processed, various minerals will be utilized for hydroponic food production as well as further production of simulated concrete in order to further support the tunnels’ integrity. Some material will be allocated to future expansion operations as of yet undetermined. We’ll have the ability to process the materials and fabricate equipment and supplies as needed through the factories facilities in the outer ring. The remainder of the overflow material will be brought to the surface through secured utility elevators where we have preplaced automated shielded equipment which will disperse the overflow material above ground. This equipment has been stored in what you could term as mini-bunkers and we have already confirmed their survival following the two nuclear blasts.”

  “Thank you, Professor,” General Simanski replied. “You’ve answered my concerns.”

  President Andrews looked on, pleased that the others in the group felt comfortable enough to voice their opinions. If they were going to survive what they were collectively faced with, they would have to do so together. President Andrews moved the meeting along with an encouraging demeanor.

  “Thank you, General Simanski, for those very pointed questions. Are there any further questions for the Professor?” After a brief pause with no additional questions forthcoming, President Andrews continued.

  “Next we shall hear from the Conyers’ regarding suspension chamber operations. As you know without these efforts our food supplies will not last for any significant length of time. I would like to thank the Bunker Site Commanders for forwarding the information requested earlier regarding our new arrivals who have had prior medical experience so that the Conyers’ could address this very critical issue. Professors’, the floor is yours.”

  Both Mitch and Anya looked at each other, speaking their unspoken language. Anya took the lead as they both rose to address the group.

  “Thank you, Mr. President. If I may, would it be possible for you to allow universal voice command on the secondary wall monitor?”

  President Andrews complied, his vocal signature accomplishing the task simply. “Computer monitor two, universal vocal signature mode; security level 5.” And with those simple words Anya now had vocal command of the computer in order to display visually the statistical breakdown and graphs depicting the solution that she and her husband Mitch had come up with as directed.

  “Computer,” she said. “Statistical analysis report Conyers 001 and 002; stasis operations breakdown; split screen. Display report monitor two and communications center bunker sites 1 through 20.” Magically a bar chart appeared as well as a statistical analysis cross-referencing available food stocks, the number of people occupying the bunkers, depletion rates, and those soon to be contained within the stasis chambers. Both reports factored in food consumption rates yet not the replenishment of available food supplies. Although Anya had never quite gotten used to vocal commands when utilizing a computer, she found it a necessary evil in her profession and the multi-tasking which it allowed. She began her presentation nervously at first but soon gained in her level of confidence. Mitch would chime in if and when necessary, both having determined that their report would be best understood coming from one single individual.

  “Ladies and gentlemen. The task put before us by the President was to solve the critical problem that based upon occupancy rates of approximately 750,000 individuals within the bunkers and available food supplies, that our ability to place those designated into stasis daily compared to food consumption rates is insufficient to sustain us for the required length of time. As you know the bunkers were designed to sustain 1000 individuals each for a period of approximately 20 years. The remainder of the occupants are to be placed in stasis. You have all been briefed upon the specific procedures required to place those individuals into the chambers, a rather delicate endeavor. Currently there are 20 trained personnel within each bunker system with the ability to place 40 individuals into stasis daily. As you can see by the charts in front of you at that rate our available food supplies would soon be exhausted relatively speaking. At a future date perhaps the length of time it takes to perform the procedure can be minimized but currently that is not possible. So ou
r solution is that which was discussed with the President yesterday. More trained technicians are required and we must have the ability to quadruple our capacity to a minimum of 200 individuals per bunker daily. We have spoken with Dr. Pearson at length who currently has 1,900 medical personnel available. Additionally, through the reports forwarded an additional 3,000 of those within the bunkers have had prior medical experience on various levels. Within several days’ time the majority of those within the infirmary and hospital facilities will be released. Most of these individuals are those who were let into the bunkers prior to the outbreak of the war. Those already within the bunkers have previously been medically screened to make certain that they are in good overall health in order to endure the rigors of stasis. Dr. Pearson has assured me that she can allocate 1,000 of her medical personnel to the task at hand and those with prior medical experience will be pressed into service within the medical facilities. There are three groups to be placed into the chambers. Of these three groups one will undergo suppression of the aging gene. The second group will have their DNA modified, while the third group will have no prior treatment whatsoever. Therein lays the key. We have a greater capacity to place the third group into stasis quicker as no monitoring or waiting period is required as with the first two groups. As a secondary benefit it will allow us to train the additional personnel prior to advancing to stages two and three. 20 technicians, ladies and gentlemen, per bunker totals 400 personnel qualified to perform the procedure. Now we add 1,000 additional medical personnel to that number who will be trained in one specific aspect of the seven step procedure by those 400 individuals and you can see from the chart that food consumption rates decline dramatically. That is the solution. We work around the clock.”

  Anya was going to say more from a medical standpoint as the procedure was rather complicated, yet from a numbers standpoint it became simple. She decided to end her presentation as those in the conference looked at the charts and absorbed the information before them. That is what they understood; simple numbers and complicated issues simplified. Anya waited several minutes before she repeated the words as those had before her.