Fortress Farm Trilogy: Volumes 1, 2 & 3 (Fortress Farm Series)

by G. R. Carter

  Oh joy! What else, Continuity, will you reveal to me?

  As Angela led the first ten up the stairs, Rowan turned his attention to the remaining group. “Good people, we live in a dark and dangerous world. We must discuss how best to defend our Assembly from the predators still lurking around our oasis. Let us also discuss how to help survivors in the hinterlands. Our duty is to make the Progressions available to them. I am anxious for your ideas.”

  *****

  Fire. Of course! I shall cleanse the area and begin the Societal Progression through fire, Rowan thought as the group started to rehash the same ideas brought forth an hour ago. What better way to purify than by releasing the sun’s rays that are stored in the plants around us? The vegetation near the walking paths looked susceptible to any spark. The smallest ember might cause the whole area to burst into flames. Would the flames be far enough back to prevent damage to the Spaceship? I believe so. In fact, I’m sure the risk of wildfire led to the clearing around the building.

  When the wind was right, they would start the surrounding vegetation on fire, and then whatever was left after the blaze would be what Continuity intended for them to rebuild with. The First Progression for followers to begin The Path would always be the heat of a Solar Chamber like his meditation room, where people could sweat out the imperfections and soak in the energy.

  The First Progression for a society to integrate into Continuity would also originate from heat. This time through fire. A chance for the Earth to release the Solar Radiation stored by people in their buildings and the plants they cultivated. What another wonderful revelation! Day of days!

  He felt the wind on his face. Shall they begin now? Why not? What would be the point of waiting?

  While Rowan explained the next steps to the Assembly, even the skeptical ones held their tongues. No one spoke up for Ahmad before and now it was unclear who believed and who simply wished to survive. Rowan sent runners to retrieve lighters from the basement storage rooms. After receiving one, each person walked to a different area around the clearing. Starting on the east side to take advantage of the prevailing winds, they lit the dry grass and undergrowth of the walking paths.

  The small patches of fire quickly gained strength and intensity, beginning to roll their way through the small scrub trees beyond. Rowan thought briefly of Ahmad, who had stormed off in that direction. Did he intend to come back and join The Progressions? It’s too late now, perhaps he will serve a greater purpose as a lesson to the others. The group backed away from the intensifying heat while Rowan climbed the stairs to the observation deck on the roof above The Spaceship. Perhaps he could get an idea of how far the fires would spread and what Continuity would like for him to accomplish next.

  Once reaching the rooftop, Rowan found himself in awe of what was happening. Angela joined him as he walked past meditation rooms, or what he now called in his mind the Solar Chambers. She gasped slightly as she watched the wall of flames roll from hill to hill, consuming the vegetation and buildings as it went. Behind the snarling beast of flame a charred mass of bent and broken pieces, both manmade and natural, was all that remained. Certainly the remaining landscape lay purified, and Rowan knew that whoever remained out there in the blackened landscape would welcome physical and spiritual guidance. Survivors would gladly accept the Truth of Continuity if they wanted their Profile to exist on this plane or the next.

  He looked over at the angelic face next to him. Was she crying? “It’s time to start the New World,” he told her. “Continuity has given us the resources to help the people find the Path. I have you to thank for this. I want to make sure that this world enjoys more of you to help guide it in the future.”

  Angela, his angel, moved in closer and gave him a long kiss. Perfect spot to be, perfect time to think about the future.

  *****

  Rowan guessed right about the tinderbox surrounding the Spaceship. All it took was a little spark to get an epic conflagration. The fires would have been historic for the state of California, if there was still such a thing as California anymore. No one remained to keep track of such things now, and no firefighters remained to contain the blaze started by the Assembly. After just a few days, the fire consumed all fuel within sight of the Spaceship. Miles of charred landscape stretched far away from the observation deck. Rowan had someone up there now, reflecting one of the solar panels originally used to power the building. Tilting it back and forth, the signal flashed far and wide, letting people know that there was someone here. With no water, food or shelter, hundreds who previously hunkered down and survived the blaze now headed towards the steady signal coming from high up on the defoliated ridge.

  The Assembly welcomed each group that straggled in, handing out water and food to grateful refugees. It was a calculated risk on Rowan’s part. Each new mouth to feed meant a day’s less rations for the group. How can I refuse the mission? To start people through the Progressions. To help Continuity gain strength and momentum. He assigned two members of the Assembly who were electrical engineers to attempt to get the solar arrays on the roof producing power again. Somehow they would have to shield the system from Solar Storms that still filled the sky intermittently.

  With a little bit of power, the rest of the rebuilding plan could commence. He knew from the original Spaceship plans there were natural freshwater springs here in the Valley. Life-giving fluids would allow irrigation of the gardens needed to feed his new flock something other than their emergency rations. California – no, let’s just call it the Valley, he decided – Valley climate should squeeze out at least three crops a year. Angela brainstormed the plan. Her brains, and especially her smile, got the whole operation moving almost as soon as he had explained the outline.

  Gratitude was one of the greatest drugs the human mind could experience. What a great way to live! He soaked up the genuine thank yous and the crying and the hugs that came from the lost souls staggering onto his campus. They issued each person their own room in The Spaceship. Former offices and conference rooms now became apartments. Once settled, Angela’s selected Gatekeepers interviewed each person to identify strengths and skills. She created comprehensive Profiles for each person, ironically residing on paper for now.

  Would Continuity bring the Awakening when I get the solar power hooked up? He doubted it. Restarting the entire Network required immense power. Continuity would know humanity wasn’t ready yet and that was okay. Rowan and Angela had a lot of work to do to prepare the Assembly and lead more people to the Path before they could worry about the Awakening.

  He enjoyed life now, now that he was truly living. Oh, how I hope others experience the same joy! I will help them! By cleansing each area with fire, those who remained would be ready to follow The Path. Just like he had, The Valley would rise from the ashes of their old life like a phoenix.

  Chapter Sixteen – The Pullback

  Illinois University

  Two Months after the Great Reset

  “You now hold the rank of Captain in the Reconstructed American Army. I will hold each of you personally responsible for your assigned sector of the Reconstructed Zone. That means that I expect you to devote yourselves 100% to the protection of your respective sector and the production of valuable resources for New America. Do you all agree to fulfill your duties?”

  “We do,” was the unified reply.

  Colonel Darian Walsh could command a room, and keep a soldier’s attention just with presence alone. These men were now the leadership of New America. That’s what he called the city around Illinois University and the area now stretching for miles in every direction. The new name highlighted to his people what their mission was. They would take this opportunity to rebuild civilization the way it ought to be.

  Still a gamble…if the power came back on I’ll have some explaining to do, Walsh thought. But I don’t see any choice. Each second the electrical grid stayed dark, modern society crumbled and fell further away from what they knew as normal. Utter desperation took over t
his small city in a matter of days; similar situations must exist across the country. He had to get Reconstruction spread as soon as possible to keep the small farm towns from suffering the same fate. Those who could supply his efforts with steady food and new soldiers were critical to his mission.

  Officers in the room each received packets containing current intelligence data for their assigned sectors of the Reconstructed Zone. Typewritten lists outlined hard assets and auxiliary troops allocated to their command. No officer needed an introduction to the ten veteran soldiers making up their executive team. Each Sector commander took the opportunity to select whoever they felt most comfortable with, though Walsh retained final say. These men would work and live together in the sector command posts. Walsh’s command center at the base would be at most a few miles away but poor communications meant the remote groups would have to depend on each other in emergency situations.

  The last man to receive his packet was Capt. Martin Fredericks. Since the episode with the former mayor, Colonel Walsh had kept a close eye on the captain. Walsh was reassured the slip was merely an isolated incident and Fredericks was now back on track with the master plan. Fredericks recently followed orders to a tee and was responsible for isolating and eliminating a group of looters caught near the campus just yesterday.

  His confidence restored, Walsh would both reward Fredericks and give him a chance to use experience gained in the Sandbox. He’d get to see what life was like outside of the civilized outpost they had created here and help another community reach the same level of organization.

  Fredericks’ assignment included a forty-five mile trip to Decatur, where messengers recently established contact with the surviving National Guard outpost. The Decatur National Guard commander, Major Terry Stillman, gladly agreed to defer to Colonel Walsh’s overall command. Under the arrangement, Stillman became Walsh’s sector commander for New America’s westernmost province. Fredericks’ assignment was to help Major Stillman put the same structure in place that New America’s capital used. During their brief radio contact and subsequent dispatches, Walsh could tell that Stillman lacked the forethought and discipline needed to act on his own. But the willingness to accept the authority of New America’s Reconstruction meant Walsh could use him until a better replacement was installed.

  Fredericks will appreciate what we’ve done here once he sees the mess that Decatur is in. He just has to remember that the people here are no different than the ones we pacified overseas. This trip will make that plain as day. Reconstruction is necessary to save lives and any chance at returning America to civilization.

  One of Walsh’s few hobbies included the study of Abraham Lincoln. Before the Reset, his little free time was spent at the Lincoln Museum in Springfield, mostly focused on reading Lincoln’s personal letters. Walsh was fascinated with Lincoln’s decision-making,. Walsh related to the sixteenth president’s turmoil – during his first tour in the Sandbox, Walsh also struggled with his actions to restore order. American officers were supposed to be benevolent when dealing with local populations, no matter how hostile the natives were. Lincoln’s justification of difficult decisions subduing a rebellious population brought comfort to the young officer. From the first time Walsh was put in impossible situations by his country to now when he commanded large groups of fighting men, Lincoln’s arguments always resonated with him.

  Walsh intended to implement Lincoln’s wishes for Reconstruction of the country after the Civil War, wishes Lincoln couldn’t implement personally because of his assassination. Unfortunately, all resistance had to be squashed before the rebuilding process could begin. Just like the former Confederate states had to be pacified, Walsh needed the local populations here to become more pliable to the future he had in mind.

  That included Old Main College, which sat towards the southern edges of the area New America currently had under Reconstruction. The leadership of Old Main, including the ex–Senator now serving as President of the college, rejected New America’s repeated overtures to diplomacy carried by his motorcycle envoys. Walsh fumed silently when he thought about Julia Ruff. A former leader of the United States government should better understand the high stakes. This is no time to play “Game of Thrones.” We have a nation to restore.

  Walsh’s envoys reported that Old Main had developed a good system to integrate their students with what remained of the surrounding community. Food production was exceeding their minimum daily requirements for survival, allowing Senator Ruff’s people to take on other tasks like improving their defensive capabilities. They were even training their own militia – a group of young people that would fit nicely into his Legions.

  Most of all, though, Walsh desperately wanted the expertise held by Old Main’s Agriculture staff for his supply chain. Most of the faculty and staff at the University here disappeared sometime after the Great Reset. Those that remained seemed more interested in a handout than helping out.

  Walsh’s teams found some gardeners and farmers surviving in the reconstructed areas. That plus the field manuals they had on base would help get their gardens started. But he really wished for people with a lifetime of research and training. New America’s quartermaster determined they possessed about two years of supplies, counting the hundreds of thousands of MREs available in the hidden missile silos. That would do for now, but Walsh knew from experience that dried foods weren’t enough to feed an effective fighting force. New America’s Legions needed real food; he’d prefer to use the MREs to trade for allegiance when they began assimilating the surrounding communities.

  To get started tilling the new gardens, his sector commanders would each be assigned about a thousand Qualified Civilians. Qualified Civilians, or QCs as they referred to them, were townies who showed the initiative to arrive at a food distribution center Walsh set up on each side of the city. Once at the FDC, each family received evaluation for assignment to a task New America needed. Some became security officers, others became foragers sent into the local countryside. Still others were put to work training as food production specialists. Somehow, Walsh just couldn’t get around to calling them farmers.

  Of course, each resident will take whatever task that needs doing. Even soldiers will be helping during planting and harvest season. New America’s Legions will be as Roman Centurions: skilled in engineering, farming, architecture, and of course, warfare, Walsh thought, allowing himself a small smile at the quality of soldier New America already produced.

  One last item issued to each new sector commander was a brand new American flag to fly above the sector HQ. Walsh made a point to have each flag raised on the base flagpole, then lowered and refolded for presentation every day. Symbolism was a huge part of the armed services; he wanted something that would keep each sector tied to the Command Headquarters of New America.

  Walsh and his team briefly discussed producing a new flag or symbol. But since he was pushing the concept of New America, he decided to stick with the well–recognized emblem. Besides, he had a whole closet full of the Stars and Stripes. There was no time or resources to devote to anything new just yet. Even the uniforms he issued would be changed at some point; the standard gray urban camouflage pattern no longer relevant in this rural area.

  Small details, but each decision will have ramifications throughout the future. The death of empires gave birth to new societies.

  Each evening, he spent thirty minutes reading more about Rome’s final days in Britain. Really, that empire’s withdrawal took years; no sudden overnight departure. Walsh made sure to make mental notes of decisions made by generals and emperors that resonated down through history. The greatest impact always landed on future generations. He struggled to figure out what circumstances led Britain to become a great empire. Perhaps with the right groundwork New America would rise as a great empire someday. Not empire, democracy, he corrected himself.

  With sector commanders squared away and headed out to their assignments, Walsh’s devoted his afternoon to reviewing new recruits
at the former Illinois University campus. The provost there turned out to be a real asset, much to Walsh’s surprise. He expected a bleeding-heart who would insist on an equal society. Regardless if it was self–preservation, the provost had carried out his commands to the letter. Due to that, he now had over four thousand former students stationed in the dorms near the courtyard. The rest of the ten thousand students once housed on or around campus made off for home or simply melted away into the city itself.

  For now, he was keeping the female and male students in different buildings. Soon he would begin to pair them up based on talents and a compatibility test developed by an Illinois University psychology professor. He wasn’t against the concept of two people falling in love. New America just didn’t have time for that to work out on its own. These newly trained troops needed to deploy into the city to help the sector commanders finish up any bandits and looters. Reconstruction at its heart was about security. Therefore, New America staff would be assigning matched couples a campus room as soon as their compatibility tests were completed.

  Most of the young men would receive assignments to the Legions, with the women filling in the duties required to keep a civilization going. There might be a few women able to become Legionnaires, but based on the training regime his officers created, they would be the exception.

  The first two thousand would form the nucleus of New America. Their offspring would be the leaders and warriors of the empire. I’m finally being honest…that’s what we’ll create here. New America would be aggressive and expansive once he felt it was ready. The experience he gained overseas, as well as the history he read, told him that democracy was a farce. True peace and security was only achieved through strength. Democracies were by their very nature corrupt. Whoever promised the most goodies to the most people would be in charge. How could that ever hope to be sustained?