“Where did you get the truck?” Dylan asked, looking around inside.
“That is a long story and it doesn’t matter. As soon as Davis and Jackson get down here we are heading straight for Tinker Air Force Base.”
“Mr. Speaker, may I ask where your wife is?” Dylan asked hesitantly.
“She’s still at the hospital with my son. Once we get to Tinker and I can find out what is going on we’ll send someone back to get both of them. The priority now is to see if we can find out what is happening. It seems the entire power grid is down, and I can only assume there’s been some type of attack.”
Davis and Jackson suddenly emerged out of the front of the hotel running with their small carry-on bags. They tossed them in the bed of the truck.
“Jump in the back gentlemen,” Conner yelled.
Davis and Jackson climbed in and Conner sped off. Driving through downtown Oklahoma City was like playing a video game; he was swerving around and narrowly missing stalled, abandoned cars all along West Sheridan and down South Robinson toward Interstate 40.
“Sir, this is really strange. I understand the power being out if someone took down the power grid, but why are all the cars stalled?” Dylan pushed for some information, frustrated by Conner’s prior refusal to answer his questions.
Paying close attention to his driving, Conner quickly answered, “There are only two things that could do this type of damage, a nuclear weapon detonated high in the atmosphere or a massive solar flare.”
“A nuclear weapon?”
“I’m not sure what is going on exactly, Dylan, but this is why we need to go to Tinker; to find out.”
The drive to the Air Force base was slowed down by the constant dodging of stalled cars along the interstate. As they drove, the men did encounter a few more operational vehicles; all appeared to be early vintage cars.
Coming off the exit for Tinker Air Force Base, both Conner and Dylan could see movement all around the base. There were moving vehicles, but people were clearly scrambling. As they slowly approached the front gate, several military police pointed their rifles and ordered for them to halt.
“Put your arms up, Dylan,” Conner instructed as he stopped the truck just before the first barriers to the entrance off of the exit ramp. “Davis, Jackson, put your arms up!” Conner yelled.
Both Davis and Jackson complied and held their arms up. A single military policeman approached the truck.
“What is your business here?” the officer asked, pointing his rifle right at Conner.
Conner could see the other two policemen spread apart from one another and take positions with their rifles trained on the truck.
“Airman, I am Speaker of the House Brad Conner. May I reach in my pocket and get my ID?”
Conner slowly put his right hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet then pulled out his Congressional ID and driver’s license and held it out the window.
The MP took a few steps and grabbed the cards. He inspected them both and looked at the Speaker. He then shifted his gaze to Dylan and both men in the bed of the truck.
“Who are the other men, sir?”
“Dylan McLatchy in the cab with me and in the back are Special Agents Davis and Jackson, they are with the US Capitol Police.”
“Sir, I need all of their IDs as well,” The officer requested.
“Airman, this is the Speaker of the House of Representatives and we need access immediately,” Dylan demanded.
“Hold on, Dylan, let the man do his job and check us out.” Conner knew everyone was on edge and he didn’t want to make matters worse by forcing his way in. “Everyone get your ID’s and hand them to the airman.”
Dylan and the two special agents did just that. The airman gathered all the IDs, looked at them and then looked at each man; he then stepped away from the truck. “Sir, I need to go back and send someone to HQ as our comm is down; we are not allowing anyone onto base due to the national emergency.”
“Wait a minute, airman, what national emergency?” Conner asked.
“The EMP and nuclear attack sir,” the MP answered, then jogged back to the guard shack.
The MP conferred with his counterpart at the guard shack. The MP who had the IDs kept pointing toward the truck. Finally, he jumped into a Jeep and headed into the base.
“Sir, looks like your hunch was right,” Dylan said.
“Yeah,” Conner whispered. He lifted his head and stared outside of the driver’s side window.
Ten minutes later, the Jeep returned. The MP jumped out accompanied by another man. As the second man approached the truck, Conner could see he was a general.
The general stepped up to the truck and saluted, “Welcome Mr. Speaker, General Daniel Griswald at your service.” He turned to the MP and instructed them to open the gate. “Sir, I apologize for the wait but after what has happened, we are locked down.”
“General I can appreciate that and understand. Please take me somewhere secure so we can be briefed.”
Griswald quickly walked back to the Jeep, the MP jumped back in and they turned around, Conner navigated the barriers and jersey walls set up at the entrance and followed the Jeep.
Conner looked around as they drove down the main road. He could see that even the Air Force Base was not immune to the EMP attack.
They reached the headquarters building and quickly exited their respective vehicles. As they walked toward the building, the general made his way over to the Speaker.
“Sir, how is it that you’re here in Oklahoma and not in Washington?
“My son was involved in a car accident so my wife and I came here to be with him.”
“I am sorry to hear the bad personal news sir, I hope he is doing well,” Griswald said.
Deliberately avoiding the subject of his son, Conner asked, “How much damage does the base have from the EMP?”
“Well, sir, most vehicles and electrical systems as well as the generators are down.”
Griswald continued to explain some of the challenges they were having at the base while he guided Speaker Conner to the secure briefing room. Conner took a seat while Griswald talked to a few other personnel.
“Sir, just another minute, we are waiting on Colonel Jameson with 72nd Wing.”
Conner acknowledged with a nod.
A few minutes passed and a burly man walked into the room. Col. Jameson was short and robust, a contrast to Griswald’s tall and lanky figure.
Jameson carried a stack of binders. Other staff came in with a paper map that was attached to an old chalk board. He walked over to Conner and put out his hand, “Mr. Speaker, Colonel Todd Jameson, pleasure to meet you.”
Conner stood and shook his hand, “Same colonel.” He looked to Griswald and asked, “General, I don’t want to wait any longer. What has happened? I need to know now.” His patience was wearing a bit thin.
“Sir, we are ready and I apologize for any delays. Let me debrief you on what we know so far,” Griswald began, standing at the front of the room in front of the map of the United States.
Conner leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table with his hands clasped.
“At approximately 1013 hundred hours local, a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse device was detonated approximately 300-plus miles above Kansas. The resulting effects from that HEMP caused massive and catastrophic damage across the entire national grid. The estimated diameter of the EMP stretched from one coast of the continental United States to the other. From what we can tell now, with the scarce intelligence that we have, is that the EMP burst shutdown the country’s entire power grid from the East Coast to the West Coast. Sir, I know you are aware of the last Congressional Report put out about this type of attack and it appears the scenarios and estimates of damage were either incorrect or the device that hit us was huge. Now we believe–”
“What do you mean our estimates were wrong?” Conner interrupted.
“Sir, I know you have heard of a ‘Super EMP,’ correct?”
“Yes
, general, I have.”
“Well, sir; based upon reports we are getting from the field and from our own experiences so far, this EMP strike took everything out. You are aware that our testing and estimates showed that a standard nuclear detonation high in the atmosphere would have taken out most of the power grid but other damage would not have been universal. This detonation seems to have taken every modern vehicle out, most electrical equipment, etcetera. None of our testing showed damage this widespread. So without truly knowing, we can only assume it was a device designed to emit a greater amount of gamma radiation or in layman’s terms, a Super EMP.”
“How do you know that the grid is down across the nation?”
“Sir, we still have communication with assets across the country using SIPRNet.”
“Sipper, what?” Conner asked confused.
“Sir, it’s the DOD’s secured Internet and the servers connected to many of them are hardened.”
“Well, thank God for that,” Conner exclaimed. “What are we doing about the power outages? How are we supporting government?”
“Not much right now sir, everybody is running around with their heads cut off. It’s chaos on all bases. Plus, with what happened back in Washington.”
“Let’s get to that now then. What else happened?”
“-Ahh sir,” Griswald replied. He looked at Jameson and then back at Conner and paused.
Conner noticed the glance to the colonel; he looked directly at Griswald and asked firmly, “What is it general? What else has happened?
“Sir, we have confirmation that there was a second attack. This was a low-yield surface nuclear explosion. The ground zero of the detonation was Washington, D.C.”
“Are you sure?”
“Sir, we have received confirmation, we currently have communications with an E6-B from Naval Air Station Pax River. They have flown over the area and Washington D.C has been attacked,” Griswald paused and then finished. “Sir, Washington, D.C is gone.”
****
San Diego, CA
Gordon’s ride home from the store was taking a lot longer than he thought it would. His first downhill slope didn’t go well; the weight of the full trailer made it intensely difficult to control his speed. That weight made uphill rides completely impossible. So, Gordon had to push the bike and trailer for the rest of the trip. Sweat was pouring off his face and drenching his clothes. All along Camino del Sur, the main road to and from his neighborhood, abandoned cars filled every lane. Most of the owners had now given up and walked home. Though Gordon had stayed in decent shape after leaving the Marine Corps, pushing the bike was proving to be quite the challenge.
When he crested the hill at the intersection of Camino del Sur and Carmel Valley Road, he finally took a break. He sat down on the sidewalk and drank some water, thinking to himself that maybe he should go to another store after this trip. The more he could supply his family, the longer they could hold out. He knew eventually he would have to tell his neighbors what he knew, but not until he could secure as much as he could for his own family. He sat on the sidewalk with his head down, watching the sweat drop off his face and chin and onto the sidewalk. As he felt the cool breeze hit his hot face, he became aware of the unusual silence for the first time. The hum of cars was replaced by the sound of birds flying. How strange, he thought, how peaceful it seemed right at this moment. He knew the peace would end soon, once people realized what had occurred.
Gordon had never really feared death, but now he did. If something were to happen to him, how would his family make it? Samantha is as tough as they come. She had been a top producing sales person for a large firm. Her reputation in the corporate world preceded her, she was aggressive and no nonsense, all business and didn’t take shit from anyone. That type of toughness was great in an insulated environment, but this wasn’t about being tough in a board room. The true realities of what was coming were frightening; the way people lived would forever change and only those who could adapt quickly would survive.
If Gordon’s fears proved correct, then in an instant, the United States had been transported back to before the Industrial Revolution. There would be a fight for resources, specifically food and water. Electricity had enabled the country and society in general to feed many people, but without power this equilibrium would stop immediately. The area they lived in would not be able to support the 3.2 million residents. Soon, the water would dry up and then the food. Gordon couldn’t bear to think about it anymore; he needed to keep moving. He decided to attempt another trip today, which wouldn’t be possible if he didn’t make it home quickly.
As he started to push the bike, he heard a familiar sound coming from behind him. It sounded like a car, something with some real horsepower. He stood still, waiting. The sound grew louder; the car was coming his way. At the top of the hill, emerged a cherry red 1957 Chevy truck. He had seen that truck before; he put out his arm and waved. The truck pulled up right next to him.
Gordon bent over and peered through the passenger window. The driver leaned over and started to crank the window down.
“Hey, buddy,” the driver said.
“Jimmy, what’s up?” Gordon asked.
“This is some shit, isn’t it?” Jimmy replied, then pointed to Gordon’s bike and trailer, “What’s going on here?”
Gordon paused and considered whether he should he answer his friend’s question honestly. As he played out the scenario in his head, he started to realize that if he and his family were to survive long-term, they would need cooperation with others.
“I went to the store to get supplies,” Gordon answered. Leaning further into the open window he followed up with his theory, “Jimmy, here’s what I am guessing; we’ve been hit with some type of nuke.”
“Nuke?”
“I know, you think that a nuke just blows everything up and it does if it blows up on the ground or just above it, but if it blows up high in the atmosphere it causes what they call an electromagnetic pulse. Essentially, it fries everything electrical.”
“Gordon, you’re confusing me, slow down.”
“Jimmy, it’s pretty much the end of the fucking world right now, trust me on this. I know for sure that this isn’t some blackout like a few years ago. This is everything electrical, cars, phones, everything,” Gordon said, speaking faster and faster.
“I need to get home then,” Jimmy said placing his hand on the gear shift.
“Wait a minute, I’m sure your family is fine. What you and I need to do is team up and get supplies as fast as we can. There is some low-hanging fruit out there that we need to pick before panic and total fucking chaos erupts.”
Jimmy looked back at Gordon and asked, “Are you sure about all of this, Gordon?”
“I’m not sure about the size of this attack, but you see me here, pushing this thing,” Gordon pointed to his overflowing trailer.
“Gordon, I need to get home to check on my family.”
“I understand, but do this as soon as you get home. Fill every tub, sink basin, jug, whatever you can with water. Soon, water will stop flowing. Once you feel secure, come to my house and we’ll head out to another store to get food and more supplies.”
“Okay, I’ll see you soon,” it seemed as though Jimmy sped off before he even finished his sentence. Gordon looked on as he accelerated down the road, zig-zagging around the endless obstacle course of stalled cars. He then realized he and Jimmy weren’t thinking clearly as Gordon should have asked him for a lift.
“I’m such an idiot!” Gordon said out loud as he watched Jimmy’s truck vanish over the hill.
It took Gordon another 30 minutes to complete his journey home. He parked the bike in front of his house and ran to the door. The ride had really taken a lot out of him, but he needed to unload as soon as possible so he could go back out.
He opened the door and yelled for Samantha. He walked down the hallway to the kitchen and grabbed a towel. He was drenched with sweat.
“Daddy, Daddy!” Ha
ley yelled from upstairs.
He could hear her running down the steps.
“Daddy, Daddy!” Haley yelled again as she ran into the kitchen.
Gordon bent down and opened his arms. Haley ran straight into him.
“Yucky, Daddy, you’re all wet!” Haley squirmed away from Gordon.
“Sorry, sweetie, Daddy was working.”
Samantha walked up to Gordon and hugged him too. “Thank God you’re safe.”
“Thanks, honey. Not to cut the homecoming short, but I have to get the bike inside and Jimmy’s stopping by anytime.”
“Why is Jimmy coming by?” Samantha sounded very curious about this newest development.
“I ran into him on the way home from the store. By the way, the trip was a huge success. I told Jimmy my theory on the situation. He has a working vehicle, so we’re going to take it to Ralph’s in 4S Ranch to see if we can get more supplies,” Gordon wiped sweat from his face as he laid out his plan.
“What should we do while you’re gone?”
“Why not go down to Jimmy’s house and spend some time with Simone? The kids will love it and you can help her with any prepping she hasn’t done,” Gordon said. He tossed the towel down on the counter and walked to the garage.
He manually unlocked and pushed up the garage door. Just as he stepped outside an elderly neighbor from two doors down ran up to him.
“Did you hear?” The man was very clearly stressed, “The blackout is due to some sort of terrorist attack.”
“How do you know that?” Gordon asked. He placed his hands on his hips and looked at the older man, feigning skepticism.
“I have a hand crank radio and heard the emergency broadcast system put out an alert. They’ve been repeating it every few minutes. Something about an attack on the power grid and some kind of attacks back east. Right now the info isn’t clear.”
“What else did they mention?”
“That’s it; they recommend that we all stay inside and that the power may be out for a few days or more.”
Gordon scoffed to himself, knowing that it would be a lot longer than a few days; then he remembered that the man mentioned other attacks on the East Coast. He wondered what that meant. Knowing the news would eventually get out and once it did it would spread quickly; he couldn’t waste time.
The End - a Post Apocalyptic Novel Page 7