Collapse (New America)

by Richard Stephenson

  "Are you serious? Powers is dead? Sterling killed him?" Max and Elizabeth both struggled to maintain their poker faces.

  Stacy smiled. “Yes, I’m sure of it.”

  “Son of a bitch,” said Max.

  The three of them continued their cheerful facade as they walked toward the motor pool. As Stacy laid on the charm and flirted with the four mechanics, Max and Elizabeth slowly walked out of their line of sight and headed for their SUV. The quiet hybrid engine purred to life, and Max slowly pulled out, heading north. It would be some time before anyone noticed they were gone. Stacy would blame it on the incompetence of the soldiers at the detention center.

  **********

  Marshall Beck stood on the roof of his RV and raised his arms high in the air. "Please, if I could have everyone's attention! Please quiet down! This is important!"

  Max and Elizabeth had no trouble finding Marshall Beck. It was simple deduction that a secret underground facility would not be close to Denver. They drove north to Fort Collins and starting looking in RV-Towns. When they got to the third one, they saw a large crowd of people gathered together like they were at a rock concert. The man standing on the roof of the RV looked exactly like Howard Beck had twenty-five years ago.

  "For those of you who want to follow me, I’ll be leaving in five minutes." Marshall Beck climbed down the ladder at the rear of the RV. Max and Elizabeth caught him before he made it to the door. "Officers, is there a problem?" asked Marshall.

  "Stacy Reid sent us."

  Marshall looked surprised. "Well then, please come inside." Marshall opened the door and ushered Max and Elizabeth inside.

  "You were at my dad's house?"

  "Yes, we left there a few hours ago."

  "You actually spoke to Stacy?"

  "We did. She saved us from being 'drafted' into President Sterling's army."

  "I like that. What a pleasant euphemism for imprisonment."

  "She said they have hundreds locked up in a detention center. We were tracking down three doctors and a nurse who were snatched up in a small town in New Mexico. She told me to tell you that President Sterling needs to be stopped. She's certain that he assassinated President Powers."

  "That changes everything. We know he's locking down the major cities in a police state and snatching up people with professional skills, but if that man assassinated President Powers then he truly is a madman."

  "I couldn't agree more. My name is Maxwell Harris, and this is Elizabeth Reed.”

  Marshall leaned forward and shook his hand. "I'm Marshall Beck, and this is my Uncle Sean and Aunt Tricia. That young man over there is my cousin Jamison,” Marshall said, as he introduced the others in the RV.

  As the introductions proceeded, Max looked at Tricia and could see the family resemblance; she was clearly Howard Beck's sister.

  Marshall continued, "Well, folks, I wish we could take the time to get to know each other, but we need to get moving. Beck Castle is about an hour's drive from here, and we won't be driving on any roads."

  "Beck Castle?" asked Max.

  "It’s a secret underground bunker that my parents built. It’s massive and can hold hundreds, if not thousands of people. My father wanted to keep it a secret from me, but my mother told me all about it and even took me there when dad was overseas on business. Mom even convinced Hal to keep it a secret from dad."

  "And who is Hal?"

  "Another long story. You'll be meeting him soon enough; that is, of course, if you're joining us"

  "Sure. If you people are planning to stop Simon Sterling then I'm along for the ride."

  "Great, let's get going. Do you need any gas? We have plenty to spare."

  "I should be good, thanks. The one thing we do need is firearms. Ours were confiscated by the military."

  Marshall turned to Jamison and nodded. The young man disappeared into the back of the RV and returned with two Glock 19s and four boxes of ammunition. He handed them to Max and Elizabeth.

  "Outstanding! Thank you," said Max.

  "Don't mention it. Got one myself."

  Sean headed toward the door. "Jamison, I want you to stay here and continue doing what your cousin has been doing. Tell the next group we’ll be back for them soon."

  "Yes, sir."

  Max and Elizabeth headed for their SUV. As Marshall Beck’s RV slowly headed out in the open field, Max pulled his vehicle behind him and followed.

  **********

  "Hal, this is ridiculous. Tell my dad to come up here and talk to me."

  Howard Beck's A.I., Hal, was standing in front of his creator's son in the form of a robot. Transferring his primary program into a maintenance robot and controlling it was a simple enough task. The robot had the physical characteristics of a man - it had a torso, arms and legs. The one trait that greatly differed from the human form was its head, which was a flat panel computer monitor twelve inches across. When Hal extended himself into a robot, the head monitor showed the image of his namesake, the HAL-9000 from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Marshall had waited over two hours before the robot suddenly appeared from behind a hill.

  "Sir, it is not necessary for your father to come up here. He is monitoring this conversation from the command center."

  "Jesus Christ, Hal! I'm not talking through you! The least he can do is show his face on your monitor!"

  Ten seconds went by and the HAL-9000 image disappeared from the monitor to be replaced by Howard Beck’s face.

  "Hello, son. It's been a long time."

  "Dad, is there a reason you haven't let me in? Are you really just going to leave me up here?"

  "I would have let you in the minute you got here if you’d come alone. I'm not letting a bunch of strangers down here to cause problems."

  "Damn it, Dad! These are just everyday people looking for a safe place to stay! Families! Women and children! A lot of people up here are hungry and scared! Did you forget why you and Mom built this in the first place? This is why!” Marshall grabbed the robot and swung its head around to see the crowd of people. "You probably never imagined that the world would actually end, but it’s crumbling down all around us! Have you been ignoring everything? Do you even care about what goes on outside your little world?" Marshall couldn’t stand his father's lack of empathy. He loved the man but had spent his entire life trying to please him. Marshall had given up trying to read his father's emotions long ago. The cold, distant man was successful in driving his son away from him and into the arms of his mother. When his mother died, the standoff continued. The two had not spoken since Meredith’s funeral. "Dad, you haven't seen your grandchildren since they were babies. You've missed out on so much of their lives. It's time for you to change that. Open the door! Let us inside!"

  "I'm not surprised your mother told you about this place. She always denied it, but I knew. Just because I kept this a secret from you doesn't mean I wouldn't have sent for you and your family. You're my son. I know I’ve never been able to show it, but I love you very much. The people you brought with you today are the reason why I didn't want your mother to tell you about this place. You have your mother's kind and giving heart, and I knew you would want to help as many people as you could. Son, it’s just not that simple. This is more than just an emergency shelter; it’s much, much more than that. I don't know if your mother explained that to you, but you need to trust me when I tell you this place is far too important to risk."

  "Dad, it’s more than just these people. I have something else I need to tell you."

  "What is it, son?"

  "You're best friend was assassinated by his own vice president."

  "I know that already, Marshall."

  "We have to stop him."

  "I'm planning on it."

  "His Chief of Staff is working undercover with Sterling."

  "I'm glad to hear that. I was shocked to see her in my home with the rest of the traitors. Are you sure?"

  Max stepped forward.
"Mr. Beck, my name is Maxwell Harris. My colleague and I were searching for four missing persons who were kidnaped by Sterling's people. As we were about to be taken ourselves, Stacy Reid warned us and helped us escape. I can vouch for her; she's on our side."

  Howard was frowning at the man who had interrupted his conversation. One of Howard's dozens of pet peeves was being interrupted. He had even fired a few people who couldn't learn to stop doing it. "I'm sorry officer, what was your name again?"

  "Chief Maxwell Harris."

  "Chief of what, exactly?"

  "Chief of Police of Santa Fe, Texas."

  "Never heard of it."

  "South of Houston."

  "Had a spot of bad weather recently, didn't you?"

  "You could say that."

  Marshall waited to see if his father was done speaking and said, "Dad, what do you want to do with all of these people?"

  "You need to explain to them that the only way they’re coming down here is if they’re thoroughly searched by Hal and screened for infectious diseases. Their firearms will be unloaded and stored in a secured room. They will also be expected to follow a set of rules. If anyone harms another person they’ll be escorted out by Hal. My terms are unconditional and non-negotiable. Anyone refusing to comply will be denied entry. I will leave Hal with you so he can assist you. I have work to do. Hal will tell me when you’re ready.”

  “I understand, Dad. I’ll make the announcement.”

  The image of Howard’s face was replaced with the original picture. The Hal robot headed toward the group of people. It wasn’t often that Hal got to mingle.

  Marshall climbed back on board his RV and began repeating the instructions his father had given him. Few people in the group objected.

  Max and Elizabeth walked back to their SUV and rested against the front bumper. Max leaned over and kissed Elizabeth on the cheek. The warmest smile spread across her face, and her beauty took Max’s breath away.

  “Are you blushing, my dear?” asked Max.

  “Don’t tease me. It’s not nice,” pouted Elizabeth.

  “Come here, you.” Max pulled Elizabeth over to him. Gently holding her face between his burly hands, Max kissed her passionately. She sighed and moaned softly. The two of them were engulfed in a rising passion. Their lives had been filled with anguish and pain. They’d seen friends brutally murdered, and both had killed to defend themselves and each other. The only thing left in their lives that was good and pure was their love.

  Their kiss was interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream. Max and Elizabeth bolted from the SUV and ran to see what was happening. A woman was crying and running wildly toward them. She pointed to a green mini-van. As they rounded the vehicle, they saw the most terrifying looking man they’d ever seen. He was over three hundred pounds of muscle and maybe a few inches shy of seven feet tall. His body was covered in offensive tattoos, but the most grotesque thing about him was his left eye. It was solid white and sat behind a large scar.

  The monster had another man suspended by his hair and was pounding him in the torso like a punching bag. Then the giant wrapped his free hand around the man’s throat and dug his fingers into his neck. Blood spurted from the man’s neck like a geyser as his throat was ripped from his body.

  Max and Elizabeth were about to unload every bullet they had when another equally strange event took place.

  A much shorter and leaner man was howling at the top of his lungs. Max was sure the man was as terrified as he was, but he didn’t run away in fear. Instead, the smaller man ran toward the beast with the most intense hatred Max had ever seen.

  The smaller man didn’t even try to tackle the giant, knowing it would be a waste of time. He drove his foot into the side of the giant’s knee in an attempt to buckle his leg. It worked for a brief second but the giant rebounded and straightened his leg as he swung the corpse in his left hand into the smaller man. The smaller man rebounded and took up a fighting stance. When the giant swung his arm, the man grabbed it with both hands and jumped on the giant’s back. The little man grabbed the giant’s right ear and yanked down, tearing off the top portion of it. While the giant was howling, the slighter man rammed his thumb into the giant’s demon eye. The beast fell to the ground like an oak tree. The smaller man pounded the giant’s throat four times with a hammer chop. The monster gurgled and spat blood as his competitor dug both of his thumbs into the giant’s eyes and pushed down with all his weight. The smaller man took his thumb out of the giant’s good eye and punched him in the throat until he stopped moving. The undersized fighter stood and brought his foot down on the monster’s throat, breaking his neck. David had slain Goliath.

  Max stood motionless staring at the victor. He looked at Elizabeth, whose jaw was gaping in amazement. He lowered his weapon and reached up to lower Elizabeth’s weapon for her. He turned back to the winner of the death match.

  “Please tell me you’re done.”

  “I’m good, thanks.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  The Hal robot was performing a juggling act for a small group of children who were clapping and cheering him on. Hal was juggling four rocks of varying size with dazzling proficiency. None of them had ever seen a robot do such a thing; it was truly impressive.

  The juggling act was suddenly interrupted by a scream.

  Hal jumped into the air and landed on the roof of an RV. He leapt over an adjacent RV and landed on the ground. In a span of time so short it could hardly be measured, Hal made the following assessment:

  Subject A had murdered a man by tearing his throat out with his bare hands. Subject B had either tried to defend the murder victim, was the murder victim's accomplice, or was carrying out revenge on Subject A for the murder he committed. The two law enforcement officials accompanying Marshall Beck were in front of him with their weapons drawn on the subjects. Once Hal completed his assessment, the course of action he decided upon was to allow Chief Harris and his colleague to handle the situation and provide assistance only if it was required.

  Based upon the weight and muscle mass index of the two subjects, Hal calculated a seventy one point four percent chance that Subject A would defeat Subject B if the two law enforcement officials did not intervene. The altercation began and Hal watched the two subjects fight each other. As each millisecond passed, the percentage points he had calculated before the altercation began to lower and lower for Subject A and rose quickly for Subject B. Hal watched as Subject B raised his right foot in the air and brought it down on Subject A's neck. The robot’s sensors scanned Subject A's life signs and determined that he was deceased.

  "Please tell me you’re done," said Chief Harris.

  "I'm good, thanks," said Subject B.

  "You mind telling me what that was all about?" said Chief Harris.

  "Are you going to arrest me?" asked Subject B.

  "For slaying a monster? Probably not. Still wanna know what it was about though. The dead guy a friend of yours?"

  "I count two dead guys."

  "The first dead guy."

  "No, he wasn't. What the hell is that thing?" Subject B pointed at the Hal Robot.

  "Oh, yeah, that's Howard Beck's robot, Hal. You’ve heard of him?"

  "I read about him once. Thought he was some massive computer, the first one the have Artificial Intelligence. Didn't know he was a robot."

  Hal spoke in his proper English accent, "I am more than just a robot. My program can be extended into several outlets simultaneously. My primary duty at this moment is to assist the creator's son in preparing everyone for entry into the facility. Your actions require an explanation, or I will have to restrain you to prevent further injury to others." The Hal Robot raised his arms and walked toward Subject B.

  Jamison Stewart was walking toward the scene with his cousin, Marshall Beck. Jamison yelled from twenty yards away, "Hey! Leave him alone! He's a good guy!"

  Marshall Beck called out to the Hal robot. "Hal! Take it easy
! We can handle this!"

  Meredith Beck had programed Hal to follow any command from her son as long as it didn’t contradict her husband. "Yes, sir, I will be standing by to assist you."

  Marshall Beck looked at the man who had slain the giant. If the man's name was David, the parallel to the biblical tale of David and Goliath would be amazing. "Mister, you're damned lucky these two officers didn't shoot you dead."

  Richard looked back and forth between the crippled officer and the woman who should be a Victoria's Secret Model and sized them up. They were in love with each other; that much was obvious. The male cop was a sharp guy. He’d probably been in law enforcement his entire adult life and could perform well in a jam. The woman seemed like a firecracker who wasn't about to take shit from anyone.