healthy US economy was in their best interest, and pumped six trillion dollars into the US in 2013. It staved off the worst of the disaster but didn’t solve the underlying problem. The airlines, crippled by rising fuel costs and the prolonged recession, were nationalized in 2014.
And this steaming mass of conflicting interests, dwindling resources and unparalleled greed competed against a healthy world economy that was needed to stave off the disaster. But now that was assuming a disaster of another kind could be staved off, a disaster that would make all others pale by comparison.
Chapter 2
Finding Cover
President Owen Betts slumped at his desk in the oval office, oblivious to the array of advisors on the couch in front of him. So many questions kept circling in his mind. How could they prepare? Could they prepare? How do you break it to the world’s population that civilization might end without creating a panic that would, itself, end civilization? How could he maintain enough control to save what could be saved? Clearly this all had to be kept under wraps now—you don’t tell people a disaster is coming until you can tell them what can be done to avert it. Should he tell other heads of state? They would need a chance to prepare, but the more people who knew; the more likely it was the news would leak.
What about the upcoming election campaign? Should he run again? It would be a huge distraction, but it might create a frenzy of investigations if he announced he wasn’t running. Somebody would probably break under the pressure, that famous unnamed White House source.
The President rose from his desk and walked to the windows that looked out onto the White House grounds, his hands clasped behind his back. He stood there for a few moments, then turned to National Security Advisor Arlen Hendry.
“Arlen, implement COP at Mount Weather. Selection only—no contacts, just compile the lists and locations, and give me timeframes for implementation and the hierarchy who are essential to implementation. Can you have that to me end of business tomorrow?”
“It will be on your desk, Mr. President.”
“Allen,” the President said. “Mount Weather is your facility; I want you to put in place an operational readiness test that is to last at least one year. That way you can ramp up operations without raising suspicions of the staff.”
FEMA Director Allen Haverty nodded. “That will be no problem. I will set it in motion immediately.”
“Gentlemen, I cannot emphasize how critically important secrecy is in these early days of preparation. Robert track news leaks and shut down any sources of potential early disclosure. Do what you deem is necessary. Constitutional guarantees are essentially suspended, involuntary detention is on the table, do you understand?”
“Yes Mr. President,” Attorney General Simons replied.
“Admiral Torrance, work closely with Arlen on military redeployment without raising concerns or suspicions of your command staff, I know that won’t be easy, but we will need our troops here on US soil. Has your man from California arrived yet?”
“He just landed twenty minutes ago. I understand they’ve put him in the Roosevelt room.”
“Bring him in; I’d like to meet him.”
Two minutes later, the secretary ushered a stranger into the office. He was in civvies, looking a bit rumpled, but you could still see the military bearing under the clothes. Old habits die hard.
“Mr. President,” Torrance said, “May I introduce Major General Alex Hanken.”
“General, Admiral Torrance told me of your inadvertent eavesdropping on the two professors. Probably just as well. You know the situation we’re facing.”
“Yes sir.”
“What you need to do is direct a total redeployment of our military forces back to stateside. We may need them here at home. Then, we’ll need survival shelters for key government, military, and civilian personnel along with all the attendant supplies and equipment to literally restart the country. It’s a pretty tall order, so we managed to push through an order to congress to jumpstart you to a four star, you’ll need the muscle of the rank to deal with some of the lower ranking generals. So how say ye General Hanken?”
“Mr. President, it will be my honor to serve our country.”
“Good, Evan and Arlen will fill you in on the details the next few days.” The President then moved to the center of the room. “Gentlemen, diplomatic missions worldwide are going to start getting inquiries as to why we are redeploying our military. Any suggestions as to how we respond?”
After some thought. “Sir if I may?”
The President glanced back at Hanken. “Go ahead General.”
“Simply put, we can’t afford to be the world’s policeman any more. Or less simply put, we are maximizing our utilization of existing manpower and resources to better meet present-day challenges affecting our country.”
Torrance smiled. “I couldn’t have said it better Mr. President.”
“Evan, you didn’t tell me that Alex was a politician as well, though that statement was a little concise for a politician. But it’s a start.” President Betts paused until he had everyone’s undivided attention. “Gentlemen, thank you all. We all know what we have to do, and we have precious little time to do it in. So get started. Evan a moment?”
The others filed out while Admiral Torrance stayed standing. When they were gone, the President waved Torrance into a seat. “Quite an impressive man, Hanken. Good choice.”
“Thank you sir,” Torrance said. “Actually he was my third, after a former Quartermaster Corps General and a logistics chief from Halliburton.”
“Really? Why him then?”
“He called my office before we had a chance to contact the other two, and I learned he already knew about the ….upcoming event. I knew this had to be need-to-know as possible, so I brought him on board.”
“Oh. Well I would have liked first choice on this, but you’re right about the security. He’ll have to do.”
Alex was parked on an uncomfortable chair in a nondescript office in the Pentagon. There was a briefing book and a carafe of coffee in front of him, and a stack of briefing books to his right. He’d been getting up to speed for about six hours now, and still felt like he was only scratching the surface.
At the moment it was the Mount Weather facility located about 45 miles west of Washington D.C. in the mountains of Virginia, 1,725 feet above sea level. Mount Weather was central to COP-- Continuity of Operations, the government’s plan to restore order to the country after a calamitous event by ensuring the executive branch, key military and civilian personnel survived. The facility itself was located 1,400 feet underground, was originally built in the heyday of the cold war but underwent extensive reconstruction beginning in 1993. There were now dorms for staff instead of cots, cafeterias, meeting rooms, self-contained power generators, food and equipment warehouses, even an electric tram. Not to mention a fully equipped ER and operating room, to be staffed by surgeons covering several disciplines, and a complete two chair dental clinic. There was an extremely sophisticated communications system linked to satellites and high gain microwave antennae, an onsite full production television
