Chapter 14
The President of the United States, or what was left of that country, was sitting in his comfortably appointed office viewing a movie. He had a bag of micro wave popcorn and was drinking a glass of ice cold Coke. The movie was the old John Wayne classic called, Stage Coach.
In the room with him was his wife, and several of his advisers. They had broken from a meeting and the president had decided it was time for a movie.
"Did you know, that this movie is credited for launching John Wayne's career?" The president asked his only surviving cabinet member, Roger Stanford.
"No sir. I was never a big, John Wayne, fan sir. I was more of the old Errol Flynn enthusiast. Now that was acting! That was adventure!" Roger finished.
Nodding, the president replied, "I can agree with you there. Errol was a swashbuckler, no doubt about it."
It was at that time that a knock sounded on the door. A Secret Service man passed through General Colton.
"Martin, your just in time to watch this movie with us. You only missed 10 minutes of it so far. John Wayne in that classic, Stage Coach." The President said to General Colton.
"Sorry sir. Something has come up. We just received a video satellite call from the French President." The General told him.
"So, we're sure? That asshole survived after all?" The president asked.
"Yes, sir. Voice pattern matches file records. Also, they are maintaining contact, and would like to speak to you as soon as possible, if not sooner. We can transfer the link to your office if you would like, sir." The General said.
Nodding, the president got up, and walked over to his desk. Pressing a button on the desk, a wall opened up, and the president found himself looking at an incredibly expensive wall video screen with camera.
The General picked up the presidents phone and spoke into it briefly. Soon, a picture formed and clarified into a room with several people sitting or standing around. A voice spoke in French, and shortly the French president came into the shot.
A red light came on on the camera in the president's office, and they were now live and face to face. Both men studied each other for a moment. The French president looked tired.
"Good day and congratulations on surviving the disaster." President David Manning, told the French President. There was a moment of silence as a translation was done.
"Thank you Mr. President. It pleases me that you too survived. However, I am disturbed and troubled. I have received news from our astronaut aboard the space station that you ordered all our satellites destroyed. Is this true?" Asked the French President.
"Of course it's true. Did you expect me to leave you anything in space with which to hurt the earth even more? No, Jock, I don't trust you French with anything that might prove deadly. Look what happened the last time you were invited to partake in a global venture? You effectively destroyed most of mankind." The president replied directly.
The French President glowered as he heard the translated words in his earpiece.
"You are very blunt, David. Surly you do not think we did this on purpose?" Responded the French President in an offended tone of voice.
"I think that you and your scientists were looking for glory. Shall I play back the world press announcement that was made by you and your board of scientists as you revealed your plan to shift the asteroids course to fall into the sun, thereby saving the world for all time?"
"Somehow, I failed to receive my notice of what you were planning with the asteroid. Nor did any other body receive notification. You also, at that same press conference told the world that the United States and the other countries involved in turning aside the asteroid were only delaying a certain disaster, and so you moved to end it once and for all. In fact, you told the world that we were being evasive in our duty to the world as a whole. We were failing the "Global Test" as you put it."
The French president had winced several times as the American President pounded home the incontestable facts.
"What you say is true, however one wrong done in innocence should not be compounded by a wrong of deliberate destruction. We did something wrong. However, you did something in turn that was even more wrong. You destroyed French property. We ask that you make right your admission and make restitution to us. What we did was wrong, yes. However it was done with good intentions. What you did was totally arrogant, and smacks of imperialism." replied Jock Pirrone.
"I see. What is it exactly you think we should give you in restitution?" The American President asked.
"Simply put, we need supplies. A lot of our country was destroyed by the tidal wave. We managed to tap into an English satellite and have discovered that you have fields of grain still growing. We need some of that grain sir." Responded the French President.
"Mr. President," David said slowly, "You have the temerity to ask us to supply you with food after you destroyed most of the world? How does the destruction of the world meet your 'Global Test, ' Jock? What makes you think that I will authorize any supplies shipped to France? Most of my countries ships went down during this disaster. You might have heard of it?
"No Mr. President. I am not going to authorize any grain to go to you in the form of reparations. As a matter of fact, while you're president, I refuse to deal with you or your country. You sir, are the biggest mass murderer in history. Good day to you."
President Manning was fuming as he cut the connection. The first thing out of his mouth when he had recovered his composure was, "Where the hell are we growing grain, and why don't we know where it is?"
There was an energetic discussion on what the priorities were going to be from this point. The president wanted a comprehensive list of all military assets left, and also wanted a program to find areas of the US that was still growing food.
There was still the problem of the 'Protectorate' to overcome. It was decided to give this group one final chance to come within Federal control. As bad a taste as it left in the president's mouth, he told the general to offer amnesty to the directors of this area, as long as they complied and turned over control to his commander on site, General Baron. That solved, they moved onto other matters.
In the French Command Center, the French President and his aids were discussing the disastrous communication with the American President. It could not be denied that the French had caused the disaster. Even their most conservative scientists had admitted they had failed to consider the events leading up to what had happened.
They once again viewed the satellite pictures of the growing wheat field, and considered how to best force the US to reconsider. Most of the French growing land was going to take at least a year to recover. Although small pockets of France still remained viable as food producers, it was not enough to feed the remaining population.
France had already managed to re float and repair a large container ship, and one ocean going barge. This was in addition to the nuclear submarine that was still in it's protected underground base. Huge steel doors had protected the sub pen from the ocean, and construction of the pen itself to withstand an almost direct nuclear hit had seen to it's survival intact. The men of that command were in good shape, and ready and willing to carry out the will of the French people in the form of it's governmental leaders.
Greg Baron was sitting and relaxing in his lodge. Sipping his coffee, he looked fondly at his daughter. It was so good to see her safe and sound. She had just come back in from riding her beloved horse. She and Tracy had hit it off and were both sharing Jessica's room in an extended sleep over mentality. That had been a relief for Greg, as he had been worried at what Jessica would say about his having farmed her room out. Teens were so unpredictable, and his daughter was no exception. However, he was proud of her as she stepped up and lent a hand where she could.
Training was going well. Cheyenne Mountain had sent him a tentative schedule for the so called Protectorate to surrender authority to him. He had been a little shocked that the directors of this organization would basically get off scot-free for definite violations of State and Federal law, but this was a time and situation that needed calm heads and a little give and take. Greg understood. The other recourse was to fight a pitched battle for control, and more of his people would die.
He was confident he would win, as Cheyenne Mountain would lend support in the form of air strikes, as well as the Special Forces already at the ranch. It was just a sour taste in his mouth that the remaining authority would have to dicker with this pocket dictator group. Frowning, he read over the supply report again. They were falling low on certain supplies that were going to be difficult to replace. It was time to send a salvaging party out. Nodding to himself, he wrote out an order, and moved onto the next item on his to do list. Find out what happened on the other side of Hoodoo Pass.
They knew from satellite photo's a bridge was out which blocked traveling by vehicle up the pass from the Idaho side, but people on foot could still make it, and no people were coming. It was unnatural.
"There it is. We have been given the final ultimatum. Surrender of our authority and position to General Baron, or face a sudden attack and death by firing squad for crimes during a national emergency. As I see it, we can probably bargain for a slightly better position. We are already in place. Let's offer a counter. Suppose we agree, but we wish to retain positions in the newly turned over Protectorate lands.
"Face it, we can still give them a world of hurt if we don't agree, and they know it. Otherwise we would not be getting this final chance. We have things they want, and destroying it in a battle is not something they would care to do if they could avoid it." Mason told his two other directors.
Nodding, they got down to the probable sites of attack, and what
they could do to counter an aerial strike. Once that was done, they
worked out a counter proposal to the Federal authorities, and since
they were dickering, they felt sure no attack would be forth coming.