The speech was given by the “Undersecretary of Information,” Mr. Clarke, an overweight man with a florid face. He wore a polyester suit, and carried a chrome-plated Savage .32 automatic pistol in a hip holster. In comparison to his great bulk, the small pistol appeared almost laughable. Standing next to him was an Army warrant officer wearing a digital camouflage Nomex flight suit, and a green nylon mesh survival vest with bulging zippered pockets. He carried a standard Army-issue Beretta M9 pistol in a shoulder holster. Both men wore sky blue armbands with a white United Nations “wreathed Earth” logo. The two stood on the steps of the terminal, with the crowd forming a half-circle around them. Clarke opened a notebook and began reading a prepared speech printed on poor quality photocopy paper. He began, “This address was written by President pro-tem Hutchings of the Provisional Federal government. Here is his message:
‘My fellow Americans. The United States is slowly recovering from the greatest tragedy in its history. I have recently been provided a detailed report on the extent of the catastrophe from the administration’s chief scientist. Some of the report’s findings are as follows: In the past three years, an estimated one hundred and sixty million of our citizens have died. Most died from starvation, exposure, and disease. Of the deaths by disease, more than sixty-five million were caused by the influenza pandemic that swept the eastern seaboard. Without antibiotics available, the disease simply ran rampant until there were no more hosts left to attack in the heavily populated regions.
‘At least twenty-eight million are estimated to have been killed in lawless violence. In addition, more than five million have died of complications of pre-existing medical problems such as diabetes, heart disease, hemophilia, AIDS, and kidney disease. Hundreds of thousands more have died of complications of tonsillitis, appendicitis, and other ailments that were heretofore not life-threatening. The distribution of population losses ranged from in excess of 96 percent of the population in some northeastern metropolitan areas to less than 5 percent in a few areas in the High Plains, Rocky Mountains, the inter-mountain areas of the West, and the Inland Northwest. Order has been restored in only a few states, but we are making rapid progress.
‘As you are no doubt aware, the economy is still in complete disarray. The formerly existing transportation and communications systems have been completely disrupted. In the coming months, our biggest priority will be on revitalizing the petroleum and refining industries of Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana. Next, we will strive to get electric power back on line in as many areas as possible. With bulk fuel, natural gas, and electrical power available, it is hoped that agriculture and the many industries critical to our nation’s economic health will be reestablished.
‘Here at Fort Knox, we have taken the lead in rebuilding a new United States. Already, with the help of security forces from other United Nations countries, we have pacified the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. But there is much more to be done. America must be put back on its feet again economically. Never again can we allow the economy to get so out of control. Strict economic policies will ensure that there will never be a repeat of the Crash. Wages and prices will, by necessity, be controlled by the central government. Many industries will have to be government-owned or government-controlled, at least in the foreseeable future. Reasonable limits on the press will stop the spread of unfounded rumors. Until order is completely restored, the Federal and state constitutions have been temporarily suspended, and nationwide martial law is in effect. The single legitimate seat of power is here at Fort Knox. It is only with central planning that things can be put back in order rapidly and efficiently.
‘Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama are already under the control of nine United Nations sub-regional administrators. I will soon be dispatching UN regional and sub-regional administrators to the other areas that have independently reestablished order. These include Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, the southern portion of Georgia, most of Texas, part of Louisiana, most of Colorado, southwestern Oregon, all of Idaho, all of Utah, eastern Washington, all of Wyoming, and most of North and South Dakota.
‘The UN Regional Administrators will oversee the many tasks required to accomplish a complete national recovery. For example, they will be setting up regional police forces, which will be under their direct control. They will oversee the issuance of the National ID Card. They will appoint judges that they deem properly qualified. Each Regional Administrator will bring with him on his staff a regional tax collector and a regional treasurer who will handle issuance of the new national currency. Rest assured that the new currency is fully backed by the gold reserves of the national depository.
‘I hope that you, my fellow citizens, will do everything in your ability to assist your new Regional Administrators, the sub-regional Administrators, their staffs, and those that they appoint under them. Only with your cooperation will America be able to quickly restore itself to its former greatness. Given this day under my hand, Maynard L. Hutchings.’ This document carries the official seal of the Provisional Federal government.”
After looking up with a wide-faced grin, Clarke intoned, “I have some photocopies of the speech for those of you that would like them. I’ll be happy to speak with any of you individually if you have any questions about how we will be handling things.”
A gray-haired man wearing a Pendleton shirt and with a MAK-90 rifle slung across his back raised his hand and shouted, “Sir, I’d like to ask my questions now, and hear you answer them publicly.” After pausing to look at some of the anxious faces around him, the man continued, “If I understand what you are saying, that this gentleman Maynard Hutchings is now the president of the United States.”
“Actually his correct title is President pro-tem.”
“I know what pro tempore means, Mr. Clarke. Can you tell me who elected this man Hutchings?”
“He was elected by a unanimous vote of the council of the provisional government.”
“And who elected this council?”
Clarke’s eyes dodged from left to right. Putting on an officious tone, he stated, “They were not actually elected. They were self-appointed during the darkest days of the crisis. They were men of great vision who saw the need to restore order, and took the great personal risk of doing something about it.”
The gray-haired man with the assault rifle spoke up again. “Well… exactly who is on this council?”
“Fine upstanding men like yourself, sir. They come from all walks of life.
There are two bankers, three lawyers, an IRS official, two businessmen, and an Army general.”
“You mean to say that a bunch of cronies got together and decided that they were going to become the new federal government?”
“Now, as I said, President Hutchings was legally elected by a unanimous vote.”
The gray-haired man pointed a finger at Clarke and again shouted, “Yes, he was legally elected all right, under the bylaws of this ‘council,’ which you have admitted was self-appointed. The term legally is not synonymous with lawfully.”
Clarke looked nervously from side to side.
After letting his words sink in, the gray-haired man asked, “What did this Hutchings fellow do before the Crunch? Was he with the federal government or the governor or deputy governor of Kentucky, or something of that nature?”