“Concerning what?”
“The general did not specify, sir.”
“Notify Richard that I’ll meet with him as soon as he arrives.”
“Very good, sir. Senator Wilson wishes to confirm your meeting in Seattle, Monday of next week.”
“Can’t my son just go to the damn meeting instead?”
“I don’t believe so, sir. The senator has scheduled a banquet in your honor; he has been planning it for the last two months. A lot of important people will be attending and will be greatly disappointed if you are absent.”
“A lot of important people who want to kiss my ass so I’ll do them a favor.”
“Shall I cancel the meeting, sir?”
“No, Hal. I could use a little fresh air, and I don’t want to suffer my son’s nagging. I can already hear it. ‘Dad, the people need to see you. You’re a symbol of hope, freedom, and blah, blah, blah.’”
“Sir, I’m afraid I must agree with your son.”
“I’m not surprised, Old Man. What bothers me the most about this damn meeting is that I already know the reason they want me there.”
“Which is, sir?”
“They want Seattle to be named the capital of the Pacific States of America.”
“And you don’t, sir?”
“Not in the least, Hal. We don’t need to create a target for the Unified American Empire. Once they find out we’re having a State of the Union address or some other stupid meeting, no doubt they’d try to wipe us out.”
“I see, sir. A wise precaution on your part; however, if our efforts are successful, we will not have to worry about such a threat.”
“Damn right it’s wise. Things are operating smoothly in our underground fortress. This bunker is impregnable, and I plan to continue running things from down here until we can move safely around the territory.”
“Sir, General Dupree will be arriving shortly.”
“Good, have him meet me in here.”
“Very good, sir.”
Beck Castle had been constructed many years ago by Howard Beck as a safe haven for what he considered to be the most important creation in the history of mankind: the first artificial intelligence, his friend Hal. He also built the massive underground complex as an ark for the continued existence of the human race in the event of an extinction-level event. Should the end of the world occur, he had originally planned to ride it out with his family and a select group of people safe and sound in Beck Castle. If the public had known Howard Beck was building an Armageddon bunker twenty years prior, they would have mocked him, the very idea labeled outlandish and wasteful. When the collapse of America brought the mighty nation to its knees, Howard had the last laugh. With the aide of his advisors and Hal, Howard ran a nation spanning over half a million square miles populated with over fifteen million citizens, from a bunker five hundred feet below ground. He had no intention of ever relocating the seat of government to Seattle or anywhere else.
General Richard Dupree’s stealth craft slowly descended from an altitude of one thousand feet down to a barren stretch of land in front of the entrance to Beck Castle. Every inch of the highly sophisticated craft had been coated with billions of tiny nanobots that rendered the craft invisible to both radar and the naked eye. The nanobots also served as an effective shield in combat.
Richard had observed radio silence for the last fifty miles of the journey. Howard insisted that the measure was unnecessary since all forms of communication with the Castle were encrypted and impossible to detect. As commander of the PSA’s military forces, Richard insisted on it, reminding Howard that the day might come when the UAE would break the encryption, and it was best to err on the side of caution.
The pilotless craft slowly taxied onto the landing pad. Seconds later, the landing pad descended into a small hangar bay beneath the surface. Richard exited the craft and stepped into the elevator to make the forty-five-story descent below the surface to Beck Castle.
“General Dupree, sir, I trust your journey was uneventful?”
“It was, Hal, thank you. When will I be meeting with the president?”
“President Beck is ready to receive you at your earliest convenience.”
Richard didn’t need to ask Howard’s whereabouts; the president spent every morning in the command center tending to the issues facing the Pacific States of America. The young general had spent the past three weeks visiting the military bases scattered around the territory. When the nation collapsed in 2027, the Unified National Guard was absorbed into the UAE under the direction of Supreme Commander Carl Moody, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Powers Administration. Moody scrambled to consolidate the Unified National Guard and the bulk of the military into one fighting force to protect and defend the Unified American Empire under the rule of President Simon Sterling. When Howard Beck deployed his tech army of automated craft and robot soldiers to capture the territory he now governed, his primary objective was to secure all the military bases inside his borders. The task was much simpler than anyone had anticipated. The military force inside the territory had sworn an oath to protect the former democratic government. Only a small percentage of the soldiers had to be exiled to the Unified American Empire.
Richard’s most challenging task was exerting his authority over the senior officers on the liberated military bases. It was obvious to these veteran officers that the presence of Howard Beck’s tech army meant he was calling the shots. If they wanted to enjoy the freedom and protection afforded those within the Pacific States of America, they had to accept the fact that Richard Dupree, a man at least twenty years their junior, was in charge.
Richard had been gone on the three-week tour to ascertain the battle readiness of the PSA’s army. The UAE had left them alone for the past few months. They had their hands full with The Silent Warriors, a stealth regiment of Muslim warriors the Great Empire of Iran had sent to infiltrate America prior to the Collapse of 2027. The Silent Warriors were comprised of small terrorist cells that had no communication with each other. Their mission was simple: to wreak as much havoc on the American people as possible. The Great Empire of Iran had unleashed the final, crippling blow that guaranteed the Collapse of 2027. Iran called the event “The Star of Allah.” A nuclear warhead was detonated high in the atmosphere over the Eastern Seaboard. The resulting electromagnetic pulse destroyed every electronic circuit from the East Coast all the way to the Mississippi Valley. The UAE, along with the American people, refused to adopt the name given by Iran and instead referred to the event as “The Pulse.” It was the perfect cover for the Silent Warriors as they came out of hiding and attacked the nation with unrelenting force. Reconstruction efforts, under the supervision of Regional Governor Jackson Butler, had a difficult time restoring the infrastructure of The Pulse Zone. Governor Butler was able to make gradual progress, taking two steps forward and one step back to deal with The Silent Warriors. Richard was thankful for the diversion; it gave the Pacific Army time to prepare a critical blow against the UAE. The final hurdle was convincing Howard that the idea was a sound one.
The elevator came to a stop on the command level, and Richard made his way down the corridor to his quarters.
“Hal, inform the president that I’m going to take a moment to settle into my quarters and I will be with him shortly.”
“Very good, sir. General, I have some news to share with you. Would you like to hear it now or wait until after your meeting with the president?”
“Depends. Good news or bad?”
“Very good news, sir.”
“By all means, go right ahead. I just need to change clothes and freshen up.”