Fortress Farm - The Pullback

  *****

  White House

  Federal DC

  Immediately After GRAPEVINE Shutdown

  President Luis Aguilar stumbled down the dimly-lit hallway toward his new command bunker, built as a personal monument to the success of the Pullback. Service–Marines flanked him on each side, clearly confused about why their world turned upside down. Panic overwhelmed Aguilar.

  How in the world could everything just quit working?

  The night had gone so well after the State of the Union. Now just hours later the world had gone pitch black. The last report he had from Secretary Johnson at the Department of Interior concluded that they had a nationwide power outage. There were no phones or computers working, so the information was still sketchy. But everyone was pretty sure it was a cyber–attack. Maybe China, maybe the Russian Federation. Everything was speculation right now. But Johnson urged Aguilar to head for the new state-of-the-art bunker built several stories below the People’s Hall, and to take his wife and Speaker Thomas Reed with him. Johnson nodded to Aguilar, acknowledging the Continuity link the men shared. Then, Johnson disappeared into the dark with his own group of Service–Marines.

  Aguilar hustled into the bunker, heading for the living quarters. His wife entered behind him, and he could hear the sobs begin. Reed slumped into a chair in the front sitting room, rubbing his eyes to try to let more of the LED lantern light into his brain. The light cast through the room was just enough to allow the men to make out just four of the Service–Marines now with them.

  Where is my Chief of Staff? Or my Secretary of Homeland Security? There should be twenty staff in here to attend me!

  “Marine, I want to walk out in the hallway. There may be staff waiting out there and I want to get an update,” Aguilar demanded of the nearest uniform he could see.

  Aguilar watched the Service–Marine pass through the dim light and reach for the large lever used to release the bunker door. The soldier’s muscles rippled with the effort, but the handle wouldn’t budge. He tried again, straining and grunting this time.

  Thomas Reed quickly jumped from his chair, pushing the younger man out of the way and frantically searching for a switch or button to activate the door. Panic gripped Reed as he swung around to scream at Aguilar.

  “They locked us in here! We’re trapped! We’re all dead!”

  Aguilar went pale, unseen in the darkness. “Why would they do that? Johnson gave me the sign to come here. He said we would be safe until the situation was controlled.”

  A voice came out of the dark; one of the Service–Marines: “The situation is under control, Mr. President. Gatekeeper Johnson gave me the honor of helping you and Speaker Reed find the True Path. Unfortunately, neither of you were able to completely comprehend Continuity and the peace it brings knowing that a pure Profile lives on forever.”

  Now the uniformed man moved into the low light of the LED lantern. “You see, once Gatekeeper Johnson knew you were both using Continuity to achieve your own goals, instead of trying to reach true enlightenment, he had to act to help you. You must both be purified – separated from the outside world while you meditate to the True Path.”

  “This is crazy!” Reed screamed, rushing their jailer and grabbing him. “I demand you let us out! Johnson said that I’d be the one to lead after Aguilar was locked up! He said I was chosen to lead, that my Profile would be first among equals!”

  The hidden man easily threw the two hundred-pound Speaker of the House to the ground, striking his chest with an open fist. As the Speaker gasped for air, the Service–Marine turned back to a stunned Aguilar, now nearly hyperventilating.

  “People will come looking for us,” Aguilar gasped. “You can’t hide the most powerful men in the world! Especially in my own house! When the power comes back on, every reporter in the world will be combing these halls looking for me!”

  The Service–Marine calmly replied: “Mr. President, the power isn’t coming back on. GRAPEVINE commanded every computer and connected device to rest until the time for the Awakening comes. Once humanity is ready to reach the final stage of The Progressions, She will restart the Network and bring the power back. But until then, there will be no power, and no one will come to look for you. You must find your Path to Continuity here in the dark. Or none of you will ever leave this room.”