2042: The Great Cataclysm (13 page)

His Trancab diverted and so did the government car. They were definitely following him. He figured he could give them the slip at the metro station and be on the train to the airport before they caught up with him.

It was a chance, and a slim one, but it was the only thing he could think of. He had to get on that plane.

He announced his charge card number as the cab pulled up in front of the metro station, and when the door automatically slid open he leapt out, taking off in a full run into the station. An overhead display showed each train’s destination and timetable, and once entering the terminal it was necessary to stand on a moving walkway to move along a tunnel leading to other train platforms. The walkway travelled at the speed of a slow stroll, so Nick walked rapidly passing the long lines of people ahead. He had little occasion to use this metro when visiting Laura, as he usually came in from Dulles International airport where Trancabs were readily available. Now at the end of the walkway, he found himself in a large open area confronted by more walkways going in different directions.

He spotted two men in jacksuits on the walkway behind pushing their way past passengers toward him. His heart pounded, he hurried past several walkways until he spotted the one to the airport
.
N
o
, he thought
,
can’t let them know I’m headed to the airpor
t
. Instead he took the walkway next to it. Now he began to run. Startled people cursed him as he pushed past them. The two men followed ten metres behind. He came to the end of the walkway where two trains waited, heading in opposite directions.  He made for the one on his right. There was a group of three people standing by the walkway with suitcases stacked on a trolley. He pushed the cases off the trolley as he passed, scattering them over the platform. He did not stop. The train on his left began to close it’s doors, so he diverted from his path and dashed into that train as the door closed. He watched as the two men stood with hands on hips among the scattered suitcases.

Nick bent over for a moment, then collected his senses and peered around the carriage. Everything looked normal, shoppers and school children. He had no idea where he was going. He stood by the door ready to depart at the first station and get on a train to the airport.

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

The army Veto landed softly on a plateau in the wired and heavily guarded compound in the hills of Pennsylvania, three hundred kilometres north of the capitol Washington, DC.

General Worth eased himself out of the pilot’s seat, and Porter Douglas grunted as he pushed his overweight frame from the passenger’s seat and followed Worth toward a large steel shed. Built against the mountain, it seemed to melt into the side of the earth and was surrounded by scrubby bushes that gave it an unkempt appearance. Most of the iron wall panels were rusted and two or three had detached themselves in varying degrees from the side of the building. The entry door stood slightly ajar. A light breeze flapped a faded poster advertising Coca Cola on its rusty exterior.

‘Why the hell would they advertise Coca Cola here, in this remote place.’ Douglas commented as they entered the shack.

Hundreds of black dots danced in front of his eyes as he adjusted his vision to the dim light inside. He looked around amazed by the collection of items: a dust-covered vintage tractor, broken wooden crates, tools and other dilapidated farming equipment. As he moved around small clouds of long accumulated dust swirled around his ankles, clouding the mirror finish of his regulation boots.

‘What the hell’s this?’ He wheezed.

‘It’s an old storehouse.’

‘I can see that, but what’s it doing here?’

Ignoring him Worth walked to a rusty panel at the rear of the building and pushed aside a ratty bail of hay to reveal a square black box attached to the bottom of the panel. He pulled a key from his pocket and opened the box. Inside was a panel of buttons that he quickly pressed in a combination and stepped back. Seconds later the panel opened with a slight whoosh as trapped air escaped revealing a darkened entrance. Worth stepped inside and bright white light instantly flooded a corridor ahead of him.

‘Good God!’ Douglas exclaimed. ‘This’s the President’s entrance to Mt Rockwell? I never would’ve found it.’

‘That’s the idea. We’ve got two others even better concealed than this. Ingenious isn’t it?’ Worth’s gave a crooked smirk that rather than show amusement made him appear malevolent.

The two men walked down the long corridor and stopped in front of another door. This time the security panel was in full sight and Worth punched out the numbers to open it. They stepped inside a large room to find an armed M.P. standing by the door.

He saluted briskly and led them to another door where the MP directed Worth to place his palm over a panel. A door slid silently into the wall. Ahead of them was a small area that contained an electronic weapons detection screen. Once the generals had passed through this screen, the MP ushered them to another door to a smaller cubicle and closed it behind them.

‘Christ. This is more secure than Forth Knox.’ Douglas quipped. ‘What now?’

‘This is the decontamination chamber.’  Worth said. ‘Once we’re through here we’re on our own.’

A red light flashing above the door signalled the all clear and they stepped out into a cavernous room where artificial light gave off a curious daylight effect. Offices with glass partitions enabling the inhabitants to be viewed from the outside circled the ground floor, and above them high on a mezzanine floor were as many offices again. People dressed in Navilon body hugging blue uniforms, with a storm cloud embroidered above their name on their chest, hurried back and forth busily carrying out their duties.

‘For such a huge area it’s so quiet in here.’ Douglas commented.

‘Yeah, they renovated this place two years ago, replaced all the old glass with Navilon, upgraded all the electronics, just about rebuilt the place. The Navilon makes the offices almost soundproofed.’

‘That stuff’s so versatile. Christ, next thing they’ll come up with a way to use it as food.’

‘Yeah, the invention of the twenty-first century. Bit like how the invention of the world wide web changed everything.’

Douglas turned his head. ‘This’s bloody incredible!’ He wheezed. ‘What are all these people doing?’

‘Running the utilities for a small city.’

Douglas gazed around the enormous open area. ‘How long have they been here?’

Worth led the way to an area where a row of padded seats were arranged beside a freezer cabinet that contained an assortment of drinks and snacks. ‘Some of them are new, but most have been here for years. It’s just a skeleton staff right now, but it’s about to expand rapidly.’

‘How the hell have you kept this hidden for so long?’

‘Well, you know the army, we can do whatever we want. I’m surprised you’ve got so many questions.’ He paused and narrowed his eyes. ‘You should’ve been aware of all this
being a one star.
’

‘Yeah well, I am. I figured it’s not something I needed to care about. Thought it was just stock piling food and equipment for an emergency. I didn’t realise there was a sophisticated city under here.’

Worth selected a drink from the cabinet. ‘There wasn’t until the renovations, it was old, dusty and dingy - Jesus, eighty years old I believe, and as you said, a place to store emergency supplies. The staff have the highest security clearances and they’re highly paid, they’ve got first class accommodation for their wive’s and kids here as well.’

‘Kids? How can kids have security clearance? They wouldn’t understand.’

‘Staff families are restricted to one child, so it’s not hard to keep them quiet.’

Douglas narrowed his eyes. ‘How the hell can you control that? This’s the US - not China.’

‘Ah, the wives need to be willing to be sterilised.’

‘What! That’s bloody barbaric, and they agree to that?’

‘It’s a contract for life. They get looked after by the government in return. Everything they want. Kid gets the best education and opportunities, all their living costs are paid for plus holidays, Christ we even provide high yield investments for them. Why wouldn’t they?’

‘Well, if you put it that way, a good incentive. Although I’m not sure my wife would’ve done that.’

‘Dunno what’s going to happen now though. Their cushy lives are about to be turned upside down, and as for contracts...well.’

‘How did they get all this stuff in here without raising questions?’ Douglas said.

‘Through more secret entrances on the other side of the mountain. We haven’t put this together overnight. They’ve been funnelling stuff in here since the seas started rising back in fifteen. Here comes our transport.’

***

An electric two seater open car pulled up in front of the Generals. ‘Tour.’ Worth commanded.

Douglas sat back quietly and marvelled at the scenes unfolding around him. They drove through long narrow streets tunnelled into the earth, lined with concrete and lit by strong fluorescent lights overhead. They travelled for miles, along the way passing several other similar cars carrying army personnel. In places where the earth permitted it, buildings had been plunged into it’s heart; stark structures of steel and glass propped at curious angles, as a method to provide accommodation, and at the same time to shore up the earthen walls around them. Each building was identified by identical utilitarian signs bearing block numbers, and every now and then larger buildings appeared that General Worth described as various commercial complexes.

The air supply was cooled by air-conditioning piped from outlets in bulging silver tubes that snaked along the ceilings above, maintaining the temperature throughout at an even seventy-seven degrees Fahrenheit.  Everything was clinically clean, and Douglas mentally calculated the cost of equipment and cleaning staff required to keep it this way. They passed a large shopping mall, a hospital, schools, gymnasiums and even a movie theatre.

‘They’ve thought of everything haven’t they?’ Douglas said. ‘I s’pose they’ve even got swimming pools.’

‘Yeah. There’s one or two. Leisure’s important. We could be locked up here for some time. If we had a nuclear war we’d have to stay here for months.’

‘It’s not going to be a war, though.’

‘True. However, it will be just as devastating. People will be looking for food and shelter.’

Douglas shuddered. ‘It’s eerie. I wouldn’t want to be locked in here too long. How many people can it house?’

‘About ten thousand. Perhaps more.’

‘Amazing! Are there more like this?’

‘Yup, but not exactly like this. Most country’s have made provision for their leader’s protection. Even the Queen of England has an escape castle set up.’

‘Really! Makes you wonder what other secrets the government’s hiding from the public.’

‘Yeah. Need to know stuff.’

They stopped for lunch at a fashionable cafe where the staff wore the same blue uniforms. People seemed normal, even friendly, and the service was impeccable. ‘Make the most of it.’ Worth said. ‘It won’t be as relaxed as this once everybody moves in.’

‘When will that be?’

‘We’ve started. We’ve already got some uninvited guests we’ve locked up.’

Douglas stared at him. ‘You mean you even got a jail here?’

‘Well, it’s not really a jail. However, nobody can get in or out without codes and passes.’

‘Oh?  Just who are these uninvited guests?’

‘Just some people we thought might let the cat out of the bag. They’re lucky really. They’re safe.’

‘What if it’s all just a scare?’

Worth slurped his coffee. ‘You sound sceptical.’

‘It’s just that Peterson and the Secretary for the Navy think it’s a load of rubbish.’

‘Let them think what they like. The President’s not taking any chances, despite Peterson’s opposition. They’ll thank us after it.’

‘You sound sure.’ Douglas said leaning back and slipping his fingers under his belt.

‘This guy Torrens has staked everything on it. My gut tells me he’s not stupid. If it doesn’t happen he’ll lose his government contract along with his boat, and his reputation.’

***

After an excellent lunch of prime rib served with a bottle of crisp Californian wine, they returned to the reception centre to rejoin the real world.

‘Before we go I want to show you the ops centre.’

Worth led the way through double doors into a spacious room fitted out like a space rocket launch centre. Computers and television displays formed banks around the perimeter of the room, and there were two separate areas sectioned off by glass-panelled walls. Douglas looked at the television displays. Several were monitoring the areas inside Rockwell where he had just travelled, and he watched with fascination as others panned over the country outside, highlighting the Washington Monument in the distance, and the Potomac River, curling like a black snake on it’s journey around the flat terrain.

‘Must be mighty powerful cameras.’ Douglas quipped. ‘The White house must be two hundred miles from here.’

‘Satellites. Gives us a bird’s eye view doesn’t it?’ Worth said. ‘There’s a shit load of testing gear out there, but most of it’ll be useless in a flood.’