Alea Jacta Est: A Novel of the Fall of America (Future History of America Book 1) (29 page)

The groups
thought about that old proverb for a second.  More than one face looked up, a
light having gone on inside a head, an idea realized, revelation occurred.

“He’s
right…” said the man to whom Erik had given the protein bar.  Then, louder, for
the benefit of the group, “He’s right.”  The man shook his head and sighed. 
“I’m sorry, Erik…Stan…really, I am.  I just…I don’t know what came over me.”

Erik shook
the man’s hand.  “It’s okay…no one has been in a situation quite like this
before, so how are we supposed to know how to react?”

The man
grinned as he released Erik’s hand.  “You sure knew how to react…”

“Yeah,
how’d you know?” someone else asked.

“Because I
read a lot of history books.  This, I think, is going to be a Dark Age of sorts
for America.  At least for a little while.  Maybe for the world.  Because where
we go, the world has no choice but to follow.  The world economy is too tied
together and two dependant on us being a powerhouse consumer nation.  I don’t
know who caused it or why, and frankly I don’t care.  I’ve read what happens in
dark ages, when people are forced into survival modes.  It ain’t pretty folks. 
But there is hope—the ones who organize, they’re the ones who survive and
thrive.  Happens every time.”

After a few
minutes of whispered conversation and agreement among the residents, someone
finally spoke up. 

“So what do
we do?”

Erik closed
his eyes and sighed.  When he opened his eyes, Ted had a similar look on his
face. 
Finally…they’re finally ready.

“What do
your history books say to do?”

Erik
smiled.  “History books don’t tell you what to do, they tell you what others
did.”  A few people smiled back.  “We need to organize, so we should look to
the past and see how others did it.  The greatest organizers of all time were
the Romans.”

A few
questioning glances:
Did he say
Romans
?

“They
thrived for a thousand years, fighting off all kinds of enemies, both foreign
and domestic.  Their culture spread throughout most of the known world and they
did it all without computers, electricity and cars.  They had running water,
spas, arched bridges, and elevators just to name a few things...and they were
masters of warfare and defense.  But above all, the Romans have gone down in
history as one of the greatest organized societies ever.  Most of our society
is…or
was
…based on theirs, two thousand years after their demise.”

“Okay…so,
what
do we do
?” the question was repeated.

Thunder
rumbled in the distance.  The storm was coming back for round two.  Most people
looked up, expecting lighting or rain to pour from the heavens.  When nothing
happened, their attention focused back on Erik, who was requested to stand on
the stage so everyone could hear.  The breeze began as a gentle caress.  Erik
resolved to speak fast before the storm broke.  The smell of ozone was just on
the edge of detection now.  It wouldn’t be long, he figured.

“We have
things that need to get taken care of quickly.  First is food and water. 
Without it, we die.  Second, we have to make this apartment complex like a fort—we
have to have defenses or we die when the next attack comes.”  Erik ticked the
points off on his fingers, though in the poor illumination provided by the
tiki-torches, most people couldn’t see the gesture.

“If it
comes!” some die-hard peace freak shouted.

“Would you
rather be prepared next time or not?” Erik asked sharply.  “Because I am damn
well determined to survive this, to live.  I intend to see my parents and my
little sister again.  I intend to see Brin’s family again.  I want to have
children and give them a world worth having.  I’m sure as hell not going to
pretend everything is better and beg for my life when someone comes to take
what I have,” Erik said with an edge on his voice. It cut through the crowd,
shocking some of the more naïve ones.  Erik took a breath, looking at the man
whom he had given the protein bar.  The man nodded sheepishly.  He’d learned
his lesson.  He’d spread the word too.

“On top of
that, we’ve got to organize politically-like.”

“Politics!”
someone said in disgust.

“Yes.  How
will anything get done if everyone does what they think best?  That’s called
anarchy
. 
It might be best for them, but not for the community, and you have to admit if
the community is improved everyone is improved.   That means we have to work together,
we have to compromise, we have to cooperate.”

“So, you
think you’re some kind of Julius Caesar, huh?” asked Henry Grimes smiling at
his own wit.  “Think you’ll just take over, is that it?  You think we’re going
to let some kid just run this place?”

Erik
sighed.  “No, Henry, I don’t.  I don’t want to be Caesar—he was stabbed in the
back by people he
thought
were on his side.” 
Et tu, Henry?

Surprisingly,
most people had gotten that little stab and frowned on Henry.  He resented the
turn of emotions against him and glared at Erik.

“I don’t
want to be leader by myself, like some kind of dictator.  I don’t want to be
leader
period
.  I’ll gladly help out and give advice if it’s asked for—I
don’t want to lead.  But
someone
or a group of someone’s
has
to
or nothing will get done.”

“You seem
to be doing pretty good so far…” someone suggested.  A few approvals followed
that statement.  Erik didn’t like it at all.

“I haven’t
done anything yet.  Look, you all are not getting what I’m trying to—”

“You killed
that escaped convict and Ted shot the other one…that may have saved my life or
my wife or daughter!” replied Stan with fervor.  That was a debt he would
never
forget. 

“No, no I
don’t want…Look, I’m glad I could help you out, Stan, but I’m no hero.  I just
did what anyone would have done.  Like you said, Ted shot the other guy—”

“Bullshit,
you can’t get off that easy!” someone cried with a grin.

“Who
else
has swords here?” someone else asked.  No hands went up.

“Erik,
you’re probably the only one here who would have acted the way you did!  Can’t
you see that?”

“Yeah!”

“—really
smart…”

“You’ve
read all the history—you know what to do.”

“—trust
him, too—“

“—heard
he’s a PhD.”

“—no he’s
working on it…”

“Japanese
history is really tough—“

“—sure!”

“Folks,
don’t forget what
Ted
did—“ Erik began, trying to put some glory on
Ted’s shoulders and take the heat off his own.

“But Ted’s
a cop—that’s his job, right?”  A man up front asked to the group, receiving all
kinds of affirmations.  Ted just tried to look humble and stay out of the fray.

“Look, I’m
not a leader, okay?.  Sure, I’ve read a lot about leaders in history, but that
doesn’t make me a leader.  Hell, Ted was in the
Marines
—he’s led men in
battle
. 
He’s more a leader than I am.”

“Oh no you
don’t—I don’t want that job again.  I just got out last year, man, I’m happy to
be who I am.  Just Ted.”

Arguments
broke out about the best way to do things.  There were a number of options
floated—Erik had a growing following, Ted had some supporters, there was talk
of a Community Committee or Council, everyone gets a vote…After a few minutes,
a consensus of sorts was reached and finally someone called out, “Then why
don’t you just lead us temporarily, Erik?”

Erik
blinked.  “Temporarily?”

“Yeah,”
someone else said.  “How about you get things going, then when we decide how to
get things organized for sure…when we decide on an election process or
something, then you step down.  Like you said, someone’s got to lead no matter
what, right?  You can be…President Pro Tem,” the voice called, pride evident
that he had used such a fancy term.

Erik
gripped the railing in front of him, looking out at all the faces turned up to
him, hoping for help, salvation or just intelligence. 
Was this what Caesar
felt like looking at the masses of Rome?

“I…” he
said, looking at the faces. 

Can I do
this?  These people are looking to me for hope…Jesus, I’m only 26!  I haven’t
done anything in my entire life except go to school.  Can I organize these
people?  That’s like building a community from scratch…we’d need food and
water, adequate defenses…I haven’t done anything like this before…but who has? 

Alexander
the Great conquered the known world by your age,
a small voice inside
Erik’s head commented quietly.

What will
happen to Brin if you don’t take the reins until things settle down…what will
happen when more prisoners get here, or the gangs get here or…Can you and Brin
survive alone in the apartment with Ted’s family?

Despite the
intense weight he could feel settling on his young shoulders, Erik’s mind began
racing at the new challenge.  He started to recall the stories of ancient Rome,
of the Greeks, the Celts, the Gauls, and the Britons during the Dark Ages.  All
pockets of civilization in a wilderness of barbarity, struggling to survive had
started out like his little apartment complex.  Just a group of scared people
who banded together for the common good.  On a smaller scale, it was like the
Thirteen Colonies before the Revolution.  Just banding together for the common
good.  Perhaps this was just a chance to start over, correct what went wrong
with the “Great Experiment in Democracy”.  It was a fascinating concept.  The
scholar in Erik yearned to get started. 

His mind
made up, Erik spoke more forcefully over the clamoring crowd in front of him. 
“Okay.  I’ll do it…but
reluctantly
.  I want everyone to know up front
that I don’t want this job.  I want to pass it on to someone else as soon as
possible…”

A few
people clapped in approval.  More thunder boomed in the distance and the breeze
started blowing across the pool deck with a little more force

“But I also
have one condition.”  He waited for the applause and talking to die down
again.  “I’m
not
going to do this if people aren’t going to help out. 
We have to be united in this, and I mean
everyone
.  If you want me to
take this responsibility, I want you to be responsible to the community.  That
means when I give orders, you follow them.  Because otherwise, what’s the point
in having a leader?”  Erik paused for the murmurs of assent to die down.

“If you
don’t like the way I do things—I want you all to remember tonight, because I
want you to remember that I don’t want the job.  What you all choose to do is
up to you, of course, but if you want me to do the dirty work and plan things
out, then by God you’re going to follow my lead!  Because if we’re not all in
this, then whatever we do is going to be a half-assed compromise, exactly the
kind of mentality that will get us all killed!” 

More
applause and promises of help and support were made.  The two groups merged
into one as people began talking about “starting over” with their little
government.  What to do first, how to start, how to choose representatives, do
we need representatives?

Ted moved
up the steps and joined Erik on the stage.  “Nice job, Caesar,” he whispered
with a grin while patting Erik on the back.

Erik glared
at him, his knees going weak.  “Don’t call ever me that,
please
.  Jesus,
I’m scared.”

“Okay…nice
job, Erik the Red!” Ted grinned.

Brin and
Susan joined the two men.  “You’re not alone, Erik…” Susan said.  “We’ll all
help you.  At least until we can figure out who else to lead us.”

“Speaking
of that,” Erik said, forcing his knees to remain steady by grabbing the hot tub
railing again.  Then, to the group he said louder, “Everyone, listen up!”

After it
was quiet, he said, “Here is my first official act as President Pro Tem,
then.” 

People
waited expectantly.  Some were suspicious, like Henry, who had moved to the
rear of the group.  Henry knew nothing good was going to come out of putting
some young punk in charge of everything.  He’d just as soon get the hell out of
here as see this kid run everything into the ground with delusions of grandeur.

“Everyone
go back to your own building tonight.  Looks like it’s going to get pretty
nasty soon anyway, so if we have to be inside, may as well make the best of
it.  I want you all to talk about what happened here tonight; see if you can
come up with any ideas about what to do about setting up a more permanent
leadership structure.  Does that sound reasonable?  Good.” 

“Then, I
want you all to elect a representative for each building.  Those
representatives will meet with me tomorrow morning to let me know what their
building thinks.  We will then decide in committee what to do and we’ll bring
the winning ideas to a meeting here tomorrow night where everyone will get
their say and we’ll vote it out.  If you don’t like that, tell your building
rep and we’ll put it to a vote tomorrow night.  Sound good to everyone?”