The Forgiven The Fallen The Forsaken (18 page)

“The President
and V.P. are both dead and, effectively, the military is all that’s left of the
government.  Fortunately, the active duty military is about 80% intact. 

“These conspiracy
folks prepared well for themselves while preventing us from spreading the word
early.  We’ve hunted some of them down already and will catch up with the rest when
we get to it.” 

Rob scratched
his head.  “What’s the plan?” 

“We rebuild. 
We get a functional political system.  We mourn our losses and make sure this
never happens again."

"It's a
lot worse than I feared," said Rob.  "This is going to change the
course of human civilization from here on out."

Al nodded.  “Rob,
do you think your brother in law would be interested in a political position?”

Rob shrugged.  “We
pushed him into mayor.  Why?”

Phoenix and
Tucson are screwed.  There isn’t a state legislature any more.  Whitman wants
to appoint him into a temporary Director’s position until we can get things up
and running.”

“Does he have
that authority?”

“Right now, he
essentially is the government.  He told me that he found the whole thing to be
a major pain in the ass and he wants to pass the buck to the civilians as soon
as it can be done safely, and he likes Jim.”

“Jim will
flip.”

“Yeah, but will
he do it?” 

 “He won’t take
it if there’s any way out.”

“Then we don’t
give him one.”

Rob thought for
a moment and said, “He’ll do it.”

“That’s good
because his security team will be here in about an hour.”

Rob and Al took
the Black Hawk to the village.  The trucks had already departed for the NAU
camp with the fresh produce.

Rob took Al to
meet Jim.  “Jim, I’d like to introduce you to one of my good friends, Al Medina. 
He’s Department of Defense and is here representing General Whitman.”

Jim shook Al’s
hand and said, “Welcome aboard, Jim.  We can use you.” 

“Thank you. 
First thing, I brought something for you.”  Al opened up his briefcase and
pulled out a medical vial and a syringe.  “This is one of the first doses of
the vaccine.  I’ve brought thirty with me, but that’s all we could bring for
now.  Right now the existence of the vaccine is considered a state secret and
needs to stay that way until we have enough to distribute.”

Jim held his
hand up, “Then I wait to get it until more is available.”

“You don’t
understand, sir.  You don’t have a choice in this matter.  At this point, General
Whitman considers you to be a national asset.”

“Okay, now I
know you’re stoned.”

“Not today, sir.
 I have instructions for you after you receive the vaccination.” 

“Okay, just do
it.”

A couple of
minutes later it was done and Al handed Jim a letter from General Whitman.  Al
gave Rob his vaccination while Jim read.

Jim sat in
place, stunned after finishing the letter. 

Rob stood after
the shot, stepped over to Jim, and said, “Congratulations, Director.”

A helicopter
flew overhead and landed in the clearing.  Al said, “That will be your team
now, sir.”

Jim looked up
at him and asked, “What the hell does this mean?”

“It means that
the military is in charge, there is not an executive, legislative, or judicial
branch of government left.  General Whitman wants functional civilian
leadership in place as soon as possible in order to get the government and the
constitution up and running again.  It means that your powers are far beyond
what any state Governor has had since the States were colonies of Britain.”

“I don’t want
this.”

“That’s part of
the reason why you’re getting it.  We have to have someone who will turn power
over to elected officials once we’re able to have elections, yet in the
meantime have the guts to do whatever it takes to get us on our feet again. 
You’re the obvious choice for this part of the country.”

The door opened
and Ann brought in several soldiers.

Al said, “It’s
time for you to meet your security team, Director.”

JUNE 1st, FLAGSTAFF, NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

The NAU camp
was growing rapidly.  Rob, Julie, Helen, and Julio were flying out to pick up
survivors every day and almost all asked to come back with them.  Those who
wouldn’t were left with working radios.

Having had the
vaccine allowed the group full mobility at last.  So far they had transported
47
forgiven
and 73
forsaken
.  Soon they would turn that part of
the project over to the
forgiven
with working vehicles.

The
forgiven
would be used to travel, recruiting and spreading the word that there was a
government again.  Until the vaccine was available, the
forsaken
would
be used first to help with agriculture in order to minimize their risk of
exposure to other people, and then reassigned appropriately to their skills and
wishes once they were vaccinated.

One of the forsaken
to come into the camp was Mike Frazzetta, the contractor that Jim had used for
the village runway.  Helen was thrilled to see him and promised to let Jim know
that he had made it.  "I know he'll want to see you," she told him. 
"We love that runway you paved!"

The plans were
for opening more camps at the Arizona State University in Tempe and at the
University of Arizona in Tucson.  The dorm rooms made it attractive for initial
processing, though only if they kept groups separated to avoid cross
contamination.   

Jim wanted to
keep his headquarters at the village for now.  Rob overruled him and they were
using the music building of all places.  He and Rob were in one of the
classrooms looking over maps of the state when Jim said, “Do you have any idea
how crazy this is?”

Rob answered,
“Some civilian has to be in charge, why not you?”

“Seriously, I’m
feeling like a patsy here, except I know the work is real.”

“Look, Whitman
has more things coming at him than he can handle.  I’m sure there are things
that he’s juggling that you and I don’t even want to think about.  He’s
delegating in a way that gets us back to a functional government as quickly as
possible and takes some huge tasks off of his plate.  In the meantime, your
powers are limited only by what orders the people around you are willing to
follow.”

“You’re not
helping.”

“Only a fool
would be comfortable with this.  Like I said, you make good decisions and even
my people like to follow you.  You took their families in without question. 
You’ve been a good patriarch for the village.  Now you’re expanding that role
temporarily.” 

“Why do I get
the feeling you’re not telling me everything?” Jim asked.

“When have I
not told you everything?”

“That’s what worries
me.”

Rob laughed.

JUNE 2
^nd

Jim addressed
the
forgiven
in a small auditorium in the music building.  Al had
lighting and video cameras set up throughout the room in addition to a large
flat screen to the left of the podium.  “Welcome everyone.  Please sit. 

“I want to
thank you for having the courage and decency to join us.  You are the first
group like this anywhere in the country.  We call you the
forgiven
because
you have faced the deadliest pandemic human kind has seen and have come through
the other side with immunity.  None of you have come through unscathed. I know
that most of you are the only survivors of your families.”  One of the men in
the back stifled a sob.  Jim addressed him directly, “It’s okay Jeff.  Most of the
country is in a similar position.”  The man continued to cry quietly.  Jim
waited a moment.

"Whatever
sins you may have committed in your life prior to this, you have earned a fresh
start.  Your immunity makes you incredibly valuable from now until we get the
vaccine in large enough quantities to matter.  We'll be asking a lot of you in
the next few months but I know you will be capable of rising to the challenge.  Understand
that you will be remembered for by future generations for what you do over the
next year.

“I know that
many of you have suffered violence in the days since the catastrophe started. 
Those who are immune to the disease and using that immunity to inflict
suffering on others we are calling the
fallen
.   Some of you have met
them.”  This time there were looks of fury.   

“The
fallen
will
not be tolerated in any way. They are enemies of the United States of America
in a time of war and will be treated as such. I promise you here and now that
we are going to restore our government and rebuild this nation and God help any
sorry son-of-a-bitch who stands in our way.”  Heads nodded and there was
applause.

"The other
group of survivors, we call the
forsaken. 
They are the people who were
fortunate enough to be overlooked by the disease, but are still vulnerable to
it and live every moment with that risk.  They have not been judged, forgiven,
or even considered.  Their redemption from their sins will depend fully on
their actions.  I find myself among that group. 

 “
Forgiven
or
forsaken
, we’re not better or more deserving than many of those who
have died, but we are the ones who are here.  We are the ones who have to
rebuild, or it will not be done.

“You
forgiven
are our best hope to start the rebuilding and you will pave the way for the
rest to follow.  I can’t begin to express how important you are.  I am asking
each and every one of you to devote yourselves completely to this for the next
year or until we can get a vaccine out and widely distributed.  Understand that
you are the American people.  You are all of us.  And understand that, although
many will follow, those of you in this room are the very first.  Whether dumb
luck or divine intervention, your place in the history books is assured.  Now
it's time to earn it.

“The goal is
nothing less than to restore the constitution, elect a functional government,
and to resume our place in whatever will be left of the world.

“I have been
appointed to a directorship by what remains of the federal government.  This
wasn’t my idea or even something I would have considered in different
circumstances.  I’ve never been interested in being a politician, but I pledge
my life that I will do my duty to the country and to you.  And I will not ask
any of you to take any risks that I am not willing to take myself.”

Al used the
remote control to turn on the flat screen at the front of the auditorium. 
General Whitman’s face appeared.  From the reactions in the room, many of the
people had seen him on television before the virus struck.

“Hello, my
fellow Americans.  Yes, Jose, you can consider yourself an American if you want
to be one.  I’ll put in the paperwork as soon as Immigration is up and running
again.”  A Hispanic man in the second row looked shocked and several of those
around him were laughing. 

The general
continued.  “For those of you who don’t know of me, I am General Paul Whitman,
United States Air Force.   I am currently the highest ranking member of the
United States military forces.  The civilian chain of command has been
completely wiped out by the flu, accidents, war, and assassination by hostile
forces.”  He let that sink in for a moment before continuing. 

“At the moment,
there is no constitutional path back to normalcy.  I am the most senior member
of the federal government available so I have taken charge and have started improvising
the most rapid pathway to a functional government.  I promise you that, with
your help, we will have a fully functional government in a matter of months.   

“I want you to
know that my first set of actions was to destroy those who launched this attack
against US.  Beyond that, for all practical purposes the nations of the Middle East
no longer exist. The same thing can be said of China, North Korea, North
Africa, and Indonesia. 

"I have
appointed several directors over various areas of the nation.  Many will be in
charge of several states until they are replaced by state governors.  Director
Ambrose is charged with bringing democracy and rule of law back to the entire
Southwest United States.  He will need your help.”  Jim paled, but otherwise
kept his composure.

Whitman
continued, “He has shown a tremendous capacity for making good decisions with
much less than adequate information.  I have such faith in him that I put my
own daughter under his protection.”  If Jim were pale before, he was turning
purple now.  “Though I didn’t tell him that because she insisted on being
treated like everyone else.  And if you’ll indulge me, Helen, your mother and I
are so very proud of you.  We love you.”

Helen yelled
from the back of the room, “I love you too, dad!  Give mom a hug for me!”

There were many
laughs around the room.  The
forgiven
were completely won over.

Whitman said,
“I’m going to give you back over to Director Ambrose now.  Thank you for your
sacrifices and I ask that you do everything you can for your country now.  She
is on life support and you are her nurses.  God bless all of you.”

The signal cut
out and Jim walked back up to the podium.  “Helen, you and I are going to have
a long talk after this.”  The room burst into laughter. 

“Okay, folks,
the cards are on the table.  I desperately need your help and will do whatever
I have to do to earn it.  History will be looking back at you and at this
moment.  I’ll be talking with all of you over the next couple of days and will
do our best to answer any questions you have.  With your help, we will
rebuild.  Thank you.”  There was a standing ovation and the room exploded in
applause.  Jim knew the enthusiasm wouldn’t last, but it was incredibly important
for now.