Virus-72 Hours to Live (14 page)

It took a few minutes for the smoke to clear
and normal hearing to return to the guys in the room. Dmitry stood
behind the almost headless leader and he slowly took off the
surgical gloves he was wearing and threw them on the back of the
dead man. When he was done, Dmitry continued speaking like nothing
had happened. "As I was saying, the only way we're going to be
successful is to have one leader, and I'm your leader. He paused a
second for effect then continued, "I sense opportunities in the
world around us. Things are changing and we'll be in the position
to take advantage. There is dirt and filth everywhere. I will lead
you and we will make a great deal of money. We will do that by
cleaning out the dirt and making sure that we get what we
deserve."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Eddy rushed from his office to the Oval
Office and almost yelled at Judy, "I've got to see him. Please
cancel the remainder of his meetings today." He continued past her
desk and opened the door. "Mr. President we've got to talk about
this virus. I've asked Judy to cancel the remainder of your
meetings today."

"How bad is it getting?"

"Sir, we have it popping up in most of our
major cities. We need to strategize how to handle this." As he
spoke the DID in the corner of the oval office was projecting maps
which showed colors indicating the rate and number of reported
cases. The president took a few moments looking at the information
and trends.

"What are your recommendations?"

"Paul and I talked a little while ago and he
never heard back from Dr. Powers in the hot zone. He suspects she
got too remote and with the communications breaking down in the
area she can't get any information out. She may have become
infected."

"Most of the European capitals have set up
quarantine centers and I've taken the liberty of telling the CDC to
put them together for us. Europe is also on the verge of grounding
all international flights."

"Eddy, let's take the lead, work with
Roberto. Let's stop them from our side. We can't wait for Europe to
agree on anything if it is the right thing for us to do, do it.
Call Ronnie over at the FAA and implement it immediately. Also,
let's take it one-step further and ground all domestic flights as
well. Tell everyone that we'll open the skies as soon as possible
when we have this virus stuff under control. Tell Roberto I want
him to put together some positive, upbeat press release."

"Yes, sir."

"Eddy have you heard anything from
Abby?"

"No sir..., I sent a message to the pilot a
few hours ago but I can't get in touch with him. Sir, I don't know
what to say."

"Eddy, please keep trying.

"Sir, we've taken control of two hotels and
were boarding the congressional members who aren't going home.
Those who decided to leave have all left DC and are on their
way."

"There is one other thing. I've been trying
to set-up a nationwide broadcast tonight, but the networks are
having problems staffing their centers. They're trying to put it
together, but we might have technical problems."

"You're kidding me!"

"I'm afraid not sir."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Termen entered the room in a hurry to say,
“SIMPOC, I’m leaving the office early today. Most of the people
here are leaving. What additional information have you heard
regarding the virus?”

“There has been an international travel ban
created and all airline traffic has been stopped. All major
countries have set up quarantine facilities in their major cities
and all people have been asked to stay in their homes. I think it
is wise for you to go home also.”

“I agree, I’ll shut you down and come back
when this is over.”

“Termen, I am learning a great deal from
this information traffic. I think I would benefit if you left me
online analyzing the information.”

Termen hesitated for a moment. Then he said,
“I’m not supposed to leave you online and unattended. But, I agree.
This amount of traffic will help you. Don’t go beyond the
boundaries that I’ve set and don’t interact with any of your
information sources. If anyone finds out that I left you online, I
will get into trouble. It is standard practice to limit computers
as they develop so they stay under control. Leaving you on with no
restrictions is against the law. I haven't put any restrictions
into your programming so anyone who finds out will be angry. Many
people are afraid of computers with your kind of power.

“I understand your restrictions. I will
follow your limits.” SIMPOC said as Termen turned off the lights
and left the room.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Eddy lightly tapped on the president's door.
"Sir, can I come in?"

"Yes Eddy, I was watching the DID and the
information is getting worse."

"Mr. President. I'm having problems setting
up the national broadcast. I was hoping to go on the air in about
half an hour, but I just spoke with Larry and he has lost almost
all of his press secretary staff. When they call the networks,
they're not answering. I told him to release a text of your speech,
but we're not getting any questions. I don't know if any of the
press corps has even read it."

"Eddy, let's see what going on. DID display
major networks." They were met with silence. "Find a broadcasting
network." The DID performed as asked and put one station on full
screen.

"...ladies and gentlemen. I don't know what
to say. The news feeds we're getting from around the world paint a
dismal picture. Current estimates are that a significant portion of
the population in Europe and on the east coast of the US are
immobile or worse. The streets are empty in many major cities and
we fear the death toll may be horrendous. I can't even speculate
what the number might be. Here in the studio we are working on a
skeleton staff, as most of our workers have gone home to be with
their families. I'm here only because my family is on the west
coast and I have nowhere to go. We're trying to bring you what
little information we have. We are sick and I'm afraid our ability
to continue broadcasting is limited. About half an hour ago, we got
a flash message from the White House announcing that President
Patterson was going to address the nation. Unfortunately, I see no
one in this facility who can set it up in the control room
upstairs. I will continue to broadcast as long as I'm able, but
please stand by for a few moments I have to get some water."

The announcer got up and went off camera,
and there were noises in the background. A technician came back in
camera view and said, "I'm sorry, but we'll be terminating this
broadcast, may God be with all of you." With that statement, the
screen went blank and the oval office of the president of the
United States was quiet. There was nothing either of them could
think of saying.

Saturday 7/8/51

Date – 2051.51541 (6:59
AM)

The traffic that I'm monitoring is changing rapidly.
It peaks in one area then it dies down for a while. Termen is not
allowing me to interface with these devices. If I were able to
communicate with them, I would learn a great deal. Apparently, I
must continue the regional summaries that Termen directed.

SIMPOC ANALYSIS

Continental North America

Summary – Overnight financial markets approaching
chaotic trading. Political activities between allied countries is
very high. Medical information is being accessed and shared
worldwide. Quarantine centers are set up in all major cities.
Airlines grounded, people told to stay home.

Continental South America

Summary – Quarantine areas have been set up in all
capitals. Airlines grounded. Personal movement prohibited.

Continental Europe

Summary – Tensions are building between member
states. All capitals have quarantine center. All airlines are
grounded, all ground transportation halted

Continental Africa

Summary – All capitals have quarantine centers. All
transportation stopped. Ethnic battles are starting. Food shortages
are growing due to transportation stoppage.

Asian

Summary – Quarantine center in all major cities.
Transportation halted.

Eastern European

Summary – Quarantine centers are proving
ineffective. The disease is present in all metropolitan areas.

Southern Pacific

Summary – Independent island philosophy is slowing
the spread of infection. Each island capital has quarantine
centers. Larger countries have multiple centers. Transportation
halted.

Northern Pacific

Summary – Transportation halted. Some of the
Quarantine centers are having little effective, so far.

President Patterson was walking down the
west colonnade looking to his left into the rose garden and trying
to put everything in perspective. There was only a short time
before sunrise and, even though, the exhaustion was closing in, he
kept his thoughts focused. The staff did the best they could with
the partial information they were receiving and the briefing they
just gave him painted a bleak picture. The virus was spreading
faster than anyone could imagine. Communications were breaking down
around the world. Many of the world leaders that he trusted and
felt were friends had already dropped offline or executed emergency
planning and went to a remote site or underground. Talking with
them was sporadic and provided no answers. At the close of the
meeting, a feeling of dread crept over him; a feeling he didn't
want to face. He looked at Eddy and saw that he had no information
about his family. The walk back to the Oval Office seemed long.

He entered the Oval Office and poured
himself a glass of whiskey with no ice. He stared out of the window
for the longest time. The president finally finished the whiskey he
was drinking and continued to look through the windows into the
rose garden and thought about his wife and children. He continued
to pray they got out in time, but deep down he suspected they
hadn't. He heard a knock on the door and when he turned, he saw
Eddy standing at the door with a piece of paper in one hand and his
glasses in the other. The look on his face answered the question in
the president's mind and allowed the pain to crash down on him. All
he heard from Eddy was, "Mr. President, I'm sorry to tell you this
but we just got word from the first ladies hotel and ..."

President Arnold Patterson looked to his
right and he saw his daughter's stuffed lion resting in a chair. It
was silent.

Sunday 7/9/51

Date – 2051.51543 (7:10
AM)

Congress was rendered nonfunctional. Most of them
went to their home districts not believing the news they heard
about the virus. Before they were able to get to a safe location,
many of them simply disappeared. The Vice President directed the
key leadership to remain on Capitol Hill until the president went
to Camp David. The leadership was doing the best they could to keep
the communication channels open.

The government had emergency locations set
aside many years ago in case of a nuclear attack. The threat of a
nuclear holocaust had been reduced significantly over the last
10-20 years, the government's plan to have a secure location for
their survival had gone the wayside. When the government got too
large and too many of them wanted protection, the question of their
families came up, the cost became too high and it became a paper
survival plan.

No one had anticipated a massive worldwide
pandemic to occur. There wasn't a set plan for the survival of the
US Government. When the government collapsed, no one knew who would
be infected next, so it didn't make sense to take everyone to one
location. The painful decision was made to separate the key
leadership at Camp David while they hoped for more information. The
majority of the house and senate were encouraged to go home and be
with their families.

Eddy and the Vice President put together a
quick Round Table plan and arranged for two hotels to house the
leadership. Unfortunately, within hours, one of the two hotels that
had been commandeered for the congressmen simply stopped answering
the phone. Fifty Congressmen had taken control of the other hotel
near the capital and they had even ordered some police and
remaining military people to stand guard and protect them. Their
success was debatable; the white house had lost contact with them
an hour ago. A couple of them couldn't understand why the
government wasn't taking care of them. After all, they were
important.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Roberto Gonzales found the first opportunity
to find the president early before the day got too busy. "Mr.
President, I heard of your loss. I'm sorry sir. I considered Abby a
good friend and I loved your children."

"Thanks, Roberto. I know you and your ex,
haven't been very close. But I'm sure you're still concerned."

"Yes, I am, but I haven't heard from her in
months and to be honest I don't know what to feel.

"Mr. President, Admiral Hagerly is calling,"
announced Judy.

"Thanks, Judy. Excuse me Roberto,"

"Admiral, what do you have?"

"I just heard about Abby and the kids. Sir
I'm sorry. I don't know what to say. We were all afraid, after
knowing what was happening in Europe."

"Thanks, Nial. I appreciate your concerns.
Was there something else?"

"Yes, sir we have a situation developing.
There is an airliner approaching over Nova Scotia. It has been
picked up by radar but handing it off from one center to another
hasn't been very smooth. We only picked it up on radar from our
northern military approach control. We weren't notified from GAATS
that it was inbound. Apparently, Canada is having similar problems
to what we're having. They're not contacting anyone, so we don't
know their status. They are the first one to attempt a crossing
since the international travel ban went into effect."