Chapter 6

March 1999 (Change Year 1)

Government House, Olympia

Washington Coast Guard Ship Endeavor tied up at the docks on Budd Inlet, allowing a party of dignitaries from the University Committee of Corvallis to disembark. An Army band struck up the national anthem, which gave pause to the Corvallan representatives. In the year since the Change, it had been largely assumed that they alone were the last outpost of civilization west of the Cascade range. Even the nascent post-change nation centered around Eureka in northern California was more a loose collection of smaller settlements than anything else.

As the party proceeded into a conference room, it became even more apparent that Portland had a serious rival. A delegation of ranchers from Bend, Oregon was seated at the table, with 'State of Oregon' written out on placards in front of them. Similar place settings were laid out with the names 'Commonwealth of Corvallis' and 'State of California'. At the latter, the Corvallans became confused. Surely Sacramento went down months ago at the latest?

Governor Locke rose from his place at the head of the table. "Welcome, all of you. I realize your journeys, whether by sea or across the mountains, must have been long and arduous. The importance of this meeting here cannot, however, be understated. Our combined territories, showed here on this map, constitute the pre-Change territories of Washington and Oregon; excepting Portland and the Lord Protector's holdings; and a chunk of Northern California. In northern Idaho we have pushed east to the Rockies where by necessity we are halting our expansion."

The Governor hesitated. "Gentlemen, all of us are threatened by the gangsters of Portland, even California. If Corvallis and its allies in the Willamette Valley fall to Portland, the best farmland west of the Rockies will be in the hands of a power-hungry dictator. Left to fester, this sore in America's heart will only grow ever more powerful. If we could, I would push for an offensive by America's remnants against Portland next year. Realistically, however, that will not be feasible, as there is still far too much work to be done in terms of settling farmland and repairing infrastructure."

"In a few years, perhaps, we will be able to put the rapid dog down. Washington's workshops are turning out arms and armor almost as quickly as we are turning our farm tools, and we aren't that far behind Portland if our intelligence is to be believed. Currently, Portland's population and by extension military forces are more concentrated than ours, and thus has local superiority west of the Cascades. Countering this, however, they have a huge popular resentment problem. Our cavalry patrols and probes into Portland's territory are constantly pulling out refugees, which we are of course settling on their own family plots of land, for example."

"The bulk of our forces are stationed east of the cascades helping to maintain order and generally assisting in reconstruction and agricultural efforts. We had initially hoped to be able to ship bulk grain from this fall's harvest out east to help them out, but frankly the logistics simply aren't possible for that anymore, even with properly maintained rail and road lines. We are establishing small outposts on Vancouver island, but any net gain will be years in the making; repopulating the place, like everywhere else, is going to take time."

"That brings us back to the problem of Portland. Washington State is maintaining substantial defenses along the Columbia River, mirroring Portland's own castellation program. In the medium term, this ultimately works out to the Lord Protector's advantage, as he can place small garrisons in the north to hold back even a much larger offensive by Washington forces. Our best guess is that, were hostilities to break out, Portland will seek to hold its northern flank with secondary forces, allowing its shock troops to drive further into the Willamette."

"The commander of Washington's military, Lieutenant General Hopkins, feels that we would be able to put enough pressure on Portland to prevent them from throwing as many troops south as they would like. With Oregon's light cavalry columns pushed over the cascades to reinforce Corvallis and the other free communities in the Willamette, we believe with relatively high certainty that any strategic offensive by Portland would soon bog down."

Corvallis' senior representative shrugged. "So it's a stalemate then. Neither side can break the other's castellation quickly, which means any war, whatever the outcome, would be bloody for both sides. The University Committee is of the view that all of us, Washington, the CORA, and the Willamette Communities, should pursue a rigorous program of castellation with the aim to keep Portland contained. Given time, it might be possible to induce them to reform their policies…"

Governor Locke interrupted. "That, my friend, is precisely what Armiger doubtless wants us to do. Freedom's biggest enemy is not the evil per se, but rather complacency. Furthermore, Portland represents illegally occupied territory of the United States by a hostile power. Once the State of Washington has sufficiently recovered from the Change, we will be making a grand assault on the gangsters, have no doubt. Over the next few years, State forces east of the mountains will gradually be withdrawn to the west. Combined with our expected buildup, we expect to have 15,000 men ready to drive into Portland in five to ten years' time."

"Washington would be immensely grateful for any assistance the other free powers can provide in liberating occupied American territory." At a snort from the Corvallan senior representative, presumably at Locke's emphasis of 'American', the Governor continued. "Subsequent to the liberation of such territory, the State Legislature has ruled that Washington will recognize the results of a universal plebiscite to take place north of the border with California and south of the Columbia. The people of the Willamette may elect to join the State of Oregon, the State of Washington, the State of California, or become an independent State with its capital at Corvallis."

Predictably, the University Committee member displayed renewed interest. "You would publically declare that the result of such a vote would be recognized?"

Governor Locke grinned. "Of course. It doesn't matter which state you join or found, so long as loyalty to the United States is maintained."

"Ahhh. Let me guess. The capital of the USA would be at Olympia, making us an extension of Washington in all but name?"

"Not at all. The State Legislature thinks it would be far more sensible to put the capital at Portland. It's more centrally located after all."

***

June 1999 (Change Year 1)

Dun Juniper, east of I-5, Willamette Valley.

"Corvallis said what? We're all part of America again?" Juniper Mackenzie rolled her eyes.

Sam Aylward the Englishman. "I'm afraid so. It seems the Washington State Government, and by all accounts it actually is the proper one, up in Olympia is determined to put Arminger down."

"But don't they realize that by publically declaring that it just makes a war all but inevitable at some point? Why not settle for everyone recognizing everyone else's borders indefinitely?"

Aylward winked. "That there, Juney, is the rub. Washington has no intention of allowing the status quo to remain any longer than it must. A cynic might even go as far as to say Washington wants to provoke an open war to legitimize whatever follows. Which, presumably, would include the absorption of Portland's lands into its own sphere."

"They why publically declare that this election they are proposing would be recognized regardless of the result?" Juniper shook her head, reaching for a mug of Brannigan's ale.

"What I think we need to get used to, Juney, is that establishing a new United States headquartered in Portland would be nearly the same thing as Washington itself taking over everything regardless. They are already the single largest power, even more so than Portland in some respects. Calling the post-war settlement the reestablishment of the United States is really just a concession to nominal State sovereignty. Whether Portland is absorbed by Olympia, Bend, or Corvallis, the end result is the same."

"So why not throw our hands up and say Portland is none of our concern unless we are attacked?"

"Because, Juney, Washington is playing for keeps, for the next generation, rather than the next few years, and I think we'd best realize they are deadly serious. Judging by that Captain Havel fellow who popped by through the CORA by way of saying hello, the State Government and the Army remnant have things quite well in hand."

Juniper scowled. "Havel is a Class-A jerk, strutting about proclaiming every needs to work together to restore Old Glory. 'Survey Mission' indeed. More like sowing the seeds of conquest."

"Be that as it may, the man does earn our respect, however grudging. That business with bear alone would imply he won't go down easily, and if he is representative of the whole, then neither will Washington State." Reaching for a stave of yew, Aylward returned to his work on fashioning another longbow.

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