Timeline: Bombs + 58, 59
A/N: Some lines are remarkably close and/or identical to dialogue in the show. The reason for this will be apparent, and no copyright infringement was intended.
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The planes had dropped palettes in New Bern, Jericho, Ness, Hayes, and Mulford. The other towns reported food drops, too. Johnston was more disturbed by the disparity in the countries sending aid than he was the aid itself.
"So, let me get this straight," he mused, thinking about what Hawkins and Jake had just said about the planes and the little circuit boards they found in the parachutes. "We've got vintage Russian planes doing a Chinese drop using Vietnam-era American parachutes. In what world does this make sense?"
"Ours," Jake snorted.
"On the other hand," Hawkins said, looking over the bounty, such as it was, "we've got more to trade and a nice generator."
"Mm. Maybe we can trade that," Eric said, thinking about the wind turbines. They were good on power for the foreseeable future. "Maybe convert it to wind?"
"Not easy, if anyone here has the ability." Hawkins was quiet for a moment, thinking about his wife and children. He wanted to ask about them, but he didn't want to do it here. Perhaps later Johnston would have a few minutes to talk to him. He missed his family more than he'd ever thought possible.
"I'll float the idea by Aylah," Jake said, getting his coat. "If you don't need me here, I'll head back now."
"We're good," Johnston said, thinking about the computers that could read the chips. "Got a few questions for Robert, but you boys head on out. We got a bit of reprieve on the rations we've given ourselves, and if anyone comes in from outside - refugees, I mean - we'll be able to share. So will the other towns." The rationing had been an unpleasant reality the town had agreed to for precautionary measures. No one was being deprived, but no one was being wasteful either. Methods for rationing were explained by the people who had lived through or grown up during the harder times in Kansas, as were certain simple "snacks" used to stave off hunger and keep on an even keel between meals.
Jake and Eric gave their quiet goodbyes, both thinking of refugees and hoping that any such people were able to find shelter and safety soon.
"Robert," Johnstson asked as his sons drove away, "what type of equipment do you need to read that?"
"Well," Hawkins replied, studying the chip, "for starters…"
The discussion didn't last long. Johnston told him to round up every single chip, put them in whatever wouldn't let them transmit, and left. Two resident computer geniuses would meet him by the bank. They would set up in the vault and work there, since the signals wouldn't be able to penetrate the thick metals that comprised the walls of the vault.
Johnston walked to the telegraph station down the block from Town Hall. He nodded to the clerk and asked for Oliver. Oliver wasn't stable, true, but he loved codes and was more than fluent in Morse. The other telegraphers were becoming familiar with his quirks and impromptu codes he threw in. After a few weeks, most of them were able to distinguish each other's methods and styles on the lines.
"Oliver, good to see you're doing well," Johnston said, shaking the man's hand.
"Doin' as well as any, Johnston. What c'n I do for ya?" he replied, moving his hand over the telegraph key.
"Need you to send an all-alert to our network, and it has to be perfect." Johnston's face was calm and serious. That was Johnston's nice way of telling him not to change, add, or encode anything.
"All right," Oliver's shoulders settled back. He closed his eyes, then nodded. "Ready."
"Attention: Supply drop has microchips in chutes. Pull all and enclose in metal, lead best. Bring to HQ for read posthaste. Equipment available. End message. Johnston."
Oliver finished keying the message and opened his eyes.
"We're under invasion, Johnston," he whispered, an echo of his first words. "But it's not aliens, is it?"
"No, Oliver," Johnston said, his voice grave and soft. "I almost wish it were."
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Hawkins made his report to the Rangers Command in the early morning, before the Council could meet or the new Representatives get together. There was a representative house, of sorts, now, and so far it was working very well. A total of ten towns were in the network and in the 'new' government for western Kansas. The report wasn't long at all, given Hawkins' tendency to get to the point.
"These chips aren't military," he said, facing Jonah, Johnston, Serena and the rest of the Rangers. "They're based on the same design, but when I found the specs, they are a bit larger and possess more than just a tracking system to the people who created them. There's a tiny GPS transmitter, too, which gives coordinates and some basic information to the receiver."
"So, don't drag this out," Commander Givens snapped. "Who. Sent. Them?"
"A little company called Jennings & Rall," Hawkins said.
"Any other information about them?" Jonah asked, "Other than their anal retentive tendencies with their charity drops?"
"Not a good company," Marcus Clarind's deep voice rolled across the room. "They control Ravenwood - their own private little army on lease to the U.S. for a price, of course."
"Among othah thangs," Hawkins drawled, his accent even more pronounced. "They, ah, had a part in planning out how to keep the gov'ment running in case of a massive disaster."
"Does the 'massive disaster' happen to include multiple nuclear explosions?" This from Commander Givens. The tone was not encouraging, but Hawkins was made of sterner stuff.
"I'm willing to wager that is the most massive disaster they planned for."
Dark looks were traded across the room and Jonah nodded to Marcus. This was something that Jonah had considered ever since Timms and Voorhees were sentenced to good behaviour and allowed to join the workforce. They were staying with Randy Peyton and the group at the Stevens place now, and they were more than a bit chastened by their outsider status there. Between working to gain favour with the town and working to gain an in with the girls and seniors who controlled the Stevens homestead, they were too busy to get into more trouble.
Jonah had arranged for the men of the now-defunct Ravenwood contingent to join the meeting and give any and all possible information about their company to the Command because Ravenwood's mother company happened to drop some Chinese labelled supplies from old Russian planes using very old U.S. parachutes, and Command was more than a bit interested in the information now available via these men.
Marcus went a bit further than than expected summons of the Ravenwood men during the midmorning hour. He sent a Runner for Jake.
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Twenty minutes later, Jake Green found himself in front of the Command, biting his tongue and cursing his lousy judgement.
"I never flew for Ravenwood or J&R," he said, "but I heard a lot about them." He flicked a glance at Randy and the rest of the unhappy men, "Not much good. I worked for BlackFall, a subsidiary of Overton & Black. From what I gathered, a lot of the same security procedures were used, but J&R took it to the next level."
"Explain, please," Commander Givens commanded, "in detail."
"Well, the tracking chips were in all of the drops and transports. It was normal - there were a lot of things we took to and from military that nobody wanted to have disappear without a trace. J&R took it a bit more seriously. They were like the real version of the Umbrella Cooporation."
"The what?" Johnston asked, looking confused.
"It's from a science fiction movie - the Umbrella Coorporation basically controlled everything they touched - from politicians to the news to the memories of their employees. The whole story's basic, evil company creates monsters & then covers up evidence by calling survivors - including one of their own best security people, lots of uncomplimentary things on the news. People actually believe the broadcasts, so they think it's all a load of crap and go on with their lives, not knowing the truth." Jake paused. "Not that J&R is quite that deep into controlling their people, but they don't take no for an answer and they sure as hell don't let go once they get a hold on someone or something."
Jake tried to keep the bitterness from his voice, but it didn't quite work.
"What'd they do to you?" Randy asked, breaking into the report.
"Killed a buddy," Jake said without thinking, "when I wouldn't do a job. We were in San Diego."
"Sorry, man," Randy murmured. Then he caught the looks the rest of the Command was giving them. Randy hushed without being told.
"There's some indoctrination," one of the other men volunteered.
"You are?"
"Arden. The company makes sure that you know you get all the good stuff from them - everything from kick-ass health insurance to a fool-proof 401K that goes anywhere you do, to a pension plan that you can cash in if you want to leave. If you transfer to a subsidiary, though, you don't lose the pension plan or your status in the company. You just get a new job. Man, people been workin' for J&R that started as janitorial staff and worked up into upper management. They make you want to do things for the company because when they succeed, so do you." Arden shook his head. "Hell, I was in R&D until about three years ago. Went to 'field test' and wound up with a transfer into the shooter's side."
"So you know more about the company from the inside than most?" This question from Jonah.
"Yeah. And I know people who know people, y'know? We talked. I was in deep, but since the bombs, I kinda had this thought in the back of my mind - who benefits?" Arden shook his head. "I mean, I know I wasn't doing much thinking, but I really can, when I have the time and some reason to do it. For the last month, I been thinking: Who benefits? The U.S. is still the biggest consumer of pretty much everything, so destroying the market doesn't make sense. Pretty much the only places that see the U.S. as imperialists are in North Korea and so on - even the Russians don't take that line much anymore, and the jihadists were losing ground right and left while we were over there. I mean, who gets the most out of doing this? It isn't the usual suspects - they don't really gain. I mean, if America disappears, who's going to be the demon for the radicals? What's gonna stir everyone up to keep going with this dumbass form of government or religion or whatever?"
"You sound like you've reached a conclusion," Johnston said dryly. "All right, let's hear it."
"Whoever it is, they're American, and it ain't the Prez or the military." Arden sat back and shut his mouth. He'd said more than enough about the current situation, anything else, though, he knew would be said in a less open forum. The company had done a lot for him, true, but he wasn't exactly tied to it anymore. Not like he still had his place in San Diego or his big account in Wachovia anymore. Zapped with the nukes and EMPs.
"Now that's unpleasant," Commander Givens said, feeling her gut turn over. A domestic takeover of the hostile variety. From nausea to blind rage in less than one second. She spat out a word that no one there had ever heard from her.
"Commander?" Jonah said, his question more of a statement.
"Hawkins," she snapped, "Stay here. Arden, Marcus, Jake, anyone else who knows the company from the inside, stick around. Everyone else, clear out - that includes you Johnston, and you, Jonah. I need some answers and I need them from the ones who hold or held clearances before I release anything. Before you say it, Johnston, I know you won't talk, and no one here would intentionally screw us over anymore, but there are some things here that don't involve civilians. And yes, it has to do with the continuation of government and the U.S. nuclear programs."
"Don't take too long, Serena," Johnston said, staring at the wall where the Kansas flag hung. "We need information more than we need security clearances."
Serena said nothing to that. She waited until the last of the people walked out of the room and did something she hadn't done in years. She swore every single person in the room to a confidentiality oath that would, she informed them in a flat voice, be enforced by herself and her .45.
No one wanted to find out how good her aim was on a soft target, so they really considered their acceptance before they committed.
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It was after two a.m. when Jake finally stumbled out of the meeting and to his parent's house, he didn't stop to think about the Hawkins family that continued to stay with his parents or Kenchy, who was either at the bar or at his parents'.
The information he'd gotten tonight made his stomach turn and his blood boil.
It didn't help that Hawkins had confirmed the domestic leadership.
It didn't help that they still had no real outside communications, since the shortwaves were not acting properly.
It didn't help that they had no idea what was still out there.
It didn't help to think he may have, however inadvertently, contributed to this fiasco.
It didn't help that he was supposed to be dead in San Diego right now.
He just wanted to be with his family right now, and wondered when his mom and dad lost the magical power of making everything okay again.
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