Reboot

“After more than a year since the nukes, people have begun moving out of the basements and caves that had successfully protected them all this time. Roving gangs have mostly died out from starvation or poisoning or disease. So it’s safe again to move around. Safer, anyway.” Ian was giving another report to Mooney who was playing with an ingrown pinky nail and wincing during the entire presentation.

“Agriculture, or actually sustainable gardening is now the most important activity. Everyone, absolutely everyone is working the land, but on a modest scale. The goal being to feed small groups. Small, multi-crop integration of species is used to create self-sustaining ecosystems. There is a newfound respect for the Earth, our environment, and people are eager to help the healing process. Guns have lost their appeal for many and are traded for shovels. There is very little violence. People seem to have had enough of it, for now. Some groups are well organized and follow a system of rules based on previous political affiliations and norms. Others are simply led by the strongest and most ruthless. Some try new systems based on collaboration and respect.”

“Sounds chaotic,” added Mooney.

“It will not be easy to get them all in line, yes Sir.”

The Mooney government had been stuck deep in the caves of New Mexico for a year. And even though the President had been very comfortable, it had been stifling.

Congress was slimmed down to one-tenth its original size. Each senator now had groups of states under their care instead of just the one since so many were now devoid of life. Discussions were under way to revise the number of states in the US to the original thirteen. There were no more “parties.” The US was no longer a republic.

“Are we ready to go?” asked Mooney.

“Absolutely, sir,” said Ian Anderson. “Your new home is ready. We’ve just put in the finishing touches that you asked for.”

“Good! How long will it take to get there?” They were moving fast through one of the tunnels.

“It takes about fifteen hours to fly to Maine by helicopter, sir. Though we have to refuel four times. Everything is ready for you there, sir. We’ve built the basic compound and the main stronghold. We can make it pretty later. For now we concentrated on making it safe.”

“We have nothing faster than a helicopter?”

“No, Sir.”

“Ok. And what about that other matter? Have you reached Skinner?”

“No sir. They no longer answer our calls and we don’t have anything that can go after

them. We’ve put people at all the ports, sir. We’ll get him. He’s just a kid.”

Mooney made an exasperated sound and grabbed Ian Anderson by the lapels. “That KID somehow seems to have shrugged off our best men, AND since he’s still alive and coming here ON OUR INDEPENDENCE!!! I think it’s fair to guess that he now has help. And not just any help, but the help of our last remaining navy warship. So GET OFF YER ASS AND FIND HIM! He might be smart enough to avoid the ports. You said so yourself, right? He’s a smart son of a bitch? Have you thought about that? That boat has a helo on it doesn’t it?”

“Yes sir. I’m on it, sir.” And he ran out, leaving Mooney fuming alone in his office where he started talking to himself. In the third person...

“The president of the United States shouldn’t have to put up with such

incompetence,” and “We might have to deal with this ourselves won’t we…” Mooney had new friends who agreed with him at all times. They thought he was brilliant. No one else saw these new friends though.

Washington was destroyed. There was nothing left. So another place had been chosen to house the seat of government. There had been many options. Other possibilities included underground facilities such as ”Mount Weather“, a hollowed-out putatively nuclear-proof mountain in western Virginia. But Virginia had been hit very hard with many nukes and though people survived in the holds, the state is now a bad choice for obvious reasons. The lack of anything being one of them. The state was wiped out.

The US of A was now an autocracy. Mooney had absolute power. There was no judiciary. There was no legislative. There was only the executive. No opposition. No money. Control came from vague promises.

“We’ll just have to see. I’ll decide later who gets what. Why should I give them anything anyway, right? I’m in charge. What can they do?” he said to the wall in his office.

He quite liked it where he was, at the top.