Chapter 12: The reality of the Compound

It was an excellent way to start the day.

The food was delicious. However, I had not been allowed to feed myself. The girls felt that they had to do that for me for some reason. As I hadn’t been fed by another since I had learned how to manage a spoon, it was an odd experience. However, it didn’t make it less enjoyable, which made it ... Well, you will just have to use your imagination.

As I was being fed, one of the girls asked, “Adam do you have today’s itinerary prepared?” I groaned; there would be no rest for the weary. Granted, I had just had a good night’s sleep, so that didn’t really apply.

Adam replied, “the day’s itinerary has been prepared.”

Aw, hell, I thought I had that in hand as I held Wind Song’s firm breast. But I now had responsibilities, and they would not be put off.

I heard my grandfather’s voice,” Up and at ‘em, Son.” I dearly loved the old man, but his timing left something to be desired. It occurred to me that this was indeed Adam’s doing, and I felt like having him stop it but thought better of it. Even if it was a ghost, I still needed my grandfather, and Adam was my only link to him now.

I replied, “What’s up, Grandfather?”. There was a pause ... as he said, “You do realize I’m dead, and not really, here, don’t you?”

I cracked back, “Yes but, I didn’t really think that would stop you.”

“I’m thinking we spent too much time in that car, star gazing when maybe we should have been doing other things.”

“Yes, but I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of learning so much about you.”

His voice replied, “Nor I of you, son.”

Somehow this exchange was not as strange as I thought it could have been.

“What do you have planned for me today, Grandfather?”

“Time for you to have ‘the grand fifty-cent tour,’” he informed me.

“‘the grand fifty-cent tour? Oh goody.” I couldn’t think of anything that cost as little as 50 cents, something so cheap couldn’t be worth anything, so I was acting inane and forgetting myself.

Grandfather’s voice took on a tone of disapproval, “Keep that up, and I will let Nick take over and give you the tour.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll behave,” I replied contritely.

“Good,” he then said.

I was wondering where my grandfather was coming up with these antiquated terms. He couldn’t be that old, was he? Now this exchange was starting to give me the creeps.

His voice informed me, “This will be home for you for the foreseeable future. So, you’d best learn how to get around.” I had already gathered that and agreed that I would need to quickly.

He went on, “The Compound has been in the Family since the Eighteen-thirties, initially thousand square miles. Since then, bits and pieces were sold until it is now just down to four compete for townships of just under 92,160 acres. Just how the Family initially acquired it, and why, is shrouded in mystery. However, it was considered a must-have and was fully paid for in gold.

The source of the gold is even a greater mystery. As family documents showed, the Family never had that much gold at that time or since.

It all happened shortly after the Louisiana Purchase by the United States from France in eighteen-o-three. The US had paid fifty million francs ($11,250,000) and a cancellation of debts worth eighteen million francs ($3,750,000) for a total of sixty-eight million francs.

“The business details were a part of my great-great-grandfather’s accounts, and as such, are somewhat murky,” My grandfather added,

“The acquirement is a mystery as none of the Family had journeyed west of the New York or Pennsylvania. Instead, they had simply purchased the land sight unseen.

“Handed off to a lesser family branch, for decades, it was a working ranch, providing cattle and horses for the Army and the early Texan settlers. And markets in the midwest and the east. But then, a fire destroyed many of the records after the first branch head had died. So, there is no telling what, if anything, they might have revealed. So, I thought we had to develop a better way of preserving records.

It remained that way till the Family’s offshoot running the ranch heard that the Navy was looking into the halfway point between the east coast and the west coast. For a safe rest, stop. Seems the use of airships in the war to end all wars had sparked the interest of the Navy. Using helium, they wouldn’t need to worry about a hydrogen explosion. One had almost limitless cruising range, creating the perfect scout ship.

The Navy was offered this location for next to nothing as long as they needed it, then it was to be given back. Why the Family would make such a deal while being a thriving cattle ranch was not understood at the time.

The naval air station (NAS) was authorized by an Act of Congress, signed by President Herbert Hoover on Feb. 11th, 1931. Construction of the original facilities was begun Jul. 4th, 1931.

Author’s note, no such Act of Congress actually occurred.

The Navy went on to build an Air Station out in the middle of nowhere Kansas. Building the largest airship hanger of all time. To be used for creating even larger “flying aircraft carriers.”

However, with the loss of both the USS Macon and the USS Akron, the Navy dropped its airship program. So now there was an airfield and a massive hanger that had no mission.

The Navy considered closing the airfield due to its high cost of operations. But in San Diego, the Army and Navy were having jurisdictional issues over North Island in San Diego harbor, both wanting to use the area for airbases.

The problem was solved when the Navy gave the Army the ready-built airbase in Kansas. For the budding Army Air corp. It was far easier to move men and planes than to build an airfield with money it could ill afford to spend.

It was a win, win for both sides, the Navy needed to be near the sea and rid of a base it could ill afford to maintain, and the Army air corps wouldn’t need to build an airfield from scratch, which it could ill afford to do.

This was, of course, not part of the original agreement. The Navy was supposed to return the land. That was the agreement. But for some reason, the head of that branch of the Family didn’t press its return.

World war two came, and with that, the base was expanded. Training more pilots.

The war ended, the training of more pilots was no longer needed. However, there was now the BOMB, and it was turned into a SAC bomber base with further expansions. However, it soon proved too far from the intended targets as a bomber base. It was almost decommissioned when Sputnik happened.

“It wasn’t until after Sputnik that people realized that an atom bomb could be placed on a rocket. Then the race was on. That race included finding secure locations to build launch pads that could survive a first strike by the Soviet Union.

The Compound proved to be the perfect spot. So, it was turned into a SAC missile base.

Still, even that only lasted till the first SALT agreement. Then the base was finally decommissioned and returned to the Family. By this time, even the Family had no actual use for it. It was abandoned and then forgotten.

The Family head charged with its upkeep was not interested in restarting the cattle business. He was making money in construction. And there was none to be had in remote Kansas. But, in the depths of the cold war, it was once again remembered. Its remoteness in the heartland seemed ideal as a safe haven should everything go to hell. So now there was a reason for additional construction. Which only lasted until the other family heads realized there were more desirable locations to bug out to.

It was a case of a good idea but a lousy location. As everyone knows in the real-estate game, it’s location, location, location. As far as anyone thought, Kansas wasn’t even a location.

My grandfather reasoned that my great-great-grandfather saw this as an opportunity. But, taking the long view, he felt that this would only be temporary. In the meantime, the government would be built that is pay for the construction, with the Family becoming the prime contractor for that construction. The result would be that the property reverted back to the Family greatly improved when the government no longer needed it. Fifty years and the Family ended up making far more money than raising cattle.

“Thus, was laid the groundwork for the Compound as we know it today. It was to become perhaps the most prominent such site of its type, a network of twelve silos. Still, that did not save it from the SALT agreement.

“However, with the Family being the prime contractor, we were able to make a few modifications. A bunker here, a bunker there. Two oversized silos, and well, you get the point.

Exactly where and how many. Those were so well concealed that even those in the Family had no idea. Most of the Family didn’t even know what was even going on.

As we were the prime contractor, you can guess that the government was left in the dark about the additions.

As far as they were concerned, the silos and the command bunker structures were completed on time and under budget. Making them very content and not so prone to looking for things that hadn’t been included in the original plans.

“The government did fill the silos with nuclear-tipped missiles. Even built a Strategic Airbase practically over it and rattled their sabers for a while. Then the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty caused the decommissioning of many such sites. The Family received back the land before the new treaty requirements called for the silos to be physically destroyed.

“Somehow, The Family knew ahead of time of the impending deactivations and the subsequent changes to the agreements. Thus, the Family gained the complex as it is now for a relatively modest sum. Quietly there have been further additions over the years.

Grandfather went on, “As you might guess, I had a hand in that, as I saw there still might be a need. After all, the ranch had been in the Family’s hands for generations for a reason. Paid for in gold that the Family didn’t have. Everything pointed to it. Unfortunately, I’m no longer alive to discover that reason. It is yours now to uncover.

“While the Thirteen would never have permitted a full-blown out nuclear war. There are still a few loose cannons out there that are not so disciplined, zealots who can’t see past their religious beliefs.”

“Then later, after the Sept. 11th, 2001, incident, there was a rising concern of terrorists acquiring nuclear weapons or rogue Middle East countries developing the weapons and giving them to terrorists.”

They continued to be if we can’t stop them.

“Anyway, the various family heads made their own arrangements for safe-havens, something more in line with their extravagant tastes.

“We later learned it was one of the Thirteen, aiding and abetting the terrorists, with the intent of ‘Cornering the Market’ on the world’s dwindling oil reserves. But, instead, they ended up on the bottom rung of the Family’s pecking order after the other families and our own showed them the error of their ways.

The terrorists they had been using were in really even lesser families looking to break into the Thirteen. They didn’t realize they were mere pawns of the one Family.”

It was odd. Some three thousand years ago, the Arabs or Muslims were at the pinnacle of civilization advancements. Then something happened that caused a reversal. That part of the world was never the same again.

“The crash of the later 2000s proved the folly of increased energy costs. Much as it had in the 1970s before that time. The world was not ready for such sharp increases in energy costs, and perhaps never would be.”

Grandfather went on, “Well, back to the ‘Compound,’ and why you need to learn your way around it,”

“There have been many changes over the last seventy or so years

Most of the changes will remain low-keyed and undetected. The runway and the hanger couldn’t be altered. However, being hundreds of miles out of the way, they are not easily seen, and as they say, out of sight, out of mind.

The rich and famous have done most of the work for us. Taking credit for converting many of the remaining sites to luxury bomb shelters. Having done so, they have taken the bulk of the public’s attention. Now Compound draws less attention since it looks much like any other of a handful of other elitist idiocies. Or just another decommissioned military base gathering dust. Too far out of the way to have any value.

It wasn’t so hard to form the Militia now having escaped the public’s attention.

People might know about Blackwell and other such organizations. But not so many as enough as to look for them.

The dirty little secret about any militia is that they are, in reality, mercenaries for hire. Maybe not the best image to have, but excellent cover for building a private security force. It never hurts to have your personal security force make a profit.

You might be surprised at the willingness of the State Department to authorize such private enterprises. Civilian contractors, while normally held to the same standards as regular military. Can sometimes get away with murder. Mainly because they rarely have embedded media reporting/recording on their every miss-step. But they can rarely be prosecuted due to lack of evidence. So instead, they take the heat should something go wrong with a multinational stepping on the wrong toes. Which they inevitably do. But more importantly, for us is that it allows us to have and buy weapons that would usually be off-limits.

The military isn’t sent for the countries national interests but the interests of the multinationals. Yes, the ones who pay no taxes expect and sometimes demand government-run interference for them.

Not wanting to draw attention to the Compound, I rented out a decommissioned army base and started building there. Then a few years ago, started to quietly move operations here.

It may interest you to know that even I don’t know all the Compound details. It is just one of the many family mysteries, much like my Manor in New York. You see, if it wasn’t for you, I would have never known the extent of its many hidden rooms or their purposes.

So, I expect you to do much like you did with the Manor to seek out its hidden mysteries. Find what I couldn’t.

I had to smile at the irony of that last statement.

“Before it became apparent that the Compound would not become the Family’s home of last resort. I commissioned the expansion and conversion of the silos themselves to include many additional living quarters. It was envisioned to house the core family branches and necessary support staff. Provisions for several thousand, living on-site, for six months should a nuclear attack happen after all. It was to become virtually a small city within itself, with the attendant structures all built underground.

I may not have the entirety of the Family to save now, but waste not, want not. You may have already guessed that those companies I sent you to, you will want to move here, and if you haven’t, sigh, too late for regrets,”

There are even elevators capable of lowering aircraft to underground hanger facilities. I never commissioned those and have no idea when they were built or by who. Those details were never included in the plans. You will have to see them to believe them.

“The small nearby town intended to house the off-duty population, formerly the Air Base’s housing has its own attendant infrastructure. However, with the reduction of the scope of the Compound’s mission, there was a corresponding reduction, reducing the town’s population to the bare caretaker minimum. The town, basically abandoned, still retains its infrastructure, merely awaiting its future use.

What that is remains a mystery.

With all that has been done here over the years, it only makes sense that I or that is we concentrate our plans for the future here. It may not make that much sense. All I can say is something is going on here, and I just don’t believe in coincidences.

The town merely needed dusting off. Modernized as required from the days of its original base housing, with additional new modern homes being built to accommodate the additional families of the security forces and the encouragement of the agricultural Research station and its attendant personnel moving in. Then there has been the preparation for light manufacturing from the compounds numerous shops, all of which will have increased the population base. Making the town more viable.

“The security force or Militia was envisioned so that it would be able to repel well-armed mobs or smaller groups of trained troops. But to pay for it all, it was realized that it all would need to be self-funding since we are not the government with deep taxpayer monies. Thus, the idea of hiring out part of the Militia to pay for those based here. Hence, we turned a liability into an asset.

“I prefer the term Militia or security force over mercenaries. That word has so many negative connotations. Its humble beginnings of a few hundred personnel. Had the job of the Family’s personal and home security details. Those had been expanded to a paramilitary force of over five thousand and growing that it is today.

“Over the years, we have acquired several weapon systems and standoff measures to take out Main Battle Tanks, as it was deemed better than a tank-to-tank confrontation. We do retain a small number of state-of-the-art MBTs and armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) just in case we’re wrong. about facing lightly armed mobs or other such armed Militias.”

“As I said, the Compound was first intended to be for the Family as a whole. But many of the family branch heads had other ideas, so it became just the immediate Family, including your father, until he was invited to one of those island retreats. He liked it so much he got one of his own. So now it seems this is all just for you and those protecting you.

“Back when it was a cold war thing, it was determined no one family silo should control the power needs of all, so each of the silos has its own small nuclear power plant. But all that was rendered moot when it became known that many had already made their own plans.” A chuckle followed.

I thought to myself, I guess the surprise was on my great-grandfather when he learned he wouldn’t need to save the whole Family single-handedly. Now it was only me.

Looking at all this gray concrete. I was thinking of a tropical isle with a fruity cocktail in hand as I watched the waves roll in to be a much more pleasant alternative hideaway.

Grandfather continued, “The mission of the Compound changed and then changed yet again. Now instead of the whole Family, there is only you.

“There is this principal residence, the secondary’s, and then there are the other silos that maintain still other living quarters. So, there are a large number of interconnecting tunnels. Connecting living quarters for the on-site staff and their families and support structure.

Quite frankly, it’s a maze

“I can’t tell you the number of garages and machine shops, as well as labs that were all built underground next to the airstrip. As I said before, there is even an underground hanger for our aircraft and storage for spare parts and fuel. I could go on, but you get the drift.

“Finally, a small number of buildings built above ground for needs of the caretakers of the gardening, and livestock. They were considered necessary for appearances.

“The labs are standing idle for now but can be fitted to do most any research work within a limited scope of available resources. The same follows for all the other shops. All are highly capable, but any work will be limited until you bring in personnel and what raw materials you might need.

“Some projects can be undertaken with the resources within the Compound. Unfortunately, Jim, I am not up to date on the materials currently on hand, as you can understand.

I thought he had done surprisingly well for someone who hadn’t visited the site in over ten years.

Thinking of that, I wanted my ‘Little man’ moved here at once. As well as the key personnel of the other groups. In fact, I wanted them all here. Then, if additional housing was required, it would be simple to have them built.

The commentary continued, “The Command bunker houses all security and communications. While all links with the outside world are of the latest design, I wanted Adam’s core here just in case we were ever cut off.

Sighing to myself is just one more example of how paranoid my grandfather had become. But I couldn’t hold it against him. my grandfather was looking at a worst-case scenario, and so far, he had been ‘dead’ on. I must admit to a relatively poor choice of words here.

Grandfather ended, “Well, off with you, then. Have fun! You have a lot to explore.”

I looked at the girls, “Well, ladies, it looks like I am off on a tour of the Compound.” I was helped to get dressed by the girls, and while I didn’t think it was actually needed, they had insisted. Who was I to refuse such compelling women?

In the mirror, I found myself tugging my pullover down in what I had heard was called the ‘Picard maneuver.’ Satisfied, I started walking to the elevator. I called out, “Adam, I’m ready!” expecting the elevator door to open as I approached.

Nothing! I had almost run into the closed doors! ’What the hell?’ I thought of my worst fears shooting to the forefront. I was trapped, with no way out.

Then I heard from behind me, “Adam, we’re ready.”

The doors swished open. I frowned, thinking again to myself, ‘What the hell,’ again. ‘Not for me, but for them? What the fuck is going on here!’

Nicky and Wind Song were dressed casually much as I was, and they were to accompany me. But, again, I thought to myself, what was going on here?

Before I could form any questions, the girls took an arm on each side of me and guided me within. The doors then closed with a swish, followed by Grandfather’s voice, “Well, son, how about some fresh air first?”

I was still at a loss. But I answered, “All right by me, Grandfather,” However, I was now concentrating on gathering the pieces of the puzzle forming before me. I would be putting them together, just as I assumed my grandfather had intended. The picture would become more evident as I gathered more of those pieces.

We arrived at the top of the exit, where Nick was waiting for us. I’m not sure how or even when, but the elevator must have moved sideways, as we didn’t come out from within the house but into a sort of small garage that had golf carts within it. At least they looked like golf carts.

“I will guide you around the grounds of the inter Compound,” Nick informed me.

“Pay attention, and don’t get lost.” I heard from my grandfather as his laughter faded away. I wasn’t sure anyone else had heard that, as it seemed to have been within my Head. Sighing, I thought, ’More voices in my head!’ I was beginning to think maybe all those people claiming to have heard them before had not been as crazy as I had been led to believe.

Nick led us out to the courtyard and into the open. There didn’t seem to be much activity as I looked about. I noticed the hour was a bit later than I had thought, maybe sometime after 10 o’clock. I realized they had let me sleep in. Living underground was going to take some getting used to. I wouldn’t have daylight to guide me about the time of day.

There was a cart before us, Nick directed me to the passenger seat, and the girls took up the rear seating. Nick himself took the driver’s position.

Nick, with his granite face, looked at me, “Please fasten your seatbelt.” I recalled my last incident about my seatbelt with some embarrassment with him. I looked about me clumsily to do so, then realized there were no seatbelts. The girls giggled. I then knew I had been too quick to believe Nick was humorless as I first thought with a flush.

Adam’s voice in my head said, ’Anything wrong, Jim?’ His voice? In My Head? Knowing that Adam was reading my emotional State and many other responses within me at that moment.

I couldn’t hide my astonishment at hearing his voice in my head. “What?”

The others turned to me with questioning looks, having not heard Adam’s query. The girls giggled more, and Nick’s face looked like a carved of granite, giving nothing away.

I tried to cover my surprise, “Ah, yes, I had forgotten.” as I awkwardly looked around and said, “There are no seatbelts.” Bringing on another fit of giggles from the girls. Was there a gleam in Nick’s eye? It was something I was going to have to question Adam about later. More importantly, how I was to cover my reactions when he did that? I filed that away in the back of my head.

Thus, began my tour. Nick started by driving along the security fence. I saw the signs warning that the fence was electrified. Nick informed me that there were also sensors in the fence to set off alarms if it was cut and numerous other detection devices warning of any approach.

The towers were too small to be manned, I thought they looked to be merely lighting towers. Nick said each was armed with a kinetic weapon system and the military’s latest anti-personal laser. Along with a host of detection cameras for all lighting conditions and thermal imaging.

The lasers weren’t yet out of the military’s testing phase of development. However, the Family’s own development and testing facilities had hacked the Army’s and had already proved it; so, it had been installed. Just one more case of military-industrial complex milking the government/taxpayers for all they could.

Nick told me it can punch through light armor, but the holes are so small it would take many hits to disable anything larger than a jeep. People? Would not be so fortunate.

I half-jokingly added, “What no minefields?” I asked Nick.

Again, with a straight face, “I was just getting to that.” he informed me. Again, the girls burst into giggles.

He started to go into details as he drove on. I thought, “Did I really need to know the details?” but I politely listened. You never know when something might become useful later. I certainly didn’t want to trip over a mine.

The Compound was as secure as anyone could make it. It was regularly tested by hiring the best to try to infiltrate it. I was told few ever got past the outer perimeter. Those that had? Well, an insurance policy was paid to their families.

That sounded disturbing, and I said so. Nick said no one had been forced, and many seemed quite eager for the challenge. They’d been given a full tour and system specifications and had signed releases. I learned later that no one had actually died testing the defenses.

My mind drifted to the care I saw directed to the inside grounds.

Then I thought of the stables, Bob, the Head horse wrangler, and the mount he had asked my approval of. So, I had Nick take us there.

The stables were outside of the main Compound and closer to the hacienda.

I was sort of wondering why there were the two? The hacienda and the Manor. I was reminded that the hacienda had been here almost since the beginning. The Manor had been my grandfather’s idea.

The stables were immaculate. There was the familiar scent of hay, horses, and manure, as well as the subtler scents of leather, oats, and earth. A symphony of odor I hadn’t realized just how much I had missed till I was in it.

Bob greeted us immediately. He gave us a tour of what I realized was his first love, the stables and the horses. Bob had been there somewhat longer than the rest of his staff, the livestock having been transferred earlier. I could see how happy he was with it all.

Then, as promised, Bob showed me the mount for my approval. I remembered everything I had been taught and looked over the animal carefully. I could see Bob was very pleased with himself for finding this mount. It showed in the care he had given the horse. Despite his position as the Head horse wrangler, it was clear he was taking personal care of this one.

I could find nothing wrong with it, a young stallion, full of himself. I thought this could be the herd’s Alpha Male in a few years. In introspection, at least he would have time to grow into his role, but I had no doubt if he were to be thrust into it, he would thrive.

I sorely wanted to order him saddled then and there for a ride, but the tour was not over. I would return soon. I didn’t need to tell Bob to take care of him. I was about to ask its name when I looked again at his forefront. There was a blaze’ of white-centered on his forehead and another on his chest, almost identical, seemingly like a coat of arms. I had a good idea of his name, then I asked.