Chapter 4

Before Clara and I declared lockdown, the President of the United States assigned a Division of Army Rangers and portions of two Groups of Navy Seals to the Ark, on detached duty. The Rangers and Seals were on loan to me, so I put them under the Ark’s External Security Department.

Later, the President created The Consolidated Military Forces of the United States, the CMF, by combining selected Special Operations Groups with existing Army, Navy, and Marine forces. The majority of the personnel were members of the Army’s 75^th Ranger Regiment and the rest were Navy Seal Groups. Air Force personnel were not included, for the President realized his people would not be able to support the use of aircraft when they returned to the surface. I suppose he may have retained a portion of the Air Force, but he didn’t mention it to me.

The CMF had not been declared an official military organization. The best one could say about its unit organization was, the CMF was in a constant state of change from the time of its inception until the arrival of the meteoroids.

The only fixed facet of the CMF was, it was divided into two commands: the East Coast Command and the West Coast Command. The overall commander, also the commander of the East Coast Command, was the President and he made me the commanding officer of the West Coast Command. I never learned how he structured his portion of the CMF. I was too busy with my Ark duties and preparing for lockdown to expend time learning about something that did not directly affect me. In fact, I was too busy doing my job as the Co-President of the Ark to fulfil my CMF duties. I was the commanding officer of the West Coast Command, but I delegated my CMF duties to Mike or should I say to my executive officer, Lieutenant General Mike Henderson.

I was not aware that the President created the CMF until shortly before the Ark went into lockdown. The situation that led to the President’s decision to appoint me as the commanding officer of the West Coast Command was unusual. I knew the Ark needed a military capability, so I set out to steal a few Rangers, equipment, and supplies from the Army. My audacious attempt evidently led to the President making the decision to put me in command a long time before he made me aware of what he intended to do. At the time, I thought I was outmaneuvering the President. I was a child in his hands for he was a Master at seeing through and manipulating people.

I was very surprised when the President acceded to my request to acquire a military force. He even suggested that I accept more soldiers than I thought I needed. That was the first clue that the President was using me in one of his schemes, but I missed that clue because I thought I was manipulating him. It wasn’t until my request for a company of Rangers turned into the President giving me an entire Ranger Division and a couple of Seal Teams that I began to realize he had something in mind and he considered me to be a major player in his plans. I think what should have evolved my suspicion into a firm belief was his assigning Susan Taylor to me as his personal point of contact. He not only made her my POC, but he sent her to the Ark, so I didn’t have to go through channels to contact her and he directed her to contact him directly if I needed something. Yes, that almost confirmed my suspicion that my efforts were playing right into his plan. But I still didn’t know he had a plan and I was too busy with my own plans to even think about what he might have in mind. Yeah I can be just as slow and obtuse as the next guy.

Between the time the West Coast Command was created by the President, even though I was not aware of its creation, and the time the Ark went into lockdown, the Army and Navy personnel arrived at the Ark. At first, they didn’t believe what we told them about the meteoroids. But the President had told them to follow my directions, so they trained to prepare themselves for the role they would fill after the meteoroids left the Earth in their wake. During that training period, I had it in mind that they would just continue to live in the Ark until the meteoroids arrived, and after that, they would become part of our society. When the astronomers announced that there was a meteoroid shower approaching our solar system, and it would hit Earth, my new military unit became believers and they started training even harder than before.

Prior to lockdown, it became apparent to me that there would be little to no direct interaction between the Ark and the President’s people after the meteoroid storm departed. I wasn’t surprised when the President confirmed this belief on the day we went into lockdown. What surprised me the most was, he revealed his plans to me.

The day after I declared lockdown, Mike, Carl Fenton, Thomas Charles, Phil Johnson, and I were part of a video conference with the President. During that conference, he returned Mike Henderson and me to active duty, promoted us, and appointed me to be the commanding officer of the West Coast Command and Mike to be my Second-in-Command. He also promoted Carl Fenton, Tom Charles, and Phil Johnson and he officially placed them under my command.

As General Jonathan Reppa, I accepted overall command of the new West Coast Command of the CMF. I had our military personnel report to Mike as part of his External Security Department. Lieutenant General Mike Henderson effectively became the new unit’s commanding officer for day-to-day matters, and Mike reported to me. Yes, I was the overall commander, but my Ark duties would keep me too busy to handle the military aspects of my new position. So I delegated most of my responsibilities to Mike.

My new command was comprised of what had been the 2^nd Division of the Army’s 75^th Ranger Regiment and elements of the Naval Special Warfare Command, which consisted predominantly of specific portions of Seal Groups 1 and 3. For all intents and purposes, I was a figurehead, so Mike reorganized our troops into a Command Center and three Divisions.

On the day before the meteoroids were due to arrive, the President informed the Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine personnel who had not been selected for the CMF that they were officially discharged from the US Military. Like everyone who had not been selected for one of the shelters, they were on their own. Considering the international situation, I don’t know if he had much of a choice. But I think he should have at least brought our servicemen back to the US before discharging them.

I am not sure of when it happened, but at some point before the meteoroids arrived, the Ark’s military personnel became aware of the reality of their situation. They ceased referring to themselves as units of the West Coast Command and they adopted the name – Ark Army. Once the meteoroid shower passed Earth, the only term anyone other than me used to refer to our military unit was The Ark Army. In my position as the head of the Ark, I still thought and officially referred to them as the External Security Department. Unofficially, I frequently used Ark Amy, and I eventually switched to Ark Army; but that didn’t happen until after I recovered from the virus.

In the Ark Army’s Command Center on Level 16, Lieutenant General Mike Henderson and Colonel Carl Fenton, the commanding officer of the 1st Division, are monitoring the radio traffic of the operation that is returning the Ark Army to the Earth’s surface. I had obtained a feed from our external antenna and commandeered a radio, which I had set up in my office, so I could follow what was happening.

“Auburn Control, Bravo 1. We are at the tunnel’s outer doors and ready to exit the tunnel. Please open the outer doors. Over.”

“Standby, Bravo 1. The inner tunnel doors behind you are still open. We will open the outer doors in about thirty seconds, after the inner doors are secured. Be advised our security cameras indicate the Freight Yard is empty.”

“Thank you, Auburn Control. Bravo 1, out.”

Captain Ahmed Maroun (Bravo 1) nods to his two Company B Platoon Leaders: Lieutenants Christopher (Chris) Jackson (Bravo 2) and Aaron Denton (Bravo 3). The three officers are in the old passenger loading area, which is just a short distance from the outer tunnel doors. Bravo Company’s two platoons are strung out along the tunnel walls just inside the doors waiting for the outer doors to open. With three fifteen-man Squads in each Platoon, the soldiers extend a good distance down the tunnel. The three officers make a final adjustment to their throat mikes and earpieces before putting on their respirators and hats in preparation of the doors opening.

Captain Maroun said, “Alright, gentlemen, we will assume the Control Center is wrong until we have physically secured the Freight Yard. So return to your Platoons, and let’s do it by the numbers.”

The massive doors swing open, and fifty armed soldiers - wearing boonie hats, full-faced respirators, body armor, rain suits, and web harnesses that supported their pistols, knives, canteen holders, and a variety of pouches containing their ammunition, grenades, first aid kits, radios, and other equipment rapidly move out of the tunnel into a light downpour of mud droplets. Lieutenant Jackson directs First Platoon’s three Squads and four Support personnel to spread out and scan the area around them. He then directs them to set up a forward defensive position within the Freight Yard’s perimeter fence line. Listening to their short-range personal radios, the soldiers scan the fence line and the area beyond it for movement. Captain Maroun holds Second Platoon in the tunnel as a reserve force, until First Platoon declares the area free of hostiles.

Captain Maroun spoke into his microphone asking, “Bravo 2, Bravo 1. What is your status? Over.”

“Bravo 2, we are in position and the initial perimeter is secure. No contact with survivors. Out.”

“Bravo 3, Bravo 1. Deploy from the tunnel and checkout the remains of the Freight Yard’s office building, freight containers, and other buildings. Out.”

Twenty minutes later, “Bravo 1, Bravo 3. The area within the Freight Yard’s fencing is clear. No contact with survivors, and there is no sign of anyone having been within the fenced area in the recent past. The only hazard encountered was the office building, which is unstable due to meteoroid damage and should not be entered. I recommend knocking it down to keep someone from entering it and having it fall in on them. Over.”

“Affirmative, Bravo 3.

“Bravos 2 and 3, establish the designated perimeter guard posts and hold your positions. Out.”

“Ark 3, Bravo 1. The Freight Yard is secure. No contact with, or signs of, survivors. Over.”

1st Division’s commanding officer, Colonel Carl Fenton, picked up the microphone in the Command Center and replied, “Roger, Bravo 1. Ark 2 and I are monitoring your communications. Set the manning of your guard posts at four people per post, and have your remaining people pull back into the tunnel and take shelter from the rain. Relieve your guards at twenty-minute intervals.

“A construction crew is unloading the guard shelters from your train and they will be there shortly to setup the shelters for your guard posts. A second construction crew will be on the next train with Delta 1 and they have a bulldozer. Have them demo the old office. Ark 3 out.”

Captain Maroun transmitted, “Bravos 2 and 3, did you copy Ark 3’s transmission? Over.”

“Bravo 2, affirmative. Over.”

“Bravo 3, affirmative. Over.”

“Bravo 2, when the guard shelters are in place, set up one-hour guard shifts. First Platoon will take the first three shifts.

“Bravo 3, Second Platoon is to take the next three shifts.

“Make sure the men are well rested for it is going to be a long day. Bravo 1 out.”

When he picked up the ringing telephone, Jon heard, “Jon, Mike here. Carl and I have you on speakerphone. Captain Maroun reports the Freight Yard is secure, and he has set up guard shifts. When Delta finishes their vehicle collection effort, they will relieve him. Sam’s people will be setting up Company B’s guard post shelters shortly.

“Morning, guys. Sounds like we are off to a good start.”

Mike continued with, “Jon, Company D, their Negotiators, auto mechanics, and two of Sam’s construction crews have boarded the second train and are waiting at the Transit Station for the construction crew’s equipment to be loaded onto the train. I will have Carl give the orders for them to proceed with recovering vehicles from Auburn for transport.

“Company B’s train is on its way back to the Transit Station. When it arrives, I’ll send out the construction crew needed to dig the mass grave and Alpha Company’s First Platoon who will guard the construction crew while they dig the grave. A couple of Sam’s construction crews and their equipment will also be on board.

“Any instructions, Jon?”

“No, Mike, things are going good from the sound of it. Of course, it’s only 0600 and we didn’t expect any hiccups at this point in the plan. The day’s young, but we can always hope we don’t encounter any serious problems.

“Oh, yeah, I have a radio in my office and I’m monitoring all radio traffic. You don’t need to give me blow-by-blow reports. Bye.”

Hanging up the phone, Mike nodded to Carl, who picked up the radio’s microphone and transmitted, “Bravo 1, Ark 3. Over.”

“Go, Ark 3. Over.”

“Delta Company and the first two construction crews will be departing the Transit Station shortly. The crew to dig the mass grave and their guard detail will be on the next train. Proceed as planned. Out.”

As the train pulled out of the Transit Station, Captain Victor (Vic) Russell, call sign Delta 1, turned to George Lyle and asked, “How are your people doing, Mr. Lyle?”

“They seem to be okay, Captain. Since we will be working together closely for the next few weeks, why don’t you call me George. Mr. Lyle will get old very quickly.”

“Alright, George, and except for my troops, I go by Vic.

“There is one thing I’m curious about, George. How did you go from being an Undersecretary of State to being in charge of our Negotiation Team?”

After a short laugh, Lyle said, “It’s a long story, Vic, but our ride to the tunnel opening is going to take some time also.

“It all began back in Washington. I walked into my office at the State Department one fine day, and found out Iran had filed a diplomatic protest regarding a bunch of American motorcyclists they arrested in Tehran. Then someone found the night shift’s hand written message from Mike and Larry. The two of them notified the State Department that Jon had transported a motorcycle gang called the BCers to Tehran, Iran. I don’t recall the exact timing, but at some point I learned that Senator Blucher’s granddaughter Melanie Smith was one of the people transported to Iran. At first, I had problems believing what they told me about Jon transporting people halfway around the world.

“Are you sure you want me to bore you to death with my past sins?”

“George, I am already intrigued, so I doubt that particular story will be boring. However, I suspect it may be rather long and I really need to check on my people. Perhaps you will share it with me later when I have enough time to enjoy it.”

“Sure thing, Vic, and you’re right. Telling that story in its entirety will take a long time, if I do it right. The incident spanned almost two weeks and it is just one of the reasons that resulted in my wife and I joining the Ark. Of course, I didn’t get the truth about Mike, Larry, and Jon’s side of the incident until almost a year after I became an Ark resident. I think the only reason I was told about it then was Jon created the Public Relations Department and made Harry its VP. Harry recruited me for my current job, and he believed I needed to know, so he briefed me on what happened. Since then, he has given me a lot of background about the history of the Ark’s creation.”

“Excuse me, George. I need to go check on my people.”

“Bravo 1, Ark 3. Delta Company and the construction crew’s train just left the Transit Station. They should arrive at your location in thirty minutes. Ark 3 out.”

When I heard a knock and looked up from my desk. Larry and Harry were walking into my office.

“Jon, we think you may want the status of our efforts to put the committee structure together so we can create our new government. Since Harry and I will be on the Summary Committee, we have been working on the draft of a Summary Committee meeting agenda and an outline of how we should approach defining the new government.

“We also tasked our IT group with creating an interactive TV program that will allow a resident to submit an idea for consideration by the Summary Committee and receive feedback on their idea. May is working with them on that effort. They tell me they have a first cut of the submission program, but it hasn’t been debugged yet. The feedback half of the program hasn’t been started.

“We went through all four Silos and defined the eight ten-residence groups that will be supported by each of the Corridor Committees, and we defined the reference numbering system that will be used to identify each group of ten residences.

“We worked with May to create two tutorials that will explain the committee structure, the residence identification number assignments, and the process of how ideas will be routed to the Summary Committee on Channel 150, which we are calling the Ark Government Channel. We will add the feedback portion of the tutorials once the process is defined.

“What we need you to do is film your daily dump and to explain the committee structure to our people. Let them know they will be able to start electing their Corridor Committee members in a couple of months. You also need to explain when they will be able to start submitting ideas to the Summary Committee using Channel 150.”

Harry added, “I think things will be chaotic at first, Jon. Once the residence groups have elected their representatives and the members are selected for the other committees, things will get better.”

“Okay, guys, I get the message. You want me to tell everyone that the effort is underway but things are still a couple of months away from being ready, and they need to expect a bit of confusion at first.

“Okay, I’ll do it once I finish reading this report on correction of the water contamination problem that was reported two weeks ago. I need to see Linda and May anyway so I can make a formal announcement of our having returned to the surface. It seems redundant to make that announcement, since almost all of our Arkians are probably watching the video feeds from the security cameras that are covering the Auburn Freight Yard.

“However, I do have one reservation. I think it is way too early to tell them when they will be able to submit ideas to the Summary Committee. Before I tell them that, I think we need to wait until the Summary Committee is almost ready to start considering suggestions. Before I make that announcement, the Summary Committee will need to determine and announce a schedule for their initial topics. Once those topics are posted, then our Arkians can begin to submit their ideas.”

Harry said, “Jon, you overlooked that Larry and I already have determined the initial topics and we prepared a schedule for discussing those topics.”

“No, Harry, I didn’t overlook that fact. What the two of you propose may be very good, but you forgot that it will be the Committee’s job to decide what they want to work on first, not yours.

“You also mentioned that you would be Committee members. I’ve been thinking about who should be on the committee, and I decided members of the Advisory Council should abstain from Council membership. I have several reasons for that, but the most important is we all have fulltime jobs, now, and I need all of you to continue doing what you are currently doing. Being a Summary Committee member will be more than a fulltime job. You can’t do both jobs. I’m thinking that each of the Advisory Council members should appoint people to represent them on the Committee, and we will have our appointees do what we want done.”

Harry said, “Yeah, you’re right, Jon. I guess we didn’t think about how we would do both jobs.”

Larry said, “Yeah, I guess we just got wrapped up in the thought of what will be happening and wanted to be a part of it.”