“O, Singularity, where art thou?” Trainor yearned aloud.
“Can I have your stuff when you, you know, go Singular?” Bob asked.
“Certainly, puny human; I will have no need of such encumbrances.”
“Great, sign here, oh, and here. Thanks.”
“…And you and your kind, for your part, will curate my existence into the far future. I will be immortal!” Trainor exulted.
“Sure, whatever you say.” Trainor, his overlord and master? Bob knew better.
In the White House West Wing headed towards a ground floor conference room, Washington, D.C.
“So what are you going to say?”
“To whom?”
“The President silly.”
“What do you mean?”
“You did prepare, I mean really, George. Where are your notes? Are they in here?”
“Made ya look, Marge.”
“It’s not funny; this one is for the money.”
….
“George, Margery? The President will be with us in a few minutes; why don’t you come in and have a seat at the table?”
“Thank you…”
“Peter Manheim, Presidential Science Advisor; I love those initials. Have a seat by me here, George. Margery, how about that seat there?”
“Geeeorge?”
“Got it, Marge.”
“So, George, is it real?”
“They both are Dr. Manheim; where do I hook in?”
“Here, the system will automatically query your machine.”
“But I have specialized protocols…”
“No matter, George, done. Can we see a preview?”
“Sure, here we have a four-dimensional record…”
“Is this real data?”
“Taken continuously over the past 7 weeks.”
“I see, using what network for the tomography?”
“All of them.”
“Really? And it shows…?”
“Both the Yellowstone and Canary Islands hotspots have 85 and 63 percent chances, respectively, of surface eruption in the next 5 to 10 years and lower but significant chances of erupting within the year.”
“What did you predict last year for the same time frames?”
“32 and 23 percent for the 5 to 10 years and negligible for the 1 year frame, Dr. Manheim.”
“Margery, how are we situated on funding?”
“Forty seven percent spent, Peter. The Constellation servers are paying off; we’d be out of money, otherwise.”
“Hmm, I’ll see what I can do about that, Margery.”
The President is twenty-five seconds out.
“Dr. Manheim, he’s on his way.”
“Thank you.”
….
“Mr. President.”
“I don’t believe I know everyone, Peter.”
“Mr. President, may I introduce Dr. Margery Wholecloud at your right hand and Dr. George Majorski at my side.”
“Glad to meet you both, Peter’s been telling me of your good work. Please sit. What am I going to see today Peter?”
“George, why don’t you start the video and I’ll summarize what you told me just now?”
“Sure.”
“Mr. President, this is a video of deep magma flow under Yellowstone, on the left of the screen, and the Canary Islands on the right. As you see, the flows become hotter over a 7 week period. We believe this indicates almost certain surface eruptions within three years and eleven months give or take a few months at both sites. It’s likely there will be a sustained super-eruption at Yellowstone that will obliterate flora and fauna across the Great Divide and saturate the stratosphere because of the anticipated volume, viscosity and gases. The Canary Islands event will also impact us and our Atlantic allies. Isn’t that right, George?”
“Sure.”
“Alright, so what are we to do, Peter?”
“As we discussed, Mr. President”
“Approved, anything else?”
“No, Mr. President.”
“Thank you everyone, good to meet you both.”
“Thank you Mr. President.”
….
“Okay, let’s take our seats. George, you did great.”
“Sure.”
At the home of Scott and Lisa Bering in Cheyenne, Wyoming
The National Primary EAS system has issued an emergency action notification for: Cheyenne, Wyoming; at 2:00 p.m. on October 24, 2021, effective until ended by national emergency termination alert.
This is not a test.
As of 1:19 pm today, Yellowstone Caldera located in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming has erupted in what appears to be a rapidly expanding series of ash fountains and plumes. Devastating pyroclastic flows have occurred as a result of the collapse of several eruptive fountains. However, new fountains continue to establish themselves around the caldera. The plumes are coalescing and growing in extent and intensity.
Residents within a 100 mile radius are being ordered to flee north. Those residents within a 500 mile radius are being advised to prepare for an escape were one to be necessary. Cheyenne is in the 500 mile radius. All are advised to head north towards our settlements in Canada. All routes north have designations toward the reception centers. Transportation and/or medical attention for those who need it will be provided at collection points along main routes north.
Please stay tuned to this station for further news and instructions for your area.
-PAUSE-
The National Primary EAS system has issued….
“Scotty, what do you think?”
“I think we should pack up, Lisa. Get the kids inside and let’s load up the camper.”
“Where will we go?”
“Let’s head to your mother in Billings. Then we’ll all go into the mountains near Big Timber where we’ll be safe.”
“But the instructions on the TV say to head to Canada, Scotty.”
“Lisa, those feds never get it right; Bronschweiger gave us the straight scoop when he said this whole ‘national emergency’ thing was the way the federal government was going to finally impose totalitarian rule on us. When that Smith guy won, I knew our days in Wyoming were numbered and we had to head for the hills. Anyway, you see any ash out there? It’s a bright blue day…
We’ll take 25 North, then 90 West to Billings, pick Agnes up and take 94 West to Big Timber.”
“But that will bring us closer to Yellowstone, honey.”
“Never mind, kitten. The Big Horn Mountains will protect us most of the way.”
“Why don’t we call Agnes and meet up in Miles City. She can take 94 East and we’ll hook up with her there using the back roads. Then we can all head north to Canada together.”
“We can call her from the road, Lis. We gotta get moving before everyone else or we’ll miss out.”
Headed west on Interstate route 25 towards Casper, Wyoming.
“I can’t reach her.”
“Shush, I have to get right to stay on 25. Get out-of-the-way buddy…”
“Don’t shush me…”
“Tommy is pinching me Mom.”
“Tommy you get over to your side.”
“Aww, Mom, she always gets away with things; it’s not fair.”
“Are we there yet?”
“No Bridgette and stop taunting your brother.”
“I missed it.”
“You missed what, honey?”
“25, we’re now on a road headed for Shoshoni. I think it’s US 26.”
“Wait a minute, yes; we can pick up a northern route following US-20 and US-310 that takes us to Laurel and then catch I-90 to Billings; but we’re closer to Yellowstone, now.”
“Not what I wanted, can’t you keep them quiet back there?”
“Now it’s my fault?”
“Well, I gotta concentrate. Why don’t you see if you can reach Agnes, again?
….
Near the memorial at McPherson Square, Washington, D.C.
“I don’t know how this happened.”
“What’s that?”
“These squirrels, they’re back in force. Grey ones, black ones and, hey, is that one red?”
“That is unusual…I thought they were numerous before because they were ‘seeded’ early in the twentieth century in an effort to provide some warmth and charm to the D.C. parks and public spaces.”
“Well the ‘seeds’ germinated into a marauding hoard; how did they ever survive the Iminami?”
“Why don’t you ask one?”
“Don’t encourage them; I do not consider these things charming. My guess, they climbed the trees and buildings during the flood and ate whatever floated by.”
“I bet you’re right, they do look well fed. Isn’t that one the cutest thing?”
“No…and hunting the pesky creatures was outlawed back then too, right?”
“Yep, and so was poisoning them. But, the next time you are in the UK, you can pick one up to roast if you like. They sell’em in supermarkets. What’s gotten into you lately?”
“Ever since we got back, the office has been hectic. My immediate supervisor is okay. I mean we all spent years in rented spaces carrying out our functions, a little travel, but…”
“But now the officials want face time and day long meetings, right?”
“Well even that is tamped down after the reconstitution. I guess, I don’t know…”
“You can tell me. Haven’t we corresponded over the years even when I was in the north? The times we were together were precious…uh-oh, look at the time, we better be heading back.”
“Yes, Izzy, we have, they were and soon. Move squirrel…”
“Why are you on your knee?”
“I have to get this out…will you marry me Izzy?”
“Yes, Peter, I’d be honored to marry you.”
So you are willing to compromise?
Not capitulate.
So you want your way?
Our way.
Whatever do you mean?
Might does not make right. These laws we speak about are already ‘there’ to for us to discover and obey.
So you are a natural law proponent?
In that nature’s God has established them, yes.
There you go again, bringing up subjective superstitions.
My turn; does that mean you don’t believe in gravity and quantum mechanics?
What nonsense; every educated person believes in science.
Believes in ‘science’ or ‘truth’? ‘Science’ is a process of discovering the existent truth last time I checked.
Semantics, there is nothing else.
One can believe in the truth but there are many processes to discover it.
Really? I suppose you will bring up your pesky notion of religion.
Actually, I was going to bring up interpersonal conversation. We use it to discover all sorts of things: new friends during a conference, guilt or innocence in a court of law and where the nearest coffee bar is located; among other uses.
I bet you’ll say poetry and art are means of discovery as well? Not simply human invention to pass the time while we refrain from assaulting our neighbors.
I’d never accuse you of that, and yes, they are means of discovery. Not all truth is amenable to scientific process.
Any modern progressive human being knows better.
I don’t think you are right in what you say.
I’ll go so far as to say that your kinds’ time is over; we have surmounted the reaches of the north, to use your own poetry.
You can’t say that…
Sure I can; I can say anything I want, when I want and contradict myself to my heart’s content.
When you subject others to your pronouncements, it ceases to be whimsy and becomes tyranny.
There are no consequences, ultimately.
The townsfolk outside with the pitchforks beg to disagree.
Ah, but I said ultimately.
So you believe you are extinguished at death, do you?
Of course, and you believe in hellfire; what a quaint superstitious notion.
You may discover elsewise, I’m afraid.
Scare tactics, nothing more. Just to assert your control over me, but I’ll have none of that.
I think not; I just mean to communicate the truth. It is you who will have to deal with the consequences.
“They don’t believe me; none of them. But I saw those THINGS eat? Absorb? Tommy and Sam.”
“Yes, now tell me more, Missy.”
“Do you believe me?”
“I told you I would listen.”
“But you have to believe me.”
“Tell me the whole story from the beginning.”
“It was a beautiful summer’s evening; Tommy and I met Sam at the corner store and Tommy drove us out to Lookout Point. The sun was nearly set. You could see it between the trees and reflecting off the lake. It was twilight behind us. I don’t know why I looked behind us.”
“Go on.”
“All of a sudden, I see a flash. Like when a jet liner or a satellite catches the sun just right. But it wasn’t. IT WAS THEM.”
“Calm down dear, now you didn’t know it was them, did you?”
“Not right then, no… So it starts toward where we were laying on top of the car hood, one of those 70’s boat-like cars, I forget what kind.”
“Doesn’t matter, now please continue.”
“Well, it passes over us and over the edge of the point. It was silent, round and hovering in front of us right beyond the edge.”
“Cold, dear?”
“No, just remembering what happened next.”
“Tell me, dear.”
Do you think she knows where she is?
No, the vapors make these forget
Will we find out why these don’t mature (?) into those we digest?
I am coming to the settled opinion that these are not like the ones we had before
So, we’ll have to go to another [unintelligible]
Ever onward for our race to live
Why can’t we find more cooperative and robust food?
“What was that dear?”
“I said, so we were transported, er, we just appeared aboard the craft.”
“What happened next, dear?”
This place looks like a concentration camp.
The food sure is good. Very good in fact, I know because I used to be a chef.
Anybody label you with a number yet?
No, are they doing that?
Nah, I hear they want us to learn how to be good citizens for the 21st century and this is boot camp.
What makes you so knowledgeable, man?
I’m the next speaker…
…and I want you to give a hand for the President of the United States, Harry Smith, come up here Harry.
Thanks Senator Walker, my fellow citizens, you are the third group to pass through this camp…that’s right, pass through. As I was just telling some folks we’re going to learn how to be good citizens for the 21st century and this is boot camp. I’m going to give you a little history of the place, we call it Camp Tareen, what you can expect for the next six months, yes six months, and what we expect of you afterward.
Three short years ago former President Bertram Matumbo, before his assassination, made agreements with Canada, China and the United Kingdom for our safety and the safety of our children and grand children. He arranged for the Canadian Northwest Territory and Yukon to be opened up for migration until we can resettle CONUS. Whatever you say about global warming, it’s still really cold up here.
Camp Tareen is named for a brave man who tried to prevent the Pakistan – India nuclear exchange. His leadership hanged him for it. The previous two groups before this one built this fort, some really grand settlements to the north and the roads that lead to them.
You and your families will be clothed, housed and fed. Very well by some accounts. Your children will be educated in the fundamentals: reading, writing, science and mathematics. We have all grade levels and some college and graduate school training. We’re always looking for more teachers.
We live by the laws of the United States. The Constitution, Bill of Rights and much of the case-law is in effect. We have a Supreme Court and the lower courts. The officers you see here are empowered to enforce the law. They are also here to help you obey it and they will live among you with their families.
Here, you’ll be trained to build your own settlement and much, much more. We’ve made some advances that I think you’ll be amazed at, I know I was.
I won’t lie to you, it will be a hard life. But, you’ll live, learn, work and one day see your children and your childrens’ children in cities you’ve built in the reconstituted United States. Right now there are cadres of workers and soldiers laboring to clear the eastern cities and reforest the Central and Mountain states. The United States will look different but we hope to be stronger, self-sustaining, more equitable and debt free.
Now I’ll open it up for questions, please use the microphones so we can all hear you. You’ll show up on the screens so everyone will see, too.
Mister President, what’s happening on the West Coast, I heard that the Chinese are in control and the situation is ‘difficult’?
The time is now gentle men and women. We have to act for the good of the nation.
“The GOOD of the NATION”. Come off it, you want to get reelected or what?
I don’t care about that… maybe they don’t even care, but posterity will. Some decorum, please, Everett.
Oh, you mean the ‘children not yet born’, who said that? You! Bill payers I call them, they’ll slave for the bondholders and like it. We’ve tried to inflate those things away but the World Bank, IMF and WTO won’t let us.
Everett, this is the last time I’m going to say this…you sit down and hold your tongue.
Since when do you hold sway in the Cabinet Room, Moses? I’ll tell you what you are going…
Please remove Secretary Harmison from the room quickly.
Well, I’ve never…
You got that right, Ev.
As I was saying, ladies and gentlemen, we’re signing this Presidential Directive today with the understanding that you all are sworn to secrecy. You are witnesses to a historic day. Our partnerships with Canada, the United Kingdom and China will serve the nation well. Especially over the next three years if the scientists’ measurements are correct. Leaders in their countries are signing similar secret directives as we speak. We will provide for our posterity’s future and our partners will see to it since it is in their interests to do so.
Daddy, daddy, did you see the plane in the video? It was sooo big.
Yes, honey, I did.
Did you see how it blew up and fell to the ground, how did they film that daddy?
They have their ways, honey.
What did they mean by “dereliction of duty”?
That’s when someone doesn’t do what they’ve been told to do.
Like when I don’t want to go to bed? Is that “dereliction”?
Well, honey, it’s when someone doesn’t do something really important for the Air Force.
You mean like when Captain Davi didn’t salute during the parade last year?
Yes, just like that, Nomi.
What are those stairs for daddy?
Would you take her out of the room now, Ramsha?
Yes, son, don’t worry, we’ll raise her as our own.
Thank you mother, as we planned.
Yes, dear. Say good-bye to daddy Nomi.
Good-bye daddy, will I see you again soon?
Not soon, honey, but someday, you listen to grandmamma and do what she says like a good girl.
I will daddy… I want to go with you…
Ramsha, take her now.
Yes, Vijay, come Nomi…
***
Air Vice Marshall Vijay Tareen, you’ve been found guilty by a jury of your peers. You will be hanged by the neck until you are dead. Have you any last words?
Yes, I stand fast in my convictions and you know what they are. The Airbus 380 had hundreds of our kinsmen on board and I would not sacrifice the many to kill one man. That you did it anyway is upon you and your houses… God is Great and I will meet Him shortly. Look to yourselves for your judgment swiftly approaches.
What is this? Qu’est que ce? این چیست؟
It is what it is. Elle est ce qu’elle est. این است آنچه در آن است.
+++
What are you listening to so intently?
Are you cleared for ‘Halo Simplex’?
Sure, yeah…
Really?
The Professor himself read me in.
This is telemetry and comms from the Gulf.
Let me listen.
‘Phones, take the ‘phones.
Hey, this is data…what’s the channel?
می خوانیم شما پنج توسط پنج
[We read you five by five]
Executing pitch over maneuver
Roger, pitch over, telemetry is good
I can see the mark down range to port, executing yaw
Roger, executing yaw to port; our friends show good transfer
Coming back in yaw
Roger, coming back in yaw, friends show you leading mark
Adjusting pitch
Roger, adjusting pitch, friends show you in limits, 7000 meters
6700 meters
Roger, 5400 meters, 4500 meters, 3300 meters
Allahu Akbar
Allahu Akbar, my friend
….
We have confirmation, we have confirmation
What do you think just happened?
I dunno.
I think he is, er, was an onboard target director.
What do you think he just did?
Hit the mark.
What mark?
This needs to go up fast.
Yeah.
Mandated Memoranda 