Stormhaven Rising (Atlas and the Winds Book 1) (48 page)

She flopped into her chair with a heavy sigh. “Do we know anything new?” she asked Dick and Undersecretary Worthington.

“No Ma’am,” Worthington said. “We’re still at the same Situational Readiness.”

Dick rolled his eyes and turned toward the Undersecretary. “What
we
know, and what
they
know are two distinctly different things,” the Vice-President said. “We need to move to consolidate power and bring the media into line, and we’ve got to follow through on GNS.”

“Jesus, Dick,” she said. “Weren’t you the one that was screaming about free press and the public’s right to know?” She pulled the folder he’d put on the table towards her and opened it. “You sound more rabid than Norman did. Don’t you think we need to give this due consideration?”

“No Ma’am,” he said, meeting her gaze without a sign of doubt. “There are things I didn’t see before. I should have been helping to write these orders myself.” He tapped his finger on the papers she hadn’t yet begun to read.

“Secretary Anderson developed a series of consecutive orders for you to execute. He understood things had to progress from point to point without deviation, so that we can properly regain control of the situation. He’d drafted these for your review before he was killed,” Worthington said. “In fact, he was on his way to your office with them when he was attacked.”

Sylvia looked from Dick to Worthington, wondering if the Undersecretary knew what had really happened to his boss. “William, would you please excuse us for a moment?” the President asked, nodding to the door.

“It’s ok, he knows,” Dick said, realizing what she’d been thinking.

“Yes Ma’am,” he said. “It’s important that none of us remember it outside of this room. We can’t act like we’re any the wiser, or the entire situation will look like a contrived power grab—“

“Which is exactly what it is,” she interrupted.

“Well, yes.” He nodded. “But we have to be absolutely certain that no one ever knows.”

“That’s what’s in those papers,” the Vice-President said. “The one way we have at our disposal to make certain the facts about the asteroid or Norman’s death never get out.”

She closed the folder and stood up. “I’m still hesitating to shred the Constitution just to keep this secret,” she said, walking across the room to the coffee pot. It was empty. “Is it really the only way?”

“Madam President,” Worthington said. “The Secretary understood that you’d be hesitant. He already laid enough foundation to give us an immediate suspect and an enemy of sufficient magnitude to keep the wolves at bay for as long as necessary.”

“I know he pointed at GNS,” she said, returning to the table and setting her cup down. “They’re a fairly small organization. It won’t take long to bury them.”

“Yes, but the computer files we recovered from their headquarters in Washington link them to China,” Dick said. “Norman was right to be suspicious of them.”

“China?” she asked, stunned by the absurdity of the idea. “I thought they were owned by Stormhaven?"

“They are,” the Undersecretary said.

“Isn’t that tidy,” she said.

“The thing you need to realize,” Worthington said, “is that we must move immediately to restrict media access to international sources. China has begun to reassert its internet presence and as far as we can tell, is still planning on going public with the details of the asteroid. We’re about to lose containment.”

She sat down and propped her head in her hands, massaging her temples. “I suppose these orders include instructions for doing that?”

“They do,” Dick said, opening the file folder again for her. “I read them. He covered all the contingencies.”

She started reading the orders while the two of them sat watching. “William, can you find us some coffee?” she asked, after several minutes. She hated to be scrutinized while she worked.

He showed back up several minutes later carrying an urn. He poured three cups and then sat down in silence. She shook her head several times as she read, not because she particularly disagreed with what they said, but to clear the shroud of surrealism that kept rematerializing in her thoughts. She flashed back to the oath she’d taken.

To protect and defend the Constitution...

“This is all great in theory, gentlemen,” she said, as she turned over the last page. “What concerns me is that this makes it sound like getting control of the media is a simple thing. I don’t see how we’re going to shut down the online services. It’s my understanding that the web is still an open source of information for everybody.”

“DHS has been working on that problem for several years,” Worthington said. “We’ve put together a group of targeting programs that will allow us to filter foreign servers. It’s like the system they use in China and Saudi-controlled areas to limit access to material their governments find objectionable. It’s not foolproof, but we’re expecting that we can close off ninety-five percent of the sources that we can’t get to cooperate.”

“From there it’s a matter of discrediting anybody that doesn’t play nice,” Dick said. “If we’re the loudest voice in town, nobody will take any of these uncontrolled sources seriously. It’s not going to be perfect, but it’s better than leaving things as is."

“Once you give the orders we can begin implementation immediately,” Worthington said, handing her a pen. The Undersecretary was a pushy SoB, and even if Norman had trusted him, she didn’t like him assuming she was going to sign anything. She stared at him for several seconds, not moving to take the pen.

“Ma’am?” an officer from the Command Floor stood on the edge of the deck behind her, rapping on the glass.

She spun around, startled by the intrusion.

“I’m sorry to interrupt Ma’am,” he said, opening the door and swallowing hard. “Secretary Herman is on the line from Air Force One. He’s asking that I get you on the phone immediately. He said I should break in on your meeting if necessary.” He handed her a headset and backed out of the room.

“Yes John, what is it?” she asked, clipping the speaker over her ear.

“Sorry to interrupt, but we’ve got another log to throw on the fire,” he said. “Kuromori’s just filed a suit in the World Court alleging that Japanese Nationals are being held by force in the United States. He’s called the Stormhaven situation a hostage standoff and asked for UN peacekeeping forces to move in and attempt to clear up the problem.”

“So he’s saying that Stormhaven is holding his people hostage?” she asked. “That’s good news, isn’t it?”

“No Ma’am,” John said. “He’s accusing the American military of holding the Japanese residents in Stormhaven prisoner without due process."

She grabbed the pen and started signing the orders.

***

Changing the Balance

Camp Kryptonite:

“Is this Field Supervisor Shapiro?” Douglas recognized the voice of William Worthington though they’d never met.

“Yes sir,” he said. “I understand congratulations are in order.” Word had come down through channels that he’d been made Secretary of Homeland Security and had been sworn in prior to making the promotion public.

“Yes, well thank you, Agent Shapiro,” he said. The man had a severe case of Personality Deficit Disorder, his voice as near to lifeless as any human being Shapiro had ever heard. He almost sounded like one of those automated computer receptionists that everybody hated.
For information, press one, for condescension press two, to talk to a real human … wait I am a real human.
Shapiro tried not to laugh.

“What can I do for you, sir?” he said, covering his phone and snickering in spite of himself.
I must be too tired,
he thought, shaking his head in an effort to pull himself together.

“I’ve just come from a meeting at the White House,” he said. “President Hutton has decided to expedite closure of the situation out there.”

“She has?” he asked. “Has there been some breakthrough?” He sat down behind his desk as DeMarko came through the door. He held up his hand and signaled for Jake to sit down and wait.

“No, not actually,” Worthington said. “It’s just that she’s decided there’s been too much effort expended in support of our current containment strategy, and she wants to turn the operation over to the military to bring it to a close.”

“Excuse me sir?” Shapiro said. His shocked expression causing DeMarko to cock his head in an unspoken question.

“They're pulling us out and putting the military in to shut them down,” he whispered, covering the mouthpiece again.

“No shit?” DeMarko said.

“Yes, Agent Shapiro, they’re handing the operation over to General Marquez as soon as he can get mobilized,” he said. “You are to remain at your post until he arrives, and then you are to relinquish command. You and your staff will remain as Intelligence Support to the General.”

“I understand sir, however I’d like to voice my strong objection to this idea,” Shapiro said. “The military is ill-equipped to deal with the finer details of the situation. Unless there’s been some major progress in breaking into Stormhaven’s communications network, I don’t see how a
force objective
style operation will keep them from letting loose of their dead-man switch.”

“I understand your objections,” Worthington said, “However, the political landscape is changing. Within forty-eight hours, their internet bomb will become irrelevant. Once we’ve achieved that objective, we’ll commence cleaning up Stormhaven and their band of merry miscreants.”

Shapiro spun that statement over in his mind several times before the roulette wheel clicked the answer into place for him.
They’re going to declare a state of emergency and nationalize communications.
Probably an easier task than shutting Stormhaven down.

“I see,” he said. “So what should we do in the meantime?”

“You’re authorized to use whatever force necessary to remove civilians and the media to a safe distance before the military moves into place,” the DHS Secretary said. “Pay special attention to any uplink capabilities they may have. We don’t want word getting out before we’ve managed to limit their access.”

“Stormhaven’s access sir?” he said. “I don’t believe we’ve got that capacity at this point.”

“I was referring to the media vehicles,” he said, “but if you can identify Stormhaven’s communications facilities, they’d be a priority as well.”

“If you’ve read my reports,” Shapiro said, “we’re operating under the assumption that several of the buildings have phase-array antennas integral to the structures themselves. We don’t have the manpower or equipment to take them out, and even if we did, the loss of life would be potentially enormous.”

“Loss of life is no longer an issue,” Worthington said, his tone, if it were possible, more lifeless than before. “Achieving the objective of containment is your only concern. Have I made myself perfectly clear?”

“Yes sir,” Shapiro said.

“Very good,” he said. “Expect Air Force technicians to arrive within the next few hours to establish a secure laser relay with General Marquez. Until that time you are to observe radio security protocols.”

“I understand sir,” Shapiro said. “All communications, except the relay once it’s established, are to be considered open and compromised.”

“As of this moment you are under the command of General Marquez,” the Secretary said.

“Yes sir,” Shapiro said, listening to the connection close. Shapiro sat for several seconds digesting their new orders. He wasn’t squeamish about playing hardball, but this had the potential to go sideways in a lot of horrendous ways.

“Get Abrams in here,” he said, finally focusing his eyes on the agent across the room. “This is going to get very interesting.”

“Define interesting,” DeMarko said, heading for the door without waiting for an answer.

***

Satellite News Network Broadcast Headquarters, Chicago:

Dennis Brubaker was a man who always got his way. During his childhood people called him a bully, but in the grown-up corporate world they called him a CEO. It didn’t stop him from being a mean-hearted SoB, it just meant that anyone who called it straight, found the joy of permanent unemployment.

He sat on the Board of Directors of a half-dozen corporations and had been listed in the
Who’s Who of the Media World
since the day after he took over operations of SNN. He’d made this news network the biggest turnaround since the Phoenix rose from its own ashes.

He hired good people, gave them the chance to become great people, but he never cut anyone an inch of slack, nor did he expect anyone to cut him any.

He worked out daily, pushing iron and swimming. He was huge, pro-football huge, so he naturally intimidated everyone around him. That’s why, when the three men in grey suits showed up in his office unannounced, he met them in his workout suit, sweat and all. If it caused them a problem, it was their problem. He didn’t have time for walk-in appointments. He was a busy man, with places to go and people to do.

His secretary stood in the doorway, framed by two of the three men. “I’m sorry Mr. Brubaker,” she said, her face showing she knew she was in trouble for letting them get by. “These gentlemen are from the government and they insisted they needed to speak to you immediately.”