WAR (5 page)

“Paul, is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Yes, would it be possible for you to attend the meeting at the Pentagon? Another old friend of yours is here, I think you planned to meet with him. I’d like you to attend a couple of meetings with me at the House after the one at the Pentagon. Stay for dinner with us.”

“It’ll be my pleasure. Should I guess who else from my old team you grabbed? Is Bryn still the head chef at the House?”

“Yes, this is his last year, or so he said. About the other person, I think you’ll be happy to see him.”

“Don’t let Bryn blow smoke up your ass, he says that to every president. Just tell him I’m coming, and his damn kitchen better pass inspection.”

Laughing, President Rand says, “I’ll do that. He once told me to tell him if you were coming so he could be ready. I assume there’s a story there you have to tell me at dinner.”

“Be happy to. I’ll see you later.”

Hanging up the phone, Rod’s ears perk up, “Abrams?”

Grover nods yes. “It’s his way of protecting you. He sent an armored platoon with additional security troops. There are three HUMVEEs in front of and six behind the Abrams. They’re setting up a defensive position around your house. I don’t think any of your neighbors are going to be happy about the convoy of tractor trailer trucks that just pulled in and the armor they’re unloading.”

Smiling and nodding, President Brownstone replies, “Colonel, I wouldn’t worry about my neighbors. As you know, my closest neighbor is a mile away. I’m sure most living on my street will ignore the noise and use it to try to get me to do favors for them.”

Grover laughs nodding in his agreement with President Brownstone. “I’m going to take six of my people with us. Since we’re both going to the Pentagon in the morning, it’ll make the security much easier. I’ll leave the rest here. I’m going to go outside to meet their commander and compare notes. I’m wondering if they know something we should be aware of because they brought armor. I’m hoping it’s for show and not to fight off a threat they have an indication of. Don’t leave the house and stay away from the windows, yes I know the windows are armored, just do me a favor and stay away from them until I return. Damn I hope this doesn’t mean Grameniko has some Spetsnaz near by. Sir, I told you we should have taken out all of their senior leaders and not just the head. The Russian leadership is like Medusa, a head of snakes.”

“Colonel, go ahead and meet their commanding officer, then let me know what they know. If there are Spetsnaz after me again, we’ll have to discuss another layer of defense, their last attack almost cost me my house. Colonel, one more thing, please tell their commander that if his Abram’s destroys my new driveway, it’s coming out of his pay.” Both men laugh as Grover heads out of the door to speak with the men who recently arrived. They almost bump into each other at the front door. Grover heading out and the Captain about to ring the doorbell. The two men look at each other and lunge into a bear hug. President Brownstone thinks to himself,
Obviously
they know each other, which is a very good thing.

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              In Beaverton, Oregon, the Smith family is sitting together in their family room. A fire is burning in the corner fireplace which provides the room with a glow and warmth to fend off the very cold evening. Snow continues to fall adding to the eight inches that has been falling all day. A few days ago the Smith family were media darlings; they were the stars of a television program that highlighted the differences between the LSA and USA. One family from each country was selected out of tens of thousands of applications submitted. The Smith family was selected to represent the LSA. Live broadcasts were recorded from their home every other day. The Smith’s two children became instant stars in their schools and around the world. Scott, who's 14 and his sister Sissy, 7, loved the attention. Sissy even got a new puppy after complaining on international television she wasn’t allowed one. The world thought it was unfair that the LSA government refused to allow everyone who wanted a pet the ability to own one. After a mass uproar, the LSA government rescinded their rules, and a puppy was delivered to Sissy. The puppy quickly became a handful, no one in the Smith family knew how to train a puppy. None had ever owned a dog before. Joan, one of the Wolf News Network’s sound engineers, provided the training necessary for Sharon, Sissy’s mother, to finally agree that Sissy could keep the puppy after the program ended. Scott looked towards his father asking, “Dad, is there going to be a war? If there is, will it come here? Is everything going to change for the worse? Will there be bombs and killing like our history videos show?”

              “Scott, I don’t know if there’s going to be a war. No one sane wants a war. Wars are bad; wars destroy property and kill people; they don’t really resolve the problems that caused them. Since they don’t resolve the underlying problems, many times wars ended only to quickly restart again. A war today between the USA and us would be horrible. I can’t think of anything that would be worse. Everyone on both sides will be affected.”

              Scott continues, “Dad, when the USA cut off our power, didn’t they declare war on us? I learned that embargos are an act of war. The USA embargoing our electrical power is an act of war so wouldn’t you say we’re technically at war with the USA now?”

              “Scott, I think you may be correct while my heart hopes you’re wrong. A war against the USA would be very bad. The last time someone attacked the USA they nuked them! They killed tens, maybe hundreds of thousands to prove a point. The point being, kill one American and lose a city, kill a town, lose your country. If we go to war with the USA, they could use weapons of mass destruction against us. They could destroy the entire LSA in a blink of an eye.”

              “Dad, we have to stand up for our rights. We can’t let them push us around. We have the right to live the way we want to. We have the right to do things differently than them, don’t we? Isn’t the USA nothing but the world’s largest bully?”

              “Scott, you may be right; the USA may be the world’s largest bully. They’ve changed various countries’ governments; they’ve assassinated world leaders, and they’ve started and ended wars. They’re the only country on the planet to have used nuclear weapons. They preach freedom and also bully everyone else to do things their way or face the consequences. They have the world’s most advanced and powerful military. I’m not sure the world’s combined militaries could stand up to them.”

              “Then why would we fight them? If we can’t win and in the end we’ll end up having to submit to their will, why fight? Why would we lose human lives if the end is already known? Isn’t this a senseless battle? Isn’t all war senseless? Is a human life worth an idea? Why can’t they just live and let live? Dad, I’m confused. They claim they stand for freedom and on the other hand, they dictate to the world how everyone has to act. I don’t understand it.”

              “Scott, don’t worry about not understanding it. I don’t understand it either. I’m not sure anyone can really say they understand why wars start. If everyone would stay calm and talk out their differences the world would be a much better place, a much safer place. Son, I worry about all of us if we go to war. I also worry about the environment, a war will kick up a lot of debris into the atmosphere; we would be accelerating global warming on a massive scale. Even a short war could have massive implications for your children. Wars aren’t fought with the environment in mind; they’re fought with large ugly machines that pour CO2 into the atmosphere. Think about the damage to the polar ice packs a war will cause. A war could destroy our infrastructure, our factories and our homes. Wars cause homelessness and hunger, wars are the worse things man has ever invented. I’m really hoping that President Bloomberg will find a way to talk to President Rand and find a way both can save face and end this cold war before it turns hot. Speaking of which, I wish someone would find a way to turn on our power and give us a little heat.”

              “Dad, how did they turn selectively turn off power? The hospital three blocks away has power as does the assisted living home, yet none of the homes have any. Did they figure out how to create real magic?”

              “Scott, someone’s advanced technology looks like magic to those without it. Can you imagine showing a car or airplane to someone in the fifteen hundreds? They would think you’re showing them something magical. Or even a ballpoint pen to those in the 1700s or your tablet to anyone before 2000. I saw reruns of a science fiction show called Star Trek that was on television in the 1960’s they used props as tablets even their props weren’t as powerful as yours and yours is a few years old.”

              “Dad I understand. How come the USA is ahead of us in science?”

              “Their government spends a lot of money in the development of new technology for their military. Some of it spins off into consumer products.”

              “Dad, my econ teacher said everything they have are all made in slave labor factories in Asia. Ms. Benson said that in China the army goes around arresting people to work 18 hours a day, they’re paid like one or two dollars for the entire day to build products for those in the USA. They tear families apart.”

              “Scott, she’s correct, they use slave labor while ours are built right here by our own people. We create good jobs and have a strong middle class. In fact, we
only have
a large middle class. We’ve been able to get rid of the rich who drained the blood from the poor to support their lifestyle. We’ve come a long way in equality from where we were before the split.”

              “Dad, then it's true the USA gets rich and powerful off of slave labor, just like they did in the 1800’s?” 

              “Scott, I would say it’s very similar. The USA destroys the environment, they don’t care about it. As you saw from watching the Jones family, they’re all about themselves. I’m glad we’re different.”

              “Dad, if we went to war and lost, would you be OK with rejoining the USA? Would you fight a merger?”

              “Scott, fighting never solves anything. Your mom and I would vote to merge versus a war. I don’t want to see you drafted in the army or our homes destroyed. I’d rather we merge and try to work out our differences, we might be able to bring the USA more towards our way of life than see so many of our people die.”

              “Dad, when we die what happens?”

              “Scott, that’s a big question. Sit, let’s talk about this. Why do you want to know, is something bothering you? Do you need to web chat with a doctor? I can connect the probes to my laptop and see if something is wrong.”

              “Dad, I’m feeling fine. It’s all the talk of war that got me thinking about what happens when we die.”

              “Scott, do you remember anything from before you were born?”

              “Of course not, I wasn’t born yet. There was nothing for me.”

              “And that’s what it’ll be when you die, nothing. Hopefully, when your time comes, you’ll go to sleep and just drift off. Then there will be nothing.”

              “Dad, will it be painful when I die?”

              “Scott, no, if you’re very ill, you’ll be given some drugs which will let you sleep and as you sleep, you’ll slip away, completely painless.”

              “Dad, do you and Mom believe in what many in the USA believe? There’s a God and life after death?”

              “Scott, what’s bothering you? Why are you asking about God and religion and death?”

              “Dad, it’s all the talk about war. We don’t have any power, we’re cold, we’re eating cold cuts or food cooked on our grill. I wonder what happens to those who fight and die. I’m just curious. Really, nothing's wrong with me; just curious.”

              Hugging his son with tears in his eyes, Jason whispers to Scott, “Son, it’s going to be OK, we’re not going to have a full war like the history videos. We don’t want to fight and watch people die. Lives aren’t worth dying for an idea or a way of life. Lives are too precious. We only have a short time together, why would anyone risk that time for an idea? Let’s go to the kitchen, I think we still have some fresh fruit we can share together.”

              “’K Dad. I hope it’s still fresh. I went to the store with Mom, there’s so little fresh fruit and veggies in the store.”

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              At the same time in Burlington, North Carolina, the Jones family is watching the Wolf News Network evening news program. Mary Kelly, the show's anchor, is saying, “President Rand tonight met with President Brownstone where they most likely discussed the tensions between the LSA and ourselves. A recent ‘instapoll’ shows 68% of the country favors forcing the LSA to rejoin the country. The majority of citizens feel the ‘grand experiment’, as many call it, was a waste of time and resources. The attack on our children has galvanized people across the USA into demanding action from the White House. Tonight’s internet ‘instapoll’ shows 72% of the voting citizens say cutting the electrical power in the LSA and Russian Federation wasn’t enough for the poisoning of our children. On the other side of the equation, we have a special guest tonight, Wolf Bracken, who’s joining us this evening from Los Angeles. Wolf, thank you for joining us this evening. How are things in LA?”