MuTerra

The last time he and his father talked, it had been brief. Keith did not entirely forgive his father for his brother’s fate, and his attitude did not improve after having to deal with his wife. She was inconsolable for the first couple of weeks. She managed to deal with the catastrophe itself, the loss of her family, and the understanding that her father-in-law knew it was going to happen but did nothing to help them. She eventually made progress, and had accepted the consequences of the first two. He did not think she would ever forgive his father. But then again, he did not know if he would either. The two of them just viewed matters from different perspectives. He could not completely fault his father’s actions, but there were still some things that could have been handled better, at least in his mind.

Terri benefited from her work in the lab. She was assigned as an assistant to Dr. Maddow. Keith still did not know what to make of him; he just couldn’t quite figure him out. Terri said she would become a doctor herself in a matter of time through the work she was doing; Maddow had promised that. She said she was also learning things she never even heard of before. Nothing in comparison to what college or her work at the hospital had offered. She worked and studied beyond her assigned eight-hour days. He did not mind that this encroached on their time together. Anything to help her recover from the trauma was worth it.

Keith received a call to report to his father’s office. When he arrived, he noticed some changes. His junior aide, who had initially brought them to the mountain, was not wearing a uniform, but rather a pair of blue overalls with only a name patch affixed to them. No title or rank was indicated. He was offered a seat and waited until his father was ready to see him. He started to ask about the uniform change when his father’s voice came over the intercom letting his assistant know he was ready to receive his guest.

“How’s Terri doing,” he asked as he stood to greet his son when he walked through the door.

“She’s doing okay now. Work has been good for her, but I think it will be some time until she is anywhere near her old self again.”

“Good. Martin said she’s been an eager and apt student.”

Keith simply nodded having nothing to add, and waited for his father to get to the reason for his being summoned. He also noticed that his father was no longer wearing his uniform, but rather a business suit. The rest of the room looked the same. He still had the pictures of his superiors on the wall, all the way to the President himself. Keith wondered if this was out of respect, or if his father believed these men had also survived in facilities such as the one they were in, and he would find himself once again under their authority.

Breaking through his line of thinking, his father began, “Keith, there is obviously a lot more going on here than you’ve been made aware of. This complex has been under development continuously since the early 1960’s. Although this wasn’t what was envisioned at the time, it is serving its ultimate purpose now; and it will have to for some time. We have a sustainable environment for the number of people we have here. There are measures we will have to take to keep that viable. Some of which will be welcomed, others that won’t.”

“For example,” Keith interrupted.

“For example,” his father repeated calmly, “We have many vaccines and medical advances at our disposal to ensure no disease will affect the quality of life here. They existed on the outside, but were not in sufficient production to publicize. On the other hand, our population must be controlled for our resources to meet the demands.” He let that sink in for a moment before continuing. “Our only goal is to return outside. Nothing is going to hinder that. Everyone will come to understand this, and it is our hope to work together toward that end.”

“And if they don’t,” Keith asked.

“Then, they will have to be dealt with. We are talking about civilization Keith; a new world, the continuation of our species. Individual aspirations cannot interfere with that.”

 “So what do you want from me,” he asked somewhat confused. He was still adjusting to the new world he found himself in through no design, or thought of his own. Long-term goals and planning had yet to even enter his mind.

His father looked him in the eyes and held them as he continued, “I need you to handle matters of security; not just controlling who goes where, but enforcing the rules. Rules established now, and rules established once we get outside. People function much better when they know there are boundaries, well-defined boundaries, and that they will be expected to abide by them. Those guidelines will be made known soon, and as such, the system for administering them has to be in place.”

“Okay,” he said following the simple logic behind the statement.

“You will be in charge of two hundred and fifty men. You can choose which of those will act in positions of authority. You can assign training, and duties, as you see fit. I will give you the few requirements I’ll need for full time postings. Your men will be equipped with riot batons instead of any kind of lethal weapons. All firearms will be confiscated and secured until we make a foothold on the surface. In time, you’ll need to retrain in military tactics and weapons for our eventual exodus. You report directly to me, and your men answer only to you.”

“So we just train and let people in and out of doors until we’re ready to get out of here?”

“No. There is a lot of work going on at the lower levels of the complex. You will need to patrol those areas as well. This place is a lot larger than you think, so your two hundred and fifty men won’t seem like all that many. In addition, you will need to influence their thinking when it involves enforcing rules they do not like or agree with themselves. You will have to stand apart from everyone else.”

Keith was digesting what was being said, as well as what was not being said. “You said no weapons, what about uniforms? I see there have been some changes already.”

His father smiled, “Yes. Your security forces will be the only ones in uniform. It will be dessert brown fatigues; not because they match the working environment, but because that is what we have on hand. They will only have a name patch, no rank, the same as everyone else.”

“What about you and the suit,” Keith said nodding toward his father’s attire.

“This is one of the changes that are necessary. Things are different now. People are going to have to think differently. I am no longer a general officer. I am a director. It might not seem different because I am doing the same things, but we all need to think along the same line. There is no longer the division of Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, and civilian personnel. There are those who are supervisors, and those who are assisting them.”

“And you think that will work,” Keith asked with some skepticism.

“In time, yes. Everything has changed, and other changes will be needed.”

“What if I don’t want to be your security chief, or officer, or whatever,” Keith asked.

“Then you will be assigned something else, most likely something not as interesting. Everyone here has to contribute Keith. There are no free rides.”

Something about this whole conversation troubled Keith, but he could not figure out what it was. It was surreal in concept, yet he knew it was practical. His father had obviously planned everything out to the last detail, while he was considering it for the first time. Keith did not like going into a situation only knowing part of the story, but he also knew his father would only tell him what he wanted him to know, and when he wanted him to know it.

“You said I get to control everything?”

“Everything; you only report to me,” his father said.

“When do I start?”

 “Right away, there is a small auditorium capable of handling your work force two levels down. You will run everything from that level. Brian will take you there now and show you where your offices and equipment are located.”

Keith smiled at his father, not in an appreciative way, but in a way of understanding. His father never made a move without knowing the likely outcome beforehand. His father returned his smile. They stood and shook hands as his assistant entered the office, obviously signaled in some way by his father.

“Oh,” Keith said turning back toward his father, “What do I call you now that it is no longer General?”

“Dad will be fine when it‘s just us. Mr. Director or Director Bishop would be more appropriate when others are around.”

Keith nodded his head in understanding.

?

Before going to meet his new recruits, Keith was shown into the offices set aside for his new department. There was an outer reception area, with several glass walled offices lining the back wall. His office was at the south end where it could overlook the entire facility. At the opposite end was a door leading to a locker room, break room,