Project Reunion (38 page)

Emmett woke me when he got into bed, well after midnight, by softly smoothing the hair away from my face. “Wanted to check in with you, darlin’. You alright? Should I have just let you sleep?”

I shook my head no. “Cried for Zack,” I admitted. “I love you, Emmett. I miss him. He wouldn’t have gone off to New York and left me,” I grumbled, and softly punched Emmett. “Hard to remember his face anymore.”

“Uh-huh,” he murmured, and held me close. We both cried, but only a little. “Let’s not call this our anniversary again,” he suggested.

“Deal.”

-o-

The next morning, General Sean Cullen and I were back in the conference room, for the Rescos’ recommendations. To my surprise, Tony Nasser took the lead and presented, as the one with the most objective distance from the Apple problem. He might shift out of Buffalo this year. But he’d stay in western New York. One of these leading Rescos needed to keep his eye on the vast area upstate.

“The unifying themes,” Tony Nasser began, “are three. Transportation – reunify New York–New Jersey. Uplift – our communities to level 5 and above, including the Apple Zone. Borders – a path to dismantle all internal borders.”

“Good,” said General Cullen, nodding. For this morning, brainstorming mode was over. They were back to officer manners.

Water and transport was the first layer map Nasser showed on the big screen. Almost as succinctly as he’d given plans for Buffalo yesterday, he laid out the goals for restoring water, sanitation, power generation, and rail lines. Rail to be restored first up the Hudson River line to upstate for food supply. Next to hook back up to Connecticut and New England. Rail restoration in Long Island and New Jersey would start in parallel from their far ends, and work inward toward the Apple Core. Local transport within the Apple Core to be dominated by ferry service, aided by trucks for food, until long distance rail was restored.

Tony added another layer to the map, for demolition. “This issue was a bit thorny. Eighteen communities need to move. Their new locations need to be cleared first, existing populations absorbed. The remaining population is less than a tenth of what it once was. These blue areas are in flood plains. We choose to leave a ten percent housing margin for growth, and no more. Pick the best distribution and commercial properties, again no more than ten percent. All other buildings come down.”

“What was thorny?” Cullen prompted.

Emmett replied. “I thought everyone should be housed below the 6th floor for zero-elevator access…a lot of complications. Ash pointed out that relying on elevators is only a problem if you don’t have sufficient backup generators and fuel. I didn’t know what priority to give demolition. What to do with all that rubble, and whether to bother.”

Ash weighed in. “Sir, I want the communities to decide most of that. We lay down the law. You guys can stay, but you guys have to move. You can keep the best fifteen percent of these structures, but demolish everything else. Within that, let them own the detail decisions. But get some sunlight in there, start the land healing. This is an entirely new city we’re building.”

Cullen nodded neutrally. “Continue, Colonel Nasser.”

The maps came down, and a bulleted list of goals took its place. “Feed everyone. As soon as practicable, all people in the Apple Core get 1800 calories a day or better. Major Cameron’s model is working, to rebuild the workforce. Apply that here. Full sanitation too, as the waterworks reach each community. Full employment, hired by New York–New Jersey to clean up this mess and rebuild. Gradual shift to industry. Initial industries to be spare parts distribution, and battery manufacture. Encourage private ventures to evolve.”

“Spare parts?” Cullen asked.

“Yes, sir,” Nasser replied. “The city used to have ten times as many people. They had stuff. They have warehouses full of stuff. Before demolition, each building to be inventoried and worthwhile stuff removed. There’s little point in setting up industry to manufacture things we have in such colossal supply. It’s a distribution problem. Colonel MacLaren suggested Ms. Baker and Amenac could advise on how to get that business up and running.”

I nodded a noncommittal so-so. “I agree that it’s a distribution problem, more than a software problem. We can talk.” Cullen waved for Nasser to continue.

“Food security,” Tony said. “Food self-sufficiency is not a realistic goal for a city. Our aim isn’t to satisfy local food needs, but to reduce reliance on transportation for fresh food, and ensure interrupted supply isn’t a disaster again. So, food production at about an 800 calorie per day level. Year round fresh greens. Full nutrition for children’s developmental needs.”

Cullen pursed his lips. “As a whole, New York–New Jersey would remain above food self-sufficiency?”

“Absolutely, sir,” Nasser confirmed. “Net food exporting overall. Even the Apple Zone should be food self-sufficient within a couple years, when you include Long Island and North Jersey. The time frame is constrained by livestock biology. Increasing flocks and herds takes time.”

“Alright,” said Cullen, and waved for him to move on.

Next up was staffing. “We believe the project needs three Rescos. That brings each Resco down below four hundred thousand people. Eventual lead Resco is either Emmett or Ash. The problem here is that rehabilitation begins in parallel to the end of Project Reunion. Which means Emmett is trying to ramp down Project Reunion and do the hardest part – ramping up – on Project Rebuild, before other Rescos are available. We recommend that Ash join Emmett, effective immediately, to get this started.”

Cullen scowled. “I will not commit half of my top Rescos to New York City. This is temporary. Six months, tops. Then one of you has to go. Four lead Rescos, and four regions – New Jersey, Metro, Long Island, Upstate. Distribute yourselves accordingly, gentlemen.”

“Understood, sir,” Emmett and Ash chorused.

Tony added, “We have more work to do before we finalize Resco assignments for the year, sir.”

Cullen nodded. His tone softened. “Emmett, this is assuming you’re willing to stay with us? I know General Link would very much like to have you back, to tackle Boston-Prov. General Schwabacher has made noises about Ohio, too. He’s very fond of you. We owe you, Emmett. Big-time. Whether you stay or go. We’d very much like you to stay.”

“I’m not done here yet, sir,” Emmett agreed softly. “If you’ll have me. Tony?”

Tony Nasser flipped the display to a map of a new city, born from the rubble and agony of the old one, side by side with a pencil and watercolor concept drawing. The map showed 50 mini-cities, integrated residential industrial agricultural zones, islands in a sea of green, spanning islands in a sea of blue. The concept drawing showed a high-rise apartment block in the background, with food growing vertically up its face, lower buildings beside it. The foreground was green space, trees and community gardens, chickens and goats. I recognized Will’s art style – my graphics designer from Amenac – and his neat lettering in the legend.
Calm Park.

“Calm Park?” asked Cullen.

“Burial grounds, sir,” said Emmett, with a catch in his voice. “Each community will have a Calm Park. The artist who drew this for me, Will… Well, never mind.” Cullen motioned for him to continue. “Will suggested a pilgrimage, of sorts. To walk all fifty Calm Parks of New York City. A walk for atonement. Each one could have a plaque, telling the community’s story, or listing the dead. And maybe a dedication to a state as well. Kansas Calm Park, and so on.”

After a few moments of silence, Cullen said huskily, “Gentlemen, lady, someday I would very much like to make that pilgrimage with you.”

Six quiet voices agreed, including mine. Emmett’s voice beside me said, “Amen.”

“And you believe this is do-able?” Cullen asked Emmett and Ash.

Ash volunteered, “We have outstanding public works in New York. These people are tough and skilled. They led the nation in climate change preparedness. A lot of them are still there – they chose to stay. It’s a hell of a lot of work. But they can do it.”

Emmett added, “The vision will sell. Lot of greenbelt. But the mini-cities preserve the character of the old city.”

Ash nodded emphatically. “Harlem, the West Village, Central Park, Chinatown, Lower East Side, nightclubs and bagels and knishes – we can keep the city’s soul. New Yorkers can get behind that.”

Cullen nodded. “Looks like a plan. Well done, gentlemen. Thank you for your hard work. Ms. Baker? As Colonel MacLaren’s partner on Project Reunion, do you approve?”

I was taken aback by the question, though not as badly as the officers were. Emmett pursed his lips.

“I trust Emmett, and Cam,” I replied hesitantly. “In terms of Project Reunion, the city is only one part. This part looks good.”

General Cullen sighed. “Agreed. Gentlemen, I need to leave. We did resolve the key sticking point, plans for the city. But I hope you’ll address the rest of the Apple Zone together this afternoon. Seek a coherent vision. A path to dissolving the borders. Since you’re here.”

General Cullen left them to it, and so did I.

Chapter 30

Interesting fact: Based on Amenac and Project Reunion polls, public approval of the U.S. Congress was below 5% in March, to greet the announcement of the next phase of the Calm Act. This counted ‘they’re better than nothing’ as approval. The number of people who said they ‘strongly approved’ of Congress was statistically insignificant.

I settled in to watch the death of the Calm Act with the PR team, at Dave’s Amenac loft in Totoket. Not the whole team – the reporters were out filming responses, and Emmett was on duty in New York. But Carlos and Dave, Mel and Popeye and Will, Shelley and Trey were here. Mangal and Shanti sat next to me on the floor. We made a big potluck dinner affair out of it.

We’d been chatting up this special report for weeks, encouraging people to watch live. We provided vote buttons and online discussion threads to make it a participatory event. Most of us had computers open on our laps, in addition to the broadcast up on the big screen. We had to keep on top of any technical glitches, of course. Also, the first votes on any live poll would be ours.

The Speaker of the House would address the nation at 7 p.m. Our program began at 6 p.m.
After the Calm Act, What Next?
declared the big screen, with a countdown timer. Will did us proud on the graphics, which featured a slow procession of the iconic images of Project Reunion. With one minute left, the slide show stopped on Ty Jefferson in a wheelchair, under the white flag of surrender on Staten Island. Overflowing bowls of buttered popcorn took strategic positions as we settled in to watch, and the countdown dropped to zero.

“Good evening. This is Amiri Baz, for Project Reunion. This segment of tonight’s special report was pre-recorded on March 13th. On March 15th, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to declare the second phase of the Calm Act over, and announce the third phase.

“Tonight we’ll be speaking with the military governors of the Northeast. By video, we have Army General Ivan Link of New England.” Link nodded from the screen. They each did, in turn. “Navy Admiral Sondi O’Hara of Virginia–Maryland–Delaware. Army General Charles Schwabacher of Ohio–West Virginia. Air Force General Seth Taibbi of Pennsylvania. And joining me in person, on a Navy destroyer in New York harbor, Army General Sean Cullen of New York–New Jersey. And our own Project Reunion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Emmett MacLaren.”

Emmett was not thrilled to be there. The military governors were way above his pay grade. But he’d acceded to Amiri’s request on the grounds that this was a Project Reunion communication. Whatever he was feeling, he hid it well.

“General Cullen,” Amiri selected, “what do we expect from the Speaker’s announcement?”

“We don’t know, in detail,” Cullen replied. “What we do know is that phase two of the Calm Act was set to expire on March 15th, or when the U.S. population fell to 200 million. Whichever came first.”

“Oh, my God,” said my neighbor Trey, Shelley’s boyfriend, possibly the only one of us in the loft who didn’t already know this. The on-screen vote at the moment asked whether you knew the purpose of the Calm Act was to cull the population, Yes or No. Trigger fingers brought the initial results to 20%
Yes
, but that slowly fell toward 5%.

Cut to raised eyebrows on Amiri Baz. “Are we allowed to say that?”

“It’s the truth,” Cullen bit out. “The goal of phase two of the Calm Act was to reduce the U.S. population to sustainable levels. These were my orders.”

Amiri pounced. “You were ordered to murder –”

“No,” Cullen interrupted sharply. “I was ordered to establish and maintain the borders until those conditions were met. Neither I, nor any soldier under my command, was ordered to kill civilians. We were ordered to keep them in place, and let them die,” he clarified bitterly.

“You disobeyed those orders,” Amiri observed gently. “With Project Reunion.” The camera angle widened to take in Emmett and Cullen, who simply nodded.