Revolution (45 page)

    “Are you saying you can control all national defenses from this one room?” Brenton asked, surprised.

    Burke paused for a moment before replying.

    “From this control center, we can communicate directly with any of our national defense bases. As a precaution, we don’t have direct control of our entire nuclear arsenal from here. However, we do have the ability to instantaneously communicate with all of our nuclear bases and theoretically we could give them orders to launch nuclear missiles. As long as we transmit the proper codes and the President transmits his codes, the bases must submit to the order. Basically, we have the power to start World War III from here.”

    “So, the bottom line is that you can order a nuclear strike from here,” Rayne commented, uneasily, scanning the colossal screen on the opposite wall.

    He studied the variety of landscapes represented in the numerous smaller screens within the larger one. Landscapes from every state in the country occupied the immense screen; verdant forests, wind-swept deserts, tall mountain peaks, glittering lakes, squat mesas, deep canyons.

    “Yes, we can,” Burke agreed. “But we can’t do it alone. The President must also send the proper clearance codes.”

    “Very efficient,” Rayne commented, pretending to like the idea.

    Nicole looked bored while Peter attempted to memorize every detail of the control center.

    “Now, I’ll take you somewhere I think you’ll find more interesting,” Tom said, noticing Nicole’s bored expression. “Follow me.”

    They did an “about face” and returned to the main corridor. Burke led them to the closest transportation platform and they waited for the next car to arrive. Within seconds, another transport arrived. They boarded and a second later they were shooting through a narrow tunnel at a high rate of speed. Peter enjoyed the feeling of wind rushing through his hair. Nicole held his hand and smiled at him. They enjoyed the moment as if they were riding an amusement park attraction.

    “I’m going to take you to the other side of the complex,” Burke explained as they rocketed down the tunnel. “I think you will find it interesting.”

    Burke punched a code into the car’s control panel, which caused them to veer off from the main tunnel onto a side one. The side tunnel allowed them to travel directly to the other side of the complex without stopping.

    “The emergency living quarters for the country’s top leaders are located at the center of the complex,” Burke said as the anti-grav monorail car raced down the grooved track. “There are enough facilities to house more than a thousand people quite comfortably.”

    “That’s amazing,” Nicole said.

    “We also have an extensive barracks section for our technicians and security personnel in case of a prolonged siege.”

    “Where are the barracks located?” Rayne asked, trying not to sound too interested.

    “On the other side of the complex. Near the nuclear plant.”

    “Isn’t there a danger of radiation contamination?”

    “No, the area is shielded.”

     “I’m impressed at the efficiency of the layout of this complex,” Rayne said, trying to ingratiate himself with his tour guide.

    “Yes, it is,” Burke agreed. “Everything in the complex is designed for efficiency.”

    “I can see that.”

    Peter felt somewhat relieved when Tom turned his attention to Nicole.

    “I think you’ll like the next step of the tour.”

    “What are we seeing next?” she asked.

    “I can’t tell you or I’ll ruin the surprise,” Tom said, smiling at her flirtatiously.

    “Well, we couldn’t have that,” Nicole said, laughing like a schoolgirl.

    Peter removed his hand from Nicole’s and pretended he was thinking about something important. He felt it was better to let Burke have a chance to flirt with her a little without his interference. After all, that was probably his primary motivation for conducting the tour in the first place. Burke and Brenton began reminiscing again about some of their experiences working together. Rayne was happy because it took the pressure off him.

    The monorail car traveled for several minutes and eventually stopped at a platform similar to the others. They re-entered the main personnel corridor and took a right into a spacious, metal-walled chamber. Burke led them to a set of black steel doors in the back wall where a pair of guards holding machine guns stood at attention. Burke took out his wallet and flashed his ID to one of the guards. The guard nodded and Burke swiped his wrist across the door scanner. The thick steel doors rushed open and they went inside.

    Rayne thought his senses were deceiving him. His eyes squinted against bright sunlight shining on his face. Nicole also appeared disoriented. They had stepped through the doors into a verdurous green forest similar to the artificial forest at the apex of the Presidential Tower.

    “How can we be outside?” Nicole asked. “I thought we were still underground.”

    “We are,” Tom said, grinning as if he was privy to an amusing inside joke. “Sun lamps provide the lighting for the Underworld Terrarium.”

    Rayne looked up at the sky and saw the sun hovering high in a bright blue sky. Burke saw him looking up.

    “Holographic effects make it look like we’re outside,” he said. The sky and sun are fake, but the forest is real. All these plants really exist. I’ll show you more.”

    They traveled down a wide dirt path through a North American forest replica, gazing in wonder at the verdant trees and foliage. There were even hills and drops to make the terrain more realistic. Smaller dirt paths branched out from the main one, leading to the inner recesses of the outdoor atmosphere.

     At one point they had to walk over a bridge spanning a startlingly realistic winding river complete with a section of rapids.  They traveled another quarter mile until they reached a clearing where the pine and maple trees gradually dissipated into wide-open fields. Peter realized he was looking at a vast cornfield, stretching out for as far as the eye could see. Looking left, he saw another endless field of wheat.

    “We have several different crops planted in the Terrarium,” Burke said. “They’re here to supplement the warehouse supplies. If there was ever an accident in one of the warehouses and some of the food was destroyed, the residents of this community could continue to grow food here. The sunlamps are powered by the nuclear plant, which has enough fuel for a hundred years. So, this garden could be maintained indefinitely.”

    “It’s incredible,” Nicole said as she gazed out across the wheat field. “This place is even cooler than I thought.”

    Rayne couldn’t tell where the actual “wheat field” ended and the holographic technology took over. The field looked like it disappeared far into the blue horizon. Like everything else the government did, it was impossible to tell reality from fiction.

    They walked another hundred yards in the heat of the artificial sun lamps. Peter found that he was sweating when they reached an intersecting path traveling left and right. They turned down the left-hand path and walked for another quarter mile until they reached a small rustic farmhouse.

    “You have a farmhouse in here?” Nicole asked, surprised.

    “I guess you could call it that,” Tom said, smiling.

    He led them across a grassy clearing to the front porch of the house. Rayne noticed the porch contained an antique hammock and a pair of wicker chairs. Burke pulled open a flimsy screen door and held it for them. He turned the knob on the inside wooden door and entered.

    Their sense of space was thrown off again as they entered an immense chamber
resembling an oversized hotel lobby. Rayne looked up and saw light streaming in through skylights in the hundred-foot-high ceiling. It was simulated sunlight, of course.

    Rayne looked ahead and saw a wide center aisle traveling several hundred feet until it reached an elaborate twin staircase spiraling up to the left and right until it reached a fourth level balcony. To the left of the aisle, the floor descended a few steps to a sunken area containing an Olympic-size swimming pool. A patio area with comfortable beach chairs and picnic tables surrounded the pool. A large skylight was built directly above the pool, shining artificial sunlight down on the patio area.

    Rayne looked to the right and saw an area that resembled an expensive hotel lobby. Luxurious furniture was scattered throughout the space. In some sections, long plush couches had been placed next to ornate coffee tables and reading lamps. In other sections, couches and recliners had been placed in front of large screen television sets. Scanning the area, Rayne counted at least twenty televisions.

    “This just keeps getting better!” Nicole exclaimed, looking excitedly around the chamber like a child on her first visit to Disney World. 

    “This is one of the living quarters’ recreation areas,” Tom said, leading them down the center aisle.

    At this point in the tour, Peter was beyond surprise. This huge “recreation area” was typical of the excesses he expected to see in the Underworld.

    “You mean there are more recreation areas?” Nicole asked.

    “Sure,” Burke said, grinning proudly. “If you continue straight down the walkway and go under the staircase, you’ll find the doors leading to the tennis courts and billiard halls.”

    “I guess if you’re gonna get nuked, you might as well keep some of the comforts of home around,” Rayne said, flashing them a sardonic grin.

    Brenton laughed and put her arm around his waist, while Burke forced a smile.

    “This section of the complex is designed for comfort in case of a prolonged stay underground,” Burke said, icily, regarding Rayne with newly aroused suspicion.

    “Oh, I understand completely,” Peter said, trying to sound sincere. “You don’t want the country’s leaders to go stir crazy while they’re running the country from this bunker.”

    “Exactly, Mr. Getty.”

   
Perhaps it would be best if I kept any further comments to myself.

    They followed their guide down the walkway. Rayne was aware that Burke was stealing every opportunity to scrutinize his face as they went. Burke had a quizzical look as if he was trying to remember something important, but was blanking out.

    “Mr. Getty, I can’t help feeling that I know you from somewhere,” Burke finally said as they began ascending the right hand staircase.

    “You look familiar too, Tom,” Rayne lied. “I think I must have seen you at one of the President’s fundraisers.”

    “No, I don’t think that was it…..” Burke said, trailing off his sentence as he narrowed his eyes and continued to stare at Rayne’s face. “There’s something so familiar about you…..as if we just met recently.”

    “I think you may be mistaking me for someone else,” Rayne suggested.

    “Yes, I suppose that’s possible…..” Burke muttered, unconvinced. He continued to study Rayne’s face with narrowed eyes as they ascended the curving staircase.

    Peter decided it was imperative to change the subject.

   
“Tom, how is this place maintained? Do you have maintenance and housekeeping personnel working here with top-secret clearances?”

   
It might be helpful to find out how many other people are in this area with us
.

    “As a matter of fact, we do,” Burke said. “We have a full-time maintenance and housekeeping crew who live in the Underworld permanently.”

    “Permanently?” Brenton asked, astonished. “Does that mean they never go out into the outside world?”

    “Well, technically, they can still experience the outside world. They can visit the Terrarium anytime they want during their work breaks,” Burke said. “They just can’t go above ground.”

    “How do you find people who are willing to stay down here permanently?” Nicole asked, perplexed, as they reached the top of the stairs.

    “Believe it or not, it’s not as hard as you’d think. This country has a surplus of highly motivated undocumented workers from Mexico and other third-world countries. Many of these workers are happy just to have jobs, a place to live, and three square meals a day. Having some extra money to send home to their families is considered a luxury. It also helps that we pay them well for their troubles. As an added security measure, they are monitored by microchips surgically implanted in their skulls. Our security people can keep track of them wherever they go. If they get out of line or try to escape, we can activate an explosive self-destruct mechanism in the chips.”

    “It sounds like a perfect system. You get people to do the job, and yet still maintain complete security,” Rayne commented.

    “That’s true,” Burke agreed. “By hiring people as permanent below-ground workers in the complex, complete security is maintained.”

    I’m starting to understand why my organization knows so little about the Underworld. People come down here to work and never go back up. Only high-level personnel can come and go as they please.

    “I’m going to show you my apartment as an example of the living quarters in this area,” Burke said, leading them across the wide balcony to an elevator door.