WAR (3 page)

              Bloomberg replies, “Excellent idea. Security, send one of your people to that house and bring the owner here so we can question them. We want to know why they have power. While security is going to check out the house, let’s discuss what we’re going to do to get our power back on. Who has an idea?”

              The LSA Minister of Truth, Mr. Kory Booker, stands saying, “Mr. President, I suggest we issue a press release denouncing the USA for putting our citizens at risk. We should condemn them in the strongest possible terms. I suggest we sue them at the World Court.”

              “Yes, yes, issue all the releases you want. However, does anyone think President Rand cares one whit about a press release? How is that going to get our power turned back on?”

              Elizabeth says, “Sir, we have to ask the Russians and our other allies for support. Maybe foreign made generators will work, maybe a foreign made power plant will function. Maybe they can supply us with large solar arrays.”

              The Director of the LSA Department of Internal and External Security (DepLIES) says, we have the world’s largest solar arrays; they are generating electrical power, however when connected to the grid, no electricity flows into our grid. Our instruments confirm they are converting sunlight into electrical power; it’s being blocked from reaching our people.”

              Bloomberg says, “Then where is it? Where is it going?”

              “Sir, we don’t know. We can’t find it. The cells generate power. However, once it hits the grid it just disappears.”

              “What do you mean it just disappears? Electrical energy can’t just disappear.”

              The Director of the DepLIES says, “Mr. President, I suggest an experiment; we have a solar array on the roof, we can connect measuring probes to the cables and measure if the solar cells are generating electrical power. I think you’re going to see they are generating power, we can trace the power to see where it disappears.”

              The group takes the elevator to the roof of the Gray House. They gather around the array of solar cells covering the entire south side of the roof. The Director of the DepLIES clips a monitor to the leads coming from the large array, “Sir, look, they are generating electrical power. We have power in the Gray House; these cells combined with our windmills generate more power than we require. We feed the extra power back into the grid. We can check the connection to the grid on the other side of the roof.” He leads the group to the junction box where the solar array connects to the LSA electrical grid. “Sir, watch this.” The meter spins around and goes to zero.

              Bloomberg holds the electrical test meter in his hands, staring at it, he says, “Where is it going? Who’s stealing or blocking it?”

              “Sir, only the USA has the technology to do this. I strongly suggest we call on our allies for help. If the USA continues to withhold power our entire economy will collapse. Sir, people have already stopped going to work, they are scared. Some have tried to leave LA and other cities, they fear we’re going to be in a major war with the USA soon. They fear we’re going to be attacked.”

              President Bloomberg looks around at his senior staff, he looks around the neighborhood where the Gray House is located, he sees people carrying large plastic bags over their shoulders leaving their homes. He nods to himself thinking,
We can’t solve this by ourselves. We need help, Rand has attacked us. We need to evoke our treaty with our partners. We need their help to show the USA they can’t push us around and do anything they want to us. We have to teach them a lesson they won’t soon forget. It’s time for us to give back to Rand.

              The group returns to the bunker, President Bloomberg picks up a bright red handset with no dial on it. There’s a small card on the front of the telephone base station which says, “MOSCOW,” the phone is answered on the third ring, “Da? President Grameniko’s office, how may we be of assistance?”

“This is President Bloomberg in the LSA, I’d like to speak with President Grameniko on a very urgent issue.”

“Da, President Bloomberg, President Grameniko is currently in a meeting with his senior advisories, he expected your call. He instructed me to inform you he will call you back at 1600 hours your time. Is that going to meet with your approval?”

              “What time is 1600 hours?”

              “President Bloomberg, that will be 4:00 PM your time.”

              “Please inform President Grameniko that will be fine. We will be waiting for his call.”

              President Bloomberg looks around the table saying, “We have two hours to put a list together of what were going to be asking Grameniko for, I’m opening the floor to suggestions, Elizabeth would you please record the list?”

              They go around the room creating a list of what they want from Mother Russia, the list includes such items as, use of their military, electrical generating systems, distribution of food and water, some ask for a supply of vodka and even caviar.

              Bloomberg says, “Enough, we need to get our power turned back on and teach the USA they can’t treat us this way. I want to teach that son-of-a-bitch in the White House that he can’t get away with treating us like this. I want to hurt him and push his nose in crap until he meets with us as equals.”

              Director of DepLIES says, “Sir, they have nuclear weapons; they have…”

              “They have weapons which they’ll never use against us. They are soft. They think one day they will find a way to reunite the country and as such, they won’t do anything to create too much damage to us, they won’t harm our people who they still consider to be theirs. We have the advantage of knowing they will hold their punches while we don’t have to hold ours.”

              Elizabeth says, “Mr. President, I agree with your thought. However, there is one small issue, one that interferes with your plans.”

              “Elizabeth, what is this problem that I can’t solve?”

              “Mr. President, we don’t have an army. Our DepLIES can’t stand up to the US Army. Our stun sticks won’t penetrate the US Army’s personal armor. The DepLIES side arms won’t either. There’s no way we can win a stand up battle with them.”

              “Elizabeth, I agree with you. We don’t have an army and we need one. There’s no way we can go head to head with the USA. The solution is very easy. Our allies, Russia, Venezuela and Cuba all have well trained armies. I’m going to call on each of them to send us troops. We’re going to use their troops to invade the USA and make them pay. If they think they can harm our economy so we come begging
to
them for unification, they’re wrong, dead wrong. We’ll show them we can equally hurt them. Director DepLIES, I want you to assume the position of Minister of War in addition to your other duties; I want your entire force mobilized. Your people have permission to put their stun sticks aside and carry firearms. If the US comes across our border, I’m expecting your people to put up a fight. I want you to develop and launch a series of plans to hurt the USA economy, spread fear into them. Make them think their own government is against them. We may not have an army, but we do have the means to attack them in our own way.”

              The Director of the DepLIES smiles like a Cheshire cat saying, “Yes sir, we can sow fear into the USA. We can shake them to their roots. We can stir up riots and mass civil disobedience in the USA. We will make them fear their own neighbors and their government. We can give them a lot to think about while our allies assemble to invade the USA. ”

              Bloomberg smiles with a gleam in his eyes. “I can’t wait to see what you’re going to do. Don’t tell me. I want to be surprised. If I don’t know in advance, then when Rand calls asking me what we’re doing, I’ll honestly be able to say I don’t know what he’s talking about. Let’s pause until 4:00.”

              The Director of DepLIES stays behind when the other department heads and advisors leave, he turns to President Bloomberg, “Sir, I have a couple of questions. One, how far can we go in sowing fear in the USA? And two, have you thought about the USA’s war plan? I’d bet they will strike us at the border of California and Nevada. I think their objective is you. If they can capture you, they most likely figure the war will be over. They’ll make some small concessions to our people in order to get them to vote on rejoining the union which will be the end of our progressive dream.”

“I agree with you.  I think you’re correct, I’m their prime target. I want you to clear everyone out of their homes around the Gray House and increase the security in a circle five miles from the House. If you can pull this off, I don’t think they will be able to grab me. Their weakness is their compassion. They’ll think the homes surrounding the House are occupied when in reality the only people staying in those homes will be your people. They won’t risk bombing the House, they won’t risk harming the neighbors. I believe as long as I don’t leave the House, I’ll be safe. You need to tighten the security as tight as you can make it. No one should be able to enter or exit the city without being checked three to five times. The US Army may crash through the border, but what are they going to do then? The quicker you disrupt their citizen’s lives and their economy, the more distracted they’ll be. Before our allies arrive, I want you to mine the roads on our side of the border. We can make it very painful for them if they cross the border.”

“Mr. President, if they do manage to get their hands on you, how do you think the people will respond? Will they vote to unite with the USA?”

“Some may vote yes, others, and I’m sure a large number, will vote no, especially after watching that television program about the Smith and Jones families. Our people don’t want to live like the Jones family does. They don’t want to give up all of the benefits we provide them. They’re not going to want to live next to neighbors that have guns. They’re not going to want their sons playing USA football and potentially getting hurt. They don’t want to give up the equality we’ve provided them. We’ve made our people equal; the television program proved our people are equal, and theirs are unequal. We’ve created a country where everyone is safe from gun violence, not even our police or your agents openly carry firearms. We’ve saved the environment; we’ve cut greenhouse gasses to almost zero. While others claimed to have made workers’ paradise, we have. I’m not going to jeopardize everything the people in the LSA have sacrificed the previous twelve years because the USA couldn’t take a little jab.”

“To your question of how far can you go? I want you to go as far as it takes to create pain for the average USA citizen. They made our people’s lives painful so we need to turn the table on them. Make them fear their own government, make them fear to leave their homes. Arm their lower class, teach them how to fight. Convince them to rise against the government. Generate a race and class war, both should be easy to accomplish. If President Rand has an internal race war to contend with, he’ll be distracted from invading us.”

“Yes sir, I understand. I’ll take my leave to start the plans.”

Bloomberg remains in the conference room under the Gray House smiling,
I should be able to win this round against the idiots in the White House. Our allies might not have the same level of technology as the USA, however, the US military isn’t positioned to repel an invasion. All, we have to do, is take Las Vegas. Once we hold it, I’ll be able to force them to deal with me on my terms. I’m sure we can get our hackers to break into the casino’s bank accounts and siphon their money into our treasury; I’ll be able to pay off the loans we took out. Some of the casinos have multi-million dollar art collections, the USA may think we’re planning an invasion when the reality is we’re going to rob the largest bank there is. Once we invade, we’ll be able to hack into their business’ headquarters. We’ll ransom their own trade secrets and customer lists back to them, all the while creating fear in their citizens causing Rand to focus on holding his country together. The Russians will have to send troops if they plan to honor our treaty. They’ll do it just to spit in Rand’s face and so their troops can steal any secrets they get access to. All I have to do is stay at the House for a while where no one will be able to reach me.

While he’s smiling to himself, there’s a knock on the door, he looks up. “Elizabeth what can I do for you?”

“Mr. President, I’m worried that the USA is going to pull a trick we’re not aware of. We were responsible for poisoning their children. The entire world watched how President Brownstone established a new USA response to terrorism. The last time terrorists attacked them, President Brownstone nuked them. I think the World Court should have arrested him for using weapons of mass destruction. They should have found him guilty and put him in jail for the rest of his life. When we poisoned their kids, they responded by turning off our power. Before we resort to the use of violence, I suggest you meet with President Rand and discuss how to settle the disagreement between us. Our people don’t want war. No one in the world wants another war. I vote against using our allies for a military invasion which will most likely spread into a much larger war. I suggest we arrange a summit. Maybe we can get a couple of neutral countries to sit in on the discussions and assist the process towards peace. Sir, we stand for nonviolence. We can’t say we’re against violence and then send our allies to invade the USA, this would be a major conflict with our ideals. Our people will turn against us. Sir, I’m sorry, but I can’t support us invading the USA. I urge you to contact President Rand and arrange a face to face meeting with him. I’m sure the two of you can work out a peaceful solution without resorting to violence. Our people will riot if we use violence.”