The Takeover, page 18
“In case you were wondering, Cory, those sounds you’re hearing in the background are gunshots. It’s December 9th, only twelve days from the shortest day of the year, so it’s a grim time to be in D.C. with no roof over your head or food in your belly. Fires are burning out of control in undomed parts of the city to the north and west of the White House, and there is no one left to put them out.
“While D.C. is still technically the nation’s capital, what’s left of it feels more like a war zone than a capital. I wouldn’t be standing where I am right now if it weren’t for the military, which is still defending this narrow corridor between the two domes. The statue of Lincoln now overlooks a mostly defeated city. You could call this spot Lincoln’s Last Stand and it wouldn’t be too far off the mark.”
“Stephanie, I hope you and your crew have plans to get out of there; it doesn’t look safe to stay put much longer.”
“Indeed it’s not, Cory. We have a helicopter standing by to evacuate us to Alexandria as soon as we wrap up.”
“Incredible. Like Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War, but right here in our nation’s capital. Thanks, Stephanie, and please stay safe. Next we take you inside the Capitol Dome with Kristin Hines. Kristin?”
“Thanks Cory. Earlier today we received special permission for a skeleton crew to remain inside the dome to bring you these never-before-seen images. I’m standing outside the dome now so that I can broadcast, but this first video was taken about an hour ago from inside. Dusk was descending as we stood on the White House lawn shortly after the dome had jumped. It was eerily quiet, and a sense of abandonment pervaded the place. No lights were on in the windows, the fountain was off, and the building was dark instead of floodlit. We all know how Washington should look at night, but instead our nation’s capital feels like a vacant movie set.
“We actually managed to capture the moment—right here—when the dome jumped earlier this afternoon. At that point we had our cameras pointed towards the Capitol Building, and as you can see, the dome wall simply vanishes from in front of us. For one wild moment we thought the dome had gone away entirely—but it had only jumped to a further distance. Curiously, that meant that the Capitol Building, which before had been inaccessible, suddenly became accessible again, so we were able to walk over and stand on the Capitol Steps one last time. Which raises an interesting point, Cory: until the domes stop jumping, this kind of walk down memory lane remains possible in places all over the country. Just something to keep in mind for any future inside editions.”
“Great idea, Kristin, thanks. Now let’s turn our attention to Philadelphia, the new seat of power in this country, where Salvador Massey is standing by. Salvador?”
“Cory, I’m standing in the bustling heart of Philadelphia, known as Center City, with its mix of skyscrapers and historic sites, including the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Over this past week, numerous buildings in Center City have been claimed by the federal government by virtue of eminent domain. This preemptive action took nearly all Philadelphians by surprise. The government promises compensation, but in these strange times, the word of the federal government doesn’t count for as much as it once did, so you can only imagine the amount of discord now present in the City of Brotherly Love.
“The Mayor of Philadelphia, Myron Delgado, has vehemently protested what he calls ‘this invading army’—and he’s not referring to aliens in this case but to our own federal government. For its part, the government counters that it has to set up shop somewhere, and Philadelphia is by far the best option. They say they don’t have time to build a new capital in the midst of this crisis— which may be true, Cory, but the fact that the President brought along the military to enforce his will has done little to win him local support. Philadelphians point to the irony of not being displaced by a dome, only to be displaced by the federal government instead. Cory, back to you.”
“Salvador, if I may, I’m also familiar with the challenges being faced in Philadelphia, since our own Comcast Technology Center is located here. Some of our viewers may not be aware that this is the tallest skyscraper in the United States outside of Manhattan or Chicago. Just last week, Comcast executives were approached by, let’s just call them military advisors, and were told to vacate the top ten floors immediately. The former occupants, including a Four Seasons Hotel and a high-end restaurant, were summarily booted out.
“The topmost floor—the penthouse suite, you might call it—is now the home of the Philadelphia Oval Office. That whole floor has been extensively renovated, and in record time. One part of it now resembles the Oval Office in Washington D.C.—at least as long as the drapes are shut. Other parts of that same floor are now devoted to the Cabinet Room, Situation Room, Chief of Staff’s office, and so on. The next floor down provides additional space for the executive branch, along with the residential portion of the White House. The eight floors below that all serve as space for Congress, providing working quarters for the House and Senate. An entire suite of elevators has been set aside to service these top ten floors exclusively, much to the frustration of others in the building.”
“That’s exactly right, Cory, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Many of Philadelphia’s other skyscrapers have been claimed, in whole or in part, by the Department of Defense, the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, the Supreme Court, and a seemingly endless number of government departments like Agriculture, Commerce, and Homeland Security, to name just a few. That’s a whole lot of federal workers descending on one city at one time—some would say like locusts. Cory, back to you.”
“Thanks Salvador. Let’s wrap things up in New York City. For more on developments there, we turn to Jim McDonald.”
“Thanks Cory. Yesterday two domes—the Central Park Dome and the Rockefeller Dome—momentarily merged into one huge dome covering most of Midtown and Upper Manhattan. An instant later, the Rockefeller Dome blinked out of existence and the Central Park Dome survived. That means Midtown Manhattan has made a surprise comeback, however short-lived. Why the Central Park Dome survived and the Rockefeller Dome did not is a mystery—but then again, Central Park is called Central Park for a reason: it’s about as central as you can get in Manhattan.
“In any case, Manhattan is only two-and-a-quarter miles wide at its widest point, so the Central Park Dome’s jump to three miles in diameter means all of Central Park and everything on both sides of it—including the Upper East Side and Upper West Side—has been swallowed up. You can’t drive around it or get past it via any form of public transport, because the dome extends right out into the water on both sides. Meanwhile, all of Downtown Manhattan has been swallowed up by the Wall Street Dome, along with Brooklyn Heights and parts of Jersey City.
“One World Trade Center, at 1,776 feet, is one of only sixteen skyscrapers still sticking up above the 1,000-foot-tall dome, but there’s no practical way to access it anymore, unless one happens to fly in by helicopter. Which begs the question: even if you could reach the upper floors, what good would it do you? It’s not like you can pop down for a bite to eat at your favorite restaurant. You’d be stuck on the top floors of an ‘island skyscraper’ with no electricity or running water.
“So to summarize, Cory, as things stand now, everything north of Central Park is undomed, along with a strip of Midtown Manhattan stretching for some three miles from 55th Street to Spring Street. Spring Street marks the Wall Street Dome’s northernmost limit at present.”
“And what are conditions like on the ground at this point, Jim?”
“Pretty awful, Cory. The huge influx of people pushed out of their homes and into surrounding neighborhoods has created a host of new problems—and a terrible spike in violence. The ‘nouveau needy,’ as they’re being called, have no shelter, no food, and no potable water. Even bathrooms have become difficult to come by for the hordes of displaced suddenly turned loose into the streets like abandoned animals.
“That has created a nightmare scenario for the police, who are trying to keep a handle on the situation. Some displaced individuals are forcing their way into people’s homes and ejecting them at gunpoint, stealing whatever food, money, and possessions they have. Others who are unwilling to resort to violence are literally starving on the streets of New York. Meanwhile, mobs have gotten so out of hand in certain neighborhoods that the police refuse to go there anymore without military backup. Armed skirmishes have broken out across all five boroughs. As soon as one riot is quelled, another pops up somewhere else. It’s like trying to play whack-a-mole with an entire city.”
“Jim, are those alarm bells going off behind you?”
“Those are building alarms, Cory, and they’ve been going off for hours now. I’m reporting to you from the Bronx, which is the only borough without a dome to its name—but that doesn’t mean it’s safe. If we pan around a little, you can see broken glass littering the sidewalks. Shop windows have been smashed and numerous shops looted. Over here we have an actual pool of blood, and in the alleyway to my right, an actual dead body thrown into a dumpster that we suspect goes along with that blood. All we can see is a shoe sticking out, but that’s enough. No one from homicide has shown up to investigate, even though we called it in an hour ago. Our crew is fortunate to have an armed security detail protecting us as we make this report, but your average New Yorker isn’t afforded the same level of protection.”
“I understand you have some video clips you’d like to share with us, Jim. ”
“That’s right, Cory. This first one shows a liquor store being looted by what appears to be an organized crime syndicate. Crews head in and out, loading product onto trucks, before the building is torched. Smoke can be seen billowing out of its smashed-in doors and windows. This kind of theft and wanton destruction has become all too commonplace across all five boroughs.
“In this video of a Macy’s being looted, mobs push through barricades set up by the police and storm through, braving tear gas and rubber bullets in their frenzy to get whatever goods they can to barter for food or lodging.
“Each night the city spirals into worsening levels of violence. As the police try to maintain order, they’re pelted with bricks, bottles, rocks, or worse, so they respond by launching pepper balls, tear gas canisters, and flash-bang grenades to disperse the crowds. In this video, mobs can be seen rocking a SWAT van and setting it ablaze with the officers still inside. Fortunately the four officers escape with their lives, as you can see in this highlighted clip, tumbling out of the van and forming what amounts to a phalanx with guns pointed in all directions as they back out of the area.
“Moments later, another police vehicle arrives, lights flashing, as the officers try to intervene. Watch as the mob surges forward with clubs and crowbars and batters the police vehicle with such force that it begins to back up. Officers can be seen shooting through the half-open windows, trying to force the crowd back. The police themselves barely manage to escape becoming the mob’s next target.
“You’ve heard of mean streets, Cory: well, these are some of the meanest streets I’ve ever seen. It feels like we’re descending through the various levels of Dante’s inferno to see just how far down we can go. Whatever the supposed aliens may do to us in the future, it could hardly be much worse than what we’re doing to ourselves right now.”
“Jim, there are no words. Can you leave our viewers with any good news at all?”
“Only that remarkable acts of kindness have occurred amidst all the cruelty and destruction, Cory. Families with children have been rescued by strangers and granted shelter. The elderly and starving have been ushered into homes and given food. Women confronted by gangs have been shepherded out of harm’s way by other women, often at great risk to themselves. And children separated from their parents have been reunited thanks to the gallant efforts of good samaritans. These heartwarming stories stand in stark contrast to the tragic ones and offer us a glimmer of hope in troubled times.”
“Indeed they do, Jim. Thanks for that report. Our coverage will continue after these messages.”
Chapter 17
December 10 – Goodland, Kansas
Ken Stubbs’ worst fears had come true. Three months after watching the first ovate hatch, he found himself standing outside a single enormous dome looking in at where his farm used to be—or still was, technically speaking, but he couldn’t reach it anymore. His family’s ancestral home was gone, along with his barns, his farm equipment, and his whole way of life.
He and Marie were safe, thank goodness, and so were the animals, but what were they going to do now? They had no income without their land and what it could produce. At present they were living off the good graces of their neighbors, who had offered them the second bedroom in their own home, along with temporary holding pens for the animals. Without their kindness, he didn’t know where they’d be right now. Probably out on the streets, wandering around like so many other lost souls. He was grateful beyond measure to his neighbors, but it also made him squirm to have to rely on their charity when he had always made it a point to rely on himself and himself alone. He had never had to beg a day in his life.
Earlier that morning he’d heard Marie weeping in the bedroom as he’d approached the door and had been about to come in—and he’d turned around and walked right back the other way into the living room. He’d had no idea what to say to her. It felt like the knot in his stomach kept twisting tighter and tighter each day, and he felt closer to despair than he ever had before in his life.
Now he stared moodily at the dome in front of him. Its outer edge stood less than a quarter mile away from his neighbor’s home. At least it was one dome now instead of six, but that was small comfort. Either way the result was the same: he’d been pushed off his own land.
He and Marie had been standing on their neighbor’s front porch yesterday morning when it had happened. The six separate domes had all merged into one, all in a split second too fast for the mind to fathom. For a few seconds afterwards, the single merged dome had stood there in front of them, massively huge—on the order of ten miles in diameter, as best they could guess—and then, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, five of the six ovates had imploded and the dome had shrunk down to three miles in diameter, just like every other dome in the world. The surviving ovate—the one at the very center of his farm—had glowed brighter with each pop. It was like watching a weird sort of magic trick on a grand scale.
Now the dome glimmered in the late afternoon sunlight. At certain hours of the day, near sunrise and sunset, it almost looked pretty, but at other times—near noon, for instance, when the sun beat straight down upon it—it could turn glaringly ugly.
Would it expand again? That was the unspoken question on everyone’s mind. If it did, then their neighbor’s farm would be swallowed up in less than ten days’ time, and then where would they be?
Where would any of them be?
Chapter 18
December 11 – Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
The small town of Truth or Consequences sat about three hours south of Albuquerque. Blessed with an abundance of hot springs and a cool desert climate, it was situated just far enough off the main highway that it hadn’t been overrun with refugees yet.
Josh had read to them from a Wikipedia entry about how the town had gotten its name. Apparently some fellow named Ralph Edwards, who had hosted a popular quiz show called Truth or Consequences, had announced he would air the program on its tenth anniversary from the first town that was willing to rename itself after the show. The tiny town of Hot Springs had obliged, officially changing its name in 1950. Edwards had broadcast his program from there the very next evening, just as he had promised—and he had kept visiting the town for the next fifty years.
They all agreed that was a pretty cool origin story and decided to call Truth or Consequences home for the foreseeable future. That first week, they stayed at a no-frills motel, bartering their extra containers of gasoline, along with gas siphoned off from their van and a boxful of Mrs. Parker’s canned goods, in exchange for a cramped room. While Cynthia recuperated from her gunshot wound, Will went in search of more permanent lodgings.
“And you’re absolutely sure there are no domes anywhere in the area?” Will asked the apartment manager for the second time.
“I’m sure,” said the manager with a chuckle.
“You’ve been lucky. You should see the rest of the country.”
“I do—every night on TV, and I don’t like what I see.”
“So…about payment.”
“Yeah, about that,” said the manager.
“I’m a little short on cash.”
“That is a problem. Without money up front, it’s a no-go, amigo. And it has to be cash, not credit.”
“Of course it does. Look, can you at least hold the place for one day? I’m going to go see what I can pawn off.”
“No can do, amigo. Sorry, but whoever pays first, stays first. Nothing personal.”
“All right, then, I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Will got into the van and drove to the center of town. He’d passed a pawn shop earlier that morning and had an idea. Some of Mrs. Parker’s rings looked to him like they might be made of real gold and real diamonds. Maybe, just maybe…
He tried to look nonchalant as he entered the pawn shop. He had no idea what the rings were worth and no idea how to bargain effectively with a pawn shop owner. In the end he simply handed over the first ring and asked, “What can you give me for this?”
The pawn shop owner looked it over, examining it under a magnifying gizmo of some kind, then weighed it and announced a number that was much higher than Will had been expecting. “Really?” he said, unable to hide his surprise.
“Really,” said the pawn shop owner. “That’s solid gold you’ve got right there, my friend. You can’t get much more valuable than gold right now. Lucky for you I’m an honest fella—most folks who choose to live in a town called Truth or Consequences are—because you seem just a little wet behind the ears. But I’ll treat you fair if you treat me fair, that’s my motto.”
