if I can fit more modules in there too?”
“No, we’re going to have a total of three hundred soldiers plus a lot of equipment at those three locations; I don’t want anyone to get claustrophobic. Oh, I almost forgot. I need you to reserve a space in the main facility for a mobile hospital unit being sent from Ft. Lewis. They’ll need a space about one hundred by one eighty in dimensions, and it’ll need plumbing, sewer, and electrical access.”
“Okay, I’ll mark off the space this afternoon after I call the guys at the module plant.”
“Good. That’s it for now Pete, if you think of anything else just go ahead and get it, and let’s double the bottled water supply at all locations. Here’s my direct fax number at the Pentagon after January 2nd I’ll be relocating to the main facility along with my family and a few key people.” Alex finished his call with Pete, and decided to call on an old friend.
“May I speak to Dr. Terry Logan?” Alex asked the operator at Cedar Sinai Hospital.
“May I say who’s calling?” she inquired.
“Yes, this is General Hanken.”
After a few minutes a familiar voice said. “Well, Alex, what brings you to talk to an old lowly drinking buddy like me?” Logan joked.
“How’ve you been Terry?”
“Great, now that you saved the country, all is well again.”
Alex laughed. Then his tone turned more sobering.
“Terry, I’ve got a problem and I need your help.”
“Jeez Alex, you need my help, that’s a new one, what’s going on?”
“Terry, I need to staff a unique hospital with the very best physicians and nurses. I am going to need a general and orthopedic surgeon, an internal medicine person, and an obstetrician/gynecologist.”
“Well heck Alex, you know we have the best in the country, I’m guessing that’s why you called here isn’t it? Just what is it that you’re proposing?” Logan asked.
“Terry, I’m asking you to gather these medical specialists so I can meet with them this coming Friday at the Pentagon. I’ll provide transportation round trip and any expenses incurred. I want only the best, and I want them to be capable of handling stressful situations, either unmarried or married with few or no children.”
“Okay, something big is going on here Alex, what the hell?”
“Terry, trust me, this is a matter of national security. If I could tell you I would.”
“What about me, I’m an old fart like you. Can I come and find out what this is all about?” Logan asked.
“Terry, I expect you to be there to help me convince these people that they should be a part of this program, so your age is not a factor; your looks however may be a problem.”
“Hey, watch it, or I’ll tell Ellen,” Logan immediately realized his gaffe. “Jeez Alex, I’m so sorry, forgive me, I just—.”
“Terry, it’s okay, forget about it, I’ve moved on. In fact, you’ll get to meet Sandi, she’s a wonderful lady.”
“Good. I’ll get word out to the candidates today and tell them we are invited to the Pentagon, all expenses paid, to attend a special meeting with you.”
“I’ll arrange for non-military SUV’s to pick up everyone at the hospital Thursday evening and drive you to Burbank Airport where my staff jet will fly the group to D.C.”
“Alex, it’ll be great to see you again.”
Alex looked forward to seeing his old friend again, but worried how Terry would react to the reality of the situation, and for that matter how the assembled physicians would receive the invitation without Alex being specific about the threat.
The Chief Justice called Alex Friday morning to inform him that the Congressional leaders had been briefed. There was consensus from both political parties that to convene the Congress under this cloud would not benefit the country. Elena and Andrade arrived at Andrews Air Force base early Friday morning and immediately whisked away to Alex and Sandi’s home in Georgetown. Sandi put them in one of the guest bedrooms along with a bassinet for the baby, and a nanny was available when necessary.
Alex entered the conference room for the ten o’clock meeting with the doctors from Cedar Sinai Hospital. Everyone stood as Dr. Logan greeted him.
“Alex, it’s been too long.” Alex hugged Terry like old times.
“Alex, let me introduce everyone, this is Dr. Janice Compton, she is a gynecologist and obstetrician; the gentleman there is Dr. Ethan Marks, our orthopedic surgeon; next to him is Dr. Kellen Fortune, general surgery; and finally Dr. Carrie Hathaway, a pediatrician and internal medicine specialist.”
Alex shook everyone’s hand and thanked them for coming on such short notice.
“Please have a seat. As you know our country has been faced with several crisis’s in the past months, and I’m now facing another, just as sinister and dangerous, if not more so than the previous events. I have asked you here because I plan to assemble a medical unit of specialists to be housed at my command center as this latest crisis unfolds. I’m unable to tell you what the crisis is at this time. You’ll be informed on January 2nd in my address to the UN, and once again that evening when I speak to the nation. This announcement will likely cause worldwide panic; chaos and anarchy will most assuredly break out across the entire globe. We’ll not be immune from that happening here in the U.S. We plan on seven hundred military and civilian personnel to be housed at my headquarters facility and another three hundred personnel in close proximity who will all need occasional medical care. You’ll have the finest lab equipment and instruments at your disposal, all you have to do is ask for something and it will be there. We are bringing in two state of the art field hospital surgical operating rooms. In addition, I’m setting aside five private exam rooms equipped with current technology data bases for your use. Again, no expense is too much; if you need it, we’ll provide it,” Alex stopped for a moment to allow questions.
“General Hanken, I can only assume that we are looking at long-term isolation. How long do you expect this crisis will last?” Dr. Compton asked.
“Good question, my scientific advisors calculate that we should expect to be in a survival mode between one and two years. Then, when it’s safe to emerge, we will do so.”
“What are the living conditions going to be like?” Dr. Marks inquired.
“Well Dr. Marks I’m quite sure they won’t be anywhere near as nice as the Foggy Bottom Double-Tree Inn where you stayed last night. The facility has two bedroom suites for each of the doctors, fully furnished; there are communal showers and toilet facilities with privacy a main concern in the design. Probably the best way to describe the facilities is to say it will be similar to an upscale college dorm with a master kitchen for preparing meals for a large group. Each suite has a small refrigerator for personal choice indulgences, a plasma TV with a DVD/CD player, with three thousand movies and TV series on file in the library, and nine hundred music cd’s, you are welcome to bring your own music as well.”
“It’s obvious to me that we’re going to be hit by an asteroid or asteroids, so the original plot to take over the government wasn’t just a hidden agenda, the threat was real?” Dr. Fortune asked.
“No, that’s not true, and on January 2nd you will find out exactly why.”
“Is the facility you want us to live in safe?” Dr. Hathaway asked nervously.
“Dr. Hathaway, the facility is built inside a mountain, guarded by a twenty foot high, five foot thick blast door that takes fifteen minutes just to open or close. Inside the blast door is another twenty foot door, it has six inch steel, and is a hermetically sealed door with vacuum pumps to flush toxins or microbes from the air before contamination of the interior