Free Project Reunion by Ginger Booth Page A

borders. I’ve been unable to secure any kind of cooperation, or even communication, from fortress Pennsylvania.”
Another Resco volunteered from the audience, “We have the same problem in western New York state.” The New York–Pennsylvania line ran about 225 miles west to the Great Lakes.
Niedermeyer turned to the testy general. “Is there any light you could shed on this for us, General Tolliver?”
“If you have specific requests, I could forward them to the appropriate personnel,” Tolliver replied smugly. A bureaucratic ‘No’ if ever there was one.
The Niedermeyer-friendly Admiral pushed harder from the brass bank. “What we’d like to know, General, is what exactly is going on in Pennsylvania. The scuttlebutt down in Norfolk says that Penn has become the Army’s own private reserve state. Though I don’t recall the Calm Act authorizing the Army to take and fortify a private – reserve – state. And the Army in the Northeast doesn’t appear to be sharing in the fruits of this private Army state – in the Northeast.”
“That is precisely the way the borders were intended to work, Admiral,” General Tolliver replied testily. “Each area within a border is charged with developing its own sustainable local economy, without commerce with other areas. It’s the rest of these states in the Northeast that are violating that directive, not Pennsylvania. And I shall be reporting back to Washington on those violations, rest assured!”
“Uh-huh,” Emmett commented softly beside me.
“As I will certainly inform Norfolk,” the Admiral assured him in return.
Tolliver simply snorted and relaxed back in his seat. Apparently he didn’t consider the seat of the eastern seaboard Navy to be much of a threat. As well he wouldn’t, I supposed, if his base of power was Fortress Pennsylvania. What was going on in there?
“Let’s continue, Colonel Hoffman,” Niedermeyer invited, after a pregnant pause. “Apparently we’re not going to secure cooperation from Pennsylvania today. Either.”
“Right,” agreed Hoffman sourly. Emmett had already conveyed in his presentation that Pennsylvania could save another 750,000 New Yorkers if they were willing. But apparently that wasn’t going to happen.
Hoffman moved on from the problem of how to establish viable quarantine borders-within-borders, to the problem of how to feed the people within those new quarantine zones.
“Essentially it takes land, and people, to provide the food. Emmett calculates – and I agree with him – that we can only commit to donate about 5% excess food. Emmett’s plan puts the refugees to work, to increase agricultural capacity, given time. Instead, donating the food as charity, we can support less than a million excess people. And that’s never-ending. We can’t even feed them well enough to survive, let alone get back on their feet.
“The remaining 7 million people at risk seems small, compared to what they started with. But it’s huge compared to who’s left outside. We only have 15 million, outside Pennsylvania, New York City, and Boston-Providence.”
Niedermeyer asked, “So what population do you think we could support in there by charity?”
“Without food from the strategic reserves, possibly 900,000. Some people in there would find ways to support themselves. How many depends on whether they can establish any public order. Under the circumstances, I doubt they can.”
“Your recommendation is that we not do this,” Niedermeyer suggested.
Hoffman flipped to his final slide. “Correct, sir. I believe Major MacLaren’s plan will save as many lives from New York as it is possible to save.”
“And if we could release food from the strategic reserves?” Niedermeyer prompted.
Hoffman shrugged. “I was unable to find a way to apply it effectively. Too many people. Too sick. Too little order. Too few troops.” He opened a hand, and let it fall. “I tried.”
“Thank you, Colonel,” Niedermeyer, and led a round of