Free The Immortal Game (Rook's Song) by Chad Huskins Page B

one of the dials on the holo -screen and the news anchor was unmuted.
    “—not clear if this is a genuine attack,” said Catey Mangsley.  “But again, military officials are advising all citizens in and around the areas of impact to seek shelter now.  Do not try to take to the roads because you’ll only risk exposing yourself to possible harmful—”
    “Yeah, right,” said Dad.  “Harmful my ass.  They’re just afraid all the roads and skyways are gonna be clogged, so no military vehicles can get in or out.”
    “ Shh .  Hush, John,” said Mom.
    “—are now getting this emergency…yes…yes, hang on.  Please give us just a moment while we…”  The news anchor moved her hand around in the air, accessing images and files only she could see on the back of her imtech lenses.  “Okay, we have been instructed to read this warning to all local residents.  May I have your attention: This is an urgent health message from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,” she said.  “A weapon of unknown power and origin has been detonated in or outside of the following cities: Kansas City, Chelyabinsk, Tokyo, and Sydney.  The HHS and Department of Homeland Security urge you to find shelter.  If you can see the clouds at all, or if you were close enough to see the flash from where you were, it is advised that you seek shelter for no less than twenty-four hours.  Radiation is your greatest threat right now.  You cannot see, feel, or taste radiation.  You may not know if you’ve been exposed—”
    “They’ll initiate COGCON now,” his father sighed.
    The young man, still a year off from becoming the saboteur and professional pilot, and years off from becoming the last human being standing in the universe, didn’t understand this concept at the time.  “COGCON?” he asked.
    “COG.  Continuity of Government,” Dad said.  “The most important thing for the government right now is to ascertain that the POTUS is okay, and if he’s not, locate his next living successor.  They’ll being going to COGCON 1 and DEFCON 1.  Those are the highest possible alert modes.  DEFCON evacuates military leadership, whereas COGCON evacuates civilian leadership. COGCON 1 was established long ago, right after a coordinated terrorist attack in September of 2001.  It was a very specific plan to determine where all government officials ought to go and what protocols were to be observed to preserve the continuity of government.  Eisenhower started the first phases decades before that, though; all agencies were earmarked for specific evacuation locations.  Hell, the Federal Reserve even had cash stockpiled outside o’ the country to restart the economy, probably still does—”
    “Hush, John,” Mom put in again.
    They listened in silence then, and with greater intent.  Soon, they were all seated in chairs around the room.  Dad was leaning forward, elbows on knees, lips pressed together and brow furrowed, like he would like to get a piece of the bastards who did this himself.  Mom sat up straight, blinking rarely, with a hand to her mouth and breathing the occasional “God help us” before sniffling.  The young man…well, he was angry, as young men will be, and already fantasizing about getting some payback, as young men will do.
    Over the next few days nothing would happen there on Earth, but elsewhere there would come reports of oddities happening elsewhere.  A space station outpost vanishing here, another few probes crash-landing on a planet there.  A month later Hawking Beta-3 would be completely annihilated, and the irony would be missed by few that the man the planet had been named after had been the very same man that warned against trying to make contact with extraterrestrials, saying that it would be the same as when Columbus came to the Americas: it didn’t work out too well for the natives.
    Thor’s Anvil sends out another great boom—thunder or eruption?—and brings him back to the