“I kinda figured that. I was sitting in a diner eating stale meatloaf when the one I saw went off. Took out my new car,” Hammond said with a slight smile. “I took a dive under the table and everybody in the place looked at me like I was some kind of idiot.” Both men laughed at the mental image. “We heard the rumble after the lights went out. That got their attention, but nobody knew what it was or what to do. When we got outside, none of the cars worked. So I walked home.”
Butler grinned. “Well, we are at all stop. Nothing works and we have no idea who did it. We have the hotline and a few hardwired phone lines, but that’s about it. There’s no contact with any overseas units, most countries, or even the police department. We don’t even have the capability to communicate next door. Till we get some communications and transportation back, we will be in a bad way.”
Hammond nodded. “Then we better get started,” he said standing up and digging his keys out of his pocket.
Butler gave him a disbelieving look. “You know something we don’t?”
Hammond looked back at his friend. “Been thinking about it since yesterday morning. We have the short term answers right under our noses,” he said standing. “Come on and I’ll show you,” he said.
Hammond led Butler out of the house and into his car. He inserted the key and it started immediately. Butler still didn’t get it as Hammond grinned at him. “The key to this is using what we have that’s older,” Hammond said. “Things built a while back didn’t use integrated circuits. So we are going to take a short trip to USS Barry,” he said as he began backing down the drive. Only after they had driven halfway down his street did Butler suddenly sit up and smile.
The drive up I-395 was totally different from the usual. No cars were on the road except those which ceased to function two nights before. The Oldsmobile easily swerved around each obstacle and sped down the highway. The big Rocket 455 purred under the hood and on occasion Roger pressed down the accelerator to feel the big engine give what she had. It was something he rarely had the opportunity to do and the big V-8 did not disappoint him. All the while the two men hammered out a plan for getting America back in the world of the living.
Hammond eased the Olds down Capitol Boulevard toward the Navy Yard and around to the main gate. Two sentries were there in full combat gear and rifles. They were surprised to see the yellow car pull up to them and stop. Of the two men inside, one wore the uniform of a Captain and was saluted promptly after asking to see their IDs. The other was a retired Commander and was also saluted.
“Sailor, I am the Naval Attaché to the President,” he said holding up his White House badge. “Under his authority I need you to get someone to open up the Barry and get me a passel of ETs over there with all their gear that works. Can you do that?”
The sailor beside the car looked a little flustered. “Sir, we are under orders not to leave this post. With the phones and radios out, I don’t know how I could do that.”
Butler nodded. “Ok, how are you going to alert people if there is a problem?”
“Blow this whistle sir. If I do that the Marines will send a squad.”
Butler smiled. “Then blow away son.”
The young man nodded and put the whistle to his lips. Within three minutes there was a group of heavily armed Marines running down the street. Weapons were drawn and ready. For a short time Hammond thought they would be shot. But the sentry waved them over and after a few words the Marines seemed to relax although their rifles never turned away. A few minutes after that the Command Duty Officer, LCDR Macke came into view. “Ok, what’s going on,” he asked.
“My fault Commander,” said Butler showing his ID again. The White House badge had its desired effect. The officer straightened and became more formal. “I need something and need it in a hurry. This seemed the quickest way to get things going,” Butler said.
“What can we get you, Captain?”
“It’s going to seem a little strange, but I need every ET you have with all the working gear to get over to the Barry. I also need the Barry opened up and access to all the spaces. I will probably also need some electricians to make sure we have power and a couple of runners to get things we may not have. And Commander, I need these things right now.”
Macke looked around him and thought for a second. This man had the authority, but he needed to let people know what was going on. There was also the problem of getting the people together. It only took a moment. “Ok people, listen up.” He started pointing at the men standing there. “You, rouse the duty electrician and tell him to get over to the Barry with his gear. If he needs help, wake anyone he needs. You, get over to the communications shop and tell them to rouse all the ETs we have and get over to the Barry with their gear. I especially want Master Chief Garza in on this.” He pointed to another, “You find Lieutenant Collins and get him down there ASAP. Then you take my compliments to the Commandant, tell him that the White House Attaché has asked to do something aboard the Barry. Tell him I have accompanied Captain Butler to the ship with the rest of the Marines and will let him know what happens through runners. Now go,” he said, and the last man took off at a run. He turned to the rest of the squad. “Ok guys, you follow us to the ship.” Then he turned to Butler. “You walkin’ or ridin’ sir?”
“We’ll all ride,” said Hammond popping the trunk. “Climb on guys, it’s quicker this way.” The men climbed into the back seat and the trunk, and then Hammond started the car and pulled out toward the Barry.
USS Barry was a destroyer built in the late 1950s and after many years of service she was decommissioned and brought to the Washington Navy Yard as a museum piece. Only a couple of lights shown on her as the men drove up. Hammond stopped the car and the men piled out. Macke pulled out his keys and opened the gate. “OK, where are we going?” he asked.
“Radio,” Hammond said as he and Butler went past him.
A questioning look came over Macke’s face. “Ok, but I don’t know what you plan on doing there. It’s not operational.”
The men entered the ship through the forward athwartships passageway, turning on lights as they went, and then up one deck to the radio compartment. There was Plexiglas over a portion of the door. Inside the old radio equipment sat in its racks exactly as it had when the ship was in commission. Only a few open areas in the racks showed where the more classified gear had been removed. The door was locked.
“You have a key?” Butler asked.
“Sorry, just access to the ship. When Lieutenant Collins gets here he has all the keys.”
“Then I guess we wait,” Butler said leaning against the bulkhead.
“You mind telling me what you plan on doing in there? Macke asked.
Hammond answered. “You know how we got plastered, right?”
Macke nodded.
“Well, the EMP knocked out all our high tech gizmos.” He pointed into the room. “You see anything high tech in there?”
“In there? It’s probably all vacuum tubes, and …” suddenly his eyes grew wider. “Shit,” he said as the realization hit him. He turned to one of the Marines. “Go wake up the rest of the radio crew including Senior Chief Hayes. I need people who know this gear and people who can send Morse. Then have somebody get some IC-men over here. From here on in, this is our base of operations. Make it fast, Marine.”
“Yes, sir,” the young woman said as she turned and sped down the passageway.
“I don’t know where the IC shop is on this thing,” he said. “But I do know it used dial telephones. I can make something of this.”