The Survivalist - 02 Read Online Free

if you save a single life, you’re helping. Don’t you give up on me, you old fool.”
    Tears welled in his eyes.
    “No, ma’am,” he said, swallowing. “Never.”
    She turned to General Carr.
    “I need for you to help put a stop to the hijacking of relief supplies. Do whatever’s necessary. Let’s get the supply convoys to people who need them the most.”
    The general nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll make it a priority.”
    Next, she turned to Bill Baker, the Secretary of Energy. Bill was a big, jolly man whose proudest achievements had come while serving in the Peace Corps in Africa. With a few beers in him, he would often recount his time dodging armed rebels whom he claimed were only slightly less common than the blood-sucking tsetse flies. He had not been entirely successful in avoiding conflict, however, as one such encounter left him with a bayonet wound to his throat. While the wound had eventually healed, his vocal cords had been permanently damaged.
    “Where are we with the nation’s power grid?” she asked.
    Bill answered in a slow, guttural voice that caused several people in the room to clear their throats.
    “Experts are drawing up plans to get some systems back online. As you know, the electrical network is divided into several major and minor interconnections, or grids. The country is roughly divided in half along the Rocky Mountains by the two major interconnections. The minor interconnections cover parts of Texas and Alaska.”
    “And how many of those are back up?”
    He looked surprised by the question.
    “None.”
    “Okay, let me ask this differently. Which one will come online first, and when?”
    “The Alaskan Interconnection is the only one likely to come online anytime soon. That system is isolated from the major Eastern and Western grids and is therefore easier to bring back up. Also, the people of Alaska were not hit as hard by the virus because they are geographically spread out. In fact, some rural Alaskan communities were not hit by the virus at all.”
    “Yes, yes, I know that. What I want to know is why we’re not bringing up the major power grids now.”
    “Ma’am, the nation’s power grid is made up of independently owned power stations, transmission lines, and distribution substations. There are literally hundreds of companies that own and maintain these facilities. We simply have no authority to bring them back up.”
    “Even so, can’t we help what’s left of these companies to get the lights back on?”
    “Of course, and we’re trying to do just that. Unfortunately, there are too few skilled technicians and engineers left alive. For every one we find, two more leave their posts to care for their families.”
    “So how long, Bill? Give me a number. A week?” She cringed when he didn’t answer. “A month?”
    “With the help of military personnel,” he said, looking at General Carr, “we might be able to have one of the major interconnections up and running by this time next year.”
    President Glass nearly fell out of her chair.
    “Excuse me? If you just said that we won’t have power for a year, we all might as well say our prayers right now because they’ll hang us from the Statue of Liberty well before then.”
    “Ma’am, there are more than five hundred power stations, including over one hundred nuclear power plants. Add to that the nearly two hundred thousand miles of transmission lines and countless thousands of distribution stations. To get an entire region online would be a huge undertaking, requiring many thousands of trained personnel. I’m sorry, but those people no longer exist. The truth is that a year is very optimistic.”
    She took a deep breath, struggling to compose herself.
    “Do what you can, Bill.”
    He nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
    She turned back to General Carr.
    “General, it seems that relief is many months away. How bad are things likely to get between now and then?”
    Everyone turned their attention to him, as his answer