Dear Diary, It’s Me, Jessica: Chapter 8 (Book 2)

By the Author of Dear Diary: It’s Me, Jessica

Find the previous chapter here.

Dear Diary,

It’s me, Jessica.

Once it was clear there were not going to be what Jack called “hostilities,” Sean invited the governor into Four Corners and even “bought” the governor and her staff lunch.

It was a sunny but still cool spring day.  They sat in camp chairs on one side of the cooking fire.  Jack and I sat on two log ends.  While our kebabs were cooking on the open fire, Sean, Rae, the governor, and Greg traded stories of what had happened since the power went out.  Jack and I would add details here and there.

The governor explained in greater detail what had happened from her perspective.  

Like most people, the governor and her staff thought the power outage would be for only a few hours or so.  A few of the larger police stations had their own backup generators.  They began to get reports that the power outage was not just in the city but also statewide.  Then, sporadic reports of neighboring states were part of the power outage came in.  The governor held an impromptu press conference on the State Capitol steps with what news outlets were present at the time.  She urged calm, citing that this could be a cascade failure of the power grid like the Northeast power outage of 2003.

“In that case, most of the power was restored in a few to several hours.  Let’s give the power companies a chance to do their work.”

Once the conference concluded, she privately spoke to her Chief of Staff as they walked to her SUV.  She wanted him to quietly activate certain parts of the state’s National Guard.  Unfortunately for the governor, she could issue commands, but with the grid down, nearly all the cell towers were, too.  (Editor’s note:  Despite FCC mandates and guidelines, it is estimated only 30% of cell towers have some kind of backup power in the US.  The FCC also mandates a minimum of 8 hours of back up power.  The telcon companies are not required for more than that.)  

The state’s National Guard Continuity Of Operations Plan called for guard members to report in uniform, with their gear, to their respective units in the event of a prolonged power outage to provide natural disaster and humanitarian assistance or in a security role.  But that was seventy-two hours after the power went out.

The first day was pretty uneventful.  That night, there were reports of people taking advantage of the lack of lighting and cell service to call 911.  Some looting, burglary, and a lot of car alarms going off.  Some guys were racing four-wheelers up and down the streets.  There were a few reports of shootings.  The police did their best to patrol dark streets but were not very successful by no fault of their own.

The next day, people went to some of the larger grocery stores that had their own backup generators.  With the banking system down, the grocery stores posted outside of open doors that they were only taking cash.  A lot of people got mad and set off flash mobs, grabbing whatever they could.  Security did not even bother to try to stop them.  The grocery stores closed their doors.  The police were dispatched to guard the remaining ones that had not been looted, further reducing the number of officers available to patrol the streets.  The second night was worse as some gangs took advantage of the situation to settle scores.  The police and EMS responded the best they could.  By the time they arrived, whatever had occurred was over, and there was only the dead, the dying, or the wounded to attend to.  A number of the victims were innocent bystanders.  

Hospitals had their own generators, which they used to remain open.  The Emergency Departments were overwhelmed.  As the only place around with power, people began showing up in the parking lot thinking the hospital was going to feed them and give them water.  The governor ordered the police to break into some of the grocery stores to get non-perishable food and water to hand out.  Being only given a few cans of soup and bottles of water, the situation got ugly.  Not long afterwards, there was outright looting of grocery stores.  The police stayed out of the way and tried not to get hurt.

The governor’s mansion had a secure headquarters in the basement with its own independent generator, radios, food in the kitchen, a few cases of MREs, and a few cases of bottled water.  Her core staff stayed with her in the headquarters while the rest of the staff went home to their families with the understanding they would all return when the power came back on.  On the second day, some of the remaining staff said they were worried about their families, and the governor understood.  Those without immediate family stayed.  The governor’s mansion was not the White House, but it did have tall security fencing surrounding the grounds, reinforced doors, and bulletproof glass windows.  The staff would go to get their families and bring them back to the mansion.  They had to open the gates manually for the staff to drive out.  That was the last they saw of them.

By the third day, there was no running water, food was going bad in refrigerators or freezers, many had no way to cook, and things in the city got very bad, very quick.  

They never saw anyone from the National Guard.  

By the fourth day, they had begun to ration food that had not gone bad. They doled out water and shut down the generator when not in use.  Then they would go upstairs into the mansion and simply wait.

Once the food ran out, Greg would go out to find food.  The governor had a large stash of cash on hand.  During the second week after the power went out, Greg was able to use the cash for food but at outrageous prices.  By the third week, not only would no one take cash, but it became too dangerous even to venture out.  

Using an air rifle, Greg was able to hunt for squirrels and birds.  The good thing about the city was the abundance of pigeons and geese.  The governor always preferred to cook with propane, so they had a large supply in the oversized tank.  Unfortunately, no one had thought to get a propane-powered generator.  Greg was able to find a few vehicles that still had gas in their tanks and siphoned off as much as he could.  By luck, the utility shed that housed the equipment for keeping the grounds manicured, had a number of gas cans and a few bottles of fuel stabilizer to keep the gas from going bad.  

For the next year, they eked out their survival, living day to day.  One of the staff became so despondent, they found him outside, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  He had the decency to do it there so as not to get blood on the mansion floors for them to clean up.  After that event, the governor and Greg talked quietly with each other.  It was not just enough to survive.  They needed to give them something to strive for.  To give them hope.

Diary, I get that I did not need hope.  I have Mom and Dad.  Jack, Rae, Sean, Tom, and Collins.  Savanna.  Samson.  The Millers.  Everyone in our community and the people of Four Corners.  They did not. 

Entry two

The governor had a family farm far to the East of Four Corners.  They would go there and be safe.  

Kebabs done, served with flat bread we ate.

The expression on their faces as they ate the kebabs with the bread was amazing to see.

“What is this?” the governor asked no one in particular.

“Herb and marinated venison.  Jessica’s mother has a knack for growing herbs, and Jack lets some of his blackberry wine go to vinegar.  Our cook then seasons the venison with the herbs and marinates it in the blackberry vinegar for a few hours.  He adds wild scapes too for the garlic flavor,” Rae answered.

“I did what I could with what Greg hunted, but we used up a lot of the the seasonings, even rationing them.  I could stay here for the food alone,” the governor said and took another bite.

“Governor,” Greg started.

She held up one hand and finished chewing. “Yes, Greg.  I was just commenting on the food.”

She stood up and turned to address the cook, “Sir, thank you for your most excellent food!”

Surprised by her gesture, he smiled awkwardly and thanked her.

The governor then returned to her camp chair, looked right at me, and said,

“Okay, young Jessica, tell me, how exactly did you earn the title of the Hero of Four Corners?”

Entry three

Diary, I did not tell the story of the Battle of Four Corners.  

Sean did, as he has a way with telling stories and with songs.

But in this case, he did not embellish like he normally does.  He told it straight.  The whole thing.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.  Despite his telling it straight, he had the governor, Greg, and the others on the edge of their seats.  

In the past, hearing or even thinking on the battle would bring me to tears.  Now, it seems almost distant.  Or something I would read in a history book, about someone else.  Someone I did not know.  

Rae and Jack added to Sean’s telling of the Battle of Four Corners where they could, from their points of view and recollection.  

Once Sean was done, no one said anything as they considered the story.  We could hear the sound of kebabs on the fire sizzle for other customers, the thrum of the sound of the people of Four Corners going about their business or simply talking.  The sound of the wind in the air.  

“You trained her,” Greg said to Jack.

“I did.”

“Good job.”

Jack nodded back in recognition.

“Yes.  Yes he did.  You have a strength.  I would like to have you on my staff for our new government.”

Diary, I thought for a long moment looking into the fire.  I could feel all their eyes on me as I did.  

“Governor, no disrespect,” I said looking directly at her, “I am needed here.  These are my people.”

She smiled.  

“And that is why you are so special.  You are going on to do great things.  I hope to see it one day.”

After lunch, Sean helped the governor and Greg trade a few bottles of spirits they had for food.  They got several loaves of lard bread, venison jerky, potted meat, and a small bag of potatoes and onions.

As they walked through the market, the governor said she was impressed.

“Aye.  We have heard of others forming up their similar markets.  We even started to do trade with a market in the city.”

She nodded as they walked.  

Entry four

Diary, how weird it was to ride in a Cadillac SUV!  Leather seats!  Heat!  Music!

The governor gave us a lift from Four Corners to our community for her to use HAM Guy’s radio nets to try and communicate with others.  It was so strange that what would take us an hour or so to hike took less than twenty minutes.

Mom was outside when we arrived, preparing the gardens.  It would still be another week or two before we could transplant the seedlings outdoors, but Mom was getting itchy to get things going.    She was surprised to see not only the vehicles but me get out of the SUV.  Sam came out of his house with a rifle but slung it once he saw me, Rae, and Jack get out.  He looked just as surprised as Mom did.  Then the governor got out of the front passenger side and his mouth actually fell open.  

The governor smiled, held out her hand as she walked right up to Sam to shake his hand.

“Thank you for not shooting me,” she said as he took her hand.

“Uh, sure.  You’re welcome.”  Looking past her, “You keep interesting company, Jack.”

Jack just grinned.  He then took the governor and Greg to HAM Guy’s house.  They just cut through the yards as it was faster than if they drove all the way around.  

We chatted with the rest of the staff about their journey and where they were heading.  The governor had a family farm far to the East of Four Corners.  When the governor’s personal assistant spoke of the great lunch they had at Four Corners and how bland the food they have been eating was, Mom went into the house and returned a few minutes later.  She handed the personal assistant a few small containers of dried herbs she had from last year.  The personal assistant thanked her over and over and then gave Mom a hug.  

After about an hour, the governor, Greg, Jack, and HAM Guy returned.  The governor did not look happy.

I looked questioningly at Jack.

“The King of New America fired her,” he deadpanned.

“He is a loon.  It was the others that were disappointments.  A few of them were up on the nets, I verified who she was,” HAM Guy said.

“They did not even seem interested in working with me.”

“Governor, I mentioned on the bridge, there is no functioning government higher than a day’s walk.  Sean is the mayor of Four Corners.”  Rae nodded toward my Mom and HAM Guy.  “We are on the community council here with some others.  We have a degree of a mutual aid agreement with Sean and Four Corners, but they make their own decisions, and we make our own.”

“Same could be said about Jamal and the market in the city,” I added.

“The point is,  governor,” HAM Guy chimed in, “unless the power suddenly comes back on, the pumps work, toilets flush, the banking system and all those things dependent on the power, all government is local.  I get what it is you are trying to do and admire it.  But an overall state level, let alone national government?  Jessica might see it someday.  More likely, it would be her children if she chose to have them who would see it.  From what I have heard on the nets, if reports of the mass die-off are as bad as I think they might be, our best efforts and energy should be spent on what we have around us.  Not a group of people in a big government building days or even weeks walk from here.”

“Point taken,” the governor nodded gravely.  

Entry five

The governor, Greg, and the rest of the staff got back in their vehicles and went on their way.  We all shook hands warmly, smiled, and wished them well and good luck.  

I felt bad for the governor.  She really was trying to make a new government.  But it was based off of the Old Normal.  Seeing Four Corners, trading with Jamal and the city market, and our own little community council, I think she now sees the New Normal.  

Diary, I hope so.

Entry six

Dear Diary,

It’s me, Jessica.

Mom, Rae, and I were on our way to Four Corners to trade when they took us. I don’t know how long they had been waiting for us. Hours? A day? Two? They ambushed us before we even knew they were there. Before I could even unsling my rifle, a closed fist hit me upside my head, and that was the last I remembered.

When I woke up, my hands and feet were bound, I was gagged, and a sack was over my head, laying on my side on the cold ground.

I stirred and tried to sit up. Someone roughly helped me up by the neck. The sack was removed, and I blinked in the sunlight. I looked up to see the man holding me by my neck. He had a tattoo of a skull on half his face. He smiled down at me.

It was the leader of the “Gang.”