NOVEL WEB Chapter 68: A Reckoning
"I told you to change utilities companies!" snapped Annette, as Ivan rolled up the next evening in an old pickup truck packed with water bottles, kerosene jerrycans, six kerosene lanterns, and a kerosene stove.
"And I told you that Sirius Energy is the only sheriff in town. Everyone in the area are dependent on their smart grid," said Ivan, in a long-suffering tone, as he unloaded the supplies with the help of a good-natured delivery man.
"That's true ma'am. Sirius Nuclear and Sirius Energy have got all of Boston runnin' scared. Even the other power companies, can't do squat without that nuclear power backin em up," chuckled the delivery man.
"I don't see how that's funny," said Annette, her eyes narrowed.
"Ain't it though? Them Sirius boys got the whole green energy lobby runnin' scared, and all them guys who said solar ain't the future are laughin' and sayin' we told you so," replied the man, as he and Ivan unloaded the last of the supplies.
"By the way Annette, Sirius Energy has actually gamified that list. This kerosene I bought has given us four extra hours of civilization," said Ivan, as a vein throbbed in Annette's temple.
"Then you can send it back," she growled.
"Nope, no returns and no refunds," said the delivery man, hopping into the truck and driving off, a plume of black smoke pouring out of its exhaust.
Opposite the road, Mandy's husband was on the roof, trying to install a set of solar panels.
"You're doing it wrong Zakhrov! Fossil fuels are not the answer!" he called out.
"Mind your own damn business!" shouted back Ivan.
----
"Camping in the driveway is cool!" said Mikaela, as Ivan made a dinner of baked beans and toast on the kerosene stove.
"Yes, camping is cool. Maybe we'll go out to a proper campsite in the vacation," said Ivan.
"But why is Mommy staying in the house?" asked Mikaela, noting that Annette had refused to join them outside.
"Mommy doesn't like the smell of kerosene," said Ivan, handing Mikaela a steaming plate.
"Be careful, it's very hot," he warned her, as he picked up another plate and walked towards the house.
----
Annette sat in the semi-dark dining room. The light from a battery powered LED lantern, illuminating the angry tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Why doesn't that man know how humiliating this is? I'm sure the entire neighborhood is going to hate us now!" she muttered to herself.
"You might want to hold on to that pride of yours, but I'm not about to let Mikaela go hungry," said Ivan, coming up to her with a steaming plate. The smell of baked beans and roasted beef wafting through the house.
"I'm not eating that!" snapped Annette petulantly, even as her stomach growled in protest.
"Suit yourself," said Ivan, setting the plate down on the dining table and leaving.
Annette waited for him to leave, before quickly pulling the plate towards herself and attacking the food like a ravenous wolf.
----
Ivan stepped outside, to find George, Mandy's husband shuffling up the driveway.
"U-um Mr. Zakhrov, c-could I please borrow your stove? W-we don't have any power left, a-and our food will rot if we don't cook it now," he mumbled.
"How about we have a cook-out? You bring your stuff, and we'll see what we can make," suggested Ivan.
"Sure! That sounds like a good idea. I'll get the stuff!" said George, relief in his voice.
He turned around to leave before he stopped and turned back to Ivan.
"I'm sorry about earlier. You were right," he said, before leaving again.
----
"Make no mistake. We are all under attack! We need to show those vicious villains at Sirius Energy and Sirius Nuclear that the people of Boston will not bow to tyranny!" shouted Monica Goldberg from the lectern in the packed auditorium of Boston Public school.
"As we speak, police, SWAT, and our own community members are on their way to that vile corporation's compound to apprehend these criminals and restore order!" she declared to cheers.
The cheers fizzled out as the auditorium was suddenly plunged into darkness.
A few teachers quickly took charge, using their phone flashlights to safely guide the audience who had come to the meeting out of the auditorium.
"What the hell is going on? I thought we secured the school's grid!" snarled Monica to her aide.
"We did ma'am, but the backup batteries and solar panels we installed don't have the capacity for the whole school," replied the aide.
"You idiot! Why didn't you get generators?" snapped Monica.
"They were sold out! Every business in Boston has panic bought them! Even diesel prices have been hiked up!" replied the aide, sweating bullets.
Monica grit her teeth in fury as the auditorium emptied. She whipped out her phone, to find that there was no cell signal.
"Let's get back to the office! I want a sitrep on the operation at Sirius Software!" she growled.
----
The auditorium at St. Ignatius Academy was sparsely filled, as Michael DuPont took the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, for those of you who don't know. This very school and auditorium was a drug infested warzone, just last year. Let me now reveal to you, that the benefactor of this institution is none other than Sirius Software," he began, to quiet murmurs in the crowd.
"Sirius Software, with my help, brought order, stability and infrastructure to this dying neighborhood, and yet what has it got in return? Money obviously, but what else?" he asked a guilty silence.
"I'll tell you what else. Derision. Scorn. Attack after attack, on their business practices. Their customers, their initiatives. Dollar bills offer a poor cushion to that kind of vitriol. And therefore, they have decided to leave Boston, and the United States of America," he concluded.
"Good riddance!" cheered a single voice in the auditorium.
"Yes, good riddance. In which case, I ask all of you to please leave the premises, Sirius Construction is going to close and demolish this entire campus. You can have your drug infested neighborhood once again," said Michael, stepping down from the lectern.
Father Joseph stood up and took the lectern.
"Everyone, please make for the exits, power will be cut in two minutes," he announced.
"U-um Father Joseph, when will school reopen?" asked a woman timidly, as the audience started to file out.
"You don't get it, do you? This institution is closed! We are done! Sirius Software is done! They're tearing everything down, packing up and moving to Libya!" thundered Father Joseph.
The audience froze at the outburst.
"Lock the exists. School is in session for this community!" shouted Father Joseph, and with an ominous boom, the exits were slammed shut.
"First, let's get something straight. You all sit here cool and comfortable because the men and women of Sirius Software have worked, and fought to keep this school from turning into a crackhead's meth lab! I've also paid that price with three bullets to the chest!" said Father Joseph to the now captive audience.
Michael took the lectern again.
"Four years ago, these were your electric bills, food prices, and some of your salaries," he said, as the auditorium's massive screens flashed to life to show set of fancy graphs.
"Now look what happens when Sirius Software starts making moves," said Michael and the graphs changed to show downward spikes in expenses and upward trends in income.
"Now, I know that this requires a little brain power, and doesn't have a nice 'evil corporation doing evil things' ring, but take a look at that. Inflation usually makes things more expensive, but here its keeping prices low, and incomes high. In other words, everyone has gotten richer since Sirius Software and its other enterprises started their operations here. Even their headquarters and compound that you label a monstrosity, has created jobs, improved lives and made things far more accessible," he explained.
The audience started to murmur, but the tone had markedly shifted.
"Let me be clear. If Sirius Software pulls out, we will be facing an economic recession the likes of which we've never seen before. Just look at what is happening in Palm Springs, or even the Boston Public School District. You might argue that it is tyranny and abuse of power, but is it really? A single power company's hissy fit shouldn't paralyze entire neighborhoods, but it is. So what does that tell you about everybody else?" he asked rhetorically.
An audience member raised her hand. "What about the message that the Palm Springs residents got about civilization being cut for 72 hours?" she asked.
"A simulation my dear, a simulation. Like I said, if nobody else can fill the gap when Sirius Software pulls the plug, what does that say? It says that either everyone else is incompetent or unable. As a politician, I can safely attest that it is the latter, thanks to Monica Goldberg's rhetoric," replied Michael.
Father Joseph took the lectern. "I ask all of you to stop chasing soundbites and slogans, and to think carefully about who and what you stand for. Ideology is all well and good, but once it attacks the very foundations of civilization, it is a citizen's duty to consider whether their pride is worth the collapse of their way of life," he said.
Another man raised his hand.
Recognition hit Father Joseph like a punch in the gut. It was Ivan Zakhrov.
"Father Joseph, I am from Palm Springs. While I am not happy with the inconvenience these blackouts have caused, I understand the reasoning behind them, May I take this opportunity to explain?" asked Ivan.
Father Joseph nodded, and Ivan climbed onto the stage. He stood before the lectern.