Chapter 22
Yes, No, Yes!
Henry, Mo, Drew and Hannah were all in the Underground, but they were using the R-Zoom over that still-undiscovered GSAT. The satellite had gone online before its official activation date, but so far only the Rebellion had figured that out. Necessity is the mother of invention and desperation is the mother of using any advantage that presents itself.
First they were checking in with those stars of ‘pirate radio,’ Heart00 and Dog 832 the rebel DJs and propaganda mongers. The guys took turns talking so that the other brother could keep broadcasting. They were using drones to move around but they also had people on boats out on the water keeping frequencies open, frequencies not approved through the FCC, which, fortunately, barely functioned with Trump creating havoc within all the old agencies. Those agencies were once considered to have become overly bureaucratic, but they had functioned well. Theo said that he and Nathan believed their broadcasts would have been discovered and shut down right away, pre 2020. But the guys spent the days and nights chatting calmly to folks in the CSA and playing great music; they recruited other DJ’s to help, good friends they could vet. Lots of hours to cover.
They empathized with the ladies who did not get to use their big brains; they mourned the backward movement in the lives of minorities; they mentioned that Europe was taking the lead in global affairs, with the isolationists in charge in America. They told the tragedies of lost lives, of men who were lynched, of fake KKK groups terrorizing minorities and of Evangelical groups terrorizing women. They told of women who were imprisoned if they had what was considered a ‘suspicious miscarriage’ or stillbirth. They reminded people of the freedoms they had enjoyed in the USA. They promised that those freedoms could be restored if the union of states was restored. They talked to men in militias and asked them what they missed about the USA. They tried to sway them to rise up against the Trumps. They did not know if any of it was successful, but they kept it up day and night.
“We are proud of you Heart00 and Dog 832, you are the front lines in this campaign to restore America, to reboot it to pre-Trumpian days, even though the lines of division were already drawn. Hopefully what people had experienced in the Trump version of America would inspire them to reboot to a better America than the one that gave us the Trumps to begin with.”
“Thanks boys and girls,” said Dog382. “Peace, out.”
“Spoken like a true DJ,” Mo said with a smile.
Drew started the R-Zoom with California. He found Duran (Condor) and Joanna (Picasso101). Hector, China, and Joe were not in the Pit or in the computer room at the Vineyard.
Hi to our West Coast friends, Wizard (Henry) said. “How is it going with the video screens, the drones and the video broadcasts?”
“We sent a few rebels into mostly minority communities and they have captured and sent back some digital feed. It’s amazing. It is a whole new dimension in technology, although, sadly, more suited to propaganda than entertainment. Actually, concerts would be great but hard to sell tickets when so many could watch for free. I’m sure our greedy souls will come up with ways to make money from this. But right now, it’s genius. All Trump trash all the time. It should certainly remind people who perhaps were not paying attention with Fox ‘News’ spinning everything in Trump’s favor. It almost reminds me of the retraining of the thugs in Clockwork Orange. Hold the eyeballs open, insert new data. And people are fascinated by it since it is really the only show in town. Evangelical rule is really boring.”
“And Picasso101, how goes the flyer inundation,” Henry asked.
“We are burying the CSA in paper that says things the Trumps won’t like. Paper is a bit scarce in the CSA right now so people are saving the flyers and writing on the back. Hard to know if the messages are getting through. As a woman I would not like to have to live under the rules for females in the Confederated States of America. It seems crazy that I am freer in a prison state than these women are in that pretend republic.
I believe this has all been a nightmare for minorities and that they will be receptive to the messages we sent. But I am guessing that they will be even more comforted to know that there is a movement out there somewhere that would bother to do this. It offers hope to the oppressed. However, I doubt the flyers matter to the males who are unevolved, who are enjoying their power, who are ready to fight to keep that sense of power, despite how unreal that power actually is. They are already angry men and this just riles them up and activates their desire for some violence, some killing, some smashing of heads. That’s a negative but unavoidable effect of our brain campaign.
If we had big armies to rush in and back up our media messages this would be the perfect time to mount an attack. Of course, we don’t have any armies. – well I guess we have one army, dwarfed by all the other bases full of soldiers throughout America and we don’t even know what those troops are planning.
Wizard heaped a bit of praise on Picasso101 for her help and for her insightful analysis. “Good work,” he said. At least the Rebellion has been able to achieve its communications objectives for which the West Coast gets pretty much total props, except for a few drones. You have laid the groundwork, woken everyone up and once shaken, they might be stirred.”
“Sorry 007, that was unintentional.”
Then Wizard called on Max 75. “Thank you for all the excellent video and digital footage you found for us to project on the big screens over the CSA. You also helped with scripts for “pirate radio” broadcasts. You rock”
Clark 1113 appeared in the R-Zoom. “Max75 is taking digital finals at Harvard right now, but I will tell her what you said. She should ace her exams with no problem.”
“Like parents, like daughter,” Wizard, said going updated old school.
They were almost out of the R-Zoom when Hector (Beast) came online. He looked haggard and solemn. Everyone went quiet and gave the con to him.
“Lily and John (Lotus and Slim) were just ‘arrested’ by Oath Keepers as they reentered the California Prison State. We do not know where they have been taken but we have scouts out trying to find them. This could be worse than being arrested by the authorities. Hard to tell. One thing we do know is that Lily and John can be quite charming and socially creative. We may have to rely on them to invent a scenario to get themselves released. If not we’ll have to mount a raid. But that would have its own dangers and we might hurt the very people we are trying to rescue.”
Beast sent a digital image of the ‘arrest’. Everyone was even more worried after seeing it. It was the first time they had seen Lily lose control over her chignon.
“Have Chink and Doc227 and Heart00 and Dog 832 all been informed about their parent’s apprehension,” Wizard asked.
“Yes,” Beast said, and they are almost out the door to go to their rescue. We are using reason to keep them at bay but it won’t work for long. I am just trying to get them to come up with a plan and tell me what it will be.”
“OK, please let them all know how upset we are about this and how much we wish we weren’t so far away. And keep us posted, please.” Samwise, Whaler, and Goldie all agreed by nodding heads, pumping fists and blowing kisses.
Wizard touched his earwig and then he said, “Don’t leave anyone. We have news from the 10th Mountain Division. The Trumps have been taken, some at the White House, some at Mar-a-Lago in an early morning raid.”
What an emotional roller coaster was everyone’s first thought, and then a cheer went up, and whistling and hooting. Wars are like that, downhearted one minute, celebrating a victory the next. And this was a pretty big victory.
“There were no casualties because the Armed Forces did not know these troops had gone rogue. When they landed their helicopters on the lawns around the White House and the Mar-a-Lago “embellished” clubhouse they told everyone there was a threat and they were authorized to take the Trump family somewhere safe. Trump was taken out in a straitjacket. Where they took them was to Guantanamo, in Cuba. An empty officer’s compound had been refurbished for this purpose and it was walled and guarded. The forces at Guantanamo had also agreed to join the Rebellion,” said Wizard, passing on what he was hearing through his earpiece.
Of course, there were many levels to all the news the rebels had heard today. Feelings were profound and paradoxical. Hope, accomplishment, fear, joy, uncertainty, and waiting with trepidation to see what would happen next; these feelings all shared space in everyone’s minds and hearts.
Wizard raised his pointer finger in the air to get their attention and said, “Kamala
Harris of California and Tedra Cobb of NY are now in place as Acting President and Vice President until order can be restored and a new election held.”
“I like the sound of that,” Samwise said. Please let us know if there is any way we can help free Lotus and Slim.”
“Good day everyone,” said Wizard, “and what a day it was! Rebels rule!”
On Saturday, November 6, you will find the first chapter of the 2nd book in the 2028 Series 2028: Trump at Guantanamo. Subscribe, it’s free for now.