Samuel was planning a big push when one afternoon that seemed absolutely normal, he found himself regaining consciousness on the floor by his desk! He remembered absolutely nothing! He had been sitting at his desk looking at maps, tinking how to breech the enemy's defenses, when he found himself on the floor. He gained his feet picking up a flashlight off his desk and scanning the bunker which was now in total darkness. Other men were reviving.
"What in the hell happened?" one of them asked.
"I don't know," Samuel answered, "the main power seems to be off. Try those emergency lights."
In a few moments the emergency lights were on. "They work fine," a man remarked. "The automatic system just didn't turn them on."
Another man turned to Samuel holding a telephone receiver. "Telephone's dead!" he remarked.
"So's the radio!" the operator in the corner added. "I was talking to Moscow a moment ago. Now it seems to be totally lifeless. The back up batteries don't seem to be working."
"Break out the emergency unit," Samuel ordered. "Connect it to the antennas. See if anything's working."
The emergency back up system was quickly in place. The operator adjusted some dials and cried "Yes! I've got Moscow! They're on emergency equipment, too. They report everything's down for thousands of miles. Headquarters is working on it. Maintain your position and stand by."
Montague's aide came into the bunker carrying a flashlight. "I could use some help," she announced, "Mr. Montague's platform has ceased to function. We're stuck out doors."
Samuel pointed to two men. "Help her get him into a sheltered area," he ordered. "Get whatever other help you need."
"Yes sir!" the men snapped, and hurried off.
They slowly reestablished contact with everyone around them. Finally a message came from headquarters. "We have been hit by an extremely powerful electromagnetic pulse, similar to that created by the air blast of an atom bomb, but much more intense. Medical personnel are advised to treat those still having problems as if they have received a severe electrical shock. ANY electrical equipment or electronic equipment functioning at the time the pulse passed is now useless. Attempts to repair it will be a waste of time. The pulse seems to have originated in The Chuk Sea, north of The Bearing Strait. Reconnaissance planes are being dispatched."
A few hours later a new message came. "All units! All units! Do not continue any more aggressive actions against the enemy! The Com have capitulated. They have agreed to lay down their arms and accept peace. Hold your positions! Be on the alert for fanatical actions. But do not attack unless you are attacked. If unarmed enemy soldiers approach you asking for food, give them emergency provisions. Repeat, take no aggressive actions. The Com have surrendered. The war is over."
A cheer rose in the bunker. The next few days were too busy to think of much of anything. Their efforts were totally involved in getting new equipment into the area, securing the enemy's territory and disarming his troops, and feeding the starving.
It was quite a while before they could gather around a viewscreen and see pictures of the huge volcano growing in The Arctic. No one was talking about what had created it. The enemy had obviously been up to something.
Samuel had a feeling they had narrowly escaped disaster, but his thoughts were really on other things, mostly going home. He wanted above anything else, to go home. He was terribly, terribly tired. He wanted a long, long rest.
An aide came in. "Sir," he announced, "a message from Somalia. A plot was discovered to attack your family compound. Troops assaulted a farm where a thousand men were gathered preparing to attack the capital. Most were killed. They put up a considerable resistance. A photograph of one has been sent. They want to know if this is the Redman person who has been so determined to destroy you."
Samuel took the photograph, studied it for a moment, and said "Yes! Yes! That's him! That's old man Redman!"
He sat down on his desk, tears trickling down his face. An aide took the photograph from his hand, gave it back to the messenger and motioned him away.
"Would you like to go to your quarters sir?" he asked.
"No," Samuel answered, "no. I'm all right now. It's just why couldn't we have made peace with each other? Why did it go on until a whole family was destroyed?" Samuel shook his head. "Let's get to work!" he ordered.
A few days later word came they were being relieved and to prepare to withdraw. That afternoon Linda P. approached him.

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