"Push the chassis higher."A guard shoved his rifle barrel into the spine of a starving accountant.The rusted frame of a frozen sedan scraped against the icy asphalt. Ten shivering citizens heaved their bruised shoulders against the doors. The car tipped forward and crashed onto the roof of a buried taxi.Richard Mercer stood on the flatbed of his crawler. The morning sun breached the gray winter clouds. The pale light offered zero warmth."Stack the vehicles tight," Richard shouted to the labor battalions. "Fill the gaps with snow and dirt. Make the wall ten feet high."The surviving population of Brighthaven worked in synchronized misery. They were no longer citizens. They were slaves building a walled encampment in the plaza across from Malcolm Drayton and his titanium gates.Richard looked down at the trench line. He needed to maintain absolute control over the public. Fear was his strongest currency.He pointed his finger into the deepest latrine ditch."Take their coats," Richa

"Step forward and open your hands."The guard racked the bolt of his assault rifle. The grueling fourteen hour workday was finally over. The ice citadel was slowly taking shape in the frozen plaza. A wall of crushed cars and compacted snow now blocked the worst of the brutal crosswinds.Hundreds of starving citizens shuffled into a ragged line. The temperature hovered near negative eighty degrees. Exhaustion hung over the camp like a weight crushing their spines."Take your pill and keep moving," the guard ordered a shivering accountant.The accountant held out his blistered bleeding hands. A second guard dropped a single white vitamin pill into his palm. A third guard handed him an open tin can of cold baked beans."Thank you," the accountant whispered.He shoved the dry pill into his mouth and swallowed it without water. He dug two filthy fingers into the cold beans and ate them like a starving wild dog. He did not care about the freezing temperature of the food. Richard Mercer in

"The barometric pressure is falling past critical parameters."The synthetic voice of the bunker artificial intelligence echoed through the warm command center.Malcolm sat in his plush leather chair. He lowered his ceramic mug of hot espresso. He tapped a glass key on the primary control console."Define critical parameters," Malcolm ordered the system."Atmospheric models predict an imminent localized weather anomaly," the artificial intelligence reported. "A Class Five super blizzard is entering the Brighthaven sector."Malcolm leaned forward and looked at the digital radar monitor. A massive swirling mass of dark red and purple pixels covered the entire regional map. The storm system was vast and moving rapidly toward the city center."What are the projected sustained wind speeds?," Malcolm asked."Sustained winds will exceed one hundred and twenty miles per hour," the system answered. "Visibility will drop to zero.""Give me the temperature forecast," Malcolm commanded."Ambient

"The optical sensors are failing."The bunker artificial intelligence projected the warning across the warm command center. Malcolm sat in his chair and watched the digital monitors.The Class Five super blizzard finally slammed into the city of Brighthaven. The storm swallowed the entire region in pitch black darkness.Ambient temperatures plummeted past negative one hundred degrees. The wind chill shattered the external thermometer housings in the plaza.Thick layers of jagged ice crystallized rapidly over Malcolm's external security cameras. The high definition lenses frosted over in seconds.The clear visual feeds of the camp flickered and died. The screens dissolved into aggressive white static.Malcolm lost his eyes. He was locked inside a blind steel box.He did not panic. He leaned forward and tapped the audio control interface."Boost the external microphone again," Malcolm ordered the system. "Filter out the wind noise."The artificial intelligence processed the command. The

"Fire the automated turrets now."Malcolm slammed his sweaty palm against the glass command console. The red warning lights bathed his face in a harsh crimson glow."Targeting parameters locked," the bunker artificial intelligence replied. "Engaging western defensive emplacements."Heavy vibrations shook the reinforced concrete floor. The automated machine guns deployed from their armored housings. The turrets fired thermal incendiary rounds into the blinding whiteout.Deep rhythmic thuds echoed through the thick bunker walls. Malcolm watched the blank static monitors. He waited for the optical feeds to clear."Report target status," Malcolm commanded. His voice strained against the stale heavy air."Target remains sealed," the system answered in a flat mechanical tone. "The exhaust louvers are still obstructed.""Empty the magazines," Malcolm yelled. "Burn through that ice cap."The vibrations intensified. The turrets unleashed hundreds of armor piercing incendiary rounds. The force