A Hidden World

Assessment Start

"Please take your seats, ladies and gentlemen. I'm senior adjudicator for this assessment. My name is Kathy. They sometimes refer to me by my rescuer's handle Shortcake. I retired with a rank of General. We'll dispense with a reading of my qualifications. If you don't know who I am, just ask people in seats near you.

"Effective immediately, all live coverage of this event is terminated. Some unusual circumstances make this necessary. This is not a reflection on rescuer Sharon Belkin. In fact, from what I researched, she performed far beyond what we expect from a rescuer. She requested this assessment, and I'm sure she never expected a level three assessment.

"That's the newsbyte you can use to explain our blackout. You may record this event, but if we find out anything past this point leaked, you'll find yourselves permanently censored. A media unit that broadcasts an unauthorized report and those of you who earn your duty points from that media unit will immediately lose broadcast rights. I hope that's clear enough for the media. Your reporting on what happens from this point onward will need approval before publication until we conclude this assessment. To my knowledge, this form of censorship never happened before. As we progress with this assessment, you'll understand why they applied a temporary censorship.

"Please don't interrupt or try me in any way. I expect all present to act with utmost respect for what is about to transpire. I'll not tolerate any disturbances. What we'll see and discuss during this assessment, I wouldn't wish on any adjudicator. I'm most likely best qualified to handle it.

"I started this day very pleased with operational assessments of what transpired in South Dakota. I arrived here with support from good friends to find some serious issues continue to develop. Most of those issues influenced rescuer Sharon's actions.

"Rescuers should thank her. If she didn't request a personal assessment, we might've missed many issues. This assessment will generate more assessments and tribunals with serious charges. In light of these issues, Rescuer Sharon performed her duties beyond any expectation of a rescuer in her situation. Rescuer Sharon, please accept our apology for how this assessment will continue."

Sharon replaces Kathy's image. She is a little startled but recovers quickly. "As a child I sat and listened to you with my parents reliving your experiences as rescuers. I've watched many videos and lectures by you. You're a legend for both your frankness and integrity. I've complete confidence in your judgment. Thank you for your kind words about my performance."

Kathy replaces her image, nods and continues. "The usual agenda for a personal assessment is in tatters. Testimonies will halt in midsentence and witnesses recalled at appropriate times. As I said earlier, an operational assessment proved it was a very successful rescue operation. To get us back to where we should've started. I turn to our security chief, a retired rescuer tasked as Senior Overall Operational Revue Director, Colonel Doug."

Doug appears to be in his late forties or early fifties. His white shirt has two large gold stripes on his sleeve cuffs. Three rows of gold, silver and bronze dots are opposite his name. He has blue epilates on his shoulders with two small red stripes.

The screen splits into two views. One is a still picture of a tornado in an open field, opposite is a map, showing roads and buildings.

His baritone voice is clear, "Weather analysis send a red flag alert to operations. Their model shows a tornado touchdown in South Dakota. The alert predicts it is heading for a town. A scheduled combined disaster simulation for rescue groups one and two is about to start. Rescue group one is at a scenario start point. Rescue group two is about to leave here to join them. Operations redirect both rescue groups while tornado alerts go out to South Dakota. Our weather analysis teams trigger tornado sirens in many areas. The targeted town has six minutes warning.

"Rescue group two is first on scene, being seconds closer. They follow standard operational procedure, trailing a tornado at a quarter mile. This picture is from group two's deployment ship one, about a half mile behind our tornado. As each event happens, I'll freeze video images or explain."

The tornado starts moving with a debris field circling a snaking spout. A farm comes into view, and a farmhouse takes a direct hit. Barns and out buildings loose roofs and pieces of fencing join a swirling debris field. As our view approaches, Doug reports, "Rescue group two deployed a squad and continued."

My town appears in the distance and we can see it is going to catch a western corner. At the edge of town is our highway patrol station. It takes a direct hit, parts of it exploding in every direction. Cars tumble as our view approaches. "Rescue group two deploys two teams." Video continues into a new residential area. "For each street intersection, group two deploys a squad of rescuers."

A few are homes. Most are empty, new construction for sale. I watch as my ranch house, distinctive with wheelchair ramps takes a direct hit. There is nothing left but an empty basement filling with rubble and rain.

This is surreal. I am watching my life, my town, my little world, destroyed. My emotions are in check. Shock or perhaps it is happening too fast.

Video follows our targeted tornado in an open field. Our new hospital comes into view. Behind our view or their twister, three large octagonal ships wait. They look like what I saw yesterday. The tornado clips an edge of the hospital. Our video pauses. Ripped open are a corner and end of the hospital's west wing.

"Rescue group two deploy all remaining rescuers at the hospital. They set up triage and collection centers in a field beside it. Kathy."

Kathy returns center screen. "One hospital patient dies. He has a heart attack prior to the tornado hit. A cardiac team is on their way to him but never arrive. It sucks him out of a third floor room. We rescue two nurses who have minor injuries from his room. One woman dies of head injuries when caught in a street. Rescuers discover one man in a house essentially cut in half. The final fatality is a prisoner at a destroyed highway patrol station. Rescuers find him impaled on farm implements several hundred feet away.

"Those are the only fatalities at this rescue. They all occur in rescue group two zones. We classify them as unavoidable deaths. We'll not dwell on details of group two's operations except to say we feel all crews of rescue group two did an excellent job. Rescuer Sharon is with rescue group one. Doug."