Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse

CHAPTER 33 Semper Paratus

Twenty-seven years after the Crunch, and five years after the liberation of Europe, Kevin Lendel’s middle son had just started his freshman year at Boston College. At the end of the first week of the fall semester, Solomon Michael Lendel stood near the front of a lecture hall before his physics class started, chatting about the Olympic games. One of his classmates bragged of traveling to see the games in England, and was recounting his experiences. They were the first Olympic games since before the Crunch, and were still a big topic of conversation. Sol had watched part of the games on television.

A buzzer announced the start of class, and the Tektronix MPEG-3 teleconferencing monitors automatically switched on. On a row of monitors, students at three remote classrooms could be seen and heard, via the fiber-optic system.

As Sol took his seat in the front row, his coat flapped open briefly. One of the students standing near him went pale when she noticed that he was carrying a pistol in a shoulder holster. She shouted, “He’s got a gun! He’s carrying a concealed weapon! That’s not allowed on campus!”

The professor gave a stern look. He said, “Son, take off your coat.” Sol flushed and stood up again. He did as he was told, revealing a well-worn XD .45 pistol and a counter-balancing pair of spare loaded magazines in a hand-crafted shoulder holster. The leather rig was tooled in a floral Heiser renaissance pattern.

There was an anxious pause while everyone in the classroom stared silently, wondering what would happen next.

The professor cleared his throat. “Young lady, this gentleman is not carrying a concealed weapon. I can see it as plain as day.” There were roars of laughter.

“But…” she protested weakly.

The professor motioned with his hand, enunciating, “Take your seat, son.”

Sol tossed his sheepskin coat across the back of his chair, sat down, and opened his notebook.

The professor interlaced his fingers and rested his hands on the podium. He continued, “There is no University policy on the carrying of firearms, whether concealed or not. Nor should there be. Granted, open carry of guns has gradually gone out of style in the big cities these last few years. There isn’t much crime in the streets these days. However, this young gentleman’s choice to carry a gun—for whatever reason he chooses—is his own. He is a Sovereign Citizen and sui juris. The state has no say in the matter. It is strictly an individual choice, and a God-given right. The right to keep and bear arms is an absolute, secured by the Bill of Rights. I should also remind you that it is one of the main reasons we spent four horrendous years fighting the Second Civil War. How quickly we forget. Now let’s get on with class, shall we?”