by Akart, Bobby
“Over here!” yelled Sarah from the relative safety of the restroom building. The kids and Brooke were huddled against the wall, shielding one another from the wind-blown debris.
As the six adults made their way onto the parking lot, the threat of falling trees subsided, but the lack of protection from the strong wind knocked several of them to the asphalt. Bloodied hands and skinned knees didn’t deter their hasty retreat from the coming windstorm.
“Inside the bathrooms!” Chapman shouted to his mother. “Hide in the stalls!”
“What about the horses?” asked Isabella.
Chapman stopped and grabbed Levi by the arm. “We have to let them loose.”
“What?” his brother asked.
“They’ll hang, Levi. We’ve gotta untie their reins. We can find them later.”
Levi didn’t argue as the two of them peeled off from the rest to give the horses a fighting chance from the gusting winds.
The remainder of the group separated at the building. Carly, and moments later Levi, joined their kids and Sarah. The other four found their way into the men’s restroom and sought cover in the stalls, as Chapman had suggested.
They cried and they prayed as the wind swept over them like a massive freight train roaring past at two hundred miles per hour. Then they waited for it to end.
Chapter 21
Pinnacle Overlook
Cumberland Gap
Southeast Kentucky
For nearly an hour, the hurricane-force gales pounded the Pinnacle Overlook and the entire Cumberland Mountain range. As darkness overcame them, the sounds of trees breaking and debris crashing into the walls of the facility sent shock waves through their bodies. Although none of them exhibited evidence of post-traumatic stress disorder following their ordeal in the church the day the massive hurricane roared past, what they experienced that night could’ve easily triggered feelings of fear and anxiety.
Yet the family persevered. Once the deluge subsided, an eerie calm descended upon the overlook. The winds were gone, leaving behind stagnant air devoid of even a slight breeze. And a huge mess.
A full moon illuminated the carnage as the brave new pioneers emerged from the safety of the bathrooms. Like an Oklahoma family peeking through the doors of their storm cellar following a devastating twister, one by one the solemn group took in the scene.
The Scooby van and the horse trailer had been twisted around and eventually toppled onto their sides before being pushed into a curb. The Arctic Fox camper perched atop the Chevy pickup had a huge gash torn into the side courtesy of a tree branch. Many of their supplies were strewn about except for the ones Sarah had already stored within the stone walls of the restroom building.
Wonky Donkey stood stoically under a tree, as was usually the case. Only two of their horses remained near the grazing area at the entrance to the parking lot. Another one lay on its side, impaled by the twisted remnants of one of the parking lot signs. Tommy and Kristi immediately rushed toward the animal, only to discover it was already dead.
“Does anybody have a flashlight?” asked Chapman.
Jesse replied, “I do.” He pulled open a Velcro pocket of his cargo shorts and retrieved one of his father’s tactical flashlights. He handed it slowly to his uncle. “I use it to read at night. Sometimes I can’t sleep.”
Chapman gently rubbed the top of Jesse’s head and then illuminated the flashlight. In the darkness, the lumens did their job, allowing the group to see what mother nature had wrought. For a moment, no one spoke until Sarah found her voice.
“Let’s not dwell on what just happened. We need to salvage what we can and get it into the restroom in case another, um, whatever that was comes through here again.”
“Levi and I will find the horses,” offered Carly. “We know the trails better than anybody.”
“Okay, good,” said Sarah. “Kristi, Isabella, will you two please help me gather up our things off the ground? Let’s be quick about it. Just grab and go until everything salvageable is under the roof. Then we’ll sort it out.”
Chapman handed his mother the flashlight. “Tommy and I will grab the tree logs that have been planed. We’ll set them in place to give us some protection in case this happens again.”
“Perfect,” said Sarah. “Can you two handle it alone? Levi might be better—”
Chapman cut her off. “I’ve got it, Mom.”
Everybody went about their duties. Within two hours, they’d gathered many of their supplies and created a half wall along the front of the overlook’s restroom facility. Levi and Carly had retrieved all but two of the horses.
It was well after midnight when they were finally settled and ready for sleep. Only Chapman, Isabella, and Tommy remained awake, sitting on the curb outside the restroom.
Tommy finally broached the subject now that they were alone. “Okay, guys. What the hell was that? It kinda reminded me of the Hawk, but not wet or cold.” For decades, Chicagoans referred to the cold, harsh winter winds that blew off Lake Michigan every year as the Hawk. The origination of the term was unknown although it dated back to the 1800s as an abbreviated form of Hawkins, a reference to brutal, cold winds in Baltimore.
Chapman replied to Tommy’s question. “It’s similar to the European windstorms Isabella has probably experienced in the winter months. Nor’easters form off the coast of New England, creating deep areas of low pressure. By the time the storm crosses the Atlantic Ocean, they grow into extratropical, cyclonic windstorms.”
“Oui, only the storms pass farther to the north toward the Netherlands and United Kingdom. They are very powerful and create what we call damage footprints at the planet surface.”
Tommy shook his head. “Like what happened here?”
“Sadly, yes,” replied Chapman. “What is odd about this is…” His voice trailed off as he gathered his thoughts.
“The ground?” asked Isabella. “I felt it shaking before the winds came.”
“Me too,” said Chapman. “I thought it was an aftershock, but my brain couldn’t process it in time because the wind was coming like a thousand banshees.”
“Could the wind have caused the ground to shake like that?” asked Tommy.
Chapman stared at the ground and shook his head. “Listen, I’ve been in the middle of tornadoes. I’ll never forget the hurricane that rumbled past us in that church that day. But I’ve never felt the ground shake because of the wind. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never experienced a wind like this one. But, still, the ground shook just like a quake.”
“It may have been coincidental, mon ami.”
Chapman flipped the flashlight on again and slowly panned the parking lot, revealing the debris field and their destroyed vehicles. “Well, I’d appreciate it if they’d hit us with one damn thing at a time.”
Tommy stood to stretch. “Agreed, but now I have to ask. Is this yet another reason to find lower ground? I mean, won’t these ridges and mountains protect us from another wind event like this one?”
“I think I have to agree, Chapman,” said Isabella in reply. She was aware of Chapman’s desire to make the overlook work for them.
Chapman stood and joined Tommy. He reached down to help Isabella off the curb. “Okay, here’s the thing. If we break up into three scouting parties of two, we can cover more ground and possibly find a better location. Once we make that decision to abandon creating a better shelter, we have to be prepared to live with the consequences.”
“Like what?” asked Tommy. “We still haven’t seen any signs of life since we arrived.”
“I’m not worried about people right now,” answered Chapman. “I’m worried about the weather. What happened tonight may be the new normal.”
Chapter 22
Pinnacle Overlook
Cumberland Gap
Southeast Kentucky
The pioneers of early America faced numerous threats to life and limb. Accidents resulting from sheer exhaustion were common, or even firearm malfunctions. Diseases such as
cholera, smallpox, flu, measles, mumps, and tuberculosis could spread like wildfire through an entire camp and also be passed on to the native peoples. Wild animals, from bears to wolves, looked upon the settlers as prey. Even their own horses could cause serious injury, as some people were crushed and maimed after being thrown or struck by runaway wagons.
Rarely, however, was the weather to blame for the death of the pioneers. Lightning, hailstorms, tornados, and hurricanes were generally a nuisance and a delay they were forced to endure as they continued their travels.
That was not the case as the planet went through geologic and atmospheric changes as a result of the pole shift. To their credit, Chapman and Isabella had seen the early warning signs. They’d alerted their family, and for the most part, everyone acted with a sense of urgency. Sadly, Squire had been the lone exception.
The morning after the tempest swept over the Pinnacle Overlook and destroyed their camp, the group found themselves once again weighing alternatives.
“I wish I could give you a better answer,” began Chapman as the group questioned his analysis of the odd weather events. “All I can say is that we should expect more of the same. It’s as if everything is greatly exaggerated. You know, weather on steroids. When it rains, it pours, pardon the cliché. We go from no breeze at all to hurricane force winds with absolutely no other indicator of a storm. The sun is intense, yet the heat doesn’t necessarily accompany it.”
“The rules are being rewritten,” interjected Isabella.
“Exactly,” said Chapman with a smile as he squeezed his girlfriend’s hand. “Prior to advanced technology, weather forecasting evolved using historical accounts. It was a massive storm in 1859 that caused the loss of the Royal Charter, inspiring Admiral FitzRoy to begin developing charts of weather patterns. This enabled ship captains, and others, to predict the weather. By 1861, the Times in London was publishing weather forecasts.”
“They were really guesses based upon experience,” added Isabella. “Unfortunately, we can no longer predict or forecast. We can only react.”
“And it appears, take precautions,” interrupted Kristi. “I don’t think we can take anything for granted now.”
Tommy nodded. “Expect the unexpected.”
Sarah pointed to Tommy and winked. “That’s exactly right. The question is, where are we best able to avoid what happened to us last night?”
Chapman rubbed his hands together nervously. He had to admit that his first choice for their new settlement wasn’t necessarily the best one. “Winter is coming, and while, logically, I would expect it to be milder than normal for this part of the country, as Isabella said, the rules are being rewritten. We should expect the opposite and plan accordingly.”
Levi spoke for the first time since they’d finished breakfast. “We need to find a place that’s more secluded and off the top of this knob, where we’re exposed to the extreme weather.”
“And maybe people,” added Carly.
Chapman hung his head. “I’m sorry we wasted our first week or so trying to make it work.”
Levi was the first to come to his defense. “Hey, man, you didn’t know what was going to happen. Nobody could’ve. I say we regroup, secure our things better, and do what the pioneers did—keep looking.”
“There’s only one way to search, and that’s northeast along the ridgeline,” began Tommy. “The drop-off toward the valley is steep, and we can’t go back the way we came.”
“That’s right,” said Levi. “According to the map, the Kentucky-Virginia border runs along the top of the ridge in a northeasterly direction. There are several county roads that border the park that run parallel to the ridge. Depending on what happened with the earthquake, they could either be gone or under water. Either way, however, that’s our best chance of finding existing farms or cleared land.”
Sarah smiled. “With a little luck, there might be something cut out of one of the valleys at the lower elevations, right?”
“How do we get started?” asked Kristi.
Levi looked to his mother. “Are you comfortable staying behind alone with the kids?”
Sarah provided a sly smile and patted the handgun holstered on her hip. “I dare anybody to mess with us. I’m in no mood.”
“All right, then,” started Levi as he laid out the plan. “It’s risky on several levels, but we don’t have the benefit of time on our side. Let’s pair up into three groups. Chapman and Isabella, I’ll give you the map to the Pinnacle Overlook Trail. It runs along the ridge for a couple of miles and then heads straight down to the road. At that point, it disappears courtesy of the quake. Carly and I took it the other day, but admittedly, we were focused on tracking deer and not looking for a new settlement.”
“Okay, we can handle that. Can the horses handle the terrain?”
“Easily, until you venture into the woods, which you’re gonna have to do,” replied Levi. “I’d suggest you make your way to the road and then head northeast along the water.”
“What about us?” asked Kristi.
Levi turned to his sister. “I’d like you guys to come with us at first. We’re gonna have to hike after the trail ends, but you’re both fit and can handle it. There’s gonna be a point where we’ll split up. We’ll need each other’s help to keep from getting lost. I’ll show you what I mean when we get out there.”
Kristi gave Levi a thumbs-up. Then she addressed her mother. “Are you sure about this?”
“No problem. Listen, sounds carry across these mountaintops. If I have real problems, you’ll hear the gunfire. Trust me, I won’t hesitate. This is not the time to ask questions of strangers who wander up here.”
Energized with a new sense of purpose, they exchanged ideas and agreed to make their way back to camp before dark, even if it meant cutting their day short. They could always push farther out in their search the next day.
Chapter 23
The International Space Station
254 Miles above Earth
There was no better view of the cataclysmic changes occurring on the Earth’s surface than from the International Space Station speeding around the planet at almost five miles per second. The largest single structure that mankind had ever put into space provided its crew the unique ability to study the events and catalogue geologic changes through photo-imagery.
The ISS and its crew were constantly exposed to cosmic radiation. Low-Earth orbit was considered a distance within twelve hundred miles above the planet’s surface. Ordinarily, low-Earth orbit does not have the same levels of radiation exposure as other Earth orbits or interplanetary space.
The fast pole shift changed that.
If you think of our star as a cauldron of gurgling hot water, then the solar winds would be comparable to the wisps of steam floating out of the cast-iron pot. The Sun was also simmering, sending off tendrils of highly charged particles called coronal mass ejections.
These particles raced toward our planet at roughly nine hundred miles per hour, but before they reached the surface, they enveloped satellites and the space station first.
The ISS had built-in protections against normal levels of solar wind. Their electronic systems had never been tested, or designed, for the continuous onslaught brought about by our weakened atmosphere.
The crew of the ISS had been busy recording data and studying the changes on the planet surface. As the phenomenon unfolded, they cast aside some of their regular duties, which included monitoring radiation dosimetry, the process of calculating the amount of galactic cosmic rays being absorbed by the space station.
They were unknowingly being cooked like a hunk of meat in a microwave. The ionized radiation continuously struck the ISS like atomic-scale cannonballs, with secondary particles from the Van Allen belts penetrating the space station’s protective skin.
For several weeks, the astronauts worked around the clock. They’d identified seven rapidly occurring geological transformations on Earth, which both fascinated them and struck fear in thei
r hearts. From islands popping out of oceans due to undersea volcanic activity, to whole land masses being turned into islands due to massive flooding, the planet was subjected to dramatic changes before their eyes.
On the Chilean coast in South America, a one-hundred-foot-high tsunami smashed into the beaches at Lebu, crushing everything in its path and radically changing the landscape. Barely a week later, a powerful earthquake struck, raising the ground by more than twenty feet along the beach, but sinking land located farther inland.
The quake caused previously submerged marine platforms to rise out of the Pacific Ocean, which had already risen due to melting glaciers from Antarctica. These newly formed land masses created a rocky archipelago that stretched seventy miles along the Chilean coast.
In Alaska, huge rivers of ice that had formed over hundreds and thousands of years when snow and ice accumulated began to melt. These icy rivers began to move slowly at first like an enormous conveyor belt that pushed chunks of glaciers toward the sea.
The process of gigantic glaciers splitting and turning into multiple mountains of ice was known as calving. As the planet began to warm prior to the rapid pole shift, some of these calves were grounded, resting harmlessly on the ocean floor. Others floated on top of the waters as they made their way into the sea.
The Columbia Glacier in Prince William Sound on the south coast of Alaska melted, calved, and moved at an astonishing rate as the north pole wandered toward the Middle East. Every hour, thirteen million tons of ice broke off the face of Columbia Glacier, immediately melting in the sound. With each break, a tsunami was generated that pounded the northwest coastline of Canada and later the United States Pacific Northwest. These tsunamis grew in size and intensity as the sea levels rose from the melting glacial ice. Over a three-week period, nothing remained standing from Seattle to San Diego. It was all, quite simply, swallowed by the Pacific Ocean.
