by Benson, Tom
“Let’s get on with it.” Bill followed Steph down onto the gravel and then turned towards the wall, dimly-lit by the nearest yellow lights. He was followed by Harry.
Bill turned at the end of the train carriage to find that every survivor was standing ready to help. “Thank you … thank you all. Now, let’s get the hell out of here, eh?”
“Yay!” It was the response from every one present.
Bill said, “I’ve scratched out a small section to remove brick by brick, just in case we have to rebuild. The best idea would be to work in small teams of about five or six and change over regularly. It’s going to be tiring because we haven’t had much nourishment.”
Five minutes later, Bill and five others were scraping at the mortar between the bricks. It took an hour and a lot of effort. A space the size of a regular door had been made. A pile of bricks was stacked to one side. The earth bank which came next was already pouring back into the tunnel.
Calvin stepped forward with two other men and began scooping the dirt to left and right. It was half an hour before they cleared an area through which the second brick wall could be seen. Bill was first into the cavity and chipping at the bricks, soon followed by Calvin, Paul, Alan, and Craig.
“Step back through to the tunnel, guys,” Bill said. “We don’t know what the weather has been like, but when this first brick comes free, we’re going to find out.”
The others stepped through the loose earth and back through the first wall into the tunnel.
Bill tapped at the first outer wall brick until it loosened. He stepped to one side before giving it a final nudge, and the blast of warm air was overwhelming after the time spent in the low temperature of the tunnel. What was more shocking was the daylight shining through that single gap when the brick was removed.
After the initial light and heat, Bill set to work again with the small trowel he was using. He’d just taken out the next three bricks when he saw a movement to his left. Calvin was beside him, and then Craig on his right.
“Let’s fucking do this,” Paul said, as he and Alan once again became part of the frontal assault.
The five men worked steadily and removed individual bricks, passing them back through to waiting hands on the inside of the first wall. Naturally, the larger the space created, there was an increase in light and warm air flooding into the tunnel. Gasps were coming from those people still inside the cooler environment.
It seemed to those at the front of the task that for most people, confidence in their plan, and a fear of never seeing daylight again had overcome the spectre of radiation sickness.
“Okay, guys,” Bill said. “Thanks for your efforts, and I’ve got a good feeling about this. For now, get back into the safety of the tunnel and wait for me to do the walk.”
Several hands slapped him on the back, and Bill stepped into the overgrown area. Immediately upon stepping forward he confirmed the existence of the glass corridor. “The greenhouse is there.”
“Go on, Bill.”
“Be careful, mate.”
“Take your time, Bill.”
Bill was emboldened by the support and shielded his squinting eyes with his hands as he stepped forward. Immediately to his front was a thick bush before a flourishing mini-jungle. If not for the tunnel behind him there would have been no concept of a railway line and sleepers ever having been here so many years before. Bill’s heart was thumping in a way he had not experienced since the last time he’d been under enemy fire.
“Don’t think about the taste, mate, just breathe normally and remain calm.” He whispered instructions to himself. “You’re doing this for those guys behind you.” After taking two paces through the greenery, Bill stood still and concentrated to settle himself. He continued to protect his eyes from the mid-morning, hazy sunshine. All around him, the bushes, shrubs and flowers were in good health, but the foliage to the front was too thick to see through.
Underfoot where the railway had been lifted one hundred years before, nature had reclaimed the ground. If there were any gravel, it had long ago been swallowed and integrated into the soil. For five long minutes, Bill stood in the furnace-like heat of the glass-encased world.
Harry said, “Are you okay, Bill?”
“All good so far, Harry,” he shouted back. “I’m blinded by the natural light even though it’s diffused by mist. No breathing issues yet, apart from the high temperature and maybe an overdose of pollen. I can’t see the other tunnel entrance, mate.”
“You’re doing okay, Bill. When you feel able, tell me what you can of your surroundings. Take your time, and be as logical as possible, just like we discussed earlier.”
“Okay, Harry, here we go.” Bill paused and looked to his front, turning his head slightly left and right. “I can hardly see the glass-covering, but I can make out the frame—it looks like metal. The greenery has almost taken over the place and is pressed against the glass, continuing to grow.”
“That’s great, Bill, it sounds like the glass is intact, and until any trees are strong enough to do damage, it should contain everything.”
“I’ve just noticed, I can see and hear insects … there’s life out here apart from the plants and flowers, Harry.”
“Well done, mate. Use your senses and take it easy. You’ve been out there for ten minutes.”
“Going forward a few paces, Harry, so we’ll have to shout.”
“Okay.”
“It’s difficult to walk through … the undergrowth is dense, and there’s no natural pathway. I can see, hear and smell with no effects apart from the ever-present heat.”
“Remember, there will be the residual heat trapped by the glass … you’re basically in a huge greenhouse. The foliage will create moisture so the strongest will survive and thrive.”
“I’ve touched a variety of leaves, and I don’t feel any adverse effects. I’m going forward … wait, I can see through to the sky.” He paused and checked his watch, grateful that he loved the antique device with its narrow needles which pointed to the numerals around the face. “Harry, it’s almost one o’clock… and I can’t see the colour of the sky … it’s just a bright haze.”
“Think back to your military training, Bill. The sun is up there beating down … but there will be a different atmosphere for it to cut through.”
“Got it, Harry.” He paused. “Give me one hour … I’m going farther through here.”
“Okay, I’ll have some herbal tea ready in sixty minutes.”
“Jasmine … with mint.” He wiped the rivulets of perspiration from his face.
Harry laughed. “You’ve got it, mate. Go carefully.”
Bill realised that if it weren’t for the haze blocking out the direct sunlight, the greenhouse corridor would be ten times hotter. He probably wouldn’t have been able to breathe. The glass casing appeared to have done much more than hold back inclement weather. He brushed a few small insects from his soaking face and trudged onward. His clothing was stuck to him.
With relief, after another ten minutes, Bill stopped shielding his eyes and was able to move the foliage aside using both hands. “If this other tunnel is one hundred metres away, it’s a bloody long one hundred metres.” He almost laughed, as the dark humour of service life breached the barriers of his natural fears. Instead of fighting through a glass tunnel in the Scottish Highlands, it felt reminiscent of the jungle warfare in which he’d been involved while helping a South American government years before.
At twenty minutes past one, Bill became aware of the area to his front looking much darker. As he parted the broad leaves of a large bush which he didn’t recognise, he saw why things looked darker. There were climbing, dense bushes on either side and an abundance of growth following the contours of the old railway tunnel entrance no more than fifty paces away.
Bill studied the unmistakable indent into the other mountainside. He tried to imagine how, so long ago, a train engine had ended its service here; the role of mechanical labourer completed. Mo
re importantly, inside this other mountain was the innovative and impressive monster facility that was the Auchcarn Hydro-Electric Power Station.
Was the plant still working? If there were any people inside, were they victims or survivors? Would it be safe, or another nightmare location in which Bill and his companions could look forward to a slow death underground?
So many important questions to be answered, but before they could be, it would be necessary to gain access to the metal doors which guarded the entrance. After the events of the past forty-eight hours and constantly fighting an overwhelming sense of dread, Bill felt that there might yet be an escape from the nightmare.
Away from the eyes of all those depending on him, the veil of bravado slipped. Throughout his service life he’d survived so many close calls with death. He’d hoped to retire and enjoy a peaceful life, but the nuclear holocaust had blown away any thoughts of tranquility.
Tears filled Bill’s eyes as he felt tremendous relief and a glimmer of hope for his companions and himself. He could now embrace the faith he’d been advocating that everybody else should have.
Bill fought his way back through the substantial growth and paused to look into the dimly-lit railway tunnel he’d left less than an hour before.
People were standing beyond the two breached brick walls and the partially-cleared earth insulation between. Bill nodded towards them, knowing they’d see him clearly although he could only make out vague silhouettes backed by a dim yellow light.
“Hey,” Harry said. “Don’t be a stranger … come on in.”
Bill stepped through the gap in the first wall, took two paces over the flat, loose earth and then stepped through the hole in the second wall. He was overwhelmed when the bearded scientist embraced him.
“Well done, Bill,” he whispered. “We’re all proud of you … proud and grateful.”
“It was a long bloody hour.” Bill wiped the perspiration from his face. He laughed as he was held close or felt hands slapping his back and shoulders. A multitude of greetings were aimed at him, mentioning everything from his bravery to the way his shirt and trousers were saturated. A hundred or more questions were fired at the intrepid explorer.
“Everybody, please settle down,” Calvin said in a friendly tone. “When Harry gets back with this man’s cup of tea, we can hear the news.”
Harry returned from his front carriage with a cup of herbal tea for Bill. The entire group were sitting or standing between the carriage and the promising sight of daylight through the recently created exit out to the glass corridor.
Bill sipped and savoured his drink and sat on a wooden crate to face the other survivors.
Steph stood nearby and as ever had her pad and pen ready to make notes. “Ready when you are, Doctor Livingstone.” She smiled at him.
“I haven’t had time to gather my thoughts properly, but I can give you all something to hold onto for now.” He gulped tea, realising how quickly he’d acquired a taste for what he’d always considered a strange brew. “For an hour I was in what we’ll call the corridor, and unless an ingenious chemical agent or gas has been developed, I don’t feel any ill-effects.”
For a few minutes, there was a hubbub until Harry stepped forward and raised a hand for silence.
Bill nodded to him. “The glass appears to be intact between our tunnel and the Auchcarn tunnel. It looks and feels like a massive greenhouse with myriad plants and small trees growing there, some of which might be edible. There is a reason some of you are now rubbing your arms and faces. There is insect life out there, now invited to investigate our tunnel. The bats will be grateful.”
There were some murmurs of appreciation, as folk who hadn’t realised now accepted the minor irritation of insects. Others smiled when they caught the dark humour about the bats.
“I couldn’t see any trace of where the railway would have been years ago because Mother Nature has taken everything back. The undergrowth is thick and difficult to wade through so it will take a bit of work to create a pathway, and trust me, it is probably only one hundred metres to the other tunnel.”
Bill gulped more tea and looked around at the expectant faces.
“At the Auchcarn facility there are two metal doors fitted about one metre within the old tunnel entrance. There is no indication of what lies beyond those doors … no signs, no damage; nothing. Before we take our plans any further, I want to put something to all of you, and it’s a matter of life and death.”
Where there had been a few whispers before there was now silence.
“Imagine you are one of the people working in that plant, and there is an apocalypse.” He paused to let the thought register. “You know that after the first couple of days there might not be many survivors around. By the third day, anybody who is still around will be in one of a few categories.”
While the group were in quiet contemplation, Harry caught Bill’s eye and nodded approval of how the news was being delivered.
Bill finished his tea. “The main survivors of a nuclear blast would be the political leaders, the advisors and those others thought worthy of saving. Apart from those people in an underground bunker, on the ground would be professional, well-protected, equipped military. Next would be those who, like us, have found sanctuary, even for a short time.” He paused once again. “It is a fact that there would also be the possibility of infected survivors. Radiation sickness can kill within seconds, or over lengthy periods, affect how a person thinks and acts. Physical symptoms might remove all the senses for one person. For another, it might create an abomination with superior strength and no compassion.”
“Fucking hell,” Craig whispered, but the words carried clearly in an otherwise stunning silence.
“Insects, plant-life, animals, birds and people would all have a level of tolerance. To further complicate things in the world we knew, there were an abundance of biological and chemical agents in the hands of governments.”
“Bill … may I ask something?”
“Yes, Louise,” Bill said,” but I’d prefer not to take a load of questions after this one.”
“If we’re still safe and you think we can reach the hydro plant, why should we worry about those strange things you’ve mentioned?”
Bill met her gaze but spoke slowly and clearly to dispel any doubts. “Imagine, for one minute, Louise, that you are a surviving technician working inside that hydro plant. We’ll say that for example there are you and ten colleagues in there, and you’re all happy to have made it.”
Louise nodded and her brow furrowed.
Bill looked around the faces, ensuring he had the attention of every person. “You and your fellow survivors reach the fourth or fifth day after the oblivion outside the mountain, and then a bunch of people come knocking at your back door.”
“Oh my god.”
“Shit.”
“Oh, sweet Jesus.”
“Fucking hell.”
Harry nodded again from behind the group. He was content that Bill had hit the right tone and sent forth a strong message.
Bill held up his hands and had silence within a few seconds. “I apologise for painting such a bleak scenario, but we’ve come so far, and we must continue to advance slowly. I spent a long time talking to Harry last night about how much nourishment we have available. His estimate is that we can have a similar meal to yesterday on two more occasions, so if we all take it easy, that means two more days.”
A murmur built up into a handful of quiet discussions.
“Listen,” Bill said and got instant quiet. “I appreciate that it’s a lot to ask when things have become so exciting and hopeful, but we have to tread carefully. Nobody will be deserted because we’re all in this thing together. Please offer the committee your continued trust, and we’ll move on.”
“That sounds bloody good to me, yeah?” Craig said. “Thank you, Bill.”
Several people acknowledged, and the atmosphere became more positive.
Harry took centre stage at a nod f
rom Bill. “Right, everybody, if you’re all prepared to sit around for a while, I’ll organise a hot drink and a piece of fruit or veg. Until we call you all back for a full group update, please remember what you were reminded about yesterday. Even though we have light throughout the tunnel, do not go anywhere alone, including back and forward to your accommodation.”
Bill said, “Before you disperse, guys. I propose a committee meeting in Harry’s Place in one hour, and thank you all once again. Every time we agree, we increase our mutual trust and our chances.”
The select few gathered in the front carriage of Harry’s Place.
“I think we’re ready,” Steph said and nodded to Bill. “Go ahead, leader.” She smiled.
“Well, as you’ll appreciate,” Bill said. “Harry is a key figure, so it’s right that he attends this meeting. We have a fresh list of questions to consider and decisions to make.” He smiled. “Our aim must be to improve what we have. Our revised first option is to stay where we are and possibly cultivate the glass corridor, which would take time and leave us low on resources.”
“Or,” Harry said, “the natural progression would be to gain entry to the Auchcarn facility. I’ve got ideas, but I’d be happy for you each to offer questions to consider.”
Bill nodded to Harry, and every member of the small committee looked around at the others.
Craig said, “Naturally, we believe that the hydro plant is better than what we have, but we have to ask ourselves if it’s safe, yeah?”
“I don’t think we have much choice,” Calvin said. “As Bill pointed out, he’s discussed it with Harry, and what we have is basically two simple veggie meals, and then it’s a water diet.”
“Will there be personnel in the hydro plant, and if so, how many?” Steph said.
Alan nodded. “Remembering what Bill said earlier, how would any staff react to us?”
“A key question,” Dawn said. “If we managed to gain access, who would go in and test the water for us because we can’t expect Bill to always be in the firing line?”
