Light At The End | Book 1 | Surviving The Apocalypse

by Benson, Tom

  The academic reached to the table where he’d left a few notes.

  “Medicine, as we knew it is mainly a thing of the past for us. Before I opted to live in my train in the tunnel, I took a keen interest in herbal and natural remedies. Most of you will have seen the many shelves of herbs and flowers I had growing in my carriages. Those particular varieties were intended as a source of nutrition, and when required as a slow-healing remedy.”

  A hand went up in the audience. It was the hand of a big man with red hair and a beard.

  “Yes, Archie?” Harry nodded.

  “What will we do now that your natural remedies are all left behind?”

  “They’ll be rescued, not forgotten, but more of that later. I’ve been taken on a tour of what we have available within our new environment. We’ll be able to produce plentiful quantities of all we might need. There is already much more being cultivated inside this mountain than anybody could have dreamt. As the other speakers will be, I’ll be available for questions later, and now I’ll hand over to Victoria.”

  The young woman bowed politely to the man who had set her on her academic path several years earlier with his inspiring lectures.

  “As a botanist,” Victoria said, “I’ve been truly amazed at what I saw in Harry’s carriages in the tunnel and didn’t expect to see the wonders created within this underground installation. Sufficient earth was brought in here to ensure a natural orchard could be established. At least natural except for the drip-fed rainfall and the artificial daylight.”

  There was a ripple of laughter, and the pretty blonde smiled briefly before she continued.

  “You all walked through the glass corridor on the way from one mountain tunnel into the other, so you saw a vast array of greenery in that space. Harry and I have already commenced cataloguing what exists out there, and we intend to use the glass corridor to our advantage. I’ll be working closely with Ramona regarding what is edible, and with Harry to segregate what is also medicinal. My plea to all of you is not to plunder whatever grows in any part of our new home. Please do not destroy any vegetation.” She turned and indicated Alan with an open hand.

  The tall, handsome executive stood. “Yes, I’m Alan, the man who was first to ask Bill what right he had to tell us what to do.”

  What started as a nervous titter soon blossomed into laughter. It quieted slowly.

  Alan smiled and continued, “For the foreseeable future I have accepted the task of general administration. At present, we are all sleeping where we can find a space and preferably on a cushioned or padded surface. As the days progress, we will come to enjoy first of all a regular, comfortable space to sleep, and then we will aim to provide privacy. In terms of hygiene, we have sufficient toilet facilities. As you will now all have experienced the shower facilities, there is no need for towels. The cubicles are all fitted with integral full-body drying jets, and they are efficient.” He paused and fluffed his beard with his fingers causing a ripple of laughter. “Thanks to a lack of razors, beards are likely to become the order of the day in our community as we evolve.”

  Several of the men who so far had only grown stubble reached up and brushed their chins thoughtfully as Alan sat down again.

  “Harry, a question if I may?” It was Jean, the ex-teacher.

  “Yes, Jean?” Harry stood.

  “I can appreciate what you and Victoria will be capable of when we’re dealing with the use of natural remedies and suchlike. Do we have any organised support for physical injuries?”

  “A good question, Jean. Due to its role, the installation has a small but well-equipped medical facility. Our medical team at the moment consists of Tina, Fiona, Noreen, and Jay-Dee.” He extended an arm and nodded. Four people stood.

  “Hello everybody, I’m Tina,” the attractive forty-year-old woman said. “My medical expertise is as a veterinary surgeon. If I ever have to deal with you, just bark, or yelp and I’ll be right at home.” She smiled as she resumed her seat.

  Some people laughed while others bit their lip, hoping never to require surgery.

  A slim, handsome woman in her thirties was next up. “I’m Fiona, and I’m a dentist.” She smiled as she looked around the faces. “I can tell by your expressions that you’re hoping not to need my expertise. I haven’t yet seen what equipment we have available in the medical facility, so be careful, please.”

  A tall, good-looking Asian man addressed the group. “I’m Jay-Dee to those who haven’t got to know me. I spent most of my years nursing in an emergency room environment.” He sat down.

  The next person who’d stood at Harry’s nod was a pretty, curvaceous black woman in her mid-thirties. “I’m Noreen. I have a lot of nursing experience but I specialised in midwifery, so it might be a while before I’m asked to practice some of my skills here.”

  Among the attendees were younger women blushing, and a few older women thankful they’d have no need of Noreen’s abilities. A few women giggled as they met the gaze of men they’d only recently met. A couple of the men cast an eye around the room, suddenly thinking beyond their next hot brew.

  Harry waited until all had calmed. “I’ve discussed the matter with our medically-trained friends, and they will list their locations on the clinic noticeboard when we establish ourselves.” He looked around. “I believe Ramona would now like a word.”

  “My thanks first of all,” Ramona said. “A few of you have already applied yourself to helping all you can in our kitchen. What can I tell you to make things sound positive? We have water, a variety of fruit-bearing trees, an orchard, greenhouses, grass, and hens, which, by the way, are a protected species down here.” She smiled. “This has been a vegetarian facility for many years. If you wish to prolong many of the choices on our menu, please respect our vegetation and our hens.”

  A murmur passed through the congregation, and many nodded their agreement.

  Ramona continued, “I’ve discussed the menu and regular meal times with a few of you. By this evening, we’ll have our first attempt at a revised type of meal planning. You may wonder why we’re trying different systems, but essentially, breakfast will be the largest meal, and then we’ll have two small meals later in the day. Whatever we do, we’ll be more active earlier in the day, which is the theory of our trial. It will be adapted as you all give input because however long we’re on this Earth, we are all different.”

  Paul, the coach driver, was next to take the floor, and as he stood, he was greeted with rapturous applause and cheers. He’d been forewarned by others to expect adulation. It was he who decided to aim for the tunnel which had started this new episode and saved their lives. He had been supported in his brave move. Dawn, his friend and guide at the front of the coach, had given her quiet agreement as the tour became a desperate escape and then an adventure.

  “What great news can a coach driver offer you?” Paul laughed nervously and was given support by a ripple of laughter from his audience. “In an attempt to make your resting time more comfortable, I will be part of a team who will strip our coach and transport the contents into our new lodgings.”

  Gasps came from different areas of the room, and the handsome young man smiled.

  “Our intention is to take the coach apart in a slow and steady operation. As our forefathers would have done in the wilderness hundreds of years ago when they killed a wild animal, we will find a use for every part. Unnecessary waste is to be a thing of the past and we will recycle as many materials as possible.”

  Cheers once again filled the strange auditorium.

  Bill stood, and as he looked around the room the expressions were those of people saved and hopeful, not of those who felt they were living on borrowed time.

  “Okay, listen up, guys. You’ve had a variety of voices, so now for a few minutes you’ve got me again.” He grinned and experienced a warmth he hadn’t felt for many years. One woman, in particular caught his eye. A slim, auburn-haired, thirty-something was smiling and staring straight at the man as he star
ted again.

  “We have a lot of work ahead of us, but nobody will be left out. Those who have expertise in certain spheres will share their know-how in whichever way possible. Our hope is that as a community, we will absorb knowledge and try our hands at new skills. I believe we should all aim to be multi-talented. Patience, tolerance, and the desire to succeed will be the way forward.”

  A spontaneous cheer went up, and the female admirer nodded imperceptibly as she clapped discreetly and continued to meet Bill’s gaze.

  “We’ll organise teams and utilise all at our disposal. Remember, guys, we don’t just have this massive facility within the mountain and all the benefits it provides.” He looked around. “We have our glass corridor, which will become a mini-agricultural centre providing us with an ongoing harvest of whatever will work. Beyond the corridor, we have our first safe haven; our five-mile tunnel.”

  Another cheer went up as spirits rose in the room. Some people cried with relief.

  “It will be a long journey and progress will be slow, but we’ll succeed if we all work together.” He paused. “After our lunch meal, all those who’ve taken on responsibility will team up with their second in command. For the afternoon, we’ll all be available for individual questions, and now, once again, thank you.”

  Steph tugged on his sleeve and whispered, “You make yourself scarce, and I’ll continue digging and planning on that sensitive security topic from earlier.”

  Bill nodded. He felt the light touch of many a hand on his back as he passed through the cafeteria.

  Des spun in his large swivel seat and applauded politely when the Control Centre door opened. He nodded to a speaker on the wall. “I think the only thing I missed was the appreciative looks you and your fellow speakers must have received.” He stood and shook Bill’s hand. “Great to be on the team with you, mate.”

  “You were already safely established in here.” Bill pulled up a seat at the long console and spun around to face the engineer.

  “Established is what we are now, Bill. Before you and your band of survivors joined us, we were entombed. The best we thought we’d manage would be a few months until the food ran low and we worked out a way to end it all. It’s easily done when you’re surrounded by an electrical-production plant.”

  “And that is the last time we hear negativity in here.” Bill smiled and turned to look at the myriad lights, alarms and buttons along the vast wall of equipment and information. “Is Tracey taking over soon?”

  “Yes, she’ll be in here to deal with the period between lunchtime and the evening meal.”

  “Okay, mate.” Bill stood. “I’ll get back here this evening, and you can begin my training.”

  “I look forward to it.” Des watched the door slowly close. He offered a silent thank you to whoever or whatever had stopped him from pressing wet fingers into an open power socket only the day before.

  Steph moved with Dawn to a corner table in the cafeteria, and five minutes later they were joined by Anne, the colleague and friend of the unfortunate Detective Sergeant Ken Wallace.

  Norman approached, “I brought you drinks, ladies.”

  Steph and Dawn nodded to him, and Anne looked from Steph to the forestry man.

  Norman lifted the cups from the tray and placed the tray on a nearby table. He looked at the policewoman. “Don’t worry, Anne, I’m here for the same reason as you, although I don’t know how you’re connected to our chat.”

  Anne turned from Norman to Steph and squinted.

  Steph said, “Norman has a key piece of information, Anne, and I believe you can be open with him. I’ve already brought Dawn up to speed on what we know so far.”

  Anne turned to the big man as he took a seat. “I was Ken Wallace’s colleague.”

  Norman said, “The man who was—”

  “Yes, the man who was murdered in the tunnel. We were working on the case of the forest trails murderer. Ken got an anonymous tip-off that somebody with information would meet him somewhere on the Highland Way coach tour and he was given Saturday as the particular day during the tour.”

  Dawn said, “How would Ken have known who the contact was?”

  “He didn’t, but his face was well-known, thanks to media reports of his successes.”

  Norman nodded. “He quite literally became a victim of his own reputation as a good detective.”

  Dawn said, “Steph and I have worked over the passenger list, the drop off and pick-up points and we’ve highlighted a couple of things. First and foremost, on our fateful final trip, Paul and I didn’t drop off any passengers. We’d been told there might not be another coach to relay passengers for twenty-four hours. We were aware of an early morning coach which was scheduled to drop passengers off but then return to our base so we knew we’d have a few pick-ups en route.”

  The other three remained quiet.

  “I got my electronic register working again this morning for a short while, and I couldn’t get it to match names and faces.” Dawn looked around.

  Anne looked at the list on Steph’s paper notebook on the table. “Which ones weren’t matching?”

  “Any of them,” Dawn said. “Anybody who’s ever used a phone or electrical equipment in the mountain range will be aware that due to a geological phenomenon some devices malfunction at certain spots. At the place, we have listed as the Bird of Prey stop we had several issues. Phones weren’t working properly, and this tablet wasn’t performing. When we eventually reached the coach on the road, Paul told me that the television had gone into a tailspin.”

  Norman said, “I’m not following how this affects the passenger list or how you record them?”

  “We use facial recognition,” Dawn said. “Unfortunately, because we left that location in haste the next time I used the tablet was after the effects of the electromagnetic interference that happened during the explosions. This device has gone haywire. While I worked through everything possible with Steph, we listed the names and occupations. We compared them to what we registered by hand in the tunnel.”

  Norman’s brow furrowed but he nodded to let Dawn continue.

  “Earlier, when I plugged my tablet into a powerpoint to have another browse through the names, my machine reacted strangely. I typed in one particular name twice, because the display jumped between different faces.”

  “What was the name?” Norman was catching on.

  “Patsy Mayne.”

  The forestry worker-controlled his desire to go and look for the woman. “What was the name of the other person who appeared?”

  “Patsy Mayne,” Dawn whispered.

  “What—”

  Dawn said, “If she joined us at the Bird of Prey stop I wouldn’t have paused to register her due to our hurry to leave. The tablet should tell me her name isn’t recognised, but instead because it’s malfunctioning it’s trying to show different faces. The facial recognition feature is basically useless to us.”

  Anne said, “Your machine would synchronise with the software on the coach, and tell you that you had the right number of passengers by using names … but not confirm what they looked like?”

  “Correct,” Dawn said. “I know our investigation isn’t foolproof, but Steph and I have looked at this from every angle we can think of and—”

  Norman interrupted. “I’ve told Bill already that there is a female prison officer who might not be for real.” He looked from Dawn to Steph, to Anne. “I’m convinced the person I’m talking about isn’t all she pretends to be and there is a connection to a dead man.” He explained about the silver bracelet, which had a single gold link.

  “It’s tenuous,” Anne said. “The bracelet could have been found.”

  “If you and Ken have been on the case you’ll know that my friend Malcolm was wearing an expensive watch and his rings but obviously not his bracelet. I think it would be a stretch to believe he lost it in a forest and somebody happened to find it.”

  “We have to be careful how we handle this information,” A
nne said, her professionalism showing.

  Norman said, “The bracelet was engraved with Malcolm’s wife’s name.”

  “That’s better,” Steph said. “What was her name?”

  “Pat.” He looked around at their faces. “I know … this woman whom I believe is a fake would only have to scratch a couple of letters on the end to make the name into something else, but we have an ace up our sleeve.”

  All three women turned towards Norman.

  He nodded slowly. “The bracelet was also engraved on the inside, and not many people would know the detail, but I do. It would be millions to one for that Patsy woman to have reasons for the engraving on the inside.”

  “What’s engraved on the inside?” Anne said.

  “The date of Malcolm’s marriage. He had been ill, and his fingers were swollen so he couldn’t wear a ring. Pat, his wife, organised the gold link in the bracelet at short notice.”

  Steph said, “Are you sure you’d recognise the date of their anniversary?”

  “I was Best Man at their wedding. It was me who carried the bracelet until Pat gave it to Malcolm.”

  Anne said, “We need to find a way to make this woman talk and trip herself up. If the person you’ve seen is a fake, it only depends on her being asked the right questions, and we’ll have her.”

  Dawn whispered, “Let’s say we prove that she is the killer … what do we do about it?”

  For a moment there was silence at the table, but it was broken by Norman.

  “I don’t know what the hell Bill did before he ended up on our coach, but … he told me that summary justice sometimes occurred in his previous work. He actually warned me off about taking any action and said to leave it with him.”

  “How strange,” Dawn murmured.

  Anne said, “I know we’re dealing with a murder, but I don’t know if I could condone another one to settle a score.”

  “With respect, Anne,” Norman said. “I don’t think you have to worry about professional ethics anymore. As far as we know right now, you are a one-woman police force.”