by Benson, Tom
Ramona first used her small group to deal with the clean-up after breakfast. “We’re fortunate to have the power and the water. They allow for hygienic practices in the kitchen at all times. There’s no point in our survival if we allow ourselves to fall foul of food poisoning.”
Alan said, “There’s a general acceptance in our community that we all have to make an effort to improve and maintain our existence. This kitchen has been important to us since we arrived here and your efforts are always appreciated.”
“Thank you, Alan, and before long, you’ll be at home with everything from using the milk processing machine, to cooking breakfast for everybody, perhaps with a little help.”
The handful of pupils for the day laughed.
Alan shook his head. “I have to admit that when I heard this place was vegetarian, I didn’t realise the range of meals you could produce. I didn’t expect to see cheese, for example.”
“As I told somebody a few days ago, two of our engineers accepted the challenge of creating something which could mimic what a cow would do to produce milk. It took a couple of years, but they managed. What can be produced by adding milk is dependent on how we use it. The hens produce sufficient eggs for us, and the bees will soon become accustomed to all that’s being cultivated in the glass corridor, including the new herbs.”
“Do you think certain bees will go that far?” Tina said. “I know that the honey they produce is flavoured by the flowers and trees the bees visit.”
“It may take time,” Ramona said. “We have honey bees, and they already visit plants and trees in the orchard, and throughout the installation. As long as the door to the glass corridor is open, some of our busy little friends will find the source of the fragrances. We’ll have new flavours of honey in no time.”
“Will we be dealing with the beehives?” Tina said.
“Yes, but only when you feel ready. We have two protective suits and I’ll be with whoever would like to learn more about the way we use and maintain the hives.”
Jay-Dee had never envisioned his life heading in the direction it had. After a discussion with Tina, the vet, it was agreed that it would be more appropriate for Jay-Dee to deal with basic medical training.
“Hello,” Jay-Dee said to his three people for the first session on first aid. “I asked for us to use the cafeteria for our early lessons because I’d like to introduce you to the idea that accidents can and do happen anywhere.”
Chloe laughed. “More than once, I’ve been injured in the forest, and I was in full protective gear.”
Jay-Dee smiled. “For a long time, any instructional methods relating to first aid have followed the theory that we must assess the injury or injuries in priority order. You might have one person with multiple injuries or multiple casualties, so it’s important to get it right.”
“I suppose it would be helpful if the first person on the scene keeps calm,” Cherry said.
“It does, Cherry, and as somebody who works with mechanical or electrical engineering I’m sure you’ve seen your share of accidents.”
“I have and each time lessons are learned.”
“Well the first lesson I’d like you all to learn is to keep calm, assess the situation and remember the order of your priorities. Breathing, bleeding, fractures and then burns are the classic groups, and not surprisingly, the person who appears unconscious or not breathing is in the most danger.”
The group were attentive, in the knowledge that it was mutually beneficial to them.
Tracey had three people in the Control Centre. “The first thing you’ll all have noticed when you came in here is the number of little lights, alarms, coloured buttons and screens.” She looked around at the faces. “To simplify it for you, I’m sitting in front of one of the sub-sections. Remember that a lot of what you see around the walls is repetition. The sections are like the one in front of me.”
Flint said, “Are all the monitors live?”
“Yes, they are, and we’ll come to them in due course. Before we look at any of the equipment I’d like to show you this diagram I prepared with Des. It explains in simple terms how the electricity is produced. When you’re all happy with that, we’ll move on to where it goes from the facility … under normal circumstances. One of the reasons we’re still monitoring our equipment is because if electricity is used anywhere away from this power station, we will recognise it.”
In the main tunnel, Bill worked with a small team on what had become a regular shift. Almost half of the old tunnel had been relieved of its track equipment. All rail sections and sleepers were stacked at regular intervals along the tunnel.
The objective was that all of the rails and the sleepers would be recycled as the building materials when the maintenance portals and the empty coaches which had been Harry’s Place were converted into accommodation. It was an ambitious plan, but as was pointed out often, time was on their side. It was with a sense of purpose that every person worked hard when they found themselves involved in the track lifting.
Bill paused while helping Calvin to stack a few sleepers. “I’ve been judging our progress since we started our daily shifts in here and I think we’ll have this phase completed by Day Thirty.” It had become natural to refer to time as the number of days spent in their new environment.
There were no immediate plans for who would live in the converted and renovated accommodation, but it would all be clean, comfortable, well lit, heated and in communication with the main complex. This was a significant task to be discussed and detailed.
Throughout the community of survivors, several pairs were bonding. It occurred naturally through relaxed conversation as the people once again dared to dream of a future beyond the next meal.
18 - Genesis
Day Thirty-Five
Friday 1st July
An hour after breakfast, the committee were gathered in the cafeteria and reaching the end of their regular meeting.
Bill said, “If nobody else has any points I think we’ve reached that special date we set.”
The others looked at their leader, quizzically.
“This is the first day of July, my friends. If you recall at one of our earliest gatherings, we agreed that we’d hand over to a new committee and suggest no longer than a month tenure for the spokesman.”
“Or leader?” Steph said and grinned.
“Or leader, Steph.” Bill smiled at her.
“The time has flown in some ways,” Alan said. “I do recall our rationale was to prevent any individual or small group becoming accustomed to a position of power.”
Dawn said, “I was thinking about this during one of those long sessions lifting rails and sleepers.”
The others laughed, all having experienced the long hard hours of physical effort.
Dawn said, “I’ve considered a method whereby we can replace our leader and the committee in an ongoing system.” Dawn had always been confident, but like everybody else, she’d learned to continually assess and be prepared to react to change. “My idea is that when the leader steps down, one of the present committee members takes over.”
Heads were nodding and looks exchanged before everybody around the two tables turned to hear the remainder of Dawn’s idea.
“We don’t need six or seven members anymore, so with our new leader elected or volunteered from within the committee, the remainder may stand down from their duties. When we convene our regular briefing for the community, we ask for volunteers, but only four of them.” She looked around. “A committee of four combined with a group leader still allows for a casting vote when making a decision.”
Bill looked around at the smiling faces. “All in favour?” He held up his hand and nodded slowly as every member followed suit. “The motion is carried and thank you, Dawn.” He lowered his voice. “Do you want to take over leadership?”
“Oh, no, I just wanted to have useful input.”
A ripple of laughter sounded around the group.
“You always wa
nt to have useful input, and I’m still learning to be positive, yeah?” Craig said.
The group laughed again because they all recognised how in such a short time, the one-time pessimist had admitted learning that more could be produced through positivity.
Bill said, “Before I take a step back, I’d like to thank you guys for your unstinting support. We’ve had to face some hard decisions and instil confidence in our whole group. Now, before we’re compelled to put it to the vote, do we have a brave soul who’d like to volunteer for leadership during July?”
The small group of people spent one minute looking around at each other and when three different people gazed at one person she volunteered herself with a smile.
“Okay, I’ll take it on,” Steph said and rolled her eyes. She turned to Bill. “Don’t you dare call me leader.”
He winked at her and smiled.
An hour after the evening meal, the survivors gathered in the cafeteria for their latest update.
Bill stood, smiling. “You’ll be pleased to hear that my speech this evening will be short because my only remaining duty for the present time is to conduct a public handover to your new spokesperson.” He enjoyed a theatrical pause and the stunned expressions of some people before he half-turned. “Steph, you have the floor.”
When Steph stood, stepped forward and nodded to her predecessor who’d moved aside, the room filled with applause and cheering. “I could get used to this.” She smiled down at Bill who had taken a seat.
The cheering turned to laughter, a sound not yet heard often enough.
“My fervent wish is that I will conduct myself with something close to the strength, integrity and compassion shown by Bill in a period when many of us relied on no more than hope. Thank you, Bill.”
Rousing applause caused the man to stand and acknowledge his peers. He had only ever wanted to help his companions to keep the faith and not give up, and he was moved by the display of gratitude.
Steph waited for quiet. “We’ve achieved so much together, and I’m sure you’d all agree that we have much more to do, but as we go forward it will be with greater confidence. On our second day in the old tunnel, we had a brief introductory address by Harry. He was a man who only the day before had been living as a recluse several miles away at the other end of the tunnel.”
A hubbub built up and faded.
“Harry stood at the front of the coach and talked to us about our survival and our instincts.” Steph flicked open her trusty paper notebook to one of the first pages. “Back on that dark night along the tunnel, Harry said that we would desire homeostasis, water, food, sleep, clothes, shelter, companionship, and sex.” She grinned at the sound of stifled laughter. “He said that the last two were inextricably linked.”
Apart from breathing, there was silence in the room.
“Homeostasis, as you’ll recall, was explained as our state of mind. I think I speak for everybody when I say that it’s a lot healthier now than it was thirty-five days ago. We have so much to be thankful for, and mutual support is what will see us through.”
As was usual, murmurs of agreement and appreciation carried around the room.
Steph looked at a few specific people and smiled. “You would have to be blind not to see that there are the early signs of closer companionships evolving within our community, and it’s gratifying. When we say we’ll grow as a group, it will be in more than one way.”
The tension was released once again in a burst of laughter from several in the audience. In at least three cases, men and women who’d recognised a kindred spirit dared to take each other’s hands.
For a few minutes, Steph talked about the old tunnel as now being prepared and considered a future area for accommodation. She alluded to it being an ideal extension of the community for the first new family units.
Training would continue, and excellent results had been reported back by all those who were able to pass on specialised knowledge. The Control Centre shift system had become a pinnacle of the training effort, now having six people who were sufficiently competent to be alone on duty.
Steph explained how leadership and committee would be refreshed every month. “I’d like to end my first chat to you by asking for four volunteers to be our new committee, but you don’t have to step up now. Please come and see me in the next hour or so. We’ll place the names on the noticeboard beside the menu.” She paused. “Thank you all.”
Within half an hour, Sandy, Jay-Dee, Linda, and Jean were listed as the committee.
Ramona and Alex worked well together and acquired a reasonable crew to deal with kitchen and associated responsibilities, while Harry and Victoria had produced a handful of keen and industrious gardeners.
Jay-Dee, Noreen, Fiona, and Tina might never have met otherwise but in their new situation were becoming recognised for their advice, instruction and counselling. And so it was that a male nurse, a midwife, a dentist and a vet became the medical team.
Harry played his part, ensuring that flower and herbal remedies were regularly employed, proving their worth as natural sources of repair, nourishment and refreshment. At the request of several people, he also prepared a brief list depicting different scenarios of what had once been called a nuclear winter. Whenever he talked about the examples he had given, Harry was always careful to suggest the probable outcome. It might be perhaps a year with less natural light than usual and low but not deadly temperatures.
Harry repeated his hopeful message, so often he almost started to believe it himself. Above all else, he recognised that faith and positivity would be more beneficial than pessimism and doom.
The multi-faceted training continued, and as it did a revised normality evolved. Friendships strengthened generally, and from some of those alliances, close relationships developed. Amidst the new wave of good feeling and after only a week as the leader, it was Steph who was sought out for advice.
“Anne, come along to the orchard, and we’ll chat there. It’s quiet, and as long as nobody is attending the trees, greenhouses or hives, we’ll have privacy.”
It was a short while after the evening meal when the two women strolled arm in arm along the narrow passageway from the cafeteria. They walked into the massive chamber with a profusion of greenery and artificial daylight, which had just decreased in brightness according to the preset controls.
“Now, my friend,” Steph said. “You were a police officer so I can’t see anything that would cause you alarm. What’s on your mind and I’ll try to help?”
“I think I’m pregnant, Steph.”
“Oh, Anne, surely that’s something we should be able to celebrate?” She embraced the other woman and felt her body tremble as it was wracked by sobs. “Does the father know?”
“I can’t tell the father.” Anne held tight to Steph and cried.
One Year Later
Sunday 1st July 2066
“How are the twins doing?” Noreen was at the start of her daily trip through the old tunnel.
“They’re a handful,” Dawn said. “I can’t complain because Paul has been incredible since the births. It’s hard to believe that the little darlings are a month old.”
“Are you keeping up with the hygiene aspect of having these two?” She smiled down at the two tiny bodies cuddled up to their dozing father.
“We share the cleaning duties, but, of course, it’s meant stripping out the lining from some of our spare clothes.”
Noreen said, “I know we’re always reminding each other of the things we should be grateful for. Can you imagine how desperate we’d be for materials if we hadn’t been packed and dressed for a couple of days’ of trekking?”
“We’ve had that conversation,” Paul whispered.
Noreen said, “Jean has asked me to pass on a message about her next classes. We were discussing the imminent need for making a few simple items for the children from the adult clothing we’re separating.”
Dawn nodded. “She said something about sewing, but we’ll o
nly be able to rescue a certain amount of cotton.”
Noreen said, “Apart from resurrecting her teaching skills, Jean has been working with Harry and Victoria to harvest some materials from the horseradish, willow and clematis.”
“Seriously?” Paul bit his lip, realising he’d almost woke up the two tiny babies in his arms.
“Yes, if done carefully, the fibres can be separated and spun. The willow is useful because varying thicknesses can be used for different purposes. Those are the three main sources of fibre which can be used for sewing.”
“I’ll be attending classes,” Dawn said and glanced at Paul’s furrowed brow. “Okay, we’ll take turns.”
“I’ll leave you to it, guys, I have two more calls to make.” Noreen left MP-3, stepped onto her dedicated individual hover-board and set off for her next stop.
Calvin and Cherry were wandering back along the smooth path in the middle of the tunnel towards MP-2; their home. They paused to talk with the midwife on her rounds.
“I hope you’re not making her walk to the end,” Noreen said.
“We’ve just been to see Anne and her baby,” Cherry said and looked over her shoulder at her muscular partner. “It would take more than this guy to stop me walking every day.”
“Need I say more?” Calvin said.
“You only have a couple of weeks to go, I think,” Noreen said. “You could come up and stay at the clinic when the time is closer.”
“We might do that,” Cherry said. “I’m sure everything will continue to be fine, but it would give us confidence.”
“There’s nobody else in need of the small ante-room at the moment,” Noreen said. “Let me know, and we’ll get the pair of you in there until after the birth.”
