by Cliff Deane
Monuments of granite were carved in the images of both General Levi Leonard Levins and Command Sergeant Major Bradley Michael Cobb. The memory of these two Founding Fathers of the Republic of America would be honored for many years but would become worshipped as Gods after two-hundred years.
EPILOGUE
The names Levi, Gus, and Brad remained popular over the years following that final battle of New River, and one hundred years later North America had completed its devolution into a Pastoral Society.
Both Levi and his friend Gus were incorrect in their thinking that their lives would forever contain strife, coupled with the desire to end the painful sins of man. The reason for their error in judgement was not due to the ROA, but to mother nature herself. Over the years following the deaths of Levi and Brad, the alcohol used by gangs ran out, the drugs lost their efficacy, and fuel began to gel in their tanks. These events led to the deaths of those who preyed on others and as the population continued to decline only those who could grow their own food and keep animals would survive. Well, along with those who learned to distill moonshine whiskey.
Adan Reyes and the other members of the Skonk Works were unable to create a University system capable of regaining the status of a technological society. There were simply too many fields of study needed to rebuild a modern civilization and following their deaths, the decline of the ROA continued to slip deeper into a failing modern society.
Now, forty generations had been reared since the passing of General Levi Levins, and thirty-five generations since the last of the Founders of Levins had passed to the beyond place.
Oh, the farmers continued to produce in sufficient quantities to support the relatively stagnant population. The lone shining achievement of the last twenty years was the invention of the steam engine, which was primarily used by farmers to move water around their fields. When plowing would turn up any metal, the farmers came to call it iron root.
Doctors had become Shamans as the medications of the Old Ones had lost their efficacy over time and no new medicines, other than homeopathic, had been produced since before The Day; eight hundred years earlier.
There were still some firearms around, used mostly for decoration above the fireplace mantle, but reproducing them had become impossible, and the bullets, while not terribly difficult to get were now eight-hundred years old, and even those stored in vacuum packs failed to fire. This resulted in a further devolution of technology, as the Bow became the weapon of choice.
Clothing was now made from animal hides and homespun cotton.
Few could read or write as other needs seemed more relevant to a Pastoral existence. Books had turned to dust, and nothing stored on any electronic media would ever be recovered. The recorded history of ancient civilizations would one day be learned of by those who left their legacy in stone tablets and reliefs. Histories recorded by electronic ones and zeros were forever lost.
It could also be argued that the human species had also devolved in Intelligence Quota, but in truth, man was just dumbed down as formal education was nearly extinguished.
The Republic of America had dissolved into a small township after the first hundred, or so, years. A small forty-man militia, which still proudly called themselves Troop A, though no one knew what the name meant, now trained with Bow and Arrow. The great steel fighting machines sat, rusted to frames at the several gates leading to Levins.
The roadways of the Ancients had long since been broken up by nature’s unending assault. Now millions of cars sat in the final state of crumbling among forests with only shards of plastic to mark the highways passing.
The ruins of the cities of the Old Ones were not forbidden, but of the few who entered them, very few ever returned. It was said that cannibalistic monsters lived in the underground caves and caverns of the once great cities. Rumor had it that those who were not killed or eaten were raised as cattle. The cities were also very dangerous as the buildings continued to weaken to the point of crashing onto the streets below.
FROM THE AUTHOR
WHEW! My friends, I realize that I have presented a noir future in a world suddenly thrust into darkness. I could have, of course, painted a rosy picture of mankind picking itself up, dusting itself off, and starting again, but that would not be historically accurate.
Each year new discoveries are made of lost civilizations that when confronted by some colossal disaster had simply disappeared into the sands of time. And, though I am certain that a disaster of such monumental proportions will, one day, strike our own civilization, we will, like the Roman Empire, be lost for a thousand years.
Who knows, perhaps eight-hundred years into the future, three young men named…well, that may be a story for another time.
A FINAL THOUGHT
You are a good person, you help your neighbors when you are asked. You have never been convicted of a crime, and are considered a pillar of your community.
You also think that those you call Preppers are just a bunch of whackos, come on, what could possibly happen, why that’s just crazy. So, you have only about a three-day supply of food in your home.
Oh, and speaking of those Prepper Whackos, you have a golfing buddy who let it slip that he is a Prepper and is greatly concerned about civilization’s ultimate collapse.
Then, one morning your radio alarm doesn’t awaken you. The power is out, as is your cell phone. You struggle through getting cleaned up and dressed for work, but when you turn the key to start your car, nothing happens.
Oh, well, you decide to take a day off since you can’t get to work, nor can you make contact with your employer. Your neighbors also have the same problems.
NOW: What do you do?
Do you sit tight hoping that some magic fairy from the AAA will make your car run again?
Well, that is exactly what most people will initially do. Relax, the electric company will sort things out soon, and AAA will help get your car to a mechanic to get it fixed. Hey, you say to Sam, your neighbor across the street, while we wait for help, let’s have a block party. Let’s get the grills out and cook up some burgers, yeah, potluck.
Once the food runs out and the realization kicks in that there is no help coming, what do you do then?
Wait! You remember, your golfing buddy is a Prepper. You pack up the family and walk to your friend’s enclave. If you are very lucky, and you make it to your hoped for salvation, you will find that you will not be welcomed with open arms, and unless you have some very special skill which your friend and fellow preppers friends need, you don’t get in the gate.
Your wife and children are starving.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
Do you simply accept your fate and watch as your wife and children die of thirst, or do you find an opportunity in taking what you need from someone else, even if it means murdering that someone who was smart enough to take some level of preparation through food storage?
Come on, your children are dying. Oh, look, there is a house with a candle lighting their living room. They must have food. Yeah, and you are sure they will not turn away starving children. But, what if they do deny you what you need for your children?
Look, there, on the ground, an aluminum baseball bat.
Maybe you will just take it in case those stingy, evil people in the house attack you, or deny your demands for food. After all, it’s for the kids.
An elderly man opens the door. You can smell the food in the kitchen. The man orders you off his property and refuses to share what he has with you.
You can’t believe this horrible old man who was so stupid that he let the world see into his home would turn you away. You become certain that someone else will come along right after you and he will take what he needs…stupid old man, why, he’s going to die soon anyway, and your children are starving, by tomorrow you will not have the strength to do anything, except die.
Your children are starving.
WHAT DO YOU DO? COME ON, WHAT WILL YOU DO?
What will you do? If you hav
e the strength, you will begin your slide to the dark side, and all because you were too thoughtless to expand your food reserves by even an additional week. Sam’s Club even sells delicious freeze-dried foods that will feed a family of four for a week, and for only about $100.
I don’t really want you to die, or become a thief and murderer, which is why I have given you this scenario, and have told you of how to easily extend your food reserves.
WHAT WILL YOU DO?
This is the end of my Vigilante series.
My friends, I sincerely hope you have enjoyed these 6 books which took a couple of years to complete. I am so honored that you took the time to sit down and read my musings.
I also hope that you have decided to get some freeze-dried food for your larder. Even if the apocalypse comes, disaster is always only a storm away.
I lived in Port Charlotte, Florida when Hurricane Charlie passed over our quaint little town along the Peace River on the West Coast of Florida. Once Charlie had passed, my neighborhood and most of the town lost power for 31 days. It was hard…
I hope that you will also read my next series, THE OORT CHRONICLES. Book one is RED ALERT: MISSILES INBOUND and book two is THE OORT PLAGUE. I promise, no Zombies, oh no, my villains are much worse.
Just sign on to Amazon and type in Cliff Deane. You will be directed to all my books.
I hope you will leave a kind review.
Again, I thank you for reading my work. May God bless us all.
Books by Cliff Deane
The Vigilante Series- Post Apocalyptic Justice
Vigilante 1: Into the Darkness
Vigilante 2: Into the Fray
Vigilante 3: The Pale Horse
Vigilante 4: No Quarter
Vigilante 5: The Way West
Vigilante 6: Indian Territory
The Oort Chronicles Series
Red Alert 1: Missiles Inbound
A Prelude to Apocalypse
Red Alert 2: The Oort Plague
The Pandemic Apocalypse
Red Alert 3: America Fights Back
The Mag Apocalypse
About the Author
Cliff Deane grew up in South Charleston, West Virginia. At 17, he left school and joined the U.S. Cavalry, as a Private. 35 years later, he retired as a Lt. Colonel, spending 10 years Enlisted, and 25 years Commissioned.
Cliff holds a High School G.E.D., a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education and English, a Master’s Degree in Education Administration and Management from West Virginia and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College.
After retirement, a love of the American West took Cliff to Prescott, Arizona, which he has called home for many years.
Today, Cliff and his dog Katie reside full time in his 44’ Toy Hauler. He and Katie just go where the wind blows, as long as the wind blows them to Sturgis, SD in August.
