by DB Daglish
Geo and Samantha spoke first and finally Tia had the courage to give her thoughts, having decided that it was just fate that had caused the keel to shear off the Hope. The rest of the day was one of reflection, few spoke and very little laughter was heard around the wharf until late that evening. Someone had mentioned Nick’s comment before he slipped into a coma.
“He said what?”
”I want some ice-cream!”
“Why would he say that?” Josh asked.
“I think he knew he was dying. I hear things of your life pass by quickly. He craved for ice-cream. Maybe it was something he really liked?”
“It was!” Chris said as he spoke from behind the discussion. He had been walking by and heard them discuss it. “He loved ice-cream. In the early years he mentioned it often as something he missed most.”
“Mmmm,” Josh said slowly. “God, I’d never thought of it till now. Now I want some,”
At that, excited chatter began about all the things they once liked that were no longer obtainable.
It was decided they should have some fun in honor of those who had died. A huge bonfire of whatever they could get their hands on was constructed and lit close to the old station pier building. While this occurred, Gloria was in deep discussion with Don, Harry and Ryan, and Lenny was there also.
“So there are only two possibilities. You will show signs in about six weeks, or none of you have it for some inexplicable reason.”
“So, we may have been free of it and only got it when we met Gail and Willo back in Sydney?” Harry asked.
Gloria shrugged.
“Maybe?”
“How ironic. So even if we haven’t got it we might carry it so we can’t ever go to our own, and that includes Faith’s people on the island. Wow - what a bind.”
“And at the same time, what an adventure!” Ryan added. “While we have had our share of tragedy, and those at home will grieve over us, we have done more in these few months than probably anyone in the world has since ‘the event’.”
“Do you think there are others all around the world like us?” Gloria asked. “I mean every country must have a few survivors. I wonder if they’ve been hit twice. Imagine if they haven’t been and six hundred years from now they travel here. Will they pick up the second one from us like natives in jungles caught our flu because they had no immunity?”
“Interesting point,” Ryan said, about to discuss that further when he noticed and increase in the firelight from out the window. “Hello!” he said, “I think the fire has grown a bit!”
As they went outside they could hear the cheers increasing. For indeed the old wooden building had caught fire - whether by accident or deliberately, they were not quite sure. Quickly checking that Tyler was being minded, they sat back and observed as the building was completely engulfed and eventually everyone stood silently in the flickering light of a roaring inferno. Each was lost in their own private thoughts, seeking release from inner demons, fears, and regrets, mentally forcing them into the flames to be consumed. Many fell asleep that night feeling free of inner burdens and an air of expectation seemed to hang over them. Ricki recognized it first.
“You got up early?” Karen asked of her partner.
“Yes. Just to think a while and sense where we are at!” Ricki replied.
“And…?”
“Everyone was happier last night. We have lost another one, gained two more, we still do not know if we will succumb to the second outbreak and yet the atmosphere feels lighter and the sky seems brighter somehow.”
“Wow,” she teased. “I’ve never heard you so philosophical the whole time I’ve known you?”
“Yes you have.”
“Well, ok. Maybe I have, but not so…ah…poetic then,” she corrected herself.
“I’ve been called many things,” he laughed, “But not a poet!” and he laughed some more as his arm curled gently around her shoulder.
After some time a few others gathered outside near the wharf were the sun shone, eventually coming over and sitting beside Karen and Ricki.
“An awesome day,” Tia said as she appeared with the boy they have found two days earlier. The boy spoke infrequently, and Ricki had asked Tia to bring him out to him that morning. She watched as he worked his magic.
“Hey…Tyler. How are you my man?”
The boy smiled ever so slightly and Ricki patted the area he was sitting on suggesting Tyler could come and sit with him. He let go of Tia hand and followed Ricki’s suggestion.
“So. Are we a scary bunch of people or a friendly bunch?” he asked.
“Friendly!”
“Well then, it’s time you did the same aye? How about we go a walk and explore some old buildings and see what we can find?”
Tyler nodded.
“No, use your voice young man. Speak to me!”
“Ok,” they heard him say. As they wandered off they could hear his little shrill voice as he began to talk to his new friend.
“Oh God,” Tia said. “Have we started something we won’t be able to shut up?”
The laughter that followed caused Ricki to turn around. He grinned; he knew what they were thinking. Karen gave him the thumbs up and they disappeared behind a block of flats. Karen then turned to Lenny who had also watched the exchange.
“Take a pistol and someone else and follow them to make sure they don’t get into any trouble,” she asked. “In fact take Tia with you!”
“I’d like that,” she said. “I’ll go grab a weapon.”
As Ricki ventured quietly through the streets, he noticed someone following at a distance and caught a glimpse of two people trying to remain in the shadows. He smiled because he realized he had forgotten to take a weapon with him. This way was more secure and he shook his head wondering why he had not thought of it himself, yet thankful others were looking out for them both.
As they walked he asked Tyler about his family, his likes and dislikes, and his fears after the outbreak. The boy understood what had happened, and his parents gave him instructions of what to do when they died; for they could see he was unaffected. But Tyler had not coped well. When he had heard shots in the distance, he had come to investigate. When he saw dogs fleeing, he hid until he could see if these people were of any threat to him. But he was too traumatized by the situation he found himself unable to hide, and came out to them on the street. If he had remained hidden, things would not have gone so well for one so young.
After some time they came to a large commercial building and Ricki looked up at the faded paintwork.
“Perfect,” he said. “Just what we need!”
“What is it?” Tyler asked.
“A place where peoples goods are stored. Like the stuff they have in houses.”
“Why did they do that?” he asked, for the concept of storage like this was foreign to his thinking.
“If they had a house, but moved, they could temporality store them here till they came back,” Ricki said.
“Why?”
It was now obvious this boy had no concept of the past and his only reply was to get off that line of questioning.
“It’s just something they did in the old days before you were born.”
“But why?”
Ricki was now realizing he may have bitten off more than he could chew now that Tyler had begun to speak. He sighed deeply.
“Look, don’t you worry about why young man. It just is! People put their household goods in here for safekeeping sometimes. We can go in a have a look and see if there is anything useful?”
“Why don’t we just enter those houses and look?” he said, pointing to the homes behind where they stood.
“Because that’s too easy. This place is locked up and it’s dark, and every room has a surprise.”
Finding an ax from someone’s garden shed, he smashed his way inside and they found their way to the top level where clear polycarbonate roofing enabled natural light to enter. Some of it was broken and there were birds roo
sting all around the roof beams.
Tia and Lenny watched with amusement as Ricki smashed his way inside as they stood hidden under the trees. Now they sat on a concrete block fence in the shade, listening until some banging and bashing came from higher up. Many birds suddenly erupted from the roof, flying off as one flock.
“Well, they are in the top level. Why so much noise though?”
“Take a look Tia; it’s a self storage unit.”
“What is that?”
“A place where people put their stuff, furniture and extra things they couldn’t get in their houses.”
“Why would they have more than they need?”
The concept of furniture storage seemed strange to Tia also. She was another who had never been inside one. They looked too dark and were always barred anyway.
“Sometimes if people moved cities and they didn’t want to take all their stuff with them they could store them in places like this until they came back,” Lenny said.
“I don’t get why?”
“Never mind. Do you want to go and have a look?”
“Ok,”
“Alright, but let’s wait for a while first while Ricki and Tyler have some fun; then we’ll join them. Give them some time alone exploring. Believe me - you’ll be amazed yourself at what you may find in there!”
They sat for quite a long time and every now and then more banging could be heard as Ricki wrenched or smashed locks off doors to open up yet another unit. Finally they wandered across the road and entered the dark lower floors themselves. Waiting until their eyes got accustomed to the darkness they carefully climbed the stairs. At least they gave some light as they faced the street. Arriving at the top floor where the clear roof panels allowed them to see better, Tia called out. A crash was heard and then everything went silent. Lenny, sensing they had been suddenly startled, called out to them.
“It’s alright mate, it’s just me and Tia. We come to see if you guys are ok?”
From down the aisle a sun-wrinkled brown face appeared.
“Oh man. You guys startled us. Come on down and see what we’ve got?” Ricki called out.
In the main aisle an old wheelbarrow with a deflated tire was half full of interesting curios.
“Treasure hunting are we…oh hello Tyler,” Lenny said as the boys face appeared. “You having fun?”
He enthusiastically nodded and held out a small black box with a handle. Winding it up he pulled out an earpiece and held to Lenny’s ear.
“Holy heck. That’s awesome. It’s Michael Jackson!”
The boy smiled, not knowing what that meant. Ricki then motioned to just inside the door of the previous unit.
“Look at this though.”
Inside was an antique pedal car that would have been at least eighty years old but in perfect condition. “It means nothing to Tyler yet, but wait till we get this baby outside. He can pedal it all the way back if he can.”
“What else you got in the barrow?” asked Lenny as he began to get all excited.
“Have a look. A gas powered boat, well two actually. Some jewelry for the ladies, and some perfume. Oh - and look what we found in this one!” and he marched back to the first lockup. Here in one box were sticks of explosives.
“Whoa. Explosives! Are they dangerous?” Lenny asked.
“Only when they go off,” he grinned cynically. “But I have an idea how we can have some fun as we leave. You guys see if you can find some trolleys or barrows and if we can get this back to the wharf, we’ll show the younger ones something they have never ever seen!”
All sorts of interesting things were discovered. But it was the fact of actually having to break into each storage unit that made it enjoyable for Tyler. They all arrived back with three barrow loads of things, but Ricki and Lenny quietly arranged for more of the men to come with him and transfer something to one of the waterfront buildings. They did not tell the women, and it was Don who was most excited about what they had found, he just couldn’t wait to see something blown to smithereens again. Don and Ryan remembered the building they had blown up in Dunedin all those years ago. He was anxious to see some rampant destruction once again.
Young Tyler arrived back pedaling the shiny metal car and then he showed something to Gloria.
“Look,” he proudly said holding up the music device. “I have a Michael Jackson!”
“Oh sweetie, I don’t think it’s called that. But the singer is!”
Tyler became quite serious all of a sudden, and looked at her with a stern face.
“Well, Ricki said it is, and if he said it, that’s what it is!” he insisted.
Gloria looked at Ricki who just shrugged. He had forgotten that this boy would have no idea of the things they were familiar with from their previous life that seemed a lifetime ago. In a way – it was! So until it broke, the device was known to everyone as a Michael Jackson and Tyler would listen to the songs within it over and over - all eighty of them.
A meal was in progress that evening around yet another fire when discussion turned to their future once more.
“Well if we are going to die we won’t know for a few weeks. Rather than die on land, let’s keep sailing like Tia said back in Sydney,” Geo suggested.
“What about us?” Gail asked as she pointed to Willo and Tyler. “We will survive, but should we now risk everything on a dangerous ocean voyage?”
“It’s not dangerous,” Ryan said, “We’ve traveled thousands of miles…” and then he caught himself as he caught her expression. “Look, what happened to the Hope was just an accident. Accidents occur on land too, like with Nick. But if we are going to die, why sit around waiting for it?”
“And what if all that survive are us three, and Ho and Tia here. Do we sail all the way back alone? As you have said once… you cannot go home or back to where Faith came from, otherwise you put them at definite risk!”
“Can we warn them in some way?” Don asked.
“How do you mean Don?” Chris asked.
“Well, it seems obvious we can’t have close contact, and certainly not upwind of them. But can we sail back and let them know at a distance, leave a message or something?”
“Too risky!”
“But is it Chris? If we never reappear they’ll never know what happened to us, or even if we are alive or dead! They might even try to send a boat over to look for us?”
Ryan suddenly leaped to his feet.
“Yes,” he said. “We have to let them know. Do you know why?”
Most shook their heads.
“Because if they know they may have no immunity from a second outbreak, then they will be more wary of any new contact, possibly years into the future. We can advise them of possible incubation and isolation times like we did at Lord Howe. Otherwise - if in a hundred years time someone visits New Haven who is immune, it could wipe them out. This way they’d be prepared!”
Most quietly contemplated his words, for this explanation makes a lot of sense. While they couldn’t risk infecting any of their friends or family, they had to be sure no one else did in the future.
Ricki now appeared at the fire.
“Where you been honey?” Karen asked him.
“Oh, just preparing something.”
“Preparing what?”
“Nothing much. Just a surprise for later on,” and he caught Don’s eye and winked. It was all set then.
That evening they had a very long display of fireworks - also courtesy of the storage facility. Some were duds but most worked really well. If there were any survivors within thirty kilometers of the waterfront, they would certainly know there were others in the city. During the night a sentry was posted on top of the nearest apartment building roof. Ready with some binoculars and a rifle, they changed places three times during the night and into the middle of the next day.
When the last sentry period was completed, the atmosphere seemed gloomy as no one appeared to have seen the display and come to them. That meant this city truly was
dead and they all felt sad, not just for themselves; but for all humanity.
And so it was agreed that there was no longer a need to delay leaving the city. The yachts were re-stocked with all the supplies they could find and prepared for what might be one final journey. Willo ultimately decided to go with them on their final journey and for some unknown reason Gloria agreed to as well.
“Just for one ocean adventure,” she had stated.
Of course Tyler would have to go with them, and if the others died the few survivors would still have to sail back to Sydney. Tia could lead them there if needed - she was a competent sailor after all. The women took their time to prepare and seemed in no hurry to board the vessels, but they did notice that all the men seemed unusually restless.
“Ok, fess up. What are you guys hiding? I’ve noticed it for a day now,” Janie said. “You’re all on edge or something!”
“I’ve noticed that too. Ricki has been sort of…actually where is he?” Karen asked, suddenly aware she hadn’t seen him for the last hour or so.
“Back along the waterfront - waiting.” Don replied
“Waiting for what? What are you guys up to?”
“Ok, we were going to wait until everyone was one the yachts - but what the heck,” and he let out a shout for everyone to gather around.
“The guys have done something spectacular without you ladies knowing about it. It’s something that we did many years ago accidentally, but we wanted to make our leaving here memorable. Now, everyone get down to the lower boardwalk area,” and he shooed those not already on the wharf down to where they could see along the western shore on the bay.
“What are we looking at?” Karen asked.
“Ricki. He’s in front of the building over there,” he said pointing and he let out a loud whistle.
Now they could see Ricki standing between the two tower blocks waving back. Don waved his arms above his head, and in response Ricki ran off to their right and out of view behind a building on the pier.
“What’s he doing?” Rita asked of Josh as he stood beside her. “Just watch - we did this yesterday.”
