Icefall

by Hallowes, Guy

  There was a muffled conversation at the other end.

  'The current publicity is making people panic. The US President, the British Prime Minister, and a dozen others have called asking us to stop this nonsense. There is no acceptance, in Canberra, that this analysis is correct.'

  'The analysis is correct. What should be done about it is the real question. Many people will die as a result of the inaction of governments round the world. Respectfully, continuing denial of the science will just result in a bigger catastrophe,' said Tanya.

  'I can't influence any of that. You need to close down the Facebook page.'

  'The Facebook page is run from London, with postings from around the world,' said David.

  'But it's all about your bloody place in the Blue Mountains. You have encouraged people to invest on the basis of a fraudulent, unproven theory. We could close you down on that basis alone.'

  'I don't think so,' said Tanya. 'Every settler knows the science, but has accepted that the decision to settle here is theirs alone. You have tried this nonsense before. As I expect you know, there was an ASIO plant here for a few months. When he found everything was above board, he moved on.'

  'Where is he now?'

  'Goulburn prison.'

  There was silence from Canberra.

  'Have you consulted the federal environment or climate change people about the science?'

  'No.'

  'We have had discussions with both departments. It is well accepted.'

  'The amount of publicity is embarrassing the Government. We could send in the police and close you down.' The tone was threatening.

  'Remember, everything you say is being recorded. Unless you formally withdraw that threat within an hour this whole conversation will be posted on the Facebook site. That will probably double our following overnight,' said Tanya quietly.

  'The department will not be pleased. I need to phone you back.'

  'The first thing you need to do is to withdraw the threat you made, very specifically.'

  'I withdraw the threat.'

  'Not good enough, it needs to be very specific,' interjected David.

  'My name is Nicholson from the Federal Attorney General's office and I formally and unreservedly withdraw the threat made to send in the police to close you down,' said Nicholson in a tired, irritated voice.

  'Thank you,' said David. He attempted a conciliatory suggestion, 'If you have the time, it might pay you to visit us. You will find we pose no threat to anyone. I will arrange to fly you in here by helicopter.'

  'Whose helicopter?'

  'The Australian military's.'

  'I will ring back later today.'

  When he called back, Nicholson suggested David visit Canberra. Tanya, Joe, and Mark all shook their heads vigorously.

  'To what purpose?' asked David. 'And please remember this call is also being recorded.'

  'In order to explain the climate change science to all the parties involved here.'

  'There are dozens of people in Canberra, considerably better qualified than anyone here, to explain all aspects of climate change. If you want to learn something fresh, pay us a visit.'

  'So you won't come to Canberra?' said Nicholson.

  David had nothing to add, so remained silent.

  The phone was put down in Canberra.

  There was a call from the gate to Mark, 'There are two police vans at the entrance, most definitely SWAT teams. They wouldn't say why they were there and they have no warrants. I have sent another dozen Academy people to the gate as reinforcements.'

  'This is bullshit,' said Tanya forcefully. 'I think we should post the phone conversation on Facebook and be done with it.'

  'When we escalated the crisis at the time of the floods, we came off second best. I think we should phone Nicholson back. I don't think the people in Canberra have any idea of the scale of The Settlement,' said Mark.

  David called Nicholson in Canberra and was told he was busy.

  The phone rang thirty minutes later.

  'Have you changed your mind about visiting Canberra?' asked an aggressive-sounding Nicholson.

  'No, quite the opposite. I'm sure you are aware there are two SWAT teams stationed at our front gate. They aren't communicating with us and have no warrants. You need to understand Mr Nicholson, that more than three hundred people are settled here, including a large number of women and children. SWAT teams imply violence. Can you imagine the press reaction if one of our children was hurt in an action by the police? Dealing with a few comments on a Facebook page would certainly pale into insignificance compared to dealing with that,' said David quietly.

  'Three hundred people?' asked Nicholson, surprised.

  'Three hundred and thirty as of yesterday. We have a school, a hospital and so on. We are wholly self-sufficient and pose no threat to anyone. Attempting to shut us down by force will get you nowhere. If you really wish to understand what we are about, please pay us a visit.'

  'I will call you back.'

  'Please remove the SWAT teams first,' said David.

  The visit was arranged for a week later.

  'It will include representatives from the environment and climate change ministries,' advised Nicholson.

  The six civil servants, awaiting the military helicopter flight, were surprised to be greeted by, "Colonel Bower", as Jonathan introduced himself.

  'Are you related to the Bowers at The Settlement?' asked Nicholson.

  'David Bower is my father. I will give you some background on the way over,' he said.

  The complete Bower fraternity formally greeted the visiting group.

  'We have arranged a brief presentation of The Settlement and our achievements here. Then, we will give you a site tour in one of our solar-powered vehicles. We have arranged a lunch in our community centre, where you will meet many settlers, after which there will be time to discuss any issues you wish.'

  The visit went very smoothly. Tanya made her presentation and David conducted the tour of the site, including the hospital, where the staff had just completed a major operation on an ill patient. The official entourage were shown the dams, stock, milking parlours, horses and cultivated area, as well as the recreational facilities, several houses, and school. There was no mention of The Academy.

  Nicholson and Tanya avoided each other as far as was possible.

  Tanya thought, This bastard has caused me more grief than anyone else I know.

  Knowing the visit was critical, she said no more than was required of her. Nicholson found he was confronted by an obviously competent, very attractive woman. He was intimidated by the experience as Tanya had nearly derailed his career.

  Patricia talked about the youth programs. 'Most of the young belong to various groups, some recreational and others teaching them essential life skills important to their long term future in the community. Many are learning trades here while others are at university, studying degrees such as medicine, veterinary science, agriculture, and forestry. We are working on a plan to continue university level training after isolation.'

  'What about welfare?' asked Nicholson.

  'There is no welfare as such and, as far as we know, nobody in the community receives Government welfare. However, we do have some people who have either had an accident or are otherwise incapacitated. They all have a function within the society; there is a hospital orderly who was born with Down's Syndrome for example. Families look after their own and the religious groups help in this regard as well,' Patricia answered.

  'I see you've had an extensive bush fire,' one of the visitors observed, pointing to the still partially-blackened hillsides.

  'Yes, the advice we received from our Aboriginal settlers was invaluable. It almost certainly saved the community and many lives. We were well-prepared,' David told him.

  'You have Aboriginal settlers here?'

  'They come and go, but they are very much part of us. They teach groups about the basics of bush craft and about local wildlife. We also have man
y faiths represented here. The Christians, Jews, and Muslims are in the process of building a joint facility for worship.'

  'Astonishing!'

  The visitors enjoyed a sumptuous lunch in the community centre.

  'Everything you see here was produced in the community,' said Chloe. 'All the children are taught to ride. It forms a major part of the recreational activities.'

  Nicholson said, 'Our impression of the place is good. You seem to have a clear plan. I understand, if this Ice Shelf collapses, you are going to isolate the place and wait for some sort of recovery?'

  David nodded.

  'What about the rest of us?'

  'How many people survive depends on what the Government does to mitigate the situation,' said Tanya.

  'We, and most nations around the world, are committed to policies that will reduce greenhouse gases materially over the next fifty years,' interjected the visitor from the climate change ministry.

  'That is admirable and necessary, but unfortunately that will not save us from the current situation. The Ice Shelf will collapse.'

  'What should we do then?' There was a chorus of frustrated voices.

  'As fast as possible, you should build infrastructure that reduces the impact of the floods. Oil refineries will have to be moved to higher ground and ports need to be able to operate in the new environment,' said Tanya.

  'But that will cost billions.'

  'Trillions,' said Tanya unhelpfully.

  'Where are we going to find such huge funds?'

  'You could borrow from overseas. You probably won't have to repay much of it because many of the lenders won't be in existence within a few years. Also, cut every budget by a percentage and use funds from that.'

  'I don't know of any other country thinking like this.'

  'Not many are doing much, but check what the Chinese are doing. I'll bet you anything they are doing exactly what I've suggested.' Tanya didn't think any of them were absorbing what she was saying, it was just too difficult. 'They may even be thinking about what the new world order would look like. I expect that Australia may be part of their considerations.'

  'They wouldn't dare come here, the Americans … ' Nicholson's voice trailed off. 'The real purpose of our visit is how can we reduce the current panic and then put in place a strategy to deal with what we've learned today.'

  'We won't post any new information on the Facebook page. I expect interest will slow down over the next few months.'

  Several of the visitors made gracious speeches praising David and what had been achieved at The Settlement. Many watched as the helicopter took off and set a course for the southwest.

  'I don't think they see us as a threat anymore, so they will take the pressure off,' predicted Tanya. 'They won't be able to get their act together in time. Any country taking the threat seriously will be keeping quiet, especially if they are installing infrastructure. Just watch out for countries borrowing heavily over the next three years. After the collapse, Australian mineral wealth will be worth two fifths of five eights of fuck all until the world starts to consume again in, say, five hundred years. Jonathan will give us a full briefing, but I think we can get on with our lives and our preparations for the catastrophe. Any bets one of that group will be an applicant for residence here? Whew!'

  Jonathan reported a week later, 'There was some chatter about the visit on the way home, but they soon began to discuss other issues. In my perambulations around Canberra over the last few days, I believe you are right off the radar.'

  Chapter Nineteen

  Rescue

  Up to 2025

  More than one hundred people were now participants in The Academy; all were very fit and proficient in handling their weapons, even the new short-barrelled automatic rifles Jonathan had legitimately acquired from the army. The two day exercise of trainees being left in the bush and having to find their own way back to the village had been successful both on foot and on horseback.

  'We should now engage trainees in a real test,' suggested Mark to Derain. 'Maybe a three or four day journey back to The Settlement, on horseback.'

  'Two group,' said Derain, holding up two fingers. 'Not enough people in my village to manage all at one time.'

  Before any of these major exercises Mark always gathered the trainees together, emphasising the importance of The Academy. 'We will probably be compelled to defend ourselves. If you don't want to be killed, you may have to kill another person. We need to understand and deal with our environment. Yours and The Settlement's very existence may depend on your ability to survive on your own in the bush for extended periods. One threat we can anticipate is the emptying of the prisons. Remember Demetriou? He and some others in Goulburn prison hold grudges against us. He may try to come back to this place, most probably with hostile intentions. These exercises are necessary and will help to make us as prepared as we possibly can be.' He watched as his message gradually sank in.

  Tanya was relieved to be in a separate group from Mark, so there was no competition between them. Since he arrived before her in the two day walk, she and Kim had beaten Mark and his partner by half an hour when the exercise was done on horseback.

  Tanya and Kim were in the second group of people in pairs. An Aboriginal man, on foot, escorted them outbound for four days and as planned abandoned them to their fate. They had only been allowed to carry a small amount of food, meaning they had to forage for at least half the journey. It was the same with the horses, so each group had to plan on allowing their mounts to graze for part of each day. Tanya and Kim took it in turns. The first evening, Tanya had seen a large black snake sunning itself on a rock. She picked it up on a stick as Derain had instructed and, with a swift stroke from a heavy knife, cut off its head. Kim shot a possum the second day and a wallaby on the fourth evening.

  After the guide had left, Tanya said to Kim, 'If we are able to find some berries or roots, maybe we could try to get back home in three days instead of four. We will certainly be back before anyone else if we manage that.'

  Kim said cautiously, 'Is that necessary or wise? If we rush things we may lose our way and we don't want to hurt ourselves or the horses.'

  Finally, Tanya's wild streak prevailed. They made good progress on the return trip, passing the third day's campsite just after midday. By four o'clock in the afternoon the pair stopped and Tanya said, 'I noticed this site on the way over, so we're on the right track. It has good water and grazing for the horses.'

  'We don't want to flog the horses too much,' said Kim. 'Remember the penalty for bringing horses back in poor condition.' But, on inspection, the horses were okay. 'I have sorted one of the shoes on my horse, maybe you could have a look after our gourmet meal,' she laughed, enjoying the grilled wallaby.

  'They'll last until we get home,' Tanya announced as she stood up and stretched, having carefully examined both horses. 'It won't help if we rest them for a day anyway, any damage has already been done.'

  To everyone's surprise, they arrived at the eastern gate just before dark on the third day.

  'There is a bit of an emergency,' the man at the gate said. 'I will alert them.' He rang on the makeshift telephone.

  'Mark wants you at the hospital. I will take the horses.' Tanya was told. 'If you try to ride down there in the dark, you might break a horse's leg.'

  'Not to mention our heads,' said Kim quietly.

  They scrambled down the steep slope and, three hours later, arrived dirty and scratched at the hospital. Mark greeted them, saying nothing about the record-breaking journey home. 'One of the guides came in and told us a garbled story about a bad accident. We'll need the helicopter, I'm afraid, first thing in the morning.'

  'Do we know roughly where the accident happened?' asked Tanya.

  Mark managed to find Amaroo, the Aboriginal guide, and they were able to pinpoint the approximate area where the accident had occurred. Mark and Tanya, together, were at their absolute best in these circumstances. There was no hint of any rivalry and both wer
e intent on finding a solution.

  'Kim,' said Tanya, 'we must refuel and service the helicopter, remove seats to accommodate a stretcher, and install abseiling equipment in case there is nowhere to land.'

  Mark made a move to help, but with a glance from Tanya he withdrew, understanding Tanya wanted Kim to be fully involved. In Derain's absence, Mark tried to quieten Amaroo's fears about flying. He spoke almost no English, but somehow Mark managed to convey to him that he was needed to help find the victim.

  Before they took off, Tanya said to Mark, 'Kim has considerable medical knowledge, if we can find the place I will lower her and Amaroo down. I may then have to return here for more manpower.'

  Taking off to the northwest, Kim tried to calm Amaroo's fears. To start with, Amaroo was unable to orientate himself. Tanya then took the helicopter as low as she dared and hovered slowly over the bush; suddenly, Amaroo became animated, having recognised a landmark. He was then able to quickly guide Tanya to the accident site.

  'Can't land there,' announced Tanya. 'Kim, harness Amaroo and lower him to the ground, then go down with all your equipment. Take this GPS device so I can find you again.'

  Amaroo was harnessed, but it took all Kim's powers of persuasion to get him to leave the aircraft. A few minutes later Kim scrambled into the harness, 'Make sure you are firmly strapped in,' said Tanya, 'one accident is enough.' Kim nodded impatiently and lowered herself to the ground.

  Communication between the aircraft and ground proved difficult, but Tanya understood she should lower the stretcher. She did so with difficulty while trying to keep control of the machine. Heavy rain started to fall, making the operation more dangerous. Kim waved from the ground to raise her into the machine.

  'One female with concussion and a badly broken leg,' said Kim as she crawled back into the aircraft. 'The patient was kept warm by her companion, Stephanie, but is in a bad way and needs hospitalisation. Stephanie put down one horse with a broken leg. Let's lift the patient up here. I will accompany you to the hospital. Amaroo, Stephanie, and the remaining horse will return home on foot.'