by D Stalter
“Do we know for sure that it was a solar flare and not an attack?” Greta pulled the blanket tighter around her.
“According to Frank McCall, they’ve gotten reports passed through from Washington that the whole Northern Hemisphere is down. That is in line with a flare, not an attack. The grid was fried and replacement parts were fried. And the factories that make new replacement parts don’t have electricity to run the factory. Now, I’m sure that somewhere there are parts that are good, but when they find those parts, they won’t be using them to restore electricity around here. They’ll use them where they think they are needed the most. I’d like to think they’d use them to power factories, but I’m afraid that the government would find some way to justify power to powerful people before they worry about the country. A lot of people are going to die.”
“Not just by violence,” James said softly. “Think of all the people who depend on modern medicine. When the medicine they have on hand is gone, things will get tough for some and a lot will die. Those people are stranded where they are. They won’t be moving.”
“We are fairly isolated here,” Allison said. “I-80 runs just north of town, but I think the majority of people will head south, not east or west. Unless they have a specific place to go, they’ll be heading south towards warmer weather. But, if anyone wandered off I-80, we could expect to see them here. It’s only a few miles. I-39 is 30 miles away. People using it won’t wander this far off.”
“Yes,” James agreed. “I would guess the majority of the people looking for food and shelter would stick to or close to the Interstates, but Highway 26 is less than a mile from the house. People who want to avoid the Interstates will likely use highways like this. And there might be a lot of them. When their cars run out of gas, they will start walking or looking for a safe place to settle. I would expect to start seeing wanderers within the next few days. We can only hope that they won’t be violent because I have a feeling that there are more people coming south than we have bullets. I’m pretty sure that no one sitting on this porch has any desire to shoot a starving person. By the same token, we all want to protect ourselves and our loved ones and I, for one, am willing to do whatever it takes to do that.”
Greta raised her hand to her mouth and chewed her thumbnail. “Do you think people will be safer here or in town? You know, I admire your willingness to help people, but if town would be safer, maybe you aren’t doing them a big favor.”
“It’s not just us doing them a favor. Our plan is to grow food. We can’t do that alone. The people who move out here will be here in order to help grow food for our survival as well as the town’s survival. I don’t have any grand illusions that food couldn’t be grown in town or that I’m the only person who can accomplish this. But, I do know that I can do it, so I will. I hope I’m not the only person growing food for the community. I hope others will do it too.”
She rubbed her eye before shaking her head. “People have become too soft. I don’t think the power is going to come back on for a long, long time. The life we’ve been living is gone for now. It might be back fairly soon. But until it is, we have to take care of our own survival. There are people in town, and hell, even out in the country, who have no idea what to do so they do nothing. They wait for someone to do it for them. Those people are going to die.”
“Stupid Democrats,” James muttered.
Allison leaned forward in her chair to shake at James. “No more talk like that,” she hissed. “It’s not Democrats against Republicans. We are Americans. We may not have the same ideas, but we are together. You know that I have always thought Republicans had a better handle on how to move forward. Democrats seemed to want to pay more taxes and turn the work over to the government while I believe that those who are willing to work hard should be able to do more than those who want others to do the work. But now, there doesn’t seem to be a government so it will be almost impossible for the old democratic way of thinking to work. Now, those of us who have always done for ourselves need to show those that want to survive how. We are not going to let differences of opinion separate us.”
“However,” she slammed her hand on the arm of the chair, “around here, those who don’t work, don’t eat. I am not the government. I will not make Steve or Greta or you work twice as hard so that someone who doesn’t want to, doesn’t have to. If that’s the life they chose for themselves, then they can find a way to survive using their beliefs.” She slumped in her chair as if she had run out of energy to talk.
“I’m sorry, honey,” James said. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I’m just so sick and tired of the Democrat Republican fight. It was never the people’s fight anyway. The people never had a say in any of it. But, I guess now they will. Anyone who wants to remain a Democrat can sit at home waiting for the government to send them food and heat and phones and whatever else they want. But, I’m afraid if they really want to survive, they will have to join with the Republicans who know that to get ahead, you have to actually do the work.”
“That’s just it!” James voice rose. “Democrats are happy to live one day to the next. They take what they can get and call that life. They don’t have dreams.”
Steve cleared his throat. “Uhm. I think I’ll head out to the truck and sack in. Do you think you could loan me a blanket or two?”
Allison jumped as if she’d forgotten he was still there. “I’m sorry. I’ve got extra blankets. But you are more than welcome to stay in the house if you want. I promise we won’t continue this discussion.”
“No, I’d rather sleep out here and keep an eye out. I’ll be fine. And I never was into politics so your arguing doesn’t bother me. I used to vote for both parties. I chose the one I thought would do the best job.”
“Me too. I voted for the person, not the party, but I hated the way many Democrats attacked anyone who didn’t think the same way as them. I hated them calling my way of thinking greedy. I kept my mouth shut, but I was incredibly offended by their accusations against Republicans. I never considered myself a Republican, but I agreed more with their thinking than the other way. James is a Republican. That’s his choice.”
Allison brought three comforters out from the hall closet and started down the steps. “I want to check the horses so I’ll walk you out.” She turned to James. “Will you show Greta the spare room, dear?”
Day 3 – Allison Gets Supplies
Work on the bunkhouse started before the sun was above the horizon. Allison slipped out to the chicken coop and collected 9 eggs. She powered the RV generator up for just enough time to cook scrambled eggs. “We really need to get a different cooking system set up,” she told James. “The sound of that generator will attract more than we can deal with.”
She smacked her forehead with her palm. “After breakfast, would you go to the basement. On the back wall, on the far east shelf there is a camp stove. I think it’s the second shelf from the bottom. On the shelf below it are a bunch of propane tanks. Grab one and get that stove set up in the back yard, please.
“In fact, as soon as I get back from my meeting with Frank McCall, I’ll help you move my butcher block cart into the garage. We can wheel it outside when I cook and then move it back in to the garage after it cools. That will work until we have something built in the bunkhouse.” She laughed. “I can’t believe how easily it went from being a barn to being a bunkhouse. It seems so natural.”
“How long do you think it will take you in town?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been running some ideas around in my head to suggest to Frank. The best spots to use sentries so that they aren’t so busy defending the town that they don’t have time to build a community. I’ve also got a few farm houses in mind that I know had wells and handpumps the last time I knew. They are all at the edge of town. Those will be important to the town. They’ll want to move people to those farms. Both for building a community and for defending water sources.”
She laced up her boots. “But I ne
ed to get us one big shopping trip inside Walmart. I wish we’d been more prepared, but at least we are far better off than most people.”
“What if you can’t get in to Walmart?”
“I think we’d still be OK, but it will be a lot harder for us. And, without medicine, we might lose some people. I want medicine most of all.”
“And toilet paper. Don’t forget the toilet paper.”
“And toilet paper,” she agreed.
The big box truck from R&T Lumber pulled in to the driveway shortly after sunrise. Rolly jumped down from the drivers seat. He wore a heavy blue plaid flannel shirt and faded jeans that had numerous pockets down both legs.
The passenger door opened with a creak and two more men jumped to the ground. The first was about 30. He also wore faded jeans with multiple pockets and a sweatshirt. His dark hair was cropped close to his head. The second was about 40. His blond hair hung in greasy strings to the collar of his dark blue work shirt. He wore tight blue jeans. A workman’s belt was strapped around his waist.
No sooner had Rolly introduced the two men as Sam Smith and David Galen, than a green Ford crew cab rolled down the road and pulled in. Five more men exited. Rolly pointed to each one and recited names that James, Greta and Steve already knew and Allison would never remember.
Steve raised one of the overhead doors to the barn and pulled the gas generator to the driveway. “I’ve got most of the framing board marked, we just need to cut and assemble. Rolly, if you want to come over here, I’ll show you what we are doing and you can supervise while I take Allison to town for her meeting with the Chief.”
James looked around. “You know,” he said, “we’ve got more than enough here. I wonder if I could take a couple guys with me for some wood cutting. I’d much rather get the wood we are going to need cut on a nice November day than wait until it’s miserable out.”
Sam Smith stepped forward. “I’d be happy to help. And, tomorrow I can bring another chainsaw so we get twice as much done.”
Steve proved to be a reckless driver, but they made it to town with no problems.
Allison swiveled her head to stare at the crowd in front of Walmart. At least a hundred people stood in three lines that led to a group of tables set up against the front of the store. She recognized the mayor, Chief McCall, and the mayor’s wife. Each stood with a clipboard and pencil. Next to the tables sat three sheriff’s deputies who were bent over a large paper. Allison recognized one as the deputy she had dealt with on the first day and the second. She recognized another as one who she’d interacted with while organizing the search and rescue team. She did not know the third deputy.
Steve parked the truck near the entrance doors. Allison picked up her own clipboard and walked towards the tables.
Chief McCall smiled when they approached the table. He touched the mayor’s shoulder and they both stepped back to hand their clipboards to two of the deputies before walking over to meet Allison and Steve.
“Let’s go inside.” Chief McCall said pointing towards the front doors. “Randy is waiting for us.”
Inside the store was dim. The manager, Randy Smith, sat at the service counter. Some light filtered in from the outside, but a propane powered lamp shed light on a folding table surrounded by chairs. Smith looked up as the group approached and stood to greet them.
Allison chose the chair next to McCall, leaving the chair across from her for Steve. The chair creaked as she leaned forward. She laid the clipboard on the cheap plastic table and turned to McCall. “Have you heard anything?”
“Good news, actually. It was a massive solar flare. The whole Northern Hemisphere was affected. It was worse further north and not so bad further south. Anything north of about the 36th longitude is down. South of the 36th longitude wasn’t affected as badly. They are running at about 50% power in southern Illinois and it gets better the further south you go.”
He looked down at his notes. “Power has been restored to D.C. Not full power, but enough to keep the government running. Areas south of Raleigh, Nashville, Saint Louis and San Francisco weren’t affected as much as areas to the north. They will work to restore at least partial power to big cities before working on rural areas. What affects us here is how soon they will get to us. They might have Chicago power restored by the end of February or March. They are only giving estimates and they aren’t guaranteeing anything. Once Chicago is restored, they would probably get power to us in a few weeks or a month at most.”
Randy held his finger in the air. “Actually, I was able to get a short call in to corporate headquarters. They have limited power in Arkansas. I was told that there is no time frame for restoring power to our area and I was ordered to lock the store up until corporate can send trucks to move merchandise south where they can restock stores that are open.”
Allison gasped. “We won’t survive without this merchandise.”
“I didn’t say I was going to follow orders. According to corporate, 40% of the Walmart stores in the affected area survived the first 36 hours. Corporate has decided that managers of surviving stores will blockade the doors and wait for trucks to come in and haul off all the merchandise. The store manager from Joliet was killed when he tried closing his store. I’m sure he’s not the first - or the last. I can’t defend this store by myself. I’m not willing to give up my life for the corporation. The only way I can defend it is with the help of the town. And, I can’t ask the town to help defend something that is being kept away from them. I think we need this merchandise to keep our community alive. Corporate is going to have to file an insurance claim.”
Steve leaned forward in his chair. “Have you heard how Europe and Asia fared?”
“North Korea is completely down. The northern half of China is completely down including Beijing. We haven’t heard a word from Russia. It’s assumed they are completely down. Most European countries seem to have fared better than the rest of the world but they still have some blackouts. Spain and Italy are not too bad off.”
“Why didn’t Europe get knocked out as bad as everyone else?”
“Well, technically this was not a solar flare. It was a coronal mass ejection or CME. When a CME hits Earth's magnetic field, the geomagnetically induced current can overload and melt transformers. Power grids like ours in the United States are more vulnerable because they are already running at or over capacity. The current has nowhere to go and transformers are fried. Europe's power grid is not as overloaded as ours and, while they had power outages, they are already starting to bring their grid back online.”
“So what happens now?” Steve asked.
McCall leaned back in his chair and made a steeple with his fingers. “FEMA has camps in southern Illinois that they are moving people to. Yesterday I sent men around town to inform anyone who wants to go to pack a bag. We encouraged people with disabilities and people who need medication to go. We told everyone just how hard it was going to get. No electricity means no running water, heat will be limited to burning wood or coal. Finding food will be tough, but I think we can do it. Basically, we let people know that their life would be a whole lot easier if they went to a FEMA camp, but that we needed people to stay and work hard to save our town so everyone would have a town to come back to. Most of the town has chosen to leave. They are being bussed down to southern Illinois over the next few days. We have about 500 who have chosen to stay and protect the town. Now I need to find a way to feed them all.”
“I can help you with that,” Allison said. “I’ve got seeds that I will share. And can help you build the best set up. Once we get the bunkhouse built and can move people in, I want to make sure we have a gardener or two and several hunters in the group.”
“Don has moved all his cattle from his north pasture to our pasture so that they are protected. His house protects the pasture from the north. Our house protects it from the south. Dan is getting together with neighbors to the east to form a safe area. His sons are putting up a triple barbed wire fence on the west side. S
ince our houses are only about a half mile apart, we will see anyone trying to come in from the west.”
“Let’s take care of your lists so we...”
He was cut off by the sound of gunfire. He stood so fast that the chair fell over on its back. Steve leapt over the chair to follow McCall out the door. Allison stared at Randy. His eyes were wide. His mouth hung open.
“Do you have a gun?” Allison asked as she pulled her weapon from her makeshift ankle holster.
He shook his head. “I didn’t think I’d ever need one.”
“Do you carry pepper spray here?”
“Yes.”
“Go get a couple cans. It’s better than nothing.”
By now, the sound of gunfire was closer but had slowed down. When Randy returned with three cans of pepper spray, Allison helped him remove the packaging. She held one in front of him and showed him how to move the trigger into position to spray. “Keep it locked in the closed position until you need it. Then just move the red piece to the center and press. Make sure the wind isn’t blowing towards you or you’ll get a face full. It’s not fun.”
She slowly made her way towards the doorway. It got lighter as they crept closer to the entrance. Allison stopped and crouched. She looked around the corner. “My pistol isn’t going to win us any gun fights. It’s for defense at close range only. I want you to hunker down here by the carts. If anyone you don’t recognize comes through those doors, prepare to spray them. I’m going to work my way to the door and check on McCall and the others.”
He slid along the wall. When he ducked down next to the carts, Allison could barely see him. She dropped to her knees and crawled to the door. She hadn’t heard a gun go off in over a minute. At the exterior doors, she could see McCall bent over behind Steve’s truck. He held a rifle. When he caught sight of Allison, he held up his hand, palm facing Allison. She froze and looked in the direction McCall was watching.
