The few hunters who were still going out searching for wild game were coming back with stories of finding dead deer and even a few dying black bears in their dens. There was very little if any game remaining alive in the nearby mountains.
The doctor walked over to the large window in his office and gazed out. He had known these people all of his life, delivered most of their children, and now he would have to oversee them as they died. He knew their time was rapidly running out. Letting out a deep sigh, he went and sat down, his head lowered toward the floor. In a few more days, he knew it would be over, and he could finally find peace from this ordeal.
In deep space, the neutron star and black hole came ever nearer. They were now less than seven billion miles from the Earth. Already, their gravity was beginning to pull the planets out of their orbits and cause the sun to blaze up with massive solar flares.
On the Moon at the Farside complex, Adam Strong and Charles Turner kept a careful watch on the approaching duo as well as upon the sun. They were recording everything. Their biggest regret was that LeAnn and Pierre weren’t here with them. Both of the astronomers had gone back and read over Pierre’s research notes on black holes and traversable wormholes.
It did seem slightly possible that the FarQuest might indeed have survived its passage through the wormhole. If it did, it could be lost in space as well as in time. What made both of them nervous was that Steve Larson and Star One were now bound toward the black hole to attempt to traverse the wormhole also. They knew that all they could do was watch. There would be no way to know if the space station would survive its valiant attempt to leave the solar system.
Chapter Seventeen
Mase was in the Control Center anxiously watching one of the two main viewscreens. It showed the massive Star One space station on a trajectory to intersect the black hole. The view was from a trailing satellite probe that was recording everything.
From their most recent communication with Star One, the station was now just four hours away from entering the absolute darkness that was the black hole. They had already lost voice communication from the interference. Mase just hoped and prayed his friends would make it through the ordeal they were about to go through. There was also a video feed being sent from Farside where they were using the Albertson reflector to keep track of Star One’s progress.
“I hope they make it,” Anthony said as he watched intently from Mase’s side. “John is piloting Star One and is going to try to keep it in the center for its passage through the wormhole. It will be very difficult with the gravity extremes he will be dealing with.”
Anthony knew this would be a herculean task for the talented shuttle pilot. The station had been equipped with ion drives, SRBs, and additional thrusters to keep it aligned properly. Teela the AI would also be assisting as her reactions were almost instantaneous.
“If they make it, they will be safe from the neutron star and the black hole,” Isaac added as he gazed fixedly at the two screens showing Star One. “They will be starting the human race over in another part of the galaxy.”
“They’re really starting to pick up speed,” Major Daniels reported as she studied the data from Farside as well as the probe that was following Star One. The neutron star and the black hole’s gravity are pulling them in.”
For the next several hours, everyone was silent as they watched the scene being played out on the viewscreens. Minute by minute the space station rushed nearer to the black hole at an every increasing rate of speed.
“They’re almost there,” Anthony whispered as the station and the black hole seemed to reach toward one another. He knew that Teela had plotted their course to avoid the neutron star and allow the black hole to drag them down toward its dark center.
He could sense the tension in the room as everyone hoped Star One would succeed in its daring gamble. If they were successful, the human race would go on even if it died out here in the solar system. It became suddenly quiet as everyone watched the end of the drama being played out on the screens.
“Insertion,” Daniels spoke as Star One vanished into the event horizon of the black hole. Then she looked over at Mase and Anthony. “It’s over.”
“It was over hours ago,” commented Mase, cocking his eyebrows. “What we are seeing occurred over six hours ago, and by now Star One is in another solar system far away from here.”
Mase let out a deep sigh. It was hard to accept that Steve Larson and the rest of the people on the massive space station were now gone. The night before Mase had sent a farewell message to Steve wishing him and his people the best of luck. For a moment, Mase felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness. Up until this time, Star One had shared the burden of what was happening in the solar system. Now they were gone. The sad thing was they would never know if Star One had been successful in transiting the wormhole.
A sudden rumbling shook the Control Center and Mase nearly fell. The lights dimmed briefly and then brightened back up. He managed to grab a console to keep his precarious balance as he looked around. No one was panicking; they were just waiting for the tremor to stop. After a few moments, the rumbling ceased.
“They’re getting worse,” Isaac spoke worriedly as he stepped closer to Mase and Anthony. “We’re beginning to experience one or two major moonquakes a day now besides the smaller ones.”
Mase nodded. The Control Center had been heavily reinforced with Luxen and should be safe, as well as the hangars and the landing pads above. There were twelve of the large shuttles inside the hangars as well as the normal shuttles that were commonly used on the Moon. It was essential that they survive intact in case they were needed in the future.
The small group made their way back to Tycho City and soon found themselves staring out over the original cavern. All the tents were gone as well as most of the people. They had been moved into the larger and sturdier cavern that contained the new Tycho City. The power was still on, and it looked as if the city had just been left as it was with the lights on.
“I hope this cavern survives,” Isaac commented as they got into an elective car to make the trip to the far end of the cavern and into the larger one.
“What do you think the odds are?” Mase asked. He hoped the cavern survived also. It would give them additional space to expand back into later if it was needed.
“Fifty fifty,” Isaac responded after a moment. “Steffan ran some computer simulations on the stress the cavern might be subjected to. If we had the extra Luxen we could strengthen the ceiling, but we need everything we are producing for the second fusion reactor cavern as well as the new ecological habitats we are adding.”
Mase nodded. Jolene had recently requested they build another and larger ecological habitat to ensure they had an adequate food supply. Mase had agreed to this, as it would provide more variety in what they could produce.
“Commander, we need to return to the Control Center,” Major Daniels spoke nervously as she listened to a message over the small radio she always carried. Her eyes grew wide with concern as she added, “Yellowstone is erupting!”
-
Warren Timmons looked over at Major Burns with a look of great worry. “Are we certain it’s Yellowstone?”
“Yes, we’ve confirmed it,” Burns replied in a steady voice. “We have had a series of steadily increasing earthquakes there for the past week, and now they are nearly off the scale. From the satellite data, there is no doubt that Yellowstone is experiencing a major eruption.”
Warren sat down and let out a deep breath. “Yellowstone is a supervolcano. It can cause more damage than all the other volcanoes currently erupting in the entire hemisphere.” Warren had seen computer simulations in the past of what an eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano would look like as well as its disastrous consequences.
“If there are any survivors in that area or to the east, this will finish them off,” Burns said, shaking his head. “Even a bunker might not be safe from this. The air will be fouled, and there will be a tremendo
us amount of ash.”
Warren nodded in understanding. Over the last several months, the situation on the surface had steadily worsened. It was nearly impossible to go outside now without a full containment suit on. He doubted if there was anyone still alive outside of an underground facility.
-
The ground around Yellowstone shook, and massive fissures opened up. From several of these red hot lava flowed freely. In other areas, geysers of lava leaped hundreds of feet into the air. The trees and wildlife around the park had long since died. There was not a living creature within one hundred miles as the caldera finally let forth with its full, unbridled fury.
Four massive explosions rocked Yellowstone as the super volcano finally erupted as the magma chamber was fully breached. Smoke and rocks were hurled thousands of feet into the air. The trees in the surrounding forests were leveled from the blasts, and then the deadly ash began to fall. The ash cloud in the coming days would cover a good quarter of the United States.
-
Trace was eating a light meal in the underground bunker thinking about what needed to be done for the day. The bunker was laid out along a long corridor that branched off into a T at the end. Sixteen small eight-by-ten rooms off the T served as bedrooms. There were also four large storage rooms, which contained enough supplies for several years. There was a large dining room with half a dozen long tables where everyone could eat if they wanted or spend time playing games. On one side of the room were several large couches, which faced a wall with a large TV screen on it where movies could be watched.
Emily had checked and been pleased at the large selection of videos that were available. Several of her favorites were included as well as some that Trace enjoyed. There were also several game consoles against another wall, which helped to occupy the younger kids. Their son Nate and Stew Donaldson spent a lot of time on the game consoles competing against one another.
“Do you have to go outside today?” Emily asked with anxiety in her voice. “It always makes me nervous when you do.”
“You know I have to,” replied Trace, putting his arm around his wife. “I have to check the air filters in the generator room.”
While most of their electricity was furnished by the two wind generators, the wind did not blow all the time. A small concrete blockhouse behind the hill that contained the bunker had two large diesel generators inside. When the power from the wind generators dropped too low, one of the generators would automatically kick in. There was a large, open window on each of the four walls of the generator room to allow air in. In each window was a double air filter to keep contaminants from getting in and fouling the generators. The filters had to be changed at least once per week.
Trace looked over at the Donaldson kids. They were still having a hard time adjusting to the loss of their parents. All three of them were currently over at a game console playing a video game with Nate. There were other children in the bunker and sometimes life almost seemed normal when you heard them laughing. The three Donaldson kids kept to themselves for the most part. Emily and Trace’s mother were spending a lot of time with the kids helping them to adjust.
Later, his father helped him put on his containment suit. For now at least, oxygen tanks were not needed, but a special breathing mask was. Once the suit was on Trace opened up the inside door of the bunker and stepped into the cellar. The cellar had a shower and drain installed where he could rinse the suit off once he returned. He stepped over to the cellar door and, opening it, stepped through and shut it securely behind him. He was surprised to find himself standing in several inches of volcanic ash.
“Crap,” he muttered as he looked around, taking note of the change in his surroundings.
It was the middle of the afternoon and normally you could still see quite well in the reduced light caused by the heavy cloud layer. But not today. It was almost dark outside. He went back inside the cellar, opened a small cabinet on the wall, and took out a large flashlight. Flipping it on, he went back outside.
He could see heavy gray ash falling from the sky. A volcano had erupted somewhere close by, or a massive one farther away. He wondered if it could be Yellowstone. He had read somewhere that the ash cloud from a major eruption at Yellowstone could even reach this part of Northeast Oklahoma.
Taking a deep breath, Trace closed the cellar door behind him and secured it. He then trudged around the hill toward the generator building. Looking down at the ground, he guessed the ash was nearly six inches deep in places. If this was indeed Yellowstone, he would hate to think what it was like closer to the volcano.
Reaching the blockhouse, Trace opened the door after using his feet to clear the ash that was piled up in front. Stepping inside, he closed the door behind him. Reaching over to the wall, he flipped on the light switch and a light on the ceiling came on, illuminating the two large diesel generators. Trace knew there were two, ten thousand-gallon diesel tanks buried just outside which furnished fuel to the generators. Currently they were both off as there was just enough wind blowing to turn the wind generators.
Trace checked all four of the large window air filters, finding two of them completely clogged with ash. Opening a large cabinet, he took out two replacements and soon had the filters changed.
Satisfied that everything was as it should be he went back outside, making sure the door was securely shut behind him. He then walked the long distance to the house to check on it. This was something Trace did each time he came out to check on the filters or the wind generators. Fortunately, the wind generators were sealed units and hopefully the ash would not affect them.
Coming around the corner of the shed, he was surprised to see that one section had collapsed from the weight of the ash that had accumulated on the roof. Glancing at the house, he saw with relief that the steep roof was still relatively clear of a buildup of ash.
A few moments later, he climbed up on the porch and, after checking the door, was satisfied that no one had been snooping around. Since the incident at the Donaldsons, there had been no signs of anyone else prowling around the property.
After walking around the house, Trace began making his way back toward the bunker. He could still see ash falling steadily in the beam of his flashlight. If this continued, they would have to check the filters in the blockhouse more often. They couldn’t allow the generators to become fouled with it.
Reaching the cellar, Trace spent some time clearing the ash from around the cellar’s entrance. Finally satisfied that he had done as well as he could, he went back inside. He would tell the others about the ash. For weeks now, they hadn’t been able to pick up anything but static on their radio receiver. Trace hoped there were other survivors, but this ash would make surviving for some even more difficult.
-
Mase was standing inside the most recent addition to their ecological habitats. Linda and Karen were with him as they listened to Jolene explain what they had done.
“This is the newest ecological habitat we have built,” she said with a big pleased smile on her face.
“What’s going in this one?” Linda asked as she gazed down the length of the cavern. She knew they were growing more dependent each day on the food that Jolene and her people were growing.
“We’re putting in two more fish ponds and the rest will be fruits and vegetables,” Jolene replied. “In sixty days we will be harvesting our first crops.”
“Is this the last habitat you’re going to build?” Linda asked. She knew this was the fourth one.
“One more is planned,” answered Jolene, brushing her thick black hair back behind her shoulders.
We are building one more for the larger animals.”
“The pigs and cows,” explained Karen.
She knew this would make Anthony happy. That’s all he talked about anymore when he came by the new larger apartment the girls had all moved into. He constantly complained that he hadn’t had a steak in over two months.
“We will also be putting more chickens in a
lso,” added Jolene with a nod of her head.
“More chickens,” commented Karen, with a frown. She and four other girls had just finished cleaning one of the chicken houses the day before. She had not realized how bad something could smell until then.
Jolene laughed with a smile spreading across her face. “Karen got to help clean out one of the chicken houses yesterday,” she explained. “It’s not a popular job, but it has to be done and the waste is used as fertilizer for our crops.”
“At least I haven’t had to clean out the pig pens yet,” Karen added with distaste. “Those really smell! I never knew an animal could smell so bad.”
Linda laughed and patted her younger sister on the shoulder. “Just look at everything you’re learning.”
It was at that moment that a sudden sharp tremor struck, throwing Linda and Karen painfully to the ground. Karen screamed loudly, her face covered in fear. Mase braced his feet, feeling the ground trembling beneath him and then, after a few moments, it stopped. He could now hear loud alarms sounding. His heart quickened as he realized the significance of those alarms. They signaled a drop in pressure in the new Tycho City cavern. The alarms were a signal for everyone to report to their emergency stations and for those not needed to go into the underground sections of Tycho City and seal themselves in until the all clear was sounded.
“What is it?” Karen spoke with panic on her face as she stood back up, wiping the dirt from her pants. She stepped over closer to Linda who was also back on her feet.
“An oxygen leak,” Mase explained as he started making his way toward the exit. “You should still be safe in here; I don’t see any of this cavern’s warning alarms flashing. It’s the main cavern that has suffered damage.”
There were special alarms set every one hundred feet to monitor the air pressure in the caverns. If the pressure dropped, the alarms would go off and the attached lights would start flashing red. The alarms they were currently hearing were placed at the air lock to indicate a drop of air pressure in the main Tycho City cavern.
Star One: Tycho City Survival Page 22
