Universal Mass

by Coleinger, Ronnie

  The months of June and July proved that the scientist might be correct in their predictions of a planet wide winter. The power companies could no longer keep the power up and running. With the power off, the people were unable to heat their homes or keep their grow lights working. The city folks mostly heated their homes and cooked with natural gas. However, the refineries could no longer meet the demand for their product and the gas pipes that ran under the city streets now contained air instead of gas. Propane was still available, but in short supply and priced out of reach for most families. Those who lived in the country fared somewhat better if they were able to get outdoors to cut wood to heat their homes and cook their meals. In general, the people of planet Earth were about to become extinct if the black hole in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy did not slow its feeding frenzy and allow planet Earth to return to some facsimile of a twenty-four hour day.

  By mid-August, the clan saw sunlight for the first time in many weeks. They quickly fired up the tractor and began plowing their way along the trail to the west of the Mountain House. They wanted to cut as much hardwood as possible while the sun was shining. On that first day, they cut and dragged twenty large maple trees back to the house where they could cut them up when they had time. On the second day, they managed to cut and haul six very large oak trees from the forest. The hardwood would help keep the fires in the steam engine’s fireboxes burning longer than the soft poplar and cottonwood they were now burning. By the end of the week, they had harvested enough wood to last for six or more months. That would give them time to maintain their wood supply whenever the weather permitted. The county snowplows had stopped trying to keep the main highways open, so the chance of other humans trying to plunder the resources of the Mountain House became quite limited. As long as the clan did not run out of ammunition, they should be able to survive for many years in their secluded mountain home.

  On September 12, the county snowplows not only plowed the main highway, but they also plowed their way to the front door of the Mountain House. The two plow truck operators stopped in for a visit to see if the clan was still living there and to check on their wellbeing. The two men ended up staying the night with the clan. They were the first visitors to the Mountain House in many months and there were welcomed with open arms, hot coffee and more food and apple pie than they could eat. When the two men were ready to leave, the guys loaded up their gasoline cans into their own truck and followed the snowplows down the mountain so they could purchase some much-needed supplies. The girls had provided the men with a shopping list, three pages long and strict orders to fill the list before returning. The guys planned to spend a day in the city and return when the county snowplows made a return trip up the mountains.

  As the guys began shopping, they soon realized that many of the things they needed were in short supply or simply not available. The storeowners filled the guys in on how the food and heating fuel shortages were ravaging the country, maybe even the world. It appeared that the city folks were not doing so well. Some of the elderly had died during the long hard winter. Many of the younger males had left the area and headed to the warmer climates where they could find work. It seemed that even though the planet was suffering from colder temperatures and heavy snow, some of the southern areas closer to the equator were still able to raise a crop and export much of it to the northern locations. Mexico had stepped up its production of liquefied fuels and was now transporting much of it by railcar to the northern portions of the United States and Canada. Mexico and Central America were willing to do whatever they could to foster good relations with the United States and Canada, since thousands of North American scientists and microbiologists had worked hard to develop a vaccine to eradicate a new strain of viral meningitis that devastated the populations of central and South America. Without that help, thousands more children in those countries would have succumb to the virus. As it turned out, a Canadian scientist managed to break the genetic coding of the virus and later developed a vaccine that prevented the virus from replicating and thusly mutating. Her contribution to the eradication of viral meningitis, worldwide, sparked relaxed government regulations on the pharmaceutical companies that developed and distributed the new drugs. Without government controls on the purse strings, huge sums of money began to flow into medical research departments. The result was twofold; pharmaceutical companies had large sums of money to work with and the poorest of the world’s population began receiving drugs at little or no cost. Within a few years, the world should begin to see a decline in the death rates from some of the most devastating diseases.

  It was Britney who discovered that a local television station was about to begin broadcasting over the airways. The station would be broadcast using an old technology known as analog. This method of sending the signals out over the airways would allow for easy reception using simple devices such as rabbit ear antennas and would make the signals receivable on the old VHF capable radio receivers, which many people were once again using in their homes. Britney had located two of the radios, one at Jenna’s old farm and one from her father’s study. She hoped to begin receiving the signals from the station as soon as it began broadcasting. One day she hoped to get an old television receiver working so she could see the broadcasts live. For now, she would concentrate her efforts towards getting the radios working.

  As the clan began their morning routine of taking turns in the bathroom and preparing breakfast, Timothy ran into the kitchen. He was all out of breath from running and had to sit down at the table and calm himself for a moment before he could tell everyone that the nanny goat had delivered two babies during the night. Once he got the words out of his mouth, Randy sat down beside him and asked, “Are the baby goats walking around and nursing?” Timothy looked at his father and said, “Yea. When I walked into the barn, the nanny butted me and let me know to stay away from her babies. I guess she does not want us to hurt them.” Jenna said, “Goats are very protective of their new babies. Give the goat a few days to settle down and then she will allow you to touch her babies. Give the mother goat lots of fresh water and feed her some good hay along with her normal food. If she stops nursing her babies, let us know and we will help you bottle feed the babies until they are strong enough to survive on their own.” Timothy thought about his mother’s words a moment and then began filling his plate with steaming hot potatoes and cured pork. As he ate, everyone discussed the new baby goats. He knew that at some point in time, the goats would become part of the food chain. Timothy did not like thinking about killing and eating them, but he knew it was part of survival for the clan. He was determined to do whatever was required of him to insure that the clan members received proper care and nourishment. Since he was the oldest member of the next generation, he would have to take over the day-to-day operations of the Mountain House as his elders became too old and feeble to handle the daily chores, he would have to step up and take charge. Even at his young age, he realized that each member of the clan had skills that the others needed for survival over the long term. His skills would lie with the raising and nurturing of the livestock that fed all of them. He knew he had much to learn, but his mother and the other members of the clan were willing to teach him and guide him on his quest. His task for now was to listen carefully and insure he understood the words of wisdom his elders spoke. His father, Randy, once spoke the words, “Survival of the fittest.” Those words had sunk into his mind and he understood the real world reality of those words. He would need to be one of the fittest if he was to lead this clan into the next generation.

  Rodney had begun teaching his young son, Donald, how to work around the steam engines. The boy was quite young, but the clan members often found the boy shoveling ashes from the fireboxes on the steam engines and rodding out the heat exchanger tubing with a wire brush on a wooden pole. The boy loved being around the engines and had learned to heed his father’s warnings about the moving machine parts and the superheated steam, which would burn the skin off one’s body
in an instant. It wasn’t long before Donald could build a fire in the firebox and keep it burning for the next three days. Then he would help his father shut down that steam engine and start up the second one. The upkeep of the engines was a constant chore, but the ability to have electricity to keep the grow lights burning during the nighttime hours was a blessing. Without the engines running the generators, they would have no vegetables and a very miserable lifestyle. Having electric lights in the living area and the underground structures was also a blessing. Having a carbon fuel lantern burning in the barn caused constant concern to all of the clan members. A fire in the barn could prove fatal if not extinguished quickly. The electric lights with the light bulbs contained inside an unbreakable glass jar were much safer.

  ***

  Britney, Kathy and Jenna took a shopping trip to Hillsburg. The country road crews had just plowed the roads and the weatherman predicted clear skies for the next two days. The girls took no chances with the weatherman’s words and each packed an overnight bag and sleeping bags just in case. Britney just laughed and commented that spending a couple extra days in the city would not be such a bad thing.

  While shopping at the feed store, Jenna found a brochure on the counter about a hydroponic garden show that would take place in New York City in two weeks. Jenna laid the brochure back on the counter, but Britney picked one up and stuffed it into her pocket. Britney knew that the clan often struggled with new ideas to grow their vegetables. She realized that sending two engineers, in particular, Randy and Jenna to the show might be prudent. They might even be able to bring some new nutrient formulas back with them. Trying to recycle everything from the farm was difficult at best. Excessive amounts of animal and human waste had become a problem. They could only recycle a portion of what they produced. There had to be more ideas on the subject. They composted as much as possible and turned it into fertilizer, but the hydroponics could only use a portion of what they created. Since their plants did not grow in soil, they had to burn some of the excess animal bedding material in the steam engines, which worked okay, but wasted a nutrient rich resource.

  At the supper table that evening, Britney laid the brochure on the table beside Randy. Jenna looked at what Britney had laid on the table and then looked up into Britney’s eyes. Britney stared into Jenna’s eyes and then said, “I think our two engineers should attend this hydroponic and small garden show. Not only will it increase our clan’s chances for long-term survival, but it would also give two lovers a few days away from all of us. I know the weather is horrible, but you can take the public transit train at the bottom of the mountain and then transfer to the Northeastern Train in Chicago. That old steam locomotive runs all the way into New York City. I checked and you can stay at a nice hotel a few blocks away from the show and they will reserve a room for you if you call them. There are pictures inside the brochure. We can care for Timothy and Melanie during your absence. I really think you guys should consider this opportunity as something important to the wellbeing and health of this clan.” Jenna said, “You certainly had that speech well-rehearsed.” Britney threw a face, but did not comment on Jenna’s words. The rest of the clan decided to stay out of the conversation for now and let Randy and Jenna think on the subject for a few hours. They would need to make a decision within the next two days or they would not have time to make the trip before the show began.

  Jenna talked to Randy as the clan prepared for bed. Britney was careful to keep her nose out of the conversation. She had angered Jenna already and she did not want the two of them to have to settle their anger with their fists. They had done that once before and neither of them faired very well. Britney was not certain why Jenna did not want to attend the hydroponic show, but she did not intend to press the issue. Jenna and Randy would work things out and Britney hoped the two of them would attend. Britney would love to go to the show, but she would not attend with Randy if Jenna decided to remain at home. Jenna was a very jealous person. She would never allow another woman to spend two weeks alone with her man. As Britney put her two brothers to bed, Jenna stepped up and hugged her. When Jenna stepped back, she was crying. Britney put her arms around Jenna and let her cry on her shoulder. After a few minutes, Jenna said, “I am sorry for being obstinate towards you. You are my best friend and I cannot explain why I feel so jealous. I trust both you and Randy without question, yet I constantly find myself in a jealous rage over you. For that, I am sorry. Randy and I have decided to follow your suggestion and take the trip to New York City. Will you help us make the reservations and purchase the train tickets?” Britney could not have been happier. She walked out to the kitchen and picked up the brochure. She carried it to her bedside table and put it where it would be safe. She planned to begin making phone calls as soon as it was eight o’clock in New York.

  Britney laid in bed that night thinking about hydroponics and indoor gardens. She considered how they recycled the resources here at the Mountain House and wondered how they could do things better. She and the others had successfully raised lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, basil, strawberries, water crest, carrots, peas, string beans, small muskmelons, spaghetti squash and zucchini. They only had limited space for growing vegetables and the squash and melons took a long time to ripen. She had read that ethylene gas would ripen fruit such as bananas, but had not tried it on some of their vegetables. The article she had read explained how the growers shipped bananas green and then gassed them with ethylene to ripen them once they arrived at the warehouses. Further research showed that ethylene was a natural plant hormone. Britney discovered from her reading that she could ripen some fruits by placing them in a plastic bag or container with a ripe banana. She wondered if other fruits would produce ethylene gas as they ripened, as the banana does.

  During the night, Britney woke to the sound of two people whispering in the dark. She listened for only a moment, assuming an intimate act was in progress. She soon returned to sleep and did not wake again until the boys began stirring around in the kitchen. Britney could not go back to sleep and decided to help the boys with their breakfast. The boys were quite capable of fixing cold cereal, but they could only light the wood stove or the small wood heated griddle if an adult was present.

  When Randy walked into the kitchen, he poured a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. Shortly thereafter, Jenna joined him. Jenna sat down beside Britney and began to stir her coffee with a spoon. She stirred, and stirred and stirred until Britney was about to take the spoon away from her and throw it across the room. Finally, Britney could not stand the stirring one moment longer and asked, “Is everything alright, Jenna. Have I somehow angered you again?” Jenna put her spoon down on the table and said, “No. You have not angered me. I am not mad at you or anyone else for that matter. However, I have decided not to travel to New York for the hydroponic show. I think it would be best if you and Randy make the trip. You have worked hard to get the gardens working and are now successfully raising enough high quality vegetables to feed this hungry clan. I think you should join Randy for the show. I discussed my feelings with Randy during the night and we have made the decision. I hope you will attend and bring back as much knowledge as possible to help our gardens prosper.”

  Britney looked into Randy’s eyes, hoping to discover the reason for this sudden turn of events. Randy finally said, “Britney, I hope you will join me in this adventure. Jenna feels strongly that you should go instead of her. I am determined not to do anything to cause Jenna to feel jealous. We will get two hotel rooms and keep our finances separate.” Britney sat thinking about Randy’s words and then said, “I don’t think this is a good idea. Jenna and I are not able to keep from angering each other even on a good day and me spending more than a week alone with her husband is simply not doable. We cannot live here in the Mountain House if we are punching each other on a daily basis.” Britney stood up and began helping Donald brown a piece of bread on the griddle. Jenna sat quietly for a few moments and then said, “Britney, I trus
t you and Randy and I will have no problem if you wish to attend the show together. I promise you, I don’t mind. You are the best choice to attend and you will need Randy’s engineering experience to help you with the technical details. Please reconsider and think about this. I hope you change your mind.”

  When Bonnie walked out into the kitchen, she stepped up beside her daughter and said, “Think hard and long before you turn down this opportunity. You will never have another opportunity like this. Consider how much you will help this clan and possibly help some of the city folk if you begin training them to raise their own food.” Britney stood looking at her mother and then turned to Jenna. She sat down beside her and said, “Jenna, I promise you I will be extra careful not to give you any reason to be jealous. I will not even look in Randy’s direction for the entire trip.” Jenna began to giggle and said, “I think that is an overkill, but I understand your meaning. Just try to have a good time and learn everything you can.”

  Britney started to wash dishes, but Bonnie ran her out of the kitchen. She said to her daughter, “Go get ready to make the trip down to Hillsburg before the weather gets bad. You might as well take Randy with you and get all of your tickets purchased. You guys might want to get some smaller bills to take along with you. Tipping is a big thing in New York. One more thing before I forget. A small leather bound journal might work out nice for taking notes and a good mechanical pencil would be good. If you keep a good journal, it will make teaching the rest of us much easier when you return.”

  As Randy and Britney prepared the truck for the trip to the city, Jenna and Bonnie sat down at the kitchen table and began to talk. Jenna said, “I hope Randy and Britney have a good time. New York City is the most incredible place on Earth and they might never have a chance to go again. The scientists believe we could begin another planet wide winter.” As they talked, Bonnie asked, “Jenna, are you worried about Randy and Britney traveling together? I hope you are not. Randy is in love with you and would never do anything to damage that relationship and Britney is searching for a man to take over the father role with her son, Donald. Those two will be just fine together. I really wish you would relax and give both of them some room to work on this hydroponic project together. Britney will make us all proud if you give her some space. The only thing she needs from your husband is his knowledge; something you cannot prevent him from sharing with all of us.” Jenna looked into Bonnie’s eyes and said, “I do trust Randy and I don’t really believe Britney is a threat to my marriage, yet I find myself angry at her whenever I am around her. For that, I am sorry, but I don’t seem to be able to control the anger. The problem is mine and I will find a way to sort things out.”