It was Tremble’s turn to decline. “You’ve got a long way to go, and y’all will need every bit of the food you’ve got and more. Dividing the food won’t make much difference and there’s plenty of game, so Keith and I can live off the land. But if you could spare a bit off that spool of wire I saw, some paracord for snares and such, and maybe a couple of those heavy garbage bags to carry stuff in, that would be great.”
Wiggins looked at Tex, and she nodded. “Done,” he said. “And I’ll throw in a lighter. Levi gave us a half dozen and I didn’t dump ‘em ‘cause they’re light. But what about water? You got nothing to carry it in, nor anything to boil it in to sterilize it either.”
Tremble shrugged. “There’s a lot of water around, and as long as we can catch a spring where it surfaces and the water hasn’t been contaminated with animal droppings, we should be all right. As far as carrying water goes, it is what it is, and we’ll make do. I’m pretty sure if we hit one of the access points with a parking lot, we can slip down at night and raid a trash can for plastic water bottles.”
Tex got a strange look on her face. “Just a minute,” she said, and scrambled uphill toward the cave. She returned a moment later and handed two small packages to Keith and then stepped over and tossed two more in Tremble’s lap. Keith was blushing, and Tex burst out laughing.
“Don’t get any ideas, Romeo,” she said, and Tremble looked down at the condoms in his hand.
“I found those in the side pocket of the pack and was starting to feel a bit negative toward Levi until I just figured out what they’re for, besides the obvious, I mean. You can use ‘em to carry water, and we can put a little of the bleach we’re carrying in one of them as well, that way you can sterilize water if you have to,” she said.
“So that’s what those are for,” Wiggins said. “I have some too, but we left Levi’s place in a bit of a rush, and we didn’t cover possible uses for those. When I found them, I was just a bit embarrassed to bring it up. We can let you have a few more, if you think you can use them.” He laughed and shook his head. “That Levi’s pretty resourceful.”
Tremble looked at the condoms. “I think I’d like to meet this guy someday.”
***
The four stood in the dim morning light, the leave-taking difficult despite their short friendship.
“Well, I guess this is it,” Wiggins said, extending his hand.
Tremble nodded and grasped the outstretched hand, but didn’t release it immediately. “You two take care of yourselves,” he said, “and when you get home, if you have access to a radio, please spread the news about what’s really going on to those folks in Wilmington and everywhere else you can. Whether we make it out or not, I feel better knowing that at least there’s a chance Gleason’s plans can be made public.”
“You can count on it, Simon,” Wiggins said, giving Simon’s hand a firm squeeze before releasing it to offer his hand to Keith.
As Keith and Wiggins shook hands, Tremble turned to Tex and offered his hand. Even in the dim light he saw her eyes glisten with moisture, and she knocked his hand aside to wrap him in a hug.
“You take care, Simon,” she whispered in his ear as he squeezed her back.
Tremble released her and she turned to hug Keith as well, quickly and fiercely before stepping back and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and forcing a grin. “And you watch out for the old-timer, Romeo, and watch where you’re stepping.”
Keith merely bobbed his head in acknowledgment, as if not trusting his voice.
“I guess this is it,” Wiggins said a second time, then shouldered his pack as Tex did the same.
They all stood for an awkward moment until Wiggins nodded a final time. “Take care,” he said, and turned to walk into the woods. Tex stayed a moment longer then bobbed her head and turned to move after Wiggins. A moment later they were both out of sight, leaving Tremble and Keith staring at the spot where they’d disappeared into the thick woods.
“I hope they make it,” Keith said quietly.
“Me too, son. Me too,” Tremble replied.
They stood there quietly for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally Keith spoke.
“So what now?”
“We give them an hour to get on their way and then we pack up and move,” Tremble said.
“What? Why?”
“Because as much as I hope they make it, their chances aren’t good, and if they get caught, they know where we are.”
“What do you mean! Tex and Bill would never rat us out—”
Tremble held up a calming hand. “No, not voluntarily,” he said calmly, “but trust me. If they’re caught, they’ll be made to talk, because no one can resist forever.”
Keith looked away, struggling to control his emotions. He swallowed several times before he could speak.
“So where are we going?”
“There’s another cave about a mile south. I found it day before yesterday when I went out alone to set the snares. It’s not quite as big as this one, but there’s a little spring running out of it, so we’ll have plenty of water.”
“You planned on this? How did you know?” Keith asked.
“Family ties are strong motivators. Actually, I’m surprised they stayed as long as they did, and I really hope they make it back to their folks.”
Keith nodded. “But what about us? We just hide in these woods for the rest of our lives? That means Gleason wins, doesn’t it?”
“Nope, but we do hole up until that ankle of yours is a hundred percent, then we head south. It sounds like these folks in Wilmington are trying to put together a real recovery effort, and I’d like to be part of it.”
Epilogue
Office of the Commander
U.S. Fleet Force Command
U.S. Naval Base Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Day 25, 4:00 a.m.
Admiral Sam Wright reached for his coffee mug, wincing as the now stone cold and bitter brew shook him from his reverie. He shuddered and lifted his eyes from the memo to the large wall map on his office wall, festooned with colored pushpins representing the return of American military and diplomatic assets from across the globe. And they were all coming by ship—his ships, and already starting to clog the wharfs and anchorages of every naval waterfront facility, major and minor, from Kittery, Maine, to Bremerton, Washington, and all points in between.
And in the finest tradition of ‘mission creep,’ or perhaps ‘mission gallop,’ he was rapidly learning there was no coherent plan for dealing with the mass of humanity he’d been charged with ‘bringing home to safety.’ Ships arrived short on food, water, and fuel, and laden with people, to be shuttled to anchorages and ignored as the rapidly accruing liabilities overwhelmed the few remaining assets. He turned his eyes back to the memo.
25 April 2020
From: Chief - Naval Operations (CNO)
To: US Fleet Force Command (USFLTFORCOM)
Subject: Acquisition of Resources
As you are aware, recovery efforts are ongoing, focused on restoration of electrical-generating capacity at limited locations and the repair and build out of the electrical-transmission grid from those restored production facilities. Our national efforts must focus on this mission, if necessary to the exclusion of all else.
Pursuant to this goal, the President (POTUS), in consultation with the surviving members of congress now assembled at FEMA Command in Mount Weather, Virginia, has determined the most efficient course of action is a merger of the Department of Defense with the Department of Homeland Security, under the new title Department of Defense and Security (DEFSEC) to be led by Secretary Crawford, the present Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS). Secretary Tidwell will continue in a role similar to his current tasking as Secretary of Defense, but his new title will be Assistant Secretary of Defense and Security (ASECDEFSEC) and he will be reporting to Secretary Crawford (SECDEFSEC).
Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Murray has informed me, and I in turn
inform you, that henceforth we will be taking direction from SECDEFSEC and cooperating more closely with FEMA forces, specifically the newly formed Special Reaction Force, the lead organization tasked with identifying areas where our acquisition efforts might best be focused.
The assets under your command will act primarily as support for Special Reaction Force (SRF) operations and be subordinate to them. While I understand there may be resistance to this change, I remind you of our obligation to conform to our oaths and responsibility to follow the orders of our lawfully elected leaders, regardless of any differing personal views, and know I can count on you to lead by example. Your full cooperation is both expected and appreciated.
SRF operations have already pacified areas around several nuclear power facilities, and recruitment efforts for both the nuclear infrastructure and farm labor programs are well under way. The biggest need at the moment is food, fuel, and other necessities, and the emphasis going forward is to concentrate on parts of the national logistical supply chain that were beyond the reach or technical ability of rioters and looters and that still hold a sufficient volume of resources. A preliminary list of those locations is appended, prioritized in order of probable execution. Please review it and stand ready to support SRF operations as and when needed.
Richard W. Whiteley
Chief of Naval Operations (CNO)
Wright flipped the page and stared at the long list of targets, focusing on the top name. He shook his head wearily and rose to cross to the chart table occupying a corner of his spacious office, then stared down at the chart of the Cape Fear River and the Port of Wilmington. Home sweet home, he thought, wondering for the hundredth time how he could keep the SRF thugs out of his hometown.
Pushback
Disruption - Book 2
The story continues as survivors of the Great Solar Storm struggle unassisted to rebuild a working society and save as many people as possible, as what remains of the federal government becomes increasingly corrupt and self-serving. FEMA’s Special Reaction Force rises to become a power unto itself, and units of the regular military must decide whether to follow the orders of their chain of command — or their own consciences.
Available early 2016 (or sooner if I can manage it).
Be sure to read to the end of this book for information on how you can receive progress reports and updates on the release.
Author’s Notes
Apocalyptic tales have captivated the human imagination since the story of Noah and the great flood, and I’ll admit to being a fan. Starting with classics like The Earth Abides and Alas, Babylon, I devoured these stories as a kid and have always enjoyed a good, convincing, postapocalyptic tale.
That said, I never figured I’d write one, because the key word is ‘convincing,’ and I doubted my own ability to convince readers to take that journey with me. My previous work is all in the ‘thriller/action-adventure’ category and set in the world of ships and the sea, environments I know well. I also suffer from an obsession for realism, and nothing happens in my Dugan thrillers that couldn’t actually happen in real life.
But a postapocalyptic thriller? As much as I personally enjoyed reading them, I thought them well into the realm of fantasy. And if I couldn’t convince myself to ‘suspend disbelief,’ I figured trying to convince others was a lost cause.
So what changed my mind? Strangely enough, it was a visit to the doctor about three years ago for a routine physical. I arrived ten minutes before my appointment time and settled in for what I assumed would be the normal half-hour or forty-five-minute wait. Just as I turned on my Kindle, the battery died, so I had to resort to finding reading material from the meager selection of coughed-on/sneezed-on magazines.
(And for what it’s worth, I’m convinced there exists a service dedicated to supplying medical offices three-year-old magazines on a range of topics of interest to no one.)
Imagine my delight when I found a recent issue of National Geographic with a cover story about solar storms. By the time the nurse called my name, I’d learned all about solar storms, their potential for damaging the power grid, and the Carrington Event of 1859. This seemed to be pretty serious stuff.
But surely it was overblown, right? If so, those pesky alarmists at National Geographic keep beating the drum. In April of this year, they released a long documentary on solar storms. The whole thing is fascinating, but if you want to cut to the chase, start watching at about the fifty-minute mark.
After my doctor visit (I was pronounced healthy, by the way), I started doing a bit more research. I found like every other subject one researches on the Internet, misinformation on solar storms abounds, but mixed with a lot of craziness was solid information from credible sources.
For example, the venerable British insurer Lloyd’s issued a twenty-one-page report in 2013 titled Solar Storm Risks to North American Power Grid. The entire report is fascinating reading, and the critical nature of high-voltage transformers and their vulnerability is covered in some detail. Of particular interest are these quotes from the very first page of the executive summary:
“A Carrington-level, extreme geomagnetic storm is almost inevitable (my emphasis) in the future. While the probability of an extreme storm occurring is relatively low at any given time, it is almost inevitable that one will occur eventually. Historical auroral records suggest a return period of 50 years for Quebec-level storms and 150 years for very extreme storms, such as the Carrington Event that occurred 154 years ago.”
And:
“As the North American electric infrastructure ages and we become more and more dependent on electricity, the risk of a catastrophic outage increases with each peak of the solar cycle. Our society is becoming increasingly dependent on electricity. Because of the potential for long-term, widespread power outage, the hazard posed by geomagnetic storms is one of the most significant.”
Which brings us to:
The Insurance Journal, which ran an August 2014 story titled Time to Be Afraid — Preparing for the Next Big Solar Storm, with an opening sentence reading, “The probability of a solar storm striking Earth in the next decade with enough force to do serious damage to electricity networks could be as high as 12 percent, according to solar scientists.”
The article goes on to describe a solar storm in 2012 that produced a massive coronal mass ejection that was a ‘near miss.’ Had the pulse occurred a week earlier, it would have impacted the earth head-on.
Both of these stories are available by clicking the embedded links and I invite you to read them for yourself if you have any doubts as to the sources. I picked insurance industry sources as examples because insurers are noted for their unemotional assessment of risk. All the things I outlined in Under a Tell-Tale Sky regarding the vulnerability of our power grid are true. I could just as easily have cited any one of a hundred equally credible sources.
But what the heck is going on anyway? If our national (and global) leadership knows about the vulnerability of the transformers, why isn’t the problem being addressed? Well, maybe it is. According to a March 2015 story in Environment & Energy Publishing, the Department of Energy is ‘studying’ the problem. However, I wouldn’t hold my breath — they’ve been ‘studying’ it since 1990. (I should add for readers outside North America that the 'transformer vulnerability' issue is less of a problem in countries where the electrical power is not transmitted across vast distances.)
Of additional concern, all the above references deal only with natural or solar threats to our power grid. Military and security planners are equally concerned with the much greater potential for damage from an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapon, or cyber-attack, or a coordinated physical attack on critical transformers by terrorist cells. There are an equal number of disturbing studies from established, credible sources discussing this separate but similar threat, and some security experts consider it far more likely than a solar event.
Without flogging the deceased equine much longer, I will refer you to this Novembe
r 2014 article in the Business Insider, in which Admiral Michael Rogers, director of the National Security Agency, admits China could shut down our power grid.
So there you have it. My biggest concern when I went into that doctor’s office a few years ago was enduring a prostate exam, but you might say my horizons have been broadened a bit. I started off more than a little skeptical regarding the entire ‘grid down’ scenario, but everything I’ve researched so far leads me to believe we are all much too complacent.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think you can live your life worrying about things that may never happen, and being prepared doesn’t have to take over your life. That said, a lot of positive things can spring from contemplating and preparing to live a simpler, less complicated lifestyle. Regular weekends in the woods can do wonders for your serenity and point of view.
I surely hope nothing like this ever happens, but everything I’ve learned has convinced me it’s at least possible. How serious am I? Well, let’s just say we now have our own little piece of wilderness and I’m starting to collect books with titles like 101 Delicious Possum Recipes.
Thanks and an Invitation!
There isn’t any shortage of thrillers in the world, so I’m truly honored you chose to read mine and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it. I’m hard at work on Pushback: Disruption Book 2 and will get it out as soon as I can.
While you’re waiting (and if you haven’t already read them) please consider my Dugan thrillers. As a matter of fact, as a thank you for your readership, I’m offering you a gift of your choice of any of my current Dugan thrillers.
So what’s the catch? There’s only a small one, and I’ll be up front about it. I’d like you to accept my invitation to subscribe to my email notification list so I can keep you updated on progress on Pushback and notify you when it’s published. I know some of you might sign up anyway, but if you’re on the fence, I decided to try a free gift as an inducement (okay, bribe).
Under a Tell-Tale Sky: Disruption - Book 1 Page 42
