Fall of the Cities: Putting Down Roots

by Vance Huxley

  “Our colleagues in Russia must find a way around that. From our own point of view we now have refining capacity, or will have within a year.” The older man changed the view to another map. “Keris reports that the Argentinian solution is working well, and our allies there have started moving workers and equipment out to the Falklands. With the Royal Navy almost intact we can ensure the safety of the undersea wells, the new refining facilities, and the tankers moving the finished product.”

  “We will still have enough warships to seal the channel?” The slim Asian, Vanna, frowned. “I don’t trust the Belgians and Germans to stop those so-called refugees and I’m not sure anything in France can. Not now units of the French Army have broken or turned.”

  “I’ll check the contingencies, and we can move units from Gibraltar if required. Otherwise the ships should stay there, bottling up the Med. Just in case the few warships taken from Toulon decide coming this way is more important than settling old disputes in the Middle East and North Africa.” Owen used the remote to turn off the screen. “We’ll reconvene for a full meeting in a month to review progress, but until then everyone will still be busy keeping our own projects in the UK somewhere close to the plan.”

  *   *   *

  Everyone in Orchard Close understood the unspoken message in the news reports. The marts wouldn’t have enough food, and the prices would go up. The teams visited every spot marked as a vegetable garden before the snow came and dug up the hardier crops like swedes, beets and carrots. Rabbits and surprisingly a deer had been at the Brussels sprouts and cabbages but partially nibbled veg tasted better than none.

  Even so spirits remained high, not least because the cloud over the city centre finally lifted. The birds had been gradually diminishing, but now flocks of seagulls and rooks accompanied by buzzards, crows and other scavengers flew overhead daily, heading out into the countryside. That made no difference to daily life, but the birds had been a constant reminder of the sheer scale of the deaths and violence.

  A Muntjac deer escaped because the startled scavengers missed their chance to shoot it before the equally startled animal bounded out of sight. The scavengers teased Emmy mercilessly about missing her chance, and a change of meat would have been welcome. So far Orchard Close hadn’t run out of fresh meat since the snow covered up much of the grass. The rabbits went for any available food which made them easier to find and Finn’s practice with the poncy air pistol converted into rabbit hunting. Meanwhile the tracks meant that Holly’s trappers could pick the best places for their wire nooses, and any surplus rabbits were frozen.

  The rats in the traps became either fresh dog food or frozen future dog food, and not just for Lucky. Rascal now ate mostly rat or cat, though the hunters did the gutting and skinning for a grateful Hilda and boiled the meat. Alicia worked on overcoming her squeamishness to prepare rat for her own new pet. Alicia, the girl club, Zach and Toyah had all tempted cats in from the wild. Berry and Nigel were after one as well, to keep the rats and mice away from their sacks of potential beer.

  That might be easier soon since Robert had caught one to keep any rodents away from his wife Pippa’s bakery supplies, and Stripes was pregnant. Stripes because of her markings, and as a reminder to six year old Joey not to get scratched again. Hunger or loneliness brought moggies into Orchard Close and spared Sandy from making cat traps, a blessing for him as the cold bit into his arthritic joints.

  Harold remembered Veronica’s comment about the little radios, and a couple of others about communications, and made casual enquiries. Not entirely casual, but his real target being wounded helped to make the whole approach look accidental. “Hi there Isiah, how’s your leg and Kerry’s arm?”

  “Not too bad Harold. Kerry thinks she’ll be able to embroider and sew properly soon. It may sound silly, but even if she holds the needle in her other hand her broken arm made it difficult.” Isiah looked down at his leg. “Patricia doesn’t think I’ll limp any worse than before this injury happened.”

  “Maybe, but I still feel partly responsible about that. If I hadn’t gone to see what was happening, we might have prevented your injuries or Sue being killed.” Harold sighed and that wasn’t faked. “If we’d had telephones I needn’t have gone. Finn has looked at making some of the phones work but it isn’t really his thing.”

  “A simple system doesn’t take much. We could probably manage with a few car batteries and some of the parts from the old phones.” Isiah stopped, and looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I should have come up with that, a phone system. I used to work for telecoms.”

  “Really?” Harold kept the smile from his face. “Could you rig up a few? Between the three guardhouses would be a great help.”

  “A lot depends on what kit there is or what could be found scavenging. I could probably manage to rig that up and more if you want. Would you rather have a switchboard type system to put your house on as well? It wouldn’t be too much harder if we find enough jack plugs?” Isiah already looked much happier than Harold had ever seen him. “There’ll be LEDs on broken electrical kit, and if not little Christmas lights would do it.”

  “A proper exchange? Can we use the phone lines?”

  “It won’t be a modern exchange, and I can’t put everyone on it, or not yet. You’ll need someone sat there all the time or near enough to hear a bell or buzzer.” Isiah sat thinking for a few moments. “Ordinary phone wires work well but a lot of these places might have used buried cables.” He brightened. “I can use any electrical wire really, as long as there’s two cores at least.”

  “That would be fantastic. Would you mind? It’ll be a big help.”

  “No problem. I might need someone to climb and crawl here and there?” Isiah pointed at his leg.

  “I’ll have a talk to a few people and work out if we want a telephone exchange and where it would go. Thanks a lot Isiah.” Harold left with a big smile. Veronica had been dead right about her dad knowing about phones, and needing a challenge to cheer him up. Back in the house Isiah had already started dismantling the house phone to check on the components.

  *   *   *

  Matti drew a number from her sister’s Stetson and waved it in triumph. “My turn, Soldier Boy.” Behind her Sal concluded a really intense discussion with Holly and then tickets changed hands. Drawing numbers for last dance and walking home seemed to be established now, with Matti definitely up for some competition with her sister. Harold smiled and winked at Sharyn.

  “I’ve got to walk the other way, so you’ve got plenty of time.” Sharyn stuck her tongue out as Sandy claimed his dance. She’d probably be walking home alone since he would offer, but be only too pleased with a refusal. Sandy only danced three or four times because he’s been pressganged into attending, to make up the numbers of men at the end. All these new rules had appeared along with a demand from the girl club, and most of the younger blokes, for a dance every fortnight.

  Harold walked a giggling Matti home in a group with Alicia, Celine, Doll, Louise and Holly. Holly saw his puzzled look and laughed. “I’m walking Barry home because he’s worried about Billy.” He certainly should be, considering how Billy and Doll were sniggering together. Celine seemed relaxed about her escort this time since Stewart Baumber had no designs on anyone. The machete blow across his chest had knitted but not healed yet, leaving him in no fit state for even hugging. Liam ended up with a peck on the cheek from Louise, blushed and half ran up the street.

  “If Finn walks me home again I’ll start to worry about a fix.” Alicia smiled as Finn spluttered his denials. Finn had become Alicia’s shooting instructor, using an air pistol, because Alicia had decided that if the worst happened she wanted to shoot at least one. According to Emmy, Finn was an acceptable tutor because of being half armless, a reference to his injured arm. Finn had also developed into a good shot with an air pistol.

  After Finn, and then Barry, had kissed hands and gone in and Stewart left to go home, Holly turned away and covered h
er eyes. “I’m much too young to see the next bit.”

  “She might be if gramps wasn’t heading for the front room to peek round the curtain.” Doll wrapped her arms around Billy and connected. Harold was going to reply but Matti wasn’t wasting snogging time on talk.

  “There.” Matti looked definitely smug. “Now you can compare that with my sister’s pathetic attempt.” Harold had no intention of making any comment on that, but Matti’s eyes sharpened and she turned to Holly. “Hey, no fair. Now you’ll get him to walk you home. Worse, you haven’t got a gramps.”

  “No but I’ve got Mummy Casper lurking behind the door. Anyway he isn’t walking me home.” Holly hooked her arm through Harold’s. “We just happen to go up the same street and Billy is along as a chaperone. Harold will dump me at the gate.” Her mournful tones didn’t go with Holly’s grin.

  “The curtain just twitched.” Doll unwound from a wide-eyed Billy. “Just remember where we got to if you draw my number again.” The two sisters hi-fived each other and went in.

  “I’m not likely to forget. Do you think she likes me?” Billy now wore a daft grin and smeared lipstick.

  Harold sniggered. “If she drags you into the shadows for a repeat without drawing your number, yes. If not we are both being used by that pair to compete.”

  “I’m good with that.” Billy hooked his arm through Holly’s free one. “There you are, the safest girl in Orchard Close.”

  “Or the one in real trouble.” Four doors down Billy made a half-hearted effort to claim a kiss for being walked home, and went into the house he shared with Jon and Liam. As Holly and Harold came around the end of the street Holly looked over with a little smile. “I’ve found out what happens the second time.”

  “Really? What?”

  “Oh no, you have to walk me home first. Especially since you owe me for June’s chocolate comfort drink.” Holly gave Harold’s arm a little hug.

  “No I don’t. Unless? Doll already claimed a chocolate prize after her dance.” Harold smiled just a little bit because even if the sisters weren’t in the girl club, they seemed to have the qualifications.

  “Oooh, that was naughty. Now you’ll have to pay twice.”

  “So who did actually provide chocolate?” Harold opened the gate and stood back to let Holly through.

  “Oh no, it’s not that easy. Anyway.” Holly stepped in close and looked into Harold’s eyes. “Tell me you don’t want to walk me up this path and find out about the second time.” The sheer mischief in her voice would have been enough but yes, Harold wasn’t averse to that at all. Especially since Holly’s kisses were very innocent and gentle. She wouldn’t try to swallow his lips or play tongues, or try to give him a frontal massage.

  “I’d love to walk you home and find out all about second time, Holly.” He put his arm around her. “Safe enough with Casper poised to rescue me.”

  Coming away afterwards Harold wondered about innocent kisses. This one had lingered, though not quite as long as Halloween. Long enough to make Harold think some not innocent thoughts and hug very firmly. Now Harold wondered if Holly had decided to test the water as it were and find out if she’d moved past Brodie dying. Though if she did, Holly would end up with one of the younger blokes like Jon or Billy, someone more her own age. Maybe Holly had been testing with Soldier Boy before going after the real target, just like Emmy did.

  *   *   *

  Harold cursed under his breath because the electric alarm clock in his bedroom had stopped. “Harold, Harold.” That brought a smile to his face.

  “Yes Hazel, that’s me.”

  “My clock stopped, Harold, and my tablet won’t work this morning.” The scavengers had found several tablet computers and every house now had at least one or a laptop. Those were of limited use without wi-fi or the internet, but each one had some information. How useful that turned out depended on what the owner had been interested in. In addition they made excellent notebooks as paper became scarcer.

  “Is the…?” Harold bit that off and tried the light switch. A chill that was nothing to do with weather ran through him because the bulb didn’t come on. “Leave it with me, Hazel.” He really didn’t want to tell Hazel the electricity had gone off, not without checking the trip switch. As he dressed and hurried downstairs Harold worried that the cut wasn’t the trip switch.

  The big switch in the off position left Harold a bit weak-kneed for a moment and he realised just how worried he’d been. The slender wire lifeline bringing electricity kept Orchard Close going, and could be cut too easily for Harold’s peace of mind. He turned the switch to “on” and went to the TV to check for a report, and the TV wouldn’t come on. The standby lights were still out, as were the ones on the CD player, though the room light worked. “Damn.” Harold spoke softly because no light on his phone charger as well meant a serious problem.

  A quick walk around the house showed that the cooker had survived, and any equipment not plugged in, but some of the rest refused to work again. Harold’s little battery walky talkie started buzzing and Casper reported similar problems in the girl club. Someone hammered on the door. “Come in.”

  “We’ve got problems Harold. Is your electricity on?” Betty’s looked much older than her sixty years, her face pale and drawn with worry.

  “Yes, but some of the equipment won’t start up again. How about you?”

  “Nothing, no electric at all and I looked at the trip thing and turned it on. There aren’t any lights on down the main street, Harold.” Betty sat down and rubbed her face with a hand. “I’m a mess, because I thought it had all gone. If yours is on, others will be, thank God.”

  “Casper has gone for Finn so we can work out what the problem is.”

  By the time Casper and Finn arrived Harold’s lounge had filled up with distraught or puzzled residents. Even the demands for hugs were very half-hearted. Harold held up his hands as a storm of questions greeted the electrician. “Quiet! Please.” He smiled. “Hello Finn, how are you Finn, and what happened?”

  “Firstly we had a power cut. How many of you watched the storm last night?” The storm had been spectacular as it rolled over the city and away across the countryside to the west. Hands went up and Finn gave them a little smile. “The lightning you were all going ooh at must have struck a line or substation. That’s not so bad because this morning the electricity is on again.”

  “But my MP4 doesn’t work.” Holly waved the little music player.

  “I’ll bet that you had it on charge?” Holly nodded and Finn sighed. “We had at least one power surge and my money is on two at least. One came down the power cables when those were hit, and then one that might have come down the old phone lines or TV and internet cables. Those are the same if the house is connected by cables underground.” All eyes went to Harold’s TV.

  “That’s dead along with Hazel’s tablet and several clocks, a phone and two music players like Holly’s.” Harold looked around at the rest and heads were nodding in agreement. “Can we fix them?”

  “Some of them, maybe, but not all. I can fix the electrical systems but probably not the devices.” Finn looked around the room. “All of you, disconnect anything still attached to the old phone lines and cables. If a surge comes down the phone line and jumps to the electrical socket powering the phone, it’s past the big trip switch.” Many people still had their house phones plugged into the landlines, hoping that one day they’d work again, and most phones were also connected to the mains.

  “What about my music?” Liz looked horror-struck.

  “My pictures?”

  “All my notes on treatments?” Patricia looked really worried. “I used my phone to record what worked best.”

  “Finn? Will everyone get their information back?” Harold wasn’t happy because he’d got pictures of Cyn on there, in her waitress uniform in case the Army had got nosy.

  “A lot depends on how you saved it. Some chips might survive, but anything in the phone memory will proba
bly be gone. The CDs will be untouched if you find another player, and some problems might just be fuses in plugs.” Finn grimaced. “I’m more worried about the number of fuses in the boxes and sockets that have blown. I’ll have to look at all the houses, then we need every fuse or three pin plug we can get.”

  “Guess what the scavengers are doing today, and tomorrow, and possibly for a week? Finn, I’d appreciate it if you concentrate on making sure all the houses have electricity and heat first. Then we’ll work on the rest.” Harold forced a smile. “Personally I’ll be charging up my stuff while I’m awake, and I’ll unplug the lot at the first mutter of thunder.”

  “Do that anyway at night, the TV aerials as well. If the surge can’t reach it, your kit is safe.” Finn braced himself. “Right, who hasn’t got the main power back on?”

  “Me please.” Betty stood up and three others went to join Finn. The rest filed out to get breakfast and come to terms with the new threat.

  As the last one filed out, Sharyn whispered from behind Harold. “That smile was a bit forced, Harold. What didn’t you say?”

  “Not much, but if this happens a few more times we’ll gradually run out of music players and phones, TVs and electric clocks. Maybe even fuses.” Harold sighed. “I lost some memories on my phone, or maybe I did.”

  Sharyn looked distraught and turned to the table in the corner where a frame held a small screen. The slide show of pictures was blank. “Freddy.”

  “You’ve got other pictures. Weren’t they copies, and anyway the chip might be OK?” Harold held out his arms because reassurance wasn’t working. Nothing did for a few minutes until Daisy came downstairs and pointed out that Wills was shouting and couldn’t she get a moment’s peace in this place. Sharyn sniggered at that because the five-year-old delivered it in the exact tone and wording Sharyn used when Daisy was being particularly trying.

  *   *   *

  An impressive, in a depressing way, list of items no longer worked. Much of the music couldn’t be replaced, nor could the information lost on one of the computers. Hilda, Veronica and Hazel set into copying every useful download onto DVDs in case another hard drive failed for any reason at all. They also copied all information from salvaged tablets and laptops, regardless of if it seemed useful, onto a few extra salvaged tablets and laptops because there weren’t enough blank DVDS or CDs. A dedicated sweep of the empty housing in Orchard Close itself produced some replacements for TVs, microwaves, and clocks.