by Nelson, Kip
The Path Ahead
EMP Crash Book 2
Kip Nelson
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Copyright © 2016 by Kip Nelson
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Chapter One
With a heavy heart Mack, Grace, and Luis left Willie's farm. The short stay there had left an indelible mark on the three of them. Mack still was thinking back over the encounter with the men on the wagon and wondered how he could have handled it differently. He liked to think there was always a way out of any situation, no matter how bleak, and although his superiors always had tried to prepare him for a no-win scenario, there was a part of him that refused to believe in them. However, he was struggling to understand the new dynamics of this emergent society.
While his skills of reading body language and profiling people were still valuable, Mack had learned them in the context of the old world order. But it was a much different thing to negotiate with an ambassador to try finding out military secrets than it was with a random stranger on a wagon who belonged to a mysterious group that had no allegiance to anything other than power and survival. Mack was used to having the strength of the United States military behind him. Now he had nothing other than his own skills and instincts. Heck, he wasn't sure if even the United States technically existed anymore. If the rest of the country was the same as the area he was in, then lawlessness was rife everywhere. Although he hoped that for everyone's sake there was some form of government somewhere in the country.
A centralized leadership was the only way they were going to rebuild, but unless a communications network was established it was going to be a futile hope. With the electronics having been knocked out by the EMP, it was difficult to see any progress being made any time soon. But despite all that Mack still was determined to keep going, mostly because there was nothing else they could do.
Grace and Luis were also solemn as they walked away from the farm in the early morning sun, trying not to look back at all they were leaving behind. For the first time in a long time, Grace had felt accepted, and talking about her past with Elaine made her feel as though she actually mattered for a change, and that she did have a real life, when for so long she had been living in the virtual realm. However, talking about her parents and D1ABL0 had brought up feelings she would rather have ignored.
Processing emotions wasn't her strong suit; the reason why she had been drawn to computers in the first place was because they allowed a certain level of detachment from emotion. Yet after talking with Elaine she realized how much she missed D1ABL0, and wondered if he was missing her, too. The chances were they never would speak again, and while they never had met, there was still a level of emotion that kept him in her thoughts. Thinking about it, they had spent countless hours chatting about nothing and she always had imagined what it would be like if they met.
Often when she drifted off to sleep she imagined him holding her, but there was always that doubt in the back of her mind that things wouldn't be the same if they ever met. However, now that she knew she probably never would see him, she regretted not telling him properly how she felt, regretted holding back her feelings all that time when she should have been honest. It made her feel envious of Luis and how he so easily had formed a connection with Margaret at the farm. She wondered if she ever would experience something similar.
Luis' thoughts were of Margaret. He had shared something with her that had been elusive in his old life, and he hadn't expected it at all. It had been wrenching to leave her but he owed Mack and Grace his life, and he couldn't turn his back on them now, not when they needed him most.
However, after even just one hour without Margaret he was tempted to turn back and feel her in his arms again, to lose himself in a long embrace with her as they stared up at the stars. Since they had left the farm he was the only one who had not looked back, for it had been too painful. Now, as it had faded from view, he tried to harden his heart against the pain of his loss, but it wasn't an easy thing to do. He didn't resent Mack either, even though he knew if they just had stayed quiet they could have enjoyed the company of the family for a little while longer.
Given that all three had much on their minds there were few words shared between them. Not wanting to run into the threatening group again, and aware that there could have been escapees from the nearby mental hospital and prison roving through the woods, the trio decided to make haste toward the city, not knowing what it held for them. The only thing they knew for sure was that soldiers from the bunker had made their way to the city when the collapse first had happened and had not returned in the intervening time. Mack had to remind himself that this was not necessarily a bad thing.
The air was crisp and still. Sometimes it was easy to forget the horrors that were happening around the world as the breeze made the lush green leaves flutter, birds flew overhead, cawing to each other, and gradually more animals became visible. Mack had a theory that due to the group moving through the forest loudly, the animals had become reticent as they tried to make sense of these new people coming into their territory. Although he didn't know the land well, as he never had been there before, he knew the military bunkers were only built in places where human traffic was minimal. So it was likely the natural wildlife was not used to so many humans running around unchecked. Mack imagined that these parts of the world soon would become filled with people flocking to find food and water, and the cities would become deserted. Aside from shelter, they really could offer nothing substantial, especially once all the stored food had been depleted. But for now, the majority of the population still would be within the city limits as they struggled to make sense of the new world.
Mack tried to imagine the sequence of the events in the city. People would have started to notice their devices didn't work. Confusion quickly would have set in. People would have checked with their neighbors and friends to see if it was happening all over the city. He was sure there would have been some effort from someone to keep things under control, but with a mass panic happening the rational voices would have been drowned out by the loud, hysterical cries of the fearful. But then what? He assumed people would splinter off into separate groups and try scavenging to survive. Many would be like him, trying to make it back to a loved one, while sadly, others would have tried to take advantage of the situation and give themselves a better chance to survive in this life than they had in the old one. His thoughts inevitably drifted toward Anna. Hopefully, his wife had managed to find a good group. He glanced across at Grace and Luis and realized how lucky he had been to find two good, resourceful people.
The three of them continued walking over the following few days, keeping an eye out all around them, for they were wary of the threats that lurked in every corner. However, for the most part, they seemed to have the forest to themselves. Thanks to Willie's help they were able to cut a few days off their journey. But even though they we
re walking for a long time the scenery didn't change too much. The flowers were a different color, and the trees were a different height, but mostly everything was just a different shade of green and sometimes they wondered if they were making any progress at all.
The nights were the hardest as the temperature dropped quite rapidly, and they were thankful that it was in the middle of summer so they did not have to worry about any snowstorms. Huddled together tightly, they shivered themselves to sleep each night, on the edge of discomfort. They only kept a fire lit long enough to cook their dinner, as one burning through the night would have alerted people to their presence. The last thing they wanted was to draw attention to themselves when they knew the type of people who were roaming around the forest. The ashen embers were a constant reminder of what heat felt like, and it was clinging to these memories that kept them warm at night.
As they traveled Mack started to teach Grace and Luis more skills. At first Grace was still reticent to hunt any animals, but as their rations began running out (and truth be told, she was tired of their stale, bland taste anyway) she began licking her lips at the thought of a good portion of meat. Mack showed them how to sneak quietly up on an animal and capture it. At first they captured some rabbits and the occasional bird. While it was hardly gourmet cuisine they dug into the flame-licked meat with relish, tearing it apart with their teeth as their stomachs cried out for something substantial.
The smell and taste of cooked meat lingered long after the meal was over, but over dinner they often spoke of various subjects. If not, they would remain in silence. One evening Grace tossed a bone into the fire, smacked her lips together, and laughed.
“It's funny, isn't it? We thought of ourselves as so enlightened and so progressive, but it didn't take long for us to slip back into our primal behavior. It makes me wonder how far we really did come over the years. Maybe all the technology and newer, shinier buildings were just decorations, and deep down we are the same people, seeking food, companionship, and a roof over our head.”
“I don't think it's about us slipping back, I think it's about us tapping into something that's always been there. As a species we've always had a good survival instinct, this drive to stay alive and adapt. If there was one way I'd have to sum up the human race it would be by pointing to that. But I think over the years we have changed. We've become more aware of our thoughts and feelings. Morality and ethics come into play and, instead of doing what we want because we want to do it, we consider our actions and try thinking about how they will affect other people. That's how we've changed, and how we're different from our ancestors,” Mack said.
“Do you think our need to survive ultimately just will override our conscience, though? I mean, if push came to shove, do you think you honestly could give up your own life for the sake of what you believe in?” Luis asked.
Grace looked at Mack, who replied, “I think it's different for me because I always was trained to think of things from a military perspective. I was always just one cog in a much larger machine and there were always things bigger than me. I'd like to think that we can stay true to our principles even in the most desperate times, but I know it's not easy. I suppose the question to ask yourself is, ‘Do you think you could live with yourself even after knowing that you betrayed your ideals?’ I'm not sure I'd like to go through life knowing I had cast aside everything I had stood for. How could I look in the mirror, or at anyone, again after that?”
His answer made Grace and Luis think about themselves. The two of them were from a much different generation, where patriotism wasn't such an all-encompassing force. Also, unlike Mack, they considered themselves outsiders; Grace because of her activities as a hacker, and Luis, not only because of his cultural heritage, but also because of the way he was treated by his family. As such, they had nothing larger to stay true to, only themselves. Mack noticed how they both looked unsure.
“Say, for example, you came across a man dying, and there was no one else around, but perhaps it posed some risk to you. Maybe you have to cross a dangerous bridge, or perhaps you're not sure if it's a trap? Your conscience, I would hope, is telling you to go help him, but your survival instinct probably is telling you to leave. Now, there's nobody else around, so nobody is going to judge you for it, but if you turned away would you really be able to carry on through life knowing you had consigned a man to his death? Wouldn't that just eat you up inside? I'd rather try to be the best possible version of myself and fail than turn away from people who need me.”
“Man, they should have hired you to play Captain America,” Luis said, and the trio laughed.
The moment of jocularity was enough to break the tension, but the issue remained on their minds for a long time afterward. The rules of this new world were still to survive, and with nobody to maintain law and order the only code of honor available was one's own. Mack knew it was easy to sit around a fire eating food and talking in conceptual terms, but when it came down to it even he wasn't sure how far he was willing to push himself for his own survival. Death could be waiting for him at any moment, and while he wanted to believe he could make it back to Anna, he knew that was a long way away. To get there he would have to have Lady Luck on his side, as well as not making any mistakes himself.
On one particular night, after they had been traveling for a few days and were far away from the farm, Grace finally broke their silence about Willie and his family. As yet they hadn't actually spoken about what had transpired there.
“At least you've been proven right,” she said, directing her comment toward Mack.
It was late at night and the stars were twinkling high in the sky, while far away they could hear the distant sound of a stream bubbling by. They had used this earlier to wash themselves and refill their water bottles. The choking smell of the fire long since had burned away and they could make out only the vague shapes of each other in the darkness.
“About what?” Mack said.
“That there are still good people in the world. They didn't have to take us in or show us kindness, but they did, and not in a superficial way either. For a time there I actually felt like part of the family. It was nice,” she said, her last words turning wistful.
“They were,” Mack said, “I'm sorry to you both for cutting our stay short.”
“You don't have anything to apologize for,” Luis said.
“You did what you thought was right and we all were there. We all agreed to your plan. I just don't know what we're going to do about that group if we ever run into them again. They seem to be watching out for us, and they're the ones in charge here.” He tried to hide it, but the others could hear that he sounded worried.
“They're just people, like any others. And they sound like bullies. Hopefully, we'll avoid them, but if we do run into them again what we need is more information. So far we know that they come out to the farm to get supplies. So it's safe to assume they don't have a way to produce food themselves. I would imagine their power comes from their numbers, and the weapons they carry. The man on the wagon also mentioned a Mr. Smith, who would seem to be their leader. A conversation with him would be very interesting indeed.”
“But how are we going to fight them if we run into a patrol?” Luis asked. “You can't talk us out of every bad situation.”
“No, unfortunately I can't. I think we need to start making some weapons. We need to start using the tools that nature has provided us with. We can't always rely on the things that we carried over from our old lives. We have to think of the future and learn how to live off the land. Tomorrow we'll start.”
With that they slept in the darkness, hidden from everything else. Somewhere else in the forest there were deadly predators waiting for them, and Mack hoped it was not just a matter of time before they were hunted like prey.
Chapter Two
To that end, in the period after leaving the farm he quickly showed Grace and Luis how to make rudimentary weapons. He still held the pistol he had taken from Kathryn's h
ouse, but as yet he had not fired it, wanting to save the bullets for when he really needed them. Before they left the farm Willie had given them a knife and an old hammer that the farmer didn't need anymore, but it was still good to have a variety of weapons. As such, Mack used the knife to whittle some spears, and they used them to hunt so Grace and Luis could practice throwing them.
At first, the two of them were not very good, and the spears landed harmlessly a few feet away, but Mack persisted. He showed them the correct form; how he would plant his feet in the ground, maintain his posture, bring his arm back while using the other to point toward his target, then move his body forward, flinging the spear from his hand, hitting against the tree with a loud twang. Grace and Luis were impressed. After more practice Luis proved to be adept with the weapon, while Grace never quite seemed to get the hang of it.
While this discouraged her, Mack reminded her that it was just one weapon and there were many others. As a case in point, Mack spent a while looking for a good piece of wood with which to make a bow, and then made some arrows. It was a more arduous task than making spears, but a bow was a potent long-range weapon in the right hands, and it was much easier to carry around a bunch of arrows than an armful of spears. Both Luis and Mack were surprised when, on her first try at using the bow and arrow, Grace hit the target multiple times. On the first shot they assumed it was just luck, but as she drew back the bow a second time and exhaled slowly, it was clear she had a natural talent for it. After shooting a few arrows she turned to them, shrugged, and said it was just a matter of simple physics to get the angle and force right.
Equipped with their new weapons they were like human hunters of a bygone era, using only the land to survive. At first, Grace thought the act of hunting was barbaric and she still struggled to kill animals, who she saw as harmless creatures, but it was a matter of logic that she had to keep her strength up for the times ahead. The first time she had to kill an animal was difficult, but then it became easier and she thought about what Mack had said about pushing their limits to survive. This was one of hers and she had been capable of crossing that line. Who knew what else she would be capable of?
