The Fallout

by Knox, J. C.

  ‘Of course,’ Sarah said drying her hands.

  Donning a third suit, George carries out all the necessary checks to ensure it is completely sealed. The Geiger-meter shows a normal radiation level of 0.4 millisievert per hour within the bunker. The large gloves make it difficult to turn the stiff handle that hasn’t been touched since he sealed the suit six months ago. Using his weight to pull the door open, he steps into the cool air before pulling the heavy door closed behind him. Walking cautiously, he is too hot and finds it difficult to breathe, sweat runs down his face, blurring his vision inside the mask. He places the lantern down and holds the Geiger-meter to the door. The clicking starts but the reading is within normal limits. Grabbing the handle, he pulls until it begins to turn, a glimmer of light seeping through the small gap as the door unlocks. Holding the Geiger-meter to the gap, the clicking increases significantly. George is unsure what to do; it’s still within normal levels but it’s a significant jump and the door isn’t fully open yet. Using his weight, he pushes the door, and the light pours in. The Geiger-meter begins clicking loudly and George checks the reading, he is shocked to see its 150 millisievert per hour. Grabbing the suit in the sealed bag, he throws it out of the door and steps outside. The sunlight is bright, his eyes struggle to adjust, but glancing around he can see that all the trees are completely dead. The crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean help him feel some sort of normality. Looking east across the water he can just about see mainland Ireland and wonders if anyone has survived. Checking the time, he doesn’t want to spend any longer than thirty minutes out here. Walking precariously along the cliff edge he heads towards the house, everything is dead, the trees are bare, not just from it being winter, even the non-deciduous trees are bare, with the odd brown leaf clinging on. The grass is brown, the orange glow that was prominent the last time is gone, but the Geiger-meter is clicking loudly and rapidly as he walks. Checking his watch, he realises he’s been out for fifteen minutes. Standing in the front garden looking across to Ireland, he realises what it is that has been annoying him since he got down to the house. There’s smoke, he can see smoke and wonders if there could be survivors, or if it’s just something that has exploded. Heading back to the bunker he lifts a packet of matches and makes his way back to the front garden before making a circle of stones and lighting a small fire. He stands and watches the smoke in Ireland, checking his watch it’s been twenty-five minutes. Fanning the flames, he watches but there’s no movement in the smoke across the water. Maybe it’s nothing. It’s been thirty minutes, and he makes his way back to the bunker, glancing across the water one last time before opening the heavy door and stepping into the cool darkness. Lighting the lantern, he opens a large heavy plastic bag and steps out of the suit. His clothes are wet with sweat as he uses large tongs to push the suit into the bag before sealing and taping it up. Grateful for the cool air, George walks briskly toward the inner door. As he’s turning the handle, he can feel his lungs burning and pops a potassium iodine tablet into his mouth. Pulling the door open and entering as quick as he can, he calls Sarah to help him push it almost closed, before stripping naked and shoving his clothes into a heavy plastic bag, quickly wrapping it with duct tape and throwing it through the door into the outer bunker. As soon as the door is sealed, he rushes to the showers and scrubs his body until his skin is red raw.

  ‘What happened, how is it?’ Sarah asks, when George reappears after the shower.

  ‘The radiation is still high, much higher than I expected; it must be the wind. I saw smoke across the water. I don’t know if it is survivors or just something that has exploded.’

  ‘Does that mean that we can’t leave.’

  George begins coughing, spitting up a clot of blood into his hand.

  ‘No, not yet, it’s not safe. I’m going to die Sarah I’ve been exposed; I will develop cancer soon and I will die.’

  ‘But George is there anything we can do?’

  ‘Not for me, but you have a chance.’

  ‘What’s the point of surviving if this is how we have to live?’

  ‘If I survive long enough, I’m going to wait 12 months before leaving again, you remember what to do if I die before then?’

  ‘The inferno at the back.’

  ‘Yes, make sure you follow the instructions, if you don’t, you will release toxic radiation into the air.’

  Chapter 4.

  24 months after the initial explosion.

  George draws a large x through the 25th April 1988. Today it’s two years since he and Sarah moved into the bunker. He calculated the food and water rations yesterday; they have enough to do at least twelve more months, more if they are careful. Where once he was a strong well-built man, today he is frail, he’s certain his lungs are filled with cancer, and he will die soon. He has been teaching Sarah how to survive without him. Pulling out his pocket-knife he goes to the bathroom and lathers up the soap spreading it onto his bushy beard. Using the blade, George shaves all the wiry hair off his face. He’s removing the beard because he is planning on leaving the bunker later today and needs to stay as cool as he can in the restrictive cumbersome suit. This will be the fourth suit, leaving only two. He can’t understand why the radiation was so high the last time he left the bunker, by all the laws of physics it should have been almost normal levels, but they had barely dropped at all. There must have been more explosions, over the past 24 months George is convinced his theory that Chernobyl wiped out nuclear power plants in the surrounding area is seemingly more likely the longer the radiation stays high. He’s wondering if the explosion has caused any of the power plants in the UK to malfunction or even explode. That would somewhat explain the high levels here in Blackcliff Island.

  ‘Hopefully this will be the last time I need to do this,’ George said, glancing at his wife.

  ‘I’m going stir crazy George. I would rather take my chances with the radiation than live permanently in this bunker.’

  ‘You say that not knowing the painful death you would suffer if exposed.’

  George understands her frustrations, he’s found being confined difficult as well. But he’s determined to keep them as safe as possible.

  ‘Do you want to come with me? It will mean using two suits, but hopefully this will be the last time we will need to use them.’

  ‘But what if it’s not?’ Sarah said, helping George into the suit.

  Sealing the suit shut George feels his lungs filling and tries to clear them but begins coughing, he knows that he will have to wait this isn’t going to stop on its own, he needs water and releases the seals on the suit.

  ‘I’m sorry I have to wait,’ he said, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

  The coughing is too intense, he must abandon the plan.

  George spent the rest of the day and night trying to calm the relentless cough and the following morning, he’s ready to try and leave again. His body is getting weaker by the day but this time he makes it out. Standing outside the bunker, the Geiger-meter begins clicking loudly, and the reading shows that the radiation has dropped to 20 millisievert per hour. It’s too high to risk exposure, but it’s going in the right direction. Looking across toward Ireland he spots the smoke again, but this time there’s a flashing, someone is there, and they are sending a signal. It’s Morse code. He makes a note in the ground of the dots and dashes. ‘SOS. SOS.’ Over and over. There are survivors, I wonder are they in a bunker or is the radiation lower there. Walking to the house he pulls a mirror down from over the fireplace smashing it on the floor. Lifting a large piece, he steps outside and uses Morse code to tell the survivors they are there. The signal changes and George writes the dots and dashes down, ‘DO YOU HAVE FOOD AND SUPPLIES?’

  ‘NOT MUCH,’ he sends back panicking that their supplies are in danger.

  ‘DO YOU HAVE FOOD AND SUPPLIES?’ He sends back.

  ‘NONE’ Comes the reply. The flashing starts again, and he writes it down.

  ‘HOW MANY SURVIVORS ARE THERE.’


  George doesn’t want to answer; he realises that he’s put them in danger and sends back ‘RADIATION HIGH HERE WHAT’S IT LIKE THERE.’

  ‘DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY,’ Is the reply.

  ‘HAVE TO GO! BEEN EXPOSED TOO LONG’ he replies before making his way back to the bunker bringing the mirror with him. George is glad to get the bunker door closed and locks it from the inside knowing no-one can get in. He strips and seals the suit before returning to the inner bunker. After showering, he tells Sarah that the radiation has dropped, but it’s still too high for them to leave.

  ‘There are survivors across the water, but we could be in danger. They don’t have food and I don’t know how many there are. We can’t put ourselves at risk sharing our supplies.’

  ‘How long before we can leave?’

  ‘We have enough supplies for another year.’

  ‘FOR FUCKS SAKE…! George, are you serious, another year?’

  ‘It’s not just the radiation, when we leave, we will need food and water if we’re gonna stand any chance of survival. If other survivors come, our supplies could be threatened.’

  ‘So, you don’t want to leave in case our food gets stolen?’

  ‘Not just food, but also our medical supplies.’

  Furious, Sarah storms away to the other side of the bunker, leaving George to stew by himself. George knows Sarah is desperate to get out, but the readings were just too high, and he doesn’t want to put them in danger. But she’s right, it’s not just the radiation, he’s also worried that he has put them in danger. He’s going to wait another year before trying to leave the bunker again. If the survivors across the water really have no food left, they will be dead by then.

  Chapter 5

  36 Months since the initial explosion.

  Pulling the belt tighter, George realises that none of his clothes fit anymore. Standing on the scales he’s shocked to see he’s half the man he was, weighing in at just over 8 and a half stone. It’s been a long three years; never did he expect to celebrate his 28th, 29th, and 30th birthdays in the bunker. It was Sarah’s 28th birthday last week, they celebrated with some whiskey and a small sponge cake Sarah baked. George knows he doesn’t have long to live; his health has deteriorated significantly in the last six months. He’s 30 years old but looking in the mirror he looks more like 80 with his pale sunken cheeks. Sarah always loved his pale blue eyes, but now they appear to protrude more than they previously had. His hair is still thick, but it’s greyer than it was before.

  George is exhausted and doesn’t want to leave the bunker, but Sarah is going stir crazy. It’s the 25th April 1989, and it’s been exactly three years since the explosion, George has just donned the fifth suit in preparation to leave the bunker for what he hopes will be the last time. The suit is claustrophobic and overly hot, and he begins sweating almost as soon as it’s sealed. As he enters the outer tunnel, ensuring to seal the door behind him, he’s grateful for the cool air. Stepping out of the bunker into the light it takes a while before he can see, but immediately notices that there’s been a change, some grass has begun growing on the cliff edge. The Geiger-meter is clicking, but the readings are just above normal. Looking towards Ireland’s mainland, he can see that there’s still smoke, and the flashing is still happening.

  ‘They must have supplies to have survived this long,’ he thought.

  Walking toward the house he realises someone has been here! And recently! There are footprints in the ground and the vegetation has been flattened. Looking around, he wonders if anyone is still here? Determined to find out, George walks across the new grass towards the water’s edge where he spots a small boat. Someone is definitely here, where are they and why haven’t they shown themselves? He looks around, wishing he had something to protect himself with. Unsure what to do he heads back to the house and steps inside; The hard wood floor is covered with a layer of dust and large footprints, but no one has shown themselves. He’s certain someone is here, watching him and whatever happens, he doesn’t want to give the location of the bunker away. Lifting a piece of broken mirror, he steps outside and sends a message,

  ‘I KNOW SOMEONE IS HERE.’

  It doesn’t take long before a reply comes,

  ‘WE HAVE BEEN BACK AND FORTH SINCE WE REALISED THERE WERE OTHER SURVIVORS.’

  ‘HOW MANY SURVIVORS ARE THERE?’ George replies, he wants to know what he’s dealing with.

  ‘FIVE MEN, THREE WOMEN AND FIVE CHILDREN. HOW MANY THERE,’ Comes the reply.

  George realises these people are not going away, he tries to come up with a plan, there’s no way he’s going to share their remaining supplies with that many people.

  ‘FIVE ADULTS’ he replies. ‘I don’t want them to think they can take us,’ he thought.

  ‘ARE YOU IN SUITS,’ George sends?

  ‘YES.’

  He sees movement in the mirror and turns to see someone in a white, cumbersome suit and a gas mask walking towards him. George holds his hands up in surrender. He doesn’t want to antagonise this survivor.

  ‘It’s okay put your hands down,’ the suited stranger said his voice and Irish accent muted through the suit.

  ‘I take it you have a bunker across the water?’ George said lowering his hands.

  ‘Yes, it’s a large bunker we had several families down there, but many have died with radiation poisoning we’re down to thirteen,’ the suited stranger said.

  ‘What about you, how many are there here?’

  ‘Only two, myself and my wife.’

  ‘Do you have food and water?’

  ‘Enough to keep us going a short while.’

  ‘I’m not here to take your supplies. I’m trying to find out what happened?’ the suited stranger said.

  ‘A reactor at the Chernobyl power exploded.’

  ‘Yes, we heard about that on the radios, but it must be more than that to reach us here and for the fallout to continue for so long.’

  Unsure if he can trust this stranger, George explains a basic watered-down version of his theory. The stranger agrees that it is the most likely scenario.

  ‘If your theory is right, then the radiation fallout will continue to drop, fairly quickly in the coming months. But I can’t understand why there’s been no contact or chitter chatter picked up from anywhere else across the globe. Do you think it’s possible that more nuclear reactors could have been affected further east? That the rest of the globe have also been affected?’

  ‘The initial explosion would have spread 360 degrees so any nuclear reactors in the vicinity could, in theory have been affected. The fallout would depend on the winds, but you’re right it is strange that things have been so quiet. I’ve also been monitoring the radios and I haven’t picked up any chitter chatter, but I hadn’t picked up that there were survivors so close either.’

  ‘Yes, well we’ve been careful to stay hidden, if we stand any chance of survival, we have to protect our supplies,’ he said, pulling out a gun pointing it at George.

  ‘I wasn’t lying when I said it’s me and my wife, we have enough to keep us going for a while, and the radiation is dropping. I’m not going to leave the island, your supplies are safe from us, but I think we could work together and share intel. For a start, you can tell me what it is you are burning over there? it’s been going on for months.’

  ‘That’s none of your business,’ the stranger said, lowering his gun.

  ‘Just know this, anything exposed to the radiation, will need to be buried and encased in concrete otherwise the radiation will continue to contaminate the land, air and water. You cannot burn radiation away it just puts it into the air which gets carried by the wind, where it will rain down on you as acid rain exposing even more people to radiation exposure.’

  George tries to watch the strangers face through the mask, but he can’t read his expression.

  ‘I’ve been out too long and need to get back. I’ll be in contact,’ the stranger said.

  ‘When are you thinking of lea
ving your bunker?’ George asks.

  ‘These levels are still too high for my liking, but if you’re right and the levels do continue to drop. As soon as possible.’

  ‘I only have one full suit left. Could you send me a signal over the radio when the levels are safe enough to leave?’

  ‘Yes, we could do that, stay safe survivor.’

  George watches as the stranger walks towards his boat.

  ‘I’m George,’ he calls.

  ‘Seamus!’ the stranger calls back raising his hand as he walks away.

  George waits until Seamus is far enough away that he won’t see where he is going before beginning his journey back to the bunker. Sweat runs down his back as he walks in the cumbersome suit, his instinct is telling him not to trust the survivors, but he also knows that he and Sarah cannot do this by themselves. After going through his decontamination ritual, he tells Sarah about the survivor.

  ‘You’re telling me that there are others and one of them was here on the island? Are we safe?’ she asks.

  ‘For now, I believe we’re safe, but we must be careful. The bunker is secure, I’m almost certain they don’t know where it is, but everyone who has survived this disaster is competing for food, water and medicine. I don’t trust him, he was definitely hiding something, I believe there has been more than radiation sickness over there. Their whole bunker could be riddled with disease and it could be our medicine they’re after.’

  ‘Maybe we could help?’

  ‘No, we keep everything we have for ourselves. When we get out of here, you do not tell anyone where this place is. Do you understand?’

  ‘Yes, but with the levels dropping, do you think we can leave soon?’

  ‘Yes, the radiation is almost at normal levels, I believe in about a month or so, we can leave. We will have to be careful and wear masks when outside, I’m already dying but you are likely to develop cancer at some point as well after we leave. We’ve never had anything like this happen before and we don’t know the impact this will have on any survivors.’