Tabernacle (Super Pulse Book 3)

by Dave Conifer

  “We talked about what you said about how we need to learn to make things,” Mark said. “Grover is calling it ‘simplified technology.’ We have to lower our expectations, but we need to start creating what we need, instead of relying on the stockpiles so much. Just like what you were saying.”

  “When did all this happen?” Nick asked. “I said all this at the meeting, and I got the hairy eyeball from everybody.”

  “There’s going to be a new subcommittee,” Mark continued. “They’ll probably start it up over the winter. It’ll be called ‘Technology’ or something original like that. They’ll be working on the kind of projects you were talking about. Whoever’s on it will probably have to spend a lot of time in the library, which will be down here before the weather turns.”

  “Wow,” Nick said. “I’m pretty surprised. Carlo agreed with me on most of it. I guess that explains it. But nobody else seemed to.”

  “Yeah, that helped,” Mark said. “As a matter of fact, Carlo wanted you to be the head of this new subcommittee. But I’m gonna’ tell you the truth here. That didn’t fly. You’re too much of a free spirit for them, and they don’t think you’re reliable enough.”

  “What? I’ve run a business for thirteen years,” Nick protested. “How much more reliable can you get?” His face softened. “Whatever. I don’t blame them.”

  “You’ll be on the subcommittee,” Mark said. “Don’t worry about that.”

  “Can Dewey be on it, too?” Nick asked. “He’s pretty good with gadgets and science.”

  “We’ll see,” Mark said. “A lot of us will be shifting jobs over the winter. They might have him penciled in someplace else already. For one thing, after the trucks are tuned back up, there’ll be a lot of scavenger missions and fuel runs. Before long there won’t be much left out there to pick over, so Grover wants to spend a few months on re-supply while most of the subcommittees have down time.” He smiled. “Just to tide us over until you start opening factories around here.”

  “Makes sense,” Nick said. “It’ll keep everybody busy. I don’t know how they gathered so much building material so fast, because I wasn’t around. But that’s what saved this group.”

  “I was in on that,” Mark said. “We pulled it off because we had a head start. We started right away. That’s why we’re so much better off than everybody else. But eventually they wised up out there. There probably isn’t much left to take. That’s why Grover wants us to go out one last time.”

  They stopped at a clearing in the pine forest along the road. Nick could see ahead where everything opened up again at the lake. “Right there,” Mark said, pointing into the clearing. “What do you see?”

  “Paradise,” Nick answered. “Are we done now?”

  “I don’t know about paradise,” Mark said. “But what I see is the new blacksmith shop. That’s where it’s going.”

  “Yeah?” Nick asked. “For real?”

  “Yep,” Mark asked. “Only trouble is, nobody knows what goes in it or how to build it. So that’s where you come in. You dreamed it up. Now you have to learn what we need to do to build and run it.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Nick said. “Hey, what about the saw mill I was talking about? We need that, too. It should probably come before the blacksmith shop, because it’ll be simpler. We’re sitting in the middle of a forest, but we’re about to run out of lumber. We need to be—“

  “Relax, Nick,” Mark said. “We’re not about to run out of lumber, and you’re biting off more than you can chew. You got the blacksmith shop. Take it and run with it. Save the rest for later.”

  “We’ll need a blacksmith to work there,” Nick pointed out.

  “Of course,” Mark agreed. “And maybe it’ll be you, if you’re up for it.”

  ~~~

  Nick was given time off from Construction, which was largely idle anyway, and an unlimited pass to use the library at the school. Most of the time he was the only one in there, which suited him just fine. It took a while to dig up useful information on how a blacksmith shop worked. Much of his information came from fiction, which provided several accounts of blacksmiths making horseshoes and various metal implements. He took notes and made detailed sketches using a pen and legal pad he found in one of the offices.

  It wouldn’t be easy. To get started they’d need to find a lot of supplies and equipment that they couldn’t make themselves, but he knew they could do it. Why not, he asked himself. Human beings had done it before. They could do it again. That’s what life was all about now. Building technology from the ground up and re-learning the old ways.

  After he’d finished his research he was so excited about how some of his ideas had been accepted by The Committee that he couldn’t contain himself. Throwing himself into the blacksmith project was a great way to take his mind off Christie Moon and her daughters, something which he could do nothing about until The Committee announced when they would leave for Lockworth.

  Twelve

  Preparations for the mission to Lockworth went much quicker than Nick expected. He thought they wouldn’t be leaving for at least a week, so of course he was surprised when, only two days after the team had been picked, he was told to be ready to leave within forty-eight hours. It was more evidence to him that there was so much secrecy around Tabernacle. There was no way it could have been put together in such a short period of time, he was sure. They’d obviously begun planning as soon as he’d brought up the idea of recruiting the first time, although they’d kept up the pretense of debating whether the mission would go forward.

  All it took was a walk down to the Garage to see how quickly it was coming together, a walk which Nick took as soon as he received the forty-eight hour warning. Nobody was around, at least outside, so he pushed the wooden doors open and went inside. A white, windowless Chevy van, which was clearly no newer than early seventies at best, was already being loaded. On top were several metal fuel cans. Even with seventies-era gas mileage, it looked like they’d have enough to get to Lockworth and back several times. Also strapped onto the roof were a dozen unrecognizable square bundles. He suspected it was food, but far too much for the small team to eat over what was hopefully going to be a short trip. It was actually a pretty good idea. What better way was there to convince people to sign up than to show that they’ll be well-fed?

  The side panel door of the van was open, so he peered inside. There was nothing there, nothing at all. Not even any seats, except for the two up front. He tried to picture seven or eight people in there, riding comfortably, and couldn’t do it. It wouldn’t be a luxurious trip. Oh well, he told himself. It’s not a sight-seeing tour. But what really bothered him was that there wasn’t going to be any room at all for extra passengers on the way back. He had a promise to keep, after all.

  ~~~

  Two days later the team was ordered to meet at the front gate at sunup the next morning. Nick had been informed just after dinnertime the night before by Carlo himself. “Be at the front gate,” Carlo said. “And Nick, don’t take this personal,” he’d added. “But – well, you don’t want to screw this up. Stay away from the bottle, bro. Whatever it takes, you have to be ready to rock and roll tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn.”

  “I’ll be there,” Nick had promised, embarrassed that the warning had even been necessary. “I’m really looking forward to this.”

  A minute later he’d boasted that he’d be the first one there, and he lived up to this pledge. When he arrived at the gate the next morning, so early that it was still dark, there was nobody else there except a tree-full of doves that sounded like they didn’t mind him being there at all. Even his roommate Dewey hadn’t arrived. Nick had tired of Dewey’s typically slow morning pace, and told him to meet him there. It was twenty minutes before anybody else showed up, and even then it was only Carly, driving the fully-loaded van up from the Garage.

  “Morning, Nick,” she said cheerfully after hopping down from the driver’s seat and walking over to where he was leanin
g against the newly-built fortress wall. “Dad planned on coming to see the mission off, but he’s been sleeping in more and more lately.” Nick didn’t know Carly’s father Hal very well, but he and Carly had lived a few streets over in Crestview for years. He’d become friends quickly with both of them after being properly introduced once they were at Tabernacle.

  “Good for him,” Nick answered. “Hey, did you put any seats in there since I last saw it?”

  Carly grinned. “Nope. The Sec Forces made us take all the bench seats out of their vans. I guess it’s a macho thing. Plus, it makes it easier to load them up with more weapons.” She gestured at the van. “We aren’t gonna’ run out of guns, that’s for sure. You’ll see.”

  Nick stuck his head in to see for himself. Sure enough, there was no shortage of weaponry. Hanging on racks along one wall of the van from front to back were at least a dozen military style rifles. Beneath them were metal chests. He guessed they contained ammunition. In the back, strapped just inside the door, was one of the RPG launchers that Carlo loved so much. “Yeah, I see what you mean. Did you say ‘we’ just now? Are you coming along?”

  “Yeah, there was a change in plans,” Carly said. “I guess they think I’ll be useful if the van breaks down along the way. Which I will be.”

  “Cool,” Nick said. “Welcome to the team. So what’s on the roof?”

  “Gas, water and food,” Carly answered. “There’s more water in those kegs behind the front seats.”

  “What kind of food?” Nick asked, hoping to be surprised.

  “The kind that packs tight into flat rolls, so we can have as much as we could possibly need,” Carly said. “Some for eating, some for handing out.”

  “Venison, in other words,” Nick said. “I was hoping we’d get something special, seeing as we’re going on a field trip.”

  “It wasn’t up to me,” Carly said. “I told my dad that if we see any good take out places, we’ll bring him back something special,” she said, smiling.

  Nick looked back into the van. “I gotta’ say, it’s gonna’ be tough squeezing eight people in there.”

  Carly frowned, but then shook it off. “The Sec Forces carry that many in there all the time.”

  “Is there something you’re not telling me?” Nick asked. “Come on, Carly.”

  Hearing footsteps on the dirt road, they looked up in the growing light to see Dewey and Dwayne approaching. They weren’t within earshot yet, but they looked as though they were talking like old friends. Nick had never noticed how big Dwayne was until he saw him side by side with Dewey, who was the tallest resident in Tabernacle. Dwayne was only a few inches shorter, although nobody would ever describe him as gangly.

  “Nick,” Dwayne said when they were close enough. “They told me I can thank you for puttin’ my name on the list. So thanks in advance for gettin’ my head blown off.”

  Nick thought about it for a second and realized he hadn’t talked it over with Dwayne before throwing his name out. “Sorry about that,” he said sheepishly. “Didn’t they even give you a choice about it?”

  Dwayne smiled. “I’m just messin’ with you. Darn right they gave me a choice! I’m not missing out on this! A chance to get out and be all you can be, like the old Army commercials?”

  “This crazy guy volunteered all on his own,” Nick said, pointing at Dewey. “So at least he can’t mess with me.”

  John Markle was the next to appear. Despite his earlier reservations, Nick was glad he was coming along. They didn’t agree on many things, but they were going to need all the alpha males they could get for this. They’d all just finished a round of handshakes when Linda Brown came down the road and joined them.

  “Linda!” Nick said. “What’s going on? You’re not coming with us, are you?”

  Linda pulled open her jacket and showed a mini-arsenal of handguns, strapped and tucked into various places. “Does that answer your question?” she said with a smirk. Now they had their alpha female.

  “Wow,” Nick said. “We’re still waiting on Crystal Monroe and three Sec Forces. That’s nine people. It’ll be a tight squeeze.”

  “In there?” Dwayne asked as he jerked his head toward the van. “Gonna’ be all comfy and cozy, that’s for sure.”

  “Those three Sec Forces aren’t coming, so I guess you’ll have more leg room back there than you thought,” John said gruffly. “The Committee had a change of heart yesterday. They decided they can’t spare any Sec Forces for this and still keep the camp safe. That’s why they volunteered her,” he said, gesturing at Linda. “She’s a Sec Force in all but name. That’s what they tell me, anyway.”

  “What?” Nick asked incredulously. “Are you serious? The whole point was that this was an official mission! We were gonna’ make a show of force, remember? Now we’re just a bunch of clowns driving around with guns.”

  “This ain’t cool,” Dwayne agreed. “Where do we go to un-volunteer?”

  “I don’t recommend that,” John said. “And I doubt it works. They want this mission to happen. God knows why,” he said, glancing at Nick. “It’s foolish. If I thought I could, I’d bail out, too. But I can’t. None of us can.”

  “This can’t be right,” Nick said. “Surely Grover wouldn’t send his own wife out there without any real protection. I mean, without the real Sec Forces looking out for her.”

  John flashed a knowing smile. “That’s right. He wouldn’t. And he isn’t.”

  “She ain’t coming either?” Dwayne asked.

  “Nope,” John replied. “I got word last night that she was backing out. It’s just us. And Carly here is coming along, too.”

  “You knew all about this, didn’t you?” Nick asked Carly.

  “Only about me getting added to the list,” she said. “Although I had an idea last night when they told me to pull some of the food and put it back into storage,” she admitted.

  “I don’t get it,” Nick said. “They sold us out. We can live without Crystal, but we needed those Sec Forces.” A thought occurred to him. “We lost our leader, too. Who’s first in command now? If they picked somebody, I know it isn’t me.”

  “You’re looking at him,” John said.

  “Says who?” Linda asked sharply. Nick was glad to hear her speak up. He’d much prefer that she be in charge.

  “Says The Committee,” John answered. “Last night, same time they told me that Crystal’s not going.”

  “Oh yeah?” Linda snapped back. “How do we know that?”

  “That’s your problem,” John said. “But we’re about to saddle up and move out, and I’ll be calling the shots. That’s how it’s going to be.”

  “Do we know where we’re going?” Dewey asked. “Who’s driving?”

  “I’ve got the maps right here,” John answered, tapping a nylon bag hooked over his shoulder. “I’d rather not drive. Any volunteers?”

  “They sold us out,” Nick muttered. “I can’t get over that.”

  “You’re going anyway, whether you like it or not,” John said to Nick. “You of all people can’t back out of this. You may as well get over it as best you can. So who wants to drive?”

  ~~~ ”

  Dwayne ended up taking the first shift behind the wheel. John, apparently anxious to establish his rule, insisted on riding shotgun in the only other seat in the van. Dewey, Carly and Linda made themselves comfortable as best they could among the boxes, crates and cases in the back. Nick, meanwhile, stayed near the front since he’d been handed the map and was expected to serve as navigator. After everybody was settled in, Dwayne turned the key and the van rolled under the front gate, up the dirt road and out onto the roadway.

  None of them knew what to expect. Linda underscored this by grabbing rifles from the rack one by one and handing them out after making sure they were loaded. The message was clear. Anything could happen, and it could happen at any time.

  ~~~

  Being out of the camp, where they had no control of who they might encounter or
how such an encounter might unfold, was surprisingly unnerving now that they’d survived two attacks. Nick could tell everybody else was feeling this, too. Although the first leg of the journey, up Route 206 to the traffic circle at Route 70, was uneventful, they were all braced for action. More than once Nick wished the van had more windows so they could watch the terrain.

  “You seeing anything worth talking about?” Linda called up to the front seat after a few miles.

  “Nope,” John said. “There’s a lot of junk in the road. Most of it thanks to Mother Nature. A dead car every half mile or so. That’s why Dwayne’s swerving around like this. But nothing very interesting, so far.”

  “Good,” Dewey said. “There’s a lot of crazies out there. I saw them myself. I hope they leave us alone.”

  “I keep meaning to ask this. How in the world did you get these vans running?” Nick asked Carly. “I mean, all the vehicles we have. How did you even find them?”

  “Finding them was the hard part,” Carly said. “Once we had them, they just needed some new parts, and we had to tune them up. Since they’re so old, there’s nothing in them that the EMP could bother. That was the point of finding them. Sometimes we had to rebuild the engine. Nothing Dad and I hadn’t done a billion times already.”

  “Was this back when you were still at Crestview?” Nick asked. “I don’t remember seeing that.”

  “Most of the time we went out with our tools and worked on them where we found them,” she answered. “Usually in junk yards. That way, we had always had spare parts right on hand.”

  “How about the bigger trucks?” Linda asked. “Where’d you find them?”

  “Here and there,” Linda said. “Same kind of thing.”

  “We’re lucky that somebody in the group knows how to do all that stuff,” Dewey said. “I know I don’t.”

  “Get a grip, Dewey,” Carly said with a smile. “When Grover’s in charge, luck has nothing to do with it. You should know that by now. Everybody got asked in for a reason.”