by Benson, Tom
“Wow.”
“It was during our night in the forest at Loch Ericht that we had a nocturnal visitor which Bill had the good sense not to tell us about until morning.” He paused, grinned and shook his head. “It seems that while we slept and our fearless friend appropriately catnapped against a tree, a leopard returned home with a late meal not far from our campsite.”
There was a mixture of gasps and laughter. Notably, the laughter came from Sandy and Flint, the two soldiers.
Jay-Dee glanced at a grinning Bill before he continued. “You’ll all be pleased to hear that we were many miles away when we saw a massive herd of grazing animals. We saw bison, which must have originally been from the wildlife reserve. It seems that there will be no need to go and break any of the miles of perimeter fences.”
Tina raised her hand. “Were there other wild animals around?”
“We did have one interesting sighting, or to be more exact, Victoria had the sighting. As we were casually strolling along the road carrying her in a makeshift stretcher, she couldn’t help noticing a pack of wolves shadowing us from a nearby forest.”
Again there were gasps except for the two soldiers who stifled their laughter. They were both fiercely protective of the community and also known to have the most peculiar sense of humour.
Amid murmurs, whispers and more gasps, Jay-Dee related the tale of the group’s stand on the narrow road bridge. In his honest way, he admitted that he’d been worried, but he played down his part in how accurate his shooting was to stun the leading animals.
“Our next encounter was one day in Aviemore when a handful of us attracted the attention of a few feral dogs. A common myth is that in times like this the domesticated canines will form packs like wild dogs or wolves, but we’ve seen proof that it isn’t the case. It seems that two or maybe three animals will form a special bond, but any others hang on like scavengers, sitting back in ones and twos waiting for an easy meal.”
The audience had been both entertained and educated during Jay-Dee’s individual briefing. They sat silently as he finished off.
“We already know that many bird species have survived, and apart from others, we’ve seen golden eagles, ospreys, fish-eagles and several other raptors. At Dalwhinnie, we saw more evidence that even in times of despair, some people think of their domestic pets. Apart from a few dogs and a lot of cats, we saw myriad birds usually seen in tiny cages. Living as they should around the small village and the local woodland were canaries, budgies, cockatiels, cockatoos, parrots and a few finches.”
There were murmurs and sighs as Jay-Dee looked around at his audience.
“On our incredible journey, we were reminded that nothing in this world should be captive. We’re at one with the birds and animals. I believe our survival hinges on us getting it right this time around.”
Spontaneous applause greeted the young man’s summary as he resumed his seat.
Cherry was applauding her team-mate as she stood. “Well said, Jay-Dee, although I don’t know how I’m supposed to follow that little number.”
The mood was lightened as Cherry turned to face the gathering. She didn’t mention her slightly trimmed hair, but several of the women leant one way and the other when they noticed.
“Hello everyone, and you’ll no doubt remember that my role in our enterprise was to try to establish power on the route to Aviemore. Sparky was Bill’s humorous nickname for me which didn’t inspire a lot of confidence when our first sub-station was found to be a melted ruin. We believe that Clifton was affected by earth tremors which caused localised explosions. It also looks like a thunderstorm finished off the job with a lightning strike on the electrical supply.”
The room was hushed as the community listened to this critical and serious side of the expedition. The woman speaking had the respect of every person in the audience.
“I’m sure Norman will be pleased to know that one positive aspect was that our overnight stop was at the forestry maintenance building.”
“Is it still in good condition?” Norman couldn’t hold back when thinking of a place he’d used many times, often alongside his forestry colleague Chloe.
“Yes, mate, it’s full of useful equipment, and I’m sure you’ll be eager to pay a visit there with a couple of helpers.”
“Thank you … thank you.” The big man’s tone belied his emotions. Apart from the connection to his old life, he would no doubt be thinking of Chloe. She now rested halfway down the mountain with the others who had left the earthly world behind.
“Our first success was, strangely enough at another place where just about everything was destroyed. The sub-station at Achallader is located near to an old railway signal box. Both the sub-station and the little tower on the track survived while most of the village was submerged. A few street lights which were on the higher ground also survived, as did a few miles of lighting along the railway track.” She smiled. “The signal tower was our second overnight stop.”
While still in silence, the community sat with a mix of expressions.
“Our next overnight stay was the forest at Loch Ericht as Jay-Dee mentioned but, of course, there was no power plant there. Our next day took us to the gem on our journey. We arrived in Dalwhinnie with high hopes of the sub-station being in good condition, but we found so much more. Again, as Victoria and Jay-Dee have reported, we found fruit, vegetables and plenty of wildlife.” She gave a broad smile. “We also found that many of the buildings in the village had survived, including our overnight accommodation, Dalwhinnie Railway Station.”
A hand rose from the back of the room.
“Yes, Noreen?”
“Did any of you check out the houses to see if they were habitable?”
“We did, Noreen, and I’ve been asked to inform everyone that Dalwhinnie will be a subject for another meeting in the next day or so.” She nodded to the mid-wife. “Suffice to say that the sub-station at the village was in good order. Almost the entire village, including the station, is supplied with power.”
“What about a water supply?” Flint asked.
“From what we could see and after Jay-Dee went on one of his fishing trips, it looks like the village has a small reservoir. It’s supplied with water filtered from the local river. There’s a sign which suggests that there is a pressurised pumping station. It can be left for Archie to check at some point. Leaving the water running for a while cleared the initial blockage and dirty water. It wasn’t great on the way north, but on our return journey, the water supply was drinkable.”
The fact that Dalwhinnie had food, water, shelter and power made it an oasis on the journey, and this was not lost on any member of the audience.
“As you’ll all now be aware, we arrived at Aviemore to discover that the sub-station was just outside the town. It may be a small town, but as Helen will be telling you, it is much more than a safe haven. We established power and then shortly after, we met our new friends at the Eagle’s Nest Farm just outside Aviemore.” Cherry turned. “The floor is yours, Helen.”
The special guest sipped her water before she stood to look around the room. “Hello.”
A few people waved, and a variety of cheerful greetings were returned from the community.
“I must, first of all, thank you for the warm welcome. I know that just like me, you’ve all had to learn to start a new life so, if anything, it ought to make it easier to tell my story. I was a college tutor, but it’s been a while since I addressed such a large group—forgive me if I falter.”
“Take your time,” Sandy said from his seat nearby.
Helen nodded to him and then slowly and quietly related the circumstances which led to her being abandoned at a farmhouse in Aviemore. She talked of the horror—finding herself responsible for the small group of teenage students, entrusted to her for the short break at the farm. She paused to sip her water and then continued with more confidence, giving an abbreviated version of the story she’d given to the team who’d arrived from Auchcar
n so recently.
Apart from gasps, there was hardly a sound from the audience.
Helen finished off with a reminder of how things now stood at the farm. “Sadly, we’ve never again seen the two youngsters who decided to go it alone. The other six have grown into fine and responsible young adults, now with three children between them.” Helen grinned. “I’m very proud of each, and every one of them and they’ve turned the tables over the past few years—they’ve been taking care of me.”
A ripple of laughter sounded around the room.
“I’ve told you a little about the farm, our few animals, our crops and our small mill but I’ve been asked to mention a couple of rather special assets we hope to be sharing soon. Aviemore is a small town but has several useful stores, like clothing, footwear, outdoor wear, hardware and bookstores.”
A hubbub rapidly grew at the thought of the availability of such things after so long.
Flint waved across the room. “Anne, this means I won’t have to catch an alpaca for you to shear and spin its fleece.”
Helen joined the others when laughter broke out. “Your team said that the clothing stores would be welcome news. Apparently, a couple of you are pretty handy at repairing clothes, but there should be no more need. Further to the stores, since the team arrived with us, we’ve discovered that the local police communications system is still operative. The Morse code system we’ve used recently has enabled simple messages. We’re hoping that soon we’ll be able to establish a solid radio link between our communities.”
Ignoring the importance of the communications, Dawn said, “Who is the hairdresser?”
For two minutes, there was only laughter before Helen could speak again.
“Emma proved to be the best at hairstyling with what little equipment we had, and she used all of us at the farm to hone her skills. She’s the one responsible for Victoria, Cherry and Bill having new looks.” She paused. “We brought a small selection of hairdressing equipment with us, including electric trimmers and beard trimmers, so you’ll be able to see who can be trusted here at Auchcarn. I can see that you’re all excited and have questions, so I’ll thank you and hand over to Tina.”
Polite applause followed as Helen resumed her seat.
Tina took the floor once again. “We’ll all be relaxing in here for an hour. During that time, we can chat and discuss what we’ve heard, plus, of course, you’ll all get to meet Helen. Before we break up to have a drink and a snack, I’ve asked Bill to speak on one final topic. Thank you.”
Bill stood and nodded politely to Tina. “Thank you, and thank you, Helen.” He faced the room and smiled. “This has been one of our most enlightening briefings, I know, but what I’m about to put to you will give every one of you something to consider.”
Around the cafeteria, every person sat silently, eager to hear what more there could be.
“We’ve all learned to appreciate the simplest things in our new life here inside the mountain. For example, we’ve learned how to work with natural fibres to recycle clothing and to make footwear for youngsters. Apart from eating fish, which is quite a recent thing for us, we’re all now vegetarian. I’ve noted the targets out on the mountainside, so I know the idea of bows and arrows has already captured interest and apparently we have some capable archers. Like the other expedition members, I’m looking forward to seeing the completed cabin and huts down the hill.”
Bill paused for a sip of water and then surveyed the room before he spoke again.
“I’d rather not take any questions right now, but as Tina said, we can chat about the next matter when we’re relaxing and mingling. The subject has been discussed by Helen and those of us who went to Aviemore. There is an opportunity for some people to go and set up home either in Dalwhinnie or Aviemore.”
The earlier hubbub was as nothing compared to the animated conversations in the large room.
Bill saw hands being raised, but he slowly shook his head and smiled. “No questions yet, please. I put the idea to Tina and her committee before this briefing because that’s how we decide things here. The committee suggested that I tell you about it, and then in a day or two, we can have an open forum to discuss what everyone thinks.” He grinned. “Thank you.”
Tina stood. “That captured the imagination, didn’t it. Many thanks for your attention—the timing for our next meeting will be posted at the counter as usual.”
Chairs were vacated immediately, and conversations were starting up all around.
Sandy pushed open the door of the Control Room. “Hi, Des, I came along with Helen, so that she didn’t get lost.”
The engineer nodded. “Hi, Helen—I called for you on the intercom because we got a brief message from Josh, but he’ll be back on in five minutes.”
“Thank you—was the first one just a sort of warning shot for you?”
Des laughed. “Yes, it simply said, ‘JOSH. BACK IN FIVE MINS. JOSH’, so at least he’s got the hang of using the trip-switch and how to compose a message. I know from what you said when we met last night that you wanted to send a message.”
“Yes, but I’ve kept it short. I realise whatever we say has to be translated into long or short flashes or buzzes or whatever.”
“The trip-switch idea on the electrical system was to try the theory, but Harry has been working on a Morse Code key. When the expedition team sent us a few messages on the way back, we used this.” He slid a small contraption along the console. “It’s a simple device to use, and all you have to do is position two or three fingertips on the button and depress rapidly or slowly.”
The improvised Morse key looked like a mousetrap with a see-saw fitted on top. One end had a large rounded knob from a drawer. A small metal contact was fitted under the end of the see-saw and on the baseplate. The whole thing was attached to a socket with a piece of wire.
“I’ve never used anything like—”
“It’s okay—the device is earthed for safety, and you don’t have to use it—you show me your message, and I’ll convert it to dots and dashes and send it for you.”
“It would be great if they had something like this at Aviemore.”
“Harry is making another one as we speak and we’ll be able to test it in here before it goes off on the next trip to Aviemore.”
Sandy sat at the upholstered bench across the room, absently gazing at the pretty new face in Auchcarn as he listened to her give the message for Des to send. Helen couldn’t have been more different from Chloe. Where Chloe had been blonde and athletic in build, Helen was curvaceous and had long dark ringlets.
It had been four years since Chloe had died giving birth to Peter, and from the baby’s birth, Sandy had devoted himself to his son. He grieved for his partner; a young woman he had grown to love, but there was no option to find anyone else. The Auchcarn community was established with couples and a few individuals who had no wish to have a significant other.
As Sandy observed and listened to Helen, he wondered vaguely if he would ever have a companion again. He loved his young son with all of his heart, but there was a gap in his life. There was a difference between the friendship of the community and the companionship of someone close.
“Sandy … Sandy,” Helen said, “If this tour you offered is still on, I’m ready.”
Sandy came out of his reverie and smiled. “I’m ready too, Helen.”
10. A Guided Tour
Sandy paused outside the Control Room and looked around before addressing the guest. “The main power plant is run just as it has been for countless years. In the time that we’ve been living here as a community, we’ve adapted a lot of the interior of the place.”
“I’ve now seen the Control Room, the cafeteria, and, of course, the admin offices and staff rooms which are converted into accommodation. Oh, and when we arrived yesterday, we walked through the glass corridor.”
“Before we set off, there will be quite a bit of walking, unless you’d prefer to ride on a small hover-board. It would be qu
iet, but the tour would be over more quickly.”
Helen met his gaze. “I think I’d enjoy doing it on foot so that we can take our time if you don’t mind.”
“I’m glad—so would I.” Sandy smiled. “The Control Room has had a few minor amendments, and the cafeteria is almost as it was. You’ll have seen what had been the reception for the Visitor’s Centre which is also converted to accommodation.”
“Right, I wondered how so many people would be able to live together with any level of privacy.”
“We’ve constantly improved and adapted things over time. For example, we created partitions where necessary in the washroom, showers and toilets. They are obviously all communal facilities. Some people don’t live in this area—they live in the old tunnel.”
“In the tunnel?” Helen squinted.
Sandy laughed. “You’ll see very soon. This dimly-lit main road runs through the mountain to a set of large steel doors approximately one kilometre away. I arrived at those doors with Flint when the crisis occurred, but that’s a story for another time.”
“Victoria told me a little bit about you and Flint. She said that when the coach party arrived inside the mountain, there were only three of the original staff and two soldiers.”
“Yes, before Flint and I arrived, the only people still in here were Des, Tracey and Ramona.”
“It is such an incredible story.”
“From what I understand, your story is pretty spectacular too.” He paused. “Over there is the Medical Centre. We can go in later to have a look around, and though it’s small, it’s well-equipped. It’s the working environment for Noreen, Jay-Dee and Fiona when any of them are needed. If we take a walk over here, you can see what this place is all about.” Sandy pushed open a double-door. “This is the Auchcarn Machine Hall.”
“Oh, my heavens.”
“What you see here are our four gigantic hydro-electric reversible pump turbines. Each turbine stands the height of a seven-storey building. A while ago we decommissioned one of them and switched off two of them. There was no need for the massive output provided by all four. It has since meant that while we learned more about the turbines, it gave us more than sufficient power for our needs. The first is working, the second is on standby so that we can switch over if we have to perform maintenance on the first one. The third one can be warmed up in half an hour and is another standby. The fourth is the one we took our of service. It means it’s available for spare parts and for us to learn about the turbines.”
