Light At The End | Book 3 | Dark To Light

by Benson, Tom

  “I love to hear about the progress you and Jacob are making but I often wonder about Benji, over.”

  “I don’t know why it is, Harry, but I have to believe that Benji is doing okay. I like to think he is just unable to contact any of us for some reason, over.”

  “If only one day we could speak to him again. I’m not giving up hope, over.”

  “Our five-minute ration of air time is finished, my dear friend, over”

  “Keep well, and we’ll speak again soon, over.”

  “Keep well all of you in Scotland, Marianne in Bolivia, out.”

  Harry hung up the handset and stared at the old radio for a moment. “Their power doesn’t last long, but at least we get to talk regularly.”

  Tracey put down her pen. “Come on then, Harry, you’ve never told any of us when this gang of four were actually together at university—let’s hear it?”

  Harry grinned at her. “We were last in the same place at one time about twenty-five years ago. We were only together for one term because of our specialities being in different areas, but we really hit it off.”

  “I think the most remarkable aspect is that you’re all from different continents—how did that happen?”

  The academic grinned as he relived the memory. “Our tutor gave our class five minutes to list ten things we’d change to improve the world if we could. She didn’t ask us to call out—she collected in the lists, and after our next break she asked the four of us to stand.”

  Tracey smiled, expecting some skullduggery. “Were you all sitting together and copied each other?”

  “No, and that was the peculiarity—we were sitting in different parts of the classroom, and we didn’t know each other.” Harry sipped his chamomile tea. “The tutor asked us to stand because not only did we give the same ten items to improve the world—we gave them in the same order.”

  “Oh my—”

  “From our next break onwards we were inseparable for six months—a Bolivian, an African, an Australian and a Scotsman.” He toyed with his beard and smiled.

  “Can you recall some of the list from back then?”

  “Yes, because it’s never changed. I won’t bore you with all ten. It included wind power, water power, solar power, vegetarianism, nuclear disarmament … you know, the usual student ideals.”

  Dawn relaxed against the rear of the small boat. “I know we’re out here catching dinner for the community, but when are you going to bring Matthew out here to teach him to fish?”

  Paul half-turned and smiled. “The boy is only five, my love—give him time to grow up.” He flicked his wrist to cast his line again. “Perhaps we’ll get him started next year when he’s six.” Paul laughed when Dawn’s toe made contact with his leg.

  “Ellie is showing promise with her vegetable and herb recognition. She says she wants to be like Victoria and know about every living plant.”

  “I don’t mind if she learns all that, as long as she learns to fish.” He winced when the next kick hit the same spot as the previous one. “No wonder you were such a good guide—your sense of direction is impeccable.” He turned to gaze at the woman he’d fallen for long before they became partners and lovers.

  Ramona and Alan strolled from the cafeteria kitchen to the central passageway.

  Alan said, “You sounded quite excited when you came back from the Control Room earlier. What was the big news?”

  “On the next boat that comes down from Aviemore, they’re sending sacks of flour to Dalwhinnie and to us.”

  “I take it I’ll be extending my repertoire in the kitchen?”

  “Alan, darling, we’re going to make so many types of bread it will make your head spin.”

  They were both still laughing as they walked along the metal grille pathway at the side of the indoor orchard. Among their tasks was to check the apple and pear trees, inspect the produce in the greenhouses, check the honey in the beehives and then collect the grass cuttings for the milk processor.

  Alan said, “I sometimes wonder what it would have been like for us to have children.”

  “Hey, lover, let’s not go there, for that leads to melancholy, and we don’t do melancholy. Our role in life is to sustain everybody else and their children.”

  “I’m sorry, it’s just that I look at you and think how beautiful our children would be.”

  Ramona stopped and turned to face him. “I sometimes look at you, Alan, and I think of that area just over beside the oranges … where we happily rolled around on the grass for the first time, even after the sprinkler started working.”

  The once stuffy business executive embraced his partner. “Back then some of us only had two or three changes of clothes, but that day you made all my worries fade away, including my wet clothes.”

  “As I recall, by the time we left the orchard, we were looking around for some of our clothes. We would have about an hour before the sprinkler kicks-in. That is, if you were interested in rolling around on the grass for a while.”

  “The greenhouses will still be there—”

  Ramona kissed him and pulled him between the trees towards where they’d first become lovers.

  Des approached the corner table in the cafeteria where one woman sat alone regularly. “I’ve brought you a mint tea. How is it going, Steph?”

  “Thank you, Des. I’ve just started a new chapter, and I think it’s going well.” The author smiled. “I look back at so many experiences in my previous life, but what I’ve witnessed since our deliverance feels so rewarding.”

  “I wasn’t a part of the whole thing until you guys arrived in the installation. I’ve asked so many people questions about it, I feel as if I was with you in that tunnel at the outset.”

  “Des, you’re as much a part of this as anyone else, and I’m glad you brought up the subject. If you don’t have any objections, I’d like to write chapters devoted entirely to you, Tracey and Ramona. They’ve both already agreed. I want to paint a picture of how rapidly and abruptly things happened here in the facility, the choices you all made and the reasons.”

  “I’d be happy to help, and I would be brutally honest—I think it might be cathartic for all of us. How about Sandy and Flint—they’re a different story again?”

  Steph nodded. “I’ve got a chapter earmarked for both of them too, and you’re right, they are indeed a different story. I’ve marked chapters for Norman and Chloe, but Norman will have to help me with Chloe’s. I don’t know if it would be appropriate to ask Sandy for help there too.”

  “It would be great if you were able to produce it as a book and then all those who come after us could learn about our story.” He looked pensive for a moment. “Actually, it would be even better if you could type it as a book and then produce three copies—one for each of our communities.”

  “I’d love to do that, Des. Time, I think I have in abundance, but there would be the small matter of having a device to transcribe all my pages of handwritten work, not to mention the paper.”

  “Oh, apart from bringing your cup of tea, there was another reason for disturbing you. I was chatting to Helen on the radio earlier, and you have a special delivery coming in the next week or so from Aviemore.”

  “Come on, you can’t leave it at that.”

  Des laughed. “Since Sandy moved up there he’s organised a door-to-door search of the town. Anyway, tucked away somewhere in a side street, they discovered an electrical repair store. Most old computers and suchlike are no longer any good, but they found some ancient device called a word processor—”

  “It might be ancient, Des, but if it were plugged into the mains supply, it would probably still work. Did they mention if they located any accessories?”

  “Yes, it was part of a display of antique computer equipment. It included a printer for producing paper copies of the files. There was also a mini-projector which shows page by page on a wall or screen so that more than one person can read the file.”

  “How much of the equipment are t
hey sending?” Steph’s eyes opened wide.

  “All of it—enjoy your tea.” Des touched her hand briefly and left her. He was meeting up with Josh to continue his training, and to show him the maintenance checks for the single turbine in use. One had been switched off a long time earlier to select spare parts, and the other two giant machines stood quietly, switched off and awaiting the time when one might be required. Using one turbine, they produced sufficient energy to supply all three communities, with power to spare.

  The power supply and the unique hydro installation were only two areas written about in detail by Steph Collins, the one-time thriller writer. As she watched Des stroll away, she sipped her tea and finally decided on the title of her book. ‘Light at The End: A Post-apocalyptic Journal’. Steph considered the opportunity offered by having access to a printer and paper. When completed, she’d be able to produce three copies of the book; one each for Auchcarn, Dalwhinnie and Aviemore.

  Norman adjusted the next piece of timber into position and stood back. “Are you sure that one more cabin will be enough, Marie?”

  “Yes, and remember, our task isn’t to complete the build—we’re showing Josh and Amber how to get started. They’re determined to build the place themselves, so I said we’d lay the first part of the foundations. After that, we’re on standby to advise.”

  “Josh isn’t a big fella, but he’s got youth and determination on his side.”

  “Plus, he wants to prove himself to Amber, and that’s important to him.”

  “Where is he at the moment—not with Des again?”

  “Yes, they’re performing turbine maintenance, and according to Des, Josh has picked up the workings of the hydro-electric system faster than anyone he’s taught before.”

  Norman paused and looked around the other small buildings. “How are you getting on with the designs for our three remote projects?”

  “The sketches are completed, so in the next week or so we can pack a few essentials onto a boat and get the tasks underway. If we start at your old forestry maintenance building at Clifton, we can convert the place into an overnight stop. Before leaving, we could select a few useful tools which don’t need power.”

  “It would have been good to have electricity in there, but I suppose with the sub-station being a melted mass of materials it’s out of the question.”

  “Perhaps not, Norman.”

  “What haven’t you told me?”

  “A few of the modern houses which collapsed in Dalwhinnie might come to our aid. Most of the old buildings survived. Although the modern buildings collapsed, they had solar panels as standard. The panels are being ferried to us for use in projects, like the forestry store at Clifton, and the log cabin at Loch Ericht.”

  “I know it will still take us a while to get them fitted and working, but that would be incredible.”

  “We won’t need solar panels for our renovation at Achallader, of course—it has a power supply.”

  Norman said, “Do you have measurements for the signal box?”

  “Yes, but we’ll need to build a raft so that we can tow some pre-cut timber for that job. It won’t be complicated—simply a case of building an exterior wall around the tower which will make the whole thing into a two-storey staging post.”

  “What’s the initial plan for the cabin to be built at Loch Ericht?”

  “It will be small, but we’ll have help from some of the guys in Dalwhinnie and Aviemore. The positive aspect is that we’ll be creating a clearing at the edge of the forest and using the felled timber to build the cabin.”

  “I heard someone mention that there is still a leopard in that forest.”

  Marie grinned. “That’s one of the reasons it was decided to have a building instead of using a tent for overnight stops there.”

  “Isn’t the Loch Ericht staging post close to where there was talk of making a rope bridge?”

  “Yes. What did you have in mind?”

  “I thought that manufacturing a strong rope for a bridge would be worthwhile but a lengthy task—if you’ll pardon the pun.”

  Marie rolled her eyes. “Go on.”

  “Why don’t we investigate the idea of a narrow footbridge made from timber?”

  “It wouldn’t take much wood, and we’d be on the edge of a forest,” Marie mused. “I think you’ve got something there, and we will investigate it when we’re up that way.”

  “Suddenly,” Norman mused, “that cabin and bridge are blossoming into an exciting project. I suppose the only issue in all three staging posts will be water for drinking. I heard Harry and Archie were discussing some sort of plumbing and filtration system, so that should be interesting.”

  “We’ve got young minds working with us now, which is helping us produce solutions. Josh, in particular, has some brilliant ideas. He asked about the coach windows we had set aside and why they had a wire filament fitted into them. I explained that it was part of the dual power system for the engine—the coach had been solar and electric.”

  “He’s a bright young man—has he come up with a suggestion for the windows?”

  Marie said, “He said we might consider fitting them into the cabins and huts on the mountainside.”

  “I’m sure Harry and Josh could invent some means of storing the solar energy captured by the filaments.”

  “They’re going to make a formidable team.”

  Flint stood alone in the glass balcony. He felt a wide range of emotions as he looked down at the scenes before him. When he raised the binoculars, he watched Marie and Norman working for a moment, and then he focused on the boat farthest out in the loch. He knew it would be Paul and Dawn fishing. He turned to zoom in on Amber teaching two people to sail and Victoria playing with the children at the lochside. It brought thoughts of Noreen and the baby she was carrying—their baby.

  He murmured, “What kind of father are you going to be, mate?”

  As Flint looked up, he recalled that the gap in the local dirty cloud was increasing with every week that passed. It was Harry’s opinion that the Cairngorms gap and the local gap would meet and then grow together within the next three months.

  Flint raised the strong binoculars to do what he’d climbed up to the balcony for—the monthly survey. He had discussed the outlying areas with Harry and Victoria to get their thoughts on how vegetation and the region, in general, was recovering.

  Once again for the survey, it was a military idea which had come to mind. Flint used the map as a basis for what had become a routine task. Using Auchcarn as the axis, he had drawn a sizeable semi-circular range card scaled to record as far as the nearest ten miles.

  “Nothing changing toward the west—just a few miles of land and then water.” He marked the card. “Forest and grassland to the east still looking good and now what have we got in the south?”

  Flint took the binoculars away from his eyes and then brought them back. “You’re welcome to improve—keep it up.” He noted that the nearest mountain to the south of Loch Awe was finally showing signs of greenery on its slopes. As per Victoria’s suggestion, he made a simple sketch to show where life was once again evolving. He dated his chart and looked back to the south.

  “Adapt and overcome,” Flint whispered.

  23. Dalwhinnie

  Tuesday 4th October

  When the final pair arrived, the new community of four couples agreed that they would all temporarily sleep in two large neighbouring houses. Many of the places abandoned by the homeowners some years before were still in good condition, apart from dust. A quick check of utilities and a general clean-up in both houses had been sufficient to make them habitable. A thorough clean was next for both, and then niceties would come later.

  Until the first four houses were checked and cleaned, it was agreed that Calvin and Cherry, with their two children, would share a place with Bill and Fiona. Craig and Anne and their two children would share with Jay-Dee and Archie.

  After a meal in the railway station on the first day, t
he children were left to doze in the cafeteria lounge. The adults sat within view and held a meeting to discuss a plan of action. Within twenty-four hours, several activities would be underway simultaneously.

  .

  Wednesday 5th October

  Anne and Fiona were moving furniture from one room to another, cleaning a room and then moving everything back before continuing with the next.

  Anne said, “I know our meeting was to set out our plan of action, but only now it’s dawning on me why we didn’t list detailed timings. I’m so glad.”

  Fiona nodded. “You said one day that you used to be as bad as Bill, all phases and targets. We don’t need that sort of self-imposed pressure.”

  Both women laughed.

  Anne said, “It was a long time ago now. I suppose my time in the police was like Bill’s military career. We had organisation inherent in the job, and with it came planning, allocation of people to tasks and cut-off times.”

  Fiona raised an eyebrow. “I don’t remember you making a point of timings and suchlike when we lived in Auchcarn.”

  “Craig said the same thing to me earlier this morning. I’d never really considered it before, but for those few years we lived in the mountain I suppose I relinquished all the pressures that timings brought to my life. I had the children to think about, and we were always kept occupied with one project or another.”

  Fiona placed her hand on Anne’s arm. “Not to mention pulling each other out of our individual dark places.”

  “Do you still have occasional relapses, Fiona, you know, like at some random part of the day?”

  They positioned themselves at either end of a sideboard and lifted.

  “Yes, I do, and if you do, don’t fret,” Fiona said. “If our minds didn’t wander now and then we wouldn’t be human—that special breed of animal which is granted the ability to feel a pain which is unseen.”