The End of America

by Pete Thorsen

  “You think most of the population is dead?”

  “It would depend on if the power black out was just a short temporary thing or if it lasted a couple months or more. Without power in the cities most people there would die. Then many would die from the violence and in the northern areas many would die from the cold.

  And with many dead bodies around that would likely lead to the spread of disease to kill even more. So if the power is still out, and I think it is because Bill saw no traffic on the highway, then yes I think maybe seventy five percent of the population is maybe dead by now and possibly even more.”

  “There are around sixty nuclear power generating plants in the United States and we have to hope that they are not melting down. It is quite possible that some power plants are still in operation. The nuke plants and the hydro electric plants could run with just minimal crews I would think.

  The coal fired plants would require quite a few workers in many locations to keep them in operation. The natural gas fired plants would require the non-stop gas coming in which would require the electric pumps to be in operation to pump the gas I think.”

  “I think while they could easily get at least some of the plants to produce power everything relies on electronic switching and communications between plants to work right. We know the communications are still down and who knows about all that electronic stuff.”

  “I would be very wary of the Military. They really can not do anything for us but they certainly could do bad things to us. We know nothing about the state of our government right now. For all we know this could be a splinter group of military that is working totally independent of our government. Any military has to be approached with extreme caution or not approached at all in my view.”

  “I agree. The best case would be to talk to some others that have had contact with the military. That would be the best way to get information about them without exposing ourselves to any harm from them.”

  “Aren’t you guys are being a little overly cautious or should I say paranoid?”

  “It would be almost impossible to be too overly cautious when it comes to our safety. We will take no chances. It is a very dangerous world out there right now. We don’t even know who the enemy is for sure. Caution is mandatory.”

  “So what do we do?”

  “We read up on gardening so we don’t make any mistakes with our food supply for one thing. Soon it will be warm enough to start some of the hardier plants I think. We continue with our regular patrols but we concentrate on the area between here and the highway because if trouble comes it will be from there.”

  From there talk turned to gardening and surprisingly everyone seemed excited about growing all our own food in the garden. I don’t know if it was because it would be something new, or just something to do, or because we would likely all starve unless it panned out.

  So we all read up on gardening from the many books that Sid and Val had on hand. They had many books on what were now in the new world very practical subjects. We started some seeds in the house and used their small tiller to ready the two fairly large garden areas for planting. The patrols continued and I camped near the highway again but saw nothing at all as far as people on that trip.

  Soon it was warm enough and we planted the garden with high hopes of a bountiful harvest. As with most things here we all worked together deciding what and how much to plant. Using what we learned from the books we planted more than twice as much as we thought would be enough to produce the food we would need to last us a year.

  We were not worried about growing too much food because we could and would be canning the produce anyway and once canned would it last a long time. Also the best laid plans often go awry. So when we all guessed how much to plant and agreed on that amount then we just doubled it.

  Though the four vehicles that we now had at the place were all started and run for a period of time occasionally to keep them operational, we knew that the fuel in them even with the added stabilizer had a limited lifespan that would likely expire at some point in the not too distant future.

  Soon we would have to make a decision about using a vehicle to make a long range reconnaissance run with possible gathering of information and maybe even adding to our supplies or to just stay as concealed here as possible to avoid any contact and chance any exposure of our whereabouts.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Sid

  Bill has been advocating taking a vehicle out on a run to try and find information and possibly more supplies. I guess he has me now convinced it should be done. I agree that it has to be now or never because our gas will degrade until it becomes unusable at some unknown point. I am somewhat surprised it has lasted this long even with the fuel stabilizer that we added though the cool winter weather likely helped make it last longer.

  With the garden all planted and our only work to do is the weeding and watering of the garden and daily patrols now would be the time to go. Bill is adamant that he will be the one to go and he will go alone.

  We had quite a lively discussion on this and now Bill is leaving but Ann will be going with him. Ann will be the driver and Bill will be the shooter if one is needed. Both will watch everywhere for any threats and that will mean a slow drive. They will be taking Bill’s truck.

  He said it is only one still under warranty. They are leaving in the morning with me and Val riding with as far as the gate. I gave Bill one of the gate keys and Val and I will brush out their tracks on our walk back to the house. We will also tie brush to the truck to help conceal their tracks for the rest of the trip out to the highway.

  At the gate this morning we wished each other luck and after hugs all around they were on their way into the unknown and Val and I slowly walked back to the house, already worried about them.

  Bill

  I’m glad Sid finally saw my point about this trip. Without him I could have never convinced the two girls that I had to go. I did not want Ann to come but other than shoot her I don’t think I could have done anything else that would have stopped her from coming with. But I have to admit it makes more sense to have two people.

  We had discussed this ahead of time and when she got to the highway Ann turned to the south. We will travel south and stop at any houses we see. We will approach carefully these houses and try to talk with people we find. There is nothing for a few miles and then we saw our first house.

  Ann drove into the driveway and honked the horn on the truck. We waited to see if there was any response but when none came after a couple minutes I got out of the pickup and approached the house without my rifle. When I got a little closer I yelled.

  “We would like to talk to you. We wish you no harm. Tell us to go away and we will immediately do so if that is your wish. But we have talked to no one else for months and would like to exchange any news.”

  I waited in plain sight on the driveway for a response but none came so I continued to approach the house. While the open approach was risky to help lower the risk I was wearing one of the vests with plates installed.

  When I got close I could see the front door had been kicked in was hardly closed now. I pushed on the door and yelled inside but got no response and at this point I expected none. I stepped back out and waved Ann in. She drove up and turned the pickup around and backed it near the house door in case we needed a fast getaway, before she shut it off and joined me.

  We did a quick search of the house. There were no blood stains so we decided that the house was broken into by others looking for supplies. There was some small amount of food but it was baking goods like flour, sugar, and salt which who ever had taken the rest of the food either could not use or did not know how to use.

  We took everything edible and looked over the remainder of the house also. We found some paper products and several other items we thought we could use. We searched quickly but thoroughly. In a closet there were several plastic tote boxes that contained clothes which we dumped on a bed and used the totes for what we wanted to
take with.

  We also took a couple of empty totes for things we might find later. Leaving I wedged the door shut as well as could so the wind would not blow it open. Then we continued our trip.

  The next three houses we tried were approached the same and also were found empty and had been already gone through like the first one. Each time we found things we could use to take with though.

  The fourth house when Ann stopped and honked the horn someone shot so we left. I don’t think they shot at us but it was clear they wanted no company so we honored that wish. We continued on our way and stopped at several more houses that day.

  All these houses were empty which we had expected. Many houses up here were only seasonal or vacation homes plus unless they had some way to get drinking water there was no way for people to live in these places. The last place of the day we opened the garage and drove the pickup inside and closed the door.

  We had planned to be gone as much as four days and had brought plenty of food and water with us. We had found some food in each of the houses but we used what we brought because we had packed carefully with each meal in mind.

  After we searched this house and loaded what we found into the truck we made supper and picked a bedroom for each of us for the night. We sat outside at a picnic table watched the stars and talked for some time in the evening before going inside to our beds.

  The next day went almost identical to the first day. It was in the afternoon when we stopped after Ann honked the horn and I exited the truck that we got a response. When I yelled someone in the house yelled back.

  “We come in peace and would like to talk. If anyone is here we only want a simple conversation and mean you no harm.”

  “How many of you are there?”

  “Just me and a woman. We will leave if you ask but would rather talk to someone new for a change.”

  “OK you can both come closer.”

  I had a good feeling and motioned Ann to come forward so she drove the truck up to me and shut it off before getting out. When the person inside the house saw it was only a man and a woman an older gentleman came out of the house with a shotgun.

  Though he carried it like he knew how to use it he did not have it pointed directly at us. When he approached I walked up to him, extended my hand, and said “My name is Bill Summers.”

  Without thinking he shifted the gun and shook my hand. I think he realized at that point he was basically now unarmed with me holding his hand and him unable to use the shotgun. Then I smiled and released him and he came to realize we were not a threat.

  “I’m Frank Wise.”

  He then waved and a minute later a woman who was obviously his wife came out of the house.

  “My name is Ann. The smarter half of this outfit.”

  “I’m Dorothy. I’m Frank’s wife. Please let’s sit on the patio. It will be great to talk to someone besides this old goat.”

  We sat and talked for way over an hour. It seems the military had paid them a visit but that was all. They had offered no help or really even offered any news. They only said they were on patrol and not much else.

  They said the US government was indeed still intact and working to bring everything back to normal. But Frank said he thought the one who told him that did not even really believe it himself. Otherwise they had seen or talked to no one. They were off grid before this started so were set up before the event ever happened.

  They had a big garden growing like we did. Frank said he had shot several deer and they had been living on mostly meat and what little food they had on hand. When Ann heard this she made me go get some of the food we had scavenged to give the couple. By the time I had lugged over a couple totes of food there were tears in Dorothy’s eyes. We gave them a bunch of the food and still had plenty for us to take back home.

  Finally we said as much as we liked talking to them we wanted to continue our journey and with hugs and handshakes we the left the couple. Ann said she was so happy that we were able to help those folks that it made the whole trip worthwhile. We both drove away happy.

  We stopped at two more houses that day. Both were empty and we stayed at the second one for the night. Again we found a few worthwhile things at each house. We talked about how far we should push our luck with this going house to house. We decided we would continue ahead a little and head back sometime tomorrow.

  We left early the next morning and stopped at four more empty houses. We found quite a bit in one of them and I said that was it we were heading home while we were both healthy. Ann agreed that there was no sense in pushing it any more and she was sure Sid and Val were very worried about us anyway.

  We had the whole back of the big pickup full of supplies and we wasted no time now on the road with Ann driving at regular highway speed back to our turn off. We stopped long enough to again tie on a bunch of brush to help hide our tracks in the dirt and then only stopped once more to have me open the gate and then on to home.

  We could see the relief on both Val and Sid when they came out to meet us. We told them of our modest adventures and then started the task of unloading the back of the pickup. Everything would have to be sorted and some combined together but that could wait until later. On the top of the load was the crown jewels of our scavenger run - two mountain bikes.

  We unloaded the pickup and started going through the large load a little bit until it was time to break for supper. After supper we relaxed in the living room and went into more detail of everything we saw and learned on the run we made. After our adventures were hashed and rehashed I suggested we continue with several more scavenger runs like this until we ran low on gas or had checked everywhere that was reasonably close to our location.

  What we had really learned was that this was going to be a very long term situation and we should gather all the supplies that we possibly could while we had the means to do so. We talked about this some but there were no arguments because it was obvious that when we lost the ability to drive the trucks we would be totally on our own for the foreseeable future.

  So we would sort through what we had brought back and then make another run. Sid and Val suggested that they take the next run but I said that would be fine if they just wanted to get away for a couple days but otherwise Ann and I had our methods down pat and would go back out again.

  Sid said it would be nice for them to get away for a bit so they would make the next run. So tomorrow we would sort and put away what we had brought back and the next day they would head out and travel north this time.

  Soon after we all went to our beds and I was even happy to use the air bed though another mattress could be put on the list if things to look for. I guess I could have brought one from the nearby vacant house a few months ago but I had never even thought of it until now.

  Today when we sorted all the stuff we were all surprised at how much flour and baking essentials we had actually found. It seems every house has some of that stuff and the ones who had gone through the houses before us had just left it all.

  We had quite a lot of spices and such also. We only had found one house that had not been already ransacked and we had netted a bunch of food from that one. Sid said they would take his truck in morning and Ann and I would ride with as far as the gate just like they had done for us.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sid

  We said goodbye to Ann and Bill and with Val driving we left our home for the first time since the event. We were now on our way to our own adventure. Only I hope it is anything but exciting. We know the odds of meeting anyone is slim because people would have had to move to where they could have ready access to water which would really limit where they could live around these parts.

  There were many houses fairly close to the north of our road and we did not travel far before we stopped at our first house. Val tooted the horn like Ann said she had always done and we received no response and I got out and approached the house some before I yelled ‘Hello the house.” I expected and received no answer
and Val backed the pickup up near the house and we entered together.

  The door was unlocked and we could see that the house had been gone through but looking around it was just like Bill had said that we would always find things that we could use. We made a pile and used pillow cases to haul what we found and went through the garage and got several things from there also.

  So went the rest of the day with us going through many houses and only finding people in one of them but they were quite dead. Apparently a murder suicide or double suicide maybe but from quite some time back. We just left them lying on the bed where we found them but did take the pistol that was also on the bed.

  By the end of the day we had a fair sized load in the pickup. We picked a suitable house with a garage that we could hide the pickup in to stay the night. I have to admit it was good to get away from our house after so long even if it was for just an overnight stay.

  The next day we dawdled around at each house we stopped at until we had a big load in my pickup and then turned back toward home. Neither of us was in any hurry. Now that we realized that no one could be living in these places because of lack of water it took most of the risk away. We both still wore the bullet resistant vests though.

  And it would be dumb to let any food in these places go to waste. No one was coming back to any of these houses any time soon if ever. And it was a fact that without more food we could be in big trouble at our place. We had access to plenty of meat but you could not get by on a diet of just meat.

  Along with what food and such that we found we also took totes and bins to store stuff in. It was plain that much would have to be stored in the garage or sheds. Thinking long term there was quite a lot of stuff that we would need.