Percy's Mission

by Jerry D. Young

  After supper they adjourned to the living room to watch the news. Things were tense in the Far East, but no additional action was being taken. The confrontation in Korea was at an impasse. North Korea was entrenched seventy some odd miles into South Korea and fighting was intense, but that was the limit of it.

  Mattie and Susie were preparing to go to their cottage when they felt the first tremor. The earth sheltered concrete dome home was solid. You would never know a terrible thunderstorm was raging outside it was so quiet.

  When they felt the first movement and the lights went out, Percy called, “Get down next to the coffee table!” It was a heavy, rather blocky table, the legs and rails being oak four by fours, with slate tiles inlaid on three quarter inch oak plywood.

  While standing in a doorway was probably better than standing in the middle of the room, the best protection was to be beside something that would support anything falling downward. Many earthquake deaths were crushing deaths. Often ceilings and upper floors would fail and fall. The wall thickness of a doorway did not provide much protection from those types of structural failure.

  It was common to find survivors in the cavities next to heavy, stout furniture that supported debris and prevented it from pancaking to the floor, crushing anything between. Percy had a heavy structural element or stout furniture in nearly every room in every structure beside which a person could crouch or lay during earthquakes. It might not even be necessary in the concrete domes, they were so strong, but Percy didn’t take chances.

  Nothing broke or fell as the rumbling continued for well over a minute. When the shaking stopped, it was slightly over a minute more before the automatic switching for the generator that supplied the house in emergencies started the generator and fed power to the key circuits of the house.

  The three climbed to their feet and Percy said, “I’m going to check on the animals.”

  “I’m going with you,” Susie said. Percy didn’t object.

  “I’ll check the house for damage,” Mattie added, turning toward the kitchen first.

  It took a little while to calm the animals. The other generator that was on automatic controls was the one that fed the animal barn. The lights were on when they entered. As they were going from one animal to another, issuing soothing words and dispensing extra rations of feed, Percy called over to Susie, “Dollars to donuts that was the New Madrid fault letting loose. The local quakes here are usually much shorter and feel a lot different.”

  “That’s such a long ways away,” Susie replied.

  “Some of the eighteen eleven, eighteen twelve quakes were felt all the way to Boston, here, and in Kansas, too. This one just doesn’t feel like our locals. We’ll find out in a little bit from the news.”

  When they had the animals calmed down, especially the horses and dogs, they went back to the house. Both were concerned when they saw Mattie. She was white as a ghost. She pointed to the TV in the living room.

  A newscaster looking much the same way as Mattie was saying, The reports are confirmed. A nuclear device has detonated on the San Andreas Fault in California, one at New Madrid on the fault in Missouri, and the third at the United Nations complex in New York during another emergency session.

  These are believed to have been terrorist attacks. The devices were low yield. They were not missile or bomb attacks. The United States forces have gone to high alert, but no retaliatory attacks are being launched at this time, nor are any pending. The President is asking for calm and restraint. Aid is being dispatched to the affected areas. There is very little fallout from the San Andreas and New Madrid devices, as both were apparently deep underground detonations. It is believed the devices were dropped down irrigation wells.

  The fallout from the UN detonation is, at the moment, blowing out to sea. Warnings have gone out to the area around the UN and to ships at sea. More in a moment. The haggard looking newscaster was removing his earpiece. He looked like he was about to be ill.

  Percy switched channels, and then said, “I’m going into the den to check the other monitors. I want you both to stay here tonight. Go get anything you’ll need for a few days. But hurry.”

  As the two headed for the front door, Percy headed for the den and its bank of TV monitors. Even the Weather Channel was reporting on the situation, providing prevailing wind and fallout details.

  Percy was at his desk, making a list when Mattie and Susie came in. “We put our stuff in the green guest room. Percy nodded but continued working on the list of things he needed to do the next day.

  They stayed in the den all night, dozing on the comfortable sofas and recliners the room boasted, watching the rescue efforts that were already ongoing. When morning came around they were still on emergency power. They showered and changed clothes in turn, and then Percy and Susie went out to tend to the animals. They’d accomplished the needed tasks in the greenhouses the day before, so went back to the house after checking the other buildings for damage.

  The structures were well designed and well built. There were a few things that had fallen off shelves, but no serious damage at all. The animals were all calm. Percy debated for a bit before he turned them out, which was the normal daily routine. If things got worse, they might be in the barn for an extended period. Better, he decided, to let them have as much outside time as possible.

  The dogs stayed close to Percy as Susie and he made the rounds. The horses hovered near the pasture fence, as close to the humans as they could get. None of the animals seemed to want to drift very far from the entrances to the barn, including the chickens.

  When Brian Epstein failed to show up Percy debated again before he decided to take the milk and eggs in to the dairy, instead of processing the milk and candling the eggs and putting them into the household stocks.

  Then, when Susie asked him, rather hesitatingly, to stop and check on Andy Buchanan, he changed his mind slightly and sent Susie in. She took the Suburban, instead of her Subaru. The power came back on just as she was driving away. Susie didn’t have to stop and open the gates manually. The remote worked when she didn’t even think about the power being off and used it to try to open the gates.

  When she returned two hours later, Percy was up the third antenna tower, removing the cameras from their mounts. He’d left one on an all axis remote control mount on this tower, but had removed all eleven of the other small cameras.

  Susie watched him climb down the tower before she walked into the new shop building with him. “Why’d you take down the cameras? I thought you’d want them up for security.”

  Percy shook his head. “I left the one up on number three tower on the remote control mount. I don’t have spares for these and can’t get them. They’re a discontinued model. If there is an electromagnetic pulse it will probably fry all of these. If I lose the one, I can replace it with one of the ones I took down.”

  “Oh,” Susie said. “Uh… Mr. Jackson, I made Andy promise to come out here if things got any worse. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Of course it is, Susie. I would have done the same thing if I’d gone in. I should have insisted that you do it when I sent you in. Also the Bluhms. I’ll go talk to them here in a little bit. Couple more things I want to make sure get done.”

  “What do you want me to do, Boss?” Susie asked. “I can’t stand just sitting around.”

  “Until this is over, I’d prefer you and your mother to take up residence in the main house. I’d like you and Mattie to bring over everything you might need for an extended stay. Go ahead and take two rooms so you’ll each have plenty of space.”

  “Mother’s not going to want to do that,” Susie replied. It sounded like a good idea to her.

  “I’ll talk to her. You might want to see if Doc needs some help.”

  “I think I will. He has Stevens’ bull over there for pneumonia and it’s easier for two to medicate him. I’m surprised he hasn’t called me to come over and help.”

  Percy immediately picked up the phone receiver. “P
ower’s on, but the phones are still out, I guess. I never even thought to check them last night.”

  They both jumped when the phone suddenly rang.

  “Hello?” Percy said, feeling a little foolish.

  “Mr. Jackson, it’s Andy. Andrew Buchanan. I talked to Susie this morning and she somehow got me to promise to come out there if things got worse. I know you kind of said the same thing, but I wanted to check first, just to make sure.”

  Percy cut his eyes to Susie. “It’s fine, Andrew. I was going to ask you again myself, but I sent Susie because I needed to get some things done here this morning. I don’t suppose you have time to do a little side work? You’re probably pretty busy with fuel deliveries now, though, aren’t you? People are going to want to stock up now, for sure.”

  “They sure are, but that’s a real problem. We were expecting deliveries today, but our supplier called and said it could be as much as a month before we get another significant delivery. We’re supposed to get a couple tanker loads tomorrow or the next day, but that’s all. Mr. Wilkins thinks there’ll be some rationing going on by the time it gets here.”

  “I could use some help out here, if it turns out Wilkins doesn’t need you for a while. Three of my hands are making preparations at home and can’t work for a while.”

  “Yeah, I know. Mr. Jacobson stopped to fuel up and said he and Mr. Smith were headed for Wyoming and that Bernard Robert’s wife needed him at home again. I was going to see if you needed me to help when I wasn’t working here at Wilkins.”

  “Thank you, Andrew. I appreciate that. I would like you to come out any time Wilkins doesn’t need you. We can discuss the pay when you come out the first time.”

  “I don’t really need pay. Maybe some groceries, like you barter sometimes. I think things might get hard to get, with what’s happening in California.”

  “We’ll come to some arrangement, Andrew. What about your father? Do you want to bring him out here?”

  “No, Mr. Jackson. Whatever happens I couldn’t take care of him. He needs to stay in the rest home. I’ll do what I can for him there, but the daily care needs… It’s just really not possible. I was there last night when the quake hit. He’s upset that he can’t help, but knows he has to stay there. It’s all that’s keeping him alive. He doesn’t want to be a burden on me. Pop knows I don’t have the resources to take care of him.”

  “Maybe out here…” Percy suggested, knowing the response he would get.

  “You know Pop. He just won’t go for it. It’s okay his veteran’s pension is paying for the rest home. He wouldn’t take your help or anyone else’s.”

  “I understand, Andrew. I just wish there was some way I could help.”

  “I know. Thanks. Pop is where he needs to be, no matter what happens.”

  “Okay, Andrew. Just come on out any time it suits you. Day or night.”

  “I will, Mr. Jackson. Thanks. Say hello to Susie for me.”

  “She’s right here, Andrew. You can tell her yourself.”

  “Andy,” Susie said, “I’m glad you apparently agreed to come out here. Especially work for Mr. Jackson. But I don’t really appreciate you checking with him after I told you what I did.”

  “I know. And I believed you. It just one of those guy things, I guess.”

  “Guy thing, huh? It’s a good thing I love you or I’d hang up on you for that.”

  “You love me? Really? I love you, too, Susie. I wish I’d told you sooner.”

  “Oh, Andy! I do. I wish I’d told you sooner, too. Please, please, come out here if things look bad. Please.”

  “I promise, Susie. I promise. I love you. Bye.”

  “I love you. Bye, Andy.”

  “Well. That’s nice to hear,” Percy said.

  Susie threw her arms around Percy. “He loves me! He really does. He was asking these kinds of leading questions the other day. About marriage and all. But he didn’t ask me and I was afraid I gave him the wrong impression. I don’t think so now. I’ve got to go tell Mother.”

  “Okay. But don’t forget about Doc and moving your stuff.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Tell your mother, too, that I’m headed for the Bluhms. I want to talk to them about coming here if there are more problems. That’s a nice house, but not good enough for anything as serious as what this may become.”

  “Good. I really like them.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  It didn’t take all that much convincing. The terrorist attacks and the resulting earthquake had scared them. They were closer to town, but agreed to head for the estate if things got worse. He gave them a hand held radio and charger for it. “We’ll be monitoring that most of the time. If you need one of us, just keep calling until someone answers. It would make me feel better if you called just to check in so I know the radio is okay. A couple times a day would be fine, if you don’t really mind doing that.”

  “No. That sounds like a good idea,” Jock said. “Will it reach all the way to the city? We may have to take Judy Franks in. She’s had some labor pains, off and on, the last few hours. It’s probably false labor, but we’re not about to take a chance, considering the circumstances.”

  “It’s on a repeater system. As long as commercial power is on it should work. On the direct link, only about halfway to the city.” Percy hesitated a moment, then asked the doctors, “Do you want me to take her in using the Suburban? There’s plenty of room, and I do have an errand I need to run there, anyway.”

  “No…” Jock said slowly, after looking at Melissa for a moment. “It’s not like the weather is bad or anything. But… If you’re going pretty soon, we might just tag along with Judy and her family. Just in case. You know.”

  “Sure thing,” Percy said with a smile. “I have a few things to do in town, and then I’ll be ready. Meet me at Rosie’s when you’re ready.”

  “Okay. I’ll call Judy now and make the arrangements. She thinks it’s false labor, too, but it is her first and she’s a little apprehensive. Her mother will take her in and we’ll take the Bug. We need to do a couple of things ourselves.”

  “You know, I have a Jeep I don’t use, if you want something besides the Volkswagen and the Taurus. Winters can get pretty severe here, you know.”

  “I don’t really like Jeeps,” Melissa said. “I had a friend roll one, one time. We’re thinking about trading in the Taurus on something like an Explorer before winter.”

  “That would do you a good job. Okay then. I’ll be on my way and see you in a little while.”

  The trip went well, until Percy stopped to see Sara. Percy tried to convince her to move out to the estate. He even offered to supply all her fuel to go to and from the city every day to go to work.

  “Are you asking me to move in with you, Percy?” she finally asked.

  “Of course I am. I thought that was clear. Oh.” He turned slightly red. “Not like that… Just stay in one of the extra rooms. I’m not… Sara, I’m just not ready for that next step.”

  “I understand, Percy. And that’s okay. I just want to be sure. And I appreciate you offering to provide my gasoline, but it’s not quite proper, don’t you see?”

  “Yes. I guess I do. But you will promise me to come out if things get worse. How did your apartment fare, by the way, during the quake?”

  Sara frowned. “One of the plates my mother left me broke. I had it on a stand and it walked off the shelf and broke. It’s not as if I was all enamored of it, but my mother loved Elvis and that plate was her favorite. I hate to have lost it.”

  “I’m sorry. I wish I could replace it for you. And I’m sorry if I upset you. I just… Well… I guess I’ll be going, then.”

  “Okay, Percy. And Percy I’m not mad at you or anything.” She stepped up to him and gave him a long hug. “I appreciate you trying to look out for me, but I’m a big girl. And I will come to the estate if something worse happens.” She leaned back, her arms still around him and looked him in the eyes.

  �
�I care about you, Percy. A lot. I want you to promise me you won’t do anything stupid if things do get worse.” She brought her face forward and kissed him lightly on the lips before he could protest.

  “I… I care about you, too, Sara.” Then he frowned. “I don’t do stupid things. What made you say that, anyway?”

  Sara stepped away from him and smiled. “Oh, Percy. Don’t worry about it. I was just teasing. Sort of.”

  “Well… Okay. I guess I really should go. I want to stop and get a couple of things before I go back to the estate.”

  “‘Bye, Percy.”

  “Goodbye, Sara.”

  Percy brooded about the exchange a little, but quickly put it behind him when he went to the medical supply shop. There were no delays this time when he picked up several more medical items. They were glad to help him load them into the Suburban.