Back at the Bentley home…
After they put down their packs and took off their coats and everyone got a hot cider to warm up, Doug couldn't wait to ask. "Roger, I'm glad you got here. How was it?"
Roger hesitated a moment, looked down, thinking, and then he answered. "It wasn't good. Thanks to you and you teaching me about astronomy, after the power went out, and I saw the Aurora Borealis more brilliant than ever before, I knew it was a solar flare. Fortunately, also thanks you, our little house could be heated by our Franklin woodstove, and that's what we did. We took inventory of everything to see how long we could go without having to go to the grocery store. And then, I got to thinking… We had nothing to lose by coming up here and everything to gain. If we stayed in town we probably could have gone a week without electricity quite easily and even more. But I sensed that some of the townspeople, especially those with their little addictions and lack of preparation for anything except their monthly checks, might get a little rowdy. Better safe than sorry, so we decided to take a holiday after the electricity didn't come back on the next day and the Aurora were even more brilliant than before."
"Did you have any trouble coming?" Worry was all over Doug's face.
"Well, we decided to go at night because there was a pretty good moon and the Aurora lit up the landscape nicely. Without a clock it was hard to tell, but as we were packing as much essentials as we could about 7 pm yesterday, there came a loud knocking on the front door. I looked out the side window and could see that it was Silas Blake. He seemed pretty agitated and drunk and wasn't yelling, 'Help!' or my name, but seemed to be muttering under his breath as though trying to figure out if we were home. After a few moments, still swearing, as though he didn't get what he wanted, he shuffled off into the snow and disappeared. I knew that if he thought we weren't home, that he and his buddies would try to break in. I knew we had to leave then, because I didn't want to confront a bunch of drunken men with guns.
We nailed the doors shut from the inside, and slipped out a window that we also nailed and can open when we get back. I set the nails and filled them so I hope they won't find them. There is no guarantee they won't break the windows to get in. We then covered our tracks in the snow before leaving as best we could by making a lot more.
Our packs were heavy, as you can see." He pointed to them over in the corner… "So it was really a tough walk, just getting out of town. Fortunately, there were no vehicles, just vacant stranded ones. We did see a couple of people, but they seemed as leery of us as we were of them. As we left town, it dawned on us what we're doing, and Suze began to cry. I comforted her as best I could by saying that we would be safer at your place, here. That worked and we trudged on." Susan smiled in agreement.
"What about the rest of the trip?" Roger and Ellie were all ears.
"Most of it was uphill and difficult, even with our boots. We had to stop and rest quite often. And, it was a worry whenever we came upon a house or ranch house by the road, because we didn't know what to expect. Finally, in the middle of yesterday, we got so tired we had to rest. Fortunately, it was quite warm and we just curled up in the shelter of a pine tree on a sunny bank and slept for about four or five hours before it started getting cold again at dark. Our water was freezing in our packs, so we had to keep some on interior pockets where the warmth of our bodies kept it from freezing. The same with the food we brought. Frozen sandwiches aren't much fun." Everyone had a chuckle.
"But then, it got even tougher. A couple of ranches had posted guards. They hailed us, and told us to keep moving. We obliged. And then, as we passed one ranch, I heard the crack of a rifle and the whistle of a bullet flying by my ear. That's the most unnerving thing I've ever felt. We hit the snow-covered road facedown and waited. We waited a long time, but heard nothing more. We were getting cold, laying down like that, so decided to crawl.
We must've crawled over 200 yards or so in the snow in the road behind the plowed bank. It was terrible. Suze was crying again. I urged her on. With our packs on our backs like that, I know they could see us, but I didn't know how far we would have to go to be out of range of that rifle. Finally, I told Suze to stay down and I got to my feet, unsteadily. When I looked back, I could see a ranch house in the distance, about 500 yards away, but no light there. We just kept walking. When the sun came up, we were very tired, but kept on walking till we got here. Having this hot cider sitting here in this warm room has made it all worthwhile though." Roger smiled and shrugged, knowing their ordeal was over.
"Well then, Ellie, why don't you see if you can find some food for our weary travelers. In the meantime, they can get cleaned up and I'll get their bed ready so they can catch up on all that lost sleep from the last three days."
"Sounds like a plan." Ellie laughed. She got up and went directly to the kitchen. When Susan followed, Ellie said, "Don't bother, I'll take care of everything, you get cleaned up. I know what living in a parka for three days is like."
Doug was right. What was happening, worldwide, was a kind of anarchy that comes out of great need for resources as basic as water, food, and shelter. When these essentials become scarce, one has to take drastic action in order to survive. It started with looting. Government officials, police, and military, without electronic communication, became powerless in setting up strategies for dealing with relief for the people. Even the armies and navies of the world were helpless because if their equipment still worked, gasoline became scarce very quickly.
It was the kind of apocalypse that everyone feared would come about as a result of some other kind of disaster, not the result of solar flaring. Organized society, working so well in spite of its flaws, was rapidly breaking down. Presidents were powerless to act. Personal weapons became the only way to protect and control. People could communicate only as far as they could walk or run. Having a working sailboat, steam engine, hot air balloon, a bicycle, a team and dog sled, or a horse and wagon became invaluable tools for survival transportation. But very few had these modes of transportation. And, they could be taken away at gunpoint very easily.
It was the Wild West all over again. Without any society back east to back it up. It was every man and woman for him or herself. It did help to belong to a family or a group, but that didn't guarantee safety. Groups always had a problem with individual infighting. It became worse. Bloodshed became the order of the day when it became a matter of life or death for food or water. Some quickly reverted to cannibalism when all of their other sources of food dried up. It was a long winter in the Northern Hemisphere. It was just as long a hot summer in the Southern, if not as stressful on its occupants.
Those that lived off the sea in the South Seas didn't know what was happening. They were the real survivors, as were the Inuits and Laplanders, the Bush people and Masai in Africa, and the rain forest residents, and people of other self-sufficient pockets around the world like the aboriginals in Australia, New Zealand, and New Guinea.
The cities fell first into anarchy, and then the farmland. Only those that were living in isolation in places that were hard for the hungry and violent to reach, escaped harm. The long-awaited Armageddon had come. And, after all of the starving was finished. A new world order, also predicted, would come from those surviving pockets of people who lived preindustrial lives. Some would think that the world would be a better place. Maybe so, maybe not.
Doug didn't have the heart to turn them away. Some neighbors and some strangers came by. They asked for different things. Some neighbors were fairly well-off, like Doug and his family, and asked if there was anything they could help out with. Other neighbors were not as well off and came by for some assistance. Doug and Ellie gave them whatever they had to spare, and wished them luck, especially with their gardens in the coming spring, that looked like to be their only source of food in the future.
And there were strangers, some with guns. Roger or Doug hailed them at a distance, and tried to discern what their intentions were. Most were just desperate for food or water. They obliged the strangers, but didn't take them in, telling them the best direction to go to try to get help. At night sometimes, Ellie cried when she saw what was happening to those poor people, and especially, the children. She thought of her grandchild, Jennifer, just a baby. How would she make it all the way here?
Three weeks went by into March. Doug kept watching the Sun to see if it had settled down. This was the longest solar flare up that he had even read about in history. Finally, 25 days after the first and initial blackout, the flaring had settled down enough to begin making repairs after waiting about eight hours for any radiation from the sun to have already reached the earth and passed it.
First, Doug tackled the rectifier on the solar panels. Several components were burned out on the circuit. He was able to find the proper components in his workshop and soldered them back in. Roger marveled at his father's skill and decided that he would try to find a coil for the old Jeep. That 1972 Wagoneer hadn't been used much in the last few years and had been sitting under an awning while Doug and Ellie drove their all-wheel-drive Toyota Prius Hybrid.
It wasn't long before Roger found the coil among all the extra parts that Doug had saved up over the years… filling the workshop to overflowing. Roger took the battery from the yard tractor and tested it. There was still plenty of power in that battery. He took the Wagoneer battery out and placed it where he could get it charged once Doug got the electricity back. Roger asked Doug, "How long has it been since you took that Wagoneer for a ride?"
"Oh, about two or three years…" Doug smiled wryly. He knew that old wagon would run with a little tinkering. It'd always been dependable before, and really didn't have much more than 100,000 miles on it.
Roger wondered about the gasoline. He knew that gasoline became stale quite quickly. But, after he got the tractor battery hooked up, the tank showed only a quarter full. Still, he crawled up under the Jeep and disconnected the gas line from the tank, draining some off to see if there was any water in it. There was, but only a cup or so of it, along with some debris that had settled in the bottom of the tank. The next question was, "Is there any gasoline?"
Doug smiled. "I got that 500 gallon tank behind the shed filled last fall just before winter. Haven't used hardly any of it. I've also got four of those army surplus tanks that can extend the range quite a bit if we need to." Roger admired how prepared his father always seemed to be. Guess that came from living out in the middle of nowhere.
Some snow needed to be brushed off the solar panels, but the rectifier began working as soon as Doug had it installed and isolated from the grid because he didn't know if there might be spikes coming down that wire in the future that could do great damage. And then, Doug and Roger lowered the first wind turbine and removed it from its pole, taking it into the shop where Doug could repair it.
Roger checked the Wagoneer's spark plugs and cleaned them, checked the oil and added a bit, checked the antifreeze and found that it was still good, giving him a sigh of relief that the block would not be cracked. He then installed the replacement coil and was ready to start it up. After a few burps and pops, assisted by a little ether down the carburetor, the Wagoneer's engine first turned over, and then, roared to life. Roger let it run for about 10 minutes to warm up and to charge the battery, and the old girl was ready to go. Doug told Roger to, "shut it off," because he didn't want anyone in earshot to hear that engine running. It didn't take long to replace the parts needed on the wind turbine, and the two got it back up into position to catch the wind in short order. Now, Doug thought, the sun had better behave and stop flaring. If it doesn't, I'm going to run out of spare parts. He didn't tell Roger his misgivings. No need to raise an alarm.
By then, it was 3 pm. There still was two hours of daylight before sundown. Doug still thinking after his success of the day, suggested, "You know that electric fencer that I use during the summer to keep deer out of the garden? I think that would make a good perimeter for the property. Almost better than a burglar alarm."
Roger agreed, so they set to work setting up a perimeter fence using 4 foot steel fence posts that Doug had in abundance from old snow fences. They weren't worried about permanence, but just stuck them in the snow about 10 feet apart all the way around the property. With the help of the women, they installed the insulators, strung the wire and got the fencer hooked up and working just as the sun went down. If anyone touched that wire during the night, the resulting response would probably wake them up in the house, if it didn't drive whatever was trying to intrude away altogether.
The two men returned to a hearty meal that was the first one cooked with their electric appliances since the blackout. Not wanting to attract attention, they ate in the dark with candles and kept a wary eye on the perimeter. Everyone was exhausted from all the activity so they retired early, leaving the house entirely dark. Hopefully, ensuring that anyone out on the road would think there was, nobody home.
The sun had finally ended its anger. But for the people of the Earth, who had tried to restart, and had multiple failures of the equipment they repaired, fear and anger grew with each day as supplies ran out and desperation set in. The survivalists and preppers were happy at first. The former beginning to use their skills to scavenge and "live off the land." In the Northern Hemisphere, that became very difficult where winter was in charge. Most survivalists found themselves holing up in warehouses and trying to gather as much survival gear, food and water that they could, weapons ready. Some were loners, and others acted as groups or families. Dissension often rose up in the groups when difficult decisions had to be made. Living off the land was not easy.
For the latter, life was easier at first. Just getting to their shelters became a problem for some. And others found that their expensive and complex powering and communication systems were down and unusable, like the grid and satellites. With no air circulation, some of the underground shelters were useless and deathtraps. Most had prepared for the wrong thing, and were paying the price. But they were all well armed and could employ their force to get what they wanted. When things got desperate, they did.
In Colorado Springs…
With no way of communicating, and thinking that the power would come back on–"any day now," Mike and Jeanne stuck it out, conferring with neighbors from time to time, trying to figure out what was happening. From their hillside, the young couple could see fires burning and knew that there may be people looting stores to get whatever they needed. They heard gunshots, too, and sometimes yelling, but it was eerily quiet without traffic and the sounds of sirens or planes flying already. Too quiet.
Their suburban community was mostly retired Air Force–quite elderly. It was obvious that many were in trouble, and they helped out neighbors whenever they could. After a week and a half of this, Jennifer's formula ran out. The only thing that Jeanne could think to do, was to breast-feed her and hope for the best. Jeanne was very healthy and breast-feeding wasn't a problem, it's just that she had already weaned Jennifer from her breast and was hoping for solid food very soon. Diapers were running out, too. With no garbage pickup, their garbage can was overflowing and beginning to stink. That night, as they spent another cold one in bed, keeping the baby with them so they all could be warmer, they both decided they had to leave. They knew that some of their neighbors had already died from the cold or lack of clean water, because they had seen the bodies. If they stayed, they feared that they would end up the same way.
At first light, the couple began assembling their winter camping gear and placing it on a small plastic kids toboggan that Mike would pull behind him. They each had a small backpack, their snowshoes and cross-country skis, and would use whichever one was, depending on snow conditions. By about 3 pm, they had assembled everything hoping that they had thought of everything, and set out to leave town. Traveling through silent streets they reached the outskirts leading up into the mountains by nightfall and set up their tent in the yard of what appeared to be an abandoned, property with a nice tree-lined perimeter so that they couldn't be seen from the street. They made a hot meal on their Coleman cooker and curled up to sleep for the night.
At first light again, they made sure they had some hot liquid in their bellies for the long hike ahead. Jeanne found that Jennifer would do her business when she was held with her bare bottom to touch the snow. The cold shock of it would result in the desired affect. Doing this every four hours or so saved what little diapers Jeanne had left. In fact, little Jennifer often squealed in delight at her own accomplishment.
Mike and Jeanne were on the road in their cross-country skis and moving quite quickly in the light snow that had fallen on the plowed road. They reached Interstate 70 that morning, and were happy for it, because they would be no longer skiing close by houses where someone might confront them. There were a few cars, all abandoned after they had died at about 11 pm that night and couldn't be restarted. Mike noted that these cars could be useful for their trek. Both the overpasses and the cars became sources of bivouac on the Interstate.
Before long, the grades became steeper and the exertion of trying to make them required the couple to consume more calories than they wanted to. They did come upon other people who were doing what they were doing, but with much less success… often walking with just backpacks and boots. Some were very hungry and dehydrated. Some were cold to the point of hypothermia. But Mike and Jeanne could not spare what little they had, except water. These weary trekkers all had that look on their faces like they weren't going to make it. And they wouldn't.
The weather changed, and sometimes they had to shed clothing. At other times, it snowed when a front came through, and then got bitter cold afterwards. Their bivouac each night became troublesome, trying to make sure that they wouldn't be ambushed while they slept. Sleeping in cars they found unlocked was more comfortable and warmer, but even when locked, they felt vulnerable. Fortunately, the further they got from Colorado Springs, the less people they saw. Going up into the mountains like they were, was not the direction most would choose. And they had only gone that way because they knew that Doug and Ellie would be waiting at the end of the line--if they got there.
And then, they started to see the bodies. It had snowed closer to town, so they only saw lumps in the snow the first couple of days. Trying to avoid any obstructions, they had merely skirted them and moved on, not paying any attention to what they were. Further up in the mountains, the winds were stronger, sometimes brutal when they were in the face. Coming around a bend, Jeanne saw something up ahead that looked like a black blanket. She thought she would pick it up to give to some of the stragglers they had seen. As she got closer, she could see it was an overcoat and there was a man inside, frozen! "Oh my God!" She cried. "The poor man. I wonder who he was. His family…!" She knelt down in front of him and cried.
Mike, close behind, came up and put his arms around her in support. "There's nothing we can do. I'm afraid we're going to see many more before we get there. We'll just have to pray for them and move on. That's all we can do." Tears welled up in his eyes, too.
Mike was right. There was nothing they could do. There were many more bodies after that, some in cars, but most like that first guy, having fallen while trying to continue walking to nowhere on that freeway, desperately hoping to find food and shelter, but losing that option, forever. Jeanne became fearful that, that would be their fate. Mike was determined that, that would not happen. Still, the distance was so great and they were only making about 15 miles per day, uphill. He wasn't sure their food would last. He hoped that they could find some restaurant or grocery store that wasn't looted. Only time would tell. There was food for carrion eaters and coyotes. They began to see them often, feeding on the unfortunate.
On the fifth day out, a jackrabbit appeared by the side of the freeway, staring at them. Mike pulled out his pistol and shot it, to Jeanne's horror. Jennifer began crying at the loud sound the gun made. Mike quickly gutted the animal and skinned it. He slipped the carcass into his backpack and they soldiered on. That night, in the tent under an overpass, sheltered from the wind, they ate rabbit to their delight, and had enough left over for breakfast. They both felt a new surge of energy after eating the poor creature. As the days of strenuous work continued, animals like the rabbit provided a good source of protein that they sorely needed. They had developed a way of melting snow each night to replenish their canteens, and then kept those under their parkas to keep them from freezing on the very cold days. Little Jennifer was quite a trooper, thoroughly enjoying getting out of the belly pouch to do her business every few hours. She seemed to enjoy the cold and being with her mom and dad on the road. Her cheeks were rosy red, her eyes bright, and never prettier.
Finally, they reached the intersection to the highway that wound up through the Rocky Mountains to the place where Doug and Ellie had carved out their retirement retreat. It was a great relief, but there was still over 100 miles to go with four high range passes in between. Mike thought. They had been easily surmounted when he drove and he didn't pay much attention. Now, they presented quite an obstacle. It wouldn't be easy going.
At the intersection, there were two gas stations and a restaurant. Because the location was quite remote from any other habitation, Mike thought they might find something there. But the gas stations were both ransacked. Any bottles that remained were frozen and had burst. There had been warm periods so most of those had thawed, and spread out on the floor to again, re-freeze and thaw again. "There's nothing here we can salvage." Mike declared, after searching both buildings, shaking his head.
The newly become looters moved on over to the restaurant. It too, had been broken into. But, back in the kitchen, they were able to find some cereals and packaged food that would help them continue on because their original supplies of food had been depleted. They also found some frozen vegetables and meat of questionable value if it had been thawed out, but took them anyway, grateful for what they found. And then, they started up that lonely two-lane highway, knowing they would come upon homes like their parents' and ranches. Those people would have guns. The road ahead could be dangerous.
Back at the Bentley place…
Days at the Bentley homestead became rather routine and boring. With no contact to the outside world, everyone tried to find things to occupy their time. Doug and Roger spent the daylight hours in the workshop, trying to come up with ways to deal with what they would face in the future, getting food and what they might need to survive in the long run. They reloaded a lot of cartridges, made backup devices in case there was another CME and repaired parts that they thought they might be needing.
For fresh meat, they went hunting, and were fortunate to bag a few rabbits, a pheasant and a doe. Doug just hoped they could grow enough during the next summer to provide for what they hoped would be, seven people. At night, Doug would spend time in the observatory, and sometimes, Roger would join him, but it didn't seem the same without communication with his buddies over what they found in the eternal night sky. The family played many card games and board games. They burned wood to conserve propane. Cabin fever was setting in fast.
By the 15th day after the initial power failure, everyone was getting quite anxious. Around morning coffee, Ellie spoke first. "All I can think about is Mike and Jeanne and little Jennifer. I'm worried sick. If they got out of town, they should be here by now. Shouldn't they?"
"I'm worried too, have been for a long time. It's so far and is so dangerous. We've got the Wagoneer and snowmobiles back running. Maybe it's time we head out and meet them halfway. We know which way they're coming, it's the only way." Doug verified that he that been planning all along by getting everything up and running again, in spite of repeated CMEs.
"Yes, I've been thinking the same thing. Knowing how the snow has been falling here, I'm not sure how far we could get without the roads plowed." Roger said, hopeful, but worried about the obstacles they would face.
Doug had planned for that, too. "We'll put chains on all four wheels of the Wagoneer and pull the snowmobiles on that horse sledge I have out back… The trailer would be too big of a drag. A pair of horses might be better, but we don't have any. If we get stuck and can't winch out, we get stuck. Each of those snowmobiles has a 60 mile range and I can have us carry enough gasoline for another 30 miles or so. That might be just enough to reach them coming in. I say we spend the day getting everything buttoned up and ready to go, and head out in the morning to see if we can make their trip here, easier."
Suze had remained pensive, listening to the others. Finally, she had something to say. "Will Ellie and I be going or staying? I want to help, but how can I. I want so much for them to be here, safe with us. What can I do…?" Out of character, she started crying. Susan was always known to be strong like her father. Now she didn't know if he was even alive in Minneapolis with her mother. Being cooped up in the isolated retreat had started to wear on her and she felt helpless to help her sister-in-law and baby."
Roger reached over and patted her hand, trying to reassure her. "You can stay here and guard the place, or you can go with us, it's your choice. Either way might be tough, but we've got to make this attempt to help Jeanne and Mike. It could be life or death for them."
Susan wiped the tears from her cheeks and made a decision like her dad would. "Well, I'm going then. I can shovel snow, gather firewood… Whatever is necessary to get you guys down the road far enough to reach them."
"What about you, Ellie?" Doug posed the question with that look he always gave his wife when he wanted her to do the right thing.
"I think I'll stay and ride shotgun, hold down the fort. I've never had the opportunity to guard this place from anything but bears. Maybe it's time that an old dog learns new tricks." She smiled a wry smile, seeing humor in even the most difficult situations, something Doug admired in her.
It was settled. The women started getting together the supplies they would need for the trip and the men began putting together the equipment they would need for such an arduous journey. No one slept much, so they left at dawn. Ellie waving goodbye and closing the electric fence in front of the gate as they left. Doug certainly hoped that she would be okay alone. But they were certainly heading out into the unknown.
Because they were on a high shoulder of the nearby mountains, the wind had kept the snow from getting too deep along the road. As Doug drove he looked for tracks. There were no vehicle tracks, a good sign. There were occasional wild animal tracks crossing and following the road. When they reach the closest ranch, about a mile away, neighbors they had already talked to and exchanged some supplies with, they came upon horse tracks in the road. Doug knew that they weren't horses on the loose, but probably riders out surveying the scene. A few miles more, and they even saw evidence of a horse-drawn sleigh, the ideal transport in a situation like this. Doug wished they had one of those.
At about the 10 mile mark, they came upon the scene where Roger and Suze had been shot at. Roger insisted on rolling down the window and aiming Doug's 30-06 rifle out the window. Not so much as a sign of defiance, but as a warning. With the scope, he carefully examined the ranch house, looking for any sign of activity. There was none, to everyone's relief, especially Susan. They moved on at about 30 mph, sometimes bogging down to slower in deep snow but continuing onward and downward towards the valley below. Aside from a few footprints near occasional ranches, they saw little or nothing of human activity. There were two or three stalled cars or trucks that had been out that night, but they remained derelict with no sign that anyone had returned to them.
By about 10 am and about 80 miles, on the other side of the valley leading up to the first pass, the winds had piled up hard drifts across the road that made going very tough. They often had to stop and dig through a drift before continuing, slowing their progress greatly. Eventually, they bogged down and were stuck.
Everyone got out and shoveled and Doug rocked the Jeep back and forth until they got to firmer ground and could continue on. This went on until 5 pm when everyone was exhausted. They retired to the Jeep and had a hot meal that Ellie had packed for them in thermoses. They settled in for the night. The blankets and their body heat kept them quite warm. By morning, there was another 6 inches of snow, and little hope of going on with the Jeep.
Doug broke the ice about what everybody didn't want to hear. "From here on, it may get rough. No telling how far before we might reach them. It's safer for you, Suze, to stay here, like Ellie did, and guard the Jeep for us, while Roger and I go on up ahead. We've got about 80 miles on these snowmobiles, so we'll have to turn back about 40. That will put us about halfway through the next valley. If they've come this far, we can meet them, halfway." He tried to smile, but no one got his optimism. Things weren't looking very good for finding Mike and Jeanne.
With that decided, they loaded up the snowmobiles, pulling small sleds behind each. Roger and Doug took off towards the summit of the first pass five or six miles distant. They were soon out of sight. Susan, to keep from being bored and getting cold, begin digging with the shovel. If all went well, they would be back in a day or two. She crossed her fingers in her mittens and squinted at the horizon where nothing moved and brilliant blue met white in every direction. It would be a lonely vigil.
Copyright 2014 © Ronald W. Hull
12/1/14
