Unlight
Page 24
“Now wait and see if it reaches them,” said Jessica. “We may not have enough power. They probably have a much stronger transmitter.”
“If they have a powerful antenna for transmission, they could use it to receive very faint signals as well,” argued Larry. “Let’s hope for the best.”
The Finns did receive their message. An hour later came their reply:
“Transmission from Australia received. Delighted to hear from you and to learn that you are in excellent health and circumstances. So far we have been unable to locate other survivors. Ten years ago, our seismograph recorded signal strongly suggestive of thermonuclear explosion at or near Cheyenne Mountain bunker in the USA. For this and other reasons we believe there are unlikely to be American survivors. China may be last remaining hope but we have picked up no signals from there so far. As you may have heard in our earlier broadcast, threat to planet is not over; on the contrary, we might face an even greater threat very soon. Your engineering and other skills, especially Mr. Brandon’s knowledge of climate mitigation, will be of immense value to us all in days to come. Imperative, therefore, that you recommission your airport so we can link up and join forces. In the meantime, we urge you to remain in close communication so we can jointly design shelters that can withstand new imminent climate extreme.”
The family sat in silence for several seconds, then heaved a long collective sigh.
“So much for your hopes of retirement, Larry,” said Anna. “It’s back to work for all of us.”
“Yes,” said Jessica. “Holiday’s over.”
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Acknowledgments
My journey as a writer has been a very rewarding one, thanks to all the wonderful people who have accompanied me.
My wife, Anu, has read every word I’ve written and has never failed to provide invaluable feedback. Our parents, siblings, and extended families have been extremely supportive as well.
I’m grateful to Debbie Peikes and Ross Cutler for reading Unlight and offering constructive criticism. Paul Freedman, Carron Morris, and other members of the Princeton Library Writers’ Group have offered valuable critiques, as have numerous fellow authors on Writer’s Café. My Australian friend Gavan Murray gave me very useful advice on making this novel, set in his home country, accurate in its geographical and cultural details.
My editors Elizabeth Law and Graham Clarke as well as professional beta readers Cat Skinner, Nicole Martin, and—in particular—Catherine Milos took turns to help me transform a very rough first draft into a finished novel that I could be proud of.