by Mark Goodwin
“Although the original Omniscience computer was not damaged by the quake, all GU data is backed up in real-time to Omniscience 2.0. This has been the standard protocol since the failed terrorist attack against the Globalplex back in July.
“For those of you who may be just now joining our broadcast, this is Global Public Radio. I’m coming to you from the new GU headquarters in Jerusalem. We’re transmitting via the GU emergency broadcast service which is made up of a network of AM repeaters stationed at critical locations around the Global Union.”
“Told you so.” Mackenzie pressed her lips together. “I knew he had a plan in place to keep a leash on the flow of information.”
The reporter continued. “The earthquake which we experienced was global, meaning that all of the pressure along the world’s tectonic plates released almost simultaneously. Scientists believe the Cascadia subduction zone may have been the first domino in the chain reaction, but more research is needed to be certain.
“The Ring of Fire which loosely draws a contour around the Pacific Ocean was the scene of the hardest and longest shaking. Earthquakes, tidal waves, and volcanic eruptions destroyed life and property all along the shorelines of the Pacific, from North and South America to Japan, China, and New Zealand. It is expected that there are few survivors within 50 miles of those coasts.
“The event also triggered an eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera. In addition to the tremendous explosion which spewed lava miles into the air, the Caldera eruption is continuing to blow ash into the atmosphere. That ash is being dispersed by the prevailing winds across North America and causing night-like conditions over much of the continent. Volcanos all over the world are erupting and creating similar situations, but none are having such a wide-spread effect.
“Southern Spain, Greece, and Italy were also among the worst hit by the quakes as they both rest on the border of the Eurasian and African tectonic plates.
“The eastern seaboard of North America was shaken like most of the world, however, the greatest loss of life occurred from the 100-foot-plus tsunamis triggered by quakes deep in the Atlantic.
“In addition to the quakes and tsunamis, the globe is currently passing through an asteroid belt which astronomers had previously believed to contain only small meteors. Scientists at the Global Aeronautics and Space Administration estimate that the earth is approximately one-quarter of the way through the belt and that the bombardments by asteroids will subside in one week.
“GASA scientists have speculated that the gravitational pull by these large near-earth-objects could have been the catalysts for the tectonic activity we’ve experienced. They also insist that global warming was one of the main culprits in the event as higher temperatures caused a swelling of the earth’s surface layers which increased the pressure along the faults.”
Mackenzie switched off the radio. “I can’t listen to this!”
“Wait, we need to get as much information as we can,” said Emilio.
“You don’t understand. I bought all of these global warming lies, hook, line, and sinker. So much so, that I was out there preaching it at the top of my lungs; a regular Greta Thunberg.”
“I understand that. If you want to take a walk, that’s fine. But I need to hear the rest of the news.” Emilio switched the radio back on.
“Okay. I’m going to get something to eat.” Mackenzie left the car.
The reporter continued, “The GU has only just begun to make estimates on casualties from the earthquakes, but the numbers we’re hearing from sources inside say that as many as one billion people may have lost their lives globally as a direct result of the earthquakes. In addition to the dead, we’re hearing reports about millions who are missing. Because of the scope of this disaster, many of these bodies may never be recovered.
“In the hardest-hit regions, we will likely see the death toll continue to climb due to disrupted public services such as electricity, municipal water, police, fire, and EMS. Likewise, it could be weeks before major transportation arteries can be repaired to the point that goods can be efficiently brought to market.
“At this time, local GU personnel are scrambling to maintain law and order in affected areas. Once civility has been restored, the GU will be able to initiate an emergency relief response. The Secretary-General and the governing council are asking that all GU citizens remain calm and be patient until help arrives. If you have vulnerable neighbors and family members, the GU is asking that you do what you can to care for them until relief efforts can be mobilized.
“Secretary-General Alexander and the Secretary of Religion Carl Jacobs will be addressing the Global Union this evening at 6:00 PM.”
Emilio switched off the radio. He noticed a cord dangling from the dashboard. “A charger, great!” He plugged the nearly-drained phone into the charger.
Mackenzie tapped on the roof of the car. “I brought you an Adventure Meal—lasagna.”
He took the foil packet which she’d already opened and added water to it. “Thanks. It makes it more fun when you call them Adventure Meals.”
She got back in the passenger’s seat and began eating her chicken teriyaki from the Mylar envelope. “Yeah, I guess the marketing department shot down the idea of calling them apocalypse meals.”
Emilio smiled and stirred the contents of his package while waiting for it to rehydrate. “Or tribulation meals, that would have been a good one.”
“So, what are they saying?” She pointed to the radio.
“That help is on the way, and everything will be back to normal in a couple of weeks. Just be patient.”
“Oh, well, in that case…” Mackenzie rolled her eyes.
“Yeah. And they’re conveniently blaming the disappearance of all the Christians on the earthquakes.”
“Of course,” she said. “I see you found a charger. Did you look to see if the person had a phone in the car?”
“No.” Emilio took a bite of the food. “I didn’t even think about that.”
Mackenzie looked in the center console, then felt around under her seat. She reached under Emilio’s seat and pulled out a phone. “Bingo!”
“Good job!” Emilio said. He held out his hand for the phone. “A flip phone.”
“That’s not going to have a map on it,” said Mackenzie.
“I know.” Emilio felt disappointed. “But it has the time. I’m not going to keep carrying Combs’ phone. For one, we’ve reached the end of the downloaded map area. And secondly, the GU will eventually get around to tracking it. I’ve already provided them with a general direction.”
“Not if there’s no service for it to ping a tower,” she said.
Emilio thought about the comment. “Yeah. You’re right.” He opened the door of the car, tossed the phone on the ground and stomped it repeatedly until the housing split apart. Afterward, he picked up the remnants and separated the battery from the device. He tossed the pieces in different directions. He looked at the new flip phone retrieved from inside the vehicle. “Who uses these?”
“Old people,” said Mackenzie.
Emilio stared at the device for a moment. “You know what else they use?”
“Hearing aids?”
He turned to her. “Paper maps. Look inside the glove box.”
She opened the latch. “Rand McNally, the Cadillac of road atlases.” She handed him the spiral bound book of state maps.
“What a beauty!” He flipped the book open to Indiana and quickly identified their current location.
Mackenzie looked on. “How far do you want to travel today?”
He put his finger on a location. “Seymour looks like the next significant population center. We’ll set up camp before we get there. We can set out early tomorrow morning and hopefully get past the town without being noticed. There’s a river about three miles before town. We’ll camp there. We can refill our water and wash up before turning in tonight.”
“Do you think we can make it before it gets dark?”
He
nodded. “As long as the roads aren’t too rough between here and there.”
“Okay. Can I have the keys to the trunk?”
“Sure. What are you looking for?” He pulled the keys from the ignition and handed them to Mackenzie.
“Something else you might find in an old person’s car with a fish sticker on the back.” She exited the vehicle and popped the trunk.
Emilio watched through the side-view mirror with anticipation while he continued eating his adventure meal.
Mackenzie returned to the passenger’s seat.
“What did you find?”
She held up a well-worn Bible. “The other map that we’re going to need to find our way through this mess. It was hidden under the spare tire flap.”
Emilio smiled. He hoped he would be able to remember enough from Josh’s Bible studies to navigate the all-important information contained in Mackenzie’s latest discovery.
CHAPTER 7
Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
Isaiah 13:9
Emilio and Mackenzie continued to pass several long-distance travelers on the interstate. Some moved north, others went south. Most were on foot. They all eyed the bikes as Mackenzie and Emilio rode past. But, each of them turned away quickly once they noticed the badges and the guns. A few of the travelers were in small groups, usually no more than three or four. The majority were traveling alone, going somewhere in hopes of finding something.
Emilio and Mackenzie reached the river at 6:00 Saturday evening. She dismounted and held her bike at the edge of the collapsed bridge. “It’s a good thing we had planned to camp on this side of the river.”
Emilio frowned, considering the trouble they’d have on the following day. “We’ll figure it out.” He shined the beam of the flashlight down into the shallow river. “From the looks of it, we should be able to get across on the remains of the bridge. It’s sticking up out of the water in most places.”
“We’re going to get wet,” she said.
“We’ll take off our shoes and socks, like we did for the creek.”
“The creek was six inches deep. Best case scenario, we’ll be wading through waist-deep water for this one.”
“We’ll dry off,” Emilio said, unenthusiastically.
“If we don’t get hypothermia. I doubt the temperature got above 60 all day. If the sun doesn’t come back, we’re in for a cold fall. I don’t even want to think about winter.”
Emilio stared at the river. “I can’t imagine we’ll find a better way across.”
“What if we cross now?” She asked. “We can keep our packs high enough to stay out of the water. We can set up camp on the other side and build a fire. Then, we can set up some racks with tree limbs to dry our clothes. We can stay warm inside our sleeping bags while the clothing dries.”
Emilio grimaced. “I don’t like the idea of crossing the river with no light. And I don’t like the thought of advertising our position with a fire.”
“Do you have a better idea?”
He thought hard, squinting his eyes closed as if it might force a superior plan from the depths of his subconscious. Finally, he looked up. “We can strip down, stow our clothing in our packs, and then get dressed on the other side.”
“I’m not stripping in front of you!” she exclaimed.
“I’ll look the other way. I won’t turn around unless you get into trouble. I just lost my wife. Trust me, my mind is a hundred miles away from anything like that.”
She looked at him as if trying to figure out whether or not to believe him. After several minutes of contemplation, she amended the plan. “There’s a line of abandoned vehicles half a mile long on the southbound lane leading up to the bridge. I’m sure I can find some spare clothing to wear while I cross over, even if it’s not a perfect fit. Then I’ll change back into my dry clothes on the other side.”
“Even better.” Emilio felt relieved at the suggestion. “Since we don’t have to wait for clothes to dry, we can do it in the morning.”
She turned the bike around. “You need to find a change of clothes, too. I’m not trying to see all of that either.”
He laughed. “Sure.”
They found a good spot to exit the side of the interstate. The two of them pushed the bikes through an open field and to a hedgerow where a few bare trees offered some level of concealment. Once there, they pitched the tent and made the camp ready for the night. Using the flashlight, Emilio took the empty water bottles down to the river and refilled them. The water was murky and unappealing. He took the bottles back to the tent where he dropped purification tablets inside.
The two of them ate dinner, then crawled into their sleeping bags for the night. Emilio quickly drifted off to sleep.
***
He was awakened suddenly by a violent boom that shook the earth. He sat up and clicked on the flashlight. “What was that?”
“I hate to say it, but I think it was another meteor.” Mackenzie’s eyes were swollen.
“How is that possible? We haven’t seen one single comet since daybreak yesterday. Then, in the middle of the night, the bombardment starts back up?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe the earth is facing the asteroid belt when it’s turned away from the sun.”
Emilio felt exhausted. “We’re never going to get any sleep.”
“I’m going to try.” Mackenzie crawled back into her sleeping bag, pulling the top over her head.
Emilio gave a sigh of exasperation and did the same. He slowly began to relax, his mind drifted to that in-between place, not fully awake but not completely asleep. He felt that he might soon enter a state of slumber. But then, a flash of light flooded the tent. He rolled over and covered his head, sure the falling star would land right on top of their current location. He held his breath.
BOOM! The vibrations rippled up from the earth, through his body, even shaking the support poles and the tent. He looked out from beneath the sleeping bag to see Mackenzie sitting up once more.
“I can’t take this.” She looked as if she might start crying at any moment.
Emilio considered that this was only the beginning of the Great Tribulation. He wondered how much more they would have to endure over the next four years. “I know. I wish I had a solution to offer.”
“Could we move at night and sleep in the day? There’s not enough light to keep us awake during the daytime.”
Emilio shook his head. “We don’t have any light at night, not even the moon and the stars.”
“We have the flashlight.”
“The batteries would be dead in a matter of hours.”
“Maybe we can find more batteries.”
“Even so,” he said. “It would be barely enough light for us to walk. If we’re riding the bikes, it won’t illuminate the path far enough ahead to navigate the fissures in the pavement.”
“We have to think of something,” she said. “We’ll never make it back if we can’t get any sleep.”
The foreboding light of yet another falling star lit up the tent. Emilio looked down at his sleeping bag. “I really wish I had listened to Josh.”
***
Both of them were up with their gear packed by the time the first hint of sun slithered through the murky haze of reddish-orange dust smothering the earth. They ate with few words between them Sunday morning. Neither had slept well.
“Do you want to take a zero day?” Emilio asked.
“A zero-day, isn’t that like a computer virus or something?”
“Hikers use that term also. It’s when they d
on’t make any progress towards getting to the end of a thru-hike.”
She shook her head. “No. It’s freezing, we’re basically nomads, and we’re completely exposed to asteroids raining down on us. I want to get somewhere safe.”
“Okay. We’ll keep moving. But when you get tired, let me know. We can wrap it up early today so we can get a little rest before tonight’s bombardment commences.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” They loaded their guns and packs onto their backs and pushed the bikes back toward the interstate.
Mackenzie pointed to a semi parked in the long line of abandoned vehicles. “I’m sure truckers carry extra clothes. We might find something for you in there.”
Emilio leaned his bike against the eighteen-wheeler and climbed up to get inside. Of course, it was locked, so he had to break out the window. He climbed inside and began rummaging through the sleeper cab. He held up a shirt and a pair of jeans which were much too small for himself. He tossed them out the window. “This guy was small. These might fit you.”
He climbed back down to see Mackenzie’s wrinkled nose.
“These would swallow me whole. Besides, they’re hideous.”
“You’re fording a river, not going to a debutante gala.”
“Debutantes go to balls.”
“You’re not going to one of those either. It’s ten minutes. You wear them across the river, change on the other side, and toss the wet clothes on the side of the road. Look on the bright side, you won’t have to worry about getting attached to them.”
She climbed up into the cab to change. “You can say that again.”