Free at last. Ann wanted to put several miles between her and the fire. The only vehicles they noticed were military. Some civilians were trying their luck with the mangled vehicles. Using a crowbar and a weapon, it seemed like a game of treasure-hunting. I guess when there is no HBO on your TV, you need to resort to a new hobby.
The Humvee is cloaked in ash from the fire. Without windshield wiper fluid, they would be totally blind. The breeze from driving does help, but Ann knows their morale is starting to drop. The sun is near its high point of the day, and the humidity is increasing. Everyone’s nerves are being tested.
They are not battle-hardened tested troops. Both Camille and Fred are starting to sweat. It is not a good sign. Ann saw a large eighteen-wheeler on the side of the road. Time to make a pit stop. Pulling up next to the truck, the Humvee came to a full stop. William went into the back and grabbed a towel for Camille and Fred. Fred let William know he had to pee. He was instructed to go behind the Humvee. Ann started to siphon off some diesel fuel. With Ash everywhere, it seemed they came from the frontlines of the battlefield.
“Look, guys, I know you’re hot and irritated. Take a few sips of water. I will be looking for a pond or reservoir,” Ann stated, so they would have a little hope.
It was a short break. Now Camille had a towel in her left hand and binoculars in her right. Riding shotgun, Camille is on the lookout for any decent-size pond or reservoir. After a half-hour of driving, William noticed how uncomfortable Fred was; Like a little kid asking “Are we there yet?” William turned the question to Camille, “Any Luck?”
Camille put her left index finger up. Driving a few hundred yards further, Camille kept her finger up.
“Up ahead I see a large pond on the right,” Camille said cheerfully.
Everyone’s frown is now turned upside down. Camille pointed to Ann where to go. It was off the road a good quarter mile. Ann looked for a way to exit the highway. Eventually, she saw a break with the side guardrail. It looked as if the army bulldozers took part in the railing out.
Down a slight embankment, Ann traversed onto the connecting road. Camille directed Ann; there were only a few turns. Soon they saw signs that directed them to the large pond. It turned out to be a public beach for the local residents. A smile is on everyone’s face. An actual sandy public beach. Time for a little pampering. Right now everyone is ready to take off their clothes and redeem their spirits. What happens at this pond, stays at the pond. Period!
As the Humvee started to pull in, they soon found out they were not alone. There were at least eight to ten others: a few senior citizens, a middle-aged woman, a young girl in a bikini sunbathing. Most notable is two teenage boys fishing with an older man. The older man is a little above average in height, weighing close to 220 pounds. His rough hands were typical of a middle-class working man. Next to him was a .22 rifle.
Startled, everyone seemed a little stunned to see any kind of moving vehicle. A military vehicle pulling in near them really is unexpected. The girl in the bikini raised her head and sat up. The older man lifted his .22 rifle. The military vehicle had a sign that read Military Patrol. What caught everyone’s eye was that it was covered in ash. The older man pointed to the two boys to just stay there. Were the occupant’s friend or foe? Maybe it was the spoils of war? Many thugs and gangs could have overpowered this hapless military vehicle.
It is a moment of trepidation for the older man. His .22 rifle is cradled by his two hands. The side window is covered with ash, and it is hard to see who the occupants were. Everyone at the beach is a little tense. Slowly, the driver’s door opens. A female slowly raises her head. It is Ann. To the occupants at the beach, this is a slight surprise. Ann walks in front of the Humvee. She has her army fatigue jacket and a pistol that is holstered.
Soon the front passenger door is opened. Out steps Camille and another female. At this point, it is a little shock and awe. Camille also had a gun, but she had it in her belt. It seems Ann choreographed the occupant’s movements. She did ask Fred and William to remain seated. William did put a rifle on his lap. With the window slightly cracked, he viewed all the action. William is determined to protect Fred at all times.
Slowly with her dossier, Ann walked toward the man with the .22 rifle. At this point, no one at the beach seemed nervous or threatened. Ann looked haggard. With her face covered with some of the ash, and her body odor reflecting the humidity of the day, she came within fifteen feet of the older man. Every few seconds, the man did glance at Camille since she is carrying a pistol.
“How are you? My name is Ann. We are on a mission to a tent city, which is west of here,” Ann said slowly.
“Are you in the military?” asked the older man.
“No, I am a Massachusetts state trooper. I have been commissioned by the air base in Massachusetts. I am carrying an older man with his provider. He needs medical help. We have been through a lot today. Really, we need to cool off and get out of these grimy clothes,” Ann said as she handed the older dossier.
Camille is instructed not to make any sudden movements. Ann just stood still. The older man slowly thumbed through the pages of the dossier. He saw a picture of Ann in her police uniform. There is an official seal from the commander of the air base. The older man is impressed and started to relax.
“Bring your friends over,” the older man said as he waved his hands for them to come.
With two females in charge, they didn’t fit the profile of thugs or a gang. Besides that, they were older, and Camille had a full figure. William and Fred also exited the Humvee. William did carry his rifle with him. Fred is with him—a man in his seventies; this in itself made the beach goers at ease.
“We need to wash ourselves and our clothes,” Ann quipped. “We have laundry soap with us.”
“I have a water pump. My father had an old cast-iron water pump in his barn. I installed it here so the neighbors can have fresh water. You have to prime it and start pushing the handle up and down nonstop. It’s over there,” the older man said as he pointed. “Why don’t you take turns? You can wash your selves and your clothes. It is located behind the tall grass, which gives a tad bit of privacy.”
Ann let William and Fred go first. She and Camille walked over to the pond just to put water on their face and neck. They talked with the older man. He is a truck driver. His rig is one of the causalities that the army bulldozed. A total loss.
It took a good twenty minutes for William and Fred to finish. It is now Camille’s turn. William and Fred looked clean and refreshed. They also washed and wrung out their clothes.
Fred, Ann, and Camille decided to swim in their underwear. William just sat with his rifle. He is just too timid to let anyone see him in his underwear. The two teenage boys giggled. Camille, being too heavy, gave the boys a free show. The young girl in the bikini just waved her hand at the two boys. She told them to grow up. The two boys looked at the girl in the bikini and continued to giggle. The older man just smiled. It is a good distraction from the dismal effects of the EMP blast.
It is near mid-afternoon. Overhead there seem to be thunder clouds forming. William started a little fire so they all grabbed some grub. The two teenage boys donated a few fish they caught. It is their way of paying a pittance for bad behavior. The older man and his wife joined them for a light lunch. Camille got her camera now that she is clothed. Someday, when she finally goes home, she will have a lot of stories to tell her daughter Vivian.
It is a quick lunch. Raindrops were starting. Everyone said their goodbyes. Ann shook the older man’s hand and wished him well. The skies let loose a deluge of water. It is a signal from the man upstairs. “Time to pack up the rodeo and move on.” With the rain, even the Humvee got its wash. The beachgoers ran for cover. Most hid under a tree. A few just ran down the road, heading home.
Ann started the Humvee. With the windshield wipers going, they can see again. As they left the beach area, they deposited the remains of the ash on the sand. Everyone’s spirits have
been lifted. with their bodies cleaned and their bellies full, everyone felt human again. Even William had a smile on his face. The lighting seemed like a flare gun in the middle of a battle. The intensity of the rain limited the speeds of the Humvee. They had no deadline, but after four days, I am sure Ann’s state police barracks will be in distress. They are hoping to receive a call from command central at Tent City.
Today is their second day, and it’s time to put a few miles away.
Heavy rain was impeding their journey to Tent City. As the old English saying goes, “It’s raining cats and dogs.” Ye old folklore explains that during heavy rains, the cats and dogs would slip off the roofs of thatched roofs. Other, less pleasant versions state that the dead animals would surface with rising waters in the bad sections of the cities.
There is a lot of English culture and tradition in the Boston area. It is also found in much of the original thirteen-colony states. Taking a train ride from London to Cliffs in Dover, one can see familiar names: like New Boston, Scituate, Gloucester, even Dover. When the outcasts settled in New England, they brought their language, religions, family values, cookery—they brought everything except their form of governance. The early settlers developed a new form of government. One for and by the people. They were farmers and workers. For a few months each year, they would go to the local state capital to enact laws.
Their main goal was to have a small and less obtrusive government but an army to protect them. King George had a large army. They were spread out throughout the world; the strong conquering the weak. There was a pecking order, a systematic way of governing. The first shots were fired at Concord and Lexington, Massachusetts. The patriots were outnumbered 77 to 250.
The British won most of the battles. It was their old ways of fighting that became their undoing. The patriots hid behind trees. The British with their red coats marching in formation became easy targets. The patriots were free to fight their own way, to govern their own way. It is a concept that King George could not handle. England’s budget was draining too fast.
Even the Great Wall of China ran into financial problems. A large military can protect a society, but at the same time it can be its downfall. Just ask Napoleon. My bad, you can’t! He’s dead. Napoleon marched his army too far and too fast. Not enough money or supplies. He met his Waterloo.
Fast forward to today. We possess a large government, massive law enforcement, powerful military, and too many politicians. In effect, we have made a full circle to becoming what King George was. People are depended on government from cradle to death. The long arm of the law—from amber alerts to the top “most wanted”—is extremely powerful.
The EMP strike was a major calamity knocking out much of our electricity-dependent infrastructure. Still, there are other possible calamities. How about a major earthquake along the San Andreas Fault? A biological attack? A category -five hurricane? The list goes on, and the government can only do so much to respond. They are sending supplies to armories along the East Coast. But, with depleted assets and strained resources, it is a game of endless mistakes.
Ann and the folks at the air base operate as members of the civilian law enforcement and military arms of government. They may be doing their best, trying to rise from the phoenix, trying to help people survive and flourish again.
The government, operating inside its own large bubble, has forgotten the greatest resource of all: the free will and spirit of its own citizens—a spirit that helped with many inventions: electricity, phone, TVs, combustion engines; even our own creations: Hollywood, music, tennis, baseball, football, fashions, etc.
Ann’s mission is to deliver this valuable dossier to central headquarters, now located nearer the Mississippi River. Fred, William, and Camille are on this road trip for other reasons. All of them understand the dangers. With the Humvee, adequate supplies, and weapons, the group feels confident. Camille is taking pictures with a digital camera: one from central headquarters is flown in on a military cargo flight.
Just as quick as the summer rain storm started, it ended. Like a divine cleansing, the water has washed the dust off the roads and the vehicles that littered the roads. Ann has missed the entrance point where she exited. She is relying on a compass. It was the same instrument our early ships and pioneers used. She knew sooner or later there would be an entrance to a major road or highway.
As soon as the rained stopped, Camille and William opened a window. The breeze felt heavenly. Fred is in his glory. He is a passenger in an army vehicle, wearing army khaki pants. It is too warm to put his army fatigue jacket on.
He is wearing a white undershirt. With his headphones, he continued to listen to Christmas carols. The only thing bothersome is his singing. I don’t think there are enough lessons for him to sing on key. At least there are no dogs howling.
Finally, a sign up ahead that shows an entrance to a major highway! The compass is still pointing in a westward direction. All systems are a go. There has been lost time at the armory and the pond. Why the rush? If it takes a day or two more, it is still worth it. The terrain is different and the license plates are mostly from Pennsylvania. Somehow they have missed being near Philly or Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Lancaster is where many of the Amish live. Miles of eloquent farmland tilled by a group who don’t use electricity. To them, the EMP strike isn’t even a blip on their radar screen. Their only problem is to watch out for outsiders. Desperate people will do desperate actions to obtain food and water.
It has been close to an hour on this Pennsylvania highway. Up ahead there is a tandem of army bulldozers and street sweepers. What a shame. The crunching noise of some very expensive vehicles has gone silent. Humans go from dust to dust. All these vehicles go from metal to metal. I don’t think there are enough barrages to send them all to Japan. When electricity is finally turned on, the long lines won’t be at the gas pumps; they will be at car dealerships. They’ll have massive help wanted signs. Qualifications? You must be able to breathe, walk, and put an x on the appropriate form.
Last part of the day has been uneventful. Pennsylvania is one long state. Looking at the sun tells Ann it is somewhere between 5 and 6 p.m. “Time to look for a good spot to pitch a tent. A safe place that is not near any city dwelling. Hmm! Hotel six leaves the light on for you all night. Too bad they were also affected by the blast. Their business is also kaput. I wonder if any of the gangs take up residence there? Maybe they did an upgrade and went for a Ramada Inn or Hilton. Without any pay, I don’t think the door person will greet them.”
Finally, Ann sees a clearing with a slight incline. Perfect! It seemed like a staging area for the army bulldozers and sweepers. The guardrail has been demolished for a good hundred feet. Ann drove in. There is only one way in and one way out. Sitting a good hundred feet from the road, the Humvee doesn’t stand out. Still a couple of hours until nightfall; it does not make any sense to drive any further today. No one wants to get hemorrhoids. There are no pharmacies to pick up a doughnut-hole seat or some preparation H.
Before the mosquitoes and other little critters emerge, William started to unpack the tents. Ann put up the outside perimeter trip wires. It will alert them if any foe—two-legged or four-legged—is almost upon them. Camille decides to help with a light supper. Tonight’s special? K rations out of a can! What? No candlelight or dinner with soft music? This roughing it with nature is getting old. In Camille’s mind, she is one with any Chinese buffet. Looking at the bright side, they are all on a crash diet. Where are you, Dr. Oz?
Fred! Don’t forget about Fred. He also wants to contribute. He grabs the little shovel.
“Where do I start digging the his-and-her holes?” Fred asks with a smile.
William smiled. He puts a little marker for each hole. Fred gets on it. Both Camille and Ann found Fred to be a blessing. They have learned a lot about him, and it puts a good perspective on their own lives. William always seems to be calm. If he ever explodes, it should be a doozy.
The divine master has
drawn the curtain on this day. It is now almost pitch-black. The moon is shining very little light. Each of the four have their bellies somewhat full and bladders emptied. With no livestock farms around, they can start counting stalled vehicles instead of sheep. Tomorrow, Ann wishes to start early. She figures they are almost at the end of Pennsylvania. Hopefully, they can traverse through Ohio and into Indiana. Fred has been given his insulin shot.
Camille, Ann, and William are getting used to sleeping with a firearm next to them. Good night!
* * *
Randy and Sarah had been quiet for the last hour. It has been two days since Ann left. William, Fred, and Camille are missed. The daily gatherings at the collaborative are not the same. It seems so eerie; no one even mentions their names. It’s a superstition, like don’t walk under a ladder. Exit the same door that you came in. There have been thousands who died due do to the EMP blast. Ben has worked so very hard to shield his neighbors from harm. At least his mind is off his daughter Jessica.
“I think we should check in on William’s wife. She has not been out of her home since last night” Randy said, with a worried look on his face.
“I know! I know!” Sarah said in a despondent tone. ”She is not used to being alone. I guess I have a little more respect for the drunk. He has been living without his wife for years. The pain he is in, it’s almost unbearable.”
“Look, why don’t we go over there and bring a plate of food?” Randy quipped. “It’s been hot and muggy. How can she stay cooped up in that house?”
EMP Causality Page 17