Apocalypse [Book 1]

by Matt J. Pike

  5.30pm: Another busy afternoon. It only took about 30-40 minutes to get to Kennards Hire and back with a couple of air compressors and a leaf blower for good measure but that was the easy part. TyrePower proved less successful than I’d hoped. There were tyre tubes in the workshop, but the largest ones I could get my hands on were for 4WD cars, I was hoping for a couple of large truck tyres to make the core of the base. Maybe six 4WD tyre tubes isn’t a bad result, after all, it does mean one puncture is not going to be a complete fail HC. If I can find something smaller to fill with air between the tyres, connect them in a strong structure and make sure the covering is as sturdy as possible I might still be on a winner.

  Supercheap Auto, on the other hand, was an absolute bonanza. It was a reasonable hike to get there, but it completely worth it when I walked in. The only limit I had was what I could physically drag back to the house. Every aisle I went down had something I could potentially use. I decided to limit myself to only the absolute necessities for now, but vowed to return when I was closer to completion for some optional extras.

  I ended up with a couple of sweet, lightweight bucket seats, storage containers large and small, lights, tape, every material I could get my hands on… so many goodies

  I’m so exhausted, I just dragged all my new toys back to the house – probably nearly 2km! It was too much to carry by hand so I found a couple of pieces of plastic I could flip upside down and use like a sleigh, connected some rope and dragged it around my shoulders. I was happy with the plan as I probably transferred 3-4 times the amount of gear I could’ve carried alone but that was at the expensive of my shoulders, legs, back and arms. Actually, I could name every body part I have right now – everything hurts.

  I didn’t even have the energy to take the gear out to the shed. I basically dumped it all down the back of the lounge room, sat on the couch and didn’t move. That’s a lie, I did try to move about 45 minutes ago but my body said, ‘I don’t think so’. Actually, it probably swore at me too.

  But I have to force myself to get somewhat mobile in a minute – nature calls. Plus, Fi is very excited about the water purification system she’s come up with and can’t wait to show me. I can’t wait to see it, but the thing is I could wait, happily, on this couch, until tomorrow… but it is the right thing and she sounds like she’s come up with something very useful.

  OK body… on the count of three – one, two, three…

  6pm: Just got back to the couch, AKA my new home. Fi’s demo was pretty sweet. She filled the kettle with ice-ash sludge and brought it to the boil. She’d place the kettle in a large stew pot and put a small pot on top of it as it boiled. The steam condensed into water and dripped into the large pot. By the end, the water in the large pot was slightly murky, but far better than before. The remains in the kettle were a sludgy mess. It had to be cleaned and the process repeated again on the murky water. After the second run you were left with something close to water. There was still a slightly funny taste to it but it was nearly clear and infinitely cleaner than what she started with.

  I suggested we could think of a way to filter the water before we started the process. Fi thought the best way was to cut the top off one of the water cooler containers and fill it with iceash. As it melts we’re hoping it settles, with the sediment going to the bottom and the water to the top. If we could separate the water from the sediment we might be able to start the process at the second phase, saving time and keeping the kettle cleaner. We are going to run a test on that tomorrow.

  So some pretty positive progress on the water front.

  6.30pm: I’ve hit a wall this afternoon. My body is still complaining I asked too much of it earlier. I’m back on the couch again, looking at a huge pile of car parts on the ground and getting thoroughly depressed I’ve bitten off more than I can chew with the hovercraft. How the hell am I really going to make that? I must be delusional. And if I don’t make it, what the hell are we going to do next? Travel on foot to Canberra – no thanks!

  I’ve gotta control these thoughts and stay positive but I can’t help myself sometimes. Now I’m thinking about my parents. Mum and Dad would be perfect to have around right now. Mum would get way too pampering about my sore body and probably make me something nice and warm to eat, while Dad would push me to come up with ideas for the hovercraft in a way that would force me to think positively about it again. I miss them.

  I miss Jason too. I miss him every day but I just got hit by a wave of it, all at once. Not in the way that’s just a thought but in the way it physically hits you, like your heart expands to fill your entire chest cavity and breathing is difficult.

  God, I can feel my heart pumping in an uncomfortable way. I don’t like this at all.

  7pm: Feeling a little more settled now. Fiona helped me calm down, she reckons I was having a panic attack, which sounds like something middle-aged businessmen have, not teenagers. Anyways, she just helped me with my breathing for a few minutes and gave me a drink of water. Once I’d settled down we watched another episode of Doomsday Preppers. My feelings towards some of the subjects on the show ranged from impressed to pitying. I wonder how many actually survived the doomsday they were preparing for.

  7.45pm: OK that was too close for comfort. We had another knock on the door– the same guy Fi heard yesterday. I didn’t recognise his voice. He knocked three times over about a minute. We didn’t answer but prepared at the door with our weapons. Next we could hear a number of voices outside discussing something we couldn’t make out. Before we knew what was happening there was a massive bash at the door then another. They were trying to breaking in.

  I yelled out, ‘stop’ several times before they heard me and ceased ruining my beautifully repaired door. Then we had a conversation that went something like this:

  Me: Go away.

  Guy: Who is this?

  Me: None of your business.

  Guy: Is this your place?

  Me: Yes. Go away.

  Guy: What’s your name then?

  Me: None of your business.

  Guy: If you don’t tell me your name we will be forced to break in.

  Me: Why?

  Guy: This house belongs to someone who died. You are taking their food, which belongs to the community and to us.

  Me: I am not dead. I am here in my house with my food.

  Guy: Prove it.

  Me: Why?

  Guy: Otherwise we will think you’re lying and we will break in to claim what is ours.

  Me: Are you armed?

  Guy: Yes.

  Me: Me too. How many of you are there?

  Guy: Four.

  It was so tense. I didn’t really know what to do next. Through the peephole I could see they were older (in their 40s or 50s) and didn’t look too physically daunting – I can’t say I recognised any of them either. The weapons they claimed to have amounted to a couple of knives and a cricket bat. I decided to open the door (with chain attached) to try and disarm the situation. I made sure the first view they had was the tip of the arrow in the crossbow. That got their attention. In fact it totally changed the game. The tone went from aggressive to apologetic, then to pleading as they begged for food.

  Pfft… amateurs!

  I got a better look at them and I definitely did not recognise any of them. My guess is they found the register at the community with my address and my existence status listed as ‘deceased’ and decided they might score a lucky free feed.

  I was really torn about how to handle the situation. Part of me wanted to help, but the other part didn’t want to set a precedent for helping scavengers. Who knows where that could lead. They might come back, they might bring more with them. I know it sounds tough, but I decided I couldn’t give them anything. I told them I was nearly out of food myself and their best bet was the Firle hub. I also told them to scavenge through houses in the area as there was surely food around if you looked hard enough.

  Honestly, and I know it sounds cruel, but surely the four of them c
ould’ve figured out some of this out for themselves. Some people, when they’re in a group, grow extra strength. These people did the total opposite – they were unsure, panicky and meek, their ‘leader’ was clearly selected because he was the least useless of the lot of them, but that’s all.

  They didn’t say much as they picked up their weapons and prepared to leave, defeated. But I couldn’t help myself, I gave them Mark and Jemma’s address and said I was pretty sure they might find something there. I pointed them to the second biggest stash of food I knew about – just handed it to them on a platter. The thing is, I was 100% confident they wouldn’t find it. I replaced the manhole cover last time I was there I just didn’t see them having the wherewithal to look in the roof. If they did, well, good luck to them, they were learning. If not, they got no sympathy from me.

  Wow, I just read back that last paragraph and it seems somewhat heartless. But where do you draw the line with your heart and your own survival? At some point you have draw it somewhere.

  9pm: What a day. Fi and I are going to sit down with a cup of tea (using our recycled water) and watch a movie. I’m probably going to half watch the movie and half sketch out a design for the hovercraft. I may as well start doing something with the pile of crap on the carpet.

  ****

  Saturday May 31, 2014

  10.30am: Finished my initial hovercraft designs this morning. The base will be a rectangle of steel with two diagonal pieces crossing in the middle for strength. I’ll build the deck separately and screw it on to the base when ready. I’m going to raise the deck 30cm high, this will leave lots of secret hollows to store important resources out of view. I’ll put the steering column with the generator in the middle of the deck, with the two fans at the back. I’ll have to adjust the fan speed using the knobs attached to the fans, unless I can learn how to run the wires up to the steering console.

  I’ll raise the edge on the sides of the deck so we can use that space as storage too. Back to feeling positive again. Time to go and play.

  6pm: Busy afternoon in Mr Nichols’ shed. I put the base together and attached the tyre tubes. Luckily I brought a few spare tubes, because when I laid six out (two rows of three) it didn’t look big enough. I added an extra one in the middle of the front two. The seventh tube allows the front to taper in. It’ll look like the front of a boat when completed (in theory), and hopefully the taper will mean the HC passes over the ash easier. The structure seems pretty strong.

  The tubes are protected from the frame by a cover and the entire section is shielded in a duel layer of tarpaulin and silver car cover material, joined together and connected to the frame. The cover is in two parts, which meet vertically down the middle. This wasn’t by design, I just couldn’t find a large enough sheet of tarp to do it in one piece. I’ll have to secure the two separate sections straight down the underbelly with velcro (and maybe attach it to the frame in a couple of places). The happy accident of all this is if I get a flat tyre I’ll have easy access to the underside. I’ll just need to dig a hole in the ash and jump in, get Fi to drive the HC over the hole and I can then rip the velcro apart and replace the flat tube. It’s a great result given I was thinking the only option would be to remove the top section from the base, which would have taken half a day!

  I also shaped the wood for the bottom side of the chassis – a few sheets of chip board. Once I drill it to the frame it should be strong, yet light enough for my needs. I look forward to getting back out there tomorrow, when I can finish the tube cover, attach the chassis base and start configuring the main part of the HC. I’ve got a few storage options from SuperCheap Auto, which have given me a few ideas for the set-up. I might revisit the design tonight. I’m very conscious of the fact I want a number of hidden storage areas. If we’re ever attacked, or the HC is raided, I don’t want the thieves to steal my most important assets.

  5.45pm: There was something about the air this afternoon. It looked lighter, I swear I could make out the glow of the sun out west. Maybe it was my eyes playing tricks on me as they’d gotten so used to the dark, but maybe, just maybe, it was the first sign conditions are changing. I got Fi out to have a look and she reckoned she could see it too. We just stood, arms around each other, watching the darkest, ugliest, least-impressive sunset we’d ever seen. It felt great.

  6.30pm: Another random door knocker this evening. They knocked, waited a few seconds and knocked again then they started asking if anyone was home. I told him there was and to go away and not try the neighbours’ places either. They were very apologetic, just said they were looking for food and would move on.

  It’s weird. When I’m inside it’s easy to forget there’s anything going on outside, at all, but the fact is there are probably people sneaking up and down the street quite often. I’m guessing they’re becoming more and more desperate. Norwood hubbers aside though, there seems to be a code of ‘if somebody’s home, move on to another place’. I like that code.

  9pm: There’s only seven days until Fi’s birthday. Eighteen – adulthood, the right to vote, the legal drinking age – so many things that make the 18th so big just don’t seem to matter anymore. But I want to make this moment nice for her. I want her to have a memorable 18th. I’ve got the presents sorted but I want to make a nice meal, and even bake a cake if I can. But I want this all to be a total surprise, I think my best bet is to sneak up to Mark and Jemma’s; they would have all the things I need to make a cake, assuming the newbs didn’t actually find the stash.

  Tonight I’m gonna give Fi a couple of wines and secretly probe her about her favourite foods, hopefully there’s something on the list I can make for next Saturday.

  ****

  Sunday, June 1, 2014

  7.15am: I had a dream last night. Maybe not a dream, but my dying thoughts before I drifted off. I think it was last night’s sunset, got me fired up that change is coming and we can get through this. I started thinking about the fact I’m building a hovercraft that doesn’t hover. Sure, the tubes are a reasonable solution, but I think the whole thing will actually work better if it hovers. In truth I think I’ve been avoiding it because it feels like a much greater challenge than strapping some tubes together. But I want to do this right. I was thinking back to my design and how I could configure what I already had to make it happen. I don’t think it’ll be too hard.

  I think my best bet is to use the leaf blower, drill a hole in the base I’ve already designed and point the blower in. As for the base, I’ve got to make sure that’s as airtight as possible. I can line the underside of the wooden base with something like a shower curtain, staple the edges flat to the wood then gaffer tape the whole thing down and cover the edges and holes. With the material I’m using for the air cushion, I’ll need to line that too, with more shower curtains I suppose. Either way, two layers have got to be better than one. I still need to make the air-cushion in two parts, given the length of material I have, but if I use two rows of the thick velcro and gaffer tape it, I should be fine. Finally, I’ll need to add some holes to the underside, which will release the air pressure and direct a layer of air under the HC, to help it hover. I just need to reinforce the holes, probably with more gaffer tape, to make sure they’re strong enough not to rip open.

  I’m going to keep the tubes in position inside the air cushion though; they’ll serve as a back-up if it doesn’t work or if something goes wrong. But if I can get this thing to hover properly it’ll be a good day.

  Oh, and Fi says her favourite dessert is sticky date pudding and her favourite cuisine is Mexican – anything Mexican. I need to do some recipe research then see if I can acquire enough ingredients (or substitutes) to make it possible.

  3pm: Oh. My. God. Fi just told me she was pregnant! I must’ve stood there like a stunned mullet for about two minutes while I tried to process the news. I mean, not that, not now. It changes everything, the supplies, the trip, the HC – everything. I tried to put on a brave and supportive face but I don’t think she was buyin
g it…

  Right until she cracked up laughing and told me she was messing with me. Bitch! Naturally, I chased her around the house ’til I caught her, then tickled her mercilessly.

  She’ll get hers. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday soon I will have my revenge!

  The word genius gets bandied about quite a bit but sometimes, like now, it may be warranted. After I went back to Kennards’ for a leaf blower, I visited a few vacant houses and took eight shower curtains. Then I stapled, double-sided taped and gaffer taped everything together. For good measure, I also cut some garden hose down one side then wrapped it around the rim of the base then hammered it into position. Not only did it act as a backup to ensure the air cushion was airtight, it also created a bumper to protect the HC. I sawed the nozzle off the air blower, cut a hole in the base wood and fitted the blower stump tight in the hole. I then gaffered around the blower/hole and hit the on button. Within seconds the air-cushion filled and my HC was hovering. I don’t think words can express what a good feeling that was – from idea to functioning hover within a day. I seriously cannot wait to attach the fans and generator and see if this thing will move.

  I’ve already got a head start on tomorrow’s work, too. I’ve secured the two seats in position, just in front of the fans. They are high enough off the deck to give us leg room and far enough from the back to allow room for the fans. With these in place I can build up to deck level using every inch of space I can get for visible storage and hidden storage.