SURVIVOR: The Coming Power Grid Collapse

by Francis Bate

  “They are not, Lamont. Trust me,” he responded and closed the door before him.

  Glen went straight to the living room and slumped on the couch after setting up their device into place. It felt comfortable as he raised his legs on the arm of the cushion. Planning to take a nap, he closed his eyes and let silence lulled him into sleep.

  The quiet atmosphere was filled with fright. The tiny particles that wafted the air seemed to freeze in an instant. There were silent noises outside as if the wind whispered trouble in his ear. Alarmed, he opened his eyes clutching at the electric rifle from the coffee table, clasping the holster on his belt. He dashed towards the window and peeked through the drapes. Men have surrounded his front lawn while Lamont was talking to them.

  Rushing back to the room, he grabbed his things and sprinted at the back door. Remorse crowded his face and when he opened the door, a man in uniform welcomed him. He aimed his Taser at him electrocuting the man as he dropped to the floor. Unconscious, he pulled the figure into the house.

  Glen stepped outside locking the wooden door from the outside. Placing another device on the doorstep, he carefully sprinted to a distant where no one could easily see him. As he watched the men barge into his house, they checked every possible room to hide. He heard them yell when they saw the figure lying on the floor.

  Pulling his gun out, he aimed at the detonator on the doorstep where he set up C4 blocks. In about a few seconds, a loud blasting sound emanated all throughout the house upon the sound of a gun fire. The house blazed in the fire causing the crackling of the glasses within.

  Dark coloration skimmed the sky with the heavy black smoke produced by the blaze. Ashes started floating in the atmosphere and shards blew away. Placing his weapons back to his holster, he shook his hands and strode away from the scene.

  Sirens erupted in the air signifying for his escape. Without a final glance, he retreated through the woods leaving no marks on the sand. He took another path, not following the trail. His mind swarmed with many thoughts, flowing back to the conversation.

  As he walked through the wilderness, Glen heard the drilling sound making circles above. Dogs began to howl and in every step he made, it became heavier and deeper. It was too late; men with a harness on their hands have found him in the heart of the forest. Canines were barking on their sides.

  They cornered him, leaving him no more chance to hide. He positioned his hand above his head, signifying his surrender.

  On his face, he still sported a fierce attitude that intimidated the men. It was already too late.

  The men kicked the back of his leg forcing him to bend his knee on the ground. He fumbled on a prone position, kissing the ground he was at. One man stepped on his shoulder as the other handcuffed his hands together.

  There was no escaping. The men lifted him on his feet as they pushed him out of the woods. He went back to where he was, back to square one. The fire was still up as it slowly consumed the whole house.

  He watched until he felt the electrocution from his own Taser. It paralyzed him as he stumbled to the ground, watching the sky out of his reach.

  “Hey, wake up!” Glen woke up with heavy eyes but he tried to scan the place.

  It seemed like they were in a warehouse where it was dark and suffocating. One slap on his face as it danced following another slap and punch.

  A camouflaged man grabbed a chair twisting it with the back facing him. The man sat and allowed him to examine his face. With a bald hair, strength and power crowded his rounded face. He took off his shades revealing his deep gray eyes. It pinned through his innards communicating at him silently. It was as if a threat but he couldn’t figure out.

  “Your friend told us that you have friends you helped to escape after they shot my agents,” he started in a deep hoarse voice. “Can you tell us about these friends you had?”

  “I don’t know what you are saying,” Glen answered back feigning innocence in his face.

  “Come on, give yourself a favor and spare it from pain. I hate to see but blood could spill on the floor if you make it hard for us. Help us and you will be freed,” the man exclaimed fixing his gaze on him.

  “You can’t take any information from me. I don’t know what you are talking about,” Glen responded.

  The man stood up throwing the chair on the side. It produced a loud sound when it collided with the wall. He turned his back away from him and walked few inches afar. Surprisingly, the man rapidly turned back hitting his face hard with his knuckles.

  Blood dripped from his mouth as it kissed his hand with it. He bent down to stare at his face, maintaining a good space away.

  “Do you know who those people are? They are dangerous! Let me explain it clearer,” he said extending his arm to another man. The man behind gave him another chair and he placed it on its previous position. He sat on it, locking his gaze with him. “Those people you actually made friends with are of great importance. The secretary wants them alive, this time. They might not have told you but let us just keep this a secret. Chris and his friends are traitors,” the man started explaining to him.

  Glen listened with interest as though he was innocent. The man stood up and paced around the room.

  “What did they do to deserve that accusation?” Glen manned up and asked, staring up at him.

  “That’s actually a substantial question. So, the secretary found out that they are disobedient. After he trusted them, they would betray him and pay them with infamy. Those people vowed to obey any command but they fled,” he replied.

  “Unless the order was beneficial for everybody, they wouldn’t have the right to retaliate. Otherwise, they are just being humane and decent to stand up for what they know was right,” Glen hissed at him receiving another blow on his face.

  Bruises started to appear and the blood couldn’t stop from coming out of his cut. He tasted the blood and spewed it out at his face while he glared. The man continued hitting, hooking and jabbing. But when he was tired, he stopped with bloody knuckles.

  “Where are your friends headed to?” The man asked in a stern voice.

  It was visible that his face turned red and his eyes were fiery. With balled fists and gritted teeth, he locked his gaze at Glen. His left eye was half closed with the blows it has received. This time, the man was furious.

  “Even if you kill me, I wouldn’t know what to tell. If that’s how justice works in this country, then I’d rather die carrying the honor that will enliven my dignity,” he muttered under his breath.

  “You really don’t understand, do you? Those men are armed and dangerous. Before they could kill anyone from their reach especially the military that protects and hold this nation as one, cooperate with us,” he said, looking at him.

  “That’s not what it seems. You don’t give protection but you assault the civilians. You do not hold the nation but you divided it and shattered it into pieces. It was your doings after all that’s why your men had the balls to turn back against you,” Glen locked his gaze onto his, blurting out those words.

  He felt like he was anesthetized getting immune to the pain. His blood tasted fine as he managed to smile. It was coming out right of his system.

  “What do you know, right? You’re just an ordinary man who hides in your shack and begged to the world to end your sufferings,” he chuckled and turned serious. “What did they tell you?”

  Glen plastered his signature smirk emitting the air of insults and suspense.

  “Why do you have to know?” He hissed. “But I was taught to answer questions properly so brace yourselves because this is revealing. I bet, you don’t even know what really happened and you just follow orders without clarifications.”

  Wrinkling his brows, he stared down at the bloody man, his eyes and jaw sunken. Abruptly, he covered his confusion with a chortle.

  “Is that a threat?” He asked. “If you answer yes, that would change nothing. They are contravening the laws of war, fomenting insurrection, conspiring against the go
vernment, and involving in recreant practices. And you can be arrested for contributing aid and abetment to the insurgent.”

  “So, that proved it. You know nothing. Due to the hunger for infinite and extreme power, this was all a plan. The government knew that something will happen with the universe and they have prepared for it. Bribing and threatening the people in most departments in order not to release statements about what was going to happen, it was all a plan. But they resisted, they let the people know,” Glen started explaining with his head bent as he recalled the information Malcolm has given him. “Not until they found out that the solar flare was not that worse.”

  Glen shook his head, chuckling at the thought. They stared at him, waiting for his revelation. Glancing up, he looked at their faces and it told him something. Something was unraveled, the bombshell was disclosed.

  “Are you fucking making fun of us? We know that shit and even the five-year-olds know about it,” the man spat it out. “You are fucking wasting our time! Tell us where your friends went to.”

  The man slapped his face but Glen laughed it out. The slap rang in his ears but he didn’t budge.

  “It became a big issue to them. The issue changed what they have planned in the first place. But silly old man, he planned a greater one,” he explained, averting his eyes to his hands tied on both arms of a metal chair.

  The chair was attached to the marble floor. His laughter resonated in the room selling amusement in its pitch.

  Thinking that he has gone insane, the man shook his head, face palming. He stretched out walking to the door. But before he could leave, he heard him speak.

  “They retracted the news, telling the truth that it was a misinformation. That’s when they planned another thing,” he said in a serious voice. “This has something to do with the nuclear bombs released by the federation that wasn’t informed to the public. The nuclear triggered the flare that wasn’t supposed to happen.”

  The man was taken aback. He stopped in his tracks and massaged his head. Turning back at him, he assessed Glen. He was serious; there were no signs of witticisms or defamation. The man stood there for a minute or two, pondering on what he heard.

  “Was that the reason why Chris and his friends were deemed to be men of great importance?” Glen asked no one in particular. “It’s not about the oaths you took or the laws you obey anymore. It’s about the dignity and principle you master in consideration with the mass. They know everything and the federation knew that they will be a hindrance to their plot. You know there will always be a loophole of a scheme especially if you have ill-intentions.”

  Leaving the tied man behind, the man rummaged his baldness and stomped off the building.

  Glen sighed and smiled. He shook his head and remembered his friends.

  The center light of the interrogation room swung into space. It illuminated the heart of the room flashing lightly onto the corners. The secluded room witnessed that scene that actually mattered to him.

  When he first heard the confession, he was in the state of shock. What if they were making up stories against the federation? Realizations dawned on him, slowly making him believe every bit of the reality. Glen bit his lip and enjoyed the moment. Although he was abducted, his bravery did the job.

  His intentions were pure and so were his reasons. In a blink of an eye, his life changed forever.

  Stan moaned from the peeking sunshine from the bedroom window. He switched to the other side of the bed, hoping that his wife spread the drapes last night. He lifted his head from the soft headrest, wondering how long he has been in his slumber. Blinking his eyes, he looked around the bed, seeing two sweet angels sleeping beside him.

  The realization came crossing his mind that he was with his family and that he was awake again away from the forest.

  The sunlight cascaded against their angelic faces like a fiery ring of light.

  The room was illuminated with the glistening, gold patina all over the bedroom, blending with the fresh air scent. He blinked again, mesmerized with the drifting dust motes in the wave of light.

  He yawned, rising up from the bed, searching for his wife. Glancing at his kids, he kissed their cheeks, letting the sheet graze their tiny bodies.

  With a fuzzy mind, he darted out of the room and went downstairs, looking for Adel. Glimmers of light glided along the rooms like a spotlight following his stance. He strode into the kitchen, seeing her in sensible clothes that defined her figure.

  “Good morning,” he greeted, stretching his arms from behind.

  Adel faced him, greeting him with a kiss, caressing his face with her thumb. The black circles under his eyes were reducing and the glow in her face was reappearing. He put his arms around her, leaning closer to her, touching her delicate lips with his. She closed her eyes luxuriating in the moment.

  For a few seconds, she sure knew how much she missed her husband. The kiss was soft and sweet. It was full of desire yet full of love for each other.

  “Whoa, whoa, get a room, you two!” Larry gushed forth, covering his eyes with his hand. “If you’re planning to make another cute baby, please let this manifestation cease first,” he added, chuckling at the thought.

  In his surprise, they both looked at each other but Adel glared at her brother. She let go of Stan and turned back to the sink.

  “Breakfast will be ready in a few. Turn the stove off in a minute, I’ll go wake the kids up,” she said, dashing out of the kitchen.

  Larry sat on the chair, averting his gaze at Stan. He watched him switched the stove off and prepared the food in the table.

  “You mentioned last night that the federation has something to do with this, what do you think are they planning now?” Larry asked, recalling their conversation.

  “My friend once said that we need to expect the worst. This is just the start,” he spoke out, placing the plates on the table. “There’s still something stored for them. I’m not sure.”

  “You can stay here for the meantime,” he offered.

  “I actually want that but as I think of it, I need to expose my kids to the reality of life. I want them to grow up thinking that their father could protect them. Let me build my home and the trust of my kids back again,” he responded, glancing at him. “Thank you for being their second father, bro,” he added, smiling faintly.

  Larry smiled, understanding his point. “You sure, you’d be safe there?” He asked just when the room was filled with tiny cheers.

  Stan nodded after giving the men their morning kisses. They took their own seats, filling their plates with food. The aroma of the maple bacon circulated around the room blending with the scrambled eggs with onions. They enjoyed the meal as they shared different stories together.

  After enjoying their delectable meal, the two men went to the family room as his wife bathed the kids. Stan stepped to the front window, peeking through the glasses. There were uniformed men wandering the streets, checking the surroundings but they were situated in one place.

  “I thought these men have decreased in numbers?” Stan asked, sticking his gaze outside the window.

  Glancing over his shoulder, Larry edged to his side and mimicked what he was doing. They watched as men sprawled on the grass while others marched in the streets.

  “I actually don’t know what’s going on,” he replied, shaking his head. “Yesterday, there were only two. Do you have someone to contact to gather information about the current situation?”

  Stan nodded, walking back to the couch, grabbing his radio on it. Clasping on it, he turned it on, hoping that Chris would transmit.

  “Chris, do you read me?” Stan said, waiting for his transmission.

  “Stan, go ahead,” they heard him from the speaker, Larry was still watching through the window.

  “Men flocked in our area; there is a group of them. Do you have any current info?” Stan asked.

  “Wait for it, Stan. It will happen, now or never,” he said, making them confused. Stan did not respond as he stood b
y the line. “After they have fulfilled their personal desires and unassailable power, the people will suffer.”

  “Tell me more about it,” Stan said, expecting more explanations from him.

  “They have planned to make the military power in function to suppress the situation. Now, the country is under revolution and state of emergency. You know what happens after that, right?” Chris explained.

  Larry was dumbfounded, staring at Stan in confirmation. He nodded, locking his gaze with him, clutching tightly at the device.

  “Yes, Chris. I do understand it fully now. So, will it be that bad?” Stan asked, unsure of what to say.

  “It could be, it could be not. I hope it won’t. But during that time, the military will be the highest rank controlled by the highest man on the government while they say that it will be for the common good of the people,” Chris replied, Larry was already pacing to and fro.

  The man was deep in thoughts, twiddling at his fingers, trying to connect the dots. He could not ingest what the man on the radio was telling them. Various queries formulated in his mind but he could not get to express it out.

  The tension has gone heavier with wishful thinking that it won’t be as bad as it could possibly be.

  “I’ve got to go, Stan. We have found a spot to rest for a while. The boat needs repair, out,” he ended, filling the air with utter silence.

  Stan tinkered at the device, letting Larry fill the new gained knowledge in. Remembering Jarvis, he sat back on the couch and crossed his legs.

  “Come in, Jarvis,” Stan muttered but he did not answer.

  “This is Stan, this is Stan. Do you read me, Jarvis?”

  “Come in, over,” Stan beamed at his rasped voice; he sure has missed talking to him.

  “Have you reached home safe? How’s the situation in your area?”

  “I am already with my family but we are in a campsite. The military has been harsh in here, I can’t wait to go back to our own house,” Jarvis cried.

  “So you’re away from the road?” He asked, watching at Larry take a seat. It seemed like he got tired pacing around.