Earth's Survivors: box set

by Wendell Sweet

  “No, really, that's the way it should be,” Alice added. She clasped one hand to her mouth and her eyes began to leak.

  “Okay,” Ronnie raised his voice and waited as everyone quieted down and turned to pay attention to him. “Listen! A motion came up to legitimize this place,” He laughed along with the others: As the laughter died away he continued. “Here's the deal. John and a few others of us believe it's time to make the leadership of Mike and Candace official.” He had intended to say more, but he was drowned out by the cheering that erupted. He would never have believed twenty plus people could make that much racket. The dogs were barking, the children running around in circles and screaming.

  “Jesus,” Jayne said. She turned to Mike, an amused look in her eyes along with the tears.

  Mike stood. “Okay, okay,” he tried. He finally had to lift his voice above the din. “Okay! Hold it down folks, I'm sure they can hear us on the mainland.” The noise died down, but they were all staring at Mike expectantly: He had no idea what to say next so he sat back down, embarrassed. Ronnie stood and brushed his hands against his jeans.

  “So here it is: I don't know anything at all about how to form a government, but I suppose it goes something like this; we all decide it, vote, and that's that.” Nodding heads met his words. “So the idea was Mike as the leader of this place, Alabama Island. Candace was suggested too. That would be it. I guess that's a king and queen?” He looked and sounded doubtful.

  “A monarchy,” Jayne answered. “Like the motherland... England”

  “A monarchy,” Ronnie repeated. He still looked doubtful. “Anybody against it?”

  Dead silence greeted his words.

  “Okay, for it?”

  The noise split the air again, wolf whistles, shouts of Hell yes, more. The dogs were once again barking and howling. Ronnie sank back down to the ground.

  Emmett Wolf stood and lifted a nearly full bottle of bourbon skyward. His other hand held a sheaf of plastic drinking cups. A few seconds later nearly everyone had a drink of straight bourbon in their hands.

  “Mike and Candace,” Emmett bawled above the general din. The crowd repeated his words and the drinks were downed. “To Alabama Island,” Emmett yelled. The drink cups went around again and everyone toasted to Alabama Island.

  “I don't know how much use this crowd will be tomorrow. You might want to plan an easy day,” Ronnie told Mike. He had to raise his voice above the din of voices.

  'It's crazy,” Candace said.

  “Oh, I think they'll party all night long. After all, they just elected America's first king and queen in well over 200 years,” John opinioned. “I think Kyle and I will bow out early. Want to catch the midnight tides and get in there early tomorrow morning.”

  Mike nodded. “I'll be going with you.” He turned to Ronnie. “Do you think you'll have enough sobered up to begin plans to build a dock? Check that depth, figure out some way to get in there?”

  “Yeah. I think it will go as is. I mean the depth. We have a stack of railroad ties we salvaged a few days back. Here or up top. That will make a dock. I think my idea was a dock, further down the road when this deepens.” Ronnie answered.

  Mike turned back to Candace. “You be okay here alone?” he asked.

  “My loyal subjects will make sure I am,” Candace said. Her words were joking but her eyes said she was a little overwhelmed.

  “Don't sweat it... Don't let anyone treat you differently. Don't think of yourself differently. It will be old news in a few days and you'll be okay with it, okay?”

  She nodded. “Just not sure if I like it much.”

  “I understand that,” Mike agreed. “I'm pretty sure I'll never be comfortable with it myself, but it's done. One way or the other it had to happen. I was thinking more along the lines of a committee the way some other places do, but I can see where this has its attractions too... Ease of making things happen... A lot of responsibility though.”

  “Is it ever,” Ronnie agreed.

  “And you volunteered me for it,” Mike said.

  “Who else could do it?” Ronnie asked. “No. You were the only choice... Besides, we can change things to some other form down the road if we need to.”

  “You think so?” Mike asked.

  Ronnie looked out at the people as they laughed and danced in the firelight. He tried a lopsided smile on his face. “I hope so.”

  Mike rose from the ground and dusted the sand from his pants. “Well, I hereby appoint you and Alice as council to the monarchy: let's get everyone eating before Emmett gets them too far gone.”

  Ronnie laughed, picked up a metal scoop near the fire and banged it against a pot a few times. In no time at all lines were forming as the pigs were lifted from the fire, burnt and crispy in places, juicy and dripping fat in others, and carried to the tables. A layer of palm leaves had been laid out on the table tops, and the pigs were lowered onto them. Alice, John and Jayne began carving and serving. Mike, Candace and Ronnie fell back and watched, marveling over how so much had changed in just a few hours.

  The Nation

  November 30th

  Steve Choi's notes

  Saw A.B. today and examined her after Jessie did. We both agreed that she should let us take the baby now. It is too dangerous for her to carry it to term. She refused. We talked it over afterward, but there is nothing at all that we can do. This is one of those times where it is tough to be someone who has the knowledge to help someone and they won't allow it. It is so frustrating. Jessie has been through it a few times and is handling it better than I am.

  I saw both K and A and they are doing very well. Everything looks good. Any day now.

  November 31st

  Conner's Journal.

  It's been quiet all day long. It snowed pretty hard yesterday and delayed school starting down in the valley until Jake had cleared the paths with a team of oxen and a rigged up plow system. The plow worked well enough, and school was only a little late. Shovels for snow. Another simple thing we didn't think of.

  Spent part of the day with Katie and Amy yesterday afternoon. They are both hanging in there, watching old movies, I guess they are all old movies now, and keeping up each others spirits.

  Helped out most of today with Chloe and Debbie, hauling rock and mixing cement. Aaron, Jake, James, Cindy and Craige. Jessie and Brad jumped in too. Josh and Shar ran wagon loads of rock. They are building in the space next to Jess and Brad.

  We managed to get the entire space closed in. The openings set for a door and two windows: One of which I thought was pretty clever. They widened out an old fissure in the rock. Made it into a widow, and so they have a view out into the valley. It's closed off right now, but James is making a window to fit it. They will have a nice view once it's in.

  Steve and Joe took one of the stone houses we built last spring. We thought we would never use them all; really most of them were going to be used for other things, not living space, but they're pretty nice. Katie and I like ours, and it's easy enough to add on to if you need to. Aaron and Amy like theirs too.

  I am waiting to meet our children, Steve says any day now.

  December 2nd

  Jana's Diary

  I guess I will catch up on news first:

  Jake and Beth decided to stuff their Lions. Jake has been practicing, he has a book on taxidermy that Lilly dug up for him. His recent work has been very good. Lilly says she can use the Lions to teach, like a museum exhibit.

  Kate and Amy are ready any day. Everyone is waiting. Every day that goes by makes me wonder when the real day will be. I guess that is news caught up.

  James and I loaded a sledge, hitched up a team early this morning and drove it to the lake. It was slow because we took the Oxen. James says they are better for the heavy work, not as fast as horses, but steady.

  We got there in the early morning, chopped a hole through the ice and fished into early afternoon. Black Bass, Lake Trout and a mess of them too. James liked to ice fish up home and he w
as sure he could do it here. He was right.

  When we got back we started cleaning fish and by the time we were done we had lots of help. Susan made some cornbread and batter for the fish with a little flour, milk and egg. Jessie and Brad, Sandy and Susan, Steve and Joe and a few others came up and we ate together. It was nice, a perfect day, until afterwards when we sat down to talk things out.

  I think I way over stepped when it came to James. Sandy swears that I promised that James and I would be on board for renaming the Nation the Fold, changing the council. Really it sounds like overthrowing everything we have worked for. I never agreed to that or said that James would agree to it. I agreed to equality. That the Fold should be represented. This sounds like something else. James smiled and listened and said he would think about it, but I know him. He went to bed angry, and would not speak to me: As if this is somehow my fault. I don't understand how we ended up here. I truly believed that what I was becoming involved with was a plan to make sure that everyone received equal recognition. This is nothing like that. The perfect day ended so badly after such a nice start. I'm unsure what to do.

  December 6th

  Main Cave Clinic

  “I thought so too, and I'm sorry it wasn't the real thing,” Jessie told Amy.

  “It felt like the real thing,” Amy said.

  “That I don't doubt,” Jessie said, “and it's even the correct time frame, but it's been almost eight hours since you last felt pain... No dilation, your lower back feels good?”

  Amy nodded.

  “I can't see it being more than a few more days. In fact we'll probably encourage it along if it has not decided to stop playing peek-a-boo by this time next week. You and Katie both,” Jessie said.

  Amy nodded again. “Another week. I am tired of being pregnant,” She said.

  “I can sympathize,” Jessie said with a smile.

  The door opened a crack and Sandy peeked inside. “Okay?” She asked.

  “Yeah, let them in,” Jessie said.

  Aaron came in followed by Katie, who wasn't really walking anymore. It was something between a waddle and a shuffle.

  “False alarm,” Amy said.

  “It'll be soon,” Aaron said.

  “How's the mothership?” Amy asked.

  “Ugh. Feels like I could be popped with a pin,” Katie said. “Honestly, Aim, it does.” She eased herself down into a chair that Sandy hurried in behind her.

  “Me too, but it's a no go, at least today,” Amy said.

  Aaron helped her down from the table and back to the ward which consisted of only Katie and herself.

  Arlene and Annie were sitting waiting to go into the clinic to see Jessie. Annie barely showing, Arlene nearly as big as Amy already.

  “Well?” Arlene asked.

  “False alarm,” Amy answered.

  “It can't be too much longer,” Annie said.

  “Jess says any day now, no more than a week, so that's something to shoot for,” Amy said.

  Katie came along behind her holding her swollen belly as she walked.

  “How much longer for you, Arlene,” Amy asked as Katie came up beside her.

  “About a month... Month and half, but like you two I've been grounded, and I'll probably be right up here with you in a couple of weeks.” She told them.

  “I better be gone by then,” Katie said. “I can't imagine a couple more weeks of this. If Aim gets to bail in a week then I'm bailing too,” she joked.

  “How you feeling, Annie,” Amy asked.

  “Okay, but they're keeping an eye on me. I've been spotting, but only a little,” Annie said anxiously.

  “Honey, even a little is not good,” Sandy said as she walked up. Arlene nodded.

  “Ready. Arlene,” Sandy asked. She reached down and pulled her to her feet.

  “Ugh,” Arlene said.

  “Hey! We know that one,” Katie said. “That's cave girl talk for 'I can't believe I let Grog stick that thing in me.'”

  Arlene laughed. Sandy, Amy and Katie joined in with her.

  “You are big,” Amy said. “You got a lot bigger since just a few weeks ago.”

  “Yeah,” Arlene agreed. “And lower, like the kid dropped down a little.”

  Sandy frowned. “Come on, Honey, it's time to see the doctor.”

  Annie looked worried.

  “You going to be okay, Annie,” Katie asked her.

  She smiled, but it was strained. “Yeah, I'll be okay,” She told her.

  Amy and Katie told her goodbye and wandered down the corridor to the ward, which was really just a big room with six beds in it. Conner and Aaron had mounted a flat screen TV on the wall with a built in DVD player. They had been binging on all sorts of movies.

  “Movie,” Amy asked.

  “Yeah, but it's my turn to pick,” Katie said. They both laughed as they turned into the room.

  Herkimer New York

  Adam and Beth

  The day was fading as they came to a small town in ruins. There was a shopping center that was picked over, but they managed to find a few items before dark began to settle in. A mile down the road they had found a small garage, pulled the truck inside and locked down the doors for the night. They had seen no one at all, but the smell had been on the air, and the lack of bodies in the little town bothered all of them.

  Billy worked with Adam to board over the windows. Nothing fancy, a few drilled holes through the plywood so they could see outside, screws to attach it, the job had been over in just a few minutes.

  Adam had fallen silent over the last week since Weston had died. He had passed in the night, dead at first light, and he didn't come back. Adam had seemed to change right then. Suddenly it was a serious thing, a thing that would be done, not a thing that might be done.

  Billy was positive he would bounce back, but right now he was carrying the weight of an enormous responsibility on his shoulders. They were too far out to speak to anyone back in the Nation, Adam was on his own, but the decisions he made would affect everyone in the world. They had all backed his decision completely, but that hadn't made it any easier for him.

  “You okay,” Billy asked now as they worked in silence.

  Adam nodded, and Billy was sure for a moment that, that would be it. A second or two later he spoke. “Quite a way to go,” He said as they finished with the windows. They were walking the outside of the building, looking for weaknesses. The dead were no joke, the smallest of cities were now over run with them, and they were smarter than ever, They seemed to be gaining some sort of intelligence as the virus progressed in them, mutated and then mutated again. It was better to be over-prepared than under-prepared in any way.

  “One place I've never been inside of... Camped outside for a few months, as you know: Talked to people inside. Made supply runs all around it, but not down into Manhattan itself,” Billy said. “A week or so should have us there.”

  “I hated it,” Adam said. “Going back, well, it's... It's bringing stuff back that I thought I was done with, you know?”

  “No,” Billy said. “I don't mean that I can't empathize, but if I've learned nothing I've learned that no man has a clue at all about the man standing next to him, and... You're a closed book, Adam. No blame there, just no information... So I don't know, but I hope it's not too bad... Not too bad, I guess all this shit is bad,” Billy said as he tossed a leftover piece of plywood side-handed out into the field next to the garage. He turned back to Adam who seemed lost in thought.

  Adam looked up and nodded. “Lived in Harlem,” He said slowly. “Wife, baby on the way, lost all of that to these fuckers. It's not like I could face it head-on and use strength to defeat it. That's what is so bad about this. It doesn't care who you are. Big, small, man or woman, hell, child. It will take you, they will take you. Got out of Harlem intact, gangs taking over there, made it to Manhattan and it was okay for a few days. They left us be, both the gangs and the dead. And the dead? We didn't really know about them then. We thought everything moving
at night was gangs. It wasn't until later on that we began to see how it really was.”

  Adam paused, dropped to a crouch and pulled out his pouch. He rolled a cigarette, offered one to Billy who refused, and then stood from his squat and began talking as he smoked. He spit small pieces of tobacco out into the light breeze that had kicked up. Blue smoke flooded from his nostrils and Billy relished the smell of the burning tobacco.

  “That's pretty much it,” he said. “When I met you I had been through several more losses. I know we have all lost, I know that, but I wasn't as equipped for it as I thought I was. Then Beth.” He took a deep drag from the cigarette and let the smoke drift from his mouth.

  “I thought you two were an item when I first met you. I figured out you weren't pretty quick. I shoved what I felt away, and that was fine until she came to me and said she was thinking along the same lines too. Exactly what I needed. Exactly what I wanted, but the fear settled back in too. Here I am again, responsible for someone I can't protect, and I don't have the...” He shrugged.

  “Skill-set?” Billy offered.

  “Skill-set,” Adam agreed. “I don't have the skill-set to deal with it as well as I would like.”

  Billy laughed. “Not sarcastic or in your face, Adam, but none of us have it. I personally think you do have it, you just don't realize it. Good leaders do agonize over their decisions. I truly would not want to be you. But I'm not a leader, never intended to be one. Beth lead us across half the country, God's honest truth. I followed, and I still agonized the few times I had to make decisions. I think it's part and parcel. Part of the deal. And I think you handle it better than I have seen a lot of men and women handle it. I've been places in my old life. Seen things. Lost things, took things. It's tough to be the responsible guy. The one who has to say, Yeah, I did that. I decided that was what we would do. You do it better than anyone I've seen do it, and I wouldn't follow you if you could do it without moments of worry, concern, indecision.” Billy shrugged. “Trying to help, Adam. I don't know if I'm helping or hurting you.”

  “You're making sense,” Adam said. “Truth can be painful sometimes, but it's better than lies.”

  Billy nodded.