by Benson, Tom
This shared philosophy would be the saviour of Earth’s supposed most intelligent life form. The human race would slowly crawl from the ashes of its own almost successful self-destruction.
New Zealand had long ceased to be two islands. The remaining habitable region of the southern island was one hundred miles wide by three hundred miles long. Queenstown had been the refuge for most of the population during the time of the nuclear war. It had proved a costly endeavour to go there. The inter-continental bombings inspired an earthquake of unparalleled ferocity, and this natural reaction reduced the town and its suburbs to rubble.
Twenty miles to the west of the devastated capital town, the Fiordland National Park had become the sanctuary and nucleus of life on what remained of the small and beautiful country. It had been a chance sighting one day that Jacob Hughes had been found in his wrecked fishing boat on the coast.
When rescued, the Australian marine biologist had first asked if his two passengers lost in a storm had been seen—they had not. Jason asked, that if nothing else were saved—to keep his radio. The rescuers also salvaged his wrecked fishing boat, and it took many months to repair.
The surviving inhabitants of the shrunken island slowly recovered to establish communities in the jungle hillsides and around parts of the revised coastline.
Bolivia was perhaps not the first country that a person might consider a safe haven. A mountain region on the western boundary of the Amazon jungle had become the foundation of a new society.
At the time of the international crisis many years before, Marianne Lopez, a young microbiologist had gone there to live alone. For the scientist, it was microscopic life which permitted the ‘superior’ species to exist and not the other way around. This endeared her to the elders of two small tribes—one that lived in mountain caves, and the other in the jungle.
Six European scientists had been on an expedition in the remote region when the world was shaken. They, along with the microbiologist and the two indigenous tribes became the founders of a new and all-inclusive regeneration of their country.
Africa had for a while once again become the ‘Dark’ continent but not because it was unknown and unexplored. It had been dark due to the ever-present cloud of nuclear dust which hovered high overhead blocking natural light.
Two countries in Central Africa with a common border had shared a partial survival. Above the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro in northeast Tanzania was a massive hole in the dense black nuclear cloud which allowed natural light to shine down and assist with the survival of the fittest, large or small.
The coastline to the east was fifty miles away, which was much closer than it had ever been. On a positive note, however, the land and animals had survived for three hundred miles to the west, which included the Serengeti National Park, among others. The grasslands and jungle to the south of the mountain had come through unscathed, as had the land one hundred miles north into Kenya and the other famous mountain, Mount Kenya.
Benji Marossa had trekked from one country to the other and had been instrumental in saving one hundred people. He convinced them to take shelter in the caves and the jungle regions near their famous mountains. A new single nation would evolve on the continent from the amalgamation of the two communities which had survived. Three generations of two tribes were living around Mount Kilimanjaro. At the same time, another group made up of two other tribes were living around Mount Kenya. Among these survivors were young families who would remember and pass on the words of Benji, their new tribal leader, however far they might roam.
The resilient inhabitants of the combined region followed Benji’s teachings to leave technology behind and treat the land and animals as their equals—not their property. As the sky once again became blue and bright, intelligent young people worked hard to harness energy in all its natural forms. As time passed, they visited each other’s national park, mountain and forest homes. They also ventured far and wide, repopulating their new, slowly evolving, resplendent Africa.
Scotland was the only country in the northern hemisphere to have survived the self-destruction of most of the planet’s human life. Even in that tiny mountainous and hilly section of the British Isles, only the heart of the region had come through relatively unscathed. Two national parks which were within one hundred and twenty miles of each other became the extreme outposts of a mainly mountainous region. The area contained established forests and abundant waterways. Importantly, the region was a sanctuary and a home. Two small groups of people who happened to be in the right place at the right time benefitted. One group had been inside a mountain and the other on a farm on the outskirts of a high altitude ski resort.
Through a combination of instinct, hope, determination, resilience, and mutual support, the two communities blossomed and became three. As they continued to work together to explore farther afield. It would take two more generations before the real cost of the nuclear devastation would be learned. Even after recovery was complete, Scotland had become half of its former size. It was what remained of the former British Isles.
Across the River Spey, and six miles to the north of Eagle’s Nest Farm in Aviemore, a massive mixed herd of herbivores roamed, grazing peacefully. One young bison wandered a short distance to a patch of fresh green grass. As it stretched forward to take a mouthful of lush vegetation, the beast fell forward onto its knees with a grunt. Five seconds later it fell over on its side.
The animal’s heart had been pierced by two rapidly fired arrows. It had drawn its final breath before the hunter sprang forward from thirty paces away, her long fair hair lifting in the breeze.
The woman was in her mid-thirties and lived a solitary life, at one with nature. Her name, given by her mother, meant ‘from the forest’. The young woman was as deadly as she was beautiful. Unlike her mother, Sylvia took life only when it was necessary for survival—her survival.
About the Author
Tom Benson was born in
Glasgow, Scotland in 1952.
He joined the British Army at 17, serving 23 years, from 1969 – 1992.
Tom worked at trade with a wide variety of radios in England, Northern Ireland
and throughout Germany.
He served 2 years in West Berlin while the infamous wall was in place. He spent 2 years as a military training instructor.
Tom saw active service on the streets of Northern Ireland in 1973 and in the desert during the Gulf War in 1991.
A career in retail spanning 25 years followed service life. Tom retired in 2017.
He has been a creative writer since 2007
and is married with a grown son.
A Word from the Author
I hope you enjoyed this concluding part of the tale.
While this story is fictional, the railway tunnel, including its purpose is based on fact.
*Auchcarn Power Station represents an installation which is located within a mountain in Scotland.
The towns, cities, villages and road structure are real and intended to create a strong geographical foundation.
All characters and events depicted are fictional and any similarity to actual people is purely coincidental.
*Auchcarn is an anagram of Cruachan,
the actual facility.
Also by the Author
All titles are available in digital format.
*These titles are available in paperback.
Novels
*Amsterdam Calling
*Ten Days in Panama
Beyond The Law: Formation
Beyond The Law: Retribution
Beyond The Law: Consequences
Codename: Nightshade
A Taste of Honey
Light at The End: Book 1
Light at The End: Book 2
Give & Take: A Tale of Erotica
Curious and Camping: An Erotic Journey
Being a Good Girl: An Erotic Novel
Sharing: An Erotic Novel
A Class Act: A Tale of Erotica
Woman to Woman:
Give & Take; The Prequel
A Life of Choice - Part One
A Life of Choice - Part Two
A Life of Choice - Part Three
A Life of Choice - Part Four
A Life of Choice - Part Five
.
Short Story Collections
Smoke & Mirrors
Temptation
The Welcome
A Time for Courage
One Man, Two Missions
Time after Time
Coming Around (Erotica)
Quiet Night Inn (Erotica)
.
Novellas (Erotica)
Highland games - 1
Highland games - 2
Highland games - 3
Highland games - 4
Highland games - 5
.
Poetry Collections
Humour: Poetry Vol 1
Love and Romance: Poetry Vol 2
Natural History: Poetry Vol 3
Military Matters: Poetry Vol 4
Thrills and Chills: Poetry Vol 5
Rhyme & Reason: 200 poems
Tongue in Cheek (Erotica)
**This trilogy
is only available in paperback:
A Life of Choice: The Trilogy Edition
Part One
A Life of Choice: The Trilogy Edition
Part Two
A Life of Choice: The Trilogy Edition
Part Three
This is the same story as the eBook
five-part series,
but reduced to three paperbacks for those who
for whatever reason do not use digital reading devices.
www.tombensonauthor.com