by Scott Todd
With the utter chaos that had to follow the detonation of all those nuclear weapons, Gary was probably counting on it to make a fast getaway with most of the enemy eliminated. Surely whoever was left wasn't too worried anymore about where the missiles came from. They had much, much bigger problems on their hands.
Then I noticed some light snoring from a couple of bunks down, and I already knew that it was coming from Ben. He was sound asleep, and I for one was sure as hell not going to wake him after what we'd been through.
After a shower, I was surprised to have Jan call me in for a meal. She didn't say much. She was just very pensive and quiet.
"Thanks for not murdering me in my sleep after locking you two up," I said, and actually meaning it.
"We're over it now. We understand why you did. We've moved on," she replied kind of coldly- and went back to what she was doing.
"This is really good, as usual," I attempted, as I wolfed down a large and delicious ham and cheese sandwich.
"Thanks. Was thinking of making some pizza later," she said. But it was like a robot talking. It was devoid of any feeling whatsoever. Very un-Jan-like. And no hint of a smile... No nothing. She wouldn't even look at me. I tuned into it like a radio to a strong radio station. She had changed. I understood why- but still- I didn't like it one bit.
"We're moving pretty quick now, and going to try and find that secret base in Alaska," she said- and again, just as coldly. Finally she looked at me with eyes devoid of any soul. "Gary said it would take us almost two weeks to get anywhere near there, so you better find something to do. It's going to be a long ride. Ben's been asleep for over ten hours now, and Gary's probably had it. Terry is back at her sonar post."
"Ok, I understand. Thanks. And I'm real sorry for everything. Seriously," I said- and tried to mean it. But it was like a robot talking again. I knew I was just a hollow shell of who I was before, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. I tried to give her a hug more out of habit than anything. But it was an empty, shallow hug- just going through the motions.
I arrived back on the bridge to find Gary in Ben's seat, steering the sub. He was toast. His eyes looked like a raccoon's. "Is Ben up yet?" were his only meek words.
"No, but... It's been ten hours, so maybe... " I replied, thinking that I better get him up. "Hang on, man... I'll get him ASAP," I said- and rushed back down to the cots.
Ten minutes later I was back with a dreary-eyed Ben, a sandwich in his hand. He was not happy. But the man persevered, and sat right down in his chair as I helped Gary back to the Captain's quarters. He was out before he even hit the bed.
As I exited the room it suddenly dawned on me just exactly WHO I was leaving behind in those Captain's quarters, utterly defenseless, out like a light, with the door left unlocked. I quickly returned, snatched his keys, and promptly locked the door as I left.
Not trusting Jan and Terry sucked so bad it hurt. But I was taking no chances. Gary was just too important. They say no one is irreplaceable. Well not usually, maybe. But there was nothing usual about our circumstances. He was profoundly and utterly irreplaceable. No question about it.
I checked back with Ben on the bridge, and he and Terry seemed to be having a meaningful conversation over the com system while they navigated. Everything was under control, and we were back in deeper water. There were no signs of anything at all out there- but we weren't about to get anywhere near the surface and check. We were running deep, and staying there.
So I took the opportunity to spend many long hours assembling and expanding my notes into more detail while it was all fresh in my head. "There are so many notes now, I should just write a damn book," I thought to myself. Then I realized it might not be a bad idea, and would keep me pretty busy during the long journey.
Jan and Terry started working out on the exercise equipment when they could, and Terry showed Jan how to work the sonar good enough that Jan could relieve her briefly.
I spent many more long hours talking to Ben on the trip as the days wore on, and discussing the blowout event. We still weren't clear on how it could possibly even happen at all. The pressure down there was supposed to keep everything in check. And it did, until someone decided to drill a hole in it.
Ben finally settled on the theory that it became unstable during the removal of the drill bit with the core sample in it. He said that might of removed too much pressure from the hole, and may have also let water come in contact with magma or very hot rock- creating steam- which then started a chain reaction.
But whatever it was, he said that judging from the sheer size of that deep magma pool, it had been accumulating pressure and gas for millions and millions of years. He reiterated how lucky we really were to be on this earth in a geological era when nature's fury was at a minimum. And that one day, our luck would simply just run out. The Era of Man would be over. Just like the dinosaurs, and so many other countless forms of life that vanished long ago.
"The fossil record is pretty clear," he preached. "What it shows us is that man will also be extinct one day. I just didn't really think it would happen so soon, and certainly not like this. But we are in deep, deep trouble, Brian. I have been able to determine from satellite data that the earth's orbit has indeed changed just enough to cause the temperature extremes on earth to widen at both ends of the scale. This means much hotter in summer, and much colder in winter... By as much as 100 degrees in places.
"If we make it to the Arctic looking for that base, I hope that the bitter cold offsets the newfound heat," he continued. "But that's going to melt the icecap and also cause some very bad weather. And we aren't even into summer yet. This could get so bad we all fry. I just don't know. There are too many environmental factors that are unknown still to make any kind of accurate predictions on the changes.
"Antarctica will eventually melt and expose the land continent under the ice. It may become the only suitable habitat left on the planet- and that's only if the melt water doesn't completely submerge it. I can only imagine the wars that will be fought over it among whoever survived this. But I suggest that's where we try to go once we leave Alaska," Ben concluded.
"Antarctica?" Gary turned and said curiously. We had talked for hours but only that word was enough to elicit a response. He remained constantly busy. "I could tell you some things about that place, but then I'd have to... No... Just kidding. But there are secrets there that even I don't know about. Things that were so highly classified that even Presidents never knew about. I do know about one thing, but I can't talk right now. I have way too much to do just keeping this sub running."
"Well wait a minute," I said, jumping in. "Doesn't that mean we have to cross the equator to get there?"
"Of course," Ben replied. "Unless you care to drill straight through! Maybe you could talk to the Japanese about that since they are so good at deep ocean drilling... If you can find one."
Gary choked on his coffee at the remark, not even knowing the full extent of Ben's attempt at humor, or the secret Ben and I shared about them probably really drilling it. But I was flabbergasted that he would even go there and dare bring it up so openly- yet so concealed. But that was Ben: Sometimes, just unpredictable.
"No... Seriously here, Ben," I said. "Shouldn't we be headed south then instead of north? I mean we're taking a pretty big gamble that the ocean will be passable down that far in a month or two. There could be insane currents, super storms, more massive quakes... I mean if that's where we are going, then I think we better get there ASAP."
"Not until we check on the base in Alaska," Gary immediately responded, and looking me dead serious in the eye with a forceful stare. "It's just a chance we are going to have to take. But we ARE going to try and find that base since I've seen the access logs on that satellite. Not to mention we will be completely resupplied if we do find it. And that includes all weapons," he added. "I have conceded a lot to you all, but I am not bending one inch on that, even if we all die because of it."
I looked de
sperately at Ben for some kind of response. But he had his head down like he already knew. "Yes, Gary is aware of the risks. We've been over this already. At first I agreed with you Brian that we really should be going there to have the best chance of survival. But Gary has some very good reasons why going to Alaska first is ultimately the better choice, despite the risks." He looked back at Gary.
"Well first of all, the supplies we have on board now will only last so long," Gary said quietly and turned back to his instruments while he explained- as if this matter was decided a while back. "We didn't exactly know the world was going to end when this sub left port- so it's not like we were prepared for the long term.
"Second, while I've never been there, I have heard rumors that it is a virtual city under there with the population of a small town. We cannot just ignore the fact that long term, we are going to need every last one of them to rebuild any kind of existence- even if that ends up being in Antarctica later. Shall I go on?"
Granted, he was making sense and perhaps I commented before really thinking it through. He was right. We'd be dead in a year anyway without longer term support. "No, that's ok," I said, backing off. "You're right. We've got to try at the very least."
"Ok then," Gary said calmly looking up at me. "They may have supplies stocked up for fifteen years there as a resupply base. And no telling what else. It really is worth the risks. And now we only have about four days left before we are there. We've been moving pretty much at top speed for our depth. And tomorrow I am going to start attempting various means of direct contact with them as we get closer."
The thought of making contact with a small city of military black budget men in a secret base somewhere terrified the shit out of me frankly. After all we'd been through, and what happened on the mountain, as well as the nuclear exchange, the last thing I really wanted to see was more military. Even though it meant I would live longer.
But I made the decision on the mountain not to be ruled like a slave anymore. I was sick of the elitism. I was sick of unjust wars. I was sick of all of it. And most of all, I was sick of the life-sapping strain that a militarized world forced on its populace. I was sick of living under the constant threat of being vaporized by a nuclear weapon at any moment. It was no way for humanity to have to live. And here I thought it had finally ended. I was so looking forward to a new beginning.
I had to leave the bridge, as the rage in me once again surfaced in a mega tsunami wave as big as the one that hit us on the mountain. I knew what they'd do to Jan and Terry. I knew they'd confiscate the sub and try to rule the world with it.
Gary and Ben looked a bit surprised as I abruptly just left without another word. I laid down in my bunk, fuming.
I wasn't clear on what to do next, and needed time alone to sort through it all. I just knew how I FELT at the thought of being thrust right back into the chains I had miraculously managed to break. And the feelings weren't good. Not good at all. Not after all this.
Maybe Jan and Terry would turn out to be the wrong targets of mistrust after all. Because if need be, I was ready to do anything necessary to guard the newfound, potential freedom for our small group from any further war and rule by greed. And I do mean, ANYTHING.
Either things were going to change, or I was about to die trying to change them. And I already had some secret plans of my own in the works that no one knew about to bring about this change.
For now, I must prepare to meet my new rulers: The very people who stole my tax dollars in secret to build another secret base full of more secrets, to wage more wars. All falsely in my name. Another secret society of elite. I have no doubt they are waiting on us, because they can see the satellite access logs too. And we are headed straight into their deceitful, grubby hands.
Now that this book is complete I must hide it and plan carefully. It's time to play undercover infiltrator- the favorite tactic of so many military and government agencies. I am not sure what lies ahead in this vastly changed and dying world, but I will try my best to insure true freedom for those that are left.
It may be quite some time before I can update my notes again.
THE END
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Epilogue
Reality and the Inspiration for this Book:
Not long ago, a scientist at the University of Utah discovered that there was a massive blob of most likely molten rock or magma, deep under the southern Pacific ocean where two continent-sized piles of rock are colliding. He suspects it may be the site of distant future super volcanism.
You can read about this in an article entitled:
"The Deep Roots of Catastrophe" at the University of Utah's website here:
http://unews.utah.edu/news_releases/the-deep-roots-of-catastrophe/
So what happens when a mega super volcano goes off underneath all that water? Well I'd venture that since the water pressure is so great at those depths, and along with the overlying rock, that they both keep a pretty tight lid on all that magma. So tight a lid, that the upward force needed to overcome all that downward pressure would have to be astronomical- and would take millions of years to accumulate.
And if that's true, and the properties of the magma are conducive to an explosive type of eruption, then what I envision in this book may not be all that farfetched with the mega tsunamis and massive earthquakes.
Maybe it wouldn't, and just trickles of gas and steam would leak out into the ocean slowly instead of just blowing up all at once.
Now granted, the author is quick to point out that he doesn't think this will happen for millions of years to come. But no one knows for certain, and it has already been accumulating for millions of years...
This book is dedicated to my brother Brian Todd, lost long ago in a tragic accident.
About The Author
This is Scott Todd's first extended literary work, compiled and written on and off between January, 2013 and December, 2014. Although it is his first book, he has been a creative kind of person most of his life. He has enjoyed being a musician, audio engineer, and songwriter some professionally, and some as a hobbyist. He wrote and recorded the instrumental rock/fusion CD "Using The Invisible," which was completed in 1993, and is still available in MP3's or Compact Disc.
His travels took him at an early age to both the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. In addition he has lived in Florida, Tennessee and currently resides in Western North Carolina. Scott graduated Asheville High School with a diploma in 1983.
Connect With Scott:
Scott Todd's Facebook Page
email: [email protected]
Further Information
There is another, "Extreme" version of this book which includes all the chapters marked "Only in the MC:TLSC Extreme version." Due to the sexually explicit and graphic content in those chapters, I was not able to include them here. Please contact [email protected] for separate pricing and ordering information.