AS THE LIGHT DIES
BY
M. D. WOODHAM
Copyright
A Science Fiction Horror Novel By M. D. Woodham
Copyright©M. D. Woodham (2014) All rights reserved.
Edited By Mimi Rowan
Artwork By Ness Farnden @ Maven Creative
This book is purely a work of fiction.
The characters, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the authors imagination
and are not to be construed as real.
Any resemblance to actual events past or present,
or persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental.
Dedications
For Mum and Dad
I’m not too sure what either of you would make of my little story.
You’d probably both be a little shocked.
Or then again maybe not!
After all, you were with me from the beginning.
Either way I know you’d both be amazed that I finally did it.
And I did. I finally finished after all this time.
And for that I know you’d both be proud.
I owe a HUGE thank you to Tara.
Without your endless encouragement, constant help and your extraordinary patience,
I definitely wouldn’t have finished. I thank you with all my heart XXX
And of course a BIG thank you Mimi. Your constant help and guidance was invaluable.
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedications
BAD NEWS
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
BAD NEWS:
Sky News: As the big names in the oil and gas industry rejoice over the extended ice loss in the Arctic region that’s largely blamed on the excessive increase in global warming over recent years, a by-product as we all know from extracting our energy from fossil fuels, the largest oil fields ever discovered have been revealed spurring an energy war! While at the same time yet another Atlantis is created as the last of the remaining low lying islands in the Pacific still holding its head above the waves disappears below the ever increasing sea level brought about by melt water from the disappearing Arctic ice sheets.
The President of the United States of America has pledged to send as many military personnel as the country can spare, to help with the aid process as the newly created refugees seek shelter. And all this at the same time as the US military battle to save their own shores as the rising sea level claims more and more of their own coast line.
Only last week the Mayer of New York confirmed that Coney island will most likely have to be permanently evacuated by the end of the year, due to the sheer volume of rising water, while further south, Miami and Mexico face similar problems as more and more people are forced to flee from their homes as the coast literally disappears beneath their feet, reclaimed by the rising tide.
It would seem that mankind’s hunger for fossil fuels has finally caught up with us.
The big question is can we still put things right? Or have we passed the point of no return?
Routers: Scientists in China claim new studies reveal that the extremely high level of air pollution in the country that’s thought to be the cause for the absence of fertility across the entire country is now at such high levels that even if all combustion engines were completely banned throughout its main cities and large towns tomorrow, it could still take up to seven years to dissipate.
Furthermore it’s been eight years since a pregnancy has reached its full term in the country, all of the very few births since then have resulted in the children being born with deformities, all of whom sadly have not survived.
Sky News: After yet another year of constant rainfall one minute, followed by drought the next and no real sign of any summer in the UK, weather forecasters predict that we’re in for a very harsh winter! The harshest in decades some say!
Some scientists have predicted up to a staggering twelve feet of snow at sea level in some parts and even deeper where it drifts!
Temperatures are also set to drop with predictions coming in as low as minus forty five degrees setting an all time low for the UK. On the up side it looks like we’re in for a white Christmas.
CHAPTER 1
NORWAY: DEC 17
Icy cold air nipped at Lars’s exposed cheeks as he raced along on his snowmobile chased by a giant rooster tail of virgin white snow behind him. He hunched down holding on with white knuckles as he tore through another cluster of bristly evergreens, fighting to stay on as the low branches brushed against him threatening to pull him off!
Snow fell from the evergreens as he raced between them in near silence with only a slight hum coming from the electric motor. He stole a glance to his right. There tailing just behind was Gunner, his faithful five year old Siberian husky. The last of the snow that had fallen from the shaken trees bounced off his thick coat as he tried to keep up.
Lars grinned thinking to himself‘c’mon boy.
The snowmobile bucked violently beneath Lars as he raced towards the three and a half thousand foot summit riding out the bumps like a pro. He was filled with excitement and anticipation for the day ahead!
We’re going to change the world today,he thought.God I hope everything goes to plan! No hiccups, no glitches, not today, please God let it all run smoothly!
As he glided along over smoother snow able to relax a little, Lars thought of James Watson and Frances Crick and wondered how they must have felt on the morning of that special day back in 1953 before the pair of molecular biologists revealed to the world their discovery of DNA!
Both must have been brimming with a mixture of emotions, anxiety and excitement at the top of the list. Even fear he thought!
I suppose I’ll come close to finding out today, he thought.
The snowmobile suddenly nosedived in to a recess that Lars hadn’t seen! He’d been too caught up in his own thoughts and feelings. Before he had time to regain his composure the snowmobile shot upwards slamming Lars down hard on to the seat. The next second the snowmobile crested a drift and launched him in to the air!
“Shit!” he cursed as he flew through the air.
Gunner barked from behind seeing he was in trouble!
With the handle bars in a death grip Lars managed to slam both feet back on the foot pegs and stand up out of the saddle just in time before the snowmobile crashed back down again sending up a plume of soft snow as the nose came down first nearly throwing Lars over!
He landed with anoomph, just managing to stay on, and carried on towards the summit albeit at a slightly slower pace!
Boy that was close,he thought.So much for things running smoothly!
Lars saw that Gunner had caught up with him and was easily keeping up with the new pace.
Gunner saw Lars looking and barked playfully.
Paying a little more attention to where he was going
Lars arced right, and then left again playing with Gunner, fanning him with the rooster tail of snow. Gunner leapt through the flying wall of snow chasing after his master barking playfully. Lars saw a lone branch that had been blown by the wind. He slowed down a little and leaned over holding on with one hand and snatched it up. He waved it in the air for Gunner to see then threw it hard and watched the playful husky take off after it.
Being outside and playing with Gunner helped ease his anxiety, for Lars there was nothing better than enjoying the outdoors. He threw the stick and fanned Gunner with the rooster tail some more as he weaved his way up the mountain.
It wasn’t long before Lars heard the unmistakable sound of stones scraping the under carriage of the snowmobile, he was nearing the summit now. He looked up and saw the jagged rocky outcrop in the distance that marked the summit and eased back on the throttle.
The rocky summit was called Giant’s Throne, so named due to its distinct throne like features, local tales the kind spoken around camp fires told of an ancient Norse giant who use to keep watch for mountain trolls from the big rock throne and keep them at bay.
The summit was surrounded by an area of loose rock that grew outward every year.
It crept further out from the summit with every passing winter as the snow became less and less as the climate changed. Slowing to a stop Lars pulled back his left cuff to check the time 10:10.
“Whoa!”he said surprised, he’d been racing around on his snowmobile for longer than he thought.
He turned to face Gunner as the fun loving husky padded up to his side.
“Gonna have to head back boy,”he said reaching down and ruffling the dog’s fur.
Gunner looked up at him and let out a low playful groan. Lars laughed pulling down his thick collar exposing the rest of his face and neck to the cold air.“I know you can make it boy,”he said.“We’re just a bit short on time. Got a big day, remember! A very big day!”
Gunner lay down on his tummy with a disappointed groan.
“Yea yea, we’ll come back up tomorrow when we have more time, ok? I promise.”
Gunner growled cheerfully getting up again and started rummaging around sniffing for scents that he might find.
Before racing back down the mountain Lars took a moment to admire the view. He stood up from the seat and looked back the way they’d just come, he followed his tracks through the snow back down the side of the mountain twisting this way and that, between patches of trees that he’d skimmed past and around the odd boulder protruding through the snow until the tracks disappeared in to the dense forest.
Far below on his right was Giant’s Cauldron, the deep lake that was said to have been the giant’s cooking cauldron where he cooked the trolls he sometimes caught. Lars use to swim there when he was a boy. He still did when the mood took him.
It was peaceful and calm now and it reflected the image from around its banks as clear as any mirror could. Thick evergreens packed in around the water’s edge appeared upside down in the water, evergreens packed so tightly it looked like it would be impossible to walk through the forest.
All the banks were the same, lush and green dusted with snow.
A bird took flight in the distance shaking the tree it was perched on as it took to the air.
Ah to be as free as a bird,he thought and took in a deep breath filling his lungs with fresh unpolluted mountain air, held it and then exhaled slowly. This is what he loved, getting away from it all, being close to nature,and tearing up the snow against his better nature on his snowmobile!
At least its battery powered, he thought.
Then thinking of the snowmobile he remembered being a kid again, riding around his parents’back field after the first snow fall of winter with his dad. He’d beg his dad to take him out for a few laps of the field as soon as he got home from school or after dinner if his dad had worked late. He always wanting to go faster, begging his dad,Faster, Dad, Faster,constantly. Eventually one Christmas he got his very own snowmobile, an almost identical but smaller version of his dad’s. He’d loved that little red snowmobile; he’d looked after it like it was a baby. As his confidence grew he tried racing his dad, always egging his dad on, accelerating off in front then letting his dad catch up, calling out and laughing all the time while his mum looked on from the kitchen.
“C’mon dad c’mon, hurry up,”he yelled. Of course there’d been no contest but he’d carried on anyway laughing as he did, until his dad snapped back his throttle and tore passed him burying him in a rooster tail of snow and his mum would laugh.
Lars smiled at the memory, damn he missed his parents!
He wished they were still here, to see what he’d accomplished, to see the good he was doing.
If only wishes came true!
I’m sure they’d be proud,he thought.At least, I hope so!
His eyes started to well up, tears were close.
Ah boy, this won’t do,he thought, then he spoke aloud telling himself,“I gotta pull it together. Gotta hold it tight. Today we change everything. It’s going to be a game changer.THEgame changer! Today we save the planet!”
Blinking away tears that came freely Lars looked over at Gunner quickly chasing along with his nose close to the ground, he’d picked up a scent. He darted this way and then that way with his nose occasionally turning over a tuft of snow and then brushing over exposed rocks. The very rocks that had gotten Lars interested in the planet and its climate in the very beginning.
Lars had spent most of his childhood outside exploring the dramatic Norwegian countryside, camping and hiking with his parents, and then as he got older he went alone.
He was no stranger to the summit of Giant’s Throne and its surroundings. It was practically his back garden. It became the testing ground for breaking in new boots and camping equipment.It still was!
One time when he was a child Lars had been looking through some old photos of his parents and in them his parents looked to be in the extreme north, maybe even as far north as the Arctic Circle. They were stood in a clearing that had been dug out of the snow that was up to their waists and behind them the snow was high over their heads, nothing else could be seen save for the odd tree in some photos with branches bent to breaking point under the weight of the snow.
Lars looked at the photos in awe dreaming of trekking through the Arctic himself one day with his own sled and dog pack.
He picked up the box of photos and went looking for his mother curious to know where they’d been, how far north and how long they’d camped out for. He found his mother in the kitchen, all he needed to do was follow his nose and chase the rich scent of freshly baked bread.
“Why Lars it’s just out there silly,”she said motioning towards the back door.
“Eh?” said Lars.
His mother turned around from her baking smiling, brushed the flour from her hands and lifted the photo album from him for a better look.
“Yes,”she said.“That’s Giant’s Throne or at least somewhere near it. You can’t really tell because of our head gear but were quite a bit younger in these photos, early twenties, and back then our winters were much harsher then and the snow stayed deep up there mostly year round. You didn’t need to go hundreds of miles north to feel like you were on an expedition in the Arctic like you do now, and in fact we didn’t actually find Giant’s Throne that day because the snow was so deep.” “Wow!”said Lars, he couldn’t believe it. Giant’s Throne stood at least fifteen feet tall!
He’d seen it with a thick dusting of snow once or twice before but nothing close to anything like what he saw in the photos.
“We probably walked right over the top of it,”his mother said.
“Why don’t we have snow like that now?”he asked.
“Well,”she said handing the photo album back to him putting her hands on her hips.“It’s called climate change....
From that point on, Lars had taken a keen, almost obsessive interest in all things climate change.
It had become his sole passion in life. As a young boy he had obsessed about losing the beautiful countryside that he loved so much and the wildlife within it, to a warming climate or over logging and pollution or even urban sprawl as houses were built across the land for an ever increasing population. Lars glanced around one last time admiring the view before he really had to go and he saw a snow storm approaching from the North east. Dark angry clouds reached all the way down from the heavens to the ground sweeping their way towards him!
He remembered the news reports,‘the worst winter in decades is coming!’they said.
The thought sparked a feeling of excitement deep inside him. But right now he didn’t want to get caught up in it, he had important work to do and he was getting later by the second!
“C’mon Gunner time’s up, we don’t wanna be stuck up here when that beauty hits!”
Pulling his collar back up Lars made sure Gunner had heard him and understood, then they started their descent, it was going to have to be a quick one.
CHAPTER 2
The first part of the descent was a white knuckle ride, just how Lars liked it. As they reached calmer terrain Gunner climbed up on to the snowmobile’s rack and rode the rest of the way as the wind picked up behind them bringing bad weather.
Lars made it down to the secluded aces tunnel for the research centre just as it began snowing.
He keyed a code in to a small key pad that opened one of several discreet entrances and rode in to a tunnel as the snow started to blizzard behind them. Lars buzzed along the steel tunnel moving deeper in to the research compound that sat quietly below the mountainous terrain on the northern slope of Giant’s Throne.
As he zipped along the darkened man-made tunnel, motion activated lights came on just ahead of him inviting him deeper and switched off right behind him. After several long minutes the main personnel entry dock came in to view.
It was littered with carefully positioned white snow cats, and they were big!
As the Light Dies Page 1