by Miles Maresh
Because children had been out of school for a while. David asked Mary if she would help educate the children at the farm. They didn’t know how long it would be before society recovered, but it was important that education was not put aside because of the emergency. There were enough adults at the farm to provide security and obtain provisions. All the adults agreed that the emergency would not last forever, and when schools reopened they wanted their children to not be behind. Rebuilding a technological society was not going to be possible if the next generation was not given the quality education they had taken for granted in the past. The children grumbled a bit as they do, but were actually happy to be exempted from some of the chores many of which were outdoors in the cold. Mary was not the only person involved in educating the children. The adults had a wide range of experiences in various areas and shared their expertise with the children. David did not have textbooks at the farm, but he had e-readers and tablets that had been protected by faraday cages. The technology had been loaded with educational books and software. The e-readers themselves needed little power and were kept charged by some of what the windmill and solar panels provided.
David, Jim and Clem had designed the farm with two separate windmills and solar panels on the roof of the house which could be angled towards the sun’s rays to produce much electricity even in the winter, barring inclement weather. The windmills were mostly to provide power to the two wells on the property which brought water to the surface and into a large water tower. Residual electricity was sufficient to provide electric lights, but appliances were not used. Fortunately refrigeration could be accomplished in the outside storage shelter where they kept perishable products at least for the winter. With a septic tank set back from the house, all 3 trailers and the main house had running water and flushable toilets. To heat the residences in the harsh Pennsylvania winters, all had functional fireplaces which doubled as wood burning stoves.
As was expected in this high latitude location, the winter was brutally cold with massive amounts of snowfall. The group had wrapped all the pipes and water tower but still had problems with water freezing up. Fortunately the wells still worked being underground and protected from the freezing air. Al least the massive amounts of snowfall had blocked the roads leading to the farm and David knew nothing but snowmobiles could make it through. David put metal barriers in the snow banks to disable any snow vehicles from arriving unannounced. He also collected and disabled all the claymores that could have been set off by the weight of the accumulated snow. David used the venison for the majority of the meals for the first months, but they were running low and even with the vitamins he had stocked, the group needed more variety in their diet. Eventually they had to dip into their food preserves. With no crops planted the previous year, he knew they would have to produce a good harvest before they spent another winter at this location. He wondered, not for the first time, if it would be better for the entire group to move south where the growing season would be longer, and society may be reestablished sooner. At any rate they did not have to leave during the summer, and once spring came around they planted crops in earnest. Clem had an old tractor that was free from EMP effects and they rigged plows up to some of the trucks they had acquired as well.
Chapter 23
Early in spring, David and Clem made the trip to Pittsburgh to pick up supplies. The crops were growing well but they were losing some to insects and some to rabbits and rodents. They needed to pick up some pesticide for the insects. Many animals had gone feral and David suspected a lot of dogs and cats had ended up being used as food sources. If he could get tame dogs and cats on the farm, it would help with his rodent problem. Barring that, he at least wanted to get commercial traps to keep the rabbits out of the crops. David knew there would not be anything left as far as food supplies, but he believed he could go into a building supply store and pick up the pesticides they needed. David and Clem were a little concerned about the cannibal activity reported in town and they went toward the downtown section with some trepidation
As they went by Pittsburgh International Airport they were shocked to see a large Air Force C 5 come in for a landing. They were excited to see the military coming in and wondered if they were going to rebuild Pittsburgh. David did not want to announce his presence and they took a position across the street from the airport and watched to see what was unloaded. Four large empty military transports came off the plane, followed by five Jeeps full of soldiers in full armor. He hoped the soldiers could take out the cannibal problem but was concerned about why they were not bringing supplies in. It looked like they were here to take supplies out, and David could not imagine what they thought the city could provide. He decided he needed to talk to someone in charge. The transports and soldiers had left the airport and the only people left were the pilot, a middle aged man, David could not see as military, and a small group of soldiers left behind to guard the plane and possibly the pilot.
As expected, David’s appearance on the tarmac was met with a flurry of activity from the soldiers who believed they had the easy duty on this assignment. They pulled weapons on David who had expected nothing less. He had left his weapons with Clem who was still in hiding. They had not called the farm because they suspected the military could intercept their transmissions. If they did not release David, he had told Clem to go back to the farm and report to Jim who had more contacts. David told the soldiers “My name is David Rice. I am a homeowner and businessman in Pittsburgh I also am a retired Senior Master Sergeant in the Green Berets. I just want to know what is going on.” They checked his credentials on a laptop and David was surprised that their technology still worked. He knew that much military equipment was EMP shielded as the C5 must also be, but he did not think the internet was available to anyone. The soldiers said he checked out and they directed him to the pilot. The pilot introduced himself as Dave Matthews. He was a civilian employee of the Air Force, pressed into duty as a cargo plane pilot. The military pilots were on the Pacific Coast and off the coast of China working to keep us out of war, or win the war if that’s what it took. Dave had no military knowledge of how the war was going, but the military had decided to acquire supplies to rebuild southern cities. That’s why they were in Pittsburgh, Dave explained. They needed the steel from Pittsburgh area plants to rebuild the power grid in Phoenix, which was the first city being restored. David was rather upset that Pittsburgh itself was not to be rebuilt. He asked “Why should all the steel be taken from here? If we have the supplies, our city should receive priority.” Dave replied “I am just a civilian contractor. You need to talk to the military. They are calling the shots, along with the president from the new capital in Denver. I do know that all the cities having power restored first are in the South. I am sure the lack of inclement weather plays a part in that. Also many cities have been destroyed in nuclear strikes. I lived near Los Angeles, and saw the mushroom cloud over my home as I flew away from the area.” David was shocked by what the man had experienced and said that he hoped his family had made it out. He replied that they were OK, but with no house to go back to they were looking forward to the new place in Phoenix, once the power was restored.
David called in Clem, and waited for Lt. Colonel Cook who was in charge of the supply mission. When they met. Cook said “Did you know you had some cannibals in this city?” David replied, “I had heard, but my compound is up north and the cannibals were too numerous to take out with my small group.” The officer reassured him “When my soldiers found evidence of what was going on we treated them as hostiles. If you choose to stay here, you don’t have to worry about them.” What do you mean choose to stay” David countered. Cook said “We are advising everyone to relocate to the south before the next winter. After the last one over 90% of the population that had not already succumbed to conditions died from exposure to the weather. We are restoring power in southern cities and making them EMP resistant, but, for now if you choose to stay in the north you are on your own. We have Phoenix re
opened and you are welcome to come live there. We have plenty of work to go around, it is not a free lunch, but it is better than scrambling to survive on your own.” David got contact information for the liaison and said he have to talk to the people in his compound.
David called a meeting of all 23 people living at the farm including the children. The excitement that the power was being restored was tempered by the realization they would have to travel 2,000 miles to get to a rebuilt area. Kaitlyn and Jim wanted to return to Colorado. With the nation’s new capital in Denver, they felt that power and law and order should be present there. Jim also had his cabin in the mountains and wanted to make sure it was OK. Everyone else was willing to go to Phoenix. Most of the brothers did not have professions that required physical labor, but after months at the farm they had learned how to handle the conditions of the new world and to do the work probably required in Phoenix. David was not happy to leave the refuge he had built up, but he had a daughter still in high school, and a son that still had two years of college left. For his family’s sake they agreed to leave as soon as summer ended. It would require months of preparation but fortunately they had enough vehicles to go around, and with the government somewhat restored they did not anticipate any trouble traveling.
David called the liaison Cook had referred him to and asked what the process would be, He was told that anyone over 18 had to work or attend high school unless they had young children not of school age yet He asked about his adult son in college and was told that no colleges were reopened yet but in a year or two they would be allowed to resume their academic careers. The liaison also said that Pittsburgh would be evacuated by military transports in late August. David asked if his group could travel without taking the transports. The man was surprised that they had working vehicles. He said they could come in separately, but the military could not guarantee safety as they traveled. Not every town had been evacuated and some areas were not secure. David said they could provide their own security and he was told to report to Luke Air Force Base once in town for processing. David worried about that. It sounded like martial law was being instituted and he asked what the processing included. He was assured that it was just to give everyone instructions on where to live and where to report to work. Barry himself no longer felt the need to go back to college. His past goal of being a university professor seemed to be out of reach and he had been hardened by what he had experienced. He asked his father if joining the military would be possible. The liaison wanted David to go back on active duty. As a Green Beret specializing in unconventional warfare. The war with China had reached a point where a ground operation might be imminent. Although David was not an officer he was offered a commission if he rejoined. The military had been decimated by desertions and deaths terribly but not as severely as the general population. The military bases themselves had never lost power and had been pressured by the president to assist in restoring the power grid. David was given the option of working in a civilian capacity or leading covert operations to repel a suspected Chinese invasion. David felt he was a bit out of touch with the military, but he still felt a duty to his country and agreed to take the commission. He also asked if his son could join his unit, He was told with the emergency Barry would only have to take a crash basic training course of 4 weeks. He could not guarantee placement, but as an officer, David could ask for him.
On September 1st as the first cold spell hit Pennsylvania, the group packed all the supplies they wanted to take with them and left the farm in a convoy of vehicles. Jim had gotten permission to fly his plane to Durango, although the military had asked the former Army Ranger to return to active duty. Jim was not sure he trusted the government, but he was willing to listen. He did want to make sure his cabin had not been compromised. His supply shelter was well hidden below his cabin and had been left full of supplies and weapons. He did not think anyone could have found his stash, but he worried about squatters that may have taken possession of his home believing it had been deserted. Jim wanted to delay his decision on the military until he had checked on his property. Kaitlyn returned to her apartment in Denver. She wanted to take a civilian position within the restored government. Her position as a financial analyst had given her contacts within the government entities that had survived and she was offered a position in President Ryan’s office
Chapter 24
The rest of the group continued the convoy from Pittsburgh. They headed south initially. Many of the roads were still congested and the larger vehicles in their convoy used winches to clear the roadways. They had been told that once they reached Interstate 10 the government had cleared the roads. Most of the restored cities would be along that highway and starting commerce and food delivery was vital to the recovery. Some smaller towns they encountered were still in the dark about the recovery and were trying to blockade the roads. David had no intention of stopping the journey. If a road was blocked that they needed to use he would explain the situation, but he was not negotiating. Fortunately all were excited enough about the recovery that they did not stop the convoy from moving through their towns.
Once they reached I-10 they headed west. They encountered several military checkpoints, but David had already been commissioned as a Captain, and his group had been approved so they were waved on through. He did notice that other people were being turned around and he wasn’t aware of what the criteria was for deciding who got to go to the restored cities and who did not. He believed all Americans who survived should be given the same consideration but it wasn’t anything he could handle yet. He would bring it up with his superiors when he arrived. When they arrived at the Air Force base, David and Barry were separated from the group. David was given a uniform and told to report to OTS in the morning for a crash course and review. Barry was processed and inducted into the armed forces with a week before his basic training began. Both David and Barry was surprised that he was not given a branch of service, but were told that all were combined while the country was still at war.
David’s family was assigned to live in military housing on the base itself, while the rest of the group were given houses in the West Valley area surrounding the base. They were told that these houses had full power and had been annexed by the government. All evidence of the EMP had been removed with no bodies left in the streets, stalled cars towed away, and looted businesses rebuilt and reopened Stores and gas stations were open again although all supplies were strictly rationed. All family members were surprised to find that most of the vehicles that had succumbed to the EMP were working again. The military had developed technology that had been use to protect their own vehicles and were installing that on civilian transportation as necessary. All the adults in the family were given a working vehicle and enough gas credits to report to their jobs but not much more. The children were assigned to schools and the adults were given jobs and reporting times within the next several days. The family still lived close together and had a frame of reference many of their neighbors did not share. A lot of people in the neighborhood had been here all along and had not seen the country decimated. They did not like the newcomers, and thought they should have stayed where they had come from. That mindset was further exacerbated when some of the college educated family were assigned logistical positions rather than manual labor. There was a lot of planning necessary to restore the whole city and the organizational skills of some of the newcomers was essential to that effort.
Jim and Kaitlyn landed at the same Durango airport he had left. The airport was now open and operational and he had to get clearance from the tower to land. Fortunately the military had cleared that for him. Jim landed and taxied to his hanger. He could not find his truck or the man he had loaned it to, but rental cars were available although not for cash. They wanted military script or preferably precious metals. Jim had some gold coins to barter with. They acquired a vehicle and headed east into the Rockies. When Jim arrived at his cabin he found it occupied. He knew the individuals living there were squatters b
ecause he owned the land and the cabin outright with no mortgage. Jim parked the rental car out of sight and led Kaitlyn through the forest to the rear of the cabin. He peered through a window and saw 3 young men rolling joints. They were either potheads or were using his cabins as a base for a drug operation but they were unaware he was there until he appeared at the door with an automatic weapon. He entered the house like he owned the place, which he did, and Kaitlyn followed him in with her own weapon. The potheads had several pistols lying on a counter but they were never going to reach them before being hit by Jim or Kaitlyn’s fire. Jim calmly picked up the weapons noting they were junk and realized these intruders had not found his stash of expensive weapons below their feet. He said “Do you want to tell me why you’re trespassing on my land?” the men cowered but one defiantly said “No one was here, we thought it was deserted.” “So you ignored the locked doors and the no trespassing signs. Jim countered. He bound the men and when one would not shut up he gagged him as well. They knew the police were operational in Denver and they were drop these drug dealers off when they went to check Kaitlyn’s apartment. He threw two in the trunk of the rental car and one more in the back seat.
Chapter 25