We had predicted that the period several days after the impact would probably produce a very dangerous level of precipitation at the site of our shelter. The precipitation level was expected to be beyond anything experienced in more normal times. We envisioned it as almost a wave of water. This expected inundation level required us to develop a protected environment for our initial ventilation system. This necessitated the drilling for pipes at a downward angle through the earth from the shelter to a position at a lower level of this slope about thirty meters from the shelter towards the sloping entrance drive of the estate. The downward slope was necessary to provide protection from the inundation and to allow the removal of waste from the toilet area after the resulting air blast had passed.
To have attempted to dig a suitable trench would have been both dangerous and perhaps impossible in practical terms so we used a specialized ground drill rented by the builder. We ended up with eight 150mm pipes having a significant downward slope. These pipes, due to the lack of drill precision and our skill, were randomly separated, both in height and horizontally, from eachother. The two lowest of these pipes, obviously having the greatest slope and less likely to contaminate others, were used for the toilet outflow. Next two of the remaining pipes each most separated from other pipes were used for generator air and exhaust to allow a generator to provide energy during the initial dangerous period. The other four pipes were used purely for the pressurized ventilation of the shelter during that danger period after the pressure pulse.
The two induction air pipes were those of the four ventilation pipes furthest from the generator exhaust connected via fans and a flexible pipe to the lower animal floor. The other two pipes were the air exhaust pipes were set up in a similar manner. The external ends of these four pipes were fitted with an umbrella to prevent flooding of the input during the severe inundation period. This umbrella consisted merely of two strongly supported two meter square metal plates providing protection to the pipes on three sides but open on the downhill side.
The effluent pipe had no such protection as we expected the waste material would be sucked out of the pipe; the surface water flow being downhill would be insufficient to affect the interior at our height above the valley floor. Even here, however, we installed a system to effectively close the pipe if there was any problem. It was always planned that all these pipes would be maintained during our incarceration for emergency ventilation if this should ever prove necessary; this facility was also never required.
All the pipes had to be securely closed against the expected impact blast to protect the internal environment. These could also be securely closed for short periods during the first few weeks in the event of a hypercane (very condensed and extremely powerful hurricane which we thought might occur even this far from the sea). These might be caused by the superheated ocean at the impact area. Whether a hypercane would survive over land to reach our shelter was a question we expected to examine if it happened; again we were fortunate in that it never occurred in our area; if anywhere. It was, however, necessary for us to consider this as a potential problem as its effects could have been very serious for those within the shelter.
Another problem we expected, and made arrangements for, was the salination level of the initial high amplitude deluge resulting from the water being lifted from the sea by the impact. This contaminated water might be deposited to all areas round the world. We expected that this would result in contaminated groundwater for a period until it was, hopefully, washed out by the expected uncontaminated high amplitude rains resulting from the superheating of the same ocean water. This heavy rainfall, we hoped, would be sufficient to achieve the objective of reducing any salination in our area to an acceptable level before the temperature dropped and an expected drought took over. We expected that even snow would prove a reducing resource due to the probable chilling of the sea as dust, resulting from the impact, and possible chemical pollution covered the upper atmosphere reflecting the suns rays and reducing the temperature and hence ocean evaporation. We considered the dust problem would probably have less of a long term effect than if the disaster had been a volcano which would be longer lasting. In addition the impact generated particles would be expected, on average, to be heavier and therefore return to earth rather more rapidly; at least this was what we expected (hoped for).
As our shelter’s area of level ground had, to the north, a steep negative slope and on the south a steep positive slope we hoped that any necessary desalination would be achieved within a reasonably short period due to the rain washing any salt to lower levels of the valley rather than into the soil. It was hoped that this would occur before the full impact of the expected drought was upon us.
The potential salination of the water was of major concern as we needed to decide how much water we should maintain within our shelter. This water would be our attempt to survive any period of high external salinity. It was accepted that each person would require, at the very least, two litres of good water every day; this was, in practice, found to be an exaggeration. This exaggerated requirement resulted in an absolutely minimum estimate of over two hundred litres of good water every day for the humans and considerably more for the animals and vegetation. During that early time this was of major concern for us all as the periods of salination and drought was incalculable. In the event of a major problem we would have used the water in our fish tanks. As a last resort we intended to exit the shelter and retrieve any ice and snow to supplement our water supply. Fortunately our fears regarding the amount of drinking water required, the possible levels of salination and acid rain have all proved largely unfounded up to now.
We, in addition, had placed some of our air exhausts near the water pipes from the well water flow as this, we hoped, might reduce the problem of the water pipes freezing. This solution did not work though fortunately it never had to.
We had two military and two yacht water makers (clean and desalination units) but these would produce insufficient water for the over one hundred soles making up the shelter population; let alone our animals and plants. We also had filters and chemicals to decontaminate water but these measures, fortunately, proved largely unnecessary as they would have been short term solutions at best.
For the cleaning and flushing of toilets tainted water could be used; but not for drinking. We therefore stored as much very mildly chlorinated/iodised (using tablets purchased by our chemist in a manner he advised) water in any viable container within our shelter. Where such containers were available clean water was stored in five and twenty five litre clear plastic containers. We ended up with over two thousand litres of water stored in this manner. If this water storage capacity was exhausted we would look to the swimming pools then the fish tanks.
Twelve relatively large toilets, 1.25 wide by 1.75 meters with conventional toilets and seats, were situated on the upper habitation floor. These units were made large to partly compensate for the mildly (for me) claustrophobic atmosphere of the shelter. The outer four toilets of one side (the east) were designed to incorporate showers. Each shower would normally operate for two minutes after which the water, from the low energy heater powered by the generator, would be manually switched to the next unit. This resulted in each unit being occupied for eight minutes; two minutes to get undressed, two minutes of warm shower (heat regulated by the flow-rate of the water set by the user) and four minutes to get dry and dressed. A clock existed in each shower bay and no extension of any period was allowed.
The water was provided from two communal, connected, specially designed, two hundred litre tanks near the ceiling which were continually refilled, during the shower period, by four allocated workers. This provided gravity flow to the shower heater units hence the six hundred and fifty Watts were used solely for water heating. When showers were taking place the toilets units themselves were removed to allow the shower water to flow into the flushing pipe.
The six hundred and fifty Watts was, during our early incarceration, allocated to
the showers for nearly two hours every day. During this time fifty percent of the inmates would enjoy the benefit hence everyone had a reasonably warm shower every other day. With the number of people living in such limited space sanitation was a high priority to help reduce the incidence of infectious disease. Such diseases could be very dangerous in such a confined space especially with our limited chemical medical support. A clean body was considered a good way to support our sanitation and the shower units were thought to support this so the energy use was allowed.
At both ends of the toilet suite were washing machines. No luxury here they being operated manually. They were originally designed for use in small boats where generated energy use was also limited. Clothes were put into the machines and soap and cold water added. A burly arm manipulated the paddle and the clothes were reasonably cleaned. The soapy water was removed and stored for toilet flushing; no wastage. The clothes were rinsed using the same technique. None of our energy sources, apart from manual exhaustion, were expended and potentially the exercise increased the thermal value of the shelter. A manual spinner removed most of the water and the clothes were hung to dry in a prepared drying area. The only things that can be said for this system was that it was good exercise and used none of our non renewable energy. When we had sufficient energy resources and water we would revert to our stored electrically powered washing machines as our first energy luxury. When necessary we could make these simple machines ourselves so they would be part of our long term sustainable technology.
We had very briefly considered the ancient Roman sustainable cleaning fluid supply (urine - normally a clean and uncontaminated fluid) but the idea was rejected as being unacceptable to the users of the machines. In addition wearing urine contaminated clothes, even if well rinsed, would tend to be repulsive to those in the shelter.
Initially the toilets themselves were simple squat and drop technology but, as with the cellar toilets, these were shortly afterwards enhanced to bend toilets; taken from inmates homes when they left for the shelter. The eight, not being used for showers, were provided with flush systems to improve both the atmosphere and hygiene. We would later have to learn to make these sophisticated units; another version of high technology to be studied for when we left the shelter. Though we had many examples of toilet units in the abandoned villages they would be all that was available to us until we could develop our own.
All water tanks were filled manually, via an access hole through the floors, with ropes and buckets. The water was lifted from the lower animal floor tanks that had been filled from the upper water store even if such water was contaminated. The contamination was likely to be limited as it would have been filtered by the soil. Only during the early period had we expected there to be a real problem. In fact the water contamination, even at its worst, was barely noticeable, by taste.
The original squat and drop toilets had a simple flushing system based on a bucket. The toilet waste pipes were then flushed at least twice a day from two, high flow (the input pipe came from above and was larger than the one hundred and fifty millimetre pipe) two hundred litre water containers. This water was also used, via jugs that had to be refilled by all users of the facility, for hand washing in each of the toilets and for the showers. After the flush (bend) toilets were installed in all units the disposal pipes were flushed only once a day. In all cases when good water was considered a premium the flushing water was either second hand (from the washing water) or undrinkable, slightly salinated, water and in the former case not used for hand washing in the toilets.
We had eight portapoties for use during the period of maximum danger just after the impact. At this time it was thought to be less safe on the upper floors. These portapoties required emptying at least once a day through the upstairs toilets but this was considered a better option than the alternative of everyone using the upper toilets.
We had obtained about seven hundred litres (it sounds a lot but it had to last a long time) of strong antiseptic cleaner to be mixed at least 5 to 1 with water; a large amount of this antiseptic cleaner was chlorine based. The use of chlorine was not well received by many but it was all that had been available, in bulk, for the task and sanitation was considered essential. Initially all but fifty litres of this potentially dangerous material was stored in the house in twenty five litre containers.
The normal flow rate of the water through the waste pipes was sufficient to remove most of the solid matter in the toilet system which was then flushed through the waste pipe and out onto the lower slopes. This waste would then, possibly, be available, at some far later date, as fertilizer when we left the shelter; at least that was one of our initial plans if the bacterial agents required survived lower in the soil. The possible use of this waste within the shelter was, due to the quantity and its human bacterial load, not considered.
Above the toilet area was a large air vent supporting a pipe bent through 180 degrees well above the concrete of the shelter. This exhaust system was only used when we were using the temporary ventilation system before the blast and for a temporary period after it had passed. When using our permanent generator the external pipe was closed and the toilet air then redirected to pass through the air heat exchanger
Animal waste, within the shelter, was stored in large sealed waste vats, situated on the sump floor, and methane was extracted by anaerobic techniques via a special valve. This material was used as a minor additional source of energy for special purposes. The remaining dry waste, after the gas extraction and removal from the waste vats, was used as additional fertilizer for our small vegetable plots; this being the primary purpose of the vats.
Some of the vegetable plots were medium sized above ground fibreglass swimming pools (almost deep paddling pools) and many large ceramic pots and containers installed during the building of the shelter. The smaller pots, being about fifty centimetres deep and slightly more across, held miniature fruit trees and shrubs of various edible sorts. We grew rhubarb, after some mistakes, gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries and others which were much appreciated when they appeared on the table. The pots themselves were partly filled with soil and reinforced with duct tape and others (to support the structure against splitting) prior to the impact event.
The larger containers would be filled from the soil, initially stored in sacks in the swimming pools and on the floor. This filling task was performed after the impact effects had diminished sufficiently for us to consider they would not endanger the units. We were then able to consider these valuable and relatively delicate containers safe from most external influences. A few of the small swimming pools were partly filled with water to levels we assumed safe in order to supplement our supply of this material until the expected salination level had improved sufficiently to be acceptable.
One interesting idea that we took up was the requirement, within our shelter, for a sufficient population of earthworms. To meet this requirement two small paddling pools, properly loaded, were used as worm farms to ensure a sufficient supply of these workers to assist soil aeration and fertilisation distribution when required.
We also had, in the sump, four tower hydroponic systems, over which was installed the lighting for the sump area, for the production of vegetables. Some shelves of material in a dark area were available to grow fungi.
The energy supporting the hydroponics units was manual; at least in the early stages. We had purchased a quantity of the recommended chemicals for this system and had hopes that it would provide us with a return on our proposed manpower investment. We ran the system on a continuous production plan to produce non tuber vegetables all year round after the desalination of the external water supply was considered acceptable.
More fertilizer for our “gardens” was obtained from the fish tank filters. The tanks were filtered and aerated manually, when considered necessary, by volunteers; the attraction was watching the fish. The necessary vegetation, snails and aquatic animals had been obtained from the nearby lake before the impact. Thes
e were carefully nurtured and maintained as an additional source of both human and fish food. The fish themselves were intended as an additional source of protein and a most welcome change of diet.
The homes and offices, at this time exclusively on the habitation floor, were separated by simple partitions into “homes” for individual families or groups, administration areas, medical services and a hospital. The front of each home was a heavy curtain supported by a rail some half meter from the ceiling to about ten centimetres above the floor allowing family privacy whilst maintaining an acceptable circulation of air.
The tenants were allowed to keep some agreed private items in their accommodation. These could be clothes, toilet articles, low energy video or music players and some luxury non energy items. This allowed individual homes to be more intimately related to the families hopefully improving the lives of the tenants.
The administrative areas, including the hospital, could be provided with generated lighting at any time should it be required. This would be allocated for medical, maintenance, children area or administrative purposes only but at other times the generated supply would be turned off to areas not requiring the facility.
In the early days thirty five shelter homes were available but only thirty one of these were set up to be used immediately; the rest were initially used as store rooms. It was arranged such that further houses could be set up, sometimes with fewer facilities, whenever they were required. It was also planned that some accommodation could be made into dormitory facilities. We intended that these would be created at a later date if we could find any survivors and we considered we could support additional numbers within our edifice.
In this early stage we wondered how long we should wait before looking for external survivors. Too short a time and we might be swamped but alternatively too long and we might find none. It was decided, against my vote, that we should wait and see whilst studying the situation as it arose. It was then proposed by myself, and accepted, that we could make decisions at any time based on the perceived situation by a single individual.
Our asteroid survival: A fictitional history of the ten year survival of a large ELE asteroid impact by a small, pre advised, group Page 8