Our asteroid survival: A fictitional history of the ten year survival of a large ELE asteroid impact by a small, pre advised, group

by Lionel Woodhead

  Secondly the impact angle would be low and almost west to east. This increased the deflection risk though both factors would reduce slightly the impact effects. The risk assessments were never mentioned to our society there already being sufficient stress without loading the pot.

  We also took selfish comfort on hearing that the asteroid’s orbit had been altered slightly by an attempt to deflect it. This moved the expected impact a further eight hundred and fifty kilometres from our shelter. Although good news for us for others, far distant, it would have been received as disastrous by those who were affected adversely.

  We had by now prepared for the event as best we could and could do no more. The annoying soft music was playing and we were lying on our beds sleeping, reading, listening to our personal entertainment systems or in conversation or playing a game with neighbours. The atmosphere within the shelter was, as would be expected, somewhat tense. Some inmates had requested sedatives and this support was always provided to adults on request. At that time, as we had many of these items, it was considered beneficial to provide them on request. Calmer parents would help calm children. The alternative possibility could have been disastrous at that time. After the impact and its aftermath sedatives were provided only by the doctor when he considered them temporarily necessary for a particular patient.

  Conversation was much reduced and most people were concentrating on something internal. In my case I was thinking of the children who, fortunately, did not fully understand the possibilities of the coming event. Though the children bore it well I have no doubt that it had some permanent effects both psychological and physical. Having said this I remain to this day very proud of them and their fortitude.

  About forty minutes, it might have been a little longer, after the impact time we heard a very loud, deep rumble, almost a growl, and the first vibrations were felt followed by about five minutes of great violence and noise, like continuous shellfire. We watched as bits of concrete were ejected from the walls at considerable velocity and dust swirled into the air to about one and a half meters. For a short time this unexpected secondary event was rather uncomfortable requiring temporary filters fabricated from clothing or handkerchiefs; dampened if possible.

  After that extreme test, fortunately proving far less than I had envisaged as possible, we had an almost continuous series of lessening noises and earth tremors lasting all that day. These we assumed were caused by reflections and refraction of the impact energy within the earth. Though these tremors and associated noise became less intense over a period of twenty four hours they remained sufficiently violent to keep us, unless nature called or one had a special task to perform such as cooking or distributing supplies, safely within our beds for several days.

  The nuclear power stations had been shut down a week prior to the impact to prevent secondary problem. People had been advised to turn off unnecessary electrical systems which, as people were parting to the government shelters, considerably reduced the demand. We were some of the few to benefit from this reduced electrical demand. We had expected that the electrical network would be lost at, or shortly before, the impact effects reached us due to EMP or earthquake effects. Fortunately and to my amazement neither occurred.

  Slightly more than eight and a half hours after the first terrestrial vibrations there was a roaring sound vibrating through the shelter and a low level whistling noise that came from a single partially opened generator exhaust vent. This state of affairs lasted something like four minutes and was then repeated, though much less violently, a short while later as the pressure wave passed. Keeping the main vents shut had proved a good idea.

  About three hours later the external power failed. This could not have been due to any EMP effects. On the loss of light the delegated person switched our power source temporarily to the battery; we had had insufficient time to set up an automated system. We did not expect that the staff, or grid automation, would fix any faults and we considered we were now on our own.

  Immediately on the loss of power those designated for the task set out to start our small petrol generator. Once the generator was working we disconnected the battery, in case it had been damaged, and switched in the little generator. It is incredible how believing we now had control over our lighting system together with having something to do could temporarily calm our nerves. Personally, for reasons I still do not understand, I remember that I had a feeling of exhilaration. My nerves had then accepted that the primary danger was over but my mind knew otherwise.

  We had arranged, however, to keep a single light-bulb connected to the external power for an undefined period in case of a return of the service. After less than five minutes, by which time our little generator had proved itself insufficient for even our then limited lighting system, the mains power was unexpectedly returned to us; indicated by that beautiful light bulb. On witnessing this we immediately restored our switches to make maximum use of this unexpected donation while it was available; after having disconnected our little generator.

  The return of the unexpected external electricity remained with us for a further five hours. During this time we cooked and enjoyed another meal and heated coffee or tea (the cups were only half filled) for all those who wished to partake. We even prepared another meal in the cooker units. After this brief period the power was removed from us; on this occasion it was to prove permanent.

  We were left to consider those technicians at the power station who had given us this brief period of renewed energy; what had it cost them? On its loss we immediately returned to the support of our little generator which, though providing limited support for our requirements carried us through the initial period until our main generator on the residential floor could be started.

  We decided, after several reflected shockwaves had passed, that the ground shaking had been reduce to a level that we, who were responsible for organization at that time, could risk trying to set up our primary generating system. Our little generator was proving deficient due to inefficient ignition caused by restricted inducted and exhaust air through the thin tubing. This was increasing the stress on the people.

  The little generator deficiency was our fault as we had not partitioned the lighting system properly for the reduced capability. To adjust for this limited capability we had to reduce the load during this stressful time. We did this by temporarily removing several of the light-bulbs and switching out parts of the system. We could have introduced the battery to support the little generator’s efforts via a different system but, at that time, we were loath to do this before the battery had been examined for any damage caused by the severe shaking it had received.

  To help the people and in spite of some concerns some time after the mains system shutdown we set up one of our main diesel generators. When the system was ready we immediately opened the associated vents and changed over the generators (this resulted in a short service break). We now had our own permanent supply and restoring all the light-bulbs we had recently removed improved the situation for our guests. We were now able to switch in all required facilities. From then on, however, any unnecessary energy use had to be avoided.

  Once again the provision of our own internal electrical power seemed to calm nerves and introduce a sense of renewed relaxation, even optimism. This was probably due to us no longer waiting for the power to fail which I had found particularly stressful on both occasions. Being responsible for ourselves and having the ability to maintain a reasonable situation is very liberating; at least so it proved to me.

  We now had the electric air pumps working (Although manual air pumps were available we, for morale purposes, kept the energy requiring activity removed from the battery for fourteen [twenty four hours for the first few days] hours every day) and the lighting systems operating only in the home extension power station, the animal floors, the storage floor and the sump. We also provided basic lighting to the residential area, including the homes if it was required, to assist those people wishing to use the amenities t
here.

  About forty eight hours after the first impact effects we released the animals from their confinement. This was after having waited for an additional period for the earth to reduce its exercises to what we considered an acceptable level for our animal’s safety. At this time we considered our animals to be some of our most important assets and therefore we considered there was ample justification for them to receive special consideration. We, however, after releasing them from their constraints kept all the animals sedated and on the lower animal floor for a considerable additional period where we were able to provide additional security for their welfare.

  Unfortunately, in spite of our care, one of the cows and two of the goats had been injured and required veterinary assistance. The cow had a broken rear leg and might normally have been put down for humanitarian reasons. This, however, was not an option if it could possibly be avoided. We needed every breeding animal for genetic diversity and additionally we wanted the later benefit of the milk.

  The weight of the young animal was the primary problem but the vets performed a small operation and encased the leg in plaster to support the limb, and waited. Another option would have been the amputation of the limb but this, fortunately, proved unnecessary. The cow was almost a calf and the lighter weight and age of the animal probably helped with its healing.

  One of the injured goats also had a broken leg and the other had a damaged leg where it had tried to escape. Both injuries were treated and restored to service by our vets.

  Within seventy two hours of the impact the current entertainment systems, in the form of the already playing music, was enhanced by the video system with the annoying music turned off in that area. These films were shown to a large audience, including myself and my family, in the lower animal area; everyone had the option of leaving their static station to sit on chairs or lie on mattresses for the event.

  The primary object of these presentations was to distract the people from their potentially dangerous and definitely noisy circumstances. The noise of incoming material was like a sudden loud, though somehow soft, clap of thunder without the original flash providing a warning. This irregular timing and sudden onset of noise and vibration tended to get on ones nerves. Fortunately the volume and frequency of the returning debris reduced considerably over a few weeks.

  The work of setting up the shelter for our future habitation was then begun in earnest. The first task was to sort out all the additional material we had latterly received from our guests. Again much of the work was make-work but it would have been necessary in the medium term and doing it then was helpful for several reasons. Working on simple things, such as putting order into chaos, helps people by distraction them from the realisation of an uncomfortable situation so reducing stress. I, and I believe many others, found working on those tasks very therapeutic in our then situation. It was a pleasure to have to think of something other than our survival. It was about this time that I began to think that we had passed the first hurdle and to my great surprise we were all still alive and apparently almost at ease. In the near term, I believed, we would be able to start the process of getting into an ordered and regulated system of living and relax within our new home.

  The immediate task was that of sorting the latterly arrived human food and medicines into their use-by dates and content. We then had to arrange the food onto the designated storage shelves and the medicines into boxes under advice from the medical and pharmaceutical personnel. Although the use-by dates of both elements were not considered too important, especially related to tinned food and encapsulated medicine, it provided us with an order of use.

  The cheese and jamon were available in large quantities as was the dried food. This latter element included a large quantity of dried fruit and nuts. With the total number of tins now nearly half a million individual tins of all sizes (this being well in excess of a tin a day for one hundred persons over a ten year period. This did not include the large stock of cheeses and dried food in the form of meat, fruit, soups, beans and cereals which would be available as a bonus).

  We were unlikely to starve though we had some concern regarding whether the tinned food would remain safe to eat towards the end of our time in the shelter. For this reason we planned to use this element first. We arranged to carefully examine the tins we were to eat for signs of internal gassing. This work, of organizing the food and medicine, took some time for the ten persons, including myself, who were initially assigned to the task.

  As we had managed to exceed our initial requirement, with respect to food, we intended to look for additional personal as soon as possible. This, in reality, meant when we considered it sufficiently safe to do so. We intended to go to the rich mans shelter, as soon as was practical, with the intention of bringing those persons into our shelter. Initially every new tenant, including our friends at the rich mans shelter, would have to spend a short time in the adjacent quarantine shelter. I considered this unnecessary, unless we saw signs of illness, but this was another democratic decision, based on medical advice, involving the vote of all over sixteen years of age so it was implemented.

  It was intended that the rich mans shelter would, on the evacuation of our personnel, be left open for anyone to find. All such individuals would, on being discovered, be invited to join us on our subsequent visits. I have often wondered what would have happened if such persons had refused our offer. The possible implication would have been that they were part of a much larger group that might then have endangered us.

  Though I have never believed that such a rejection was a realistic possibility it was indeed fortunate that it never occurred. It was, however, the possibility of a large acquisitive group, at some later stage, that I considered our then greatest danger. Such a group, I believed, would probably come from a government group exiting from their protected shelter and attempting to take over the population either by force or by control of food reserves. This personnel control, we had already decided, would be unacceptable to us as a means of enhancing our group numbers. We would help anyone but accept only those willing to join or associate with us having attitudes we could, at least, accept.

  Volunteers were put to work cleaning the lower floors of the shelter, collecting the animal waste and putting it into the vats. The builder and his son checked the shelter for any relative damage; this included the ceramic plant pots, the fuel storage units and the swimming pools we were using for a multitude of purposes.

  We were very lucky here as only three of the ceramic units were damaged; none of the fuel storage units (buying the best, at little cost, is often a good option). Only one of the large swimming pools had minor damage (this was repaired for the task of fish support) and acoustic shock had killed only 16 of our baby fish. In this respect we had got away with a remarkably little damage.

  The batteries and associated equipment were thoroughly checked by the battery expert (Gabriel) and his new apprentice (Marcos Ramos son of the second Pharmacist). The support of the battery expert was assigned to this young volunteer. They quickly reported no damage to the battery cells and the electrical distribution systems were working satisfactorily; one had required minor repairs due to minor structural damage to a wall caused by the severe shaking it had received. Lastly the test for noxious gas proved to be well within acceptable range in both battery rooms.

  This positive confirmation was a great relief to us as all as we had been worried that gases produced by any damage to the battery cells, resulting in an acid leak, could have been very dangerous in our restricted environment. Such leaks could have forced a temporary evacuation of the shelter which, at that early stage, might have been disastrous. Where could we have gone? I do not know and I am very glad we did not have to find out. The quarantine shelter could not have protected all the shelter residents and we were not then aware of the state of the other buildings.

  The situation was that we had now earned a future. The immediate and probably the medium term future was for the present relatively sec
ure and we now had a functioning back up power system. Unless we were extremely unlucky we were unlikely to be damaged by the relatively small aftershocks or the incoming debris. The long term affects of volcanic eruptions caused by the geological disturbances would have to be considered in the future. We could now, with some justification, believe in our short term security.

  Another important task was the setting up and operating of our library on the upper animal floor. The area allocated for this library was part of the garden area with a large part of the garden area walls being covered with bookcases installed while the shelter was being built.

  Two volunteers became librarians and were allocated the task of cataloguing the collection (paper use was allowed for cataloguing); one being a nearby house volunteer (Julia) who had some experience of this work and she was ably assisted by the young son (Oscar) of the veterinarians who was now 16. They performed their tasks with enthusiasm and were very helpful to our research teams. In addition they arranged the films and were responsible (at the behest of the majority) for that annoying music played over the loudspeakers.

  It remained necessary to keep people occupied as much as possible either with work or some form of entertainment. This we had planned in order to reduce nervous reaction to our probable future long term ordeal. Fortunately there was much to be done hence the allocated effort was mostly justified by some medium term requirement. Work was allocated, where possible, to experts followed by volunteers followed, very rarely, by conscription, where it was considered necessary. It appeared that everyone wanted to be involved in some form of work so that they could feel useful so even conscription was acceptable.

  The volunteering level was excellent and people appeared content with having something useful to do. It is often observed that people in adversity tend to bond together for mutual support. We had the pleasure of witnessing such an event which gave us a further feeling of confidence in our future. It was at this point that I first felt, though admittedly it turned out to be, in part, erroneous, that we had past the worst and we were probably going to be alright. I am not a great optimist but the unifying of our shelter group affected me very positively.