The Crash Box Set, page 7
part #1 of EMP Crash Series
“I hate this not knowing!” Grace yelled, angrily throwing her stick to the ground. Then she pinched the bridge of her nose and ran her hand through her dark, rainbow-streaked hair. When she looked up she saw Mack and Luis staring at her.
“I'm sorry,” she said, softening her tone, “it's just that when you were as connected as I was it's difficult to deal with all this...all this silence. I don't know anything. I don't know what's going on and it's killing me. I feel so isolated.”
“Well, it could be worse. At least there aren't zombies around,” Luis said, but neither of the other two cracked a smile at his joke.
“What is it you did before all this happened?” Luis asked. Grace and Mack glanced at each other.
“I... worked with computers,” she said, then turned her eyes away. Mack respected her wish not to tell the truth, so he didn't say anything to the contrary. Luis simply accepted her answer.
“There is another possibility, though,” Grace said, wishing to change the subject.
The two men looked at her with interest. “It's not only nuclear bombs that can cause electromagnetic pulses, but solar winds as well. There hasn't been one on record strong enough to cause this much disruption, but theoretically it's possible that a strong solar wind blew past us, and that's what's responsible. If so, then it's likely the whole world is affected and everybody is cut off from one another.”
“Hopefully the bunker will be aware of something, and they can enlighten us when we get there,” Mack said.
“Then again, there is a third possibility,” Grace added, and again the two men waited for her to continue. “Kathryn could have been right...”
“What?” the men said in unison.
“This could be a way for God to punish us. Let's face it, the world isn't exactly a good place.”
“I thought you weren't religious?” Mack said.
“I'm not, and I don't believe that there is a God, but that doesn't mean I'm right. I'm big enough to admit that I could be mistaken. It may not even be a punishment. Have the two of you heard of the story of The Tower of Babel?”
“The name sounds familiar but I can't recall the details,” Mack said. Luis shook his head. Grace shuffled over so she was closer to them.
“It's actually my favorite story in the Bible.”
“For someone who isn't religious you sure know a lot about this stuff,” Luis said, trying to tease her a little bit, but Grace was defensive against him and sneered.
“I think it's good to be aware of things if you want to debate them. Besides, this book is basically what our entire culture is based upon and I think more people should try reading it all the way through so they're actually aware of everything. Anyway, The Tower of Babel was a story... I think it was in Genesis and it took place well after Adam and Eve.
“Human civilization had developed and they shared one language. They decided they wanted to build a tower that led up to Heaven. They actually did it, and when it got close God and the angels panicked and decided to destroy the tower because I guess having humans coming into Heaven was just the worst thing ever. Anyway, the tower was destroyed and all the humans were sent crashing down to Earth. But, of course, they'd just build it again, right? To prevent that, God scattered humans all across the world with different languages so they wouldn't be able to communicate with each other again, preventing them from uniting and rebuilding the tower.”
“That isn't really a flattering portrayal of God,” Luis said.
“I know, right?” Grace replied.
“But I don't really see what relevance that has here,” Luis continued, “It's not like we were united in building a tower to Heaven.”
“Not literally, no,” Grace said, “but if you think about it the internet was a way for us all to communicate. We could share information with people all over the world and language was a barrier that we easily could overcome with the help of translation programs. With the internet we had access to every part of human history, and now we've been deprived of that. We've been cut off from each other, so it's like we've been scattered across the world again.”
“You really believe this?” Luis said.
Grace shrugged. “I just mentioned that it was a possibility.”
“I think I'll stick with the North Korean theory,” Mack said. “I'm just going to check the perimeter and make sure there's nobody hiding out there.”
“I'll come with you,” Grace said, and immediately leaped up, leaving Luis disappointed as he was looking forward to spending some time alone with her.
“I guess I'll hold the fort here then,” Luis said, and lay back on the ground, looking up at the stars above him as he placed his hands under his head for support.
Mack and Grace stepped away from the small camp they had made and walked away quietly. When they thought they were out of earshot of Luis, Mack spoke. They were standing in a small clearing and the leaves on the trees rustled a little as the night breeze passed through. Grace pushed some hair away from her face while Mack stood in the middle of the clearing, standing with his hands behind his back.
“What was that about?” he said.
“I just didn't want to be left alone with him, okay? Can you blame me after what we just went through?”
“Look, I know that I should have listened to you before when you were worried about them, but we can't be scared of everyone.”
“I'm not scared of him. I just wanted to talk with you first, to make sure that we're on the same page. I mean, can we really be sure that we can trust him?”
“The guy has been through a lot. And you heard him, he sounds harmless enough.”
“Yeah, I agree, but how can we be sure?”
“How can we be sure of anything? Do you doubt me after what happened?”
“No, I just...I want to make sure we're going to be safe.”
Mack reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. “We're going to be fine. I have a good sense about people. I should have listened to it more back at the house. I should have known that something was up, but I was just so glad to have a hot bath and get a new supply of water that I tried to hope for the best. I won't do that again; I'll be more careful. I promise. But I really get a good vibe from Luis. You should give him a chance, and the more people we have the better chance we have of surviving.”
“I guess...you really think there will be people at the bunker?”
“I don't know anything for sure, but I hope so. Truth is I hate the not knowing part as much as you do. There's a whole country out there and we just have no idea what's happening, and it really kills me. I think about all the people who are in the same situation as us and how they must be handling it.”
“I'm sure your wife is doing fine,” Grace said, offering Mack a warm smile, which he returned. They stood in the clearing a little longer and looked around at the all-encompassing darkness.
“It's kinda funny. If things had gone the way they were supposed to, you would be in some cell right now, and I would be with Anna planning the rest of our lives,” Mack said, somewhat wistfully.
“I think I got the better part of that deal. Thank you, by the way, for not telling Luis the truth.”
“It's okay, I suppose it's not a stretch to say that you worked with computers, although from what I read you did things with them that most people never could dream of.”
“What can I say? We all have our talents. But I figured that given the state of the world now there's no point telling people what I used to do. I'd rather not have them make instant judgments about me, like Kathryn did.”
“That really bothered you, didn't it?”
“It just reminded me of when I was younger. I'd rather forget about all that. That's one of the reasons why I got into hacking. When all you are is words on a screen you're judged only by what you say, not by what you look like. But yeah, if you don't mind I'd like to keep the fact that, technically, I'm still your prisoner between the two of us.”
“Consider it done,” Mack said. “Well, it doesn't look like they've followed us, so I think we'll be safe for the night. Why don't you go and get some sleep? I'll take first watch.”
Grace nodded and the two of them made their way back to camp. Luis greeted them. The conversation dwindled as they settled down to get some sleep, while Mack stayed up to keep watch for a few hours. He sat upon a rock and gazed into the distance, thinking about home and Anna. While during the day he tried to remain focused on the task at hand, in these quiet moments he indulged himself in some melancholy musings of what could have been. He thought about her beautiful face, and her smile that was brighter than a star, and how it would have sparkled when they reunited. He also thought about the future, and if they would meet again, and how sweet it would be to hold her in his arms. However, he knew, too, that the world was a dangerous place and the odds were stacked against them. He was sure they weren't the only two lovers separated, and so, while he was alone, he spared a thought for all those in the same situation as him and hoped the fates guided them back to each other.
Then there was a bang and his attention was shaken. In the distance a bright red light shot into the sky, with a plume of crimson smoke following it. The noise was loud enough to wake Luis and Grace, who stared up at the sky with astonishment at the flare. Mack knew that it was coming from the direction of the bunker.
“They're alive...and they're in danger,” he said. Grace and Luis stared at each other, worried at the portent in Mack's voice.
Chapter 9
“Come on, get packed up, we have to leave and get there to help them,” Mack said, gathering up all their supplies. Grace groaned and protested.
“How do you know they're in trouble?” she asked.
“Yeah, couldn't they just be signaling to see if anybody is out there?” Luis asked.
“That's not procedure. That's a flare to ask for help. You two can stay here if you want but I need to go see if there's anything I can do. It's my duty. They could be under attack. It could be anything, and it's in our best interests to help them. If that bunker is gone, then we're going to have to find sanctuary somewhere else. Come on, let's go,” he said, and roused the other two.
It wasn't long before they were ready. Mack always had one eye on the sky in case there were any other signals but there was nothing following the flare. He was worried as he had pinned his hopes on that bunker. He walked quickly, and only glanced back infrequently to see if Luis and Grace were keeping up with him, which they strained to do.
Although they were younger than him, Mack was in better condition and didn't seem to tire at all as he strode through the forest. He held the flashlight by his side and the shaft of light illuminated the path before him. The gun nestled at his back, and knowing he had a weapon gave him a sense of comfort for he knew he would need it if he was about to join a fight. There were times when he had to adjust his path to avoid a dense collection of trees, or a gorse bush, but he always kept his eyes on his destination. In the distance he could hear gunfire and his heart sank. He only could hope that the bunker was prepared enough to defend itself.
He was afraid Grace was right and that the world was going to fall apart. If that happened then he wasn't sure he would have the strength to believe that Anna was going to be kept safe. It surely would be only a matter of time before he met more people like Kathryn, people who used the apocalypse to further their own agendas. It was a time when, without the safe framework that society provided, people could indulge their darkest desires without the threat of punishment or incarceration. It was the first time the grim reality of the situation finally dawned on Mack, and he knew it was going to be a struggle to maintain his values. But it was easy to be a saint in paradise. It was times like these that tested the real measure of a man. He vowed to himself he would not be left wanting, that when he saw Anna again she still would recognize him for the man she fell in love with.
While Mack was storming ahead Grace and Luis were straggling behind, keeping up a steady pace but still fairly far behind the older man. They each had a flashlight as well, and were following the trail left by Mack's light up ahead. Occasionally they stumbled, still struggling with the weight of the packs on their backs.
“He's a machine,” Luis remarked.
“Tell me about it. Wait until you've been traveling with him for a few days. You'll start to feel muscles you never knew you had. Shouldn't you be used to it, though? You were going across the country, after all.”
“I hitchhiked where I could. Walking isn't exactly my favorite thing but I guess I'm going to have to get used to it from now on. So you worked with computers before all this?”
“Yeah,” Grace said, wishing that she could have kept up with Mack. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about her past, especially with this new stranger who was not yet a friend. Luis, however, had other ideas. It was clear he had taken a shine to Grace and wasn't content to walk by her side in silence.
“In what way? Were you a programmer or a technician?”
“I worked with software...I was kind of in the security field,” she said, keeping as close to the truth as possible.
“Oh, right...so did you and Mack know each other before the crash?”
“No, we just happened to be sitting next to each other,” Grace said.
“That's quite a stroke of luck.”
“Yeah, it is,” she said, and thought back to her old life. She realized if she hadn't been on her way to the military base she would have been lost right about now. With no Mack to guide her she wouldn't have had a clue how to survive.
“I guess you're feeling pretty lost right now without any laptops or anything.”
“You could say that.”
“I get how you feel. I don't think it's really sunk in yet just how different the world is going to be now. I mean, think of everything we were used to, and even things like songs and movies and books. There's not going to be anyone making them anymore. I'm really annoyed at that. I can't believe I'm never going to find out what happens at the end of Game of Thrones.”
“Is that really the biggest thing you're worried about?”
Luis shrugged. “Everyone's gotta be worried about something. I spent a lot of time watching movies and things like that. It was hard enough tearing myself away from them to go on my little adventure, and it was a big part of my life, you know.”
“I guess you're going to have to develop some new hobbies then,” Grace said dismissively, and walked off, increasing her pace. Luis paused for a moment and shook his head, frustrated at her lack of willingness to engage him in conversation.
“Kinda figures,” he muttered to himself, “it's the end of the world and still a girl won't give me the time of day.” Then he followed Grace to ensure he did not fall too far behind.
There were many things on Luis' mind, but at the forefront was Grace. Part of the reason he left his home was to escape the usual crowd of faces he had been used to seeing around, and to meet new people. Sadly, it had not worked out the way he had planned, but Grace seemed different from everyone else. All he wanted to do was get to know her a little better but she seemed to have built up walls. Only when she was around Mack did she relax. Luis wondered if there had been something going on between the two of them and, if so, then his envy for the older man would burn deep in his chest.
For Grace's part it wasn't that she found Luis' attempts unwanted, but they were more of a distraction than anything. Now was not the time to be engaging in any kind of romantic discourse, and she didn't know Luis well enough yet anyway. She also was feeling somewhat threatened by his presence because it changed the dynamic of the group and she never had been the best at dealing with change. She only just had become used to spending all her time with Mack and trusting him. Now that Luis had joined them it led to her being more careful, and she already was worried about going to the bunker. She and Mack had grown fairly close, at least closer than she was used to, and there were times when it was easy to forget she was actually his prisoner. For them to have been through everything they had been through, only for him to turn her over to whatever authority existed at the bunker, was an alarming thought.
The nature of the world had changed and laws didn't exist anymore. Part of her wished they could have stayed on the road a while longer. Part of her almost was tempted to slip away into the dead of night and leave Mack and Luis behind, but that was the part of her that always had been on the run, ever since she was a teenager. She couldn't do that any longer. The world had changed and she had to change with it. If that meant trusting people, then that's what she had to do.
They walked for a long time, at least a few hours, and, soon enough, the sounds of the gunfire subsided, and there were no more flares or any other signs of life. The fledgling group of survivors didn't know if this was a bad thing or not. Grace and Luis eventually caught up with Mack's pace but the three of them didn't exchange any words, so focused were they on reaching their destination. Through the forest they went, until they finally reached the place where the bunker should have been, and indeed it was there; the thing they had been working toward ever since they had crawled out of the plane’s wreckage and left the dead bodies without burying them. And now a similar scene was waiting for them. A plume of smoke emanated from the bunker, and in the dim light they could see bodies strewn about the floor, and bullet holes peppering the door. Mack steeled his jaw and Grace hugged him, for she knew he had hoped to use this to find his wife somehow. Luis misinterpreted this and his envy grew, even with the sight of devastation before him.
