Clinging to Hope
Vincent Berg
by
Great griefs exhaust.
They discourage us with life.
The man into whom they enter feels something taken from him.
In youth, their visit is sad; later on, it is ominous.
Victor Hugo
Clinging to Hope
(Originally published as Love and Family During the Great Death
and Clinging to Hope as the World Falters)
Copyright © 2012, 2020 Vincent Berg. All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-941498-xx-x
Bookapy edition.
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.
Product names, brands, and other trademarks referred to within this book are the property of their respective trademark holders. Unless otherwise specified, no association between the author and any trademark holder is expressed or implied. Nor does it express any endorsement by them, or of them. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark, registered trademark, or service mark.
Preface
This story might not be for everyone. As the title implies, this book features a story about people struggling to survive and adjust during a time of crisis and widespread death. As a result, most if not all of your favorite characters may end up dying.
The story starts out light, teasing and playful and hooks you with an interesting premise and rich characters, but the basis of this story is a plague that wipes out the majority of the human race, so expect it to get very dark.
I’ll understand if you don’t want to read a depressing tale, and the sample provided free to readers does not include that much of the darker material. So be clear that you’re willing to read it before committing to purchasing the book.
Out of a test sampling, I got a lot of complaints from readers who felt betrayed when it turned dark, but when it finally finished, most were quite positive about the whole experience. While it is dark, it’s also compelling, thought provoking and captivating as well. Of course, it just may be that those who objected to it quit reading before the conclusion.
There are other components of the story that you should be aware of. The story does contain some violence, some of it fairly gruesome, though nothing like the rape or torture scenes you find in many books. The action, when it occurs, is over fairly quickly—just as it is in real life—followed by scenes where the characters discuss what happened, trying to figure out what it all means.
There is also some fairly graphic erotica in the story. I won’t call it sex, because it’s all romantic, and it’s not the quick sort of hookup one-night-stand either, but involves people committed to each other. While I use frank language like penis, dick and pussy to describe sex, and shit and fuck to describe excited exclamations, there is nothing worse. No hate filled or misogynistic terms.
The other thing to be aware of is that, while the sex scenes can seem obsessive, I use sex as a story mechanism, and I use it to further the story, not merely to excite.
While I can understand readers wanting to skip portions that they are uncomfortable with, be aware that you may miss some important plot elements by doing so.
A couple of illustrations will help understand this. I use sex scenes to accomplish a couple of things. First, I use it to get my characters to reveal details about themselves and their motivations that they’d never reveal otherwise. But I also use it to either establish other positions, like those of people nearby who might overhear it, or I may use it to distract the reader so they won’t be expecting surprising elements.
So, if you do decide to skip over the sex scenes, try to do it judiciously, and try to see just what you’re skipping over. My sex scenes are long not because it takes a long time to put tab A into slot B, but because it’s mostly an ongoing dialogue with a few descriptions of what they’re doing at the time. Thus skipping to the end of the scene will miss all the topics of discussion, even the several pages of dialogue about the characters’ experiences that are discussed.
Finally, if I haven’t turned you off the story altogether yet, I’d just like to say that I think you’ll enjoy the story. While it is dark, it’s rewarding, and I think you’ll come to love—and grieve—for each of the characters that come into play.
I undertook this story with a LOT of trepidation, trying to figure out how to make a story with a lot of death and dying palatable. I did so by introducing a lot of lighthearted teasing by the characters as a distraction, but that only works for so long before the overall mood kills that atmosphere. However, you’ll find that my other stories, including the sequel to this one, are much lighter.
If you do decide to quit reading the story, I'd encourage you to jump ahead to the Epilogue at the end, as it gives a summation of what happens and explains what lies ahead afterwards. The sequel, by the way, can be read without finishing this story
Life is a storm, my young friend.
You will bask in the sunlight one moment,
be shattered on the rocks the next.
What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes.
Alexandre Dumas
01: Not a Cloud in Sight
It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door.
You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet,
There’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.
J. R. R. Tolkien
Not daring to leave her only protection, hiding beneath her car’s steering wheel, Ellen considered what demonic hell she’d stumbled into. Though she’d seen meteor showers before, even the occasional daytime meteor, this was unlike anything she’d even imagined. The previously clear, cloudless sky was now filled with fiery balls of death hurtling towards the Earth. She’d tried to outrace the storm, when an impact before her shredded the highway, wrecking her vehicle. As the car was repeatedly struck with projectiles which shot through the exterior, she’s sought refuge, though it wouldn’t protect her for long.
Though the road was abandoned now, a few vehicles, seeing her distress, simply reversed, backing up rather than continuing or offering help. She wondered whatever happened to compassion, if strangers no longer came to the rescue of those in distress during a crisis.
Despite the steady cacophony of cascading explosions, interrupted by irregular pings as debris pierced the car’s exterior, Ellen Parker heard something she thought she’d never hear again—another vehicle. She and everyone else were caught by surprise by this … storm, as fires filled the sky and meteors repeatedly pummeled the ground around her. If this was the start of the rapture, she wasn’t prepared to meet her maker—whoever that might be—quite yet.
But she was right. The sound was another vehicle, one which was still running and, what’s more, actually stopping to help. Tempering her hopes, she crossed her fingers, but didn’t dare peer out the fractured windows.
Whatever it was, the approaching hum ceased. Though it may have broken down, she hadn’t heard the telltale sheer of shredding metal, which only left their stopping. Against her better judgement, she dared to hope. Lifting her head, listening more intently, another rock struck the car. She ducked further under her dashboard.
Her hopes rose higher hearing a car door slam and shouting voices, as the irregular cascading impacts made normal conversations nearly impossible. A moment later, someone rattled her door handle, and she nearly leapt from her skin.
“Is there anyone here?” a masculine voice called. “If so, you can’t stay.” Ellen drew back, raising and waving her hand, knowing it would take time to crawl out from under the steering wheel. As she waved, the windshield shattered again, tiny glass shards tearing the flesh of her hand.
“I’m here! Please, don’t go!”
Trying the door again, he found it locked. Lowering her hand, she backed out and was just raising her head when the passenger window shattered. Cowering again, she hesitantly glanced up and saw someone’s hand reaching in the broken window, scattering the shards as he unlocked the automatic locks.
She raised her head as he yanked the door open—it wouldn’t yield earlier—and reached for her hand.
“The car, the road and the surrounding wires and trees all provide ricocheting missiles. If you remain, you’ll likely be badly hurt.”
She stared at him for a moment, before deciding to entrust him with her life. She reached for her keys when he stopped her.
“What’s wrong with it?” he asked.
“It just stopped. I think it was hit by something when the road ahead of me blew apart.”
“It was likely cast-off debris. You’re lucky it only hit the engine.” He noted the various holes peppering her car, each tiny but clearly evidence of small fragments tearing straight through the car’s body. “Leave the keys, but turn the radio up loud,” he instructed, noticing it was tuned to a news station. “Grab whatever you can, we can’t save your car. The sooner we move on, the safer we’ll be.”
“Is there anywhere safe, anymore?” she questioned.
“No, but when heaven hurls fiery balls of death at you, trying to murder you, your sole option is supplication: get out of the way, and bow down. You’ll either live or you won’t. Trying to hide from your heavenly fate only makes matters worse.”
He helped her out of her car. She glanced inside, noting there was little remaining intact, but she reached in, grabbing her purse and her single suitcase. Turning, he hand was struck by something and her bag fell, rolling to its side.
“Quit dawdlin’,” he shouted. “The longer we stand here, the likelier we all are to die. Get in our SUV. I’ll get you out, as there are too many sources of projectiles here. We need to get the hell out of here. This is a fiberglass death trap.”
“You’re telling me,” she said, grabbing her bag again, ignoring her injured hand as she hurried towards his vehicle, her muscles complaining for being cramped in the same position for too long. The passenger door opened and a young girl clambered out, opening the middle door, getting in and closing it tight. “Get in!” she insisted. Ellen didn’t argue.
Climbing in the driver’s seat, her mysterious benefactor put his car in gear. But instead of backing up, as everyone else had, he drove forward.
“Don’t! There’s a depression. You’ll never get out again!”
“Don’t worry,” the young girl said from behind her. “This isn’t your normal SUV. It’ll get us out of nearly anything.”
“Anything other than a direct strike,” he countered, as he angled the car slightly, so they headed across the lanes which had once been there. The vehicle lurched, but it handled the drop and continued moving. He accelerated, crossing the devastated roadside quickly, only slowing when he reached the far side, as he eased it over the remaining fractured roadway. Once they were back on the undamaged road, he accelerated again, taking them away as Ellen glanced back, seeing her long-time car recede into the distance.
“I’m Ellen,” she said, parting her dangling locks with her hand. “Who are you, and what the hell is happening?”
“Let me see your hand,” the young girl insisted, taking it in hers and pulling it towards her as she opened a zippered bag. “She’s been injured.”
“We’re lucky she’s not dead, and even luckier we didn’t die saving her. I’m David, and the medic in the back is my daughter, Alice.”
“Does she know what she’s doing?” she asked nervously, as Alice poured a clear liquid over her palm. It bubbled into a clear froth, before she turned Ellen’s hand over to examine the other side.
“Of course. I trained her, and working in construction, we’ve both encountered enough injuries, she’s familiar with basic first aid.”
David reached back. “Give me a bandage.”
“Were you injured too?” Alice asked, poking Ellen’s injury with her finger.
“Yeah, but mine will last,” he assured her, taking the offered roll of beige bandage wrap. “How bad does hers look?”
“Thanks for rescuing me. The name is Ellen Parker. I was on my way to my sister’s when all hell broke loose. I didn’t think anyone would stop. There’s no telling what’d happen if you hadn’t come along.”
“Like everyone else, they’re all scurrying home, seeking shelter. It’s not a bad idea.”
“There’s no telling what the debris which stuck you may be contaminated with.” Alice said, taping a medical pad to her palm and wrapping it.
“It’s nothing,” Ellen insisted. “It’s not worth worrying about. I was sure I was done for, awaiting my final blow, hiding under my dashboard.” David glanced at it.
“You’re right,” he announced, though Alice hadn’t said a thing. “It went in hot, burning the skin and sealing itself. While the blood on the other side means it cooled, traveling through her hand. That means?” he prompted.
“That I’m damn lucky to be alive,” Ellen offered.
“It means it wasn’t debris,” Alice guessed, her father nodding.
“It was likely cast off when a hot comet struck the earth and shattered. Thus, there are no earthly contagions. Even if there were, the extreme heat sterilized it. It’ll be sore, as the entry and exit wounds are irregular, meaning it was tumbling when it hurt, tearing her muscles, but it was a miniscule pebble. There shouldn’t be any lasting damage.”
“Who are you people?” Ellen demanded, taking her hand back and double-checking her seat belt, as other nearby impacts sent debris flying through the air. “How the hell do you know how to treat this, or even how to respond? I mean, who carries medical supplies while out for a drive? Did you know this storm was coming? And most importantly, why the hell would you risk your lives to save me?” She paused, studying the driver. “Are you one of those … preppers? Someone who’s been anticipating the end of the world?”
“Hardly,” David chuckled, as Alice giggled from behind them. “We’ve just done a lot of things with a lot of construction equipment, without any backup or ready access by ambulances or medical rescue. Thus, we’ve learned how to handle whatever emergencies arise. After a while, you get good at judging what works and what won’t.”
“I’m Alice Scott,” the girl said. “My father and I do a lot of construction. Since he lives so far from any medical facility, we always keep our supplies handy. Between working with the power tools, climbing trees and rappelling down the cliff face, it’s always best being prepared.”
“Again, I’ve got to ask, who the hell are you guys? Who let’s their underage daughter work in construction? You can’t be very old,” Ellen said, taking in Alice’s flawless, smooth peach-like skin. “How can you be doing major construction?”
“It’s under my supervision,” David explained, “and I thoroughly train and ensure she knows what she’s doing.”
“It’s not full time,” Alice assured her. “Normally, I live in the city with my Mom, where aside from playing a few sports, I have to wear dresses with makeup all the time. But whenever I visit Dad, I get to cut loose. We work on his cabin, and when we’re done, he lets me explore on my own—as long as I tell him where I am so he can check up on me.”
Ellen turned to Alice. “So, he’s … married?”
“Oh, no,” Alice hurried to answer. “They divorced some time ago. He’s single,” she asserted, grinning.
“At first, my ex-wife ignored my obsession,” David explained. “Once she realized I was serious about it, she immediately filed for divorce.”
Alice giggled. “My Mom hates it there. She calls it his ‘monstrosity in the middle of nowhere’. She won’t set foot there. She won’t even come to get me when I stay there. Once I got hurt and Dad had to clear up a small rockslide, and she refused to come for me, telling Dad to call me a cab. As if cabs would ever drive up there,” she finished dismissively.
“So, I take it Alice’s mother isn’t in your life anymore?”
Even though Ellen didn’t know either of them, David was handsome and certainly sounded like a capable and hard worker, two things she admired. Plus, being rescued from certain death by a handsome stranger, she already had a bit of a crush on him. She wanted to believe in magic at the moment, and he seemed an ideal handsome prince, even if his previous wife didn’t think so.
“No, she stormed out over my ‘obsession’ years ago,” David admitted.
“Okay, as nice as knowing that is, let’s back up. What the hell is happening outside? I’ve never heard of a meteor shower like this before—other than the one which killed the dinosaurs, that is.”
“Don’t worry, this one, though prolonged, is nothing like that,” David assured her. “None of the impacts we’ve observed is that large. While we clearly can’t see them all, they seem uniformly small, as there were no explosions big enough to shatter windows throughout the region. These that are striking now were large enough not to burn completely up, but they’re not large enough to inflict widespread damage or trigger an earthquake or volcano, though the storm has lasted long enough to impact a wide-swath of the terrain.”
As if suddenly remembering, he turned on his radio, getting only static. “They weren’t reporting anything earlier, though I can’t imagine how anyone missed it. Again, I’m guessing since these are all uniformly small, they snuck past unnoticed, since they weren’t large enough to appear against any other planets. If they approached from an unusual angle, the scientific community would never know to even look for them.”
Discovering a working station, though the sound faded in and out, they all listened intently, hoping to learn something new.
“We’re just receiving reports of a massive meteor shower sweeping across the nation. Supposedly …” the announcer reported, “and sweeping steadily westward, it’s inflicting serious damage and has limited cellphone and landline services. We’ve received little information, but all aircraft have been grounded for the entire country, including all military and emergency … no reports of this affecting any countries other than the U.S., but it doesn’t appear to be a local phenomenon.”
“Well, that’s something,” Ellen said.
“Certainly, more than they were acknowledging before,” David agreed. “I’m guessing the newscasters never learned anything since the broadcast and cellphone satellites were the first to go. I’m uncertain why we’re receiving this one signal, but the broadcasting tower must have been spared, and the meteors wouldn’t block existing radio transmissions.”
“Okay, now you’re just showing off,” Ellen teased, grinning at him.
“Linda always loved the D.C. social life,” he continued, when the brief news report shifted back to canned music. “When I quit my high-paying job with enough cash to live comfortably, she assumed we’d continue. But I always hated that aspect of my work. The only thing I wanted was someplace I could escape, sealed in my little fortress of solitude, and take my time figuring things out. When it became clear that I had no intention of quitting work on it, she filed the papers immediately.”
“Hold on. You went from being a corporate big wig, and took up building your own cabin in the woods?”
“It’s not just some little cabin,” Alice exclaimed. “He built it into the side of a mountain. It’s got its own fresh water from an underground spring, and we put up a wind turbine to produce our own power.”
Ellen stared at David, reconsidering him. “That doesn’t sound like the typical executive.”
“I wasn’t, which was why I was so ready to bail. But my background is more in number crunching and part-time engineering. I love solving problems. So, when I started, they offered me all sorts of benefits, but I asked to work as a contractor instead. Since that means I’d pay for my own benefits, they jumped at the opportunity, never considering the copyright question.”
“Copyright?”
“Dad made a bundle by copyrighting his accounting software,” Alice added.
“Yeah, I saved the company a fortune, but when I suggested selling it to other companies, they about blew a gasket. When I pointed out that I owned the copyright, since they’d hired me as a private contractor, they ended up paying me a fortune to retain control of that fat profit margin.”
“I hate to ask, but just how fat a profit was it, and more important, how much did your ex take?”
“She did well, but we didn’t touch our mutual savings, so we’re both set.
Ellen whistled. “Now that sounds like a financial genius to me. A divorce where you don’t lose any money?
“Backtracking again, how long do you suspect this is likely to last?” Ellen pressed. “It’s already lasted longer than any other meteor storm I’ve ever heard of.”
“There’s no telling,” David said, scanning the heavens once more, searching for some clue overhead. “This is certainly an unusual phenomenon, and until we understand what generated it, we’ll never understand what it portends, but … I’m guessing it’s already having a devastating impact. It’s lasted several hours already. We saw it starting as we approached it, meaning it’s sweeping westward from well west of us, since we’re traveling west.”
“Uh, isn’t that a stupid move?” Ellen asked. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to just stop and wait it out?”
He considered her. “And where do you propose waiting. It’s already been several hours, and while the roadway is exposed, we’ve now left the highway, turning onto the secondary roads, meaning there’s more to block any incoming debris. “My house, in the undeveloped foothills of West Virginia, is more likely to survive this sort of thing than anywhere else. And as I suggested earlier, if we die along the way, it’s utterly out of our hand. But I’d rather reach somewhere safe, than compromise midway there.”
“I was on my way to my sister’s for the weekend, and though I’m worried about her, neither her house of the community it’s in is terribly secure. Your place sounds like a much better choice.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll take you someplace safe, though where that’s likely to be is open to question. It’ll depend on which roads are open and where we can find help, resources or supplies, and who needs help along the way.”
“How’syour injury, Dad?” Alice asked, peering over the central console.
“It wasn’t really an injury, as there wasn’t any blood, just a decent bruise on my arm. Frankly, I got lucky. But I’ll accept whatever doesn’t kill one of us.”
“It’s not serious, is it?” she asked. “You didn’t break anything, did you?”
He raised his left arm, opening and closing his fist, though his partially covered forearm revealed a dark, purplish bruise. “Nope. I can still drive with it, which is all that matters.”
“So, getting back to you and Alice’s mother, what happened then? It sounds like your divorce was difficult?”
“Not really. Linda was never much into actually paying bills. She loved to party, and I always covered our expenses, telling her what we could afford and what we couldn’t. When her crappy lawyer started issuing demands, I provided detailed records documenting that not only did she retain every aspect of her previous lifestyle, but that I’d assured we’d both continue enjoying it until our senior years.”
“When the creep crawled back, saying he couldn’t win and didn’t want to even bother, she quickly folded,” Alice continued.
“While she likes to live high off the hog, she’s really not extravagant, so as long as she’s comfortable, she had no problems with the settlement I offered her instead.”
“Now that sounds more typical of an accountant—especially one who figured out how to sell his company exclusive rights to what they’d ordinarily own outright.”
“It wasn’t quite that straightforward. While I was working to revise their actuary tables, I was working on the larger system on my own. As long as I met the expected deadline, typically under budget, they never asked how I was spending my time. Thus, when I revealed just how extensive the software was, they jumped at the chance to access the full services, rather than letting me sell it to their competitors.”
“He still sold them all a more limited set,” Alice explained.
“It sounds like you had everything planned out, well in advance, but how did you learn to do construction?”
“Since I was good at engineering, that’s how I paid my way through school. While working as an engineering intern, I’d work in the field with the construction crews. The other engineers hated that aspect, and were more than willing to turn it all over to me, and since I worked side-by-side with the everyday workers, they trusted my judgments, making convincing them of new designs a snap—though I’d always insist on a few variations.”
“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” Ellen teased. “So, tell me about this little cabin of yours.”
“It’s really nothing,” David assured her. “It’s a little log cabin, set against the side of a cliff, where the mountain stream provides permanent refrigeration and keeps expenses down.”
“Somehow, that doesn’t sound like nothing. Rather, it’s more like how you kept everything you were doing while at your company a secret.”
“Engineering wise, it’s all straightforward, but as it’s all custom work, it’d normally cost of fortune, which is why I did it all myself.”
“With a little help from me,” Alice offered.
“Actually, with a hell of lot from you,” he said, clutching her hand for a moment.
“I only visit my father every other weekend,” Alice told her, “but when I stay, he lets me work with him, getting my hands dirty.” She held her hands up, proudly displaying her callouses. “When we finish, he lets me play in the woods. You know, typical tomboy things like scaling the side of the mountain, climbing trees or occasionally skinny dipping.”
“Hey, as far as your mother and anyone new who might disapprove are concerned, I never take you skinny dipping,” David corrected.
“Yeah, but you never stop me. You know I like the pond, and you put the idea in my head when you told me those stories of you and Mom.”
Ellen didn’t think it strange they’d built a cabin against a mountain, assuming it was a small structure, but could understand Alice’s fascination with it.
“Hey, climbing trees and exploring the woods is something girls do. I loved doing them myself, but now that I’m working, I don’t get the chance any more. Every now and then I’ll hike short segments of the Appalachian Trail, but it’s been all I’ve been able to manage lately.”
“You’re a hiker?” David asked, encouraging the girls to continue talking.
“Yeah. Years ago, I hiked a fair portion of the Trail. I started in Georgia, but only got as far as Virginia. I always meant to go back, but got busy building my career. It’s hard to hike much with a day job.”
“Dad took me along a short segment near where he lives,” Alice said. “It was nice, but the woods around his house are so nice it’s sort of like travelling from a wilderness paradise to visit a public park. I mean, I loved it, but I’m perfectly happy at his place.”
“Hmm, I may have to visit this fabulous house in the woods you keep describing. I could use some place to escape to.”
“Oh, you’d love it,” Alice assured her. “It’s set partway into the mountain, so you walk into this little building then up some stairs and there’s this big glass wall overlooking the valley. It’s got a phenomenal view.”
“And you built it yourselves?”
“Yeah,” Alice said. “He designed it, built the road leading to it, cleared the land, and blasted the side of the mountain and excavated the stone. He’s amazing.”
Though not particularly shy, Alice was always more social, and now seemed pretty hyper. David was also out of practice talking to attractive women, not dating since Linda left, instead submerging himself in hobbies and raising his daughter. Alice, on the other hand, was conscious of how Ellen was subtly flirting with her father, well aware of how uncomfortable he was with striking up a conversation with a strange woman.
Alice finally considered the woman they’d just met. She was blond with fairly light skin and freckles. She was cute, but not drop-dead gorgeous, so she seemed more approachable. Now past the immediate crisis, each was interested in learning what the others were like. Besides, if Ellen was heading to their home, with few alternatives available, it was best learning as much about her hosts as possible.
Alice had no problem encouraging her father to flirt back. Ellen was attractive, had a beautiful smile, and her eyes danced with a mischievous twinkle. They appeared to share interests, too. Her problem was with her father. He’d never attempted dating after his marriage disintegrated.
Like most kids, Alice wished her parents would reunite after splitting up. But it soon became apparent it would never happen. Linda had taken up with one man after another, looking for something she never found. Though she lectured Alice on everything she found lacking in her father. Alice repeatedly requested she not overwhelm her with negative information about her father, but Linda was hard to dissuade. Alice had given up on getting her parents back together, but switched her machinations to getting her father to date again. If her mother could date anyone and everyone, her father certainly deserved someone to keep him company all the time he spent alone. Besides, she reasoned, it was dangerous living alone. If something happened, he could die up there by himself. No one would ever know until he didn’t show up to pick her up two weeks later.
Alice actively encouraged him to date. She’d talk up whoever they encountered, going so far as to inviting attractive strangers to dinner during her visits, but David had never gone for it. He was sociable and knew how to deal with people, but was uncomfortable with casual chitchat. He preferred his solitude. Alice was afraid he was becoming too comfortable living on his own. If he didn’t find someone soon, he might never be willing to disturb his life by letting anyone else in.
Ellen took in the many meteors raining down, many striking the ground, causing ripple to shake the road they were on. Her benefactors were calm, as if they did this every day, despite David’s comments on the inevitability of death. She wasn’t sure how far they could get before running into serious trouble. “Can you make any phone calls?”
“No, my cell phone died in the middle of the storm,” Alice said, following her father’s lead in describing the severe activity around them as if it were a weather phenomenon. “Dad said the communication satellites were likely destroyed.”
“Yeah, mine went out as well. When the meteor struck ahead of me and my car stopped, it sounded like a bomb going off. I tried calling for help but couldn’t get a signal. Your father must be right about the debris, because after it struck there was this horrific crash that sounded like a huge cat scratching its nails down a large blackboard. I knew the car was totaled as soon as I heard it.”
Ellen and Alice spoke in an easy, conversational manner, ignoring David’s awkward silences, but he eagerly followed the conversation. However, there wasn’t much else they could do. It appeared they’d lay there for some time, and you can only be hysterical for so long.
“Why the hell hasn’t the radio announced anything? How could no one notice something this … massive?”
“With the communication satellites down, and likely most telephone cables too, I’m guessing the news isn’t spreading very fast,” David ventured. “I’m guessing everyone is focused on those issues, not realizing that this isn’t just a localized, one-time fluke.”
“So what is it? ’Cause, this kind of things doesn’t happen every day.” Ellen paused, awareness sweeping over her face. “Is this one of those extinction events, like the one which wiped out the dinosaurs?”
“It is serious, but the two aren’t analogous. That was a single, huge meteor which broke through the Earth’s crust, triggering massive earthquakes around the globe, which altered the planet’s environment. While most dinosaurs died without hours, the rest followed pretty quickly as the debris ejected into the atmosphere eventually returned, sealing everyone’s fate.
“Rather than a single catastrophic event, this is an hours long series of small, miniscule meteors, likely too small to even be observable, especially if they never passed in front of any other planet to highlight them. Frankly, I’ve never heard of something like this occurring before, as there’s no trace of it in the geographic records. Then again, without a massive, single geographic event, there wouldn’t be. It’s taken a long time to determine when and how fast those dinosaurs died out, even with extensive geographic evidence. The death of ninety percent of the planet isn’t something that changes geography much, unless a collection of bodies somehow gets encased in a mudslide and eventually turns to stone.
“This seems more like debris of a shattered planet, something that despite being so large, was shattered into millions of miniscule shreds, which are only now reaching us.”
“Wouldn’t a collision that massive trigger an event which would’ve been recorded?” Ellen asked.
“It depends on how long ago it happened. For all we know, this happened millions of years ago, and is only now reaching us. If not for our current orbit around the sun, they may have passed completely unnoticed.”
“As handy and as well-informed as you are, you’re not always the most reassuring.”
“No, Dad doesn’t always take the time to make things easier,” Alice said. “Instead, he explains what you need to survive. After that, you either contribute, helping out, or get out of the way. But if you expect someone to hold your hand, someone might end up losing one instead.”
“Yeah, I can appreciate that. I admire your no-nonsense approach, as I’d rather know how to survive than having you baby and nudge me, a little at a time.”
“So, when do you think it might stop?” Ellen asked, glancing beyond the two.
“Frankly, it’s giving no indication it’s anywhere close,” David said, staring at the sky again. “If anything, they’re falling steadier than before. I suspect it’ll continue for a long, long time.”
“Well, at least we’re not alone,” Alice interjected. “Now, what do you want to talk about?”
“Anything besides how bleak everything seems,” Ellen suggested.
Congratulating herself on finally getting her father involved with someone, Alice considered how well they were getting along. They were doing even better than she’d hoped. Ellen agreed to accompany them home, which spoke enormously of her trust in them both. Her thoughts, though, were interrupted by the first clear broadcast they’d heard in some time.
“This just in, the meteor storm sweeping across the Midwest is igniting a series of wildfires. The dry timber this time of year is highly susceptible to the intense heat of the meteorites showering down upon them. There are reports of widespread damage and most states—at least those we’ve heard from—have declared states of emergency. With the communication networks down, we’re unable to verify these reports. Police are warning everyone to remain safe and be patient, since their officers can’t venture out in the current conditions.
“The storm continues to sweep west at a rapid rate and should hit the West Coast in a short time. We’re advising everyone to remain indoors, sheltered in a basement or braced against an interior door or bathtub.
“The scientific community—at least those we could contact—is unable to provide answers concerning these events. There were no warnings, and were only noticed after inflicting serious damage to our monitoring systems. They’re essentially blind, at the moment. Some suggest it’s simply ‘random space junk’, but no one knows where they originated or why they’d appear now. Most scientific observatories shut down to protect their sensitive equipment, so further information is unlikely.”
Ellen closed her eyes, leaning her head against the headrest. “There’s no end to the discouraging news.”
“I’m disappointed there’s no indication how long it’ll continue,” David said. “I hoped it would peter out, or at least slow, but it’s not looking like it. As the day progresses, the Earth will shift away from the meteors, so we’ll eventually get a break. But since we don’t know where it’s coming from, there’s no telling how long it might take.”
“What’ll happen if we get hit and are either injured or can’t continue?”
“If any of us are injured, we’ll dress the wounds and figure out how to proceed. If our vehicle quits, I’m pretty handy. In the worst case, there are plenty of abandoned, crippled vehicles. We can borrow components and hopefully get ours working again. We should be fine.”
“Let me guess, you’re also a car mechanic?”
“Hardly, though with my engineering background, it’s not that difficult to figure out. I know enough to make emergency repairs, but we don’t have the facilities to do any more than that anyway.
“So, what do you do?”
“I’m a writer. Mostly ad copy and reviews of website content for small businesses, making them more accessible. I’m also an avid amateur photographer, though I didn’t have a chance to check my gear, so it might not even be functional any more. How about you, what else do you do?”
Alice bit her lip. This was her father’s weak point. He was comfortable with what he did, but understood that Linda left him over his not working at a nine-to-five job. If he expressed discomfort over it, or if Ellen was anything like Alice’s mother, their slowly evolving relationship might falter.
David smiled. “Oh, I don’t work. I retired with a fairly hefty retirement fund and some income from a few additional patents. However, I’ve spent much of that building my little retreat, though it’s largely self-sustaining. I won’t need to work anytime soon, but don’t live high on the hog, either.”
Ellen considered that. “I guess that explains why your ex didn’t like you spending all your money on your little pet project. It actually casts you both in a better light. She simply had a different world view than you, and when you went after your dream you both found you couldn’t live together any longer. The way I see it, neither of you was really to blame for the breakup.”
“Why thank you,” David replied. “I was a little afraid you’d take her position. If that was the case, you’re sure to turn up my other less-than stellular characteristics.”
“So, she really left because you didn’t have a job?”
“Yeah,” Alice replied. “It was a mess. She claimed Dad had no ambition, concerning a man who hand-built a huge house in the country that’s almost totally self-supporting.”
David shrugged, not wanting to cast aspersions, but eager to explain that ugly period. “Like me, she was a bit obsessed. She liked what my career bought her. Not so much the toys, although that was a part of it, but she was focused on the social scene. Since I dropped out to spend time on my own, she felt like I’d abandoned her just as she was starting to get ahead socially.”
“I can see that,” Ellen said. “It’s sad, but also perfectly understandable. It was just your interests growing apart. But the really upsetting part is that she tried to poison Alice against you. In my opinion, that’s unjustifiable.”
“What about you?” David asked, fishing for complements, or at least another opening. “Could you stand dating someone with no ambition?”
“Well, without committing myself after only a few hours,” Ellen teased. “Maybe after spending more time together, once things are a bit less chaotic. But I’m willing to see how things develop.”
“That’s all I can ask.”
They continued talking, slowly feeling each other out, no longer as nervous with each other. They were occasionally interrupted by more news, but it was difficult to make out, and what they could hear didn’t provide anything new. The media seemed to be slow in getting and processing the story, understandable if communications were down and air travel was grounded. Alice grew bored, taking out her smartphone and listening to her music. She tried playing some games, but had to stop to preserve the battery, thinking she may need it later if they got some where she could use it.
David was amazed that after so long, he’d finally met someone he could relate to. After years of dancing around a variety of corporate stooges, he wasn’t about to put up with fools. He’d wanted someone with their head solidly on the real world, rather than on their own mythical constructions. It was why he was so impatient with people, often making pointed statements designed to upset them, to measure their responses. This offended most, and the encounters would end before they could progress any farther. But it was usually David’s intent. If someone couldn’t think for themselves, or couldn’t defend their position, he wasn’t very interested in getting to know them. As a result, he’d been alone for the past several years. He knew his ex-wife had no such standards, and he’d seen how flighty and pernicious she’d become as a result.
Ellen however, seemed perfectly capable of handling herself. Not only did they share many similarities, and she got along with Alice—always a major point with David—but she scored quite a few points with him by defending Linda. Not because she particularly knew her, but because she’d stated her own opinion, even though she’d assume he’d respond poorly. That showed strength of character and an independent streak, as well as a ‘devil may care’ attitude, which meant a lot to David.
As a result, he’d warmed up to her, engaging in some inane flirting, which he’d found quite pleasant. He missed the days when he could openly flirt with someone, and they’d responded in kind. When she offered both the suggestion they date and accepted his offer to take her home after this was over, he’d felt ecstatic. He knew the dangers of conflict-inspired relationships that typically burned hot and fast, consuming themselves before the participants established a meaningful relationship. Yet he hoped for the best, and was encouraged with how things were progressing.
David thought there was a good chance she might be ‘the one’, or at least his ‘next one’. Time would tell, but he hoped they might have a future together. But at the very least, they’d have an intense few weeks together. After so long without anyone besides his daughter in his life, that would be a relief.
Alice smiled over their expressions as they continued talking, hardly noticed her. They weren’t ignoring her, but it was as if there was an electric current running between them, binding them to each other. This was the first romantic inclination he’d shown since months before her mother left. He’d already moved to the house site by then.
While the meteors continued falling a pyrotechnic display of unimaginable beauty, David paused, pursing his lips.
“Something on your mind?”
“The number of meteors falling are decreasing. They’re still steady, but it’s been several hours, which means we’re gradually moving away from the storm. Hopefully the storm will end before we’re exposed to it again.”
Vincent Berg (1957) was born in New Jersey but, being a military dependent, grew up on ‘more or less the East Coast’. Working in Systems Engineering in the Financial Services in Chicago and New York City, he never considered himself a writer, but after retiring and moving closer to his family, he wanted to explore the kinds of books he enjoyed.
His writings aren’t typical, with the writing style harking back to the early twentieth Century, and the stories being complex and meandering. Without action heroes, antiheroes or even clear conflicts, the stories are more character based, as the central characters try to figure out where they are and where they’re going. The reader gets sucked along, as they try to piece together where they fit in the world.
You can contact me at:
• eMail: berg.vincent@gmail.com