| General Fiction posted April 6, 2014 | Chapters: |
...39 40 -41- 42... 
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The weather is a factor for both sides as strategy is made.
A chapter in the book Yosemite
How's The Weather?
by michaelcahill
| Background Near total world destruction has left a few survivors in Yosemite fighting to keep their lives going in peace. Outside forces covet the land they have. |
Previously, contact is being made throughout the continental U.S. and Canada. There is an eerie silence throughout much of the world. The damage to the earth appears extensive and catastrophic. Yosemite appears to be one of the few thriving eco-systems on the face of the earth. An armada of vessels approaches their position. Its size is unknown other than being quite large. Its purpose is clear, to take over Yosemite. Plans continue to unfold. We join the story as incredible storms attack the approaching armada. The campers view the violent weather from Half-Dome.
"Damn, Christine, they are getting slammed out there. The may not even make it here. It looks like evil twins playing rubber ducky in a bathtub. But, they're still coming."
Ma laughed. "That's a been goin' on a startin' day one. Every which way you'd look. Storms, lightnin' flashin' lights, quite a show. Course we had nothin' but lookin' glasses till we runned cross this bunker here. Then the show was a really crackin'."
Christine looked up from what seemed to be far away. "Only the one rainstorm here. Seems odd that the weather spares this area. The disaster didn't. You remember, Johnny. People dropping sometimes within two feet of someone that kept running. Does it look like they've lost any ships?"
"Can't say. Lots of em still iffin' they did. I'm guessin' they's a might desperate if you's to ask me. Tough as it's been here, nothin' would gets me an the boys out on that angry pond." Ma leaned back.
I'd come to recognize that posture. It meant, "Mull that over for a second. There's something to think about there, something important."
Christine beat me to the punch. "They have no choice. They have no place to go. They're homeland is destroyed. They're without a country. That's why they want this land. This is all they know, war. War and power is what is ingrained in their memories for generations."
"No transmissions from China, Christine. None. Europe, Central and South America. All of Asia, Christine."
Ma smiled as the picture started to form in our minds. Christine leaned forward propelled by the force of her own revelation.
She look surprised; I had not seen that look since our first kiss. "They have nowhere else to go. They are fleeing the devastation of their destroyed countries..."
I couldn't contain myself. "Everything they have left, is on that armada of ships. It's do or die for them."
We sat there and pondered that for quite a while. Ma got up and boiled water for coffee. The smell of those crystals exploding in the water drew others to the campfire. Even Nikolai and Linda, the couple that never slept, joined us.
I broke the silence and probably the last moment of peace we would enjoy together for a long time. "This isn't a war. This is a hostage situation. How else can we look at it? None of this is a certainty, but it is likely that this armada is all that remains of a large portion of the world. We have to consider most of the people on these ships as being there involuntarily. We have to attempt rescue. In any war, if all of the leaders suddenly disappeared, how long would the soldiers continue to fight?"
Jen jumped up. She rubbed her back. She had a decided protrusion in her mid-section. Rumors of her pregnancy were not exaggerated. She blushed as she felt eyes slowly rise up, to politely make eye contact with hers. She smiled sheepishly and spoke, "what about our ships? Surely, we have some ships still afloat. What about Canada? They seem the least affected by the catastrophe. Don't we have some kind of answer for this ocean full of ships coming our way? I mean, Nikolai says Edwards may not even be able to get planes off the ground with this crazy weather. For Christ's sake, he says it's snowing there. It's eighty degrees here were it should be freezing and it's snowing in the middle of the desert. I feel like we're in the eye of one giant ass tornado and Dorothy is barefoot."
I should have known Barbara, the talking machine, couldn't resist the opportunity to speak. She looked to be ready to jump out of her underpants. I blocked thoughts of what color they might be, but to no avail, a shade of green that had no name, and existed nowhere else, came to mind.
I shuddered, as she spoke, "You don't get the picture. This is not something natural. This is mankind taking a blowtorch to an ice cube. This is Godzilla pointing his ass at the ozone, cutting a huge fart and lighting a match. There isn't some scientific model to help your kids with for show and tell. They've fast-forwarded the earth's evolution a million years. Maybe it's backwards, I don't know. For all I know, this is what the Lord woke up to on the fourth day. Except, this time he threw man on the planet early. Hell, I don't even know what I'm saying!" She burst out into some kind of sobbing laughter that came without tears or humor.
Carlos found no humor in any of it. He looked somber as he spoke, "our concern is right here. We have to concern ourselves with us. As far as I'm concerned, this armada, or whatever you want to call it, belongs at the bottom of the ocean. Need I remind anyone that they are the bastards that did all of this to us?"
That thinking hit a familiar chord with me. That word "us". It never struck me more clearly than it did, at that moment, what a damn devious word that was. What a deception for the powers that be, to refer to those that they rule, as equals. "We", indeed. We, the people. No, the people aren't in charge of a damn thing in spite of what the people that are in charge, tell you. They, are in charge of you, the people.
That sounded so comforting and correct to call our group of merry warriors, "us". The whole problem with "us" is that it creates another unfortunate group of people called, "them". The time had come to decide what kind of a world everyone would be living in. The world still existed, and so did humanity, for the time being. A famous quote ran through my mind now. It came from a time in my youth: "I don't know what weapons World War III will be fought with, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and rocks."
World War III was fought with weapons of mass destruction. World War IV loomed on the horizon. We still had weapons a plenty to bring to bear. Hell, we might yet be able to destroy the rest of it, if we put our minds to it. After all, "we" had to protect what was "ours", so "they" wouldn't get it.
Tom stood to address the group. "I appreciate the sentiments that Johnny and Christine have expressed here. I'm sure we can all agree that without them, none of this would have come about. But, I have to look at this from a practical standpoint. This is an enemy that comes to call. This is a desperate enemy, and one that is hell bent on our destruction. Hundreds have died horrible deaths at their dastardly and devious hands. They aren't coming here to seek asylum. They come to annihilate. If there are survivors, yes, we show them mercy. Johnny has demonstrated that numerous times, to the benefit of all. But, we protect our own first. We wipe this threat off the face of the earth. Then, peace will be the order of the day."
Should I squelch this immediately, or let it play out? I expected as much from these two. Nothing new. Let them state their minds, knowing the mindset of those around me had an importance to me. I needed to know how extensively Christine had influenced the mood of the camp. I'd let everyone have their say. The path to take had already been set in stone, as far as I was concerned. I'd like to hear the extent of the support I could expect.
Ma laughed. "That's a been goin' on a startin' day one. Every which way you'd look. Storms, lightnin' flashin' lights, quite a show. Course we had nothin' but lookin' glasses till we runned cross this bunker here. Then the show was a really crackin'."
Christine looked up from what seemed to be far away. "Only the one rainstorm here. Seems odd that the weather spares this area. The disaster didn't. You remember, Johnny. People dropping sometimes within two feet of someone that kept running. Does it look like they've lost any ships?"
"Can't say. Lots of em still iffin' they did. I'm guessin' they's a might desperate if you's to ask me. Tough as it's been here, nothin' would gets me an the boys out on that angry pond." Ma leaned back.
I'd come to recognize that posture. It meant, "Mull that over for a second. There's something to think about there, something important."
Christine beat me to the punch. "They have no choice. They have no place to go. They're homeland is destroyed. They're without a country. That's why they want this land. This is all they know, war. War and power is what is ingrained in their memories for generations."
"No transmissions from China, Christine. None. Europe, Central and South America. All of Asia, Christine."
Ma smiled as the picture started to form in our minds. Christine leaned forward propelled by the force of her own revelation.
She look surprised; I had not seen that look since our first kiss. "They have nowhere else to go. They are fleeing the devastation of their destroyed countries..."
I couldn't contain myself. "Everything they have left, is on that armada of ships. It's do or die for them."
We sat there and pondered that for quite a while. Ma got up and boiled water for coffee. The smell of those crystals exploding in the water drew others to the campfire. Even Nikolai and Linda, the couple that never slept, joined us.
I broke the silence and probably the last moment of peace we would enjoy together for a long time. "This isn't a war. This is a hostage situation. How else can we look at it? None of this is a certainty, but it is likely that this armada is all that remains of a large portion of the world. We have to consider most of the people on these ships as being there involuntarily. We have to attempt rescue. In any war, if all of the leaders suddenly disappeared, how long would the soldiers continue to fight?"
Jen jumped up. She rubbed her back. She had a decided protrusion in her mid-section. Rumors of her pregnancy were not exaggerated. She blushed as she felt eyes slowly rise up, to politely make eye contact with hers. She smiled sheepishly and spoke, "what about our ships? Surely, we have some ships still afloat. What about Canada? They seem the least affected by the catastrophe. Don't we have some kind of answer for this ocean full of ships coming our way? I mean, Nikolai says Edwards may not even be able to get planes off the ground with this crazy weather. For Christ's sake, he says it's snowing there. It's eighty degrees here were it should be freezing and it's snowing in the middle of the desert. I feel like we're in the eye of one giant ass tornado and Dorothy is barefoot."
I should have known Barbara, the talking machine, couldn't resist the opportunity to speak. She looked to be ready to jump out of her underpants. I blocked thoughts of what color they might be, but to no avail, a shade of green that had no name, and existed nowhere else, came to mind.
I shuddered, as she spoke, "You don't get the picture. This is not something natural. This is mankind taking a blowtorch to an ice cube. This is Godzilla pointing his ass at the ozone, cutting a huge fart and lighting a match. There isn't some scientific model to help your kids with for show and tell. They've fast-forwarded the earth's evolution a million years. Maybe it's backwards, I don't know. For all I know, this is what the Lord woke up to on the fourth day. Except, this time he threw man on the planet early. Hell, I don't even know what I'm saying!" She burst out into some kind of sobbing laughter that came without tears or humor.
Carlos found no humor in any of it. He looked somber as he spoke, "our concern is right here. We have to concern ourselves with us. As far as I'm concerned, this armada, or whatever you want to call it, belongs at the bottom of the ocean. Need I remind anyone that they are the bastards that did all of this to us?"
That thinking hit a familiar chord with me. That word "us". It never struck me more clearly than it did, at that moment, what a damn devious word that was. What a deception for the powers that be, to refer to those that they rule, as equals. "We", indeed. We, the people. No, the people aren't in charge of a damn thing in spite of what the people that are in charge, tell you. They, are in charge of you, the people.
That sounded so comforting and correct to call our group of merry warriors, "us". The whole problem with "us" is that it creates another unfortunate group of people called, "them". The time had come to decide what kind of a world everyone would be living in. The world still existed, and so did humanity, for the time being. A famous quote ran through my mind now. It came from a time in my youth: "I don't know what weapons World War III will be fought with, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and rocks."
World War III was fought with weapons of mass destruction. World War IV loomed on the horizon. We still had weapons a plenty to bring to bear. Hell, we might yet be able to destroy the rest of it, if we put our minds to it. After all, "we" had to protect what was "ours", so "they" wouldn't get it.
Tom stood to address the group. "I appreciate the sentiments that Johnny and Christine have expressed here. I'm sure we can all agree that without them, none of this would have come about. But, I have to look at this from a practical standpoint. This is an enemy that comes to call. This is a desperate enemy, and one that is hell bent on our destruction. Hundreds have died horrible deaths at their dastardly and devious hands. They aren't coming here to seek asylum. They come to annihilate. If there are survivors, yes, we show them mercy. Johnny has demonstrated that numerous times, to the benefit of all. But, we protect our own first. We wipe this threat off the face of the earth. Then, peace will be the order of the day."
Should I squelch this immediately, or let it play out? I expected as much from these two. Nothing new. Let them state their minds, knowing the mindset of those around me had an importance to me. I needed to know how extensively Christine had influenced the mood of the camp. I'd let everyone have their say. The path to take had already been set in stone, as far as I was concerned. I'd like to hear the extent of the support I could expect.
 Recognized |
The story has a lot of aspects to it. It's difficult to keep the posts short enough to comfortably read and address everything that I wish to address. Keep pointing things out and I will keep them in mind. I am listening to every single word intently, believe me. Your input is the greatest. I can't thank you enough. Sorry for my responses being so terribly slow. Limited internet. I have my laptop to write on all day. But, only a couple hours a day to post and review. mikey
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