Final Dawn: Season 1 (The Thrilling Post-Apocalyptic Series) by Mike Kraus Page B
Book: Final Dawn: Season 1 (The Thrilling Post-Apocalyptic Series) by Mike Kraus
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Authors: Mike Kraus
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car or even a bicycle, though, that would cut his time down drastically. Hell, a skateboard or pair of rollerblades would do the trick, too .
Marcus smirked at the thought and looked at the next day’s travel route. From what he could tell, there were a few gas stations along the way, so he could stock up on supplies and hopefully replace the lantern. The bigger worry would be getting over the Appalachian Mountains in the next day or two. Once he was past those, though, it would be relatively flat going all the way through Charlottesville to Richmond, and on a highway, no less. Might be some folks still left that way, too… doubtful, but worth a shot to check it out .
While the highway Marcus was near led him straight through Staunton and Waynesboro over the mountains, the more direct route was to cut through farmlands until he reached the outskirts of Charlottesville and then take the highway to Richmond. This meant missing out on two larger cities, but it would save him a day or so of travel time.
Marcus looked up at the sky and then down at his watch. After a few seconds, he realized that the second hand had stopped moving. He let out a yelp and quickly pulled out the stem, giving it several swift turns and waited for it to start moving again. Most people used purely digital watches (if they used them at all), even if they were made to look like mechanical ones. Marcus, though, much preferred the simplicity of a pure mechanical watch, one made without wires or circuits. While this old-fashioned decision had meant that his watch had survived the EMP, it also meant that he had to pay close attention to it to make sure that it didn’t wind down. He sighed as he reset the time, trying to estimate to the closest hour based on the position of the sun.
After fiddling with the watch for a few moments, Marcus folded up the map and jumped down from the side of the bus, landing with a grunt. He folded the map up and stuck it in his back pocket, then gave the bus a final look before heading down the highway, marching East at a brisk pace.
7:07 AM, March 27, 2038
Leonard McComb
Half a dozen flashlights, a box of MREs, a dozen gallons of water and four hard hats with fully charged headlights greeted Leonard as he opened the cabinet. Along with them, there were various and sundry medical supplies, spare tools, wire and safety harnesses. While the emergency lights in the maintenance room may have been neglected, someone had clearly paid close attention to safety regulations when stocking the supply cabinet.
Nearly a decade ago, emergency requirements for processing stations and maintenance rooms consisted of nothing more than a few flashlights and spare helmets. However, that all changed when a large system failure triggered the collapse of part of the sewer system, trapping seven workers for five days until they were rescued. While none of them suffered serious injuries, the lack of food and water – save for what they had brought in themselves – had triggered a change in the emergency management operations. This led to new regulations about how much food and water was required to be stored in key locations in the system, as well as things like spare tools and other potentially life-saving accessories.
Leonard tore open the box of MREs, realizing upon seeing them that he hadn’t eaten in quite a long time. He was thankful for the improved regulations that meant he wouldn’t starve or die of thirst. He grabbed several MREs from the box, along with a gallon of water, a flashlight and a hard hat. He flicked the switch on the hard hat’s headlamp, smiling broadly as the darkness retreated in the face of the bright beam.
As Leonard started to ascend the stairs to devour one of the MREs, he happened to glance over at the large diesel generators across the room. The smile he still wore from finding the supplies slowly waned and he dropped what he was carrying on the stairs. Leonard walked over
Marcus smirked at the thought and looked at the next day’s travel route. From what he could tell, there were a few gas stations along the way, so he could stock up on supplies and hopefully replace the lantern. The bigger worry would be getting over the Appalachian Mountains in the next day or two. Once he was past those, though, it would be relatively flat going all the way through Charlottesville to Richmond, and on a highway, no less. Might be some folks still left that way, too… doubtful, but worth a shot to check it out .
While the highway Marcus was near led him straight through Staunton and Waynesboro over the mountains, the more direct route was to cut through farmlands until he reached the outskirts of Charlottesville and then take the highway to Richmond. This meant missing out on two larger cities, but it would save him a day or so of travel time.
Marcus looked up at the sky and then down at his watch. After a few seconds, he realized that the second hand had stopped moving. He let out a yelp and quickly pulled out the stem, giving it several swift turns and waited for it to start moving again. Most people used purely digital watches (if they used them at all), even if they were made to look like mechanical ones. Marcus, though, much preferred the simplicity of a pure mechanical watch, one made without wires or circuits. While this old-fashioned decision had meant that his watch had survived the EMP, it also meant that he had to pay close attention to it to make sure that it didn’t wind down. He sighed as he reset the time, trying to estimate to the closest hour based on the position of the sun.
After fiddling with the watch for a few moments, Marcus folded up the map and jumped down from the side of the bus, landing with a grunt. He folded the map up and stuck it in his back pocket, then gave the bus a final look before heading down the highway, marching East at a brisk pace.
7:07 AM, March 27, 2038
Leonard McComb
Half a dozen flashlights, a box of MREs, a dozen gallons of water and four hard hats with fully charged headlights greeted Leonard as he opened the cabinet. Along with them, there were various and sundry medical supplies, spare tools, wire and safety harnesses. While the emergency lights in the maintenance room may have been neglected, someone had clearly paid close attention to safety regulations when stocking the supply cabinet.
Nearly a decade ago, emergency requirements for processing stations and maintenance rooms consisted of nothing more than a few flashlights and spare helmets. However, that all changed when a large system failure triggered the collapse of part of the sewer system, trapping seven workers for five days until they were rescued. While none of them suffered serious injuries, the lack of food and water – save for what they had brought in themselves – had triggered a change in the emergency management operations. This led to new regulations about how much food and water was required to be stored in key locations in the system, as well as things like spare tools and other potentially life-saving accessories.
Leonard tore open the box of MREs, realizing upon seeing them that he hadn’t eaten in quite a long time. He was thankful for the improved regulations that meant he wouldn’t starve or die of thirst. He grabbed several MREs from the box, along with a gallon of water, a flashlight and a hard hat. He flicked the switch on the hard hat’s headlamp, smiling broadly as the darkness retreated in the face of the bright beam.
As Leonard started to ascend the stairs to devour one of the MREs, he happened to glance over at the large diesel generators across the room. The smile he still wore from finding the supplies slowly waned and he dropped what he was carrying on the stairs. Leonard walked over
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