this is the real world, Fearless Leader.”
“I’ve had the same problem,” Dave admitted.
Bob had a suggestion.
“How about this?” he said. “Let’s take it all as a starting point for a story, instead of as a story in and of itself. Let’s bat it around a bit, like a story conference.”
“I don’t get it,” Dennis said. “How does that help anything?”
“How does it hurt?” Bob countered. “Let’s just say, for the purposes of developing this story, that it’s all real. That people in Washington and other capitals around the world are doing their best to cover it all up because they don’t have a clue about what to do next. Let’s postulate that, very soon, this whole country is literally going to run out of gas. So…number one, whathappens next? And number two, what would a prudent individual do to prepare for it?”
Dave could see the interest growing as Bob spoke. They were story people, they were used to taking a situation and running with it.
“Here’s a bit of data for you,” he said. “Los Angeles gets enough rainfall every year to support about 5 percent of our current population.”
“You’ve been researching this,” Bob said.
“I have. Where do you think we get our electricity? Half of it comes from coal-burning plants in Utah. But the coal is brought in by diesel-powered trains. They won’t be running if this scenario is correct.”
Dave let them ponder that for a while. Jenna spoke up.
“Food, water, power,” she said. “We take all that for granted, but we shouldn’t. Los Angeles is a desert. It’s only transportation and water that’s made it possible to live here. Without that, we all dry up and blow away. How long do you think the food in stores and warehouses would last, if no more was coming in?”
“I have no idea,” Dave said. “I wasn’t able to find any data on that. Maybe nobody’s even considered it.”
“What about the people who plan for the Big One?” That was Roger. “Surely they must have an estimate of food resources when transportation is disrupted.”
“They probably do,” Bob said, “but remember, all their planning is assuming one thing we can no longer assume. They figure that, no matter how big the Big One is, we won’t be on our own. Help will come from outside. The Red Cross, the National Guard. But the thing about this disaster is, no help will be coming.
Everybody
will be without fuel. No rescue helicopters, no truckloads of supplies. Nothing.”
“So what would our prudent, forewarned writer need to do to provide for his family for an unknown time?” Roger asked.
“Lay in supplies, obviously,” Jenna said.
“I’ve done that.”
“Bulk staples. Flour, cornmeal, rice, sugar…”
“Coffee,” Dennis suggested. Dave doubted Dennis could survive very long without coffee.
“Lots of booze,” Bob said, to general laughter.
“See?” Dave said. “I’m glad I brought you here. I’ve bought a lot of stuff like canned meat and tuna. I didn’t think of flour, because I’m not a baker.”
“You’d have to learn to be one,” Jenna said. “Buy a lot of carbs, that’s mysuggestion. It’ll last longer. I’d be buying twenty-pound sacks of rice by the carload. It’s cheaper than canned food, too.”
“I’d be cleaning my weapons,” Roger said. That was greeted by another silence.
“I don’t have any weapons,” Dennis said.
“Neither do I,” Dave said.
Jenna said she had a pistol that she’d never used. Bob had quite a collection of rifles and shotguns.
“How long does it take to buy a gun in California?” Dennis wondered.
“Too long,” Bob said, dryly. “There will be civil unrest. Can you envision how bad it could get when parents see their children starving?”
“Starving? Isn’t that a little extreme?”
Bob shook his head.
“Follow this scenario out to its end, and it gets really frightening. The gasoline and diesel is running out. The store shelves are empty. Nothing is coming
“I’ve had the same problem,” Dave admitted.
Bob had a suggestion.
“How about this?” he said. “Let’s take it all as a starting point for a story, instead of as a story in and of itself. Let’s bat it around a bit, like a story conference.”
“I don’t get it,” Dennis said. “How does that help anything?”
“How does it hurt?” Bob countered. “Let’s just say, for the purposes of developing this story, that it’s all real. That people in Washington and other capitals around the world are doing their best to cover it all up because they don’t have a clue about what to do next. Let’s postulate that, very soon, this whole country is literally going to run out of gas. So…number one, whathappens next? And number two, what would a prudent individual do to prepare for it?”
Dave could see the interest growing as Bob spoke. They were story people, they were used to taking a situation and running with it.
“Here’s a bit of data for you,” he said. “Los Angeles gets enough rainfall every year to support about 5 percent of our current population.”
“You’ve been researching this,” Bob said.
“I have. Where do you think we get our electricity? Half of it comes from coal-burning plants in Utah. But the coal is brought in by diesel-powered trains. They won’t be running if this scenario is correct.”
Dave let them ponder that for a while. Jenna spoke up.
“Food, water, power,” she said. “We take all that for granted, but we shouldn’t. Los Angeles is a desert. It’s only transportation and water that’s made it possible to live here. Without that, we all dry up and blow away. How long do you think the food in stores and warehouses would last, if no more was coming in?”
“I have no idea,” Dave said. “I wasn’t able to find any data on that. Maybe nobody’s even considered it.”
“What about the people who plan for the Big One?” That was Roger. “Surely they must have an estimate of food resources when transportation is disrupted.”
“They probably do,” Bob said, “but remember, all their planning is assuming one thing we can no longer assume. They figure that, no matter how big the Big One is, we won’t be on our own. Help will come from outside. The Red Cross, the National Guard. But the thing about this disaster is, no help will be coming.
Everybody
will be without fuel. No rescue helicopters, no truckloads of supplies. Nothing.”
“So what would our prudent, forewarned writer need to do to provide for his family for an unknown time?” Roger asked.
“Lay in supplies, obviously,” Jenna said.
“I’ve done that.”
“Bulk staples. Flour, cornmeal, rice, sugar…”
“Coffee,” Dennis suggested. Dave doubted Dennis could survive very long without coffee.
“Lots of booze,” Bob said, to general laughter.
“See?” Dave said. “I’m glad I brought you here. I’ve bought a lot of stuff like canned meat and tuna. I didn’t think of flour, because I’m not a baker.”
“You’d have to learn to be one,” Jenna said. “Buy a lot of carbs, that’s mysuggestion. It’ll last longer. I’d be buying twenty-pound sacks of rice by the carload. It’s cheaper than canned food, too.”
“I’d be cleaning my weapons,” Roger said. That was greeted by another silence.
“I don’t have any weapons,” Dennis said.
“Neither do I,” Dave said.
Jenna said she had a pistol that she’d never used. Bob had quite a collection of rifles and shotguns.
“How long does it take to buy a gun in California?” Dennis wondered.
“Too long,” Bob said, dryly. “There will be civil unrest. Can you envision how bad it could get when parents see their children starving?”
“Starving? Isn’t that a little extreme?”
Bob shook his head.
“Follow this scenario out to its end, and it gets really frightening. The gasoline and diesel is running out. The store shelves are empty. Nothing is coming
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