When The Fault Breaks: Life Will Never Be The Same Read online

  "Morning sleepy heads, it's about time you got up."

  "What time is it?"

  "It's almost noon, you must have been exhausted from your travels."

  Allen replied, "I guess, thanks for letting us sleep. So Peter when do we get the dime tour of this place?"

  "Well now is just as good a time as any."

  Ann spoke up, "But wouldn't you like some bacon and eggs first?"

  "Are you kidding? HELL YEA."

  "Great while the girls get that ready for you we can look around. Our place is pretty simple. We're standing in the living room; the three doors you see on my right are the two bedrooms with a common bath in between. It's a full bath with a flush toilet, sink and a large garden tub."

  "Bathroom…it has a flush toilet!?"

  Allen asked, "How can you make a flush toilet out here without pipe?"

  "The Romans did not have plastics but they had flush toilets. They made pipe out of ceramics or wood and so did we. When we were building we dug the pit between both cabins to make a simple septic system and when the tiles are done we can flush the toilet. The system will serve dual duty by also producing methane for the stoves. And we have the pipe from the RV's for the gas to the stoves."

  "How did you come up with that idea?"

  "I don't get credit for this one, the pipe is Roman and the Chinese have generated methane this way to pipe to their homes for cooking and heating for generations."

  The girls were already in the kitchen when we arrived.

  "Wow look at this kitchen, it looks like you have all the comforts of home from before the quake."

  "We do have a few, as you can see the back side of the fireplace doubles as both a wood fired stove with its own contained fire chamber and a wood fired oven next to it."

  Allen's eyes lit up and he licked his lips as he asked, "Does that mean pizza tonight"?

  "I don't see why not, I make one hell of a pizza, several as a matter as a fact. Just place your order and I will see what I can do."

  We continued the tour and met the girls coming out of the bathroom laughing. The girls all chipped in and made a feast for breakfast and everyone pigged out. Several people came up wanting to know when they were going to be at the cave, so off we all went to show them the rest of Little Haven.

  Chapter 18: The Grand Tour

  As we made our way down we stopped at several farms and chatted with their residents. Most of them followed us to the cave like little ducklings. When we reached the cave Becky was there waiting to greet her new guests.

  Allen said, "This looks like one hell of a cave Becky, definitely more than we had last winter."

  "Thanks but you haven't seen anything yet, let's go inside and I will show you the place."

  Sheryl spoke up, "I can't wait."

  As they entered Becky began to describe the cave.

  "We call this the great room, it serves as the kitchen, living room, and sitting area. Those doors on my right are some of the bedrooms and on my left the rest of the bedrooms, there are five in all. If you look up you will notice you don't see any rock, that is because we want to keep all of it up there and not raining down on us in here."

  Sheryl exclaimed, "Holy shit this must have taken months to build, how did you get it done before winter?"

  "We didn't, all we got done before winter was the ceiling, front wall and the fireplace. We got the water in here too, but that was about all we were able to do in time. Much of what you see was built over the winter while we were held up inside. We built the bedroom walls out of Alder saplings, which we were able to get even in the snow.

  When we get the floor built, channels will carry heat from a chamber in the fireplace and feed it into the bedrooms. The fireplace already heats the water and gives us hot water for washing and baths, in time we'll build a drain to take out the waste water."

  As they made their way through, Becky showed them what would be their room. Sheryl was so happy.

  "This is far more then what we had over the winter it will be great, we'll take it. How much is the rent and does it include subletting options?"

  Everyone in the cave loved that and laughed.

  Becky continued, "The four of you will have to share one bedroom for a bit, but Sidney and Angie are almost done with their cabin and will be moving out in less than a month."

  Angie chimed in, "Three weeks' tops Becky, we're not waiting until it is done, we'll finish it while we live in it like everyone else has."

  Sheryl replied, "This will be fine Becky, but I'm not sure about how long we want to stay in here. It's not that it's not a great place because it is, it's just not something I could do for very long."

  Allen asked, "So how do we go about building a place of our own?"

  "Well in many ways that's the easy part, finding the right place that's a bit more challenging because you have so many options. But before we talk about setting down roots, we need to talk about some expectations and conditions."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Do you remember the conditions we talked about before we left the lake?"

  "We do."

  "Everyone living here in the valley has agreed to them in order to be welcome here, not the least of it is that we all help each other which includes building all the cabins. Along with that we share all the produce and game. It all is evenly distributed and no one goes hungry."

  Allen interjected, "It sounds like socialism to me."

  "In many ways you are right, but we have been a socialist nation for many generations. Despite poplar belief we have not even elected our president since who knows when. That's done by the fat cats that screwed us over and caused the Depression. But I don't want to get into that. It's all in the past, now we live happy and free. Now where was I?"

  "Oh, if you want to build a cabin you find a place you like and we all help you build it. If you want to grow food, we will provide you with seeds and help if needed and the harvest is divided for all. It may be you pick one type of thing to grow like wheat, rice or sugar, or maybe a variety of things, that's all your choice. You could also do like some of the other ranchers, they have captured animals like deer, ducks, pheasants or rabbit and are breeding them for everyone."

  Sheryl asked, "So I want to make sure I understand all this, in return for what we do we get things like meat or produce that we need but did not grow?"

  "Yes Sheryl that is correct, everybody's needs are met, no one ends up rich, but we all live our lives happy and well provided for."

  "That sounds like utopia."

  "That's funny, Allen called it socialism and you called it utopia. I wish, if it were utopia we would not have to worry about the other side of things."

  "What things do you mean?"

  "So far Allen we have not had any, but at some point people will be people and someone will decide that something that is not theirs is theirs, or someone will hurt someone else."

  "I remember, what happens then?"

  "Well that depends on what it is. Either the victim or his or her family or friends decide what is justice. If someone commits something that physically harms another, then the only option is death."

  Sheryl exclaimed, "WHAT!? What do you mean death? Isn't that a bit harsh? Who decides that?"

  "Like I said the family or friends do. Remember we talked about all this at the lake."

  "Well I did not pay any attention because we were not coming. Why don't you just send them away?"

  "Where? If they leave they could bring back the militia, pissed off for being exiled."

  Allen responded, "Well Peter, you won't have to worry about us hurting anyone."

  "I know but telling you all the expectations is something I needed to go over with you."

  Sheryl said, "It sounds like there are lots of rules to live by here."

  "Not really, no one tells you what you have to believe, no one crams their beliefs down your throat and threatens you with eternal damnation. No one tells you where to live or how to live. You live
your life as you wish as long as it does not harm others.

  If we are all in agreement with the rule, then we should finish your tour. Let's continue down valley because we need to go to the fort next."

  "Ok let's go we can talk some more as we walk Peter."

  Off we went and continued to talk as we walked.

  Sheryl asked, "I heard something that surprised me and I want to know if it's true."

  "What was that?"

  "We heard that Wendell and Lucy lost Meagan on the trail here."

  "That is correct, it happened a bit more than a mile from here."

  "I also heard she was carrying his baby. I remember when Wendell and Lucy came to the camp he was married to Lucy, how was Meagan pregnant with his baby if he was married to Lucy?"

  "That is a very good question Sheryl. I said we don't tell people what to believe or how to live their lives. Wendell was married to Lucy before they came here, they both met Megan and both fell in love with her. They were quiet about their relationship in camp for fear of being judged, but when we left camp they no longer had that fear with us."

  That got Allen's attention.

  "So let me make sure I got this strait, Wendell was living with two women and it's all cool?"

  "Yep that's right Allen. He was married to Lucy and fathered both babies. No one has the right to judge them for living the way they wish."

  Allen smiled and replied, "I think I am going to like living here."

  Sheryl sneered at Allen and said, "Don't even think about it, you are mine and only mine."

  We all laughed.

  Allen asked, "Hey what about you Peter, you're living with three women does that mean you have your own harem?"

  More Laughing.

  "No Sandy and Tammy are a couple and not into guys."

  As we approached, the fort came into view. It looked very much like one out of the old west. From the outside all you could see were the twenty-foot high walls with no windows, but as we entered that was a different story.

  Fred was standing by the gate waiting to greet everyone.

  "Welcome Allen it's really nice to see you again, we missed you here."

  "We missed you too Fred. I only wish I had decided to come with you in the first place, but we are here now and we'll make the best of it."

  "Well let me show you around the fort. Front and center here is our command center, as you can see it is not built out of logs. It's built almost entirely of river rock cemented together with a log backbone inside.

  The roof is a sod covering on a log structure and all non-flammable material it will not burn if it's hit by fire."

  Allen asked, "What is that they are building out of the command center?"

  "It's a tower of its own in the center that will be forty feet high when finished."

  "Can we go inside?"

  Fred replied, "Sure let's go."

  As we entered Fred continued his description of the Command Center.

  "In the back corner on the opposite end from the bedrooms is the galley. It has a fully equipped kitchen including a refrigerator two stoves/ovens taken from the chuck wagon you made. The cooking equipment from the mess hut has been moved here so the cooks have everything they need to make the meals. On the other end are two bedrooms with my office in between them.

  As you can see it has a large center area set up so everyone can sit to eat and orders for the day given out. The fireplace on the front wall to one side of the main entryway was built like all the rest incorporating the ability to heat both the air and water."

  We headed back out to finish the tour of the fort.

  Fred continued, "To your left and right you can see the beginning of the two barracks going up, and behind them is the beginning of the south towers. Under that left tower they are digging a forty-foot deep well that will be lined with concrete. Under the right one will be an ammo dump."

  Allen exclaimed, "Wow you have one hell of an operation going here."

  "We do now, all we could do was the basics before winter hit but now we have plenty of time so by next winter the fort will be done. We will no longer need any of the tents and we will be ready for whatever comes our way. When we're done it'll have four towers like the old west and we'll mount the .50cal's in each."

  Allen jokingly said, "Well it's nice to know you are in the neighborhood."

  After we were finished with the tour of the fort, Ann brought Allen and his family up to the cave to get ready for lunch. Fred and I went over some additional issues.

  "Hey Fred, are you ready to move into your new home?"

  "I already have, we moved in long before the rest of the building was done so we could get out of that tent. I have had enough bunking with this guy."

  Fred points to Brandon.

  "Thanks buddy. Does this mean the honeymoon is over?"

  "Sorry Brandon but that ended when you farted so loud it rattled the tent walls."

  We all laughed.

  "I'm broken hearted Fred, I thought we were happy."

  "All right ladies that's enough, so Fred what's your plans for your tent?"

  "We figure we can use it for emergencies, or if we go somewhere."

  "What about the rest of your team what are their plans?"

  "There are several groups that are building their own cabins so they can live in their own homes. It's only a matter of time before the barracks are finished for whoever is left, so they don't have to spend more than the one winter in the tents."

  "Will the barracks be finished before winter?"

  "Most definitely."

  "It sounds like you have worked out all the details Fred, I guess it's now just a matter of time."

  In all, ten of his men and women wanted to move out and into their own homes. To everyone's surprise Sarg was not opposed to their request, in fact he supported it. Sarg knew that by them building their own homes they would protect it with more determination then if they didn't feel it was theirs.

  He made sure everyone knew they still had to be in the fort during their duty hours and were not to go home even for a meal. Everyone was fine with all that and each found their own location, either as groups, couples, or alone.

  By the time I got back to the cave it was lunchtime and folks had gathered at the cave to see their old friends. It was a festive day with several families bringing food and drink, enough that it started to look like an impromptu potluck. Since everyone wanted to hear if there was news from the outside world, we decided to call for a real potluck at the cave that night.

  "Now that everyone has eaten and been able to get reacquainted we all know why we are here, so let's get started. First I want to thank everybody for coming to this potluck for our old friends. I want to officially welcome Allen and his clan back to our family."

  There were cheers all around with several people yelling out a welcome of their own.

  "I know after living with them in our compound at the lake, that they are good folks and are of the same mind as the rest of us. I know many of you want to know if they know anything about the outside world. So I will turn this over to Allen."

  I turned to Allen and said, "All right Allen, the floor is yours."

  "We only had one other couple make their way to the camp before it was overrun.

  They told us what had been happening in other parts of the country. They said the United States was no more. There was no central government and almost three hundred million in the United States alone died, billions worldwide were gone.

  Anyone left in the large cities was hiding underground in subways and sewers. Eating scraps of food or rats and rummaging abandoned homes or stores for anything they could use. Even that didn't last long before it was all picked over and the rats gone.

  Many of the large militias that had formed in the years leading up to the quake had taken control of some of the cities and wars broke out between them as one tried to take control of the other. Some had taken over nuclear power plants but horded the power or used it to
blackmail the residents of the small cities that survived to comply.

  The problem was when the militia had taken over the plants they killed most of the people that knew how to operate them and there was no hope of getting needed parts to keep them up and running, so they too shut down as well.

  Several nuclear power plants along the west coast were destroyed by the quake but shut down automatically preventing radiation from contaminating everything for hundreds of miles. In time most of the plants all over the country either melted down or shut down so large areas of the country are now uninhabitable.