Hollow
"Is everyone in?" Eli asked as she looked over the group of people in the bunker. "Has the head-count been done?"
The low wail of the air alarm outside was still audible through the thick concrete walls making it almost impossible to hear what people were saying.
Finally, someone stepped out of the crowd. "We counted three times, but we're missing someone!"
The middle-aged woman frowned. "Who?"
People looked around frantically and after a minute a single name kept being repeated.
"Sasha?"
"Have you seen Sasha?"
"Okay, everyone: calm down!" Eli raised her arms to get everyone to go silent. She turned around towards the entrance of the bunker. "Sem, how much time do we have left?" she asked the old man who was sitting in front of a large metal door.
Sem combed his fingers through his grey hair while his eyes were fixed on the tablet in his other hand. "Not much... According to my earlier data, maybe five minutes. Let me refresh."
Eli nodded.
"Okay, making connection... Loading data..." He tapped and swiped on the screen, clicked his tongue, shook his head, and made eye-contact with Eli.
Eli sighed and turned towards the control panel that was to her left. The deafening silence that followed after she flipped a switch told everyone enough.
"But ... she's still out there," a woman said, sadness dripping from her words.
"The storm will hit any minute," Sem explained as he joined Eli in front of the crowd.
"We will leave the door unlocked, just in case she is still on her way," Eli stated. "Let's hope the siren's silence will make it clear to her that she's out of time."
The mood in the cramped bunker was grim and as time went by it only got worse. After half an hour—and still no Sasha—Eli moved towards Sem.
"How bad is this storm?" she whispered.
Sem took his tablet out and flicked through several apps. "The last data I collected suggests it's the worst we've had yet. The storm is currently blocking the signal, so I can't tell much more." He went to another app and added in a hushed tone, "The radiation inside the bunker is still within safe limits, but it is leaking through the walls."
Eli clucked her tongue. "So we need to thicken the walls even more?"
"If we keep getting storms like this one or worse: aye." He looked over his shoulder towards the entrance. "Might be good to get a second door too—the highest ratings I'm getting are there."
"What are the odds for Sasha out there?"
Sem remained silent for a bit. "Not good, but it's hard to say for sure. We will just have to wait and hope for the best."
-
The beeping of Sem's tablet woke him from a nap he didn't realise he had drifted off in. The others in the bunker looked up at him, hopeful. Not bothering to cover his mouth as he yawned, he silenced the alarm and flicked through the various apps. "I have connection with outside again."
People rose up, their collective anxiety made the air buzz.
"Okay everyone, I know you all want to go out and look for Sasha, but wait for Sem to give the clearance," Eli stated.
"The storm is dissipating," Sem stated as he stared at the graphs and figures dancing on the screen. "Radiation levels are dropping fast." He scratched his short, grey beard. "It should be safe to go outside in ten minutes or so. If however anyone here desires to try their luck on getting superpowers, the current dose might just be right for that."
Some people gave him a small grin, others just rolled their eyes, but the tension in the room had lessened.
"Okay," Eli said as she rose up, "let's use this time to make groups of five. I want people checking every part of this town to try and find Sasha as fast as possible. Check all the old basements first—she might have taken shelter in one of those."
While Eli continued to organise everyone for the impending search, Sem still swiped through all the data that was coming in. He kept his face neutral, but the severity of the storm troubled him more than he had let their camp leader know.
-
Sem walked up to Eli. "We need to have a talk about that storm."
"Is there a sign of another one hitting us soon?"
Sem shook his head. "No, but it seems another satellite got taken down. I'm getting bigger and bigger gaps in my long-range forecasts."
Eli clucked her tongue. "The drones aren't sufficient I take it?"
"The radiation is eating away at the parts. Lizzy already has six in repairs, but she can only fix so much with limited resources—the printer can't make everything and the repaired drones simply can't go as far as the original ones."
"How far are they now?"
"I still have some originals in Indonesia, but the repaired ones I haven't dared to send into Northern Au—"
"Eli!" A man came running towards them, panting.
"What is it, Jay? Has Sasha been found?"
The man nodded and pointed in the direction he had just come from. "She was out in the fields—you need to come and see!" He turned around and started to jog back.
Eli and Sem exchanged glances before following him. They made their way into an open field. A ring of people indicated where they were to head.
"Let me through," Eli said and people stepped aside to allow them to see what was going on.
Boris, the camp's closest thing to a doctor, sat next to Sasha. The young woman was still breathing—albeit laboured—and blood stained her nostrils and mouth. Her skin was an angry red, peeling even in some places.
Eli knelt down next to her and looked at Boris, who simply shook his head. "It's a miracle she's still alive at this point... There's nothing we can do."
"Damn it," Eli hissed.
"What was she doing in the middle of the field?" Sem asked.
Boris shrugged and remained silent.
"Sasha... Sasha dear, can you still hear me?" Eli asked as she gently placed her hand on the woman's blonde locks. "What happened?"
She turned her face away but lifted her right hand slightly. Eli didn't see it, but one of the bystanders did.
"She has something in her hand."
Eli looked down and the moment her fingers touched Sasha's hand, she relaxed her grasp and revealed a note. Gently, Eli took the piece of paper. She folded it open and paled as she read what was on it.
"What is it?" Boris asked.
Unable to speak, she simply handed the note to him. The doctor read what it said and his eyes widened. "Oh, Sasha..."
"P-please..." The woman's voice was but a whisper, but those closest to her still heard it.
"What did the note say?" Sem wanted to know and the people around them repeated the question.
Eli cleared her throat. "It's a suicide note. That's why she was here in this field. She—" her voice broke.
Sasha placed her hand on her knee. "D-don't ... be ... sad."
"Sasha, dear," Boris said, claiming her attention. "I'm afraid we can't do anything to save you. You've been exposed to too much radiation. I... I'm sorry."
"It's ... okay," Sasha managed to croak, her breathing rattling with fluids that were filling up her deteriorating lungs. "I'm ... ready." She smiled. "The storm... It was ... beautiful."
Everyone exchanged looks, unsure how to respond.
"But ... please ... make the ... pain stop ... now."
Eli and Boris remained silent—everyone remained silent.
"You know... We're unable to save her," Sem finally said, "and considering she wanted to die anyway... Do we really need to have her suffer through this?"
Sasha looked up at Sem, her eyes filling with gratitude.
"I might not officially be a doctor," Boris said, "but it still goes against everything I stand for to kill someone."
"Sem's right though," Eli countered. "She is dying, and worse: she's in a lot of pain. If we can't save her life, why must we make her last moments on this world be in agony?" She rose up and looked at the people that stood around them. "I call for a vote. Who here wants Sasha to suffer through her last moments?"
Nobody raised their hand.
"And who here wants us to quicken her passing?"
Several hands rose into the air, including Sem's, though a lot of people kept their eyes cast down.
"Anyone have any objections they wish to voice if we decide to quicken her passing?"
Boris turned around, hands in his messy curls, but he remained silent.
"Then I shall take responsibility as the camp leader." She took out her gun and knelt beside Sasha. Their gazes met and Eli swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. A lot of people also turned away, not wanting to see what was going to happen next.
"Thank ... you," Sasha muttered and she closed her eyes.
Eli took a deep breath, pressed the gun against the woman's forehead, and fired a single shot of condensed photons into her skull.
Sasha went limp on the grass, her last breath accompanied with a small trickle of red fluid escaping the corner of her mouth.
Eli holstered the gun and gently closed Sasha's eyes. "May you find what you were looking for." She stood up and faced away while some people behind her started to sob.
"Don't get me wrong," Boris said as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "You made the right choice. It was just a choice I couldn't make." The note crackled in his fist as he fought the tears that threatened to spill.
"Thanks, Bo." Eli took a deep breath before she started to walk back to their small town.
Sem took one last look at the group, sighed, and went after Eli. "Wait up."
"What is it, Sem?"
"Can we have a little chat? In private?"
It took a while before Eli answered. "Fine. In my office. But let us walk there in silence."
Sem nodded, respecting her wish.
-
The silent walk back gave Sem some time to organise his thoughts. They made their way to the town-hall and Sem followed the camp leader into her office.
"Okay, so what did you want to discuss?" Eli poured him a drink before they both sat down. "Sasha's intended suicide?"
"If I wanted to talk about that I'd have requested for something stronger." He gave her a sour grin before drinking from the cup.
"You made it sound like the subject of this little chat was going to be grim, but now you're making me doubt." Eli narrowed her eyes a bit.
"Oh, but it is grim. It's just that what I want to talk about no amount of alcohol will help." He emptied the cup and slammed it onto the table as if it had contained whisky instead of water. "We need to relocate."
Eli was just about to take a sip but stopped mid-movement. "Excuse me?"
"I know... We've been here for almost a decade. We've kept looters and raiders at bay. We got clean water, access to food—albeit dwindling—"
Eli huffed but remained silent.
"—good shelter... But as you might have noticed, the storms are increasing in intensity as they're coming further south. They're lasting longer before passing each time too. There will come a point where the radiation will poison our supplies or we will need to remain locked up for weeks at a time. It's not wise to stay here."
"So you suggest we just pack our stuff and leave? And go where? I don't need to tell you the world has gone to shit—this is probably one of the last safe havens out there."
"Aye, that we know of. Anything to the north is fucked. East or west is also no option—"
"But south is, right?" Eli finished for him.
Sem nodded. "Aye."
Eli folded her hands underneath her chin and leant on them as she peered into Sem's eyes. "This little village is already in the southern tip of New Zealand, do you think the remnants of Rakiura will be any better?"
"I was thinking a little more south than that."
Eli raised a brow. "Seriously?"
Sem nodded. "Antarctica should be quite habitable."
"Oh, that I don't question, but how do you think we will get there? Got an ocean liner in the harbour that I missed?"
"There might be a few offshore, but as those are all stuck on the ocean floor I doubt you'd want them."
A smile tugged at Eli's lips, but she managed to keep her gaze serious.
"We've got decent boats. If we pack light and leave when the weather is in our favour, it's doable."
"Doable..." She shook her head. "It's still risky. One storm and we're all dead."
Sem grinned. "One storm and we're all dead is exactly my point. One big storm hitting our community and it's all over." He leant back in his chair. "And if I may choose, I'd rather drown in the ocean than suffer like Sasha did."
Eli paled.
"If we all end up like Sasha, there won't be anyone to end our suffering. At least the ocean will be merciful."
Eli looked down at her cup, avoiding his gaze. "You may be right, but we might still be able to survive here for a few months without much trouble. If we take to sea we risk everything and we might all still die."
"Aye, but the longer we stay here, the worse the storms will become. The ocean will become more dangerous to cross. Staying here is guaranteed suicide. Trying to get to Antarctica may be risky, but at least there we have a chance to see the kids grow up to adults. Maybe it will even buy us enough time and that blasted inner sun will calm down."
"Heh." Eli looked at Sem. "You seriously believe that's a possibility?"
Sem shrugged. "The actual sun has periods of high and low activity; I merely assume the inner sun has them too."
"So what you're stating is: stay here and survive for...?"
"A year, tops, is my best guess."
"Or risk everything and cross the sea to Antarctica and live for ... well, longer."
Sem smiled. "Aye, correct."
Eli sighed. "Well, you've made your point—and after seeing Sasha I agree that drowning would be my preferred way to go too." She emptied her cup. "I will arrange for a community meeting tomorrow. If people want to stay, I will not force them to take to sea."
Sem nodded and rose. "Thanks for listening, Eli."
-
"Okay everyone, please sit down." Eli looked over the crowd and waited for them to take a seat. "Now, there are two important things I want to discuss today..."
As Eli started the gathering talking about Sasha, Sem stared at his tablet. He looked through his various apps, checked the satellites and the drones they were connected to, and ran some forecasts. He tried to obtain some data on the inner sun's activities, but the satellite he normally used for that had been lost the previous night when a flare fried its circuits.
Sem grunted, scratched his beard, and tried some other methods. Lost in thought, he totally missed a large part of the second half of the meeting.
"Pops," Jane hissed as she elbowed her granddad in the ribs.
Sem immediately straightened and looked up at Eli, who had her gaze fixed on him.
"Anything worrying on there?" she asked.
"Nothing immediate—for now," Sem replied, unfazed.
"Anything you would like to add to what I said?"
Sem smiled. "I have to honestly say I don't know. I wasn't paying attention."
There were some giggles in the crowd and Eli sighed.
"God, Pops," Jane whispered. "She just told us all about what you discussed with her yesterday. How could you not pay attention?"
Sem merely showed her the tablet with various graphs and tables with data, as if that was answer enough.
His granddaughter groaned and shook her head, embarrassed for the both of them.
"Okay then..." Eli returned her attention to the rest of the community. "Any questions?"
"Yeah, I've got one," a man in the back said. "Sem, how certain are you of these storms getting worse?"
Sem turned around. "As certain as I am you need to take at least two shits a week and that it will be the runs if you have some of Molly's stew." He smiled and winked at the woman seated next to the man.
People giggled and the man and woman flushed red.
"Oi, let's keep it serious," Eli said loudly.
"That means I'm quite certain," Sem stated.
"But will it really be worth the risk? We can manage here, if we go to Antarctica we have to start anew. We'd have nothing. How can we be sure we will be able to survive there?" someone else asked.
"As I said earlier, according to Sem our time here is limited. If we stay it won't be long before we won't be able to survive here either. At least in Antarctica we have a chance."
"Sem, how long do you think we can still stay here?" another person asked.
"I estimate it to be a year, tops. And we'd have to reinforce the bunker to prevent the radiation from leaking through. Our food supplies need to be protected too... All in all, a lot of work and in the end... Futile."
Everyone erupted in anxious chatter and Eli called for order after a minute. "I want to hear who wishes to go to Antarctica and try our odds there instead. If in favour of going, please raise your hand."
A lot of hands shot up into the air, some joined in a bit more hesitantly after a few seconds.
"All in favour of staying here?"
There were a few hands that slowly went up, but upon seeing just how few people would stay, they went down again.
"Again, who would want to go?"
Hands shot up with more determination now.
"And who would want to stay?"
No hands.
"Let it be clear I am not going to force anyone. If you don't want to go, you don't have to."
Still, no hands.
Eli smiled. "Alright then. We shall need to prepare to relocate. I want inventories of all our stuff and what we can take onto our boats."
As Eli went to divide tasks, Sem's attention went back to his tablet again. He opened a different app and looked into the sea conditions. The coming days the ocean appeared to be rather rough, some small—but normal—storms, but after that it seemed to calm down.
"What are you looking at?" Jane asked.
"When would be a good time to leave... But it's hard to tell right now. I will need to check regularly. When we are packed and ready to go, it's best to judge then."
"Closest to departure you mean?"
"Aye." He smiled at his granddaughter. "If you want, I can teach you some day."
She returned his smile. "I'd like that."
-
A dozen fishing boats were loaded and ready to go. Eli checked the lists the harbourmaster handed her of all the supplies that had been brought aboard. When she was done, she turned to Sem. "Final check: is the weather still looking good?"
Sem patted his trusty tablet. "Aye. It will be calm for a few days. Enough sun too to power the sails and a favourable wind."
"Will it be long enough for us to make it to Antarctica?"
"Let's hope so."
Eli nodded. "Alright then. Time to go." She gave the harbourmaster a nod and he in turn whistled loudly, the signal for everyone to start boarding the ships.
Sem joined Eli, his granddaughter right behind him. Lizzy, the technician, and Robert, a fisherman, completed their boat's crew.
Every ship had at least one person who knew how to sail and it didn't take long before all twelve were on their way. It was still early in the morning, but the sky was clear allowing the sun's rays to give full power to the solar sails and the boats quickly gained speed on the calm waters.
"Pops," Jane asked.
"Hm?"
"What's Antarctica like?"
Sem smiled. "I sent some of the repaired drones there already. Want to have a little sneak peek?"
The girl nodded eagerly.
Sem took out his tablet and accessed one of the drones. "This one still has an intact normal camera."
They both looked at the promising green landscape and mountains of where they were heading.
"That looks like a nice spot," Jane said as she pointed at a little valley between some lower mountains.
"I see plenty of nice spots," Sem said with a smile. "I think we will do just fine once we get there."
"Hey Jane," Robert suddenly called out.
"Yeah?"
"Want me to show you how to sail?"
She looked at Sem, who just smiled and gave her a nod.
"Yes, please!"
-
Two days had passed already and the night sky was littered with stars. Sem and Jane lay next to each other on the deck, looking up.
"I love looking at the sky," Jane said.
"How many constellations can you name?"
Jane pointed. "That's the Big Dog. That's the Little Dog. Unicorn is in between." She was silent for a bit. "Oh, and that's Centaur!"
"Very good," Sem said happily. "And do you recognise ... that one?"
"Peacock?"
"No, that's Crow. Peacock is a little more over there." Sem took her hand and pointed a bit more down.
"Oh yeah."
"And do you—" He fell silent as a shooting star crossed the sky.
"Oh!" Jane exclaimed. "We get to make a wish!"
"I wish we make it safely to Antarctica," Sem said.
"Pops, no!" Jane pouted. "You never wish out loud."
Sem sighed. "I always forget that rule."
"Luckily I don't."
"So does that mean you won't tell me your wish?"
Jane giggled. "Nope."
Another star shot by.
"Did you see it, Pops?"
"Aye, it went straight through Scorpion." He smiled. "Seems I get another chance at this."
-
"Pops! Pops, wake up!" Jane shook Sem, who woke up reluctantly.
"What's wrong?"
"Land," the girl stated excitedly with a huge grin. "Robert says we made it. Aunt Marie's boat is almost there already."
Sem sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "That's great news." He looked up at the gloomy early morning sky and pulled out his tablet. After checking a few apps he stated, "And on time too. Tomorrow, maybe even late in the afternoon, the weather is going to shift."
Eli walked by. "Hey, old man," she said with a wink. "Get up. It seems we made it."
"I might be old, but you are saying it as if it's a bad thing."
"That's your interpretation." She smiled at Sem before going over to Robert. "How do you plan to dock?"
Robert laughed. "Dock? I planned to just run this baby onto the shore if there's a good spot. I doubt we can actually dock anywhere."
Eli was about to protest, but decided against it. "You're the sailor here—I trust your judgement."
Sem walked over to Robert, tablet in hand. "I have a drone scouting the area here. Will some depth scans help?"
Robert turned, beaming. "Hell yeah!" He looked at Jane. "How about you sail for a bit while I look with your Pops for a suitable landing site?"
Now it was Jane's turn to smile broadly. "Awesome! Thanks."
-
Everyone got off the boats, which were docked to an old harbour that had been a mere two hours from their initial landing site. The peer was weathered, but still in good condition.
"Will the boats and our supplies be safe here?" Eli asked the harbourmaster.
"Yeah, we can easily scout inlands for a place to set up camp and come back later to pick all the stuff up."
She turned to Sem. "What about the weather?"
He looked through his apps. "Should be fine. Some rain and harsh winds, but nothing major. Next week however is a different story."
Eli thought it over for a second. "We should be able to find a place to stay soon enough. We will start moving equipment right after."
"Do you have a place in mind already?" the harbourmaster asked.
Eli nodded. "Yeah, I looked with Sem earlier at the surrounding area via the drone. Still, once there we need to assess access to clean water and other resources. There seems to be plenty of options though." She looked around at everyone. "Can you—" She didn't even need to finish her sentence.
A loud whistle rung through the air and everyone gathered around.
"Okay, we all made it safe and sound."
People cheered, but Eli raised her hands to get everyone to calm down.
"We need to set up camp before the sun starts to set. We will start moving South, so grab your direct supplies and get ready to hike. I want to leave in ten minutes."
Everybody started to gather all the essential things. Needing to help carry stuff, Sem tucked away his tablet and assisted in unpacking shelter materials.
-
"I still can't believe we made it," Jane said as she looked around in astonishment. "And it's so green here!"
"Aye, it seems the climate change took well here," Sem replied.
Aunt Marie was walking beside them. "I've already seen several edible plants. I think we will do well here." She gave Sem a pat on the shoulder. "It was a good idea to come here."
Sem smiled. "Well, so far. Just wait until we run into King Kong—I'm certain you'll be less happy then."
Marie laughed, but Jane gave Sem a quizzical look. "King who?"
Sem grasped for his heart. "And here I thought your aunt had taught you about all the classics."
Marie shoved him. "Classics, yes. Shakespeare and Tolkien and Natilliano and—"
They nearly bumped into the people in front of them who had suddenly come to a halt.
"What's going on?" Sem asked. He moved to the front and froze the moment he saw Eli and Boris standing next to each other, four strangers facing them.
Eli had her hand ready to grab her gun, but the strangers appeared unarmed. Three more appeared out of the bushes carrying a basket filled with roots and berries, and a long stick with several dead rabbits dangling from it—blood still dripping from their necks.
"Do you speak English?" Eli tried carefully.
One of them, a broad, tanned man, stepped forward. "We do."
"We do not mean to intrude. We do not intend harm or conflict."
"Where have you come from? Why are you here?"
"We're from New Zealand. We arrived here this morning. We came here looking for a new place to live."
The man narrowed his eyes.
"I swear: we do not intend to harm anyone or to be a bother. We've brought our own supplies and intend to make a settlement of our own. We hope you agree that this land is big enough and we can co-exist peacefully."
"What kind of supplies?"
Now it was Eli's turn to be wary. "Supplies needed to sustain ourselves."
The man turned to the others and they whispered amongst themselves for a bit.
"Would you and your people be willing to come up to our village? It's probably best if you have a talk with our chief."
Eli relaxed a bit and exchanged a few words with Boris. "Yes, please. We'd like that."
"Then please follow us. We were just on our way back."
As everyone started to move again, Sem waited to be with Jane and Marie again before walking. "Well, I didn't expect that," he said.
"I'm not too surprised. It would have been stranger if we had been alone here," Marie stated.
"I agree with Aunt Marie," Jane said. "I just hope they're all friendly and that we won't have any problems..."
"Aye, I hope that too," Sem said.
-
The group made their way up a mountain pass and everyone marvelled at the view. Birds were everywhere and Jane had already pointed out several critters along the road.
"It sure is amazing here," Jane said, lost in awe at the sight of all the fertile land.
"Let's hope we'll be allowed to stay. Perhaps they can use a weatherman." He gave his granddaughter a wink and she just shoved him playfully.
A large wooden fence came into sight, a village visible behind the walls. They all entered, still a bit wary of what was to happen next.
"Stay with your aunt," Sem told Jane before walking up front to join Eli and Boris. Lizzy joined them too.
"Let me do the talking, okay?" Eli said.
A dark, muscular man, arms and torso covered with tribal tattoos, emerged from one of the houses. He walked up to the group and scrutinised the four delegates up front. "My name is Tolya. I'm the chief here. Who of you is considered the leader of your group?"
Eli took a step forward. "That would be me. Eli's the name."
The man approached her, hand out. Eli took it without hesitation and shook it. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, ma'am," Tolya said with a smile. "We haven't seen any strangers here for like a decade now. Tell me, what brings you here?"
Eli told her story again, though in a bit more detail. Tolya nodded as he listened intensely.
"Well, we have plenty of room. We will gladly welcome you all into our village. There's no need to make a second settlement—unless you truly so desire. It would be nice to have some new faces here and more importantly: new skills."
Eli smiled. "Thank you very much, Tolya. We tend to vote on big decisions in our community, so let me ask." She turned around. "All in favour of staying here: please raise your hand."
It seemed like everyone's hand went up.
"Those in favour of moving on and setting up our own town."
No hands.
She turned back to Tolya. "It seems your village has just gained fifty-seven new residents, twelve fishing boats, and a lot of supplies."
Tolya opened his arms wide. "And our eighty-three people will surely welcome you all!"
Before Eli could protest, the man hugged her, after which he hugged Boris and Sem. He was just about to embrace Lizzy when she raised her hands in objection.
"I'm not much for hugs, sorry." She offered her hand instead, and Tolya shook it happily.
"That's fine by me." He smiled broadly. "Please, make yourselves at home. We can gather all your supplies tomorrow. Tonight, we celebrate!"
The small crowd behind him erupted in cheers. Edged on by the locals' enthusiasm, Eli's group also cheered.
-
"So, what do you think?" Eli asked Sem while they sat on a tree trunk enjoying rabbit stew.
"That this is almost too good to be true."
Eli jabbed him in the ribs.
"Ouch! What? You asked, I answered."
"They seem nice. I didn't get any hostile vibes from Tolya either and all the other people I've met were also super friendly. They seem really happy to see so many new faces."
"Well, I have to say: I am happy to see friendly new faces too. We might not have seen many raiders the last years, but that fear never left my system."
"Same here, old man."
Sem glared at Eli, but he couldn't stop a smile from tugging at his lips. "It does seem I am still the village eldest."
"Yeah, their group seems to be quite young. From what I understood from Tolya, they came here roughly twenty years ago. One big group of friends who wanted to find a safe haven before society collapsed."
"Well, they sure did a good job so far. This place is like a little Eden." Sem took a bite of the stew. "And they got one hell of a cook."
Eli smiled. "So it seems. Tolya was rather happy to hear we have some good skillsets in our community. They have a veterinarian and a dentist when it comes to medical, so Boris' experience as an ER nurse will be a good addition."
"He'll like Lizzy too then."
"Yup, and don't forget yourself." Eli winked.
"Who would have thought weathermen would be so useful sixty years ago."
They laughed and talked some more while they observed the people around them.
As darkness fell, a large campfire was lit and Sem spotted Jane with one of the local teens. He walked over and sat down next to the boy.
"Hello there," he said and extended his hand. "I'm Sem, self-proclaimed village elder and weather wizard."
Jane rolled her eyes with a smile.
"Hi, I'm Gabriel." The lad shook his hand. "Village loon and stalker of critters."
Sem smiled. "I like your style, kid."
"Jane told me you're a weatherman and have been keeping them all safe by predicting the solar flares."
"Aye, I am and that's indeed what I try."
They continued to chat for a while until people slowly returned to their homes for the night. The majority of Eli's group had set up shelters to spend the night in, but Sem was one of the lucky ones who managed to score a bed in one of the vacant dwellings.
-
After a good breakfast most people returned to the old peer to gather their supplies and bring them to Tolya's village. Sem had been excused from the task and thus took the time to have a good look around.
He walked through a mountain pass when he spotted an old lookout post. The building stood not far from a cliff, providing a great view over the valley below. Sem returned to the village to find Tolya, but ran into him before going through the gate.
"Tolya," he called out to grab the man's attention.
Tolya looked up and placed the boxes of supplies he was carrying on the ground. "Sem, right?"
Sem nodded. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"I went up that pass there—" He gestured towards the direction from whence he had come. "—and found this old lookout."
"Oh, yeah, I know what you mean. That used to be of this old research group that was located here before the big boom."
"Well, I'd like to have a place where I can install some equipment and place all my measuring devices and store my drones. Would it be okay for me to claim that place? I mean, if it's not being used."
Tolya smiled. "Sure my man. Whatever you need to do your thing. I'll get back to you after lunch and have some people to help you out."
Sem frowned. "Help me out?"
"Yeah—carry your stuff up there, but also fix it up a bit. Wouldn't want a leaky roof destroying anything or something like that."
Sem smiled. "Thanks, Tolya."
Tolya patted him on the shoulder. "No, thank you for wanting to stay here and be an asset to our community." He picked up the box of supplies again. "I'm going to continue helping the rest. I'll see you after lunch, okay?"
"Aye, sounds good."
-
"Wow, this place looks good, Pops," Jane said as she took in her grandfather's new study.
"Aye, I know." Sem beamed. "I got several solar panels installed on the roof and a small wind turbine. The satellite connection from this spot is great. And look—" He gestured at the projection of his various apps onto the window overlooking the valley below. "—a working holoscreen!"
He tapped and swiped an inch above the glass, cycling through his various programs.
"It's great, Pops." Jane reached out and opened a chart showing the high- and low-pressure areas above Antarctica.
"It took Lizzy a while to get it to fully function, but she did it."
"This is so cool." Jane closed the chart and opened data showing the clouds and where they were estimated to move to. "Hmm, does this mean we will have rain tonight?"
Sem smiled. "Close—tomorrow morning."
"Hey, Jane," a voice called out from the doorway.
They turned around to spot Gabriel. He stared at the screen in awe. "Oh wow, what's that?" He rushed inside and gawked at the holoscreen and all the data it showed.
Happy with all the attention, Sem gladly explained.
"Hey Pops... Can I learn how to predict the weather too?" Jane asked.
"Sure you can."
"Sem, sir," Gabriel started, but Sem's laughter stopped him.
"Please, just call me Sem. I feel old enough as it is without the sir."
Gabriel flushed a bit in embarrassment. "Could I maybe learn too?"
This made Sem even happier. "But of course! Two students are better than one."
-
Weeks went by and Eli's group had fully integrated into Tolya's village. Everyone was just having lunch outside when the ground started to shake. The locals didn't seem fazed one bit, but the people from Eli's group screamed in fear and confusion.
"Please, everyone: stay calm," Tolya yelled. "It's just an earthquake."
Behind them, the sounds of a building collapsing caused more people to yelp.
"There's no reason to panic!" Tolya added.
The roof of a nearby firewood shed dislodged and then the rumbling stopped.
"Everyone: calm down!" Eli now shouted. "Listen to Tolya, please."
"Thank, Eli." He gave her a smile before turning towards the many panicked faces. "I don't know the deal where you came from, but here earthquakes happen—like once a month. They're normal and are no reason for panic. Just be sure to go outside in case a roof collapses. Other than that: don't worry."
People spoke amongst themselves in hushes voices, but the anxiety seemed to fade away.
One of the locals came up to Tolya. "One of the storage houses collapsed, and the roof of the kitchen dislodged a bit. Nobody got hurt."
Tolya nodded. "Thanks, Zai." He nudged at the firewood. "Add that to the list. Get some people on it and get all those places fixed."
"On it." And he hurried off again.
Tolya turned towards Eli's people. "If you have any worries or questions, please don't be afraid to voice them."
Sem waited for everyone to get back to their meals before going over to Tolya.
"Hey Sem-my-man, what is it?"
"I was just curious: how often did you say these earthquakes happen?"
"About once a month. It's often one or two roofs that need fixing afterwards, it's no big deal."
"Thanks." Sem walked away, mentally making notes about the quake—he wanted to track them.
-
As the years went by, Sem carefully recorded data on every quake. At first it seemed that Tolya was right: they came about once a month. Yet, after one and a half years, it seemed like they were becoming more frequent and more powerful. Over the span of a few months, the quakes became an almost weekly thing. The damage per quake increased from a few roofs to a building or two. When they became an almost daily occurrence it was difficult to keep up with the damage, and the morale in the village was at an all-time low.
Sem was just returning from the lookout when yet another quake hit. He slipped and fell on the mountain path and hit his head on a rock—he passed out.
Jane and Gabriel, who had left not long before Sem did, quickly backtracked.
"Pops!" Jane yelled as she hurried towards Sem.
"Is he alright?" Gabriel knelt next to Sem and Jane.
Jane lightly tapped his cheeks, but Sem didn't respond. "Help me pick him up."
As they did, they spotted some blood on the rocks. "I think he hit his head pretty hard," Gabriel stated softly.
"We need to get him to the village—hopefully Boris knows what to do."
Together they carried the old man back to the village. Before they passed the gate other people spotted them and helped out.
"Wow, what happened?" Boris asked as they carried him into the small infirmary. "Don't tell me the lookout collapsed on top of him just now."
"I think he just slipped and fell on the way back," Jane said.
"There was some blood on the rocks," Gabriel added.
"Oh dear, please put him on the bed."
The people carrying him gently placed him down.
Boris shifted his fingers through Sem's grey hair until he found the blood. "It's a small cut, doesn't look too serious. Let me clean it up and see if it needs stitches. I will need to keep him under observation as I don't have any equipment to check the status of his brain. With any luck, there's no haemorrhaging and there won't be any major swelling—just a little headache when he comes to."
Gabriel gave Jane's hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Will he be alright?" Jane asked, close to tears.
"I don't know right now, only time will tell. Now, please feel free to leave me to my work. I'll let you know as soon as he wakes up, okay?"
Jane nodded and Gabriel gently guided her back outside.
"He might be old, but he's strong. He'll be alright," he tried to reassure her.
-
Sem lay in bed, bored. His concussion had left him bed-bound for a few days already and Boris refused to let him get back to work until he was better. He was close to drifting off to sleep when he heard a strange alarm.
Boris entered the infirmary, eyes wide and face pale.
"What is it?" Sem asked as he sat up slowly.
"Storm's coming," he stated.
Sem frowned. "Here? That would be the first to reach that far."
"Jane and Gabriel sounded the alarm. We need to get moving to a shelter. They say it's close."
He helped Sem up and quickly moved him to a cave that had been transformed into a bunker. They were about the last ones to arrive and Tolya shut the door behind them.
Jane and Gabriel looked at Sem's tablet, flicking and tapping through the many apps. The device started to beep and they quickly silenced the alarm.
Pale, Jane looked up. "The storm just hit."
Eli and Tolya looked around the cave, worried. After a headcount determined everyone had made it safely, people relaxed a bit more.
Sem was a bit dizzy, but still he called for Jane and Gabriel to come to him. "You two did well. I'm proud of you."
Eli and Tolya joined them. "They only did so well because you taught them," Eli said with a smile.
"We owe you three," Tolya added. He turned towards the rest of the people. "Let's hear it for the teacher and his prodigies who saved us."
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Sem smiled painfully. He appreciated the gesture, but the noise hurt his still concussed brain.
"Thanks, Pops," Jane said as she hugged her granddad. "How do you feel?"
"I've been better. However, it's good to know that when my time comes, I leave everyone in very capable hands." He smiled at Jane and Gabriel. "You two predicted the first storm to hit this place. That's no small feat."
"Well," Gabriel started, scratching his head in embarrassment, "we nearly spotted it too late though. There aren't that many satellites and drones left. This one managed to slip right between the gaps and we picked it up more on accident."
Sem shrugged. "Doesn't matter how you did it—everyone got to safety in time."
"Do you think this means more storms will start to hit this place?" Jane asked Sem.
Boris walked up the them before Sem could reply. "Enough pestering the patient. You three can discuss all that after I allow him to return to work. Let him rest now."
"Yes, doc," the older teens said simultaneously and they walked away after Jane gave her granddad a kiss on the forehead.
-
Not even an hour had passed when Sem's tablet started to beep again. Jane and Gabriel checked the data and were relieved to announce the storm was already fading. According to the measuring devices, it had been a relatively light storm.
With help of more people this time, Sem was carried back to the infirmary to recover further. A few days later, Boris allowed him to leave.
Jane and Gabriel came running towards him just as he exited the building.
"How are you feeling, Pops?" Jane asked.
"I can use some fresh air. Want to join me on a little walk into the mountains?"
The two nodded and followed Sem, though they were cautious to keep a close look on him to ensure he wouldn't fall again.
Sem halted in front of the outlook for a bit, hesitating if he wanted to go in and check on the weather data, but finally decided against it and kept on walking further up the mountain.
"Now, this is a view," he finally stated. He sat down on a fallen tree not too far from the edge of the cliff. He patted the mossy bark, and Jane and Gabriel also took a seat.
They were able to look across the valley from that point, the grey mountains in the distance a beautiful contrast with the setting sun and the colours of the sky.
"I am seriously very proud of you two and how you were able to warn everyone of that storm a few days ago."
Jane giggled. "You've said that plenty of times before now."
"Did I now?" Sem couldn't even remember. "Well, it's important you know. I'm almost seventy-one now, it's nice to know I leave everyone in very capable hands." He scratched his beard. "I wonder if I'm one of the oldest living humans now..."
Jane and Gabriel exchanged glances, not sure how to respond.
Sem coughed. "Well, ehm." He pointed up at the darkening sky. "So you see those stars already poking through? Back when I was your age you would also see a lot of satellites—"
"Oh no, Pops, you didn't."
He frowned as he turned to look at his granddaughter. "What?"
"You just pulled a 'when I was your age'."
The moment Sem realised this, he burst out into laughter. "Well, I guess I did." He looked at Gabriel. "Tell me lad, how many constellations do you know?"
Gabriel was just about to answer when the ground started to shake again. They all rose, but the trees were at a safe distance and so was the cliff's edge. Jane and Gabriel however still held Sem's arms tightly, not wanting him to fall and get hurt again.
"Damn, this is a long one," Jane said when the ground was still shaking after half a minute.
"If it goes on like this, it might be a new record," Gabriel stated.
"Fifty-three, fifty-four," Sem counted out loud, worry sickening him. "This can't be good..."
Still, they kept standing as the ground continued to tremble. The sound of trees keeling over was audible in the distance.
Something glowed in the distance, on the other side of the mountain range. The glow became more and more intense, an Aurora Australis.
Sem released his left arm from Gabriel's hold and pulled out his pocket telescope.
"What's happening?" Jane asked.
Sem peered through the lens and his breath stocked as he saw the mountain range slowly collapse as if it were a mere sand hill. Jane and Gabriel's gasp indicated they had seen it too. Sem lowered the telescope and watched with awe at the unfolding spectacle of light.
"It's so pretty," Gabriel said almost breathless.
Flames of pink and blue and yellow licked the dark sky, growing more intense every second as the mountains slowly faded away.
Jane clung to her grandfather's arm, eyes fixed on the horizon. "This makes me think of that one book Aunt Marie made me read... I'm not sure how it goes again..."
The ground seemed to shake even more violently and they took a few steps back from the crumbling cliff's edge.
"I've never seen the lights this big before, or this intense," Gabriel said, mesmerised.
The aurora at the horizon kept expanding, the colours so bright it was almost day.
"Neither have I," said Sem, gaze fixated on the spectacle.
"I think I remember," Jane said.
The mountain range in the distance was not nothing but hills of rubble, the bright light becoming so intense it even started to feel like sunlight on their faces.
"This is how the world ends. This is how the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper."
Sem paled as he was now certain what was going on. He pulled the two older teens against him. "Close, Jane, close." The skin on his face felt dry, as if he had been out in the summer sun too long. "I think in this case it would be more apt to state—"
As if on cue, there was a loud rumble in the distance and the light became almost too intense to look at.
"This is how the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a fart of the Earth's inner Sun."
~
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