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Post by papaof2 on May 24, 2019 20:45:52 GMT -6
Chapter 27
13 December, 11:10AM
Ring!
'This is Jack.'
'Bill here. My deputies report that things in the county are very quiet today. It seems the story of the exploded Escalade has reached the ears of a number of the county's less-than-upstanding citizens and their kids called 911 to ask about food and heat. We'll have two or three busloads headed to Fort Rucker today and possibly more tomorrow. Looks like we'll finally be using the portable metal detectors and Xray equipment that DHS provided for us several years ago. Everyone and all their bags - even diaper bags - must pass through on their way to the bus.'
'Nice that the taxpayers' money is finally being put to use. You really think there will be that many?'
'The total numbers from the calls are over 200, although I'm only expecting half to 3/4 of that number today. I think there'll be enough word-of-mouth among those folks to get a couple more busloads tomorrow. And they're going to Rucker because the security is better there.'
'Better security because they have better fences and more people to do enforcement. Major Albertson was correct when she said that the perps "needed to be overwhelmed" as it seems to have worked to a degree.'
'I'd guess half the rather-steal-than-work people will opt for the bus over being cold and hungry - and the likelihood of eating a large bullet if they try another home invasion.'
'My estimate also.'
'Is it OK if Junior calls Emily? His fever has broken and he's barely up and walking but he's concerned about her.'
'Sounds familiar. Just keep it short for both their sakes.'
'I'll tell him. How bad is the London detonation?'
'Much worse than Sacramento. Their detonation was on a Saturday when there are few people in the state government complex. London's detonation was at noon on Tuesday when everyone was at work or nearby eating lunch. Similar area of damage but maybe 100 times as many casualties.'
'Damn! Guess it shows the difference in those protesting politics and those who just want to spread fear with wanton death and destruction. I'd say the snake-killing in Somalia was a very good response. Did they take out communications there also?'
'No, Bill. They were careful to leave most of the communications facilities untouched. The US also tapped into all the radio and TV feeds in Somalia - including the military and the common pirate frequencies - to report the air strikes as they happened and the video was captioned with "We retaliate 10,000 to 1" in several languages. Nothing's been heard from anyone there since the strikes.'
'Those strikes are a very good reason to keep your electronic head down and not become a target.'
'True. Give Junior a time limit and let him call Emily while she's awake. That won't last long.'
'Probably the same for him. Talk to you later.'
'OK.'
"Junior, it's OK if you call Emily. Just keep the call short. She's not recovering any faster than you are and you both need to spend much of the day quiet and still."
"I understand. Five minutes OK?"
"Yes."
---
Ring!
'This is Emily.'
'It's Junior. You OK?'
'Tired and still a little achy.'
'Me too. At least I can get up to eat.'
'Me too.'
'Just wanted to know you're OK.'
'You too.'
'88.'
'88.'
---
"That has to be close to the record for a short conversation between those two."
"It does, Jack, but she's stretched out on the sofa smiling in her sleep and I'd expect Junior is also. It may have been short but it was something both of them needed."
"I think there might be something long-lasting in their relationship."
"I think you're right."
---
"Em's back to her writing things she remembers, Love?"
"I think that's what the 'I hate you' I keep hearing means."
"She seems to be taking longer to complete a page than before."
"What I read over her shoulder is in greater detail than what she wrote previously."
"Is that better or worse for her?"
"Perhaps better in getting all the hurt out but perhaps worse in the level of hurt to be dealt with."
"But it works out to a positive thing for her?"
"Once she's past today's weeping and wailing."
---
"Do I hear a vehicle moving slowly?"
"Let me turn road cameras to look both ways. That old Case tractor has to be Tim Clancy's. What's our mailman doing out today? He's stopped out at the gate."
"Hello the house!"
"I'll grab my coat and go see."
"Hi, Jack."
"Hi, Tim. Why are you out in this weather?"
"Got a call from the postmaster. Buck said we'll try to do delivery to places along the cleared roads and to the people elsewhere if they will tell us where on a cleared road to deliver their mail. Even got some forms made up."
"Mimeographed forms? Where did you find the manual typewriter and a hand-cranked mimeograph machine?"
"Buck's wife is the office staff at the First Baptist Church and Reverend Simmons said it was a good use of that old equipment. If you can get these to some of your neighbors, I'll bring out all the mail tomorrow and parcel it out by form to the folks on the few cleared roads. Today I just brought mail for the folks on the cleared roads and this bundle is yours."
"Thanks, Tim. I can get to most of the folks on the back side of my property and those along Rock Creek from the creek and I often ride my sure-footed mule in or along the creek. I have a couple of pieces of outgoing mail as well. Come on in with me and get warm. You gotta be cold riding that open tractor out here."
"Lead the way."
"Love, we have mail."
"And I have coffee and doughnuts for the mailman."
"Thank you, ma'am."
"And we have this letter for him to take."
"FCC? You upgrading your license, Emily?"
"No. Daddy gave Junior his code and written tests and that's the paperwork. He made Extra!"
"So now you'll hafta catch up with him?"
"Un huh! But Daddy is a good Elmer."
"I'm sure he is."
---
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Post by 9idrr on May 24, 2019 21:34:28 GMT -6
Would ten thousand to one be enough?
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Post by bluefox2 on May 25, 2019 7:45:29 GMT -6
Would ten thousand to one be enough? Probably enough to at least get their attention
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Post by papaof2 on May 25, 2019 19:23:58 GMT -6
Would ten thousand to one be enough? Mogadishu has approximately 2 million of Somalia's 11 million population (2017 estimates). Selective carpet bombing of the city could certainly take out a large number of that population and damage to infrastructure (water, sewer, food production and transport) just keeps on killing people. Perhaps not an exact 10,000 to 1 but enough to let them know the other side isn't playing games.
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Post by texican on May 25, 2019 19:33:08 GMT -6
When you are attacked by nukes the proper response is to glass the entire country....
Leaved no enemy alive and it will stop the nonsense....
Texican....
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Post by papaof2 on May 25, 2019 19:54:51 GMT -6
When you are attacked by nukes the proper response is to glass the entire country.... Leaved no enemy alive and it will stop the nonsense.... Texican.... First you determine weather patterns - then you decide between nukes and conventional explosives. No point in having fallout you created in your breadbasket. If you have neutron bombs (kill people, don't destroy or irradiate infrastructure), someone will have to do clean up or the downwind stench will be very bad and the cities mostly no longer habitable - but no fallout. What's in your arsenal?
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Post by texican on May 25, 2019 23:17:04 GMT -6
When you are attacked by nukes the proper response is to glass the entire country.... Leaved no enemy alive and it will stop the nonsense.... Texican.... First you determine weather patterns - then you decide between nukes and conventional explosives. No point in having fallout you created in your breadbasket. If you have neutron bombs (kill people, don't destroy or irradiate infrastructure), someone will have to do clean up or the downwind stench will be very bad and the cities mostly no longer habitable - but no fallout. What's in your arsenal? PP2, Being Somalia, no worry about fallout.... From what has been printed, America, Russia, China and Israeli all have neutron nukes.... The next war will be interesting.... Texican....
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Post by papaof2 on May 28, 2019 12:22:21 GMT -6
First you determine weather patterns - then you decide between nukes and conventional explosives. No point in having fallout you created in your breadbasket. If you have neutron bombs (kill people, don't destroy or irradiate infrastructure), someone will have to do clean up or the downwind stench will be very bad and the cities mostly no longer habitable - but no fallout. What's in your arsenal? PP2, Being Somalia, no worry about fallout.... From what has been printed, America, Russia, China and Israeli all have neutron nukes.... The next war will be interesting.... Texican.... Best look at a globe or a large map - India, Thailand, parts of China (for good or ill), The Philippines, South Korea, Japan, the US and Canada could be in the downstream of fallout from nukes used on Somalia, depending on the size, the burst altitude and the exact winds on the day of detonation. Back this map out to its maximum coverage and then scroll Somalia off to the left: www.google.com/maps/place/Raas+Cabaad,+Somalia/@10.2803574,124.7746011,3z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x181d2ea7ecd15b83:0x9e393ace5ce9e5be!8m2!3d5.152149!4d46.199616
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Post by texican on May 28, 2019 20:58:14 GMT -6
PP2, Being Somalia, no worry about fallout.... From what has been printed, America, Russia, China and Israeli all have neutron nukes.... The next war will be interesting.... Texican.... Best look at a globe or a large map - India, Thailand, parts of China (for good or ill), The Philippines, South Korea, Japan, the US and Canada could be in the downstream of fallout from nukes used on Somalia, depending on the size, the burst altitude and the exact winds on the day of detonation. Back this map out to its maximum coverage and then scroll Somalia off to the left: www.google.com/maps/place/Raas+Cabaad,+Somalia/@10.2803574,124.7746011,3z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x181d2ea7ecd15b83:0x9e393ace5ce9e5be!8m2!3d5.152149!4d46.199616 PP2, The wind patterns would have to carry the fallout a long ways west and north to get to America.... But might happen.... Its the nukes that fall on America that present the problems.... Texican....
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Post by papaof2 on May 29, 2019 14:39:17 GMT -6
Chapter 28
14 December, 9:50PM
beep!beep!beep! beep!beep!beep! beep!beep!beep!
'Footloose.'
'Brady here. You ready for some better weather?'
'Day before yesterday would be good.'
'I thought so. Seems the Russians are still stronger militarily than China - at least with missiles - and some saber rattling has gotten useful information.'
'Yes?'
'The Chinese had a very deeply imbedded "military research" group that was running a weather-modification process without the knowledge or approval of any higher level official. That's in the process of being stopped and you should see sunshine tomorrow, along with a high in the 50's.'
'We're still several days from having cleared roads and a week or two from having power restored but having a high above 50 will certainly help with the road clearing.'
'There may also be some reparations coming to the US from China, subject to whatever timeframe the negotiations take. Along the same line of thought, the UK Prime Minister will be included in the Russian reparations discussions.'
'That seems too easy, Colonel.'
'It would be, except for the fact that both the Chinese and the Russians did some weather control damage to their own grain harvests and will soon be looking to the US breadbasket for help. That's good and bad, as the prices of wheat and corn will both rise with that much market increase.'
'Good old reliable supply and demand at work. How much has the lack of California citrus affected the price of Florida oranges?'
'Up at least 20% right now and the futures are higher than that. FYI, there are lots of people throwing their hats in the ring for the seats to be filled in California. Unusual for California is that most of them are gun-friendly conservatives and those people are finding lots of popular support.'
'Nothing like finding your "sanctuary" capital city has been the target of a real, honest-to-God military nuclear weapon and not just a meth head with a ten shot .22 to wake folks up to the fact that they're responsible for their own safety. I'm sure that was a rude awakening for some of them. Speaking of nukes, where's the Sacramento and London fallout headed?'
'Sacramento's cloud dropped a little over the Midwest, but the majority went to relatively remote areas of Canada and then into the Arctic Circle. London's cloud will follow the path I mentioned previously: Belgium, Nederlands, Germany but the majority of it eventually to Russia. The Russians are not happy about it but it is their creation coming home to roost.'
'DefCon status?'
'Still at 2 but expected to be back at 3 by 6AM your local tomorrow, contingent on the President hearing from the Chinese Prime Minister.'
'The potential for mass hunger and hunger's ability to incite revolution are strong motivators for Li to call.'
'That they are.'
'I still think it may be several days before I actually believe most of this conversation.'
'No surprise there, Jack. These people rarely back down as quickly as they have this time. Having a US President who can still drive a tank might have had some bearing on it. He doesn't just talk a good fight; he knows how to win one and wouldn't be bashful about doing some of the shooting.'
'There is that.'
'Enjoy the promise of peace. Brady out.'
'Footloose out.'
---
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Post by 9idrr on May 29, 2019 18:59:33 GMT -6
Nothing like some hot fallout comin' your way to speed up talks, huh?
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Post by papaof2 on May 31, 2019 14:08:54 GMT -6
Chapter 29
15 December, 6:50AM
"Good morning, sweet girl."
"Good morning, Da… The sun's shining! I thought we had more days of rain and ice."
"Long story that I heard from Colonel Brady last night. I'll share it at breakfast. You want to make biscuits?"
"We have pear preserves?"
"Maybe you should go to the kitchen and check?"
"On my way!"
---
"OK, Daddy. Put down that third biscuit and tell me how we got sunlight."
"There was a Chinese group that was doing 'military research' into weather control but they did not have approval to do that. When their actions were discovered, they were stopped and the weather control program was shut down. With no outside influences, the weather resolved itself to our usual 'low in the thirties, high in the fifties' for December."
"High in the fifties means the ice will melt?"
"Yes. It may be several days before the roads are clear enough for driving, but they will get better."
"We get power back?"
"Eventually. The ice on the damaged transformer must melt before they can remove that transformer and check for any damaged wiring associated with it. The ice on the roads must clear enough for the semi to bring the new transformer the rest of the way to the substation."
"Another week to do that?"
"Good guess, Em. That's the timeframe I'm hearing."
"What about the other nukes?"
"The five warheads NEST was tracking have been located. Each was hidden in a tour bus in Washington, D.C. ISIS planned to detonate those bombs when the buses were loaded with people and near the White House or Congress."
"Any others?"
"The negotiations for the 13 warheads at a base in China have been sucessful and those are on their way to a disposal site."
"So almost normal?"
"Almost, other than cleaning up from the nukes in Sacramento and London."
"How?"
"Very carefully."
"Daddy! A real answer!"
"There haven't been any nuclear weapons used since WWII so read these documents on the things done to clean up the Chernobyl and Fukashima nuclear reactor disasters. They should give someone as smart as you some ideas on what cleaning a city might require."
"You'll be available for questions?"
"I might charge you a hug."
"You goof!"
---
"Em is that interested in a dry and boring technical document?"
"She wanted to know how they would clean up Sacramento and London so I pointed her to the reports on Chernobyl and Fukashima. Lots of technical stuff but it's not boring to Miss Sherlene Holmes when she wants her questions answered."
"You goof! But you do know how to channel her curiosity. You'll be encouraging her to take AP classes in high school?"
"Of course. She's certainly capable and there's no reason she couldn't complete at least a year of college while she's in high school."
"On a closer to now topic, when do we get power back?"
"Maybe a week. Probably no more than two weeks. Time for the roads to start to thaw and then for the County DOT to do enough clearing and maintenance for a semi to get to the Rock Creek substation. Day or two for the transformer swap. Time for line repair from the ice damage, starting at the substation and spreading from there. This road usually gets attention two or three days into ice storm repairs."
"What about the other substations?"
"Riker Shoals a day or so after Rock Creek. Big Cat and Crawdad a day or so after that. Once Alabama power gets moving - and that's literally 'moving' after the roads are sufficiently cleared - things will progress in that order. Blocked roads will delay things until the blockages are cleared. At least most of the rather-steal-than-work folks have been scared enough to ask for food instead of stealing."
"I saw the picture of that Escalade the Major sent you. Not much left that I recognized."
"Sometimes proof that 'my gun is bigger than yours' is an effective deterrent."
"It seems to be working now. They did find all the missing nukes?"
"Yes. The ones in Paris and Moscow were 'Bond movie' finishes, both being found with less than five minutes left on the clock. I think I'd class those nuke hunters as either the bravest or the craziest people on the planet."
"Maybe both?"
"That too, Mrs. Wilson."
"That sounds like you might be interested in using your raincheck tonight, Mr. Wilson."
"You might be correct."
"After Em is asleep."
"As you wish."
---
The End
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Post by gipsy on May 31, 2019 15:22:27 GMT -6
Well there are sure room for more adventures with EM.
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Post by texican on May 31, 2019 15:41:27 GMT -6
Thanks PP2 for the story....
Texican....
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Post by misterjimbo on May 31, 2019 20:18:28 GMT -6
Thanks for a great little story. I manage to learn something from everyone you write. Can't wait for the next one.
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Post by papaof2 on May 31, 2019 20:41:28 GMT -6
Thanks for a great little story. I manage to learn something from everyone you write. Can't wait for the next one. Thank you, but it's time for you to sit down and kick your feet up - the next story may be a while. After a few chapters, my muse has again disappeared. If you see a skinny, green-haired, orange-eyed female that looks perhaps 10 years old (muses are often petite creatures) and may be wearing a KISS T-shirt over purple leotards with pink polka dots, tell her to head back to me. I've had the dark chocolate M&Ms out, along with fresh strawberries, blueberries, pound cake and whipped cream for Patriotic Parfaits - but so far to no avail. Even grilled some Polish sausage the other night with potato salad and baked beans as sides. If you capture her, send her via Pet Express as their cages have better padding than what UPS and FedEx use for shipping small creatures. The current address is: Crotchety Curmudgeon End of the Road Pig Wallow, GA The local Pet Express office will know where to deliver it - and don't get your hands too close to the cage if you offer her treats (she loves chocolate - the darker the better - and just the orange and green gummy bears). Drop any treats in the feeding chute to protect your fingers. When she's angry, she can leave a nasty bite mark...
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Post by 9idrr on May 31, 2019 20:42:05 GMT -6
My thanks, also. Sure am glad you're willing to share with us.
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Post by catspaw65 on Jun 1, 2019 1:58:10 GMT -6
She has been spotted in Hawaii. She told me that this story made her cold and she wants to thaw out. I am to tell you that she might be persuaded to come back early if you bake her a three layer, dark chocolate cake with purple frosting and pink sprinkles. She was last seen headed for the beach wearing an itsy, bitsy, teeny, weeny yellow polka dot bikini.
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Post by rep1270 on Jun 1, 2019 2:49:35 GMT -6
Thanks for a great story. Ralph
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Post by papaof2 on Jun 1, 2019 2:56:15 GMT -6
Well, if she got to Hawaii she did it on someone else's AmEx 'cause mine doesn't have that charge - and she'll have to find her own way back. I'll guess one day on the beach, at most, before she's in tears about the sunburn as it's rarely more than 2 hours before she forgets about sunscreen and stays focused on being in the water or playing volleyball. That girl's fair skin cooks at the beach if she doesn't bathe in SPF 50 before she puts on that bikini and goes out in the sun, and then she must reapply it about every 45 minutes while she's out.
I should expect a text or an email in the next 24 hours about the proper mix of aloe vera, baby oil and a couple of herbs to use to get the swelling down and control the hurt enough that she can wear sufficient clothes to be able to travel. And that much hurt means she'll be unable to provide inspiration for a week or more - which means she'll be very sad that she can't do her chosen job but it'll be several days before I can even give her a hug and tell her "It's OK" without her cringing at the pain of being touched.
And her metabolism doesn't respond well to mixing chocolate with sunburn (leads to time at the porcelain throne) so I can't even give her the usual treats when she gets back. On the brighter side, episodes like this do sometimes turn her inspiration to the very serious side and produce some long, deep chapters. We'll just have to see 1) whether she returns and 2) what inspiration she may be able to offer.
If she doesn't return - can't blame her too much as there are no beaches near here and she wasn't thrilled by the 7" of snow 2 years ago, I'll check for someone of trainable age at the next Muse Auction (in Denver, July 17-21). Never had any luck with the used ones as they're always warped to their previous writer's romance or murder mysteries or westerns or something else that doesn't match my writing style. It's just that the best ones for me - those with green hair and orange eyes - are hard to find. Not sure whether they're actually that rare or the breeders just think that combination isn't attractive enough. But they are very useful, even if they're not always reliable :-(
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Post by gipsy on Jun 1, 2019 6:38:07 GMT -6
True story. My sister came to visit when I was stationed in Daytona Fl. She got really fried and then had to fly home. It was really really bad.
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Post by papaof2 on Jun 1, 2019 9:05:20 GMT -6
I'm fair-skinned and sunburn easily - even with a tan. I got cooked once when I was 13 or 14: had big blisters on the top of my shoulders and you can guess the rest. I'll walk on the beach in the morning or evening but it's no longer worth the weight of the sunscreen I must wear (or the sand it collects) to be out there in the heat of the day.
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Post by bluefox2 on Jun 1, 2019 12:54:15 GMT -6
She has been spotted in Hawaii. She told me that this story made her cold and she wants to thaw out. I am to tell you that she might be persuaded to come back early if you bake her a three layer, dark chocolate cake with purple frosting and pink sprinkles. She was last seen headed for the beach wearing an itsy, bitsy, teeny, weeny yellow polka dot bikini. Well, that saves m e having to check the local Wally World.
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Post by freebirde on Jun 1, 2019 13:08:21 GMT -6
Best treatment I have found for me is calamine lotion and Benadryl. When I do this I usually peel off to tanned skin, but the traces of Choctaw and Spanish in my DNA might have a little to do with that.
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Post by papaof2 on Jun 1, 2019 16:14:19 GMT -6
Being of Scots-Irish stock, I just don't have enough melanin in my skin. One grandfather was a Mcxxxx and I priced the full kilted uniform when we were in Scotland some years ago - I decided I could buy a used car for that much money. I did find an affordable tie in the clan plaid while we were there ;-)
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