He holds the Santa Fe in its present position until daylight. He doesn’t want to arrive in the middle of the night. If there is any remaining presence in their homeport, whoever is there will be more than cautious. In the morning, he’ll bring the boat in closer, broadcast their position, and wait for an escort. Failing that, he’ll surface if the radiation levels have stabilized, and motor in. No one can mistake their distinctive silhouette and will withhold any hostile reaction.
As far as the radiation levels go, he believes them to be a carryover from the nuke power plants in Southern California that have leaked their nuclear waste. Or from winds carrying the fallout from the vast number of plants in India and the Orient.
The next morning, with no change in the readings, he orders the helm to keep to their previous course and speed. He has the radiation levels monitored and leaves his boat at periscope level. At twenty miles, the levels reach marginal conditions. Being underwater, the boat won’t be affected as much; it’s the air that’s poisoned. The ocean is always slower to follow. Leonard has their course altered to keep some distance from the shoreline, still believing a nearby power plant to be responsible for the conditions.
He sends a broadcast identifying his vessel and position. There is no reply either over the airwaves or physically from an escort leaving the harbor. At seven miles out, the levels tip over into the red. At this range, Leonard knows that this must be hitting the city itself. No one can live through this. Outside, just scant feet over their heads, sits a microwave of enormous proportions. They couldn’t survive a moment without proper gear. They’d be cooked in minutes should they venture out.
Not saying a word to the crew, he has the boat turned to parallel the coastline. He wants to at least glimpse his homeport. When their position indicates that they’ve cleared Point Loma, their home, and they can view the naval base situated on North Island and the city itself, he raises the periscope mast to its tallest extent. He has the cameras rolling without putting the video on any of the displays and looks through the eyepiece. The sight he beholds is not at all what he is expecting and his mind goes blank for several seconds.
The dark smog that has hung on the horizon now shrouds the entire sky to the east. Its dirty brown tinges everything. Leonard presses his face harder against the eye cups as if he will be able to see through the veil. Point Loma, North Island, and the strand connecting it to the mainland are gone. They aren’t just lying in ruins or have some parts visible, they are completely gone…obliterated. What lies beyond is even more shocking. The city is in ruins. Skeletal remains of buildings rise in places amongst rubble. Light smoke drifts upwards from a hundred places to create an abysmal cloud above the city. The smoke prevents a look farther inland, but Leonard knows that he would only see more of the same. He gazes along the inner shoreline where naval vessels once berthed. It was there that aircraft carriers were based. Several of the older carriers that were docked, like those in Bremerton, on display or to be torn apart for their scrap metal, are overturned hundreds of yards from their previous moorings. Of the others, there is no sign.
The scene through the periscope adds up to one inescapable fact. Someone nuked San Diego… and nuked it heavily.
Epilogue
Michael senses other packs north of him. They are coming into the area in greater numbers, filling a gap that was created when he took the greater share of packs south with him. Some time ago, responding to a call for help, he called to the packs in the area and they responded, resulting in the large pack he currently has. Now there are others infiltrating into the area north and he knows it is due to a shortage of food.
So far, Michael has been able to provide for his pack and keep them safe. He’s kept them away from the two-leggeds, though his anger at them hasn’t subsided. He supposes he is marginally grateful to them that Sandra is no longer a thorn in his side but that doesn’t diminish his feelings toward the two-leggeds. They are dangerous and to be feared. Aside from his natural hatred and rage against them, they are a threat to his pack. They must be destroyed. His fear of them exacerbates his anger.
Michael senses several strong ones leading several of the packs but knows he has an advantage in strength over any one of them. Should he call, they will respond and acknowledge him as leader. None of the ones to the north have drawn together like his and remain scattered.
In nights past, he’s felt many of those packs fall to the night death in the sky that comes occasionally. He wishes he knew what it was and attack it. It’s the one thing that forces him to keep his distance from the two-leggeds and some prime hunting grounds. Many of his pack and others have suffered because of it. His hatred of it has grown as strong as that of the two-leggeds themselves. He knows it serves them somehow, and he feels that he should be able to know why, but the answer lies just out of his range of understanding.
With the strong ones coming south and bringing their packs with them, Michael knows it’s just a matter of time before he will journey up and contact them.
About the Author
John is a former Air Force fighter instructor pilot who transitioned to Special Operations for the latter part of his career gathering his campaign ribbon for Desert Storm. Immediately following his military service, he became a firefighter/EMT with a local fire department. Along with becoming a firefighter, he began a career in the Information Technology industry starting two large casinos in Washington as the Information Technology Manager and becoming the Network Manager for the Washington State Legislature, the Northwest Information Technology Manager for the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Network Systems Manager for Hollywood Video. Currently, John is self-employed with his own Information Technology consulting company, consulting and managing various businesses with their information technology needs. He also volunteers for a local youth center managing their computer lab.
As a former marathon runner, John lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and can now be found kayaking out in the waters of Puget Sound, mountain biking in the Capital Forest, hiking in the Olympic Peninsula, or pedaling his road bike along the many scenic roads.
Connect with me online
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/JohnWBObrien
Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JohnOBrien
Web site:
Emaiclass="underline"
Merchandise Store:
http://www.zazzle.com/anewworldsupplies/gifts
http://www.cafepress.com/anewworldseries
CUSTOMERS ALSO PURCHASED:
Also by John O’Brien
A NEW WORLD: CHAOS
A NEW WORLD: RETURN
A NEW WORLD: SANCTUARY
A NEW WORLD: TAKEN
A NEW WORLD: AWAKENING
A NEW WORLD: DISSENSION
A NEW WORLD: TAKEDOWN
A NEW WORLD: CONSPIRACY
Copyright