When they reached Mayor Way they also reached the start of the housing area. Probably very nice houses judging by the size of the foundations and the amount of debris that had once been structures.
They called out to each home they came across but there was no return answer. They decided to continue south on what one sign still standing indicated was Granville St.
Again not one house stood and the cratering became extensive. They came upon a roof in one lot on the corner of Thunderbird Way. No house stood but the roof was off to the side and intact except for a large hole right at the peak.
The three called out but no one answered. They found an entry way of sorts at the eastern edge of the roof and looked in. A crater more than ten feet in length was there. They could see some blankets and pieces of what looked to be stuffed animals. The flies were out in force inside this makeshift shelter.
“Son of a bitch,” said one of them. Or maybe all of them. They looked on in equal parts horror and disbelief.
“How many kaikis brah?”
“A couple I’d guess,” said Jonathan. They backed away from there once they determined no one was alive. They continued down Granville St. A half mile later they were in the downtown area and only a couple of small blocks to the marina.
Finally people.
They reached the corner of Market St. and saw there was a clinic. People were going in. The three went in as well. There was no back to the clinic but a tarp had been rigged up to shelter those in beds.
They stood in the small reception area. Several people were sitting in chairs and resting after being seen, quite noticeable from the bandages, or soon to be seen quite noticeable as wounds and blood were quite evident.
“Have you three been aboot?” said a tall lanky fellow with a brown hair comma over his forehead. He was dressed in blue scrubs with a stethoscope dangling around his neck.
The three turned to the speaker. “I’m sorry,” said Jonathan. “We just got…”
“Oh, you haven’t found anybody, ay,” said the rather lanky fellow. “And you thought I wouldn’t notice ya slackin’”
Jonathan just looked at Keoni and Hawk then back to the blue scrubs, “we’re from the plane that landed last evening. We came down to see if we could help.”
“You a Yank? And how many in the plane?”
“Yeah. Many’re from the states. There’s around two hundred on the plane…” And Jonathan’s voice caught and couldn’t continue.
“Quite a few were injured though about one hundred and fifty weren’t. They’re digging in for the next swarm attack,” said Hawk.
“You got injured? Better bring them here. We have…”
“No brah. You stay heah you die heah. Better you come wit us.”
“Maybe I should introduce myself. I’m Dr. Bond. Jim Bond.”
Jonathan smiled, “I’m Dr. Prezlee, Jonathan, and this is Keoni and Hawk. And Keoni is right. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to this swarm. We’ve seen it twice now.”
Dr. Bond stood transfixed. “What’s that you say? You’ve seen the swarm two times. How can that be?”
“Bruddah, Jonathan will tell you all you need to know. Go ahead. Tell ‘im.”
Jonathan took a few moments to gather his thoughts. “Dr. Bond let me start at the beginning.”
>
“That the swarm seems to be circling the planet like El Nino doesn’t make sense, I know, but considering what we’ve witnessed it would be better to encamp under a ridge. If you haven’t seen the damage caused by the falling meteors…” Again Jonathan’s throat was too constricted to continue to speak.
“We saw a house, no I guess it was a roof where a meteor…”
“By Thunderbird Way? Yes, the Johnson’s, ay. I’d heard aboot that.”
Dr. Bond was quiet as he thought. “Yes, I can see the reality of what you say. Still it’s hard, ay, to believe a meteor shower could be so devastating and so persistent. First the earthquakes and the tsunami. Yes, we know aboot Port McNeill. Must’ve been some wave to push through the sound and thirty kilometers over rough land to wipe out that town.”
“Dr. Bond…”
“Call me Jim…Jonathan right?”
“Right. Jim, you know this town and for all of us to survive we’ll need to help each other. I just thought of something we’ll need and there’s probably a ton of stuff we’ll not think of ‘til later so if you can point us in the right direction maybe we can start getting things.”
“What did you just think of?”
“Guns of some type as well as fishing gear. I’m pretty sure there’s game and there should be fish. At some point we’ll have to grow crops but that may not be for a while.”
“I see you’ve given this some thought, ay. Okay, I’ll get one of the guys who’ve come back to help you do some shopping. I can’t leave right now but some time today it would be good to get the less serious injured out of here.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Terry McNeill shaded his eyes. He was flabbergasted. It seemed to his very tired eyes that a convoy of disparate vehicles was slowly worming its way to them. Other passengers came to stand with Terry and also watched the progress.
Captain Schollander called out from the hatch. “It’s Jonathan I think. Oh, I can see the big Hawaiian. Sure. They’re bringing…well, I guess we’ll soon find out what they’re bringing.”
Although the distance from the plane to the edge of Port Hardy was only slightly more than two miles the vehicles had to avoid the craters and had to go in a zig-zag like route. Jonathan and Keoni were out in front blazing a secure trail. The lead truck was driven by Hawk.
The three had been that way once so they were the obvious choice to help get the vehicles to the plane safely. Though the time it took them to reach the airbus seemed to McNeill to be hours it was nearer to one hour from the time he spotted the vehicular procession. His nervousness increased dramatically when as he watched the column move towards him; had completely forgotten the three until that moment. Now he couldn’t stop thinking about them.
“What have you brought us?” yelled Terry to Jonathan and Keoni. The navigator could not help but laugh.
In the convoy were SUV’s, trucks, one school bus and at the rear a back hoe. As the vehicles came to a halt out popped the drivers and occupants.
“We brought many of the survivors and many things that can help us dig in,” said Jonathan as he walked up to Terry.
A large rather robust man energetically walked up to Terry, Jonathan and Keoni. He was noticeably under six feet in height but must’ve weighed close to three hundred pounds. He had an air of authority and was dressed in tailored jacket and pants with an amazingly ornate and elaborate vest which nearly covered his abdomen.
“Hello there. Who’s in charge? My name is Sean Tinker…Tink for short. I’m on the city council for Port Hardy.”
Terry looked at Jonathan and Keoni as Hawk strolled up. “Ah, well we don’t really have anyone in charge. We just got here, ah, Tink.”
“I see. Well let me…”
“Tink. If I may…after we get settled we can address that issue. We have five or six nationalities here though most are from democracies.” Terry stressed democracies. “But we haven’t had much time to evaluate our position nor make any plans for leadership. On the plane Captain Schollander is of course in charge but here we are on the ground as you can see. Right now we need to dig out a safe area for all of us against another meteor attack. It’s in lee of the swarm and it will protect us…and your people as well. So if you have any able bodies and tools we can finish all the more quickly. After last night most feel it’s a priority.”
“Hrumph.” Sean Tinker did an about-face and went back to his constituency.
“Terry. I didn’t know you had it in you,” said Jonathan. “Your longest speech to date?”
McNeill smiled and nodded his head. The people from Port Hardy were now in the vicinity and milled around separate from the airbus passengers. They talked
in small groups but mostly they were listless and had the look of defeat.
Keoni pointed his big arm, “you and you dare. Come heah. I see you one strong kinda fellas so get da tools an’ bring dem where Terry says. Kay?” Two young men nodded and went to get the shovels and rakes.
“Terry, were do you want da back hoe?”
“Right. All those who can work come with me.” And a half a dozen young and middle aged men went over to the navigator. Keoni went with the driver of the back hoe and they drove it past the nose of the airbus where there were bodies already laid out.
“I’ll help unload the food,” said Hawk.
Captain Schollander came down the chute to join them. “Jonathan I’d like you to be part of a question session tonight if you would. There are a lot of things still for you to tell us.”
“Hello captain I’m Sean Tinker, Tink for short…”
“Yes, yes, I heard councilman. How many people have you brought?”
“Thirty. All healthy survivors.”
“That’s all that’s left of your town?”
“No. There are maybe fifty left in town.”
“What? Don’t they know the danger of the meteors?”
“Yes, but many are injured and the others are nursing them. Some can’t be moved.”
“Oh. I see. Hmm. Right. One of our priorities is to have some kind of infirmary here. It’s much too dangerous to leave them there.”
“We quite agree. One fourth of the townspeople are missing or known to be dead. We don’t know how many tourists were here but we think forty or fifty. Only nine are accounted for.”
Captain Schollander was silent and grim faced. “Any communications?” he asked Jonathan.
“No. There is a chance of a ham radio operator on a First Nations reservation and a government worker who knows many of the people there went up to see. I can’t say I’m too optimistic. We noticed some big craters that way.”
>
With around a hundred people working on different projects for safe accommodations, an infirmary and storage for food, mostly cans and packaged dried food, the work went quickly. The anxiety of further swarm attacks certainly didn’t hurt the efforts.
A medic and the veterinarian had volunteered to go to Port Hardy and help Dr. Bond. Of the fifty seven in the plane and the eight who had slept underneath the airbus fourteen had already died and five were in serious to critical condition. Another twenty had serious injuries but not life threatening if they were given quality medical treatment.
The medic and veterinarian were also to try and seek antibiotics and bandages and other supplies. Several amputations would probably have to be performed and the need for a sterile environment was necessary to ensure recovery. They would also help assess how many could make the trip to ‘Busland’ as the little community was calling the area.
Hawk drove them in the school bus with Jonathan riding shot gun; he stood on the railing above the cab and called out the route. The route however was fairly discernable after the earlier convoy. They returned to pick up more supplies.
On their return from Port Hardy they had several of the injured who were allowed to make the trip to ‘Busland’ as well as a dozen from the Tsulquate Reservation. Some had minor injuries while the others had none.
Jonathan and Hawk also had scrounged mattresses and other bedding as well as more food, lanterns, an outdoor grille and a hibachi with fuel and charcoal. Jonathan assumed this was going to be a lengthy stay. Anything which may aid the community in the coming weeks, months and years he put in the school bus.
He marveled at the organizational skills of Captain Schollander, Bob Ferguson the co-pilot, Terry McNeill and several others who had administrative experience. There was even a few who were in construction and the building of the infirmary and safe lodgings moved rapidly and without chaos.
The plane was stripped of all cushions and usable material. The passenger’s luggage had been removed though much had yet to be examined. The back hoe was used first to dig graves then assisted in clearing a strip so they could tunnel into the hill.
Jonathan was encouraged. When there was good leadership and the necessity to pull together people could work incredibly well collectively and diligently. They could put aside the grief and fear and pessimism to achieve through harmony the beginnings of a community. A safe community at least. The mission of a group of people with the expressed purpose of surviving.
Yet, Jonathan didn’t fool himself. There was yet much more to do.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Jonathan had just finished telling the newcomers, both the townspeople of Port Hardy and the tourists, of what the passengers on the airbus had experienced.
Dinner was served and none went hungry this night. The survivors felt a sense of accomplishment and with a full stomach and tired muscles people were relaxed. The loss of life was not openly grieved but was instead silently internalized. Those in conversations used quiet tones but had clear voices. This told Jonathan that pessimism had at least for the moment been suppressed.
Jonathan wondered if the reason may in part be due to the shared optimism that they were going to survive. He himself harbored this thought. The labor they undertook today towards the goal of survival was a panacea. He wondered if continued exertion not only for safety but to regain their material culture would postpone the grieving process.
“So Jonathan,” asked Tink, “you don’t know when this swarm will re…?”
“Take cover,” someone yelled.
As the two hundred odd survivors had encamped in the hollow they quickly and without any panic retired to the newly excavated man-made cavern. Jonathan was one of the last to walk under and into the shelter. He wanted to see the swarm.
A few thuds were heard before the raining barad, small hail stones, began. This time the pea sized hail lasted less than a half hour and no major meteor impacts were seen or felt. When the coast seemed clear and there was still an hour or more of daylight they left the cavern and congregated in the hollow.
“To answer your question Tink, no. I do not know nor can I predict as yet when the swarm will return.” The councilman was visibly shaken. Whether from awareness he would not be a leader in this community or from the realization his life no longer had permanence and conventionality was unclear.
“I think the swarm, ay, is burning itself out,” said one of the townspeople. “This pass had only the small stones. That’s right, ay?”
Heads turned to Jonathan who had his brows furled in thought. “Jonathan?”
“Huh?”
“Has all the big meteors of the swarm burned up?” asked Jim.
“Well, I’ve been giving it some thought after last night’s meteor attack. I’m not sure…”
“Jonathan will you get to the point?” Lorazini asked.
“Okay. I would say no. The swarm tonight is not the same as last night. I’m even wondering if the first swarm we saw was the same as last night’s.”
PART II
CHAPTER ONE
“I’m telling ya Jonathan there’s aliens here,” insisted Hawk.
“And why do you think that again?”
“I’m positive I saw a space ship. Aliens would be on a spaceship right?”
“Well, theoretically, yes. But how do you know it was a spaceship and not some stuff which fell from the sky? Or maybe it was an American or Canadian plane of some kind?”
“I wondered about that myself and I can’t be sure it wasn’t. It just doesn’t make any sense that’s all if it was from us or the Canucks. They wouldn’t try to be secret and this was a secret landing.”
“Hawk I’ve some thoughts on aliens visiting our planet over the centuries. We’re sentient due to an amazing concordance of occurrences over millions of years. Mostly catastrophic by the way…”
“Yes, yes, you’ve told me but it had lights and descended, that’s the right word, right? It descended slowly and in control.”
“You know it’s hard to believe
in aliens and UFOs until you see one and I haven’t seen one.”
“And there hasn’t been any meteor swarm for several months. You yourself said the swarm acted, ahm, inconsistently right? Maybe there’s a connection.”
“Well…” Jonathan reflected. It’s true the swarm never acted in a correct fashion but that may be due to a lack of understanding on the part of science and what it teaches. Yet, he had this nagging feeling…
“Okay Hawk. I’ll go…”
“I’m going too.”
“Hawk that may not be a good idea…you’re a father now.”
“Yes, but…”
“No buts. If it looks like you’re right you’ll be the first to know. Besides I’ve wandered all over this area for the past two years or so I probably know it better than you. And I make less noise going through it.”
“Hey, I’m a man of the woods.”
“A man of the trees Hawk. There’s a difference. You walk around about as quietly as the chain saw you used to use.”
“Oh, funny, real funny…but, you’re right I suppose. It would be hard for Beth with me gone.”
Keoni walked up, “who goin’ where brah?”
“Oh, to seek some aliens,” said Jonathan.
“Hey bruddah, you be careful li’dat.”
“Not you too?”
“Umm, t’ink maybe Hawk here is on to somt’ing. Somt’ing not right. I heard noises comin’ across from da island ovah dare.” Keoni pointed east to Nigei Island. I small island two miles off the coast. “Fishin’ wit my oldest. Fixed up one Hawaiian sling like you show me. Works good brah.”
“You heard noises? Any guess what the noises were?”
“No. It was early mornin’ just aftah the sun come up. Some shallows ovah dare an’ da fishin’ is bettah. But I was wit Pekele so I t’ink not so good to see what it could be.”
“Hmm, you still have the small canoe, Keoni?”