The Decay

Chapter 17 - Rewind

17

… 102 years ago …

Francis was sitting on the porch, guitar in hand. The change from G to E-minor. He looked up, clouds dotting the sky. He wondered how the war would end. He didn't like to talk about it much, but he was worried. At least it was quiet here... for now. Fields surrounded the white and blue house, except for the few houses lined up on one side. “Francis, come inside. Dinner's ready!” shouted a female voice. Francis put down his guitar and walked inside. He was in his early thirties, his hair long and blonde and his eyes sky blue. He was tall and slim, his back slightly crouched from always sitting down. He swiped the hair from his forehead and sat down. “It looks fantastic Molly,” he said, taking in the smell of the roasted beef in front of him. “Could you turn on the TV please?” he asked. Molly turned it on and went straight to the news channel. “Over four hundred victims have been confirmed so far in the latest assault by Russia on U.S. Soil. It has also been confirmed that Japan is to launch an aerial attack on Australia within the coming hours,” said the reporter. Francis remained quiet, a grim look on his face. “Earlier this evening, rumors have been circulating with regards to a nuclear strike. We will keep you updated on this serious matter.”

After dinner, Molly went to lie down. Francis sat down and watched the news. “It would appear that Chinese forces are moving against Russia in response to the earlier attack against America. In the meanwhile, Europe seems to be divided about who to support, with Germany, France and Spain establishing an alliance with Russia, whilst England...” Francis turned off the TV, sighing heavily. It was only a matter of time before things would get completely out of control. It was time to start thinking about what to do in that case.

Molly appeared in the doorway. Molly was a beautiful woman. Even when pregnant she had looked as graceful as ever, her long, smooth black hair reaching beyond her shoulders, complimenting her facial features. “Have you put Thomas to sleep?” she asked. “No, I'll go now,” replied Francis. Francis headed down the hallway and into a room. The toddler was sitting in his crib, playing with an elephant toy. “Hey Tommy,” said Francis, reaching down to him. Thomas paid no attention to him, instead continuing to play with his toy. “Time for bed, come here.” Francis raised him out of the crib and gave him a hug before putting on a new nappy and putting him down again, this time tucked nicely under a blanket. “Good night, son,” he said, smiling.

Leaving the bedroom, Francis headed to his own bedroom. He opened a drawer and pulled out a briefcase. Placing it on the bed, he opened it, revealing a pistol, money, passports and a first aid kit, among other things. A survival pack, just in case. Earlier in the week, he had planned a route to get to the local nuclear shelter which had been built shortly after the war had broke out. Molly didn't know about it, but then again, she wasn't taking the whole thing particularly seriously for some reason. As he heard footsteps, he quickly closed the briefcase and placed it back in the drawer. As he closed it, Molly walked in. “Are you okay honey?” she asked. Francis nodded. “I'm fine, just a bit tired.” He walked over to her and kissed her briefly on the forehead. “You know, I was thinking,” he said. “What if tomorrow...” A siren started, a deafening sound. “What's this sound?” asked Molly, holding her hands to her ears. “An air raid siren. We have to get to the shelter and fast. I'll get Thomas.” Francis ran out of the bedroom and burst into Thomas' room. Thomas was awake, his cries drowned out by the siren. Francis picked him up quickly and, after grabbing the survival kit from the drawer in the bedroom, followed Molly out of the front door.

Other people were running from their homes towards the shelter, what few possessions they could carry bouncing in their arms. As the first people arrived, the doors to the shelter opened, allowing people to enter. The underground shelter was highly advanced, with designated rooms for people, opened only by the use of a retinal scanner. Francis, Molly and Thomas made their way to the shelter and took the lift down. Three levels down, they got out and entered their room. It was an impressive shelter; spread over 5 levels, it consisted of a single long corridor with 10 rooms per level. Each room was built with the same design, having a bedroom, a bathroom, and a dining room. A large television was present on the far wall on each level with satellite communication. Each room was stocked with a container of special food pills designed to provide all necessary nutrients, together with a a basin with water, derived from a water-purifying system. It was entirely possible to live down here for years. Francis left Molly and Thomas in the room before heading to the end of the corridor where the television was present. A group of people had gathered as the latest footage was shown. Explosions and chaos. A few minutes later, they heard a loud crash as a fighter jet was shot down somewhere close to the shelter. The next footage showed a military truck driving through a broken building, and then nothing. White noise appeared on the screen together with an overwhelming sound from the outside. People screamed in terror as everything shook tremendously, the explosion bigger than anything ever felt before. Some were wondering if the shelter was going to keep.

It took a long time before the shaking stopped. Even the dynamic anti-seismic system of the shelter was unable to dampen the shaking down, which meant that it had not been an ordinary earthquake. Radiation counters around the shelter were showing horrific values of radiation. A massive nuclear strike had occurred. Francis went back to his room and sat down on the bed in tears. Molly hugged him tightly as they both were in shock. “I... I don't know what happened,” said Francis trembling. “It wasn't just one nuclear bomb, I'm sure of that.” “There's nothing we can do hunny, not now,” replied Molly. “Let's get some sleep, then we'll see tomorrow,” she said. They lay down on the bed, but sleep never came.