Эллен Гилкрист - Black Winter

Here is part of one of Mort's books. “The detonation of a nuclear weapon near the Earth's surface raises enormous quantities of dust into the atmosphere and causes deadly radioactive fallout. Nuclear fission of plutonium (and uranium), the process that triggers all nuclear explosions, creates dozens of unstable atomic nuclei that decay over periods of hours to years into more stable forms. In the act of decaying the unstable nuclei release alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. Of these, the gamma rays — a very energetic but invisible form of light — are the most dangerous. Typically, gamma rays can penetrate a foot of concrete, one or two feet of dirt, or two or three feet of water. They come from two principal sources: the initial ‘prompt’ gamma rays produced during the nuclear explosion itself, and the ‘delayed’ gamma rays emitted during the radioactive decay of residual unstable chemical elements synthesized in the explosion. The prompt gammas irradiate the region already subject to intense thermal radiation and blast effects. For this reason, their lethal effects are comparatively unimportant. Dead is dead; it doesn't matter if those killed by falling buildings or burned to death are also fried by gamma rays.

“The delayed gammas, however, are emitted by debris that can be carried by winds hundreds or thousands of miles from the explosion site before falling out or raining out of the air. The radioactive elements involved tend to condense onto dust particles. In the rising fireball of a surface nuclear detonation, the intimate mixing of surface particles swept into the fireball with the newly generated radioactive elements scrubs most of the radioactivity out of the air and onto the dust. Hence the radioactivity is distributed over a large area as the dust settles downwind of the detonation. . ” (Page 52, A Path Where No Man Thought .)

“Where were the explosions?” we had asked him. “Do you know what cities were hit?”

“The east coast. Nashville, Atlanta, North Carolina, Cincinnati,” he kept on naming them. I think half of it was a guess. There has been mist here for several days now. Thick dark mist.

We are staying in the cave.

“If all the explosions were east of the Mississippi I think we have a chance,” Tannin said.

“Then why is it so dark here?”

“It's lighter than it was. It was worse a few months ago.”

“We were in a stone church, then in this cave,” I told Mort. “I think we have a chance, don't you? If we had radiation poisoning we'd be sick by now.”

“How thick were the walls of the church?”

“I'm not sure. Pretty thick.”

“I think you lucked up so far.” Mort put his chin on his hand. He looked from Tannin to me and back again. Then he sat up very straight. “You can go with me if you like,” he said. “Just because it's been safe here doesn't mean it will stay that way.”

“Why are you going to the equator? Tell us exactly why again.”

“Because even a nuclear war can't push the earth off its axis. It will get colder and colder in this hemisphere. If life continues it will be near the equator. I want to see some children before I die.”

We have decided to go with Mort. We will pull the motorcycle behind the car on a trailer for the canoe. We will drive as far as we can. Then we will throw away everything but books and the needle and food and walk. Anything is better than staying here waiting for the chickens to start keeling over.

We will leave in ten days. I am starting to abandon things, our map on the wall, our calendar of days, our shadow marks outside the cave. I don't know what to do about the horse. The leaves on the trees are growing sparse. Vegetation is looking more like something in Alaska than Arkansas in late summer. And it is cold.

The more I think about the equator the better I like the idea. We have the guns if we need them. I might go out and shoot one one day soon. Just to make sure I know how. We have three rifles and seven handguns. We will only be able to keep this arsenal as long as we find gasoline. Mort says we will siphon it from abandoned cars or get it from farm supplies. He says all farms have tanks of gasoline and we will find some in Texas. There is a town called Appleton a few miles from here. I want to drive through that way and buy some apples if they have any left. It was just a tiny little town with orchards all around it. Tannin says he doesn't want to see orchards. He says there is a chance they will look like late Van Gogh and scare us all to death.

After we go through Texas we will come to the Atlantic Ocean. No matter what has happened the ocean will look like life and peace and purity. All my life I have loved the ocean. And all bodies of water. I want to dress in white for this journey. If I had a long white blanket I would make a pilgrim's robe of it. This is a pilgrimage, I guess.

October 30, 1996: Six Tibetan monks are here. They came walking down the path at noon yesterday, walking toward us as if they knew where they were going. They have been in Fayetteville and brought us news from there. They had gone there in late February to put on an exhibition of temple dances. It was part of a one hundred and ten city show to raise money for their new monastery in India. They are from Drepung Monastery in Lhasa which was destroyed in 1959 by the Chinese Communists. Their leader is Gangkar Tulku, recognized from childhood as the reincarnation of a high lama from Eastern Tibet. Gangkar speaks English, as does his second in command, Bhagang Tulku, also a high reincarnate lama. The others were all born in India after 1959.

Tannin and I were not surprised to see them. Lamas have come to Fayetteville before. There are several psychiatrists there who visit back and forth in India and Tibet. One of them had prayer flags flying in his yard and I saw them every day when I would ride my bike to the park in nice weather.

As soon as we saw them we went down the path to greet them. They were still wearing their red and saffron robes and sandals although they were also wearing large woolen shawls and warm hats and gloves. “How did you find us?” Tannin asked.

“We asked where there were caves. We asked a geologist at the University. He drew us maps. We were looking for a place to begin a monastery. Are there other caves nearby that you have found?” They were standing in a circle now.

“Come inside,” I said. “Have tea with us. We have tea we found in a canoe shop. We don't like to stay outside unless it's necessary. Come in. Tell us about the town.”

“There was much rioting and disorder. People were living in the basements of buildings on the campus, afraid to go outside. We went with the people we were staying with, a doctor and his wife, to live in the basement of the physical science building. Some people with guns guarded the doors. The mayor and the head of the university were there with their families. The doctor who was our host went out each day to the hospital to care for people. There were many suicides, all during a week when the earth was dark.”

“What did you hear of the rest of the United States?”

“There are people in the west who survived. Ham radio operators have sent messages. There is not much left east of the Mississippi. Not many cities left.”

“What of the radiation clouds?” Mort asked. “Do you have information about them?”

“The worst went north-north-east, but there has been sickness many places. No one has invaded the country. There are still missiles in silos that could be sent against invaders. They say the nuclear submarines are still running. The NATO commanders command them now. The headquarters are in France. This is the news we heard.”

“Why did you leave?”

“It was time for us to go and be alone. We have much to meditate upon.”