G Hopf - The End

“Sir, I know you have heard of a ‘Super EMP,’ correct?”

“Yes, general, I have.”

“Well, sir; based upon reports we are getting from the field and from our own experiences so far, this EMP strike took everything out. You are aware that our testing and estimates showed that a standard nuclear detonation high in the atmosphere would have taken out most of the power grid but other damage would not have been universal. This detonation seems to have taken every modern vehicle out, most electrical equipment, etcetera. None of our testing showed damage this widespread. So without truly knowing, we can only assume it was a device designed to emit a greater amount of gamma radiation or in layman’s terms, a Super EMP.”

“How do you know that the grid is down across the nation?”

“Sir, we still have communication with assets across the country using SIPRNet.”

“Sipper, what?” Conner asked confused.

“Sir, it’s the DOD’s secured Internet and the servers connected to many of them are hardened.”

“Well, thank God for that,” Conner exclaimed. “What are we doing about the power outages? How are we supporting government?”

“Not much right now sir, everybody is running around with their heads cut off. It’s chaos on all bases. Plus, with what happened back in Washington.”

“Let’s get to that now then. What else happened?”

“-Ahh sir,” Griswald replied. He looked at Jameson and then back at Conner and paused.

Conner noticed the glance to the colonel; he looked directly at Griswald and asked firmly, “What is it general? What else has happened?

“Sir, we have confirmation that there was a second attack. This was a low-yield surface nuclear explosion. The ground zero of the detonation was Washington, D.C.”

“Are you sure?”

“Sir, we have received confirmation, we currently have communications with an E6-B from Naval Air Station Pax River. They have flown over the area and Washington D.C has been attacked,” Griswald paused and then finished. “Sir, Washington, D.C is gone.”

San Diego, CA

Gordon’s ride home from the store was taking a lot longer than he thought it would. His first downhill slope didn’t go well; the weight of the full trailer made it intensely difficult to control his speed. That weight made uphill rides completely impossible. So, Gordon had to push the bike and trailer for the rest of the trip. Sweat was pouring off his face and drenching his clothes. All along Camino del Sur, the main road to and from his neighborhood, abandoned cars filled every lane. Most of the owners had now given up and walked home. Though Gordon had stayed in decent shape after leaving the Marine Corps, pushing the bike was proving to be quite the challenge.

When he crested the hill at the intersection of Camino del Sur and Carmel Valley Road, he finally took a break. He sat down on the sidewalk and drank some water, thinking to himself that maybe he should go to another store after this trip. The more he could supply his family, the longer they could hold out. He knew eventually he would have to tell his neighbors what he knew, but not until he could secure as much as he could for his own family. He sat on the sidewalk with his head down, watching the sweat drop off his face and chin and onto the sidewalk. As he felt the cool breeze hit his hot face, he became aware of the unusual silence for the first time. The hum of cars was replaced by the sound of birds flying. How strange, he thought, how peaceful it seemed right at this moment. He knew the peace would end soon, once people realized what had occurred.

Gordon had never really feared death, but now he did. If something were to happen to him, how would his family make it? Samantha is as tough as they come. She had been a top producing sales person for a large firm. Her reputation in the corporate world preceded her, she was aggressive and no nonsense, all business and didn’t take shit from anyone. That type of toughness was great in an insulated environment, but this wasn’t about being tough in a board room. The true realities of what was coming were frightening; the way people lived would forever change and only those who could adapt quickly would survive.

If Gordon’s fears proved correct, then in an instant, the United States had been transported back to before the Industrial Revolution. There would be a fight for resources, specifically food and water. Electricity had enabled the country and society in general to feed many people, but without power this equilibrium would stop immediately. The area they lived in would not be able to support the 3.2 million residents. Soon, the water would dry up and then the food. Gordon couldn’t bear to think about it anymore; he needed to keep moving. He decided to attempt another trip today, which wouldn’t be possible if he didn’t make it home quickly.

As he started to push the bike, he heard a familiar sound coming from behind him. It sounded like a car, something with some real horsepower. He stood still, waiting. The sound grew louder; the car was coming his way. At the top of the hill, emerged a cherry red 1957 Chevy truck. He had seen that truck before; he put out his arm and waved. The truck pulled up right next to him.

Gordon bent over and peered through the passenger window. The driver leaned over and started to crank the window down.

“Hey, buddy,” the driver said.

“Jimmy, what’s up?” Gordon asked.

“This is some shit, isn’t it?” Jimmy replied, then pointed to Gordon’s bike and trailer, “What’s going on here?”

Gordon paused and considered whether he should he answer his friend’s question honestly. As he played out the scenario in his head, he started to realize that if he and his family were to survive long-term, they would need cooperation with others.

“I went to the store to get supplies,” Gordon answered. Leaning further into the open window he followed up with his theory, “Jimmy, here’s what I am guessing; we’ve been hit with some type of nuke.”

“Nuke?”

“I know, you think that a nuke just blows everything up and it does if it blows up on the ground or just above it, but if it blows up high in the atmosphere it causes what they call an electromagnetic pulse. Essentially, it fries everything electrical.”

“Gordon, you’re confusing me, slow down.”

“Jimmy, it’s pretty much the end of the fucking world right now, trust me on this. I know for sure that this isn’t some blackout like a few years ago. This is everything electrical, cars, phones, everything,” Gordon said, speaking faster and faster.

“I need to get home then,” Jimmy said placing his hand on the gear shift.

“Wait a minute, I’m sure your family is fine. What you and I need to do is team up and get supplies as fast as we can. There is some low-hanging fruit out there that we need to pick before panic and total fucking chaos erupts.”

Jimmy looked back at Gordon and asked, “Are you sure about all of this, Gordon?”

“I’m not sure about the size of this attack, but you see me here, pushing this thing,” Gordon pointed to his overflowing trailer.

“Gordon, I need to get home to check on my family.”

“I understand, but do this as soon as you get home. Fill every tub, sink basin, jug, whatever you can with water. Soon, water will stop flowing. Once you feel secure, come to my house and we’ll head out to another store to get food and more supplies.”

“Okay, I’ll see you soon,” it seemed as though Jimmy sped off before he even finished his sentence. Gordon looked on as he accelerated down the road, zig-zagging around the endless obstacle course of stalled cars. He then realized he and Jimmy weren’t thinking clearly as Gordon should have asked him for a lift.