Jeffrey Palmer gave up reading, with a sigh. “I really wish you’d stop having breakfast in my office, Mr President.”

President Gray locked eyes with Palmer while he slowly finished chewing a mouthful of toast. 

“I can’t do that, Jeff. I’ve only just started.” He held up the plate. “Look! A whole piece of avocado-on-toast to go. If I don’t finish it all, three things will happen: One, I won’t get the important nutrients I need to see me through what promises to be another busy day in the office. ...

The senior White House staff assembled in the Oval Office at exactly one minute before 8am. A steward followed them in to the room carrying a silver tray with a coffee pot, a small jug of half-and-half, and a single fine bone china mug bearing the seal of the President. Setting it down on the small coffee table, he asked, as he did every morning, if the President would like him to pour. Also as he did every morning, the President replied with a polite “No thank you, John.”

The staff waited patie...

The Senior Staff filed out leaving Palmer and the President alone in the Oval Office.

Gray took his jacket off and draped it over the back of one of the ornate chairs next to the Resolute desk. He moved a coaster for is coffee and sat down.

Palmer took the other chair and sat down. He handed the President a copy of the daily schedule. “Before I move things around, was there anything in the schedule you were hoping to avoid?”

Gray scanned the sheet and pointed to an entry. “Confidential Informati...

“Marcy!”

Marcy opened the door and wandered into Palmer’s office. “Morning, Jeffrey.” 

“I missed a call?” 

“Yes, Jeffrey. The NASA Administrator. He said it was urgent.”

“He couldn’t wait on the line?”

“It dropped off his end. Shall I call him back now?”

Palmer thought about all the material he had to review and turn into recommendations for the President before lunch and sighed. “Please.”

He sat down and waited. He’d long since learned that if you tried to fill every single second’s pause with ...

The President met Palmer outside the Situation Room just as Palmer was putting his hand print up against the reader. It let out a discrete beep, drowned out by the sound of the electronic lock on the door clicking open. The Secret Service agent outside the room pulled the door and held it open to let them through. He spoke into his wrist mic. “I’ve got Bearclaw in the SitRoom.”

The room was already bustling. Some of these people, like the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the National Security Advisor, practically lived in this room. An Army Colonel was talking quietly into a wall mounted phone in the corner of the room. He covered the mouthpiece and announced that they were patching NASA through now.

The Administrator’s face came up on a large wall mounted screen. The image quality was poor but the audio was about there. “Good morning, Mr President.”

“What’s going on, ...

“Apeliótes,” said Evans as they filed, in good order, out of the Situation Room.

“I’m sorry?” said the White House Chief of Staff. “You got some idea? One of your assets? You have some information? Maybe a hunch? Because now would be a very good time to share.”

There were mild issues between the Chief of Staff and Evans, whose text-book Teutonic good looks seemed to set Palmer’s teeth on edge. 

The Director of the CIA shouldn’t be a 6’4” blond guy. Evans should, thought Palmer, be more in the Pe...

After an hour or so the air in the long room of the PEOC was hot, stale, with a chemical tang of special-purpose anti-bio, anti-chemical and, it was said, something approaching, but not actually being, amphetamines. The Northern Lights – Carl mentioned Athens briefly but was hushed – had, yes, appeared persistently and unusually, but they were natural and Nature did odd things with natural phenomena; “That’s why they’re called ‘phenomena’ for God’s sake,” said General Williams, the Chairman of t...

A chorus of men muttering “Shit” and “Jesus Christ what now?” and “Oh for Pete’s sake”.

A single flashlight punctured the darkness. “Is that all we have?” said the President of the United States of America.

“Everyone’s got a flashlight on his iPhone” said the Veep.

“Everyone’s iPhone is in the lead-lined signal-blocker safe” said the Chief of Staff, “as per standing orders”.

“I’m the fucking President,” said the President.

“And your iPhone is in the fucking safe,” said the Veep.

And then the lig...

“Emergency backup,” said the Chief of Staff. “Excellent. I’ll get a sitrep.” He picked up the landline. “Excellent, excellent,” he said, “I’m getting the dialtone fine.”

He punched in a string of numbers, and then the lights went out.

It was 13:08.

At 13:15 the President of the United States summed up, in the dark.

“Building power and emergency power is down, and we cannot,” he said, “do the following things. Make phone calls. Charge our phones. Which are in the safe. We cannot open the safe and even if we could, we are on a secure cellular network which, if there is no power, will not operate at all. We cannot call for assistance. We cannot leave this room as we cannot open the doors. We cannot control the temperature and we...

Mikey and Smiley Joe

The rundown rooming house doesn’t have a name. At least, not one that shows from the street. Just a sign with faded paint declaring in big letters “ROOMS”, and in smaller letters “Day — Week — Month”. What the sign doesn’t say is that rooms can be had by the hour, if you know to ask.

If you shake the handle on the front door you can feel that it’s loose in its frame. Amateur repairs after the last break-in have left it less than fully secure. But that’s not important any mor...

Bob and Sheryl

Embassy Row is the informal name for Massachusetts Avenue from the Naval Observatory to Scott Circle in Washington, DC. As the name suggests, this area is home to many embassies and diplomatic missions to the United States. Traffic along Embassy Row can be heavy.

“Well, we’re finally on the right street. I swear, I can never get this right! Next time we should take the Metro. It’ll be quicker!”

“That’s okay, Bob. We’ll be there soon.”

“Mmph.”

“I’m excited! When was the last time w...

John and Tina

Tina Johnson, a newly-minted Secret Service agent, stands beside John Cole outside the door to the inner sanctum of the PEOC.

John glances at her. “Hell of a way to start your new job, isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir. I certainly wasn’t expecting anything like this.”

“Neither was I. Of course, it’s what we prepare for. We hope that things like this don’t happen, but we have to be ready for anything.”

“Yes, sir. But what, exactly, is happening, and what are we doing about it?”

“As for what’s h...

Mikey and Smiley Joe

Mikey jerks his head toward Smiley. “What the hell was that?”

Smiley, fists clenched, looks intently at the paper in front of him. “Nothing to worry about. That old TV was ready to die. Looks like we’ll have to find another one somewhere. Pain in the ass.”

“No, Smiley, I think it’s worse than that. Look outside, no lights on the street. Cars aren’t moving! I’m telling you, that was a hell of a big bang!”

Smiley pulls his gaze away from the paper. He swallows. “Okay, Mikey. L...

Bob and Sheryl

Bob looks in his rearview mirror and sees that the car behind him has stopped, too. No danger of being rear-ended.

“Bob, what’s going on? Why did you stop?”

“The car died. And from the look of things, we’re not the only ones. Look — nobody else is moving, either.”

“And the lights all went out in that office building. It looks like a power failure. But that wouldn’t affect cars!”

“Let’s see if anyone else has any ideas.” He opens the door and steps out of the car.

He’s not alone; d...

John and Tina

The lights are out. The emergency lights have not come on. There are no windows; this far underground they wouldn’t have done any good, anyway. The security area is as dark as a cave.

John’s voice pierces through the exclamations and mutterings of his agents. “Okay, folks, stay calm. Is anybody hurt?” The voices quiet down, and nobody complains. John pulls the walkie-talkie from is waist and thumbs the PTT button. Nothing. “Does anyone have communication with outside?” No response....

“What the...?!?” Sanjay slammed his hand on his desk in frustration as his screen went blank. He was almost finished! He turned to the desk beside him, “Hey Jess, it’s gonna take me a little longer...” he stopped as he realised that his wasn’t the only dark screen in the office. “Whoa, looks like we’re all gonna be in the shits with the boss today.” 

As people started trying to reset their computers, someone called out, “Hey, who turned out the lights? This isn’t funny you know!” 

“No-one did Ja...

When the power went out, and the radio went off, and the phones died, Steve knew he would be needed at work. He couldn't get his car to start so he rode his bike to the stables. The roads were in chaos. It seemed that every car had stopped at once. Those who were waiting at red lights were the lucky ones, while most of the rest had been able to pull over, some weren’t so lucky. In the few minutes he was on the road he passed four multi-vehicle collisions, seven single vehicle accidents, and mult...

Clutching her handbag to her stomach, Jenny tried to stay calm and slow her breathing. She couldn’t see a thing. 

Lulled by the sounds of the train as it sped through the underground, she had been absently flicking through Facebook posts on her phone when the lights went out. The sound of the brakes screeching wasn’t enough to drown out the noise of the people falling and crying out. And then everything stopped except for the sounds of the other passengers and the darkness. 

At first she thought...

Felicia was scared. After waiting for hours at work for the power to come back on, her line manager eventually said to go home.  Her watch had stopped, and her phone didn’t work, so she had no idea what time it was. 

The roads were full of traffic, but none of it moved. The cars cars, busses, trucks, vans, motorcycles – all of them were still. 

Apart from the people, everything was still. And the silence was frightening.

All the roads were silent. There were no car engines, no sirens, no horns.

...

Two elaborate bellows, formed of a thin membrane called resilin, were pumped by an encasing latticework of delicate musculature. The sudden contraction of these chambers produces a resonance, a click that all on its own would scarcely be heard, but when such clicks were paired, and produced rapidly enough, they cause a wave of shrill song to shiver into the air around them. Much of this melody becomes trapped within a hollowed chamber, the raised bell of which, though no larger than a thumb, ser...

The second to last weekend of summer recess was one of the few moments of time throughout the year wherein the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Roberta Miguel, allowed herself to withdraw from it all. Most people figured the whole of congress went to Bermuda for a month, but the reality was that these extended breaks were the only time to practice what she and many of her colleagues had taken on this career for in the first place: to spend time in the places they represented, to hear the...

The journey to the White House was something Roberta hoped she would never have to suffer again. She considered herself fit for her age, but such considerations were shattered cruelly when attempting to keep up with a gang of extremely athletic youngsters whilst trampling through insect infested woods and bogs you never knew existed between the eight mile volume of land between her house and the White House. Her ears still rang from what she suspected would be permanent hearing damage from the o...

Her clothing was drenched with sweat when she arrived, legs and arms bloodied from thorns—but after the House doctor cleared her of any serious dehydration or exhaustion concerns, they had granted the mercy of use of the facilities to wash up and get a fresh pair of clothes on.

And now Speaker Roberta stood, shouting in the doorway of the White House at the security guard blocking the way.

“We must as a first priority get a firm message of comfort out to the nation.”

“Ma’am, I’m sorry but we can...

The afternoon light was tainted by smoke and ash. Roghan Taylor, junior officer of the U.S. Capitol Police, stood at his post and squinted. He tried to discern the extent of the haze they were under, but could not tell if it was very local or very general.

There were lane trees in front of the shops there on Massachusetts Avenue. His partner and lead officer Craig Farley, back from taking a turn of the grounds, put one foot and then another up on one of the planter benches, stretching his legs e...

That morning, Roghan had been detailed up to Columbus Circle. He and some of the others had been sent there, because officials were going to address the crowds there. Union Station was packed with people who had been at work in the city and suddenly found themselves with no way to get home. That was days ago. No trains were running — nor anything else for that matter. Droves of people had just been holding out there in the cavernous rail station.

The Speaker of the House stepped down from the ma...

Farley snapped his billy club idly against one thigh. "Thing I don't get is why isn't the military doing anything? They must be prepared for a thing like this ... whatever it is. You think the President is dead?"

Roghan was suddenly reminded of the morning and a look he had seen on Roberta Miguel's face. Mayor Campbell had said something to her just before he stepped up to address the crowd.

"You know it's true. If you won't step up, I will."

Roghan suddenly realized now that the Mayor had been ...

"People, this store is closed to business and under police protection, by order of the Mayor."

Roghan's pronouncement was general, but it was the Speaker of the House who stepped forward to answer.

"I am aware of that, officers. But these people need food and first-aid and other supplies."

"You know we have our orders, ma'am. There's not to be any—" He pulled himself up short, realizing he was about to call the congresswoman a looter. "No unauthorized taking of personal property."

"Officer—" she...

The sledge hammer made short work of the chains. Roghan looked over to where Farley had stalked off. Whatever happened now would be all on him. Had he made the right call?

The door bolt broke next and the doors to the grocery swung wide. But no one moved. There was no rush to the door. What were they waiting for?

Roghan stepped forward. "All right now, only a few at a time." He felt an enormous wave of relief. These people were not looters — and this wasn't law and order, but it was order, and i...

The crowd remained remarkably well behaved, many waiting outside while others were in the store. Of course, most people came out with more than they were meant to have taken. But even in this, the people showed themselves well — tolerant yes, but with limits. When one curmudgeon came out with a  pretty full shopping cart, he was roundly booed and finally went off with only a hand basket of stuff.

Roghan kept his post by the front door, not sure what his function was in all this.

Farley came over...

“Cock-a-doodle-doo!” It was coarse-sounding cry from an even coarser looking cock. Parading about the still nearly dark room, its yellow claws clacked on the fine marble tiles. It fell silent as it stopped to peck at some unseen bug around the edges of the room where the fine marble flooring met even finer hardwood-paneled walls. It looked towards an ornate wooden desk flanked with flags near the back wall, head tilted in the way that roosters do when contemplating the meaning of life. “Cock-a-...

Cole had just filled the French press with water heated on the kerosene camp stove that was a centerpiece in the office when Roberta stepped into the front office, ready to start the day. He was dressed in what had become a perennial favourite of his: Leaves of Grass Walt Whitman, circa 1865, with an open-collar white shirt and black hat jauntily laid over his long hair. All that was missing really was the long beard, though he was desperately trying to remedy that.

 “Good news, Walt! This isn’t...

As Roberta and Cole walked down the Mall together past the plots of crops toward the livestock pens, the early morning autumn crispness in the air was beginning to wane as the sun rose in the sky. The District’s residents were now going about their daily tasks; harvest was in full swing. Johnny Appleseed was digging up sweet potatoes in the middle of the Mall, while George Washington Carver stood atop a ladder in an orchard grove nearby filling a bucket with apples. The absurdity of it all had a...

The sun was now high enough in the sky that it was bringing real warmth to what was sure to be a fine autumn day. Roberta breathed the clean, warm air in deeply. In an upside-down, post-electric world, some blessings remained the same, she thought as she and Cole watched Mike and the livestock hands escort Don away down the Mall toward the District’s boundaries. Roberta turned to Cole. “Wonder why he stole the sheep?”

 “I have no idea, Rosa.” Cole grinned as he shrugged his shoulders, looking fu...

The Arboretum had always been one of Roberta’s favourite places to visit before the world become a place of stasis, after power and electronic devices just stopped working, life as anyone had known it just stopped. Many people died from the riots and from disease. Others just up and left DC, hoping to find a place that had not been affected, a future that did not mean hardship and hard work, they were looking for paradise.

Maybe that place exists, and one day Roberta thought, maybe there would b...

Oliver Kelly woke up. 

“Fuck. Not a dream.” Oliver said it every morning. Not because he expected to wake up with electricity, but because he hoped that one day he would just … not wake up.

“Sam! … Sam! … God damn it! Sam! Where the fuck are you?!” Sam was supposed to be right next to Oliver. The first thing Oliver should have seen, after whatever was “up” sheltering him from rain, should have been Sam.

Oliver crawled  to his feet. He was tired of sleeping under trees. Under bridges. Under the o...

“HEY! YOU! WAIT UP!” Oliver yelled to the person that might have been a lookout. Not sure why the first living person he saw ran further into a deserted city. Looking behind him he realized that leading with armed thugs may not present the most peaceful image. 

“Sal, Roger, Karthik. You all need to be less... you. Make the guns less obvious. Try not to be … you. More like… Tim or Vic. We aren’t an army.”

“We are Marines, not Air Force. When you can get Sam to stop with the squirrels and rabbits ...

“Roberta Miguel” she walked forward with her hand outstretched. 

“Oliver Kelly.”

“Democrat.  Massachusetts. Speaker of the House. Divorced. No children.” 

“Jesus Rog… at lest you don’t know her age.”

“I do. That’s impolite. I have a mother.” Rog was looking directly at Roberta. “Roger Kirsh ma’am.  Republican. Kansas. Master Gunnery Sargent United States Marine Corps. Married, I think. Two boys, 6 and 2. I’m 36. 3 Purple Hearts. 2 silver stars.

“Ma’am, I’m not hear to start anything, but you nee...

“It is called a ‘Carrington Event’. It is a coronal mass ejection of such size and force that a magnetic disturbance is created that effectively ruins the most basic electrical components. If it has a wire, it gets fried. Did you all see the northern lights? That’s the clue. We saw it coming several years ago but no one took it serious. I know how to get the electricity back. I just need people to help.”

Looking at Rog, Roberta asked “Is he always like this?”

“Actually, that’s the simplest openi...

“This is too much. Why should I believe you? Why should we give up our most important people in the most important time of the year? This is the harvest time. We need to process crops, livestock and prepare for winter. 

“Why don’t you stay with us and help with the harvest activities. Then, once we are done, we can help you with your project. You become part of our community. You all look like you could use a couple of good meals. A nice bed. Hot water for baths. 

“But, like I said, this isn’t m...

“Fellow citizens of the District of Columbia! Thank you for coming. This man is Oliver Kelly. He is a scientist from before the event. He wants to talk to you about what happened to us and what he needs from us. Mr Kelly, you have the … well … here.” Roberta walked to a seat and sat down. 

Oliver gave his best explanation. Rog helped prompt him with a facial expression or gesture when Oliver strayed too far from the topic. As he finished his explanation, Oliver looked into the crowd he noticed 1...

It only took the Marines a few seconds to quell what little resistance remained. Roberta cried quietly behind Oliver. Jill and Kim pulled the body of the dead man away. Jill smiled at Sam as they passed him. 

After a few moments Oliver faced the crowd. “Uh… Sam here… He found us in Philly… Just kind of latched on to me… I don’t think we can Blame him…”

“Shut up Oliver” Roberta said. Gathering her composure she stood in front of the community. “Friends, we see what they bring to us. In less than ...

It struck Kelly that the Capitol building would not have seen such presence; quite so many people or such noise since The Shutdown. Right now there were many, scuttling around the marble floors, their voices echoing in the expanses of grandeur. This revered place had become surplus, a cenotaph to the memory of the life that was. It seemed like such a long time ago. 

The group of volunteers brought in to work had made the entire scene look like the bizarre, a Dali version of life. This building w...

Oliver Kelly had come up with a plan that he thought could solve the world’s problem, but he needed to try it on a small scale and experiment on sophisticated electrical systems but in a building that was surplus to requirements. The Capitol building, now uninhabitable, a cold and uncomfortable marble mausoleum to politics, had been disregarded by citizens looking for cosier homes, and had now been left to stand empty. He could isolate the control room and minimise the scale of the electrical su...

“This is just the beginning,” Oliver Kelly told the growing crowd. He took another step back, up another stair so he could see every face in the crowd. He had started talking to just three people at the bottom of the Capitol steps, but the group was now nearly three hundred and he was up four steps to see them all.

 “When can we expect power in our homes?” called out on voice.

 Kelly smiled wide. “Now I could give you an answer like someone you’d expect to hear on the steps of this building and...

As Roberta climbed the Capitol stairs she reflected on how often she had made this climb, looking up at the building brilliantly lit at night, sounds of traffic in the distance. The world had gotten much quieter in the past year, but here was the old building, lit almost as before. If one ignored the dead plants, and the corner piles of composting leaves, one might think the building was just waking from a year-long nap, ready to again hold sway over a continent, and influence a globe. She almos...

Sun beamed across lush green grasses of northern Italy: a beautiful day in the Alps. Andrew pedaled faster, a blue sports car whizzed past him on the winding road, followed by a motorcycle zipping along his left side. It unnerved him for a moment and his pace faltered. Clouds topped hillsides as the scenery lured him back in. The paved road gave way to one of pressed gravel, and finally, a dirt trail that led to a sparkling lake offering serenity. Andrew felt the sudden urge to strip off his clo...

The smell of tropical fruit. Not exactly a scent one would expect in the basement of the White House. Andrew glanced to his left to see one of John’s men tuck a roll of antacids back into his front pocket. He didn’t blink, chewing quietly, eyes forward. Andrew almost laughed, but combed his fingers through his hair instead. Curing his heartburn should be the least of his concerns.

John rested beside him, he spoke quickly, and now they’re hustling him towards an elevator at the end of a corridor....

John Cole was sitting alone in the East Wing of the White House, drinking coffee, and waiting for his boss, the President of the United States. Outside the window, the shrubs and lawns and topiary in the Jaqueline Kennedy Garden thrived, beautifully tended and lovingly fed and watered, although the remnants of colour would soon turn and sag as summer morphed into autumn.

He liked to spend time here, with his earpiece out. The slow-moving serenity of the garden contrasted strikingly with his day ...

“Aw, come on!” Alec Hayes yelled at the TV as it went black. He was in the middle of a particularly exciting fight, and he was tempted to throw his hand controller at the screen.

He shouldn't have been home. Not really. The fact was, he'd pretended to be sick that morning so his mom wouldn't make him go to school. First weeks at new schools were always tough, but this one had been particularly rough. After only three days, there were kids out to get him already. It didn't bode well for the rest ...

Everything was strangely quiet. It was so abrupt that Sarah, who was having a late lunch in the break room, stopped shoving salad into her mouth. Why was it so quiet? Had the ancient fridge finally decided to give up and die?

Noise from the main room caught her attention.

“Are any of them working?...Better call maintenance and tell them the power's out...Well, use your cell then...What do you mean?” Her boss's voice buzzed above the rest.

The chatter rose, and it sounded as if everyone's cell ph...

Iris sat in her car for several minutes. She was so stunned that she couldn't move. 

Her car had died. Every car around it had died. Lights went out. Noises stopped.

People were coming out onto the street—out of houses, out of cars and apartments and shops. They milled around on the sidewalks and in the street, all echoing the same question: What happened?

Iris stared at them until she thought of her husband. He was alone at home with the flu. Had everything mysteriously stopped there, too?

She ...

Anna fought to keep her frayed thoughts from her face. Twenty-five seven year olds were depending on her to stay calm and lead them through to the end of the day.

“It's just a power outtage,” she'd told them when it happened. She kept telling them that all through the afternoon, even though it was now obvious, from whispered conversations with colleagues, that this was not the case.

She kept teaching, masking her fear, trying to keep things as normal as she could for her kids for as long as poss...

Jane hurried down the street, determined to get to her mother's house. At eighty-five and frail, her mother wouldn't be able to fend for herself if things went bad. 

And they were going to go bad.

Jane warily looked around, seeing panic and fear and anger everywhere. Occasional gunfire peppered the air. People were yelling at each other and fighting. One lone young man was walking blank faced down the road. He didn't even seem to notice the cars broken down on either side of him. A teenager tapp...

Everyone else had gone home, but Ian, as owner of the small store, didn't want to leave it. It had been his father's before his, and it felt more like home than the small apartment he slept in above it.

He was watching the chaos in the street when he first saw them. They were like a crazed wave. None of them looked sane. They held all sorts of make shift weapons—ball bats, knives, crowbars, pipe wrenches. There were even some real guns. As they swarmed the buildings, glass broke and flew. Goods ...

Troy Dunn had been called a nut. He new this. People thought he was crazy because he liked to be prepared. The shelter under his house. The cupboard full of nonperishables that had enough food to last at least three months. Flashlights with lots of batteries (damn things didn't work now, though.)

Paranoid was he? If he were the type to laugh, he'd be laughing now. Since he wasn't, he watched the horrified people in the street as they went from shocked to bewildered to scared and mean. Mobs were ...

Emmy had been hiding in the bathroom when they came through. Hiding and holding her breath and shaking almost hard enough to knock her teeth all out. Even after if fell quiet, she waited. She waited for so long, she forgot what light looked like, and then she waited some more.

Finally, wanting to go home, she slowly opened the door and gasped. The neat grocery store where she worked now resembled a war zone.

Food was strewn everywhere. It was ripped and broken and trampled. Shelves and coolers w...

Night fell, unremarked and impossibly dark. The streets were deserted, and a terror filled hush walked the sidewalks. Creatures of the night came out, able to walk freely where they'd always had to hide in shadows before. Rats were the least dangerous of these.

Without the hum of technology, everything was quieter than it had ever been. The sounds of breaking glass carried much further. No alarms rang and no one went to investigate. Doors and windows were barred tight against the darkness—both o...

“Just remember, you’re next.”

“Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself, Andy?” She jerked open another drawer and shoved the junk around, but there weren’t any candles. Why did she keep this stuff? There’s a Swingline on top of the desk. Why have a backup stapler? And those black plastic clips? All those unused, or half-used Post-It notes with smudges on the last few digits of a phone number or something that seemed important to remember? When this was over she was going to dump it all in ...

The door to her office flew open. She had her security detail posted outside, but they were overwhelmed by the urgent, stoic rush of a dozen men in suits, guns drawn. They didn’t yell, they spoke firmly and didn’t answer any questions, confusing her security team even more. They weren’t letting these beat cops, as they saw Capitol police, get in the way of their mission. House Speaker Roberta Miguel leaned heavily onto both hands on top of her desk. Her shoulders peaked with tension and Andy jum...

The Secret Service rushed her through the crowded Capitol Rotunda and out to another group of waiting agents, all with bicycles at the ready. The National Mall was filling up with rag tag bunches of people, starting to chant different protests in their small groups. One dread-locked caucasian 20-something with a dirty t-shirt and ripped shorts above soiled hiking boots called out, “What do we want?”

The 15 or so scared and scruffy people around him shouted back,”PEACE!”

“When do we want it?”

“NO...

They entered the White House. Several of the President’s cabinet and other administration officials were waiting for her. The first to speak was John Cole, head of the President’s Secret Service detail. 

“Thank God they found you. We’ve got a team waiting to hear from the President, but for now, we’re your new Security detail. Welcome to the safety of the Secret Service, Madam Speaker. 

“They’re not dead?” she directly asked. 

“No, Madam. But they’re inaccessible.”

“Who’s in charge?”

“The Presid...

Andy was alone in Speaker Miguel’s office. The sun came through the window of as it shouted its way down the National Mall from the Washington Monument to the glossy top of the Speaker’s refinished Maple desk. Did they plan for the monument to be a gigantic sundial when they built it? There was no electricity in 1848, either, he thought. But here it stood in the afternoon sun 171 years later, its proud shadow turning North toward the Smithsonian. It was 3:00pm, give or take a quarter of an hour,...

When her temporary new office was ready Speaker Miguel called the White House Press Secretary in. 

“I’ve got get word out to the people. They’re frantic, confused. What’s the backup plan for a time like this?”

“There isn’t one, really,” Karl Bailey replied. “We can’t broadcast on TV, we can’t let reporters in, anyway, it’s too dangerous - none of our security checks can verify or scan anybody. Christ, even the emergency amateur radios are down. Remember on 9-11 when the cell towers went out in N...

Roberta had never been more thankful for her security detail than she was right now. No power, no lights, no phones. No easy communication for more than a couple of days. It was her job, her responsibility and her authority to bring order to not only the Capital region, but the nation. She needed to figure out what was going on and quell the rumours as soon as she could. It was bad business for people to be going around and declaring that the president was dead. And that upstart Thomas Owen. He’...

Bright and early Roberta walked back to bridge and crossed back into Washington D.C. Whatever had it the grid had taken out the power for as far as she could tell. Not even the ham radios were working at this point. How were they supposed to communicate with the outside world? How were they supposed to assure the American people that the DC area was safe and sound and would be pushing to get life restored to normal as soon as possible?

No coffee. No hot water to take a hot shower. This was worse than camping. Camping. Her memory flashed back to the last trip Carlos had taken her on. It would be fun, he’d said. It would be romantic, he’d said. She shuttered as the thoughts of the mosquitoes, and those other nasty little bugs that had eaten her alive. She’d never liked camping as a child and going deep into the woods of West Virgina so they could get back to nature and “find the love they’d once shared.” What a shame.

The hair on the nap of her neck began to stick to the damp skin. Summers in DC were hot and sticky. It didn’t matter what time of day it was. She lifted her hair off her neck and fanned herself as she looked up at the sun. It wasn’t that late in the day yet. She’d get to the office, see who had heard what, reach out to her contacts at the different departments. Everyone knew the COOP procedures. Those who couldn’t be contacted would be tracked down on foot. She felt for the interns that would be...

Roberto rolled her eyes again. Tandem bikes were harder work then she thought. The police officer on the front was peddling like his life depended on it and Roberto had no choice but to go at his speed. Keep up or get off. And she was tired of walking. 

The view from the Capital never ceased to make her breath catch. Today, in the bright sunlight, the white marble didn’t disappoint. She held her head high. She’d worked her whole life to have the privilege to serve the American people. Some would...

Owens was waiting for her outside. “Madam Miguel.” 

A total power move on his part. She had to walk up the stairs to be on level ground with him. 

“Mayor Owens.” She crossed her arms. “Want to tell me what the curfew is about?”

“I just want to make sure the people of DC are safe.”

“My concern are the people of the United States. I don’t think you cutting law makers off in such a critical time is really smart.”

“What do I care about law makers? What have you done to help people today? All I see ...

Roberta woke up alone in her double bed. Not a king, not even a queen, just a double. Steve had griped about that so often. Barely enough room for one man, he'd say, spreading his arms and legs wide, heedless of the way he was elbowing her or kicking poor Danny right off the bed. 

The bed felt plenty roomy now. 

It was four months since Steve had finally made up his mind to leave. Twice that since Danny had been put down. *Shot*, her inner critic corrected sternly, in the mental voice that was p...

It was nearly November, but the cloudless sky promised warmth and ample sunshine. A recycled glass jar held beans that had soaked overnight. She drained the water off them, careful to not let any beans escape, then poured them into the small dutch over. She chopped a small onion and three jalepeno peppers and stirred that in, added a bay leaf and some sprigs of thyme, and just enough water to barely cover the beans.

Her top floor apartment included a patio. It has offered the luxury of a pleasan...

Roberta walked along the street, nodding as smiling at people she passed. There were so many fewer now, it felt like she knew every single face. D.C. had dwindled into a small town. The vast majority had dispersed nearly at once. They had looked around at the stores, so quickly emptied of items as useless as sparkly jewelry and vital as food and fastest of all of luxuries like tobacco and alcohol. People had seen the scarcity, and gone in search of more. More food. More land to grow it on. 

And ...

Finally. The last name on her list for the day. On the whole, she was satisfied with the reactions from the people she had visited so far. She thought she’d managed to inspire them to buckle down and work harder. Well, at least for a while. Once a goldbricker, always a goldbricker. No doubt she’d be visiting them again some day.

She thumped on the door. Nobody answered it, though she could hear voices somewhere upstairs. She knocked again. Again no answer. Well, there were other laws that weren’...

Osrik smiled at her. He and his partner Davis had just arrived at her office. “We got the word from Gonzales you wanted to see us ASAP.”

Roberta nodded. “Yes. Michael Godwin. 855 17th Street. I want you to collect him now, straight away.”

“Fine. Shall we bring him here?” 

She shook her head. “No. To the Speaking Platform at the Mall.” She hesitated. “He’s a dealer. He’s got a whole lot stuff he’s taken in trade. That might include some weapons.” 

“Not a problem,” Davis patted the heavy handgun h...

As always, the Mall was one of the busiest places in town. In patched together-booths, on folding tables, and on spread blankets goods were on display. The food from community fields and gardens was collectively held and distributed by the community, but it seemed everyone had a small patch of ground, around, behind, in front of or on top of the roof of their house, and put it to the best use they could. Everything from hen’s eggs to fat rabbits to herbs of all sorts could be found here, along w...

“Hey, Lacy,” Adam yelled from the kitchen, “it’s almost noon. Time to go.”

He wasn’t sure she’d heard him over the mechanical clatter of her sewing machine. It was one of those glossy, black built-like-a-tank Singer treadle machines that had found itself back in demand after the meltdown. His fiancé, who had never sewn a day in her life before August of 2019, had become an enthusiastic if less than passable seamstress.

Adam peeked around the corner of the kitchen doorway into the living room. Hu...

Adam woke up with a pounding headache. He felt groggy and didn’t remember falling asleep. A sharp pain in his shoulder made him gasp when he tried to move, and then he remembered. Lacy!

Before he could get up, he felt a firm hand on his chest. It was Dr. Davis. “Relax, Mr. Wright.”

He looked up to see her tired but smiling face. “How’s Lacy? I want to see her, please?”

“She’s okay, Mr. Wright. She’s in the Intensive Care Unit, and you can’t see her just yet.” She removed her hand from his chest....

Roberta Miguel stood up and dusted the dirt from the knees of her pants. She watched the small team of people make their way into the district. The team was small, but the carts they brought with them were heavily loaded with equipment. What anyone would need equipment for these days, Miguel could only imagine. 

She sighed heavily and headed back to her office. Someone would probably be looking for her soon. There weren't many newcomers lately, but it made sense that they'd Cooke to her.

As she ...

Kelly took a deep breath to settle his nerves. He'd presented his argument, done his best to convince them of the importance of his mission, now it was down to the vote.

He glanced over at Miguel. Around his own age, she was quite attractive, with her shoulder length brown hair and Hispanic features. It was hard to read her sometimes, what she thought of what he'd said. It didn't really matter what she thought. She'd organized this meeting, and that was all he needed.

"All in favor of supporting...

The rewiring went smoothly until the last day. Oliver had known it was too good to last. There were miles to cover and far too many people still huddled in the Capitol. Somebody was bound to disagree.

“Don’t think we can do it?” he asked. Even Roberta seemed sceptical of that, though she’d given them her blessing to try and set up the volunteers. This young volunteer flung her hands in the air.

“Oh, she has no opinion on that! The crazy lady just won’t let us touch the room!”

“Won’t let us...” O...

It was a good afternoon for a jog.

She remembered when jogging was a time to lose herself in thinking and planning. She remembered when there was such a thing as normal, when you could put little plastic things in your ears that replaced the sound of this world with the sound of Beethoven and Mozart.

Since the Event there was no ‘normal’ and there was no sonic barrier to the children crying or the people shouting. And she would never ever get used to the sight of boarded-up museums or people was...

It was the engineers you might think would get the acclaim. But Roberta knew how fame and politics worked. It is the team leaders who become the team personified, and receive the acclaim. And the laurels rest on them even when the leaders try their best to turn the attention back on those who did the work. Oliver Kelly, however, had so far not shown himself as the kind of leader who would even try to deflect praise. 

The Roberta of 2 years ago would have played the game with Kelly; would have wo...

Now she could see what Steve’s gang were working on: they were painting a big sign for the rally. In bold black paint, it said “Everything’s going to be” and then Kelly’s initials. “Everything’s going to be O.K.”  

Thinking about it, as she ran, her fingers almost physically ached for a keyboard in front of a search engine. Who was this “Oliver Kelly”? Where the hell did he come from?

There were rumours and theories she’d heard ... that he was part of Gray’s administration dealing with energy, o...

Roberta wandered back towards to the Mall, knowing she would be early for any gathering. That left her time to spend at Orza’s. Orza had run a street truck selling espresso and flat whites before the Event and had continued to ply a similar trade in the new order, although this time, he’d moved up to a café of sorts... some folding chairs he set up at sunrise every morning and an open fire with boiling water. His reserves still stretched to good filter coffee, but it would cost you. If you still...

“Mind if I join you?” Roberta asked the engineer.

Startled, and then recognising her from the meeting, he said “Yes. I mean please, do, Ms.....” he realised he didn’t remember her name, “I’d be delighted,” he added hastily.

His body jerked, thinking of standing up for a lady, then realising he was too late because Roberta had seated herself quickly.

She, of course, was itching to ask about his “boss” and their plans but knew she would have to work up to it slowly. She went for the old standby: e...

Late in the evening, Roberta Miquel, an Administrator of New Washington, and former Speaker of the House, gathered up her conflicting emotions and theories and in the falling dark, made her way up to the one building with light: the Capitol.

Roberta had always felt that her short frame – bordering on stocky, but she never mentioned that to anyone – was an ill fit among the hallowed halls of the Capitol Building.  On any given normal day, before the calamity, the halls would be teeming with men taller than her, women prettier than her, but all of them would look upon her for guidance and resolution.  She was short, but she had risen into power.  She pulled at the rough hewn jacket sleeves she now wore, a far cry from the tailored out...

August 30, 2019

5:21 am

Rocky Creek Park, Washington, DC

His soaked t-shirt clinging to his chest in the cloying pre-dawn heat, President Andrew Gray crested the hill that led to the planetarium, his retinue of Secret Service agents and Jeffrey Palmer, his Chief of Staff, dutifully puffing along to match his brisk pace. The run was an inconvenience, of course—the security arrangements alone were a big ask, not to mention the sudden change of plans and disappointment it caused for the Washingtoni...

After a shower and private time with with his wife and daughter, the President’s morning proceeded as usual: fifteen minutes for Palmer to walk him through the day’s itinerary (the highlights: sign-and-snaps for the hard-fought No Worker Left Behind and Families First bills, centerpieces of his Indianapolis campaign kick-off), then the daily intelligence breakfast briefing with Alice Gardner, Director of National Intelligence, Dave Clark, National Security Council Advisor, and Michelle Bennett, ...

9:37 am

East Room

“—its core, this bill will ensure that, as industry inevitably changes, no American will be forced into chronic unemployment or perpetual underemployment.” President Gray paused, surveying the room packed with press, business, civic, and labor leaders, the big-state Governors of California, Florida, New York, and Texas, the small-state Governors of Idaho, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia, Congressional leadership and most of his cabinet behind him. The passage of the bi...

9:57 am

White House Corridor

“Anybody know what that was all about?” Gray asked as he, Palmer, Press Secretary Karl Bailey and two of his staff, and two Secret Service agents headed for a 10:00 meet-and-greet in the Oval Office. 

Agent Evers spoke up. “Apparently it’s not specific to the White House, sir. PEPCO’s indicating sporadic anomalies that appear to be affecting older buildings. No reported outages. They’re attributing it to solar flare activity.”

“Solar flares? What about the rest of th...

10:26 am

White House Corridor

“—well, somebody needs to check those microphones,” President Gray said, irritation clear in his voice. “Wireless or not, we can’t have them shocking dignitaries while the cameras are rolling. And make sure—”

“Excuse me, sir. Mr. President?” 

Gray turned to see Dave Clarke, his NSA coming up the corridor behind them. “Dave?”

“NASA’s in the Situation Room. You might want to hear what they have to say.”

10:39 am

White House Situation Room

Gray studied the face of Bill Parsons, the NASA Administrator. “So let me see if I have this right. “This increased solar activity has gummed up communications with the International Space Station, and there may or may not have been spikes in the astronauts’ medical monitoring data before communications were lost. Correct?”

Parsons nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Gray pivoted his chair to face his National Security Adviser. “Dave, I know I’m not the sharpest tack in the b...

Andrew Gray wasn’t a particularly nostalgic man, but whenever he made it up to his old stomping grounds in north central Indiana, he always made a point of stopping at Columbo’s Family Restaurant in Elkhart to get his favorite pizza.  

The style of the pizza was difficult to exactly pin down.  The crust was thick, which normally would be a problem but the generous layer of toppings and cheese were such that they balanced well with the breadiness of the crust.  The cheese had to be some kind of b...

As soon as the lights went, Cole put his back to the PEOC door. He’d been standing in front of it in any case.

“Team Bearclaw, dark on post,” he said into his sleeve mic. “Team, report.”

There was an ominous silence on the earpiece as he wait for the team to report in; not just a lack of answers, but none of the faint background hiss even the clearest radio signal provided.

The emergency lights came on. He could see the nearest agents, one at each end of the hall. “Six, report,” he called out qu...

The man stood on the street corner and shook his phone again, then cursed quietly and stuffed it back into his pocket.

Across the street, two teenage girls did something similar. Bent over their phones, they pressed buttons, shook the phones, glanced at each other and muttered something no one else could hear. Each bent again, gave their phone a sharp shake, looked up, and shrugged at each other. Simultaneously, they shook their heads and flicked their hair back over their shoulders, before dar...

Further out, in a tower block in the residential district to the southeast of the city, neighbours stepped out of their homes and took faltering steps up to front doors of people they would only occasionally wave at.  In unavoidable situations, such as inconveniently arriving at their doors at the same time, or waiting for the lift together, they may mumble “how’re you?” without looking up, but generally, social interactions were rare around here. The old man at number 23b crossed the landing in...

Back towards the capitol, and with the sun a few fractions lower in the sky, the clock on the Old Post Office Pavilion also showed a static and silent 13.07, but the streets had become busier. 

Up in the clock tower, a tourist couple looked down onto a steady pattern of antlike creatures closing in towards the government buildings, or the mayor’s office, or somewhere around that area. Honeymooners, first time in the capital, they didn’t know which building was which, couldn’t make head nor tail ...

The eerie silence was broken occasionally, by what people would describe wonderingly as fireworks, explosions, bombs, or planes, unless they were those unfortunate enough to have witnessed the exact cause– these people had far greater cause for panic, for they knew for sure that the noise, the flash of fire, plume of smoke, whatever, was indeed from a plane landing awkwardly on the edges of the runway, bouncing twice, then bursting into a fireball, or another that had landed in a still more cata...

Roberta Miguel didn’t notice the crisp-suited agent standing by her door until he cleared his throat with a distinct cadence that suggested this was the third or fourth time he had done so.

She looked up from the mess of handwritten memos that had flooded across her desk since the phones had gone down and stepped back as another representative’s adjunct apologetically slinked through the door and dropped yet one more notice atop the pile. Even without turning her eyes from the agent, she could s...

“No. Absolutely not. It’s utterly out of the question.”

Karl Bailey, the Whitehouse Press Secretary, looked worse than Roberta felt after her silent and tense shuffle through the Capitol’s underground tunnels. The agent who had come to collect her—along with the small army of other Secret Service members who’d melted out of the crowds at the House offices to join them as they wove their way to the tunnels and beyond—had kept their pace brisk and Roberta could already feel muscles she’d forgotten...

It was an early September morning, birds singing happy songs in the distance and a cool breeze sweeping through the copse of trees near the municipal park. Captain Joe McLean leaned back in the driver seat of the police cruiser and closed his eyes, savoring the coolness coming through his open car window and dreading the stifling heat to come. It was going to be a challenging day all around and he needed to be awake and alert for the sake of everyone who was coming later in the day. 

“Hey Pops, ...

“Aren’t you glad I saw you standing by your car, waving your arms like one of your rabid supporters at your rallies.”

Roberta Miguel rolled her eyes as she looked over at her supposed rescuer. Mayor Thomas Owen was not her idea of a knight in shining armor. More like rusty mail riding a broke down nag, she thought to herself, and tried to stifle a chuckle at the thought.

Owen stole a glance at her then laughed. “Oh ho, so you do have a sense of humor. Good for you. So, where are you going?”

“Non...

Roberta Miguel was sitting behind her desk, shuffling through her notes from yesterday’s meeting, when a besuited Karl arrived with coffee.

“You’re a Godsend, friend,” she said, grinning, taking the mug with a monkey stenciled on it and inhaling the rich aroma from the brew.

“I know, I know,” Karl said, sitting in the visitors chair. “ You say the same thing every morning, when I bring coffee... I’m not so popular when I don’t.”

“Not surprising. When you arrive sans coffee it generally means the...

Half an hour later Roberta and Karl were standing in the food court at the centre of the mall, watching the families that inhabited the McDonalds and the I-Hop doing the communities washing in what had, until the apocalypse, been a large pool with a fountain. Luckily, its water supply had been drawn from an artesian well and engineers had somehow managed to convert the pump to Donkey power.

“Do you need anything, Administrator?” Bess Brooks, the head of the washers, asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“...

“We ain’t lifting a fucking finger,” John Dengue said, sneering at Roberta. “And I don’t think there’s a lot you can do about it!”

“Oh, I think you’ll find there’s quite a lot I can do, if I choose, Mr. Dengue.” Roberta said. She was flanked by Karl on her left and two of the best militiamen Karl had managed to find on their way from the mall to the arboretum. 

Dengue was flanked, too. He had six planters behind him, along with two horsemen holding onto their horse’s bridles. Roberta thought fou...

“...and that’s the problem with the 2nd amendment, especially now.” Karl said, thumping Roberta’s desk with his hand. “Well? Any response?”

“Karl, this is the most pointless, circular argument. And it’s not that we don’t have it on a regular basis. I’m just not in the mood right now.”

“But Dengue was about to shoot you! If we hadn’t had the two militiamen with us, he would….”

“But we did! And he didn’t! Leave it Karl. Dengue must have gone back to work. We’d have heard by now if he hadn’t.”

“Yes...

After the results of the straw poll had been accepted, Roberta and Karl took the last remaining carriage across the district to the Militamen’s home. Painted in pastel colours with a large trompe l'oeil garden, it was as cheery a set of buildings as Roberta had seen.

The concrete yard behind it was a different matter. Six trailer boxes were set side by side, all connected by welded walkway. They were lead to the last trailer in line, guarded by a young, heavily armed militia man who saluted as t...

In the pale light of the autumn dawn, Roberta and Karl sat on the seat of a horse drawn wagon next to its driver, an old man who kept muttering to himself as he flicked the reins. The horse, almost as old as its driver Roberta thought, kept wickering and tossing its mane in response. Behind them, in the bed of the wagon John Dengue stood, surrounded by guards.

They arrived at the gate and the guards escorted Dengue off the wagon, one removing his handcuffs, a second handing the man a brown valis...

Roberta put the pen down and flexed her hand. Cramps. She had cramps. She missed her keyboard. Hell, she missed a typewriter, but try going vintage when the world had gone Dark Ages.

At least her office still had a lifetime supply of cheap but functional pens collected during meetings, visits, conventions and all the stuff that she used to do most of the time and that now had disappeared like soap down the drain.

Drains. There was another problem that was, right now, not making itself apparent b...

“But why didn’t we stop to talk to them?”

As usual, Jeff was in a hurry — and thought he knew better.

“Those people working in the Arboretum, they might have helped us.”

Oliver Kelly looked down at him, hesitating.

“Their sentry didn’t look very friendly,” he said. “Besides, they were felling trees, I don’t think people cutting down trees would have been much help, and I’m not sure they were part of the D.C. Centre group. You just keep your eyes open and be ready with that rifle, just in case.” ...

Roberta Miguel stood looking over the rows of vegetables and many weeders that now filled The Ellipse. She was tired. Very tired. She felt like she had been tired for at least 13 and a half of the past 14 months. Since the Storm. Somehow she had become the coordinator, if you like, of the D.C. Centre district, first keeping people safe, then organizing the initial scavenging – while trying to prevent disorganized looting during the exodus, then organizing food production… it had been easier when...

When Kelly’s caravan had been stopped back on Maryland Avenue, the next few minutes had definitely been tense. However, as so often before, Adam’s calm authority had defused the situation. It had taken a bit of time for the three guards who had stopped them to find a superior officer, but after that things moved quickly. The caravan had been escorted down to the National Mall where it now waited, surrounded by guards, while Kelly was taken to see a Roberta Miguel, who was apparently in charge. T...

Miguel and Kelly sat on a bench under some trees on the other side of Constitution Avenue. The lanky guard stood a few yards away, keeping an eye open.

“Now, what do you want to tell me, Mr. Kelly?”

So Oliver told his story.

Had she not been in such a funk of worry and overwork, Roberta would probably have dismissed Kelly as some crank and refused even to listen. As it was, his basic point, “it can’t go on like this”, coincided with her own mood precisely.

“Well, “she said, “I don’t know if I be...

“I think this is just crazy. Electricity is gone and we just have to make the best of it.”

The speaker was a short man of about 50, one of some 250 people standing and sitting in what had once been the U. S. House of Representatives chamber, but was now the meeting place for the D.C. Center district town meeting. Miguel and Kelly had spent the previous 10 days trying to build support for Kelly’s project, and now was the time for a decision.

“We’re doing all right,” the man continued, “and I don’...

Journal Entry,

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Oliver Kelly

DC Lights Project Lead (Acting)

I thought it would be good to start a personal journal regarding our project.  I apologize for my handwriting.  It has been a while since I wrote longhand.  My engineering notes are usually in block letters and numbers, and they do not intone anything other than the technical ideas to be communicated. 

As I have had a double scotch and am filling up the glass again, I feel compelled to explain what we have ...

And now I am sitting in the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who has told me never to call her “Madame Speaker” again.  She is Roberta to me now.  

As I finish writing this, she is preparing my third Scotch.

This time, with an ice cube from her new makeshift Stirling refrigerator.

Roberta sat back in the chair and sighed contentedly, dabbing a discolored cloth napkin to her lips before placing it atop her clean plate. It’d been near impossible to find any pure white cloth for months, but people made due, as they always did. This particular napkin had seen some life during the year or so since everything had changed, its edges were frayed and countless stains adorned it from lack of bleach and ample use. This wasn’t to imply it hadn’t been thoroughly cleaned and disinfecte...

Dusk had fallen when she rounded the corner onto Pennsylvania Avenue. The dome of the Capitol was in view ahead, its lights already glimmering against the backdrop of the night sky. A larger crowd than usual gathered around the outdoor stand that offered home brews and moonshine. The few stools before the counter where regulars usually sat were obscured by a swarm of bodies and it took Roberta a minute to realize the commotion was in commemoration of Kelly, who was seated as a guest of honor alo...

A dazzling array of lights blinded Roberta Miguel. She dismounted her grey mare, Gray, and, with her back turned towards the lights, tied it to a tree nearby. She’d bought it after her divorce and named it in honour of the previous president Andrew Gray, a namesake she’d regretted since the president’s disappearance. The spiky dust in her peeling sandals wasn’t as unbearable as when she’d started wearing them 14 months ago, but still she inched towards the lights in discomfort. The skies had few...

A darkness reflecting the condition of her own soul.

Oliver paced about outside his team tent, revisiting the shock Roberta Miguel’s actions gave him. Even if he’d had extra sandals, he wouldn’t have given them to her, this ungrateful, primitive “administrator” whom he and the community had trusted for so long. Only tonight did he know she wasn’t on his side. Who knew, she might even feed his precious shoes into his broken generator all over again.

He muttered something. Wait, such a thing shoul...

President Andrew Gray’s mobile phone buzzed. He looked down at the flashing screen, and swiped up to see who had text him just now. Bandicot. Some people might have thought it was overdoing it to have his fourteen year old daughter Elizabeth saved as a code name in his phone, but as the leader of arguably (and he would vehemently argue this, no matter who challenged him) the most powerful country in the world, he just could not be too careful.

“You have egg on your tie,” it read.

“Well, thanks, ...

“Bearclaw is en route.”

President Andrew Gray heard the secret service speak into his communication device as they hurried down the long corridor from the situation briefing room and it did nothing to calm his nerves.

He was surrounded by the top men in security, the best advisors a president could have and here he was being escorted in a real situation down to the Presidential Emergency Operations Center.

They’d practiced this before, of course, so that they all knew the route and speed at whic...

The time was 13.07pm

The emergency generators made for such a time as this, turn on and the lights sputter and flicker back on in the White House. One by one the computers, printers and fax machines beep and buzz as they switch back on. There is an audible sigh of relief. People smile and look pleased with themselves, but this is a short lived reprieve. Within seconds the White House is plunged back into darkness again. Staffers stumble from their now dark offices and cubicles into the White Ho...

There are footsteps and John sees a shape move toward the area of the window in his office. 

It is the Director of National Intelligence, Alice Gardner. He can hear her breathing which sounds slightly breathless and ragged as though she has run a long way. Her office is about 600 meters from his on the same floor. 

  “What’s going on?” John asks,

  Alice answers in a voice pitched higher than usual,

  “The power is out across the city and in the White House. The president has already been evacua...

The lifts are not working. John checks but the button light indicating that the lift is coming is not even on. No point trying to call a lift. There is no power.

They pass many people but don’t stop to talk.

It is very dark. They take the stairs down to the situation room.

The situation room is full of people. Lots of people all talking at once. 

The secretary of Homeland  Security is trying to garner attention. Standing by one of the situation room solar lights. The secretary  of energy, Iain Thomson, has had the sense to gather up some of the solar lights that decorate the White House  gardens and also some of the Christmas lights that are kept in the basement. So the situation room is lit up like...

John stands stiffly. He remembers that he has a citizen band radio. In fact he has two that he keeps in his office. They were his favourite toy growing up when he had dreams of being a spy and working for the secret service, He isn’t  a spy but he does work for the secret service.

His reminisces are cut short when he realizes that CB radio could offer a way to communicate with the president and his staff inside the  PEOC bunker.

John signals to Alice Gardner. He catches her eye and she gets up h...

It doesn’t take long for John Cole, head of the presidents security detail to retrieve both his vintage and more modern citizen band radios. His radio is battery operated. He hopes that the radios in the president’s bunker have this option. He will soon find out.

It seems like an age since the lights went out in the White House. It is in fact a relatively short time. John gathers a team of people and they head towards the PEOC bunker where the president must have started to feel incarcerated. Al...

“What the...?!?” Sanjay slammed his hand on his desk in frustration as his screen went blank. He was almost finished! He turned to the desk beside him, “Hey Jess, it’s gonna take me a little longer...” he stopped as he realised that his wasn’t the only dark screen in the office. “Whoa, looks like we’re all gonna be in the shits with the boss today.” 

As people started trying to reset their computers, someone called out, “Hey, who turned out the lights? This isn’t funny you know!” 

“No-one did Ja...

When the power went out, and the radio went off, and the phones died, Steve knew he would be needed at work. He couldn't get his car to start so he rode his bike to the stables. The roads were in chaos. It seemed that every car had stopped at once. Those who were waiting at red lights were the lucky ones, while most of the rest had been able to pull over, some weren’t so lucky. In the few minutes he was on the road he passed four multi-vehicle collisions, seven single vehicle accidents, and mult...

Clutching her handbag to her stomach, Jenny tried to stay calm and slow her breathing. She couldn’t see a thing. 

Lulled by the sounds of the train as it sped through the underground, she had been absently flicking through Facebook posts on her phone when the lights went out. The sound of the brakes screeching wasn’t enough to drown out the noise of the people falling and crying out. And then everything stopped except for the sounds of the other passengers and the darkness. 

At first she thought...

Felicia was scared. After waiting for hours at work for the power to come back on, her line manager eventually said to go home.  Her watch had stopped, and her phone didn’t work, so she had no idea what time it was. 

The roads were full of traffic, but none of it moved. The cars cars, busses, trucks, vans, motorcycles – all of them were still. 

Apart from the people, everything was still. And the silence was frightening.

All the roads were silent. There were no car engines, no sirens, no horns.

...

Someone was knocking at the door.

It was late afternoon and Roberta Miguel was sitting up in bed, a satin pillow supporting her naked back, an untidy sheaf of official papers spread out on the counterpane before her. “The devious bastard,” she smiled to herself as she scrubbed a yellow highlighter across Section 111.3.18 of Alaska Grizzly Bear Conservancy Emergency Federal Support Bill. “He thought he’d sneak that past me.” 

The counterpane stirred beside her and a spiky head emerged blinking sl...

They walked down the fire stairs because the lifts were not working and out into the street, where no cars were moving. It was early evening, but neither the festive lights in Meridian Hill Park nor the street lights had come on. In fact there were no lights to be seen anywhere. Washington DC was dark.

“Haven’t you heard?” asked Gordon. “No, I guess you were busy. There’s no electricity of any kind. The entire grid is down along with every kind of battery. I’ll explain it as we walk.”

“Walk? Whe...

The gates of the White House were also electric, but a platoon of army engineers had rigged up ladders and ropes to scale the fence. The soldiers escorted Roberta and Gordon up the drive and through the front door.

As Speaker of the House, Roberta had visited the White House many times, normally to cross swords with the President over some bill or other. She wasn’t intimidated by the building’s impressive portal, the marine guards in white gloves and gleaming weapons on either side of the door, ...

The city was already beginning to darken. Without the artificial background buzz of light and noise, the early afternoon sky felt oppressive and heavy. The fountain at Dupont Circle, once a proud meeting point for friends, held only a few puddles of murky water, making it look somehow much smaller than before. 

The boat carrying female figure – meant to represent the sea – wore her standard stony expression. Amid the air of human emotion emanating from DC residents, even she managed to appear gl...

Patrolling police officers circled the area in twos and threes. Vultures waiting to dive. A teenage boy began to climb the fountain, unnoticed. He placed his left foot on the hand of the lone male statue and reached for the upper basin. His foot slipped but he managed to maintain his grasp and righted himself once more. The boy swung the whole of his body outward, holding on with just one hand, and began shouting wildly.

“Ask yourselves what aren’t they telling us. Where the hell is Gray? Why ha...

Afterwards, as they made their way back across Dupont Circle, the two women were still sitting on the same bench. With the bulk of the crowd having moved on to other parts of the city, this time the women’s conversation was easier to follow.

“I heard it’s some of kind of nuclear attack. Enemies of the West trying to start all-out war.” The woman with cracked lips spoke quickly.

“War against the whole of the West, or just America?” 

“No idea. No way of finding out now, either, is there. Guess tha...

One and a half miles away, at Lincoln Memorial, the Mayor and Roberta Miguel both stood atop the marble staircase. They were placed one each side of the great statue; though it was impossible to tell, as the giant Lincoln was hidden by the darkness, tucked safely away inside his cave. As the gatherers grew, they crept ever closer to the two representatives, jostling with police and official security. Mayor Owen rested his hands atop his slightly bulging belly. Behind him stood a team of voluntee...

Roberta allowed the silence to envelop every molecule of her being. She loved standing among the crops as the sun peeked over the roof of the Capitol building. She squinted as the new day  stretched out in front of her and pride welled in her chest as she admired the corn stalks which glistened like gold bars in the early morning light. There was not a breath of air moving and  it would be a few more minutes before the diesel generators would be kicked into life to irrigate the massive city farm...

The once-green leaves were now brilliant hues of gold and red. Even with everything that had changed in The District, the seasons were just the same as ever. The past year and change without any sorts of electronics had been quite the adjustment, of course. There was a greater emphasis on agriculture and community in general, even after so many had fled. 

The morning had been a peaceful one, all things considered. Children were on their way to their classes, as not even an apocalyptic event coul...

The tent slouched at the base of the Infinity Sculpture, looking like a drunk after a long night. It was a civil war era canvas hospital, scavenged from the Smithsonian’s deeps, with more than enough space for a makeshift café. Farmhands lounged out front, scraping eggs off chipped tin plates and trading tall tales of the dead world.

Roberta Miguel trudged past, heading for the front flap. The farmhands paused their conversation long enough to give a respectful nod. 

“Christ, I’m not the damn po...

Under the flickering light from an antique oil lamp, Oliver examined the charts that Mike had just brought into their temporary HQ in what might once have been an impressive conference room.

Everything seemed to be under control, as far as Oliver could tell. Mike's teams of volunteers were working through the programme, and the main progress sheet was starting to fill up with ticks indicating that a task was complete. Rooms opened, burst light bulbs removed, and the remains of anything electrica...

It was approaching six pm. There was sufficient light outside still for people to be able to come and go safely, but it was dark enough for the impending miracle to be properly appreciated by those privileged to witness it.

Oliver had no idea what selection process had taken place - that was not his department - but the Great Rotunda was, if not quite heaving, then certainly well populated with representatives of the local citizenry. Plus, of course, many of the team who'd got them this far. Rob...

The shadow of the Washington Monument ended to Roberta Miguel’s right, in a field of golden squash that stretched between Jefferson and Madison Drives. The two ribbons of asphalt cut the Mall into thirds; she was heading down the northern one towards the Capitol dome, with her horse loping along behind her on a lead. She hadn’t needed to bring him, strictly speaking, but it was a bit of a schlep to and from her home, and she wasn’t as young as she used to be.

It was Roberta’s second trip to the ...

The State Of The Union had been a shabby dive back before the Event, and had only deteriorated further. Just down the street from the Capitol, it was popular with congressional aides, though not with their bosses. Too discordant and loud for anybody over forty. Now its Edison bulbs had been replaced by candles and oil lamps; instead of boasting one hundred beers on tap, it served a half-dozen local varieties in bottles. The sawdust floor had remained.

The party which had started when the lights ...

Roberta said farewell after one last beer. She turned to wave from the door and saw that Jane had already gravitated to a cluster of her fellow engineers. Hopefully she wouldn’t discuss too much of their conversation.

Her horse was at the hitching post in front of the bar where Roberta had left him, his muzzle dripping from a recent drink at the provided trough. The sun had set while she’d been inside, and the Capitol shone a block away like it was hanging in the sky. It was as transfixing as it...

A cool breeze moved among the trees and buildings of the District, curling around corners and slipping along sidewalks. It promised the coming shift in seasons. The leaves throughout the city were glorious shades of sunset, oranges and yellows and reds bursting forth and falling with each sigh of the wind. The view from the top of the steps of the Capitol was, in truth, breathtaking.

What had been the National Mall ran east to west and the Capitol stood at the eastern end of it, a gleaming tower...

Feeling positive about his re-election campaign that kicked off successfully yesterday, United States President, Andrew Gray went about his morning ablutions with a spring in his step. While patting his hair, he looked at his reflection in the mirror and smiled. Thinking to himself that the grey speckles in his, previously brown hair, gave him the look of a man people could trust to look after America for another term in office.

He looked out across the Washington DC skyline and decided that bri...

Thursday 29 August 2019, 11:10: Outside the White House Situation Room

“We have no time to lose, sir. Please pick up the pace.”

These were the words that John Cole, the Head of the President’s Secret Service Security Detail, directed to his charge to snap him out of his thoughts. The President in question, Andrew Gray, had been mulling over the effect that the morning’s events could have on his bid for re-election. It would, he thought, depend on how adeptly he was seen to manage the situation. ...

Thursday 29 August 2019, 11:44: Presidential Emergency Operations Center Conference Room

The dramatis personae of the 11:45 meeting to discuss the morning’s events – not that Gray was marking attendance, exactly, but he felt good about thinking of it in this way – was as follows:

Andrew Gray

President of the United States

William Campbell  

Vice President of the United States

Carl Evans    

Director of the CIA

David Clarke III  

National Security Advisor (and a bit of a jerk, really)

General...

Thursday 29 August 2019, 13:07: Presidential Emergency Operations Center Conference Room

The timeout was still in session when the lights turned off without a sound. Within a second, they flickered back on. A small red light next to the videoconferencing screens turned on at the same time.

“Uh, that wasn’t me blinking, was it?” Campbell asked, voicing the thought that all the others in the room had no doubt briefly entertained.

“No, sir. The PEOC is now running on emergency power,” Cole said. He...

“Well now, everyone!” Gray’s voice rang out through the darkness in its usual blustering way. “How about we take a bit more of that good old quiet time to gather our thoughts?”

Thursday 29th August, 2019.

1305 hours.

John Cole threw the reports onto his desk. The papers skidded over the polished wood surface before coming to rest against a low stack of manilla folders.

He took his cellphone, stabbing his thumb hard against the screen.

The iPhone remained unresponsive. He tried again, pressing harder this time. Still nothing. No power, no bright lights, no half-eaten fruity logo glowing dimly into life. No image of his parents, hugging tight to each other on their weddi...

Breathing steadily after his dash across the White House, Cole entered the East Wing, taking the stairs two at a time. The guards stationed on each landing moving out of his way as Cole hurriedly descended toward PEOC.

As he made his way down, the emergency power kicked in and the stairwell lights burst into life.

Reaching the bottom, Cole called out to the two uniforms guarding the Presidential Emergency Operations Center.

“Bearclaw still inside?”

“Sir, yessir.” One of the guards barked in resp...

“Aw, come on!” Alec Hayes yelled at the TV as it went black. He was in the middle of a particularly exciting fight, and he was tempted to throw his hand controller at the screen.

He shouldn't have been home. Not really. The fact was, he'd pretended to be sick that morning so his mom wouldn't make him go to school. First weeks at new schools were always tough, but this one had been particularly rough. After only three days, there were kids out to get him already. It didn't bode well for the rest ...

Everything was strangely quiet. It was so abrupt that Sarah, who was having a late lunch in the break room, stopped shoving salad into her mouth. Why was it so quiet? Had the ancient fridge finally decided to give up and die?

Noise from the main room caught her attention.

“Are any of them working?...Better call maintenance and tell them the power's out...Well, use your cell then...What do you mean?” Her boss's voice buzzed above the rest.

The chatter rose, and it sounded as if everyone's cell ph...

Iris sat in her car for several minutes. She was so stunned that she couldn't move. 

Her car had died. Every car around it had died. Lights went out. Noises stopped.

People were coming out onto the street—out of houses, out of cars and apartments and shops. They milled around on the sidewalks and in the street, all echoing the same question: What happened?

Iris stared at them until she thought of her husband. He was alone at home with the flu. Had everything mysteriously stopped there, too?

She ...

Anna fought to keep her frayed thoughts from her face. Twenty-five seven year olds were depending on her to stay calm and lead them through to the end of the day.

“It's just a power outtage,” she'd told them when it happened. She kept telling them that all through the afternoon, even though it was now obvious, from whispered conversations with colleagues, that this was not the case.

She kept teaching, masking her fear, trying to keep things as normal as she could for her kids for as long as poss...

Jane hurried down the street, determined to get to her mother's house. At eighty-five and frail, her mother wouldn't be able to fend for herself if things went bad. 

And they were going to go bad.

Jane warily looked around, seeing panic and fear and anger everywhere. Occasional gunfire peppered the air. People were yelling at each other and fighting. One lone young man was walking blank faced down the road. He didn't even seem to notice the cars broken down on either side of him. A teenager tapp...

Everyone else had gone home, but Ian, as owner of the small store, didn't want to leave it. It had been his father's before his, and it felt more like home than the small apartment he slept in above it.

He was watching the chaos in the street when he first saw them. They were like a crazed wave. None of them looked sane. They held all sorts of make shift weapons—ball bats, knives, crowbars, pipe wrenches. There were even some real guns. As they swarmed the buildings, glass broke and flew. Goods ...

Troy Dunn had been called a nut. He new this. People thought he was crazy because he liked to be prepared. The shelter under his house. The cupboard full of nonperishables that had enough food to last at least three months. Flashlights with lots of batteries (damn things didn't work now, though.)

Paranoid was he? If he were the type to laugh, he'd be laughing now. Since he wasn't, he watched the horrified people in the street as they went from shocked to bewildered to scared and mean. Mobs were ...

Emmy had been hiding in the bathroom when they came through. Hiding and holding her breath and shaking almost hard enough to knock her teeth all out. Even after if fell quiet, she waited. She waited for so long, she forgot what light looked like, and then she waited some more.

Finally, wanting to go home, she slowly opened the door and gasped. The neat grocery store where she worked now resembled a war zone.

Food was strewn everywhere. It was ripped and broken and trampled. Shelves and coolers w...

Night fell, unremarked and impossibly dark. The streets were deserted, and a terror filled hush walked the sidewalks. Creatures of the night came out, able to walk freely where they'd always had to hide in shadows before. Rats were the least dangerous of these.

Without the hum of technology, everything was quieter than it had ever been. The sounds of breaking glass carried much further. No alarms rang and no one went to investigate. Doors and windows were barred tight against the darkness—both o...

Mark rubbed the bead from his forehead and squinted his eyes towards the sunlight. Alex looked up at the sun and noticed that time was beginning to slip before them.

“Blaze, we won’t get there in time.” Mark turned from his stride and looked at Alex,

“Course we will Brighton, just got to pick the pace up a little.” Alex rolled his eyes,

“Yeah, but how about getting back? It’s hard enough getting there but with Miguel, she won’t want to come in a hurry will she?” Mark stood up at the top of the i...

Their journey was rather pleasant at first, cutting through recreational areas, past the river until they reached the carpark of Walgreens. Alex frowned when he could hear a commotion close to the doors of the store. Roberta frowned, aware of the same noise and went to move closer.

“We can’t Roberta we need to get going.” She rolled her eyes and looked both ways whilst crossing the road.

“Calm down Blaze, I know where I need to be. Just wanted to get an insight into what’s happening.” They didn’...

Roberta walked through the metal detecters and began to walk down the entrance corridor. Mark leaned closer,

“They’re waiting for you in the Oval.” She nodded and made her way there, were she was left to enter autonomously. She looked around, a little embarrassed at seeing everyone in their casual wear and closed the door behind her. 

 She took in a deep breath to calm her nerves. “Good afternoon everyone, thank you for getting here under the circumstances. What do we currently know?”

“All trans...

From Roberta’s office window, the street below looked more like the ocean than a sidewalk from the capital.  

At least two hundred people pushed and shoved, baying for some word from the city’s leaders, a seething mass only just held back by a dark streak of police uniform. Somehow Roberta couldn’t blame them. Terrifying, yes, but these people had now gone without any electricity for multiple days. The crowd below was disoriented, without lighting, heat or water: living almost entirely in darkne...

By the end of the day, police had relinquished their control of the crowds and begun redistribution efforts. Not beloved by any means, but trusted and long-serving, Roberta Miguel’s name was good for something. 

Some progress, she thought to herself, packing up to go home, some good.

She’d put on her coat and gotten to the door before Owen knocked.

Reluctant, already anticipating which man would be behind the door and the tirade that was bound to come with him, she sighed and opened the door.

“T...

The Aviationists had finally gotten out of hand. They ridiculed the green revolutionaries, but the Church of the Air and Space wasn’t getting people fed. The Curator, Desoto Clark, had lost his partner to a pacemaker when the old times crashed. Now his followers faced a choice, stay with Clark in his belief that the world would return, or take hunger for truth and do their part for the present. They’d hit the October deadline. Those who didn’t work this last harvest, wouldn’t eat when winter cam...

Roberta called for a calculator. A 14 year old chess player stepped up. The young Kafaela could remember pi out to Bethesda, and was keeping the books. Aided by an old-school numbers runner, the youngster worked with the collective to document the Mom’s orders. When copy machines had broken, hip-hop came to the rescue. Rhymes replaced clerks, and record keeping (and the news of the day) got a whole lot more entertaining.

Regardless of the sideshow that Clark’s actions demanded, there was much wo...

The Gift-shop gangs had finaly settled in to help out. Once the political parties lost it and skipped town, the Moms got together on The Mall and started parcelling out chores. Now every Saturday, The Next Steps Go-Go Band lifted people up with drums, horns, and a Dominican accordionist. They played while people took the big weekly break together. It became a thing over the summer, and looked to continue, hopefully keeping people warm that second winter.

January and February had been tight. A lo...

Clark’s people got jumped wearing Parks Service colours They’d never earned. Somebody recognised him, and they brought him and his crew to Roberta to figure out what to do. He’d been at the Arboretum with his group, trying to grab supplies locked down for winter. This was the unforgivable. The Moms were clear: stealing food was terminal. Clark was out, with as many of his followers as wouldn’t renounce him and his distractions. About half of the Aviationists were tired of him. The rest, mostly l...

The Curator stood on the 14th Street Bridge and straightened his tie.  He looked toward the museum he’d spent decades maintaining. The centre of his world had shifted, and the District’s women were denying his vision of the Past. He raised his voice and Silenced Cell-Phone and cried out, “Signal! I have Signal!” Most of his former followers looked away, but the remaining supporters shifted angrily, some wanting to get across the bridge and past the Pentagon’s parking-lots before dark, others loo...

Roberta Miguel threw off the thin cotton sheets, looked out the window and wiped the sleep from her eyes. She looked at the watch on the small table beside the twin bed. The watch read 6:40 am. Roberta rubbed her tight shoulder, walked toward the narrow bathroom and brushed her teeth. She pulled on her National Smithsonian T-Shirt and khaki pants and walked outside. 

Roberta walked up and down the neat rows of crops that dot the Arbouretum. She picked up a juicy raspberry from the bush, popped i...

Dr. Amelia Khan looked at Tommy’s scrapes and said, “This looks worse than it is. The nurse will clean it up and then you're free to go.” Tommy walked out of the examination room as a crowd of people wheeled Roberta into the room. Tommy saw that it was Tia Roberta and followed the crowd. Amy said to Tommy, “Stay back. Roberta got hurt.” Tommy waited in the hallway with his sister. Then the nurse Karen asked, “What’s going on?” Tommy said, “Roberta got hurt.” Karen said, “ I’m going to clean you ...

Linda and a couple of the other women in the area run a communal kitchen. They cook food for members of the community in exchange for a variety of duties. Some people clean the kitchen in exchange for a free meal, the butchers get free meals for the meat and the farmers get free meals for the produce. This system of barter and trade worked properly until the farmers complained that they didn’t get the fair amount of meals for the number of vegetables and fruit they contributed. In one meeting be...

News spread that Roberta had suffered a life-threatening injury. People walked towards the large house, offering to help in any way they could. Amy pushed the crowd back and said, “If anyone of you is blood type AB, come in.” Most of the members of the community got their blood tested and their blood types were filed away for these situations. Linda knew her blood type and walked through the crowd. Tommy was taking out the bloody bags of waste left in the hallway. Linda looked at her son, walked...

Karen washed her hands and transported the two bags of blood to the operating theatre. Dr. Khan sewed up the wound and then connected the blood bag via tube to Roberta. Once the bags were emptied, they waited for any adverse reactions. Dr. Khan heard a steady heartbeat from Roberta. Then they carefully wheeled her to the post-op room/library where the four people that brought her in slowly flipped her over on to her back. Roberta slept through the entire operation.

Roberta felt a dull pain on he...

At last their destination was in sight. Oliver Kelly was desperate to reach the District before nightfall and the inevitable darkness and, provided there were no hitches, would make it with time to spare. The horses were tiring and the human beings in the group weren’t faring much better. Their journey had been arduous and as well as rest every one of them, equine and human alike, needed food and water. 

“Thank God,” Oliver muttered under his breath as the District came into view. Self-elected l...

“Take your pick,” Joe waved his hand in the direction of the houses and apartments within the District. “Most of their previous occupants abandoned them right after the outage. They’ll have all you need for a night’s sleep, as long as you don’t mind a little dust,” Joe beamed. The horses had already been fed, watered and settled into the paddock at the Arboretum. Oliver had lost track of the others in his group but Joe assured him that they had eaten and had probably retired for the night. It wa...

Oliver washed as best he could at the pump while the sun was rising. It was a relatively warm day for the time of year and he hoped that was a good omen. He was looking forward to his meeting with Roberta with some trepidation. So much was riding on his ability to create a good impression and he didn’t want to mess it up. 

“Mr Kelly; Oliver.” Roberta Miguel immediately corrected herself. “I trust you slept well.”

“Yes, thank you,” Oliver lied, taken aback by the appearance of Roberta while he wa...

“So that’s the gist of it. What do you think?” Oliver had presented the details to Roberta, who was rubbing the back of her neck.

“How do you know it’s going to work?” she asked. Oliver thought for a moment and decided that honesty would be the best policy in this situation.

“There are no guarantees, of course, but I believe it’s worth a try. What alternative do we have?” He had a point, Roberta conceded. There was no alternative that she was aware of. 

“I’ll put it to the committee. They’ll hav...

Oliver was dreaming again. Like a spectre, he watched the beginning of just an average day in his past life. He saw himself waking in the old twin bed, and almost felt himself rise and wander sleepily through his narrow apartment hallway into his immaculately clean kitchen, the coffee already steaming hot in the old steel carafe. Coffee. The dream was so vivid he could smell the rich, enticing aroma, driving him almost to madness. It had been a long time since he had tasted his favorite drug.

“K...

The following morning everything felt lighter, sunlight streamed in through windows all over the city. There was an energy that Oliver could feel from the remaining people, which he had never felt from Washington. The people were glowing. They raced all over the place, hope plastered on their faces. Stalls and all sorts of activities were set up on the green outside the Capitol Building. Children danced and blew bubbles, adults drunk wine and ate cheese made from their own cows. Despite it being...

What horrible noise these carriages make, she thought and sank deeper into the velvet softness of the cushions. The darkness inside was such, Roberta could not see her own hands, only when they passed a civil patrol post with burning torches, golden light illuminated the interior and she could finally check the time - it was nearly eight. 

She touched her wristwatch: a vintage number her ex-husband, then still a proper husband, bought her at the flea market in Havana. She thought it was a fake t...

Jeffrey Palmer gave up reading, with a sigh. “I really wish you’d stop having breakfast in my office, Mr President.”

President Gray locked eyes with Palmer while he slowly finished chewing a mouthful of toast. 

“I can’t do that, Jeff. I’ve only just started.” He held up the plate. “Look! A whole piece of avocado-on-toast to go. If I don’t finish it all, three things will happen: One, I won’t get the important nutrients I need to see me through what promises to be another busy day in the office. ...

The senior White House staff assembled in the Oval Office at exactly one minute before 8am. A steward followed them in to the room carrying a silver tray with a coffee pot, a small jug of half-and-half, and a single fine bone china mug bearing the seal of the President. Setting it down on the small coffee table, he asked, as he did every morning, if the President would like him to pour. Also as he did every morning, the President replied with a polite “No thank you, John.”

The staff waited patie...

The Senior Staff filed out leaving Palmer and the President alone in the Oval Office.

Gray took his jacket off and draped it over the back of one of the ornate chairs next to the Resolute desk. He moved a coaster for is coffee and sat down.

Palmer took the other chair and sat down. He handed the President a copy of the daily schedule. “Before I move things around, was there anything in the schedule you were hoping to avoid?”

Gray scanned the sheet and pointed to an entry. “Confidential Informati...

“Marcy!”

Marcy opened the door and wandered into Palmer’s office. “Morning, Jeffrey.” 

“I missed a call?” 

“Yes, Jeffrey. The NASA Administrator. He said it was urgent.”

“He couldn’t wait on the line?”

“It dropped off his end. Shall I call him back now?”

Palmer thought about all the material he had to review and turn into recommendations for the President before lunch and sighed. “Please.”

He sat down and waited. He’d long since learned that if you tried to fill every single second’s pause with ...

The President met Palmer outside the Situation Room just as Palmer was putting his hand print up against the reader. It let out a discrete beep, drowned out by the sound of the electronic lock on the door clicking open. The Secret Service agent outside the room pulled the door and held it open to let them through. He spoke into his wrist mic. “I’ve got Bearclaw in the SitRoom.”

The room was already bustling. Some of these people, like the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the National Security Advisor, practically lived in this room. An Army Colonel was talking quietly into a wall mounted phone in the corner of the room. He covered the mouthpiece and announced that they were patching NASA through now.

The Administrator’s face came up on a large wall mounted screen. The image quality was poor but the audio was about there. “Good morning, Mr President.”

“What’s going on, ...

It had not been a good day for the President and things seemed to be getting progressively worse.

The words Armageddon and Apocalypse flashed through his brain as he waited with his chief of staff and a crowd of other high-up politicians, cabinet-level officials and other key administrative staff, outside the Situation Room. They would soon be making their way to the Presidential Operations Center (the PEOC ) where they would remain in lock-down until the situation of National Emergency was reso...

Maria Duran held up her hand to stop the meeting. 

“Can anyone else hear that?”

The small group of environmental protection officers seated round the polished table stopped talking to listen. 

“Call John Cole”

“Call John Cole”

Aides were running in the corridor outside, shouting at each other. 

“Where’s John Cole?”

“They need John Cole”

There was a thump on door and it flung open to reveal a sweating middle aged man in a too-tight pale grey suit. He glared at them, and rushed off.

Maria made a f...

Less than a mile away, John Cole sat in the passenger seat of the Ford Hybrid stuck at red lights.  His phone had abruptly cut off. On the other end of the line was Alex Wilson, Head of Homeland Security who had been telling him, in very unladylike terms, to ‘get his fucking ass to the West Wing Situation Room now”

If the situation hadn’t been so strange, Cole would have laughed.  Alex Wilson was a petite, elegant black woman, always impeccably dressed and known for her enthusiastic evangelical ...

Maria kept to the wall as she pushed her way down the crowded corridor towards the small office she used when on site.  The power had come back on, and she had wrapped up the meeting, quickly reiterating which environmental threat protocols should be tightly adhered to.  She knew they were solid, she had written them herself over her several years as Head of USA’s Environmental Protection.  As she pushed open her office door, the lights went out again.  Maria felt that this time, it was permanen...

Cole pushed his way through the staff exiting the building.  The electric lights were off and some people were helping each other climb over the security gates.  The Security staff snapped to attention when they saw Cole. 

“We’ve been told to evacuate the whole building”  A stocky guard with fists like baseballs spoke hurriedly.  “To get everyone out as quickly as possible.  Then we have to shut everything down. Only Senior ministers in, and all below ground.” He named a Operational Codeword fam...

Maria filled several water bottles from the tap in the washroom, and shoved them into a small rucksack with her lunch box. 

As well as her job in Environmental Protection, Maria sat on a secret committee.  It was so secret it wasn’t even known to the President or his Aides, in fact, it was deliberately hidden from President Gray and his Aides. At least those of them known to be under his complete influence.  

This secret committee had been formed by Maria’s father in 1952, the first year that st...

“At last you’re here!” Alex Wilson looked like she wanted to hug him.  Cole acknowledged her , then turned to see who else was present. Michelle, Dan, Alice, several Cabinet members and senior officials sat around the Operations Table but none from Security. All told, maybe only thirty staffers.  Some were in business clothes. Others like him in casual wear, clearly called in from home.   All looked at him expectantly.  Cole frowned, the Situation Room ought to be packed out, even without power,...

Cole joined the uniformed officers at the door of the PEOC. He held a handful of glowsticks high so he could see their faces.  There was no hope in them. They had been trying to break through the sealed door for nearly three hours now.  At 13.00 hours, the President has taken a phone call. No one knew who from, or what was said. At 13.08, one minute after the first power break, the President had gathered five staff, his Vice President, Chief of Staff, Director of the CIA, National Security Advis...

Cole returned to the Situations Room.  One by one they fell silent. The Head of This, The Director of That, the Chief of What Not, and the several Principal Officers of Who Cares Anyway.   None of them, not one of the most important people in America had even the slightest idea what to do next.   Despite years of planning, arguing, talking, talking and more talking, not a single one of them had anything to offer. Together they just looked like a bedraggled and anxious group of tourists lost in a...

The man stood on the street corner and shook his phone again, then cursed quietly and stuffed it back into his pocket.

Across the street, two teenage girls did something similar. Bent over their phones, they pressed buttons, shook the phones, glanced at each other and muttered something no one else could hear. Each bent again, gave their phone a sharp shake, looked up, and shrugged at each other. Simultaneously, they shook their heads and flicked their hair back over their shoulders, before dar...

Further out, in a tower block in the residential district to the southeast of the city, neighbours stepped out of their homes and took faltering steps up to front doors of people they would only occasionally wave at.  In unavoidable situations, such as inconveniently arriving at their doors at the same time, or waiting for the lift together, they may mumble “how’re you?” without looking up, but generally, social interactions were rare around here. The old man at number 23b crossed the landing in...

Back towards the capitol, and with the sun a few fractions lower in the sky, the clock on the Old Post Office Pavilion also showed a static and silent 13.07, but the streets had become busier. 

Up in the clock tower, a tourist couple looked down onto a steady pattern of antlike creatures closing in towards the government buildings, or the mayor’s office, or somewhere around that area. Honeymooners, first time in the capital, they didn’t know which building was which, couldn’t make head nor tail ...

The eerie silence was broken occasionally, by what people would describe wonderingly as fireworks, explosions, bombs, or planes, unless they were those unfortunate enough to have witnessed the exact cause– these people had far greater cause for panic, for they knew for sure that the noise, the flash of fire, plume of smoke, whatever, was indeed from a plane landing awkwardly on the edges of the runway, bouncing twice, then bursting into a fireball, or another that had landed in a still more cata...

Two elaborate bellows, formed of a thin membrane called resilin, were pumped by an encasing latticework of delicate musculature. The sudden contraction of these chambers produces a resonance, a click that all on its own would scarcely be heard, but when such clicks were paired, and produced rapidly enough, they cause a wave of shrill song to shiver into the air around them. Much of this melody becomes trapped within a hollowed chamber, the raised bell of which, though no larger than a thumb, ser...

The second to last weekend of summer recess was one of the few moments of time throughout the year wherein the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Roberta Miguel, allowed herself to withdraw from it all. Most people figured the whole of congress went to Bermuda for a month, but the reality was that these extended breaks were the only time to practice what she and many of her colleagues had taken on this career for in the first place: to spend time in the places they represented, to hear the...

The journey to the White House was something Roberta hoped she would never have to suffer again. She considered herself fit for her age, but such considerations were shattered cruelly when attempting to keep up with a gang of extremely athletic youngsters whilst trampling through insect infested woods and bogs you never knew existed between the eight mile volume of land between her house and the White House. Her ears still rang from what she suspected would be permanent hearing damage from the o...

Her clothing was drenched with sweat when she arrived, legs and arms bloodied from thorns—but after the House doctor cleared her of any serious dehydration or exhaustion concerns, they had granted the mercy of use of the facilities to wash up and get a fresh pair of clothes on.

And now Speaker Roberta stood, shouting in the doorway of the White House at the security guard blocking the way.

“We must as a first priority get a firm message of comfort out to the nation.”

“Ma’am, I’m sorry but we can...

"With no word from the White House, we have to assume the worst." Captain Giles gripped the sides of his podium as he looked over his assembled officers. "It is up to us to keep our citizens safe by any means necessary. Mayor Owen has issued a shelter-in-place order. Unfortunately, that seems to have caused more panic than anything. I'm dividing the city into quadrants. You will be in charge of keeping the peace in your quadrant."

A young officer raised his hand. The captain acknowledged him wit...

Roberta paced her office floor. She had been pacing for so long she was surprised she hadn't left an indent in the plush blue carpet. Sunlight streamed in through the large window, illuminating the various souveniers from her travels. 

Owen had put her in a tough spot. But not one she couldn't squeeze out of. She just had to find a loophole. She was, after all, the next in the chain of command. A frown darkened her face as she thought of the report she'd received. The president might only be tra...

The conference room was a narrow room three doors down from Roberta's office. The fact that she sent them there told Thomas that she was scared. He might have admired her power move under different circumstances. As it was, he only felt annoyed. But two could play that game, he thought as he took the high backed chair at the head of the table. He wove his fingers together and put them behind his head, leaning back in the chair. Propping his feet up on the edge of the conference table, he waited ...

Derek's palms were sweaty as he stood on the sidewalk in front of General's General. The drugstore was built some thirty years ago and it's red paint had long ago faded to pink. He switched his pistol to his right hand as he wiped his left on his pants. 

"Careful with that D." His partner, Greg, said.

"It's just so damn humid." Derek said, placing the gun back in his left.

The August heat rose off the pavement in waves, blurring the horizon. Derek could feel the sweat rolling down his back and p...

Roberta glared at Mayor Owen. His playboy arrogance had gotten under her skin long before the world turned upside down. She'd voted for his opponent and prided herself on speaking against him any time she could. 

"With all due respect Mayor, I cannot in good conscience turn the country over to you."

"And with all due respect Madame Speaker," Owen practically spit her title at her. "You may have a higher rank but you have zero experience leading anybody, let alone the country. Tell me, how will y...

Fourteen months was not long enough to get used to the darkness. Roberta Miguel sat on the little balcony of the apartment she’d appropriated and looked down at the parking lot where the husks of cars were still parked neatly within their allotted spaces.

Yearning for a menthol cigarette swept through her, though it had been years since she quit. I have Carlos to thank for that. But Carlos hadn’t been concerned with her health. The money, the inconvenience, the appearance; all more important and...

“Roberta! Come see the potatoes,” Raven Coleman gestured wildly from where she knelt in a row of plants that reached right up to the edge of the road. The botanist, wearing a florescent pink sweatshirt that read, “What happens in Washington, Stays in Washington” greeted her.

“How’s the harvest?” Roberta asked. 

“Good.” But there was no smile on Raven’s face. The genetically engineered vegetables being harvested now would form a staple through the winter that loomed ahead, but food was never not ...

“I am not failing to do my work.” 

Whereas most of the people Roberta met on her rounds through the community found their fashions in abandoned gift shops, Craig was dressed as if he was going to a Town Hall, complete with tie. A shirt and tie, to pull weeds!

“Craig, I’m not suggesting you’re failing. My understanding is you’re not doing anything. You have to do something to fail at it.”

Pot-belly all-but-gone from the past year of hardship, Craig’s clothes hung limply on his frame. But there wa...

The Capitol Columns in the center of the Arboretum was the hub of what passed for government these days. Andrea Carmichael, once on the short list to be a Supreme Court Justice, ran a small mediation practice from one corner next to where someone had set up a folding table for Roberta. A flea-market-like atmosphere of barter and conversation filled the little platform, spilling down the sides of the small mound. Given its central location, the memorial had been a natural choice for people workin...

Dr. Priyanka Mehta’s alarm clock went of at 6:45AM, as it had for decades. She didn’t need it, since a pre-dawn rhapsody of birdsong had awoken her nearly an hour earlier. Prior to the Great Event last summer, she hadn’t registered that there were any birds at all in Washington, but in the preternatural quiet that had reigned ever since, they were the noisiest thing around. Apart from the alarm clock, of course, which was an entirely mechanical model she’d brought from Mumbai to remind her of ho...

Oliver Kelly strode with purpose along the hard black asphalt of Pennsylvania Avenue. He had a spring in his step despite his weary body, his legs sore from days of walking the hard surface of Route 66. All the time travelling west, through Amish country where the people were finally at peace, to their destination here at the end of the road.

Bright early morning sunshine glinted sharply off the iconic White House building looming ahead of him. Kelly squinted into the sunlight. He could make out...

5pm – Ulysses S. Grant Memorial

The sun was setting behind the statue of Ulysses S. Grant, casting a long shadow across the white marble steps on which Kelly was waiting.  He shivered, feeling a momentary pang of jealousy for his crew. They’d managed to pull the horses and wagons into a deserted car park building and were presently gathered around a garbage can fire, toasting the last of Rachel’s secret hoard of marshmallows.

He turned up what was left of his jacket collar.  Perhaps he’d see if ...

Everyone was working so hard. Kelly continued to be amazed by the response he’d received to his request for volunteers. He’d had to turn a lot of people away as there were only so many tasks he could assign and only so much space to work on the Capitol’s electrical systems. Hope was a powerful motivator and these people hadn’t had much of that in the last year. Kelly just prayed what he was selling them wasn’t false.

“Hand me that screwdriver, would you? The one with the yellow handle.”

The tool...

Later in the day, Kelly did the rounds to check on the rest of the team, Tabitha close on his heels. The hardest part of the job had been tracking through all the wiring to identify where the problems were. After that, it was just the hard grind of finding and fitting replacement parts, completing extensive rewiring and repairing things where possible. Everyone had been working as many hours as the light conditions allowed, as the mammoth task approached completion. Kelly could see anticipation ...

Outside, Roberta sat on the steps of the Capitol Building, looking out and along the Mall. The sun was steadily sinking towards the horizon. She used to love watching sunsets over the Lincoln Memorial, the colours spreading across the sky with the white monuments in the foreground. It was a beautiful sight that, only just over a year ago, would have filled her with a sense of peace and perspective in the mad world of Washington politics. Now, though, all it brought was dread. Another long night ...

Down in the basement, Tabitha let out a squeal as the lights came on. She squinted over at Kelly, who grinned at her.

“You did it!” he said. “Now, come on. Let’s go and meet your adoring public.”

They made their way back up the stairs and emerged into the entry hall.

Kelly almost immediately staggered backwards a step as a figure launched itself at him and collided with him with some force. He instinctively brought his arms up to embrace Robert Miguel, who was hugging him fiercely. After a momen...

Roberta sat and watched the celebrations. It’d been a while since she’d seen people this happy; for the first time in about fourteen months, she could sense hope. People had set up tables in the street and were sharing food they’d prepared, singing and laughing together. She smiled to herself, families who – just a few days ago – would’ve been consumed with worry about what would come next, now dancing with each other as if nothing had ever changed.

“Roberta!” a voice called, she span her head a...

Roberta watched Kelly climb up onto the table and start beckoning for people to come and gather around. It was quieter now, the sky was dark, people were eager to hear what he had to say and a small crowd began to form. A youngish man walked up to him with a satchel in his hands and passed it over to Kelly, who dramatically began opening it. Slowly, he took out a megaphone with a small box attached to it by a few wires. He flicked a switch on the side of the box, and then another on the megaphon...

A rock star. That’s how they were treating him. Like some kind of celebrity on the red carpet of a premiere. Worse, actually. Like some kind of prophet. Roberta, despite her calm, felt somewhat disturbed. Was she the only person for whom he didn’t sit right? She shook the thought from her head as he approached her.

 “Roberta Miguel,” he said, holding out a hand to shake, which she firmly grasped. “It’s nice to see you here.”

“I think we owe you a lot right now.”

“You owe me nothing.” He beamed a...

The clicking of heels on the marble floor filled the ghostly building of the capitol. In fourteen months, that same sound had turned into a source of vague comfort, not only for Roberta Miguel, but for the people that surrounded her and looked up to her. Every day, that sound kept her grounded on her recent, yet unclear role, as an administrator. It held her accountable for what she currently represented for the remaining inhabitants of the District, the expectations put on her, while providing ...

Sun beamed across lush green grasses of northern Italy: a beautiful day in the Alps. Andrew pedaled faster, a blue sports car whizzed past him on the winding road, followed by a motorcycle zipping along his left side. It unnerved him for a moment and his pace faltered. Clouds topped hillsides as the scenery lured him back in. The paved road gave way to one of pressed gravel, and finally, a dirt trail that led to a sparkling lake offering serenity. Andrew felt the sudden urge to strip off his clo...

Thursday 29th August 2019.

The White House 

11:10

“Slow down John! I’ve already been for a run this morning!” 

“Sir, we need to get you to a secure location a-sap.”

“If I can’t catch my breath, you may end up carrying me in a box!”

“That can be arranged. Sir.”

The President decides that it may be futile to try and get a human response from his chief protection officer, so he keeps quite and matches his pace to his security team. He knows two of the team, John and Tony, and although he other two...

Thursday 29th August 2019.

The White House - Presidential Emergency Operations Room

11:30

“We are still trying to ascertain the nature of the incident Sir...”

“It seems that only one other coms satellite, DN3 73, appears to be affected in addition to the three…”

Ok, so nothing new then, he can spare a few seconds. Gray pulls the phone from his pocket and looks at the first few lines of his daughter’s message. He has promised her he will stop ignoring her texts.

Trying to send Sam the spooky lig...

Thursday 29th August 2019.

The White House - Presidential Emergency Operations Room  13:05 

The Presidential stomach is beginning to rumble. He wonders if he is the only one to be hungry in the middle of a national crisis. Everyone else is very busy, but there is still no actual news. Some satellites are out, the Space Station is offline, there were lights in the sky and some people’s phones gave them an electric shock. Why does that warrant sitting in a hole underground?

“Any chance of some sa...

As soon as the lights went, Cole put his back to the PEOC door. He’d been standing in front of it in any case.

“Team Bearclaw, dark on post,” he said into his sleeve mic. “Team, report.”

There was an ominous silence on the earpiece as he wait for the team to report in; not just a lack of answers, but none of the faint background hiss even the clearest radio signal provided.

The emergency lights came on. He could see the nearest agents, one at each end of the hall. “Six, report,” he called out qu...

“What the...?!?” Sanjay slammed his hand on his desk in frustration as his screen went blank. He was almost finished! He turned to the desk beside him, “Hey Jess, it’s gonna take me a little longer...” he stopped as he realised that his wasn’t the only dark screen in the office. “Whoa, looks like we’re all gonna be in the shits with the boss today.” 

As people started trying to reset their computers, someone called out, “Hey, who turned out the lights? This isn’t funny you know!” 

“No-one did Ja...

When the power went out, and the radio went off, and the phones died, Steve knew he would be needed at work. He couldn't get his car to start so he rode his bike to the stables. The roads were in chaos. It seemed that every car had stopped at once. Those who were waiting at red lights were the lucky ones, while most of the rest had been able to pull over, some weren’t so lucky. In the few minutes he was on the road he passed four multi-vehicle collisions, seven single vehicle accidents, and mult...

Clutching her handbag to her stomach, Jenny tried to stay calm and slow her breathing. She couldn’t see a thing. 

Lulled by the sounds of the train as it sped through the underground, she had been absently flicking through Facebook posts on her phone when the lights went out. The sound of the brakes screeching wasn’t enough to drown out the noise of the people falling and crying out. And then everything stopped except for the sounds of the other passengers and the darkness. 

At first she thought...

Felicia was scared. After waiting for hours at work for the power to come back on, her line manager eventually said to go home.  Her watch had stopped, and her phone didn’t work, so she had no idea what time it was. 

The roads were full of traffic, but none of it moved. The cars cars, busses, trucks, vans, motorcycles – all of them were still. 

Apart from the people, everything was still. And the silence was frightening.

All the roads were silent. There were no car engines, no sirens, no horns.

...

“Just remember, you’re next.”

“Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself, Andy?” She jerked open another drawer and shoved the junk around, but there weren’t any candles. Why did she keep this stuff? There’s a Swingline on top of the desk. Why have a backup stapler? And those black plastic clips? All those unused, or half-used Post-It notes with smudges on the last few digits of a phone number or something that seemed important to remember? When this was over she was going to dump it all in ...

The door to her office flew open. She had her security detail posted outside, but they were overwhelmed by the urgent, stoic rush of a dozen men in suits, guns drawn. They didn’t yell, they spoke firmly and didn’t answer any questions, confusing her security team even more. They weren’t letting these beat cops, as they saw Capitol police, get in the way of their mission. House Speaker Roberta Miguel leaned heavily onto both hands on top of her desk. Her shoulders peaked with tension and Andy jum...

The Secret Service rushed her through the crowded Capitol Rotunda and out to another group of waiting agents, all with bicycles at the ready. The National Mall was filling up with rag tag bunches of people, starting to chant different protests in their small groups. One dread-locked caucasian 20-something with a dirty t-shirt and ripped shorts above soiled hiking boots called out, “What do we want?”

The 15 or so scared and scruffy people around him shouted back,”PEACE!”

“When do we want it?”

“NO...

They entered the White House. Several of the President’s cabinet and other administration officials were waiting for her. The first to speak was John Cole, head of the President’s Secret Service detail. 

“Thank God they found you. We’ve got a team waiting to hear from the President, but for now, we’re your new Security detail. Welcome to the safety of the Secret Service, Madam Speaker. 

“They’re not dead?” she directly asked. 

“No, Madam. But they’re inaccessible.”

“Who’s in charge?”

“The Presid...

Andy was alone in Speaker Miguel’s office. The sun came through the window of as it shouted its way down the National Mall from the Washington Monument to the glossy top of the Speaker’s refinished Maple desk. Did they plan for the monument to be a gigantic sundial when they built it? There was no electricity in 1848, either, he thought. But here it stood in the afternoon sun 171 years later, its proud shadow turning North toward the Smithsonian. It was 3:00pm, give or take a quarter of an hour,...

When her temporary new office was ready Speaker Miguel called the White House Press Secretary in. 

“I’ve got get word out to the people. They’re frantic, confused. What’s the backup plan for a time like this?”

“There isn’t one, really,” Karl Bailey replied. “We can’t broadcast on TV, we can’t let reporters in, anyway, it’s too dangerous - none of our security checks can verify or scan anybody. Christ, even the emergency amateur radios are down. Remember on 9-11 when the cell towers went out in N...

From Roberta’s office window, the street below looked more like the ocean than a sidewalk from the capital.  

At least two hundred people pushed and shoved, baying for some word from the city’s leaders, a seething mass only just held back by a dark streak of police uniform. Somehow Roberta couldn’t blame them. Terrifying, yes, but these people had now gone without any electricity for multiple days. The crowd below was disoriented, without lighting, heat or water: living almost entirely in darkne...

By the end of the day, police had relinquished their control of the crowds and begun redistribution efforts. Not beloved by any means, but trusted and long-serving, Roberta Miguel’s name was good for something. 

Some progress, she thought to herself, packing up to go home, some good.

She’d put on her coat and gotten to the door before Owen knocked.

Reluctant, already anticipating which man would be behind the door and the tirade that was bound to come with him, she sighed and opened the door.

“T...

Roberta Miguel was sitting behind her desk, shuffling through her notes from yesterday’s meeting, when a besuited Karl arrived with coffee.

“You’re a Godsend, friend,” she said, grinning, taking the mug with a monkey stenciled on it and inhaling the rich aroma from the brew.

“I know, I know,” Karl said, sitting in the visitors chair. “ You say the same thing every morning, when I bring coffee... I’m not so popular when I don’t.”

“Not surprising. When you arrive sans coffee it generally means the...

Half an hour later Roberta and Karl were standing in the food court at the centre of the mall, watching the families that inhabited the McDonalds and the I-Hop doing the communities washing in what had, until the apocalypse, been a large pool with a fountain. Luckily, its water supply had been drawn from an artesian well and engineers had somehow managed to convert the pump to Donkey power.

“Do you need anything, Administrator?” Bess Brooks, the head of the washers, asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“...

“We ain’t lifting a fucking finger,” John Dengue said, sneering at Roberta. “And I don’t think there’s a lot you can do about it!”

“Oh, I think you’ll find there’s quite a lot I can do, if I choose, Mr. Dengue.” Roberta said. She was flanked by Karl on her left and two of the best militiamen Karl had managed to find on their way from the mall to the arboretum. 

Dengue was flanked, too. He had six planters behind him, along with two horsemen holding onto their horse’s bridles. Roberta thought fou...

“...and that’s the problem with the 2nd amendment, especially now.” Karl said, thumping Roberta’s desk with his hand. “Well? Any response?”

“Karl, this is the most pointless, circular argument. And it’s not that we don’t have it on a regular basis. I’m just not in the mood right now.”

“But Dengue was about to shoot you! If we hadn’t had the two militiamen with us, he would….”

“But we did! And he didn’t! Leave it Karl. Dengue must have gone back to work. We’d have heard by now if he hadn’t.”

“Yes...

After the results of the straw poll had been accepted, Roberta and Karl took the last remaining carriage across the district to the Militamen’s home. Painted in pastel colours with a large trompe l'oeil garden, it was as cheery a set of buildings as Roberta had seen.

The concrete yard behind it was a different matter. Six trailer boxes were set side by side, all connected by welded walkway. They were lead to the last trailer in line, guarded by a young, heavily armed militia man who saluted as t...

In the pale light of the autumn dawn, Roberta and Karl sat on the seat of a horse drawn wagon next to its driver, an old man who kept muttering to himself as he flicked the reins. The horse, almost as old as its driver Roberta thought, kept wickering and tossing its mane in response. Behind them, in the bed of the wagon John Dengue stood, surrounded by guards.

They arrived at the gate and the guards escorted Dengue off the wagon, one removing his handcuffs, a second handing the man a brown valis...

“Hey, Lacy,” Adam yelled from the kitchen, “it’s almost noon. Time to go.”

He wasn’t sure she’d heard him over the mechanical clatter of her sewing machine. It was one of those glossy, black built-like-a-tank Singer treadle machines that had found itself back in demand after the meltdown. His fiancé, who had never sewn a day in her life before August of 2019, had become an enthusiastic if less than passable seamstress.

Adam peeked around the corner of the kitchen doorway into the living room. Hu...

Adam woke up with a pounding headache. He felt groggy and didn’t remember falling asleep. A sharp pain in his shoulder made him gasp when he tried to move, and then he remembered. Lacy!

Before he could get up, he felt a firm hand on his chest. It was Dr. Davis. “Relax, Mr. Wright.”

He looked up to see her tired but smiling face. “How’s Lacy? I want to see her, please?”

“She’s okay, Mr. Wright. She’s in the Intensive Care Unit, and you can’t see her just yet.” She removed her hand from his chest....

Oliver Kelly's thin fingers combed through his thick, dark hair as he looked across the expanse of the Nation Mall. He self-consciously felt the uneven length of his self-cut hair. Oliver and his small caravan had just arrived at Constitution Avenue by 23rd Street. His eyes lingered on the Lincoln Memorial before locking on the Washington Monument further away. Further in the distance he could just make out the Capitol building. His eyes weren't as sharp as they used to be, but but he still reco...

It wasn't long before, somewhere between the White House and the Washington Monument, a few people appeared on the street. An elderly couple with a dog walked by. They stood still, surprised by the small caravan with its large equipment.

Oliver let himself slide off his horse, holding its reigns as he walked towards the old couple, a bald man and a man with thick grey hair. "Hello. Things look pretty changed here. I was wondering if you could tell me which authority is in charge." He gave the Wh...

The caravan followed Oliver at an even pace. Bane, who was at the head of the caravan, wrinkled his nose at passersby. "Copycats, the lot of them."

What Oliver had found unusual as they met more and more people along the road, was that many wore a mix of last years fashion and clothing you'd expect to find in an 18th or 19th century exhibit. It really is starting to feel like the old west or such. From this distance he could finally see people around the Capitol. Looks like there is some semblan...

It gets to you like the sound of a swarm of bees or wasps. No, worse than that.

That high pitched whine.

Or, when you do get a recorded voice they first blame it on the Democrats, then if you press the right number, it’s the whine again. Or eventually just as your battery runs out it tells you “you are one thousand three hundred and sixteen” on the waiting list.

Now my phone is dead. It will take hours to charge up again even in this hot desert sun.

Feeling isolated. Only because of that damned ...

I slept fitfully. When I woke a scorpion was on the net of my tent door. Was that an omen of something about to happen?

I waited patiently for it to wake and scuttle back into the scrub nearby, crawled out and made a coffee.

The aircraft thing had made me more than aware that something big was coming down. Much as I love the solitude, the howls of wolves and coyotes, and the scuttling of other invisible creatures, there was a human element that was missing. Hank? He doesn’t smoke. What was that ...

The joy of being alone with just the stars and nature for company has evaporated.

I saw one person in the last few days. He crossed to the other side of the street when he saw me where I had pitched my tent in a disused building lot.

He told me what had happened in his expressive Navajo way seeded with some choice Anglo-Saxon and Mexican slang.

“The prez yeah, he gone golfin’ they say. Others say he’s gone see his buddy in Moscow, ‘long with dat English guy who look like him. May not be true aco...

Autumn leaves blew lazily through the district, strewing optimism in their wake. People exchanged hopeful glances as they worked, heartened by the restoration of power to the Capitol Building. 

Where once evening brought desolation with its enveloping shadows, there was now a literal beacon of hope shining down the National Mall.  

The praise and excitement for their work was endless. Oliver Kelly and his team were showered with gifts, from dinner invitations to offers of some of Washington DC’s...

Roberta stood still for a moment at the foot of the staircase. The sun was setting behind the Capitol Building, and as the shadow of the dome enveloped her, she immediately felt a pang of uneasiness. A sudden sound at her back startled her, but when she turned back she realised it was only a duck fluttering as it ran down the middle of East Capitol St. It had ventured a long way away from the pond in Union Square; it was probably trying to find its way there before it got even darker.

She still ...

“Ms. Miguel”, a voice called from the top of the stairs, “what do you think of them?”

Oliver Kelly met her at the bottom of the stairs and looked back with her at the row of lights slowly lighting up, one by one. “There used to be an automated system that switched the lights on and off all at the same time, but it’s toast now. We had to rewire them, and so far the only solution we’ve come up with is to switch them one by one. Still, I think the message it sends is more powerful like this, don’t ...