The Crash: An EMP Survival Story (EMP Crash Book 1) Read online

  “There will come a point when it's not worth it to print books. That's just the way of the world. Money talks. But it's going to be better for the environment. Think of how many trees have to be cut down just so people can read trashy novels. It's such a waste, and before you say anything else just think of the newspaper. There was a time when everyone bought them, but with the internet they became obsolete. It's going to happen with books as well, it'll just take a little longer.”

  “That may be the case, but even if you're right it'll take a while to happen. I'll stick with the real thing for now, thank you very much. They still have one advantage over their electronic counterparts.”

  “What's that?” Grace asked skeptically.

  “They don't run out of batteries,” he said, bringing the book back up to his face and resuming his reading, signaling to Grace that their conversation was over.

  It had been with some reluctance that Mack had taken on this assignment as he was supposed to have flown straight home, been debriefed, and then allowed to leave. But now he would have to see that Grace was properly escorted into custody and fill out a report, which would delay his reunion with Anna. It had been a while since he last had seen her. Phone calls and video chats just weren't the same as being next to her. Although his eyes roved across the page he merely skimmed the words, for his mind was on his wife and the life that awaited them when he returned.

  In his mind he saw her golden flowing hair, her slender, supple figure, her sparkling eyes that always seemed to light up when he was near, and he sighed inwardly. He had spent too much time away from her during their marriage, and now he was going to make it up to her as much as he could. For her part, she had been understanding. From the very moment they had met she knew he was in the army and the kind of life that he led. Even when they talked about the possibility of his retirement she was the one who suggested he stay on for a few more years. She was afraid that without the army he would lack a purpose, but he knew he had given enough of his life to his country, and it was time that he lived for himself again.

  They had spoken just before he had boarded the plane. Anna told him she was going to prepare his favorite meal and she just had bought a brand new set of red lingerie, teasing him by telling him that the silk was so soft against her smooth skin. He wished the plane could go faster, but it was only one last job, and once it was over he would be free to pursue his own dreams.

  He almost smiled to himself as he glanced over at the young woman next to him, so full of anger and rage at the world. In a way, he saw something of himself in her. At that age he had needed some direction and structure in his life, but he had turned to the army when he was eighteen and that had straightened him out. Over the years he had learned a great deal about himself and the world around him. He thought it a shame that a young woman as intelligent and driven as Grace had used her skills to try sabotaging her government and attacking companies rather than trying to actually improve the state of the world. Not that he was going to tell her that, of course. When he first had read the file of the prisoner he was tasked with escorting his eyes had widened at the extent of her activity. C1PH3R had stolen secret files, released secure information, blackmailed executives, redistributed funds and more, and it had taken a great deal of resources to catch her.

  Grace was right about one thing, though; it was a new world and Mack wasn't sure if he was made for it. Sure, he knew how to use a computer, but the level at which Grace operated was beyond him. If that was the direction in which crime was headed then he didn't want anything to do with it. Much better to get out now rather than be left behind. While he had no time for criminals, he did have a little sympathy for Grace because it was clear from reading her file that she had done what she did out of a naive sense of righteousness. There was something noble about fighting for a cause, albeit a misguided one, and for all her crimes she seemed only to target those who she saw as corrupt. The trail investigators had followed showed she had funneled the money into various charities. But no matter how good her intentions may have been she still broke the law, and in a civilized world breaking a social contract had to be punished.

  As he looked at her out of the corner of his eye Mack thought about his own child, a child that as yet did not exist, but hopefully soon would be brought kicking and screaming into the world. But what world would they find? Like most people Mack was worried about the political landscape. He had struggled silently with the issue of whether it was responsible to bring a child into this world, but all he knew was he wanted to raise a good person, to contribute a worthwhile soul to the world and hope they took on board the values he shared.

  In that moment he wondered about Grace's background, about whether she had parents or not. Most of his time in the army was spent profiling people and negotiating with enemies of the state, and as such he had become skilled in reading body language. With Grace he thought it almost a certainty that she had been an orphan and had lacked direction in her life. So she had clung to the one skill that she had and used it to stay in the shadows.

  Hopefully she would be rehabilitated, Mack thought, but once he took her to the military base he never would see or hear from her again.

  Suddenly someone screamed. The plane veered to the right and a few oxygen masks fell down. The turn was so sharp that a few passengers were flung from their seats, and the cabin crew lost their footing as they tried to help up the fallen passengers. Mack's eyes darted about and he quickly buckled himself in, and told Grace to do the same. There was panic in her eyes as the plane's nose dove down. Through the window they could see the land twisting and turning below them, but it wasn't the world moving so erratically, it was the plane.

  One of the cabin crew made it to the cockpit and struggled to get the door open. She pressed buttons on the pad to no avail. People pulled out their cell phones only to find there was nothing. They looked at each other, each of them searching for some kind of answer to what was going on. Mack's heart lurched into his throat but he gritted his teeth and remained calm. There were shouts of people to remain calm, but already some of them were on their feet, clawing at the windows as the ground loomed before them. The plane was over the heart of America; a dense forest lay below them. Grace was panicking just like the rest. Mack reached out a hand and pushed her head between her knees as they braced themselves. The plane lurched downward and they were lost in a cacophony of screams.

  Chapter Three

  The plane’s wreckage lay in the middle of the forest. The metal was crumpled and trees that it had careened into had snapped. The fuselage was cracked and the mighty vehicle had been brought to the ground. Everything was dark. Mack opened his eyes slowly and stretched his fingers and toes. Thankfully everything was in working order. He looked over at Grace, who was whimpering. He pulled her head up and looked in her eyes, then asked her name. It took a few moments for she was in shock but, eventually she spoke and told him.

  He stood up tentatively and looked at the carnage around him. The roof of the plane had caved in. In their panic everyone had been smashed against the sides of the plane, suffering massive trauma. He clambered out of the broken seats and began examining everyone he could. At the same time, he called out for other survivors while Grace stood beside him, still handcuffed to him, trying to process everything around her.

  The stench was a vile combination of burning flesh, blood, and smoke. Mack moved quickly but so far he hadn't seen any signs of life. As Grace looked at all the broken bodies a wave of nausea surged through her gut. She coughed, and spluttered, and then threw up violently. Mack held her hair and stroked her back, speaking soothingly, trying to tell her everything was going to be okay, and even though he wasn't sure he believed it himself.

  They made their way to the front of the plane. In the crash the door to the cockpit had been thrown open. As they walked along, stepping over the dead bodies, Grace tried not to look at them, tried to ignore the look of sheer panic on their faces, and tried not to think about what their
last thoughts must have been. These same people had been alive mere moments ago but now they were dead, and if it hadn't been for a miracle the two of them would have died, too.

  When they got to the cockpit Mack pulled the pilot and co-pilot out of the way so that he could get to the radio and check the equipment. Nothing was working, however; the radio and all the other instruments were dead. Mack hung his head in despair. They found cell phones on the floor and Mack tried his own but again there was nothing. They made their way back into the main cabin and stood together.

  “What happened?” Grace said in a small voice.

  “I don't know. Maybe there was some fault with the equipment. We need to get out of here and try to find help. I don't understand what could have done this, though,” he said. As they searched through the cabin they saw that every piece of electronic equipment was dead.

  Whether it was phones, iPods, e-book readers, everything was gone, which led them to believe that it wasn't just a fault with the plane's equipment as that wouldn't have affected everything. “Do you have any ideas? You are the more technologically-minded one of us, after all,” Mack said. He was trying to engage her mind, trying to get her to start thinking of something other than the mass grave in which they were standing.

  “I don't know. It could have...it could have...no, it could only be one thing. Oh my...oh no, I can't believe it's actually happened.”

  “What? What is it?”

  Grace's face was ashen. “There's only one possibility. It has to be an EMP.”

  “An electro-magnetic pulse? But why would anyone want to take out that plane? Or even this area? It's not exactly a high-value target.”

  “They didn't...it must have been an attack on the whole country, all at once, maybe even the world.”

  “Nobody could do that.” Mack scoffed. “The only way to cause that much disruption would be from a nuclear detonation, and if that happened we'd be dead.”

  “No, there is another way...how high does your clearance go?”

  “Obviously not high enough,” Mack replied skeptically. He led Grace away from the plane and the two of them sat down on a broken log.

  “I hacked into a lot of files in my time and some of them were about military weapons. Many of us thought they were working on new ways to wage war, and then we found it. They built a bomb that could take out electronic devices without using a nuclear explosion. But it wasn't just America who had the technology. There were rumors that its enemies did, too. But we never thought it actually would happen. Not like this, not so soon, not even with a declaration of war...”

  “So we're cut off from the world.”

  “We're cut off from everything.” Grace's head fell into her free hand. She went to bring the other one up, almost forgetting that she still was cuffed to Mack.

  “Is there really still a need for these?” she asked.

  “You're still a prisoner,” Mack replied.

  “Seriously? You don't get it, do you? The world has ended! There's no more government, no more courts, no more computers! Whatever crimes I was guilty of aren't even possible anymore!”

  “I don't accept that. Somewhere someone has survived and we will rebuild our country, and even if we don’t we still are responsible for our actions. But, I will keep the cuffs off if you promise not to run away.”

  “It's not like I've got anywhere to go,” she replied in a surly manner.

  Mack pulled the key out of his back pocket and unclasped the handcuffs. Grace rubbed her wrist and stretched her arm, then looked around at her surroundings. They had fallen into the middle of the woods. Trees surrounded them, and if it hadn't been for the crashed plane it would have been a rather idyllic site.

  “Come on, we don't have any time to waste, we have to get supplies,” he said, and began searching the plane for anything they could use.

  The two of them themselves hadn't had much luggage, but other people on the plane did. They managed to find some backpacks with supplies such as flashlights and knives, and the plane had stores of bottled water and other drinks. Mack worked quickly to try getting an inventory of everything. At first Grace remained sitting on the bench, wallowing in the sadness of knowing that the world she knew did not exist any longer.

  “Snap to it, Grace. If we're going to do this then you have to pull your weight. Search the plane and grab anything you think we can use. Water and food are the main priorities, then anything else that can help us survive, such as lighters or flashlights.”

  The two of them foraged through the plane, and by the end of it had managed to get quite a few supplies, and made sure they got as much water as they could carry. It was tough, though. Mack had to steel himself as he went through the personal belongings of those who had died. He would have liked to have kept speaking to keep Grace's mind off of things, but anything he could have said seemed to be inappropriate when surrounded by such a tragedy. Once they finished they came back to each other and looked at the people laying lifelessly before them.

  “Shouldn't we, like, dig a grave or something?” Grace asked.

  “I wish we could, but even with a shovel it would take us days.”

  “It feels wrong to just leave them here, though.”

  “I know, but there's nothing else we can do, except pay our respects. Are you religious?”

  “No, are you?”

  “I've never been entirely sure. I suppose we should say a few words, though. It feels like the right thing to do,” Mack said, and cleared his throat.

  “To those who perished in the crash, I hope somewhere that your loved ones are alive to mourn you and they have not experienced the same fate as you. We shared the same plane, but we didn't know anything about you, and for that the fault is ours. Going forward we need to try making friends, not strangers. May all your souls rest in peace.”

  When he finished he moved away and pulled out a picture of his wife. He held it tightly and exhaled, then gazed up at the sky. Grace saw this but she didn't say anything and continued to load the backpacks. When they both were ready they hoisted a pack onto their backs. Grace grimaced at the weight of hers, and then they went on their way, leaving the plane behind. The decorated military officer and the wanted hacker were now allies, and all over the world new partnerships such as these were forming. Although, for the moment, Mack and Grace felt as though they were the only people left alive in the world.

  Chapter Four

  It was about mid-afternoon, so just before they left they had a bite to eat; taking some stale food from the plane. Airplane food wasn't very tasty up in the air, let alone when it had been buffeted about and had to be eaten with corpses a short distance away. Grace was thirsty and began gulping down her first bottle of water, but Mack quickly stopped her.

  “We have to conserve it. We don't know how long it's going to be until we come across water again. Take short sips and only drink as much as you think you need. This is going to be a different way of living than you're used to, but as long as we take it day by day we should be fine.”

  They moved away from the wreckage, leaving the plane behind. They walked at a good pace through the forest and Mack seemed to know where he was going. Once they were away from the plane the smells of the forest grew stronger, and the air became fresher, which was a relief. The trees were thick, and now and then they heard the sound of an animal scurrying about.

  “Do you really think the rest of the world was hit?” Grace asked.

  “It wouldn't surprise me. Sure, you can take out America, but if there were other countries that still had electricity they would come to our aid. If it was the North Koreans or someone like that then they'd have to take out everyone. Attacking one country just wouldn't be enough.”

  “What do you think is going on in the rest of the country?”

  “I don't know. Hopefully, people are keeping safe and sensible but I wouldn't bet on it. Unfortunately, when people are in a big crowd they tend to turn to fear quite quickly. And there are some people who rev
el in this kind of chaos. I dread to think what the cities are like. Sadly, there are probably people who still are trying to steal televisions and things like that from stores. But there are procedures in place for these eventualities. So I'm sure that, somewhere, the chain of command has survived and, hopefully, they'll find a way to get a message out to people. I think that's what people are going to need most right now, some sort of guidance.”

  “I think you're hoping for too much. People need more than that. I dread to think of what's going on in the cities right now. When it comes down to it, people still are savage and we're not so far removed from our cave-dwelling ancestors as we'd like to think.”

  “I'd have thought someone who loves technology as much as you would have the opposite view. Don't you think that humanity has improved itself over the years?”

  “No,” Grace replied bluntly, “and one of the reasons why I'm so drawn to technology is because it won't let me down. It has no agenda or flaws. Not like people. They use technology to further their own means.”

  “Like you did?”

  “I'm sure you read my file. You can draw your own conclusions.”

  “I'd like to hear your side of things.”

  “Why? It doesn't really matter anymore.”

  “We're here together. There might come a time when I need to rely on you for survival, I'd like to know I can trust you.”

  “Maybe you can't. Maybe I'm just waiting for the first opportunity to stab you in the back.”

  Mack smirked. “I think I'll take my chances. What I saw in your file was someone who wanted to try helping those less fortunate, but used the wrong means. The ends don't justify the means. They never have.”

  “Sometimes you have to use the only means at your disposal. The world was corrupt. I was no worse than the people in power. The same people that you defend.”

  “I don't defend people. I defend the nation and the principles it stands for. I defend liberty, and truth, and all the things that really matter.” He said that without a hint of sarcasm.