A/N: In case you didn't know, Erin is a character that the girls meet in one of the later comics (I don't remember which one). Also, the documentary that Andrew saw was the same show that inspired me to write this story. Martin knew what to do because he saw the same show. I'm thinking of making a whole series that shows the girls surviving various worst-case scenario disasters. Tell me what you think: Should I make the series and if so, what other disasters should I depict? Please include your answers in your reviews!
Disclaimer: I don't own crap
It seems like any other typical day in the city of Heatherfield, California.
With a population of 800,000, it is a medium-large city located on the coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Unfortunately, like any other American city of its size, Heatherfield has been considered a potential target for terrorism, and the threat of a nuclear terrorist attack has put people on edge after Al Qaeda announced that they had successfully produced a working nuclear bomb.
Little did the citizens of Heatherfield know that life as they know it in the city will soon change forever.
Some of the biggest questions on their minds were:
When will the attack occur?
How big will the blast be?
How many will die?
How will the survivors escape the fallout?
Saturday, January 23, 2010, 8:20 A.M.
near Heatherfield Mall,
approx. 2.1 miles from downtown Heatherfield
Irma Lair and her boyfriend Andrew Hornby were holding hands as they walked towards the mall.
Their friends Cornelia Hale, Taranee Cook, Hay Lin, Caleb, Nigel and Eric were with them.
It was a sunny day as the group walked on. "Ah, it's such a nice day today." Hay Lin said as they crossed a street to the next block.
They were three blocks from the mall. "Yeah, a great day to go shopping." Cornelia replied.
"Corny, you say that about every day." Irma replied. Cornelia glared at her, but didn't say a word. "So, how long have you two been together?" Nigel asked Irma.
"Oh, it's been about two months now." Irma replied. "-and counting." Andrew added.
They crossed another street as they walked on.
Meanwhile, near Heatherfield Park
approx. 3.6 miles from downtown Heatherfield.
Will Vandom and her boyfriend Matt Olsen were walking in the park enjoying the weather. Their friends Elyon Brown, Martin Tubbs, Alchemy and their new friend Erin were with them.
"So, what made you move here to Heatherfield?" Elyon asked Erin. "My mom bought a house out here." Erin replied.
"How do you like it so far?" Will asked. "I like it so far, it's a nice city to live in." Erin replied.
They walked to the parking lot and got into Matt's van.
Interstate 5, .5 miles from downtown Heatherfield.
An unmarked white van was driving down the freeway along with rush hour traffic. Inside was a group of Al Qaeda terrorists and a 10-kiloton nuclear bomb loaded in the back.
Strapped to the bomb was a digital timer that was counting down. This terrorist group was about to go down in history as the first to carry out a nuclear terrorist attack on US soil.
The terrorists stared with intent as they drove on towards downtown. The timer was just seconds from reaching zero...
8:25 AM, near the Heatherfield Mall
Irma and her group had just reached the block where the Heatherfield Mall was located. "Let the shopping spree begin!" Cornelia said as she started to rush towards the mall entrance.
Irma rolled her eyes as she and the others followed her. "Cornelia, wait up!" Taranee shouted as she followed.
Suddenly, as the group reached the clearing in front of the entrance, a flash far brighter than the sun erupted from behind them. Everyone froze in place and wondered what was happening.
Andrew, who recently watched a documentary on nuclear attacks realized what was happening and decided to act.
"TURN AWAY FROM THE FLASH AND GET DOWN! GET DOWN! GET DOWN!" Andrew shouted as he dropped to the ground face-down.
The others followed suit and dropped to the ground where they stood. "Don't look at the light, it WILL blind you!" Andrew shouted. The others shut their eyes to avoid being blinded.
No way, a nuclear attack? Here? Why would they hit here? I'll bet that it's Al Qaeda! Andrew thought.
Luckily, an apartment tower was between the group and the blast, and protected them from the thermal pulse, a wave of intense heat that is emitted along with the flash.
Elsewhere, anything exposed to the thermal pulse was scorched, and anybody that was unlucky enough to be looking at the flash was instantly flash-blinded. Anything within a quarter-mile of ground zero was instantly vaporized.
Seconds later, the flash subsided and the light faded. Irma and the others raised their heads slightly and looked around in disbelief.
"OK, guys, cover any exposed skin, do it now!" Andrew ordered as he stretched his sleeves over his hands. "Why?" Cornelia asked.
"It'll prevent radiation burns!" Taranee replied as she did the same. Everyone else followed suit, covering their hands with their sleeves.
"OK, now cross your legs, put your hands on your head and keep your mouth open!" Andrew instructed as he did so.
"Why should we keep our mouths open?" Irma asked.
"It'll keep your lungs and eardrums from being blown out by the shockwave! Stand by, this is gonna feel like a freight train rolling right on top of you!" Andrew replied.
They did as they were told and waited for the inevitable.
Seconds later, the shockwave rushed over the group as it passed the mall, shattering windows, smashing walls and shaking the ground like an earthquake.
Debris was thrown into the air by the force of the shockwave.
Meanwhile, 3 miles from downtown...
Will and her group were driving towards the mall to meet the others. "I wonder how much crap Cornelia's gonna get this time!" Elyon said as Matt turned onto the next street.
"Who knows, but it'll probably take an eighteen-wheeler to haul it all home." Will joked.
Suddenly, a bright light erupted from the downtown area. Matt threw his hands over his eyes and stomped on the brakes. The others shielded their eyes as well.
The girls were looking to the sides, but since Matt was driving, he was looking forward, right at the flash.
"Oh, no, I know a light like that anywhere, we just got nuked! WE GOTTA GET OUT, NOW!" Martin said as the car stopped.
"I can't see anything! I can't see! I can't see!" Matt said as he felt for his seatbelt release.
Will unfastened his seatbelt as the others got out of the van.
Martin and Will rushed to help Matt. "Help me get him out, he's been blinded by the flash." Will said as she opened his door.
Martin and Will supported Matt on their shoulders as they rushed to a nearby office building. They got behind a thick concrete wall and tucked in tight against it.
"What's happening?" Erin asked in confusion. "If I'm not mistaken, there's been a nuclear detonation downtown!" Will replied.
"Dammit! Why can't I see anything?" Matt asked, still holding his hands over his eyes.
"Calm down, honey, you've been flash-blinded by a nuclear explosion somewhere in downtown." Will replied as she put a bandana over Matt's eyes and tied it on the back of his head.
"We should be far enough so that the blast wave shouldn't affect our lungs, but keep your mouths open just in case." Martin instructed.
Twenty seconds after the initial flash, the shock wave rushed by at high speed.
Two minutes after the blast, Will's group got out from behind the wall. They looked to see the mushroom cloud billowing over what was downtown Heatherfield.
Meanwhile, near the mall
approx. 1.5 miles from Ground Zero
Irma and her group were still lying face down from when they rode out the shock wave of the blast. Irma looked around and was horrified by the carnage around her and her friends.
Cornelia looked around and saw blood on Eric's arm. They slowly got up and Cornelia noticed that blood was flowing from Eric's wound.
"Come on, let's take care of that." Cornelia said as she grabbed a napkin from a nearby cafe cart.
She wrapped the napkin around Eric's arm over the wound and put pressure on the wound. "Ow, Cornelia, that hurts." Eric said in response to Cornelia's actions.
"I know, but it'll hopefully stop the bleeding. It looks like one of your veins has been cut open by flying debris. We need to stop that bleeding fast or you'll bleed to death." Cornelia replied as she continued applying pressure.
"We need to get out of here and find shelter now." Andrew said as everybody was standing up.
"Why? The blast is over now, isn't it?" Cornelia asked.
"Well, the blast itself has passed, but the danger is not over yet. In about twenty minutes, this area will be blanketed by radioactive fallout, and if we don't find shelter, we will die." Taranee explained.
"She's right, if we don't get to a safe shelter fast, the radiation will kill us all!" Andrew added.
"Then there's no time to waste!" Irma replied. They started moving to find a suitable shelter.
Three miles from Ground Zero
Will and her group looked in awe at the mushroom cloud billowing in the distance. "I wonder how the government's gonna handle this." Elyon said.
"Well, first a military satellite detects the blast and sends an alert to NORAD. NORAD then alerts the Pentagon and the White House. The president then declares DEFCON 1, the highest alert level that calls for absolute maximum military readiness. I mean, troops will gear up, ballistic missile subs will go on high alert, bombers will be equipped with nuclear weapons and prepared for takeoff and ICBMs will be prepped for launch." Martin explained.
"So, the country will basically prepare for nuclear war." Elyon replied.
"In a nutshell, yeah." Martin replied.
"But, what about police, the fire department or paramedics?" Erin asked.
"They will be alerted too, but it will be a while before any response arrives." Alchemy replied.
"I'm worried about Irma, Cornelia and the others, I hope they're OK." Elyon said.
"Me too, but right now, we need to get out of here before the fallout comes down on us." Will replied.
They started to find a way to get out of the danger zone.
Approx. 1.5 miles from Ground Zero
15:00 until fallout settles
Irma and her group was trying to find a place to take shelter from the fallout.
Most of the buildings around them were heavily damaged by the blast wave and some were on the verge of collapse.
In some places, fires raged and the ground was littered with debris and bodies were scattered all over.
"Oh, my God, this is a nightmare!" Taranee said as they walked through an alleyway.
"Yeah, and the longer we stay outside, the more likely we'll die!" Nigel replied.
Suddenly, an explosion blew out the back door of a commercial building behind the group.
"WHOA!" They all shouted as they ducked down in reaction to the explosion.
"Keep moving!" Andrew ordered as they started to run. Behind them, the mushroom cloud was starting to dissipate.
Meanwhile, 3 miles from Ground Zero
15:10 until fallout settles
Damage to the buildings in the area was not as extensive as in areas closer to Ground Zero. Will's group was looking for a means of escape from the fallout plume.
They ended up near Martin's house, where his van was parked. "Follow me, we'll take my van!" Martin said as he ran towards his house.
"Wait, aren't all the cars here fried by EMP effects?" Will asked.
"Some are, but if they were not running at the time of the blast, they should be fine." Elyon replied.
Martin came out of the house a minute later, keys in hand. "Wait, which way is the wind blowing?" Will asked.
Martin and the others looked up at a nearby office building, specifically at the flag flying over the roof. The wind was blowing to the east.
"Looks like the wind is blowing east, so we should go north or south." Elyon replied.
"OK, let's go!" he said as they all got into the van.
Martin started the engine and they drove off.
Approx. 3.6 miles from Ground Zero
1:52 until fallout settles
Will's group was still searching for a clear route out of the city. They were fighting heavy traffic while making their escape.
"OK, if we stay on this road, we should hit the freeway soon." Alchemy said. "Oh, no!" Martin said as he looked up at the windshield.
"What is it?" Will asked. "That's not good!" Martin replied, pointing to several small flakes of what looked like ash falling on the windshield.
"What is that? " Elyon asked.
"Those are fallout particles, we're not gonna make it out, we'll have to find shelter." Martin replied.
"Damn!" Will replied.
Martin turned on the air conditioner and put it on RECIRC, preventing outside air, which was now filling with fallout from entering the van and recirculating the air within the cabin of the van.
Martin spotted a twelve-story office building and steered towards it.
He stopped on the curb just a few feet from the entrance.
"OK, we're gonna have to take shelter here, stay tight and move fast!" he instructed as the group rushed out of the van and into the building.
Will and Elyon helped Matt by supporting him on their shoulders as they rushed in.
Around them, fallout particles drifted down like a lethal snow.
Approx. 1.6 miles from Ground Zero
0:40 until fallout settles
Irma's group was desperate to find shelter and time was running out.
"Uh, oh!" Taranee said as she saw fallout particles landing around them.
"We need to hurry, fallout's starting to settle on the ground." Andrew replied. They came upon a steel commercial building that appeared to have a basement.
"This may work." Taranee said as they approached. Irma opened a sliding door on the building and inspected the interior.
"Looks like this could do." Andrew said. "OK, does anyone have a marker, pen, anything we can mark with?" Taranee asked.
"Why?" Caleb asked. "So rescuers can know that there are survivors in here, namely us." Andrew replied.
Cornelia got out a lipstick tube and handed it to Andrew. "This will do." Andrew said as he used the lipstick to mark out
"8 INSIDE". After marking the wall, everyone in the group went inside and Taranee shut the door.
"OK, there is a chance we may already be contaminated by the fallout, so we're going to take precautions." Andrew announced.
"How do we do that?" Cornelia asked. "First, take off the outer layer of clothing. It may have radioactive particles on it." Andrew replied.
The group members obeyed, taking off their outer layer of clothing. "Next, take some water and rinse off exposed areas, hair, skin, whatever." Andrew instructed.
They took out water bottles and used newspaper or whatever they could find to rinse themselves off.
"So, what kinds of radiation are there, anyway?" Cornelia asked.
"There are three kinds: alpha, beta and gamma rays. Alpha and beta radiation particles are weak and will only harm you if they are inhaled or allowed to settle on your skin." Andrew replied.
"What about gamma radiation?" Caleb asked.
"Gamma radiation is the worst of all, it shines out in all directions and causes the most harm. The only way to protect ourselves from gamma radiation is a thick, dense wall made of solid material like concrete." Taranee replied.
They left whatever they took off near the entrance and searched the building.
"Over here!" Andrew said as he led them towards the basement.
"Perfect, this basement will be our shelter." Taranee said. "Yeah, I just hope our other friends found shelter, too." Irma replied.
"OK, now we need to secure it to prevent fallout particles from coming in; seal all airway holes in doors, windows even air vents." Andrew instructed.
"With what?" Cornelia asked. "With whatever you can find, ideally tape." Taranee replied.
Irma found a roll of masking tape and proceeded to start working on sealing the air vents.
The others found some tape and started to do the same.
Inside the office building
approx. 3.6 miles from Ground Zero
Will's group had already decontaminated and changed into some jumpsuits from a janitor's closet.
At this point, Matt's flash-blindness has passed and the bandanna was discarded due to possible contamination.
"You feeling better, dear? Can you see?" Will asked. "Yeah, I can see fine." Matt replied.
"OK, this building has no basement so we're gonna have to climb." Martin said. "OK, why?" Elyon asked.
"If we keep as many floors below us as possible, we'll be able to stay away from the radiation on the ground, but we need to keep at least two floors above us to shield us from the radiation from fallout on the roof." Taranee replied.
They entered a stairway and began climbing. They stopped at the tenth floor and noted that the building has twelve floors.
"OK, this building has twelve floors, this will work." Andrew said as they went through a door.
At this point, the fallout plume has settled and radiation levels have reached their peak.
"OK, we're gonna have to build an internal structure to protect us from the gamma rays." Martin said.
They found an internal office space and noted the thick walls. "OK, this will work, let's go." Martin said as he led the others inside.
Nearby were a bunch of filing cabinets filled with paper.
"OK, we need to make the walls thick to protect ourselves, we can use desks, books, anything heavy, get it and bring it here." Martin instructed.
The others went to get the materials. "OK, we need to work fast, the longer we're out here, the high our chances of getting radiation sickness.
They came back with large stacks of thick books, drawer cabinets, boxes of paper and desks.
"OK, good now start stacking them up, make the wall at least a couple of inches taller than the tallest person here." Martin instructed.
They started stacking the items to build a wall.
"Alchemy, come with me, we're gonna get some supplies." Martin instructed. Alchemy followed Martin.
They found a pair of vending machines, one filled with snacks, the other filled with sodas. "OK, this will do. I'm gonna smash them, stand back." Martin instructed as he picked up a metal chair.
He thrusted the chair into the face of the snack machine, smashing it. He then did the same with the plastic face of the soda machine, hitting it several times.
Alchemy found a pair of empty paper boxes lying nearby and brought them up. "Perfect, let's fill these up and head back." Martin instructed as they started filling the baskets with the sodas and snacks.
As Alchemy started heading back to the shelter, Martin found a pair of full 5-gallon water jugs and carried them back to the shelter.
At the shelter, the group managed to build a wall up to several inches below the ceiling.
"OK, that's good height-wise, here's what I need now: get this desk, put it against this wall, take this filing cabinet out, put it on its side and put it on top of the desk." Martin instructed, pointing to the wall by the opening in the paper-box wall.
The strongest group members stacked the cabinet and desk so that they were in front of the opening, which was a weak spot in the shelter.
36 hours later
approx. 1.6 miles from Ground Zero
Everyone in Irma's group was sleeping when Irma was awakened by a groaning noise. She looked around and saw that Eric's skin was pale.
"Eric, are you alright?" Irma asked. "I...I don't feel so good." Eric replied weakly.
Irma realized that he may be affected by radiation sickness. "Guys! Guys, wake up! Wake up!" Irma shouted. The other group members woke up and sat up.
"What is it, Irma?" Andrew asked.
"It's Eric, he might have radiation sickness!" Irma replied, a tear falling down her cheek.
Andrew and Hay Lin got up and went to Eric. Andrew began looking over Eric checking for symptoms.
Hay Lin's heart sank upon realizing that Eric could die before they could get to a field hospital. Andrew grimly confirmed the symptoms as those of radiation sickness.
"I'm sorry, guys, but he does have radiation sickness." Andrew said grimly. "But, what can we do?" Hay Lin asked, tears building up in her eyes.
"I'm afraid there's nothing much we can do at this point." Andrew replied. Hay Lin threw herself into Irma's arms and started crying.
"I can't believe that this is happening!" Hay Lin said as she sobbed on Irma's shoulder.
"Me too, I never thought that something like this would happen here." Irma replied as she tried to hold her tears back.
48 hours after the blast, 3.7 miles from Ground Zero
Will's group woke up except for Erin, who, like Eric was showing signs of radiation sickness. "Erin? Erin, are you OK?" Elyon asked.
Erin didn't respond, she seemed to be unconscious. Will felt for a pulse, there was none.
Alchemy noticed that Erin was not breathing. "Guys...she's gone." Will said, tears coming out of her eyes.
She cried on Matt's shoulder as Elyon buried her face in her hands and cried.
Alchemy cried on Martin's shoulder as Martin wondered how she received a lethal dose of radiation.
He looked and saw a two-inch cut on Erin's left forearm, likely from the blast itself. So THAT'S how the radiation got into her body! Martin thought.
72 hours post-blast
Will's group was awakened by the faint sound of helicopter rotors overhead. "Hear that? Helicopters." Martin said.
"Now what?" Elyon asked. "Well, someone's gonna have to go outside and signal them." Alchemy replied.
"She's right, but who will go? It's still radioactive out there, but radiation levels probably have fallen a bit." Martin replied.
"I'll go." Will replied.
"OK, Matt, go find a gym bag with some clothes in it, maybe an extra pair of shoes, trash bags, and most importantly, towels, as many as you can find, got it?" Martin said.
"Yeah." Matt replied.
"Alchemy, you're gonna make a flare. I need you to find a first-aid kit, also come back with newspapers, rubber bands and an empty trash container...go." Martin instructed.
Alchemy went to find the materials for the signal while Matt went to find the items for protective clothing.
After a minute, they came back with the requested items. "OK, good, drop it all here." Martin instructed as they dropped the items in front of him.
"OK, first, we're gonna make a fallout mask using this towel." Martin explained as he grabbed a pair of scissors and started cutting a slot into the towel.
He made the slot two inches wide and the length was equal to the distance between Will's eyes.
He then took some clear plastic laminate sheets and stapled one over the slot to act as a view screen.
Meanwhile, Alchemy got out the first-aid kit and opened it. "OK, a cold compress, you're gonna take what's inside and use it to make a flare. Open it up and dump it into the trash can." Martin instructed.
Alchemy tore a corner off the compress and dumped the contents into the trash can.
"OK, now we mix the chemicals with water and soak some newspaper in it. That will make a great flare." Martin instructed.
Alchemy did so and rolled the newspaper up tight.
Will then got herself ready to go. She put on the mask they just made and Elyon put the rubber bands around Will's neck to make a seal.
"Can you breath OK?" Martin asked. "Yeah." Will replied. Will then put her arms through holes made in a trash bag, making a kind of vest.
They then climbed towards the roof. "You ready to do this?" Martin asked just as they got to the door leading to the roof.
"Yeah." Will replied.
"OK, before she goes out, we need to set up a decontamination line. It'll be three stages, stage one: when you come back inside, dump all your clothes right here. Second stage will be a rinse-off with water. Third stage, a new set of clothes will be ready for you. It's on you now, make it quick, make it good." Martin instructed.
Alchemy and Elyon took up positions on the stairway, Elyon holding the jug of water and Alchemy holding the fresh set of clothes.
"Ready, 3...2...1...go, go!" Martin said. Will then opened the door and stepped outside.
She set the flare on the edge and lit it with a lighter that she found.
After being lit, the flare started producing a lot of thick smoke.
Seconds after Will lit the flare, a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter passed overhead. The crewman in the cabin waved his hand to let Will know that he saw the signal.
Meanwhile, 1.6 miles from Ground Zero
Irma and the others decided that it was time to take action in order to save Eric.
"OK, we have no choice: we have to head to a field hospital if we're gonna have a chance at saving Eric." Andrew said.
"OK, but we'll have to be careful, there's still some fallout on the ground and it's still radioactive." Taranee replied.
The group got up and went up to the ground floor, Hay Lin and Cornelia supporting Eric on their shoulders. They went outside and saw many clumps of gray dust scattered on the ground.
"That must be the fallout." Irma said. "Yeah, we're gonna have to avoid it at all costs." Andrew replied. They started making their way towards a field hospital.
Meanwhile, in the office building
Will stepped back inside and began removing all of her clothing. She then rushed to Elyon, who helped her rinse off her body.
After a minute, Will then rushed to Alchemy and put on the clothes that she had waiting for her.
"Alright, let's go!" Martin said as he led them down the stairs. "Did they see it?" Elyon asked.
"Yeah, they saw it." Will replied as they reached the third floor.
Meanwhile, 1.6 miles from Ground Zero
Near a field hospital
Irma's group was outside and walking carefully to avoid the clumps of radioactive dust that was on the ground.
They soon saw a field hospital several yards away and rushed towards it.
Upon reaching the hospital, a nurse had Eric sit in a nearby chair and started examining him. "Hang in there, Eric, you're gonna make it." Hay Lin said.
Outside the office building
Will's group had just reached the ground floor of the office building and saw a group of rescue personnel in hazmat suits and emergency vehicles waiting outside.
"Come on, let's go!" Martin said as they rushed outside. The rescue personnel led them to an area where they would be evacuated.
Despite the dangers, both groups managed to avoid certain death and take action to be rescued. In the end, despite all odds, they survived.
Three days later...
Irma's group was at the safe zone in San Diego. Eric survived the radiation sickness and made a full recovery.
Even now, they didn't know that Will and her group are still alive.
Irma looked around and saw a familiar face among the crowd. Is that...could it be? She thought as she went towards the person.
Sure enough, it was Will, who saw Irma and rushed towards her. "IRMA!" Will shouted as she and the others in her group rushed towards her.
Will hugged Irma while Cornelia hugged Elyon. Alchemy hugged Hay Lin as the two groups met.
Irma and Will cried in each other's arms for a minute before calming down from their excitement.
"Will, I...I didn't know you guys were still alive! I actually lost hope for a bit after me and the others in my group were rescued!" Irma said.
"Yeah, we almost thought that we were the only ones left alive, too!" Will replied. "Where's Erin?" Irma asked. Will's smile faded when she heard this.
"She...she died from radiation sickness a couple of nights after the explosion." Will replied. Irma's heart sank, Erin was a great new friend to her and now she's gone.
Irma then cried on Will's shoulder again.
"At least we're all alive." Will said. "Yeah, Eric almost ended up like that." Irma replied. "How did he survive?" Will asked.
"They got me to a field hospital before it was too late." Eric replied. "How did you guys get out?" Cornelia asked.
"We took shelter in an office building and signaled a helicopter." Alchemy replied. "What about you guys?" Elyon asked.
"We took shelter in a basement and that's where Erin died." Cornelia replied. "Well, now we're alive and can look forward to a new life." Andrew said.
"Yeah, thanks to you, you're the one that got us out." Irma replied as she gave Andrew a kiss.
"Yeah, Martin helped us out as well." Will added.
They then went to relax and unwind which is what they needed after the hell that they had gone through.
Toll of Heatherfield nuclear attack:
250,000+ people dead
Downtown area totally destroyed
Countless lives changed forever