Not This August
Chapter 5
Imagine, for just a moment, that everything you valued, thought important, the things that defined you, were all gone, swept away in a figurative blink of an eye. How would you adapt? What would be your goals, your driving force, your raison d'etre?
Simple survival.
Sounds simple, right? Begin slowly reassembling the components of a civilization that had been on the verge of self-annihilation. Seek out other survivors and band together attempting a 'do over' on a massive scale. Try to avoid the mistakes others made.
Simple.
She watched as he wrote formulae on a legal pad using a #2 lead pencil and padded quietly over to where he sat in the big-enough-for-two recliner and eased herself in beside him.
"What's cookin', good lookin'," she said quietly, looking at the page filled with symbols and numbers.
"Nothing of importance, Penny. I've solved String Theory, not that it matters now." His tone of voice troubled her. It was the sound of defeat.
"Oh, baby! That's wonderful. That means – "
"It means nothing at all here and now although I suppose I should preserve it so that our ten times great grandchildren might make use of it. It certainly is useless information now."
Penny leaned over and took the pad and dropped it on the floor and threw the pencil somewhere behind her. Her lips sought his and soon string theory gave way to simple biology.
One egg. One sperm.
Their own investment in immortality.
The next morning at an ad hoc breakfast and committee meeting Penny casually mentioned that Sheldon had 'finally proven string theory' as if 'today it might rain'. Those in the group immediately congratulated him but soon realized the bitter truth.
It didn't matter.
Colonial Flight
135 miles south of the Island
The three Providers were flying in 'combat spread' one thousand meters apart and at constantly varying altitudes but always with one eye on the ground.
"Leader, this is Three. I have smoke on the horizon. Four miles and 30 degrees to my starboard side."
They followed established protocols and soon found the small town ablaze and a column of vehicles heading south from the town. Small figures could be seen fleeing to the north along a highway.
"Three, Lead. Land and pick them up. We'll CAP you until you're airborne again."
Deck of Badger
The Council met and listened to the few refugees who were willing to board the Provider north of the burning town. Several were obviously suspicious of the Colonists while the others were mostly in shock.
"They called themselves 'United States Recovery Force' but if they recovered anything, it was our guns, food and a few of the children we had taken in. Orphans, kids separated from parents, looking for someplace safe. Then things got ugly so we grabbed what we could and ran north, away from them."
Howard started the standard welcoming speech but Leslie Winkle interrupted him. "Wolowitz, we can't keep taking in strays. Our own resources are being depleted since those other people joined us. I move that we interview them and offer placement to those with something to offer other than being afraid and running away."
There was an awkward period of silence but no second so the motion failed. Winkle looked disgusted and stormed off the deck and down the gangway. Howard looked over and caught Sheldon's eye and saw him nod so he continued with his welcoming speech.
Sheldon was unaware of the stares he was getting from the newcomers. He was dressed for a foray onto the mainland and looked like a Mad Max character. He was dressed like them… one of the 'United States Recovery Force'. Dr. Green and his ad hoc staff of volunteers arrived and there seemed to be a sigh of relief from the small knot of refugees.
A short, wiry man asked Dr. Green a question when it was his turn to be interviewed for any medical issues.
"Who's the tall, skinny cracker? Looks like he belongs with those animals that burned us out. What's his function?" It was obvious that the man wasn't favorably impressed and was having 2nd and 3rd thoughts about staying with the colonists.
Dr. Green had only been on the Island for a few weeks but had been impressed from the beginning with the way Dr. Cooper handled himself and others so if his response was defensive, so be it.
"We don't use terms like cracker or any other racial slurs, no matter how unintended. That man brought us all together here to start over and rebuild. Don't be so quick to judge a book by its cover. He's a good man. They all are. Dr. Winkle was being blunt. We are running low on essentials. My group numbered more than they could handle but they didn't turn us away just like they won't turn you away. Next!"
The chair changed at the next regular meeting of the Council in the Beast. Howard Kaminski was more at home in a machine shop or on the deck of the Lake Huron than in a public role but he tried his best to keep to the agendas.
Leslie had made a last minute change and it was the first item on the list. Kaminski shook his head and tried to wrap his brain around what the implications of her 'motion to resolve' presented.
He cleared his throat nervously and then said, "The Chair recognizes Dr. Winkle for the purposes of a Motion to Resolve. Dr. Winkle, the floor is yours."
"I move that we curtail any further additions to our colony unless the person possesses skills we need now or in the immediate future. We simply do not have enough to go around. We can't be all things to all people. It may seem cruel now, but our future generations will thank us."
Discussion was inevitable and dragged on far past the normal ending time. For the first time ever, the Colony was considering its future from a different perspective.
Winkle's Motion to Resolve was defeated by a narrow margin. Things had been said that would be repeated since the council now met in open session on the deck of the Badger, weather permitting.
It was inevitable that people would want to attend and see just what was being planned. Those people would tell others and it was inevitable that factions would form and rally around one position or the other.
The first fractures in the new colony were beginning to form.