The Geostorm Series (Book 6): Geostorm [The Pioneers] Page 5

  The president pointed toward the center of the screen. “Um, is that the Mississippi River?”

  “Yes, sir,” she replied. “In the north, the Mississippi was rerouted slightly. Ordinarily, it extends into Minnesota, where it reaches its widest point of eleven miles. However, the waters of the Great Lakes rose dramatically as a result of the heavy rainfalls in the Midwest and melting snow and ice from the Arctic. Most of Michigan is underwater, as is northwestern Indiana. Lake Michigan, as you’ve been advised, flooded the entirety of Chicago and eventually merged with the Mississippi River.”

  “Louisiana?” asked the president.

  Taylor, a native of the Pelican State, sighed. “The mouth of the river expanded from Biloxi, Mississippi, all the way to Corpus Christi, Texas. Inland, the rising waters of the gulf left only a brief sliver of the state near Texarkana intact. The rest, sir, is under water.”

  The president detected Taylor, whose family named her for New Orleans, the acronym for the city and state, becoming emotional. “Nola, are you okay?”

  “My apologies, sir. I have, um, had family in Baton Rouge.”

  The president shook his head and grimaced. “Don’t give up hope. We are a nation of survivors. Maybe there’s something we can do?” He glanced at Ducci, who shrugged.

  “That’s okay, sir. We’ll sort it out when the time comes.”

  Ducci gently patted her on the shoulder and motioned for her to sit. He returned to the graphic to continue the presentation. “The rise in sea levels is impossible to gauge at this point without ground-based measuring devices. By our best estimates, coastal terrain up to a former level of a thousand feet above sea level has been inundated by oceans on both coasts. Inland, unimaginable flooding from the rains has saturated the ground and created lakes and rivers where none existed before, similar to what we’re experiencing here in Southern Pennsylvania.”

  The president interrupted with a question. “Now that the rain has stopped, won’t these newly formed bodies of water recede back into the ocean?”

  “Not necessarily, sir, according to the USGS. Geologic formations create basins similar to a bathtub in a house. Some waters simply have no place to go, which is why lakes form at high altitudes and don’t drain to lower bodies of water. What you see on the map in areas like the Great Salt Lake in Utah are a product of this incredible flood event. What were once valleys are now lakes or rivers. Creeks have turned to rivers. Ponds have become lakes, and so on.”

  “What’s happening on the west coast?” he asked.

  “Sir, obviously the low-lying coastal areas were the hardest hit. Florida is covered in water except the northernmost parts of the state. Coastal California, Oregon, and Washington experienced the same fate. The west coast of Canada and the U.S. was rollicked by a massive underwater earthquake emanating from the Aleutian Islands. The seismic shift created a wall of water, an eight-hundred-foot tsunami, that swamped the three westernmost states and found its way to Hawaii without warning. Millions of people died as a result.”

  “What else is the USGS saying?”

  “Due to the seismic activity prevalent along all known fault lines, chasms that opened up in the earth were quickly filled with water. On the one hand, these newly formed cracks have helped relieve flooding in some areas, although to the detriment of those who lived near the quakes.”

  Ducci paused and gathered himself before continuing with one final bit of information. “We even experienced a volcanic eruption in Vermont.”

  “A volcano? Vermont?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The president waggled his finger at the map shown on the monitor. “All of this change in topography I’m looking at. Is this permanent? I mean forever?”

  Ducci sighed. “Maybe. Neither the USGS nor NOAA is willing to declare the catastrophe to be over. We may experience these cataclysmic events for years or, as history has proven, hundreds or thousands of years. Sir, this might just be the opening salvo.”

  President Houston buried his face in his hands and began to rub his temples. “What about the poles? Are they still shifting? And what about the so-called multiple poles that the NASA people postulated?”

  Taylor had recovered from her emotional moment and was now fully engaged. “Sir, we’re experiencing an unprecedented level of cooperation between the scientific communities of nations around the globe. Everyone is sharing data as we try to give world leaders something to make decisions by. Unfortunately, it’s still too early to reach a definitive prognosis of our planet’s condition.”

  Frustrated, the president asked, “How am I supposed to help people?”

  None of his advisors offered a response.

  The president didn’t wait for someone to suggest a solution, so he began to explore his options aloud. “Okay, if I can’t formulate an overall recovery plan for the American people, at least I can do something to alleviate the strain placed on the families within my care here at Raven Rock. Besides, it’s apparent this facility is compromised by floodwaters seeping through the rock formations anyway. What does FEMA have in mind for evacuating and relocating refugees from flooded or earthquake-stricken areas?”

  Ducci responded, “As the waters began to rapidly rise, we repositioned FEMA assets to higher ground in the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern U.S. as well as the Rockies in the west. The vast majority of the refugees arrived on foot or by alternative means of transportation.”

  “Do we have the capability to add more?”

  “Yes, sir, but logistics are an issue. There are several camps established near Bluefield, West Virginia. Also, a small joint supply depot shared between FEMA and the Army is located along the Kentucky-Virginia border in the Cumberland Mountains. It was not established as a refugee camp but rather as a staging area for FEMA relief efforts in the mid-Atlantic states.”

  “Does it have housing facilities?”

  “It would be tents only, sir.”

  The president leaned forward in his chair and rubbed his hands together. “What is the logistics issue, Marc?”

  “Sir, frankly, you can’t get there from here. This is a problem for our military and FEMA recovery assets around the nation. We used to be a nation connected by a vast system of interstates and highways. Now the most effective means of transportation is by boat. Our nation’s military planners never imagined this eventuality.”

  The president stood. “Well, there’s no time like the present. Get me the Secretary of the Navy on a feed where we can all participate. Also, expand the housing facilities at this location in the Cumberland Mountains and the others closer to us here in the Appalachians. I want you to find a place for these folks in the mess hall to live besides on the floor.”

  Chapter 8

  Pinnacle Overlook

  Cumberland Gap

  Southeast Kentucky

  The sun rose on the second day of the Boone family’s adventure atop the Pinnacle Overlook. Chapman and Isabella had taken the early morning security rotation. It was uneventful except for the screech of an owl that frightened Isabella. She’d never heard one before and immediately thought they were under attack. Chapman calmed her down, and the two spent most of the time discussing their whirlwind romance and how much life they’d lived in a very short period.

  They stood alone on the overlook, admiring the sun’s rays glistening atop the water that had filled the Cumberland Gap. Below them used to be the tiny town of Cumberland Gap in Claiborne County, Tennessee. The historic tourist destination had been home to roughly five hundred Tennesseans prior to the flood. Now it was completely submerged under water.

  This was the case for all the cuts and valleys through the lower end of the Cumberland Mountains as far as the eye could see. Chapman had retrieved the binoculars from the Mustang so he and Isabella could take turns studying the devastation that morning.

  To the southwest, the mountain range continued toward the Cumberland Plateau, where the ridgeline eventually gave way to the Nashville Basin of Middle Tennessee.
Off in the distance toward Virginia, the Appalachian Mountains rose out of the water, partially obscuring the rising sun. In between the two mountain ranges, the high ground revealed itself as tree-covered islands separated by a lake that stretched as far as the eye could see.

  Isabella lowered the binoculars and looked across the horizon. “Do you think they are all dead?”

  Chapman wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. The two of them hadn’t talked about what the rising waters meant for the Caribbean Islands, especially Saint Martin, where her parents resided.

  “I don’t think so,” replied Chapman truthfully. “The waters rose quickly, but not so fast that they couldn’t make it to higher ground in time.”

  Isabella wasn’t so sure. “Nobody came to this higher ground. The people. The ones we saw running for safety. They all died.” Her voice trailed off as she spoke.

  Chapman sensed what she was thinking. “Um, your parents. They were on the French side of Saint Martin, right?”

  Isabella nodded her head. Her eyes began to tear up.

  Chapman had covered Hurricane Irma in 2017 when it crushed the island shared by both the Netherlands and the French. He recalled the topography of the French, or northern, side of the island. “I was there once. I remember taking a camera crew to a very high point on the French side of the island to film Hurricane Irma as it approached many years ago.”

  Isabella wiped a few tears off her cheek with the back of her hand. She nodded as she spoke. “Oui. Pic du Paradis, Paradise Peak, is the highest point. It is over one thousand feet above sea level. This is near my parents’ home called Villa Pic Paradis.”

  Chapman smiled and hugged her again. “They’re safe, then. I’ll bet they avoided the rising waters.”

  Isabella shrugged. “I do not know how they will eat or take care of themselves. My parents are getting older.”

  Chapman turned her around so they were face-to-face. “I’ve heard enough about your family to know they have a survival instinct just like you do. Trust them to fight to survive.”

  She smiled and allowed a few tears to stream off her face. She stood on her toes to kiss Chapman, subconsciously wrapping her hands around her stomach to comfort her nerves. “Okay, Monsieur Boone. I believe in you, so I will also believe in them.”

  “Hey, lovebirds!” shouted Kristi from the trail as she came bounding down the flagstone pavers. “Good thing I wasn’t the boogeyman or some such.”

  “Yeah, yeah!” shouted Chapman in return. Isabella quickly regained her composure and greeted Kristi, who was in a jovial mood. Because Levi had taken her spot in the night watch rotation, she got the most sleep.

  “Mom and the kids are awake. Brooke took off to do chimpanzee things, like swinging from trees and aggravating Tommy, who was trying to sleep in.”

  “Good,” said Chapman jokingly.

  Kristi walked past them to enjoy the sunrise. “If it wasn’t so surreal, this view would be incredibly beautiful.”

  Chapman took Isabella by the hand and walked back to the overlook platform. “I don’t know how many people lived down there, but surely they found a way to make it to higher ground. Yet nobody came up here but us.”

  “That we know of,” said Kristi as she leaned over the railing to look down the cliff. “Check it out. It’s straight down from here.”

  Chapman wandered over to the map indicating points of interest. “The only real town to speak of was Middlesboro. I don’t see how anyone could’ve survived the earthquake and the floodwaters that filled the void.”

  “Me either,” said Kristi softly. “Kinda weird, actually. It’s almost like we’re all alone. I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

  Chapman handed her the binoculars so she could take a look around. “That we know of. I’ve been thinking about that as we walked around last night. What are we gonna do if someone shows up?”

  “As it happens, Mom has started a list of things to talk about after breakfast. Also, I’d better give you a heads-up on something I overheard. As always, Levi and Carly have banded together on something we might not all agree on.”

  “What’s that?” asked Chapman.

  “Whether this is the place to stay long term, or should we consider moving on?”

  Isabella was puzzled by this suggestion. “Move? To where? Why?”

  Kristi sighed as she responded, “I know those two. I’m sure they have a very valid reason, if they do say so themselves.”

  Chapman hadn’t forgotten the strain caused at Riverfront Farms over the decision to remain or move on. He grumbled, “Great. Here we go again.”

  Chapter 9

  Pinnacle Overlook

  Cumberland Gap

  Southeast Kentucky

  In the early days of America’s founding, pioneers longed to explore the frontier with an eye toward expanding settlements beyond the original thirteen colonies. Men like Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett became legendary explorers along with others such as Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

  In America, the frontier had assumed a deep significance in the development of the future nation. In modern pop culture, the concept of pioneering and exploring a new frontier depicted strong characters and families setting off for adventure and undertaking daring feats of bravery. The stories produced tales of bravery and tenacity in the face of the unknown, whether it be historical accounts from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries or futuristic science fiction made popular by television series like Star Trek.

  In reality, the development of America came in a series of phases. First, there were the European explorers. Spanish expeditions led by Coronado, Ponce de Leon, and de Soto, who traveled from Florida, across the Southeastern United States and eventually reached California. A wide arc, considered the northern rim of the vast Spanish empire in North America, eventually stretched from Florida to San Francisco. By the time of the nation’s founding, Spanish settlements made up the majority of the Southwest.

  Not to be outdone, the French also wanted a piece of the pie known as the New World. After settling the first permanent French outposts in Nova Scotia and Quebec, the French presence quickly spread into the interior of America with settlements along the Mississippi River and its tributaries all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. Spurred on by the lucrative fur trade, the French expanded their trading and military posts to include Montreal, Detroit, Mobile, and New Orleans.

  By the 1800s, the French, Spanish and even the Russians in the Pacific Northwest had staked their claim in North America. However, their reigns would be short-lived, relatively speaking. America was settled on the east coast by the English. Once the first beachheads were established along the Atlantic Coast during the 1600s, the English settlers began to move slowly and methodically to the west.

  By the 1750s, the new Americans edged across the Appalachian Mountains. Led by pioneers like Daniel Boone, they fought rough terrain, hostile Indians, and unexpected disease to forge trails to the west.

  Reports of fertile lands and abundant wildlife made their way back to England. King George’s British Army, with the assistance of the colonists, embarked on a seven-year military struggle known as the French and Indian War, resulting in a stunning victory for England. By the time the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763, the French and Spanish had been defeated, resulting in England gaining control over eastern Canada, Florida, and all lands west to the Mississippi.

  The irony of England’s great victory was that the triumph led to one of the most spectacular eras of frontier expansion in the history of man, but the costs associated with the war soon led to the American Revolution.

  After the Revolutionary War was won, independent-minded colonists began moving into Tennessee, Kentucky and western Pennsylvania to establish new settlements. Decade after decade brought expansion to beyond the Mississippi River, into Texas, and eventually across the Rockies to Oregon and California.

  History tends to summarize these impressive accomplishments with a paragraph her
e and there in a textbook or blog post. However, the oft untold story of enormous personal loss and pain was glossed over. Life was brutal for the early pioneers, many of whom died during this period of westward expansion. The famous rallying cry, Go West, Young Man, oftentimes resulted in said Young Man never growing old.

  In modern times, those interested in stories of a dystopian or post-apocalyptic world dreamed of a simpler life. The thought of a world without electricity and the modern conveniences they’d grown accustomed to actually excited them. The challenge was relished. It was part of the American spirit. America’s pioneering ways were inherently built into her citizens’ DNA.

  However, unlike the pioneers of old who understood how to live without electricity and modern conveniences that hadn’t been invented yet, those thrust back into an eighteenth-century way of living as a result of the pole shift and the devastating geostorms that followed were in for a rude awakening. The realities of settling into a pioneering way of life would prove too difficult for some, except those who possessed it in their DNA, like the Boones.

  Chapman finished off the breakfast du jour, oatmeal and apples topped with cinnamon. He noticed the portion provided by Sarah and Carly to everyone was smaller than what they’d become accustomed to during their exodus from Riverfront Farms. He didn’t say anything, but as he glanced at the faces of the others, who ate in silence, he was reminded of the fact there were lots of mouths to feed and a daily dwindling supply of oatmeal and apples.

  “Thanks, Mom,” he said, and he kissed his mother on the cheek.

  She accepted his kiss and smiled. Her eyes looked tired. Not from lack of sleep but more so from concern. Despite the turmoil during the trip to the Cumberland Gap, Sarah had managed to control her bouts of anxiety. Perhaps the nonstop threats distracted her, Chapman thought to himself. Now, with the prospect of getting settled in one spot before them, the realities of the daunting task had begun to consume her.