Marked

Joshua struggles with the group's water supply, unaware that someone has their eye on him.

Chapter 3

-Marked-

Pain awakened Jim from a dreamless sleep. He was on his pallet, but he couldn't remember how he had gotten there. There was a dull ache in his knee and he had a headache, but otherwise he felt fine. His pallet lay next to the cavern wall, someone had hung blankets on three sets of stalagmite pillars to give him some privacy. Trying to sit up caused his vision to swim and pain to explode up his left side from his knee bringing an involuntary groan. The blankets at one corner of the makeshift room parted and a small red haired young woman holding a pink clip board with a cartoon cat printed on its back walked in. She was wearing a white jacket and loose fitting pants. Jim remembered her from the day before. Was it the day before? Jim's head swam once more. She had been sitting on the side of the road on an antique heater chest reading a thick book and taking notes on the clipboard she held now.

“Ah, good,” she said, not looking up from the clipboard, “you're awake. Please lie back, you took a nasty blow to the back of your head,” she gestured with a pen topped with the same cartoon cat.

Jim lay back gingerly, his leg throwing waves of pain up his side as he did, “What happened?” he asked with a groan.

“Well, we aren't exactly sure,” she said tapping her pen on her clipboard, “The other Elders are...”

“The who?” Jim asked.

“Elders,” she corrected a note on the clipboard and gave Jim a flat look, “that is what everyone is calling you anyway.”

“Why?”

“Well,” she said crouching next to Jim and checking his vitals, “you are older than the rest of us, with the obvious exceptions of Bill and Sally of course, but they were with you when you picked the rest of us up. Odd impromptu title aside, the others want what happened to be kept quiet. Can't blame them really, if the others knew you were attacked it could cause problems. The gossip says that John was helping you out of the van and slipped in the ash. Which is more than what is known about what really happened. No one has any idea how the rumor got started, but for now it would probably be best to let them keep on thinking that.”

“So, what did happen anyway?”

“Apparently John interrupted someone messing with the generator and you got knocked over when that someone escaped. Nobody else knows this, I only know the truth because I am your doctor. Well sort of, anyway.” the sort-of-doctor made a few notes on her clipboard.

“Did John see who it was?”

“Possibly,” the young woman said, having him follow her pen with his eyes, “he is still unconscious.”

“Is he going to be alright?” Jim stared up at the roof of the cavern wondering how something like this could happen, “How long has he, well we, been unconscious?

“It is hard to tell,” she flipped a page in her notes, “He was hit pretty hard. He lost a lot of blood, that is not uncommon with a head wound, but I don't think he will have any permanent problems. Other than making him as comfortable as possible and giving him medication to counter possible infection and reduce swelling all we can do is wait. We will know more when he wakes up. The two of you have been unconscious for about eighteen hours.”

“So, what is wrong with my knee?” Jim asked continuing his study of the cavern's ceiling.

“It looks like you cracked your fibula when you fell, it is not that bad really. You can walk on it if you are careful, but I would advise against it. Try and stay off of it for a wile and keep it elevated. You should be fine in a month or two. Well, I have to see to my other patient,” she stood up and started for the corner of the blanket.

“Wait,” Jim said to her back, “What do you mean by 'sort of' a doctor?”

She paused with her hand on the blanket, “I was supposed to finish my internship this fall. Any more questions before I go?”

“Yes, what is your name?”

“Kelly,” she said, “my name is Kelly Green.”

“Well thank you for helping me Dr. Green,” Jim said giving her a smile, “I don't suppose you could have a nurse bring me one of those small ice creams in a cup could you?”

“Sorry,” Dr. Green said after pretending to consult her notes, “we are out at the moment.”

“Out of ice cream, or nurses?”

“Both, sadly” She said, finally cracking a smile, “but Sally hasn't finished talking to everyone yet, I hold out hope that one may yet be found.”

The blanket had barely stopped swinging before they parted again to allow Sally and Bill to duck inside.

“Good to see you awake,” Bill said, “We were worried about you.”

“I'm alright,” Jim said trying to prop himself up and wincing once more at the pain in his leg, “How is Jaime taking this?”

“She is pissed,” Sally shot a look at Bill and he corrected himself with an uneasy cough, “She is very angry. She had John's pallet moved near the mouth of the passageway to the surface and watches both like a hawk. Joshua had a couple of farm boys help him put up a temporary barrier at the mouth of the passage. He put one up at the other passageway as well, but it was clear which Jaime thought the more important. Not that I can blame her, I mean her husband is in a coma,” he paused for a moment with a look at Sally, “Well, he is her husband.”

“So I am guessing no one noticed anyone coming back into the cavern.” Jim's back was beginning to ache from laying on the pallet for so long.

“No,” Bill said scratching his head, “whoever it was must have found another way in and out. Unfortunately, we still have no idea who attacked you, but I do feel sorry for whoever it was. When Jamie gets a hold of him he will probably wish he was never born.”

“I'd bet,” Jim said, “How is Josh, was he hurt?”

“He is fine physically,” Sally said with a concerned look, “But he blames himself for what happened to you.”

“Its not his fault,” Jim said.

“He doesn't agree with you, he feels that he should have been able to protect you.”

“He was on the stairs that led up to the walkway when whoever it was knocked us over and he lost his balance,” Jim said shaking his head and making stars dance in his vision once more, “he couldn't have done anything different.”

“Wow,” Bill said sitting next to Jim, “whoever hit him must have been built like a bull. That or stone crazy. I couldn't imagine even trying to knock Joshua over.”

“I should talk to him,” Jim said leaning back again, “it might make him feel better if he knows I don't blame him for what happened.”

“It could help,” Sally said, “He has been keeping himself busy since the attack.”

“I'd say,” Bill said with a laugh, “When he gets motivated he really gets motivated. The bus has been totally stripped. You weren't kidding when you said he was good when it came to mechanics. He's brilliant really. It only took twenty minutes for him to get the generator running again. Apparently your attacker put a large amount of ash in the gas tank. He cleaned out the filter and replaced the gas in the tank. We lost about sixteen hours worth of fuel.”

“That's not good,” Jim said, “we didn't have much left in the first place.”

“Well, you did manage to bring some back from the maintenance building, but we don't think there is more than a few weeks left.” Bill said.

“Oh good,” Jim said with some relief, “it will give us more time to find an alternate source of energy. We can't rely on that old generator forever, and we need the electricity to refrigerate our food. Which reminds me, how did the cheese thing go yesterday?”

“Great,” Bill said with a smile, “we ended up with quite a bit of it.”

“Nice,” Jim said returning the smile, “do you have any ideas on how we can find more food? We really need to find a way to get a steady supply or we will not last long enough for the seeds Jaime brought to grow. Well, once we figure out how to get them growing, anyway.”

“See,” Sally said cheerfully, “that is why we need to take better care of you.”

“What?” Jim asked with a laugh, “Because I ask silly questions?”

“No,” Sally said walking to the edge of the blanket, “You give us purpose, direction, and keep us motivated. We need that too, almost as much as we need the food.”

“Yea,” Bill said as Sally poked her head around the blanket, “someone needs to keep us rolling.”

“Speaking of rolling, we have a surprise for you” Sally said drawing aside the blanket wide enough to allow the young Samantha to push a sturdy looking wheelchair into the enclosure, “we can't just hide you away in here and we can't have you on that leg yet. This way you can still see what is going on and come up with more of those great ideas of yours.”

“OK,” Jim said slowly, “Where did you find the chair?”

“We found a first aide station in the back of the generator chamber,” Bill said, “It wasn't much really, just the chair, a half empty first aide kit and a stretcher that looks like World War I army surplus.”

“Funny,” Jim said with a laugh.

“No,” Bill said, “I'm serious. The date stamp said it was made around the middle of World War I for the U.S. Army.”

“Wow,” Jim said, “what was in the first aid kit?”

“An outdated tube of burn cream, half a bottle of moldy Aspirin, and a box of small adhesive bandages,” Sally said with a sigh, “nothing really useful.”

“Well,” Jim said with a nervous look at the chair, “at least we have the box and the chair.”

“The first aid box fell apart when we opened it,” Sally said with a laugh, “The chair, at least, was added within the last few years.”

“Well,” Jim said again, “at least we have the chair, I will be able to wheel myself around. That is a blessing, let me tell you. I was dreading staying on this hard pallet for the next month or so.”

“You won't be wheeling yourself anywhere,” Sally said as she locked the wheels on the chair, “Sam here is going to be your personal assistant. She will be wheeling you around. Now let's get you into your chair.”

*****

From behind the barrier that led to the camp's water supply Joshua watched as Jim rolled out of his blanketed enclosure. He was glad Jim was awake, he felt bad that he had not been able to keep him from getting hurt. He had also failed to see who had attacked them in the parking chamber. It was morning, or what passed for it in this underground refuge, and he had been unable to sleep. He had found ways of occupying himself, however. After unloading the trailer full of tools he had stripped the bus and put up the temporary barriers. They weren't much really. Just steel panels cut from the roof of the bus with the acetylene torch. He had been thrilled to find welding equipment in the maintenance shed. His treasure trove had included two sets of tanks and an ark welder. He had ideas for a more permanent barrier for the tunnel leading to the surface. The back end of the bus, complete with it's emergency door would be a perfect fit. He would need more help getting it down the passageway. Perhaps some sort of cart? That was a worry for later though, for now he was just happy that Jim was awake again.

The chair had been a lucky find. After the attacker fled he had propped Jim's feet up on the walkway before making his way to the generator chamber. The failing light showed John's still form, his head lay in a spreading pool of blood. He was still breathing, that was good. Joshua had used his shirt to wrap John's head as best as he could and propped his feet like he had Jim's to prevent shock. He had no idea why that was supposed to work, but that is what it had said in the first aid manuals. He had just finished when the generator died. He had to drain the tank and clean the line and fuel filter with the light of the small flashlight John always carried on his belt. He had worked furiously to get the old generator running again. If anyone was to coming help they would need the lights to get up the passageway. He had forgotten about the flashlight Jaime carried on her belt. She arrived with Bill not long after the generator rumbled to life again. As he had suspected their assailant had been dumping ash in the generators fuel tank. He had cursed himself for not figuring out a way to secure the door to the generator chamber again after he and Jim had started the thing. It was Bill that had found the disused first aid station hidden behind the rusty fuel drums. They had reinforced the rotting stretcher with tarps from the trailer to carry John down to his pallet. Joshua had carried the unconscious Jim himself.

Joshua had met Jim in high school when he had been a freshmen. He and Jim had become friends despite Jim being a senior. Joshua did not think of Jim as an old man, he couldn't. Jim was only four years older then he was. They had become friends, and remained so even after Jim had graduated. Jim's limp had been pronounced even then, but he had always been there when Joshua had needed a friend. He supposed that living with such a debilitating injury for so long could make one feel older then their years.

Joshua turned back to his work, heating and reshaping the end of one of the steel pipes that had previously served as one of the rails for the walkway. He had already Welded a scoop that he had welded to one end of the pipe, just before an 'S' curve. Now he heated the other end, carefully reducing it in diameter until he could attach the spigot attachment he had scavenged from the maintenance building. The thing would serve to pipe some of the cold water to the main cavern through rubber hoses. He and John had loaded everything they could onto the trailer on their trip to the nearby maintenance building. They brought back everything including, ironically enough, the kitchen sink. Well, it would serve as a kitchen sink anyway. It was a deep, squarish basin on metal legs. He had enough hose to run water to that and to the other side chamber that now served as a latrine. It wasn't much right now, just a bucket with no bottom sitting on top of a deep crack in the stone floor. If he could manage to get running water for their camp it would be one step closer to being home. Joshua doubted there would be much pressure. Perhaps he could build a collection tank of some sort. Their had been a metal toilet in the maintenance shed as well. He had already made a makeshift base to mount it on. Now all he needed was the water.

Joshua finished attaching the spigot and fitted the contraption in it's bracket. He wrestled the thing into place and locked it in with a pair of large bolts from the bus. Turning the valve on the spigot produced a stream of water under a surprising amount of pressure. It was more than he had hoped, true, but a collection tank wouldn't hurt. Joshua scratched his back, a shower would be nice too. Joshua yawned deeply as he attached the end of one of the hoses to the spigot and turned it on to check for leaks. Having found no leaks, and feeling the long hours drawing him towards his pallet, he left the spigot on. He walked out of the side passage and pushed the barrier back into place. Joshua made his way to Bills makeshift kitchen where his two assistants were cleaning the surfaces before breakfast. Jeremy was wiping down the tables with water fetched earlier from the underground river while his sister Cathy washed utensils in one of Bill's large bowls before rinsing them in another.

“Hey Joshua,” Cathy said with a smile as he approached, “how goes the inventing thing.”

“Its not really inventing,” he answered, “more sort of learning to do old things in a new way.”

“So how is that going,” she asked.

He turned on the faucet in the sink, “OK, I guess,” the faucet gurgled a bit then water began to flow into the large basin, “at least we have running water now.”

“Great,” she said, smiling again and leaning one hand on the counter, “no more fetching water. That will make things easier on all of us.”

“Yea, I hope so,” He looked toward the small camp Jaime had made near the passageway to the surface were he caught site of Dr. Green. She was standing by the rail to the walkway glaring in his direction. He suddenly felt bone weary, “Well, I should go. I need some sleep.”

“Sleep well,” she said with another smile.

“Sleep well,” Jeremy chided as Joshua lumbered off.

Joshua heard the wet sound of a loaded washrag hitting it's target followed by a curt “Shut up” from his sister.

Joshua couldn't help but laugh softly to himself as he headed towards the latrine to check for leaks in the hose leading to his toilet rig. The tank was filled by the time he got there and flushed when he pushed the lever on its side. Well, the thing seemed to work and the tank was filling at a satisfactory rate of speed. After a second flush he made his way to his pallet. A few hours rest and he would get back to his work. He fell immediately to sleep and into a dream about a nice hot shower.

Joshua slept soundly, his weariness gluing his eyes shut until the smells of lunch pulled at his empty stomach. When he opened his eyes there was a small paper flower pinned to a note next to his pallet. The stem of the flower had been colored green but the bud was left white. The letter was an odd thing, short and to the point and written in a precise hand on a scrap of paper.

Joshua,

Please pin this flower to your shirt. You will learn why later.

Joshua scratched his head as he read the letter a second time then turned it over to see if there was anything written on the back. There was nothing but the printing from one of the pamphlets found at the message board near the entrance to the chamber. He put the note in his shirt pocket and pinned the paper flower to it. Somebody obviously thought it important that he wore it. What harm could it do? He stretched and started toward the smells of warm stew and rolls passing a small group of girls who were discussing something privately. They grew silent as he passed and didn't look in his direction.

“Hello,” he said with a friendly wave.

“Hello Joshua,” they said formally and turned back to their conversation.

Up until now everyone had been quite friendly with him. He didn't understand, perhaps the group blamed him for what had happened to Jim and John. He wished, not for the first time, that he had been able to do something to prevent the two men from being injured.

Joshua sat down at the table he and his friends ate at and studied his hands. He wondered what Jim would say to him, if he would say anything. He had failed his best friend, how could he ever make it up to him. Perhaps Sally would have some ideas. He looked over to were Bill was busying himself over one of his large pots. He too had a paper flower with an orange stem pinned to his shirt. Cathy, who was buttering rolls nearby noticed him and avoided looking at him.

She put a roll on a tray that already held a steaming bowl and hurried off toward the passageway where Jaime sat holding her unconscious husband's hand. He wondered about this, Cathy had always had a friendly word for him. Joshua was brought out of his thoughts by the arrival of Sally.

“Hi,” she said sitting down on the other side of the table. She didn't sit opposite him as she usually did when they talked, she sat as far toward the other end of the table as possible.

“Wow,” he said with a frown, “do I smell that bad?”

“Don't worry,” she said with a laugh, “We all are starting to get a little ripe.”

“Then why has everyone been avoiding talking to me lately?” he asked.

“Not everyone is avoiding you,” she giggled, “just the girls.”

“Why?” he asked concerned, “Have I done something wrong?”

“No,” She said indicating the paper flower, “You've been marked.”

“Marked?”

“Yep,” she said, “Someone has claimed you. Until the other women make their choice they will have to avoid you.”

“You aren't avoiding me,” he said then noticed Bill's flower again, “I am guessing the flower on Bills shirt is yours?”

“You are a sharp one,” she said with a grin, “I pinned it on him myself just after breakfast.”

“Wow,” Joshua said patting the pocket, “all I got was a note, and that unsigned.”

“She will let you know who she is when she is ready,” she gave him a conspiratorial wink, “don't worry, I think you will like her. You have a lot in common.”

“Do I get any say in this?” Joshua asked, nervously running a hand over his bald head.

“None, whatsoever.” Sally replied smiling broadly in a satisfied manner as she sat back in her camp chair.

“So,” Joshua said slowly, “I'm guessing you can't tell me who she is either. Right?”

“You're dieing to find out, aren't you?” Sally teased, then in a serious voice added, “But, seriously, I can't tell you unless she gives me permission to. The only person that can is her, new rules and all.”

“New rules?” Joshua was beginning to get the feeling he had missed something.

“Yep,” She said proudly, “new rules.”

“So soon?” Joshua asked cocking an eyebrow, “I mean, seriously, its been like two and a half days. We don't even have a shower yet and there are new rules about social interactivity.”

“Well,” she said, smiling at Bill before turning back to Joshua, “It was obvious that the way things were before wouldn't work. I mean, for goodness sake the divorce rate was getting out of hand, and most of the younger generation thought monogamy was a kind of wood. With that in mind it was agreed that we needed to lay the ground rules before things got away from us.”

“So, what then?” Joshua asked, “Are we going back to arranged marriages or drawing names from a hat. I seriously can't see me being anyone's first choice. I mean, besides Jim I am the oldest guy here, and there is the other thing. I mean this being a small rural town and all.”

“Oh, come on Joshua,” Sally chided, pretending to look shocked, “no, we aren't drawing from a hat, but the classically arranged marriages don't work either. Classically most marriages were arranged for political or social gain with little to no regard to what is best for the couple getting married. We meet and decide as a group which of the interested girls is right for the man in question. As for the other, you know that no one really cares about that anymore. I mean it, just because you're bald doesn't make you a bad choice”

Joshua couldn't help but chuckle at this, “That's not what I meant.”

“Joshua, you are a sweet guy,” She said seriously, “You are sensitive and intelligent, and a lot of girls like that. It took us over two hours to decide which candidate was right for you.”

“So,” Joshua said after a few moments awkward silence, “What about Jim. I mean, with his wife and all.”

“Yea,” Sally said solemnly, “that subject came up as well. He and John are already married and therefore unavailable for marking. I wasn't sure how he would take that, but he was, well, relieved.”

“Yea I was relieved,” Jim said with conviction as Sam wheeled him up to the table opposite Joshua before going off to retrieve a bowl of stew for herself, “I love my wife, there is no way I am going to remarry. I will remain faithful to her memory until death, beyond if I have my say. I know she still loves me and is waiting for me. Wow,” he said pointing to the green stemmed paper flower on Joshua's shirt pocket, “they didn't waste any time before snatching you up did they? Who's the lucky girl?”

“I don't know,” Joshua said, “But I can tell you who it isn't. I think Dr. Green hates me for some reason. I don't know what I did to upset her, but I caught her giving me the evil eye before I went to my pallet this mourning. I could swear sh...”

Joshua was interrupted by Sally, who suddenly began laughing so hard she tipped over her camp chair, “S-sorry,” she stammered as she picked herself up and straightened her rumpled sun dress and wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye, “You are smart Joshua, but you can be so naïve. It really is sweet.”

“What?” Joshua asked taken aback by the outburst.

“Oh, its nothing,” Sally replied still laughing to herself, “We are still on for tonight after dinner aren't we Jim?”

“Are you still sure that it is a good idea to do it so soon?” Jim asked.

“Of course,” Sally said, placing a hand on Jim's shoulder “It feels important for some reason. So tonight it must be.”

“OK, right after the evening prayer.” Jim said as Sally walked off to join Bill as he dished out stew for the others. Joshua raised a quizzical eyebrow at his friend and Jim answered his unasked question, “they are having the wedding after dinner. They want me to preform it for them in front of everyone. I'm nervous about it, I have no idea what to say or do. Sally said that I will know when the time comes. I know she is right, but still...” he let the sentence hang in the air and looked down at the table.

“I'm sure you will do just fine,” Joshua replied, then fell silent for a moment before asking nervously, “Are you alright? I mean, you took a nasty fall... Look, I'm sorry. I feel really bad about what happened...”

Before he could get another word out he was slapped so hard it made his ears ring and his vision swim. Dr. Green had joined the men at the table and stood leaning with her fists pressed against the tables surface, her emerald eyes blazed enough to take the chill of the damp, cavern air, “I will hear no more of this Joshua. It wasn't your fault that John and Jim were injured. They would both be in a lot worse shape if you hadn't been there to administer first aid. You did what you could, just accept that and be done with it.”

“She's right,” Jim said eying the diminutive woman warily as she took a seat next to him, “a bit violent, but right. It is not your fault. Wow, that had to hurt.”

Joshua rubbed his cheek he could feel the welt beginning to form where the doctor's full arm slap had caught him. The small woman was surprisingly strong! He had to work his jaw before he could manage to say, “Perhaps a slight change of subject then. Any idea who attacked us?”

“No, nothing,” Jim said touching his own cheek and wincing as he eyed the mark on his friend's, “We aren't even sure it was someone from our group. No one was seen entering or leaving the passageway to the surface before or after the attack. We do have the possibilities narrowed a little. Sally was talking to Dr. Green here and Bill was trying to teach Jeremy and his sister the basics of cooking for a large group. That still leaves us with nineteen possibilities if it was one of us at all. It has me spooked to tell you the truth. The uneasy feeling I have been having has been a lot worse since I woke up. I keep wanting to look over my shoulder to see who is trying to put a knife in my back. It's terrifying.”

“Perhaps you should stick to the main chamber for now,” Joshua looked around nervously, “We cant afford to have you hurt again or worse. We need you.”

“Thanks Josh,” Jim said, “But we need you too. I was told you stayed up all night last night. You need to take better care of yourself. Nice job with the water by the way. It is good to have a flushing toilet again.”

“I am going to try and make a shower next I think,” Joshua scratched at his side again where his sweaty clothing had stuck to his side while he slept, “and perhaps a way to wash our clothes. Then I can work on electricity, that generator really is on its last legs.”

“Good,” Jim said with a smile for his long time friend, “sounds like you have things well on their way.”

“I am trying,” Joshua said looking at the passageway to the surface, “My job will be a lot easier when I figure out a way to get things down here easier. I am going to need the material and equipment that is up there and carrying it down the passageway is going to be nearly impossible. I think we need the shower first though. It is already beginning to smell like a locker room in here.”

Dr. Green who, until now, had been happy listening to the two men as they talked added, “Not only does it smell bad, but it is dangerously unsanitary. If left too long people will start getting sick. Running water is a good start, but I am glad that Joshua is putting the shower and laundry so high on his list. Now that Sally has found me an assistant I can put him to work making alcohol to clean with, something in this cave ought to have a decent sugar content. Bill has already come to me asking for help culturing yeast for cooking. We can use some of it for that.”

“Alcohol?” Jim asked wrinkling his nose at the thought of bathing in fermented fungus, “Wont that be a bit harsh for bathing?”

“Not if we dilute it,” she said dismissively, “we can use it until we come up with something better at least.”

“Sounds good,” Joshua said, “I will get started with the shower after lunch. We scavenged some plastic rain barrels from the maintenance building. I will have Mark and Greg help carry them down. I think they will make good collection tanks.”

“Who are Mark and Greg?” Jim asked.

“A couple of farm boys,” Joshua replied, “Sally said they used to tinker with junk on the weekends. They both seem to be very intelligent, and they know their way around a welder.”

“Just curious,” Dr. Green said leaning forward in her seat, “Why do we need collection tanks if we have running water?”

“Well, we don't have enough pressure for one thing,” Joshua answered scratching the itch in his side again, “Collecting the water in tanks will provide us with a larger volume of water to shower with. It will also give the water time to warm up a little. That water is freezing cold, I for one don't look forward to a shower in ice water. The tanks will also make it easier to heat the water once we find a more permanent way to produce electricity.”

“Oh,” Dr. Green said, “I hadn't thought of that. I can see why Jim wanted you working on this sort of thing.”

The three were soon joined by Sally and Bill carrying trays with bowls of steaming vegetable stew. Bill sat trays before Joshua and Jim before seating himself next to the large man. Sally handed a tray to Dr. Green and seated herself opposite Bill to eat her meal. “Alright,” she said as she seated herself, “I guess this is all of us. Jaime had her food brought to her, I can't blame her really. I would probably feel the same way if I were in her place,” she glanced at Bill before continuing, “I finished talking to everyone just before lunch. We have a surprising amount of talent in our small group, and a surprisingly balanced skill set. Well, not all that surprising I guess considering how we were brought together. God certainly provided us with some talented individuals to work with. I have taken notes and after lunch I will start compiling a list and assigning tasks. I am also going to start an afternoon Bible study.”

“Great,” Jim said blowing on a chunk of potato to cool it off, “Sounds like you have things well under control. How about you Bill, any more ideas on the supplies?”

“Well,” Bill scratched at the back of his head as he organized his thoughts, “I have been stretching what we do have as far as I can. There is only so much that can be done about the fresh vegetables. What we aren't going to use in the next two weeks will need to be frozen. The kitchen staff and I are going to start preparing it for freezing after lunch.”

“Kitchen staff?” Sally said with a laugh.

“Yes,” Bill said with a look of mock outrage, “what else would you call them?”

“Jeremy and Cathy I would think,” Sally replied with a mocking glint in her eyes.

“Well, I thought they should have proper titles,” Bill said playfully.

“What, head dishwasher and grunt?” Sally chided.

“No,” Bill said seriously, “they are culinary arts students. They are doing well for their second day really. They are learning fast. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, supplies. We don't have very many glass jars we can use for canning, that leaves us with the freezing or nothing. I am, however, concerned about meat. We really don't have any that is not frozen prepared form. Of that we have what was intended to last for a week feeding lunch and breakfast to around five hundred preteens. I would estimate about a month, maybe a month and a half worth for the twenty eight adults we are trying to feed with it. I would also estimate that a couple weeks after we run out of our small supply of fresh food we will be tired of chicken nuggets and frozen, rectangular pizzas. As I see it there are two ways to fix this problem. We can set up the growth lights and plant some of the seed Jaime so thoughtfully packed. That will take time, then we have to wait for the crop to grow and then save some aside for seed. We do have at our disposal a surprising number of young men and women who were raised on farms. Well, not that surprised really given the area. For our second option we are blessed with two thirty eight caliber hand guns. I would like to put some of those farm youths to work hunting a few of the wild animals I am told have taken shelter in some of the outlying tunnels. But that presents a serious problem. Do we really want to take the chance of our mystery attacker getting their hands on one of the guns?”

“You do have a good point,” Jim said scratching at his back, bringing a wince as he jarred his knee, “We may need to go with a combination of the two. But we do need to be careful who we trust with the hunting party. For now, until we can find out who our attacker is we should concentrate on planting the seed. I am afraid that we will have to see if John can identify the attacker when he wakes up. It sounded like he got a good look at whoever it was. How is John doing Dr. Green? ”

“The swelling has gone down and there is no sign of infection so far,” Dr. Green said pulling out her clipboard once more, “I had to shave part of his head and give him eight stitches to close a two inch long gash just above his right temple. I have managed to get some juice down him using some tubing from the medical supplies you brought. I think it may be a matter of days before he wakes up though. It is hard to tell given the nature of the injury and lack of equipment.”

“OK,” Jim said, “we are good so far. It sounds like Bill has the supply situation in hand. Joshua has managed to get us running water and a possibility of showers in our future. Sally has taken a census and Dr. Green says John should recover soon. Joshua, do you think you can spare someone to help with the growth lights?”

“Yea,” Joshua rumbled, “hanging them will be no problem at all. Powering them, however, is another matter entirely. The generator is stretched to it's limits as it is. I have a few Ideas on how to get more power, but it will take some time. I might also need some parts.”

“I don't think I will be driving my van again,” Jim said sadly, “Is there anything you can use off of it.”

“Are you sure Jim?” Joshua asked stretching a massive arm across the table to put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

“Yes,” Jim said with a reluctant nod, “I'm sure. About the only vehicle that could possibly get around out there was John's truck and the ash put paid to that.”

“Actually I think I can get that going again,” Joshua said, “Just in case we need it later. But I will need the other vehicles for parts down here.”

“Great,” Jim said with a smile, “About the only thing left to discuss now is building material and where we are going to plant our crops.”

“I can try to talk Jaime into helping me explore some of the side chambers,” Bill said, “I have some experience with climbing but I wouldn't feel comfortable going alone. Jaime knows how to use a gun and the crops were her idea anyway. It may help her get her mind off things for a while. It won't take too long to get the vegetables frozen, if I can get her to agree we can start tomorrow.”

“There are some nice straight trees close to the mouth of the cave,” Joshua said after a moment's thought, “All we have to cut them down with is an old axe though. The chainsaw we found in the maintenance building would suffer the same fate as John's truck if we tried it now.”

“I suppose it would be a good job for the farm youths,” Jim said, and after a surprised look from Joshua added with a grin “You have a lot to work on as it is and they have some spare time. I hear school let out early this year.”

The rest of the meal passed with idle banter once the important busyness of running the camp was out of the way. Before long Jeremy and his sister collected their empty bowls and the group split up to be about their tasks. Joshua collected his two helpers and soon lost himself in his work. Before long two of the plastic rain barrels were secured on a natural shelf high on the chamber's wall near the chamber that housed the toilet. He set his two assistants to work digging a trench to serve as drainage for the shower as he went about rigging a pull string, The string was attached to an arm that, when lowered, uncrimped the hose leading from the tanks. Passing the water through a can with holes punched in its bottom showered the user with cold water. By the time the warm smells of dinner filled the cavern, Joshua had finished hanging blankets around the shower and readied himself for a trial run. His surprisingly high pitched voice rang through the cavern as the frigid water raised his voice almost four octaves and brought an involuntary yelp out of the large man.

He toweled himself off and dressed hurriedly before heading to join his friends at dinner. He was still shivering but feeling refreshed as he sat at their table.

“F-freaking cold,” he managed to chatter at his friend's bemused expressions, “N-n-needs t-to warm up a b-b-bit.” his friends all nodded in unison as Jeremy and Cathy served them plates of steamed vegetables on some sort of noodles with a whitish sauce. As the hot food warmed Joshua from the inside his friends ate in silence, broken only occasionally by their barely suppressed amusement.

“What?” Joshua demanded as soon as he was sure his teeth wouldn't chatter.

“Nothing,” Jim said, “we just had no idea your voice could go so high.”

“You have amazing range,” Sally chided, “have you ever thought about singing professionally?”

“Funny,” Joshua rumbled, “very funny. The water was really, really cold.”

“So we heard,” Jim laughed, “At least we have a shower now, even if it is a cold one.”

“I actually have a heating coil for the tank but I can't hook it up until we get the power sorted out,” Joshua said with a broad smile. He loved bantering with Jim and Sally this way, and was glad that Bill was starting to join the group with a light hearted quip on occasion. This time, however, Bill remained silent, keeping mostly to himself, “What's wrong with Bill? He seems distracted. You'd think he was nervous about something, can't see why, you would think he just found out today that he was engaged or something.”

“Funny man, our Joshua,” Bill said coming out of his thoughts and tossing a smile Joshua's way before continuing, “It could be worse. At least I know who I am getting married to.”

“Good point,” Joshua said with a laugh that sounded like a drum rolling down a hill then turned his attention to Sally “Could you at least give me a hint?”

“Nope,” Sally answered flatly.

“Just one?” he begged.

“No,” Sally answered just as flatly as before.

“Please?” Joshua said cupping his hands in a pleading gesture as he tried to keep a straight face.

“Oh all right,” Sally said with a sigh and a wink, “Just one wont hurt I suppose. She...” Sally paused for effect and made a show of looking to see if anyone was listening, “is in this cavern with us right now.”

“Aw, come on!” Joshua groaned as the table exploded with laughter, then joined them in their mirth. He laughed at the absurdity of the whole situation. He laughed at the thought of marrying some woman he didn't even know. He laughed for the true purity in the joy of laughing with friends. It was like the tension of the last few days had finally come to a head, he laughed until his sides ached and he could barely draw a breath. By the time the laughter calmed enough for him to wipe the tears from his eyes his sides burned and he was gasping for breath. He looked up from the table to see that it was not just he that had been laughing so hard, nor even just those at the table. The laughter had spread throughout the cavern like a wildfire through dry brush. The tension and grief had finally given way to the joy and absurdity of their situation. They were twenty-eight people who had survived the end of the world out of faith in the guidance of a God that, just days before, most of them were unsure even existed.

“Well,” Jim said as he wiped the tears from his eyes, “I guess there is no time like the present. Joshua would you mind giving me a hand?” With Joshua's help Jim was rolled to a natural platform in the center of the cavern.

“May I have your attention please?” The cavern's occupants turned their attention to the man in the wheelchair and Jim continued, “The world as we once knew it no longer exists. There are no schools, hospitals, malls, fast food, Internet or even cell phone service. As far as we know, those of us in this cavern are all that has survived. There may be other small pockets of humanity who, like us, have been guided to safety and given the chance to continue. Cheery as this sounds, we have been given a good start. We have shelter, water, electricity, tools, and a great cook. We have even been blessed with a talented doctor, she just needs to work on her bedside manner a little,” Jim ducked just in time to avoid a spoon that the small doctor had flung, playfully, at his head with surprising accuracy, “Even if she has a temper we are lucky to have her. We have managed to set up, if not a fully workable camp, at least a camp with potential. There is running water, and plenty of room. The people in our group are surprisingly talented in a broad range of skills that I am sure will prove helpful in promoting our survival as a group and as a family. With God's love and guidance we will thrive in our new home. We as a species will continue to thrive, and we will continue to grow. Much of the way things were must wither and pass from this world, and that which remains must change to shape itself to God's plan. Some of these changes have already begun. Sally has chosen this night to join her life with Bill. Before they join together forever in an unbreakable bond I wish to speak on the subject of love. Not the flighty, ephemeral fantasy that most marriages were based on in the past, but true love. True love is not an emotion, not a feeling that you get when you are near a certain someone, It is a choice. Sally has chosen to love Bill and Bill has chosen to love her in return. Love based on this kind of choice has a more stable base. Feelings will develop, in fact they already have begun to as any who have been paying attention to them can tell, and these feelings run deep. It is similar to the love like that of long standing family, a deep familiarity that is capable of sheltering them from any storm. I am sure they will have arguments, those are all but assured in any human relationship, but they will be as nothing beside the love that fills them. Sally, Bill would you come stand before the assembled remains of humanity and swear your lives to one another?”

Sally stood and took Bill's hand, she led him to the base of the platform to stand before Jim nearly dragging him in her excitement. Jim nodded encouragingly in her direction and she squared her shoulders, smiling broadly and shifting excitedly on her feet before beginning, “Bill, I love you and I choose to love and support you through no matter what comes. I will walk beside you where you choose to walk, stand beside you were you choose to stand, and follow where you choose to lead. None in my life shall ever be as important to me as you and our children.”

Bill stood staring in disbelief for a few moments. This was not what they had agreed to say, at least not the part about her following where he lead. He opened his mouth to stammer out the words they had decided he would say but what came out was, “Sally, I love you and I choose to love and shelter you through whatever may come. I will walk beside you where God leads us, stand beside you were God tells us to wait. I will lead you as God wills. No one may come between us and none shall ever be as important to me as you and our children,” Bill blinked as if just realizing what he had just said. He looked into Sally's eyes as she smiled her sweet smile and felt a warmth emanating from the depths of his soul. He realized he was smiling too. God, but it felt good.

“What God has brought together,” Jim said strongly, “let none put asunder. Bill, as a sign of your dedication to your wife you will take her name as your own. May your lives together be long and full of happiness. Let us all now thank God for this blessing and celebrate the merging of these two lives.”

Jason, seeming cured of his melancholy, produced a fiddle from his belongings, and soon the cavern was filled with the sounds of merriment and laughter. Joshua sat at the table weary from hours of dancing and celebrating with his friends. The group contained a startling number of young people who enjoyed music and played one instrument or another. As he caught his breath Dr. Green plopped down on the chair opposite him. Her slight smile caught his eye and she stretched her hand across the table to touch his and her smile slowly grew to match the light in her eyes. Joshua touched his cheek that suddenly burned as it had when she had first slapped him. He then realized by whom he had been marked.