ives_rancher (ives_rancher) wrote in aerilon_colony, @ 2012-02-23 00:42:00 |
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Current location: | Glenrock |
Between Storms
Who: Collin Ives
Where: Glennrock, Aerilon
When: Noon local time (0:25 hrs CST)
The thing about driving on the streets after road salt had a chance to melt the snow and ice, the mist created by other vehicles driving over the brine stuck on the windshield. It is doubly annoying when only one of the windshield washing jets is partially clogged. “Damn thing,” Collin cursed when he could only get half of the windshield clean on his pick-up truck. He imagined with modern space travel, there was no reason someone could come up with a better method of clearing road brine from a window.
Since the main roads were drivable again after the last snow, it seem like half the town was out rushing to the markets to get more provisions for the next winter storm expected in the evening. Collin wanted to get home, have a drink or two, and crash on his bed for the next twelve hours or so. He had been up early in the morning before daylight with his crew clearing snow off the lots and roadways for his boss.
He came to a stop at light and watched as other vehicles slowly drove across the intersection. Several of them carried ski racks and were on their way to the ski resort at the edge of town and elsewhere the highlands. The season was in full swing. What else are farmers to do when they can’t work the land? Many of these visitors were from the new cities.
Collin tapped on the steering wheel to the rhythm of the music playing from his playlist on the car-stereo as he waited. The light changed to green and he drove forward, half way across the intersection there was a faint flash from somewhere in the distance. He didn’t think anything about it as he continued to drive on the slushy road. Then another weird flash, but this time it got his attention. The entire gray over-casted sky had flashed. He tried to find a visual clue of its source, but found none. Another! “What the frak? Snow thunder?” he asked himself as he looked toward the cloud covered hills. He had heard of the weather phenomenon, but never witnessed it. He did not hear when the civil emergency sirens begun to blare through the loud music playing inside the pick up's cab.
A second later, electrical power to the pick-up’s engine surged and fried the electrical system. The music player was silent, and the pick-up rolled to a stop. “What the hell?” said Collin as he applied the brake. He noticed his vehicle was not the only one that had come to a stop. The traffic light was out too.
Some of the drivers were starting to abandon the vehicles and rushed to find shelter. The warning sirens had ceased after the electromagnetic pulse or EMP, so Collin was confused. He opened his door, and asked the driver next to him who was about to leave his car. “What’s going on?”
“We're under attack.Cylons,” shouted the man.
“Frak me,” said Collin. He grabbed his coat, a pistol from the glove compartment, and then the rifle hidden under the back jump seat with a box of ammunition. He abandoned his pick-up on the slushy street.