Chapter 5:

[Rebecca Talon]

April 16, 1998
08:00
29 Days Post Change
Atlantic Ocean, nearing Norfolk, Virginia

Rebecca's crew and fleet had grown considerably since they left Boston several weeks ago. In Baltimore they had salvaged the USS Constellation, and the Pride of Baltimore II along with a dozen smaller sail boats.

A knock on her cabin door made her look up from her log. Sitting back she pulled down the old fashioned wool unifor. "Come!"

The door creaked open and Chief O'Brien stood there, "We are nearing Norfolk captain."

Rebecca stood, and placed the bicorn hat on her head and smiled, "Excellent news Mr. O'Brien." She followed the non-com out the cabin and into a cramped corridor and up a ladder to the open main deck. "How are our stores?"

"We have a day's worth of water, and our fishing boats report that the fishing has been very good so we have plenty of food for now."

"Hopefully we can get water here in Norfolk."

"Hopefully there's a Navy here," O'Brien added.

"I wouldn't count on it. I thought Boston had gotten bad. I still have nightmares from Baltimore. What those eaters did to Jackson..." she shuddered. "I can't believe it got so bad so fast."

"Despite people will do desperate things Captain."

She sighed, "Yeah, we saw that first hand. After all the cats, dogs, and rats are eaten the only thing left are the dead, and the living. Morning helmsman."

The young seaman smiled and nodded, "Morning Captain. Smooth seas and steady winds. We're making excellent time ma'am."

"So I hear," Rebecca replied as she picked up a pair of binoculars and stared into the distance. The fleet slipped past several cargo ships, but they didn't stop. There were no signs of life. The crews were either all dead or they had abandoned the ships long ago.

It was noon when the five whale boats rowed to shore. Both Rebecca and Milo were wearing knee length chain mail and bowl shaped helmets. The armor was time consuming and only the two hauberks had been made. The bowl type helms on the other had were relatively easy. Just stainless kitchen bowls lined with sponges and a leather strap rivited. The padded gambeson was also relatively easy to produce. They were reinforced with strips of sheet steel salvaged from car hoods.

They all carried pole arms made from seven foot poles and ground down blades. A few of the officers had cutlasses or sabers on their belts. The Roman type scutums carried by the pikemen and women were made of plywood and the same salvaged car hoods. They were painted Navy blue with trim and the head of a ram all in gold.

Cresting a sand dune to link up with Massey Hughes Drive they were met by a a dozen sailors in filthy Navy uniforms. They were wearing flack jackets, and Army type helmets. They carried shields made of plywood backed stop signs. They all carried with a few exceptions pikes similar to her own sailor's.

"This is US Navy property. You are trespassing and you may go no further," A man shouted at them.

"Pikes down! Pikes down!" Rebecca shouted. "They're Navy!"

Removed her helmet and approached the opposing force with Milo and Chief O'Brien at her side. Saluting the other man Rebecca spoke, "Commander Rebecca Sandoval of the USS Constitution, and this is Commander Milo Talon of the USS Constellation."

The other man returned the salute and nodded to his second in command and the sailors relaxed. "Ensign Andy Gallagher sir."

"Where is Admiral Ross?" Rebecca asked.

"The Admiral killed himself two weeks ago. Captain Ryder is in command of the base... what's left of it. Most of the sailors and civilians haven't reported for duty in three weeks."

Rebecca glanced at Milo. and back to Andy, "Mr. Talon our crews need water see to it."

"Yes captain," Milo replied.

"Mr. Gallagher take me to Captain Ryder."

***

There was a knock on Captain Ryder's door and a sailor poked his head inside, "Captain, there's a Commander Sandoval to see you."

[Livvy Sandoval]

Ensign Olivia Sandoval looked up from the pile of paper in her hand. Her red hair glinting in the sunlight from the nearby window. "The captain is out Ensign," Livvy replied. Then she took a double take. "Did you say Commander Sandoval?"

Andy nodded, "I did."

"Where is she?"

"Outside," the Ensign replied not paying attention to the excitement in Livvy's tone.

Livvy burst out of the office and straight into Rebecca's arms, "Mom you're alive!"

Rebecca smiled and hugged her daughter, "The same could be said about you kid!" The smile was broad and Rebecca looked as if the weight of rhe world had been removed from her shoulders. "And your sister?"

"She's out leading foraging parties."

"Well it looks like we got her to join the Navy after all," Rebecca said with a grin.

[Nick Ryder]

The sound of heavy boots on the deck and a tapping of a boot against the wall. "Commander... Ensign... considering we have crap all for working communications, I do like actually having someone at my desk." he crossed his arms and looked at Becca. "I always had a feeling you'd make it through whatever the hell this was. Figures, I'm delivering a new cargo plane, this happens and the Twenty Million dollar bird I'm delivering is worthless, except for her cargo." he leaned on a cane and cocked his head. "You hear anything from Angelica or my Olivia?"

[Rebecca Talon]

Rebecca saluted, "Not a word sir. Our ship was off Cape Cod when..." She hesitated searching for a word. "When the Change occurred. We made it to Boston and commandeered the Constitution, and made our way back here. Lost several crew to a bunch of cannibals in Baltimore, but we picked up two more ships, and a round dozen smaller sailboats. Been using the smaller boats for fishing.

"Nothing much left of DC. Found the White House and it was completely burned out. Capital Hill and the Pentagon are completely deserted. There's roaming bandit gangs, cannibals, or both and not much else.

"As far as we can tell what's on this base and in my fleet is all that's left of the US Navy, and I reckon that makes you an Admiral and our CO sir. We've been talking it over. My senior officers and NCOs. We figure the whole east coast is going to be a dead zone. Thought we'd set up base somewhere in southern Texas. Far enough from Houston, but maybe we can create some sort of merchant fleet. Trading, and protecting trade when it does come back. I don't much like the idea of farming."

[Nick Ryder]

"Yeah me neither." he admitted and put his arm around her shoulders. "Julie was in DC when all this happened, I only heard that she survived and pretty much told me to 'fuck off and die'. Guess we didn't need a court system to determine the divorce." Nick shrugged his shoulders. "Although I don't put it past her to be taking advantage of the situation somehow. I do have to say, if I expected one person to survive this insanity it was you." he glanced around. "Although I am glad you're here. I'm at a complete and utter loss as to how to keep things operating, steam power isn't working, I thought maybe I could get the old steam power generators back up or even try to cobble something together, but it just won't work. Laws of physics have changed, that's all I can figure out. Why, how, who even... no idea. I'll tell you, I miss having DARPANET already... at least I could communicate with other eggheads, all I got are jarheads..."

[Rebecca Talon]

"Not all is lost," Rebecca said with a shrug, and a rattle of her mail hauberk. "Wind power still works. Like I said I have the Constitution and Constellation with me. They sail just as good as ever. Springs still work, as do hydrolic jacks. We got one of those SCA loons on ship, now we need a genius mechanical engineer to make our seige engines. Know any genius mechanical engineers?"

[Tasha Ryder]

“One or two.” Nick said as he saw his sisters Tasha and Natalia walk into the office.

“I’m not one of the two.” Tasha said with a laugh. “Now if you want me to balance the books that I can do. Or sweet talk someone, then I’m your girl.”

“I’m one of the two.” Natalia said. “Or maybe just the one.” She nudged Nick in the ribs. “Hey twin sis... you’re looking... very Mad Max.”

“That’s what it feels like... Mad Max... I couldn’t remember of the name of that movie, I kept thinking Dune for some reason.” Tasha said and gave Becca a look. “When was the last time you had sunscreen on? You’re looking way more freckled than usual. Kinda suits you.”

“Tasha found a whole shipping container full of Banana Boat shit, considering we don’t have working electric lights, have to get everything done by light of day, so everyone’s getting more than a little crispy.” Nick said as he reached into his desk and pulled out a bottle. “I did manage to rig up some water filter bottles, can take a piss into it and it’ll taste like Perrier. Ten stage filter with silver.”

“You are not making me drink your piss.” Tasha said and rolled her eyes. “Engineers. Still haven’t found Tony. I think he’s cut off in Cali. I wish we could get some kind of communications system set up.”

[Rebecca Talon]

"Mad Max indeed." Rebecca said with a sigh. "And Nicholas I'm not drinking your urine either. There's a whole damn ocean out there that you can experiment on. As far as Tony goes, I'll make a deal with you. You help us get to Texas I'll give you the Pride of Baltimore II to look for your brother. I'll even send the Constellation with you as an escort. You can't have the Constitution. I want to use her to help us build our own ship. We need a ship that represents the pinnacle of sailing technology to compare to. What do you think of Erebus?"

[Nick Ryder]

"I like it... although I'd like it if we could get our 'normal' back... you have any idea how much I miss my car?" Nick said as he shrugged his shoulders. "And don't worry you don't have to drink my urine... Tasha is just being shitty because she saw the test unit. Let's get off that subject..." he cleared his throat. "So if we're going to be building sailing ships again, we're going to need to figure out how to make shipyards that aren't building city sized ships."

[Rebecca Talon]

Rebecca smirked, "While we were in D.C.... we raided the Naval Archives. We have the original plans for the Charleston Navy Yard in Boston as well as the plans for several sloops-of-war, frigates and the USS Pennsylvania a three deck behemoth. Basically anything pre-1850 was drug on board."