Chapter 12

Everybody groaned. He continued, "There is one new thing. Before we left, we were on twenty meters and heard from a Japanese station. I wonder if George's people would like to put together a joint expedition to Japan or even just up the west coast.

"Mike is good at traveling." He grinned sadistically. Then, he went, "Oof," as Mom violently elbowed him. After he regained his breath, he said, "Perhaps that trip should wait for a little bit."

George looked at him and at Lois. Mom said, "We will talk about this later and determine who should or wants to go. Another thing is the folks who were at Salt Lake City. We haven't heard from them in years and they had gone south toward Texas. They should be searched for, also.

"George, we should talk with your Mayor and put together a couple of search groups. I might send Jack if he doesn't consider my grandmother status a little more." She smiled at Dad to show she was kidding.

We partied on the pier until late and then retired to camp spots in some buildings that were still standing. There was plenty of room and even privacy for everyone. The next morning, the Rose left for Port Lavaca and we started the trek to Preservation.

Our wagons made the slow trip to Preservation with a steady clop-clop of horses hooves as we traced our way up the old I-65 to I-85 and into Georgia. During the trip down, they had not stopped at any of the small communities. On the way back, we did stop and talked to them about what they needed and what benefits aligning themselves with Preservation would be. Since we weren't "taking over" any of them, they were open to our overtures. Bennie and Janice would ride out ahead with two or three other people to meet and talk as our slow wagon train moved toward home. We added friends in Greenville, Auburn, and Valley. A couple stayed with each group instructing them on the HF radio and getting them set up to communicate. Each received the quick version with a promise that we would return later with more instruction.

I was riding in a wagon with Jen, my parents, and her parents. The mothers did stay busy mothering my wife. As we traveled, we talked about Dad's announcement and Mom's statement that the Salt Lake City people should be located.

We would ask for volunteers for a trip to check on Salt Lake City. Jen's dad said that we should wait until next spring or the searchers could be in for snow. That group would have to cross the Rocky Mountains and then search a vast area. The Japanese were doing acceptably and that project would have to wait. We had our own continent to worry over.

We also talked about the racial issues that seemed to be present in survivors. Mom said that she never found any information about the virus' development but that some accounts from doctors' emails seemed to support the possibility. Dad said that, if true, we have lost so much in good ideas and diversity and some will never be recovered. "Racial harm is never good and may be disastrous." He said. He continued after we were silent for a moment. "If we lose the cultures of Spain, Africa, and South America just to name three, we have lost an important piece of our human heritage." He wanted to plan trips to Mexico and South America, all of Asia, Africa., and Europe. Mom told him, "Everything in time and it isn't time yet."

We made our way to Preservation and home. In time, Jen delivered a son who we named George Benjamin Mathews. Born the same day in Port Lavaca was Michael George Anderson to George and Lois. Both babies and parents are doing well. Jen told me that, once George is older, we might make another trip.