Chapter 4

The conversation begun turning to more womanly affairs, and I found that I had no comments that could add to the conversation. Having finished my meal, I excused myself and returned to my room after placing my tray in the proper receptacle. I made a mental note to do a little more volunteering when it came to washing the eating utensils. It could only enhance my position with the ladies.

Back in my room, I went straight to the first desk and started going through the drawers. I found the usual bible and some reference books, before finally coming to what I was looking for. In the top drawer which I had skipped over the first time, I found the manual for the Bunker, and a list of all things stored within. At first I tried to skim through it and find what I was hunting, but that didn’t work. So I took my time and looked through the listings, and came up with the Arms Locker. There I found a list of weapons and ammo, which were stored under lock and key, somewhere in the council room. That was a new name for me, as I hadn’t heard or seen anything like a council room. Going over to the diagram on the wall, I studied the lay out again, trying to find a room with the word council stenciled across it. Just when I was about to give up, I noticed a room with the letters, CR stamped on it. My eyes must have breezed over it several times without zeroing in. It was down the passage, past the cafeteria, almost to the hatch where Greg and I had gone to fix the satellite dishes. I studied the lay out for a few minutes, making sure I could find it without any fumbling around.

I knew that what I was thinking about doing, would not go over well with the others. Yet, with a weapon in my possession I would have an edge, incase Violet was correct in her assessment of what Jim and Martin were capable of doing. She was also right in pointing out that I was still not fully recovered from what we all thought of as the flu. The sickness and the fact that I hadn’t been eating regular, left me under weight. A few good meals and some exercise would go a long way in my recovery. Even with full weight and vigor, standing up to both Jim and Martin, could be very risky. I knew that any conflict I might have with them, would be to the extent where one of us would not walk away. If and when such a run in should occur, a weapon in my possession would insure that whoever walks away would be me.

Looking over the entire diagram again, I noted that the showers were in that direction. That was a reminder too. I needed a shower, and a change of clothing. Going back to the manual, it took a few minutes to find a listing of things in the store rooms. My problem was finding the right store room. Most of the storage was filled with the packaged sealed meals. Finally I discovered the inventory listing toilet paper. Now I knew I had the right one. Going down the list, I found soap. Just as I thought, there were several different types of bath soaps. I couldn’t understand the difference by the listing, so I would have to make a decision on which one, when I went to pick it up.

For me it was bath time. I checked the lockers in my room and found to my surprise some more sets of better fitting scrubs. There was also socks and a pairs of shower sandals. Those things were not there before, which meant someone had taken upon themselves to handle the laundry problem. Taking a pair of scrubs and sandals, I made my way down to the showers. The bland smelling soap was sitting in all the soap dishes. They probably had been there ever since they build the place. I did like the flex hose with a shower head. I was able to soak down every cranny on my body. There was no shampoo, so I used the hand soap and lathered up as best I could. Rubbing my face, I suddenly came aware that I had a good start on a beard. I wasn’t the beard wearing type. Maybe someday a mustache but not a beard. I saw no need for a beard, other than running low on shaving gear. So far nothing in the way of shaving equipment had shown up. Another mental note to look for those things was made.

I really wanted to just stay and soak in the shower, but not knowing what the water situation was, I didn’t feel that I should use too much. No one had said anything about water usage, or that we should conserve, but there was no need to take chances. Later when and if I found out that we have plenty, then I would take a long wasteful shower.

The feeling of being clean is a wonderful experience. Dried and in clean clothes, I checked about to see if anyone was in the main passageway. With everyone occupied doing other things, now would be a good time to check out that Council Room and locate the Arms locker. Holding my laundry in one of the knit bags provided for just that purpose, I headed across the passage way towards the Council Room.

Inside I found large dark colored table, with about twenty chairs around it. There were benches along two of the walls, with cased flags standing at one end of the room. The walls were lined with metal cabinets each capable of being locked. Figuring that one of these locked cabinets must be the Arms Locker, I started trying each latch, hoping to open them. All my attempts failed, as each one was locked. I could see where one large door bore the scratches where someone had tried to open it without a key. There was no way to tell if they had succeeded as the door was securely locked. The way the door was bent at one corner led me to believe that it was possible it had been breached. All the efforts on my part to open it, failed. Whatever was used to pry on the door, was not laying around where I could see it. I either had to find the key, or get a crowbar.

Looking around the room, there was no drawer or other place where one might keep a key. The table didn’t have a drawer under the top, I check there just to make sure. It was disappointing that I couldn’t open the cabinets. Seeing the evidence that someone else had been trying to get them opened, gave me a stronger conviction that I needed to arm myself and soon. I thought of enlisting the help of Greg, but had a nagging feeling that I should keep my activities secret and to myself. There might be a danger from others beside the two that I suspected behind the efforts to open the cabinets.

Having failed in my attempt to thoroughly explore the Council Room, I checked out the laundry, and put my soiled clothing in to be washed. One of the machines was running, but there were several others sitting idle. Using one of those, I just dumped everything in. I knew that the correct way to wash would have been to separate the whites from the dark’s but I didn’t have that much, and one washing was all I needed. The timer was set for a twenty minute cycle, so I knew I could leave and come back later to toss my things in a dryer.

I could hear the girls laughing and talking among themselves. Their voices were coming from another section of berthing quarters. My room was at the other side of the Main room where soon basketball games would be played. I knew that the women were organizing the girls into teams, and were planning on having some sort of play offs. It sounded like a good idea, and I was looking forward to it. Right now whatever the girls were doing, they were having a good time, and just the sound of their voices lighten my mood.

As much as I wanted to head that way and see what was the cause of all their jubilance, I needed to head for the communications room. The girls quarters were more or less out of bounds for us men. The women having stated that they needed that section to themselves for privacy. I could understand that, but I had the feeling I was missing out on a lot of fun.

In the communications room, I found most of the men. Jim and Martin were absent, but then I didn’t really expect to see them there. Instead, I found the others all gathered around a fax machine or something like it. There wasn’t a print out, but it could do one if needed. What the men were looking at was screen with a list of stations or Bunkers that had survived the attack. Comments were flowing back and forth about the damage reports they were reading and some of them were sobering.

Coming in late, I asked what the word on everything was. I was just trying to get a general answer. Of course, some said I would have to look it all up later on my own time, as there were still reports coming in. Carl, with a stoic expression, stated that everything seemed to be just what was expected with a large scale attack. Our large cities had suffered many hit’s, along with military targets and bases. There was no listing of the Bases, but a list of cities and an estimate of lives lost and damages was finally being sent out.

At last we could get a idea of the total damage. What came through was a California that had been hit all along the coast line, from Mexico almost to the Oregon Boarder. The State of Washington, was also heavily targeted in the Seattle area, along with several places in the sound. Oregon only had few hit’s, but Portland and some other valley cities were included. Inland, throughout the Rockies and the Midwest, there was numerous hit’s. Dave had gotten out a large map of north America and was pinning red stickers on the areas listed. The map was huge, and mounted on cork board. Dave had to stand on a chair to place a few stick pins on some Canadian targets.

Bill Stubbs got up and helped when the list started including the hit’s on the east coast. It was apparent that East of Chicago on to the east coast, things had been a lot hotter. The southern states didn’t suffer as many strikes as the northern half, but the coastal regions again were hit the hardest.

“It looks like they went in for the kill on the east coast.”Greg observed. “Hitting all the populated areas. Not like the Midwest, where it looks like they were accentually after military targets.”

I asked it there was any reports on what was done to our enemies. What all did our missiles and bombers take out. Carl just shook his head, a said that nothing had been reported. We still didn’t have the internet or shortwave radio signals yet.

“It’s quite possible that there’s a fear of broadcasting a signal, and having themselves targeted for the next wave of attacks.” Bill offered an explanation.

“Yes, and then too, we have had so much atmospheric disturbance with all these nuclear weapons going off. It could be that the signals can’t get through. You know, things could be changed up there.” Bill added to the possible causes for not having radio or other contacts.

“What were receiving now, is from those stations dotted across the U.S. that send a direct signal from one station to the next. Micro wave towers and such.” Carl agreed.

“Next wave of Attack?” I questioned, finding it hard to believe that this war would continue.

“Yeah,” Bill explained, “Submarines are just sitting out there waiting for their moment to launch missiles for the second wave. We have them, the Russians have them. Hell just about every damn county has them.”

“It’s not over yet.” Greg agreed.

“When will we know, or will we know?” I asked, meaning when could we be sure that it was all over with.

“The thinking was that the Sub’s would possibly take up to six months before launching their weapons. But I don’t think we will have to wait that long.” Carl, was giving it some deep thought. “Those crews will want to get home, and see if they have any loved ones left. I would venture to guess that if they are going to launch a second strike, it will come soon.”

Greg nodded his head in agreement. “Yes, before anyone has a chance to recover. They will send it soon. Soon, while everything is still a jumble of confusion.”

Shifting my attention back and forth between the continuing list on the screen and the Map, it didn’t look good for the Country. I had a nagging fear that America got the worst of it. Maybe I’m wrong to feel as I do, but I wanted to strike out against all our enemies. To just kill every last one of them.

A silence fell over everyone as the screen kept listing more and more reports of damage and loss. Carl was the only one speaking, as he announced each new listing of a City having been hit with a nuke. Dave and Bill went about putting the pins on the map as the cities were called out. I felt that it was pointless to continue sticking pins in the map, the damage especially on the East Coast began to overlap. Then I realized we had nothing else to do at the moment. It was still too dangerous to leave the safety of the shelter.

“In a few months, we will think about leaving and what we can do outside. We’ll get Miss Whitehall to compute the wind pattern and the hot zones. We’ll try to pick a place where we can start making another go of it.” Carl was speaking to himself as much as the rest of us. I couldn’t help but wonder just how long it would be.

From what Carl had said, I surmised that this Miss Whitehall was a wiz with computers. Just who she was, I had no idea. There were several of the women whose names I didn’t know. I wasn’t too concerned as I figured I would have plenty of time to learn all their names, and every little known fact about them all.

Well after listening to all surmising what probably might happen, I headed back to the Laundry room and finding my clothes finished being washed, I put them in one of the driers and set the timer. There was so many settings, that I didn’t understand, so I opt for the timed dry as what I best understood. As I went about taking care of my chores, the Arms locker was never far from my thoughts. When I had been in the communications room, I looked Carl and the others over pretty good, to see if they had a key dangling around their neck or some other way of carrying one. What I needed to find out was, where such a key would be kept. I knew that Carl and Dave had keys that opened the place up and let us get into it, but I figured the Arms locker would have a different key. Greg, had access to the maintenance shop, a room with plenty of tools and from what I heard, a lathe and other machinist tools and equipment. I might not find a key or make one, but I was sure I could find a tool to get that Cabinet door open.

Still there was the doubt that I was wrong about the key to the arms locker being different. If so, I needed to check and make sure. Now all I needed was a way to come up with one of those two keys. For all I knew there might be more than just two. I had a lot to keep me busy, so getting bored was not on the list.

Dinner hour came and we were all dining together as was to be the custom. It was one of the few times that I was able to get a look at the School girls and the other women. They were keeping to themselves, away from us men. I knew the reason, and didn’t blame them a bit. Now however I took this opportunity to visit with the ladies. Donna Miller was again sitting there, and again she had that solemn attitude. Course I was sitting next to her and she didn’t care for the closeness. Anna Kerlee was talking about vitamins and the need for everyone to regularly visit the Sun Room. Now that was a room I hadn’t heard of. Anna went on explaining to me, that the Sun Room was fitted with the proper lighting to simulate daylight. Sitting in it with proper eye wear would help keep us from turning pale white, and also help deter the so called winter depressions. Pointedly she told me that it was something I needed more than others.

Thinking about it, I could see where being down here for so long would get to a person. The need for a sun lamp was understandable, but I also told her I didn’t want to spend a lot of time in a Tanning booth. Shaking her head, she seriously pointed out that it wasn’t a tanning booth, but a means to keep a healthy skin tone. The tinted goggles were just in case someone looked directly at the lights. That bit of news still didn’t sit well with me, as I always had an aversion to potentially harmful treatments.

Anna wasn’t having any of my arguments for not partaking of the Sun Room. She informed me, that she would be scheduling times for all of us to use the room. There would be several of us at a time, which again was of concern to me. I didn’t want to be striping down and sitting in my underwear with a bunch of other people. That finally brought a smile to Anna, as she explained that we could wear our regular clothing if we chose, and spend the time playing cards or whatever we wanted.

That seemed to settle it, and everyone around the table kept the light mood going. All except for Donna. I had the strong feeling that it was my presents so close to her, that was sparking her sullen attitude. Finishing up my dinner, I excused myself and left, so Donna could relax her cold shoulder. It didn’t irate me that much, but if it was making her uncomfortable I didn’t want that. What I did next was something that made Miss Collins smile. I went on the other side of the food line and began cleaning up the place. It was something I figured again that would bring some relief to those given the chore of taking care of the Galley.

Over the next several days, I kept my eyes opened for a key. The Arms Locker was never far from my thoughts. Jim and Martin kept to themselves and only appeared at meal times. Carl had given Donna Miller the job of taking charge of the Galley. Also only she had access to the main store room where most of the meals were kept. Carl deemed it essential that we didn’t have free access to the food. It was to be rationed out at regular meal times and except for snacks like popcorn for the movies, no one would be able to over indulge. There was a reason for it, but still we had so much, it seemed a needless measure. I was sure there was no danger of running out, since we had supplies for hundreds more people than our current number.