She laughed, "I don't think you are a very good thief."
"No Ma'am," I said, "I only stole something once before in my life."
"Do you know what has happened? Why did the electricity go out?" She asked.
"Yes Ma'am, I think I do."
"Well come inside then and tell me what you think you know."
I nodded my head and entered the house trailer. I ducked to get through the door, but then this was an older house trailer and many of them only had six-foot tall doors. The shotgun never wavered.
I sat down in an overstuffed chair when told to do so. After sleeping on the ground the night before, it felt good. I almost, but not quite, forgot about the shotgun.
"What do you think happened?" I looked at the woman with the shotgun. She was very attractive, cute really, and had a sturdy look about her, a no-nonsense look.
"I think the electricity went out because of an EMP strike."
"What is an EMP?" She asked. It took me about five minutes to explain that an EMP resulted from a nuclear explosion miles above ground, and that it generated currents that destroyed the transformers on the grid and delicate electronics that were not shielded. I told her about the red sky. I also told her what the after effects of an EMP were supposed to be.
"I saw that too, but I didn't know what it was," she paused a bit. "You mean to tell me that some SOB shut down our electricity here in America?"
"Yes Ma'am."
“What about radioactivity?”
“From what I read, radioactivity is not supposed to be a problem.”
"How long will it take for the electric grid to be repaired?"
"I have been told no sooner than a couple of years, and it could be longer.
"Well that sucks cow shit!" Her words surprised me and I guess I let it show on my face. She looked me in the eye and said, "You are kinda prissy for a thief, aren't you?"
"Well, thieving was not my first career choice."
"Can I have a swig of the water you have there? I'm out." I passed her the jug. She took a drink. The shotgun remained pointed in my direction the whole time. Then she passed the jug back to me and set the shotgun against the wall in the corner.
"Now don't get any ideas big fella. I have a pistol in my apron pocket and I know how to use it."
"I believe you do Ma'am," I replied.
"Now, if I understand what you said, it may be several years or more before the electricity comes back on."
"Yes Ma'am."
"This trailer is uninhabitable without electricity, and not defensible without civilization and its rules and regulations," she said.
"Yes Ma'am. I agree."
"And you think as much as 90% of the population could die from this power outage?"
"That's what I read, but I hope not."
"I think that might be accurate. In this area, it might be more like a 95% die-off."
"Ma'am, you are pretty sharp..."
"For someone who lives in a house trailer on a junky lot?"
"Well, yes Ma'am."
"And you know too much and are too inexperienced to be a thief."
"I agree with that," I said.
"Tell me about yourself," she said with just a hint of a smile, "but keep it short, I don't have all day."
"Yes Ma'am," I said. After all she had the gun (or guns). "My name is Wayne Zane."
"Wayne Zane?"
"I would show you my driver's license, but it was stolen."
She laughed, "I think you may have this thief thing backwards, Wayne."
"Yes Ma'am," I replied trying not to crack a smile. "Anyway, I am a sales representative for a company in Indiana that sells industrial equipment and storage solutions. I was in Socorro trying to make a sale when the lights went out."
"Ever been in the military?"
"No Ma'am."
"Can you shoot?"
"Yes Ma'am. My pa-in-law taught me. He is retired special forces."
"Good," She paused. "But the important question is will you shoot if need be?"
Thinking back to the two men who robbed and tried to kill me, I said, "yes Ma'am, I will."
"OK, have you ever shot or killed anyone?"
"No Ma'am."
"Do you hunt?"
"I have hunted some with Cap, my pa-in-law."
"Good. From the ring on your finger I take it
"No Ma'am," I said, "I only stole something once before in my life."
"Do you know what has happened? Why did the electricity go out?" She asked.
"Yes Ma'am, I think I do."
"Well come inside then and tell me what you think you know."
I nodded my head and entered the house trailer. I ducked to get through the door, but then this was an older house trailer and many of them only had six-foot tall doors. The shotgun never wavered.
I sat down in an overstuffed chair when told to do so. After sleeping on the ground the night before, it felt good. I almost, but not quite, forgot about the shotgun.
"What do you think happened?" I looked at the woman with the shotgun. She was very attractive, cute really, and had a sturdy look about her, a no-nonsense look.
"I think the electricity went out because of an EMP strike."
"What is an EMP?" She asked. It took me about five minutes to explain that an EMP resulted from a nuclear explosion miles above ground, and that it generated currents that destroyed the transformers on the grid and delicate electronics that were not shielded. I told her about the red sky. I also told her what the after effects of an EMP were supposed to be.
"I saw that too, but I didn't know what it was," she paused a bit. "You mean to tell me that some SOB shut down our electricity here in America?"
"Yes Ma'am."
“What about radioactivity?”
“From what I read, radioactivity is not supposed to be a problem.”
"How long will it take for the electric grid to be repaired?"
"I have been told no sooner than a couple of years, and it could be longer.
"Well that sucks cow shit!" Her words surprised me and I guess I let it show on my face. She looked me in the eye and said, "You are kinda prissy for a thief, aren't you?"
"Well, thieving was not my first career choice."
"Can I have a swig of the water you have there? I'm out." I passed her the jug. She took a drink. The shotgun remained pointed in my direction the whole time. Then she passed the jug back to me and set the shotgun against the wall in the corner.
"Now don't get any ideas big fella. I have a pistol in my apron pocket and I know how to use it."
"I believe you do Ma'am," I replied.
"Now, if I understand what you said, it may be several years or more before the electricity comes back on."
"Yes Ma'am."
"This trailer is uninhabitable without electricity, and not defensible without civilization and its rules and regulations," she said.
"Yes Ma'am. I agree."
"And you think as much as 90% of the population could die from this power outage?"
"That's what I read, but I hope not."
"I think that might be accurate. In this area, it might be more like a 95% die-off."
"Ma'am, you are pretty sharp..."
"For someone who lives in a house trailer on a junky lot?"
"Well, yes Ma'am."
"And you know too much and are too inexperienced to be a thief."
"I agree with that," I said.
"Tell me about yourself," she said with just a hint of a smile, "but keep it short, I don't have all day."
"Yes Ma'am," I said. After all she had the gun (or guns). "My name is Wayne Zane."
"Wayne Zane?"
"I would show you my driver's license, but it was stolen."
She laughed, "I think you may have this thief thing backwards, Wayne."
"Yes Ma'am," I replied trying not to crack a smile. "Anyway, I am a sales representative for a company in Indiana that sells industrial equipment and storage solutions. I was in Socorro trying to make a sale when the lights went out."
"Ever been in the military?"
"No Ma'am."
"Can you shoot?"
"Yes Ma'am. My pa-in-law taught me. He is retired special forces."
"Good," She paused. "But the important question is will you shoot if need be?"
Thinking back to the two men who robbed and tried to kill me, I said, "yes Ma'am, I will."
"OK, have you ever shot or killed anyone?"
"No Ma'am."
"Do you hunt?"
"I have hunted some with Cap, my pa-in-law."
"Good. From the ring on your finger I take it
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