Epilogue
“ARE YOU SURE I can’t persuade you to stay on board, Mandy?”
“It’s tempting, Jake. But this is another kind of opportunity. Six weeks ago we thought the planet was a goner, and now we get to start a whole new community. That’s an amazing thing.”
“This community will miss you. You were amazing, you know?”
“Aw, shucks. I was just doing what I trained to do. Besides, Grau is getting better every day. I saw him walking about this morning. He’ll be off the crutches in no time, you’ll see.”
Jake and Mandy stared out over the loch in silence for a while. It was a beautiful morning; the sun had just broken over the tops of the mountains and was spilling onto the water, painting it a shade of emerald. From behind them came the sound of children playing on the sun deck.
“Do you really think there are more survivors, somewhere out there?” said Mandy.
“I’m certain. Those two headless bodies came from somewhere, didn’t they? And the rafts?”
“Maybe they were from the base. Maybe a few got out before the rest…you know.”
“They probably didn’t decapitate themselves though, did they? Somebody must have done that. And that somebody could be part of a bigger group.”
“That’s what worries me. What if they’re mad, or evil, or both?” Mandy turned to look at Jake, her hair dancing around her face in the gentle breeze. “Isn’t it safer for the ship to stay here, in the loch?”
“We’ll be fine, Mandy. We’ve got the protection of the Royal Navy. I don’t want to tempt fate, but I feel like we’re meant to survive somehow. It’s like we’ve been chosen. We were spared by the asteroid, and now we’ve come through this whole virus. I’m not a religious man, but it almost feels like someone is looking out for us. It’s as if we have a mission, a purpose.”
“Like setting up satellite communities of volunteers in old military bases?”
“Maybe. Why not? If that virus had finished us off, it could have been the end of us, the end of mankind. This way we get an extra chance. Two communities means double our odds of survival.”
“I hope you’re right. And I also hope you find out what happened to those dead men.”
A young voice called out, making them both turn round.
“Mandy! Lucya said you’re going soon. Is it true?”
“Hi, Erica. Yes it’s true. But I wasn’t going to leave without saying goodbye!” She bent down and picked up the girl, a big smile on her face. “Hey, Lucya, how are you feeling?”
“Good, thanks. I had my check-up with Janice this morning. She says I’m fighting fit and ready for duty.”
“So we might get lost after all, if you’re navigating!” Jake teased.
“Aren’t you scared about living underground, Mandy?” Erica asked.
“No, not scared exactly. It’ll be strange, not seeing the sun. But we’re going to start clearing lots of space outside, getting rid of that nasty ash. So we won’t be underground the whole time.”
“I don’t think I’d like it,” the girl said, screwing up her nose and making a face. “What if the lights stop working?”
“We’ve got some very clever engineers who are going to be living with us, so if anything like that happens, they’ll know how to fix them.”
Erica considered this, and seemed satisfied with the answer. “How many children are staying here?”
“Twenty-five,” Mandy said. “And seventy-five grown-ups.”
“Will they have to go to school? Lucya says I’ll have to go to school soon. If there’s no school, it might be better staying here! What do you think?”
“All the children will go to school, Erica. And the mums and dads will go to work. We’re going to be like a proper little town. And you’ll go off exploring, on the Spirit of Arcadia. You might find more little towns, or even make some new ones, just like we’re making a new one right here.”
“Jake says we’ll come back and see you again.”
“Well I hope so! And when you do, I want to hear all about your adventures, okay?”
“Okay!”
She put the child back on the deck and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“I have to go now. I’ll see you soon. Now you look after Jake and Lucya, okay?”
“I will, I promise.”
The nurse straightened up. A little way along the deck a sailor was waiting patiently.
“That’s my ride,” Mandy said. “I’d better not keep them waiting. Don’t want to miss the last raft!”
“You take care, Mandy,” Lucya said. “Thank you, for everything.”
The women embraced, then Lucya turned away. She didn’t want Erica to see her crying.
“Jake, take care of yourself.”
“You too, Mandy. And good luck. All being well, we’ll be back here in three months. I’m looking forward to a cocktail on a terrace, overlooking the loch, okay?”
“It’s a deal, Captain Noah. Gosh, I hate long goodbyes. I’m outta here. I’ll see you soon, guys!”
Mandy sighed, turned, and left without looking back.
“Where are we going to go, Jake?” Erica asked, looking up at him wide eyed.
“We’re heading south. Somewhere warmer.”
“Will we find more people?”
“I hope so, Erica. I really do.”
###
The Adventure Continues
Noah’s Ark: Encounters
In the two months since the world ended, the survivors aboard the Spirit of Arcadia have endured more than their fair share of challenges. Dwindling supplies, a deadly virus, and of course, the terrible toxic ash that has rendered all land uninhabitable.
Now, finally, there’s reason for hope when a strange signal shows up on the radar. Could it be that others have survived too? Might it shed light on the mysterious discoveries the Arcadia has made on her journey south? Or is the signal something altogether more sinister?
Captain Jake Noah and his crew have some tough decisions to make on behalf of the community. Decisions that lead to quite unexpected consequences. Decisions that could shape their entire future.
Encounters, the third book in the Noah’s Ark series, is available now from all good bookstores.
• • • • • •
The Faslane Files: Volume One
Deep beneath the bank of a Scottish loch, one hundred men, women and children are beginning a new life. An outpost for the remnants of humanity, their mission is simple: to survive in a world rendered uninhabitable by a giant asteroid. Safe from the poisoned world above, they begin their task with vigour. But they are blissfully unaware of the terrifying danger that lurks below.
Discover the fate of Mandy Chalmers and the other ninety-nine volunteers as they start their new life in the Faslane base, in the first volume of this exciting spin-off series.
The Faslane Files: Volume One is available now from all good bookstores.
• • • • • •
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Also By The Author
Noah’s Ark Series:
Survivors
Encounters
The Faslane Files:
Volume One
Dreamshifters Series: