After The Collapse

By William Wilson

The Global Collapse hit everyone hard throughout the world. Eight in ten people died during the collapse that left civilization in ruins. Out of the ashes rose new pockets of civilization and trade. Resources were scarce, petroleum products non-existent, and steam power took over again for farming, light industry, and the movement of goods and people. Out of this a young woman intent on finding her brother, travels to Arizona. Follow her journey to find family in this neo-steampunk western.

• Language: English
• Publisher: William Wilson
• Release date: Oct 9, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301789672

William Wilson

The author, William Wilson, is a writer living in New York. [e-mail]

Book preview

Chapter 1

Sand and rocks flew up from the galloping horse. The rider looked back and could see the pursuers not far behind. They had been pacing for over a day now and the slope appeared to be finally cresting with the top of the Mogollon Rim. Hopefully Munds Park was close. The warnings had been clear, stay away from Sedona.

Topping the final small ridge the vista opened up into Old Munds Park. The five men rode at a gallop, intent upon catching their quarry. They wore white shirts, vests, wide brimmed hats, and carried what appeared to be old lever action winchesters. Looking forward again, the lone traveller noticed two manned gun emplacements flanking the road into town, securing the gate that led into the enclave. This was the gateway to Flagtown from the south. At least that was what some called old Flagstaff. Or they just called it Flag. It was rumoured that one could catch a steam train from Munds to the city proper and from there catch a train east or west. Not that the rider wanted to go either way, having come from California and being dead set on going to Flag.

Come on Lee, just a little further boy.

The horse shot quickly down the hill, breathing hard the whole way, following the old road from the Verde.

Only two routes from the south went into Flagtown now. This one, and the one through Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon. However the second route wasn't terribly safe. The people in Sedona were said to be touched in the head and didn't like outsiders in the least bit. And if you didn't believe in Crystals, good luck.

The terrain had been rough since leaving Kingman. Staying off the main trails seemed to be the best idea to make it to the destination. What with marauders and all. The going had been slower since coming up over the Mogollon Rim. Snow patches were abundant and at times the horse-rider had to backtrack short distances because of the scrub and trees, all the while trying to avoid the pursuit that had started after crossing Oak Creek near Sedona. Sniffing the air, the smell juniper and sagebrush was evident. One area near the rim had even smelled like cat urine. It was rumoured that mountain lions lived near the peaks but that was still a ways off.

Continuing along down the small grade they crossed the bridge and came to the town gates. Craning her neck and pushing back a wisp of hair, the rider spied the pursuers stopped at the top of the rise, tall trees flanking on either side. Pinion and oak trees were in abundance on the rim and tall ponderosa pines now graced the landscape. The guards looked on, eyeing the others at the top of the slope and checking out the rider carefully.

What brings you to Munds? asked one of the guards.

Visiting family replied the rider.

And them? nodding in the direction of the pursuers.

Don’t know, they’ve been chasing me for a day now. I got a little close to Sedona I think.

The guards conferred in whispers and looked the rider over one last time before letting her through. The woman felt sweat trickling down the middle of her back. The chase had been intense and she could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Taking off her hat as she rode, she used her forearm to wipe sweat from her forehead and sweep the stray bits of hair that had escaped. She was tall, at least five-ten, and her sandy brown hair was platted into one long braid down her back. Her blue eyes sparkled when she smiled and matched the brightest blue skies of the southwest.

Livie had left the area before the bad times. Her father had moved them to northeastern California and, luckily, not to a city on the coast. Those had been destroyed and many people had died during and after the conflict. Her father had been one of them as he had volunteered to help defend the coast. He had been a teacher hired to instruct in history and social studies at a small rural school. It was there that Livie grew up, learning to ride and to shoot when she was just a young girl. She also found a love of books and decided then that she wanted to teach English. Those dreams were to change though.

Livie's eyes misted for a second as she thought of her father. They had been very close and she thought he'd be proud of what she was able to accomplish since the collapse. Their facial features were similar and her height was a mere three inches shorter than her dad's. She missed him and the times they spent together hunting and fishing. He had been devoted to the family, even giving up a lucrative university administrative position to spend more time with the family and to live out in the country. Their life together, her parents, brother, and sister, had been happy.

The bright blue sky belied a beautiful day and luckily the weather had been fair for most of the trip from Kingman. Just a small downpour one afternoon. Inclement weather could be a problem in the southwest as rainstorms resulted in flash floods and lightning made travel dangerous at times. Rocky outcrops lined the rim to the north and the red rocks of Sedona to the south.

The town itself seemed to be made up of two sections, a hotel and outbuildings on the left, and residences set off to the right. The commercial area, what there was of it, was situated near a set of train tracks. The houses on the right appeared to be pre-collapse construction and were not as ramshackle as other homes the traveller had come across.

She rode slowly toward the first buildings as she wiped her eyes. Off to the left, the train station and a new hotel sat next to the train track loop. By the looks of it the train ran on a narrow gauge. The hotel was three stories tall, made of cut timber with some malpais stone construction. A bar, booking office, and restaurant graced the ground floor while the stable sat to the side, separate from the main building. She could also see a general store, another bar and what looked like a whore house. Those had become more prevalent since the collapse. Arizona coin was preferred in the territory, but US coinage was still accepted, especially the older mintages. All the Arizona money was minted in Prescott, the new territorial capital, and had a roadrunner on the front. Livie was told that the pricing structure was close to that of the old calendar 1890's. The count of years changed at the end of the collapse. Starting over at year One of the Rebuild it was now March, year seven.

Livie took Lee to the stable and gave the stable boy 15 cents to care for him, If you take good care of him there will be another dime for you.

After she sat down in the restaurant, she made her choice; selecting beef with potatoes and a spring salad of dandelion and other greens, augmented with a large glass of beer. The total was another 15 cents. The woman remembered when inflation had hit so bad that the same meal and drink would have cost almost fifty US dollars. Those days were gone but so were many of the amenities that she had known as a child.

The meal tasted good compared to the trail food she had subsisted on for so long. Hardtack, beans and dried meat with the occasional dried fruit got very old after a while. After dinner she went into the bar proper and sat down with another beer.

Excuse me?

Yes replied the waitress, stopping mid-stride.

What does a room cost for the night?

Fifty cents miss.

Bath included?

Yes miss. You may use the bath down the hall from the rooms. Hot water may be drawn at the tub.

Thank you. Where do I pay?

I can arrange it for you.

She took a fifty cent piece out of her pocket and gave it to the girl along with a nickel. The girl hurried off and Livie sipped her beer while listening to the conversations going on around her. Most had to do with local happenings. Talk of weather, someone having a child, the movement of goods. Flagstaff once again was supplying lumber. Apparently the train not only conveyed passengers and goods, but also brought timber from the Baderville sawmill which was at the far end of the tracks.

As she sat eating she overhead some men talking.

You taking a load to the Verde?

Yeah, they have been building like crazy. Using as much lumber as we can get to them.

How's the road been.

A little tore up in places, and we need armed guards but not bad.

The guys from Sedona causing any problems?

Nah. They just pace us, watching from a distance.

Livie nodded to herself at that; she had witnessed a brutal murder after she had crossed the Colorado river. Perhaps not quite the same , but not only had her pursuers paced her, they had actually chased her. One other thing caught her ear; talk of Phoenix. She had heard that after the revolution had spread across the US and with the collapse of the government and military, the Mexican army had moved north across the border, attacking southern Arizona and California. They had also attempted to take Texas but the quickly formed Republic of Texas stopped them at the Rio Grande. In Arizona they were stopped at the Salt River in Phoenix with heavy losses on both sides. Southern California was also lost as far north as Los Angeles, as were the southern parts of Nevada and parts of New Mexico. For northern Arizona, the Colorado River formed a border that kept the Mexican army at bay. However, with the global collapse their army could not move further north as gas reserves had dried up.

The Mexicans still hold Phoenix? asked one man.

Far as we know. answered another.

I hear that strange machines have been seen down there. Howl like banshees and roam the streets.

Yes, just talk to scare kids.

Another spoke up and said It's true, I've seen them. Huge things that look like a man but all clockworks. They make a frightful noise with steam and smoke shooting out.

The conversation then turned to other topics and finally the girl came back and gave Livie a key and told her which room was hers.

Deciding to turn in, she left the talk of events for another day and went upstairs to her room. The weather outside was mild and almost warm considering it was early March. There had been fields of snow in shaded areas on her trip to Munds and the peaks were covered in snow. She remembered hearing as a child, adults talking about a drought. Not now.

As she entered the room she found that the door could be locked from the inside as well as bolted which she did. Noticing the cream coloured walls, she thought - Navajo white, a light off-white shade, the colour of her grandparent's house. Like the hallways, the floors were wood. Pine perhaps and not as smooth as some hotels she had stayed in; more rustic. The lighting was provided by something that looked like old kerosene lamps. Looking up, she could see some smudging on the ceiling. Checking the windows, she decided it would be difficult at best to gain entrance to the room from there. Taking precautions was a given when traveling, but she decided to take a bath before bed and so divested herself of almost all her clothing and her one small bag before walking down the hall carrying her derringer just in case of problems.

Without her boots she could definitely feel the uneven timbers with her feet. The knots in the wood were the most pronounced in the darkened hallway. The only light came through the windows at