The Methuselah Factor

By Vernon Eric Bridges

An environmental disaster is brought about by an American cargo plane blowing up its deadly cargo of biological weapons over England. Survivors set up a new community, guarded by wolfhounds. One of the settlers, Otto, invents an anti-gravity drive, enabling him to visit Mars. He discovers the remains of a once-flourishing civilisation and vows not to repeat the Martian errors of judgement.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amolibros
• Release date: Dec 14, 2010
• ISBN: 9781908557162

Vernon Eric Bridges

A one-time country singer/guitarist, Vernon turned to painting, once the muscles of his hands and arms became too weak to play. After thirty-five years of working in oils and pastels under the name of Eric Mahler, the rare type of motor neurone disease left him with the use of his right thumb only. With this he operated an electric button on his computer, thus making it possible for him to write. Vernon was also interested in wildlife, of which he is a keen observer, and was also interested in dogs. He died in 2009.

Book preview

Prologue

With a mighty roar the big jet soars above its US base, it circles three times to gain height and turns towards the Atlantic, en route for the north of Scotland.

The Boeing is carrying a deadly cargo, a biological weapon destined for destruction in a particular unit specially designed for such purposes. The weapon will kill all human life but not animals or plants.

Flight Leader Stuart Campbell is piloting the aircraft. He will never see his wife and children again.

By 1400 hours on the eighth of June 2020, sixty million people in the British Isles will have died. Countless more in Europe will have also met their doom.

In England, Ben walking along Lincoln’s Steep Hill sees a white powder, like tiny unseasonable snowflakes, settling everywhere. Henrietta is just coming home from college with Liza, her dog. When she lets herself into the house she will start screaming and not stop until the early hours of the next morning.

By 1100 hours the aircraft is flying over the Atlantic, all is well. At 1115 hours, ‘Flash’ Conolly, the navigator, sees smoke coming from the starboard wing. Smoke and flames are pouring out of the outer engine, he reports. The engine will be shut down, the aircraft will be flying on three engines but the fire will have been extinguished.

At 1121 hours, the second engine on the starboard wing will catch fire. That engine too will be shut down.

The big jet is now flying on one wing.

A ‘Mayday’ will be sent out. There is nothing else that can be done.

Ten minutes later there is an enormous explosion that can be heard in the south of Lincolnshire and as far north as Newcastle.

Half an hour later nearly everyone in Middle England is dead.

Ben

Ben stood in the open doorway of the cabin watching Jess and wondering if he would be up to the task of finding more people to join them in their community. At the moment there were only four of them, himself, Mary, Kelly and Jim.

As he saw his dog disappear over the rise, Ben’s hopes and fears went with him. He had realised neither himself nor Mary could absent themselves as it would expose their little home to greater danger than necessary. In fact Mary hadn’t wanted Jess to go at all, but Ben had made her see that there was no other way.

Ben’s thoughts returned to the vision he had had earlier, and that was of a community that was self-sufficient in all its needs: food, clothing, material goods as far as was possible and the defence of that community.

They would need to have a leader. He saw himself in that role. After all, he told himself, he was fit and strong, he had most of the required skills. But he was not overly ambitious, and he had a good sense of fair play and justice. Yes, he thought, I will make a pretty good leader until someone else is elected.

Ben’s mind turned to Jess yet again. There lay the answer to one of his requirements, defence. He would build the community with a team of dogs looking after the people, and he knew Jess would make a good pack leader.

Last night Ben had heard the wolves again and so had Jess. He remembered watching his ol’ boy go on the attack and taking a wolf out; he had done it so swiftly and cleanly, using his great speed and strength to outpace the wolf, then he had moved in for the kill. Yes, Jess will make a good leader too.

Ben knew that he would need quite a few more people to make his dream viable but he had made a good start with Kelly and Jim. Mary, he knew, would be a stalwart companion, being mother and friend to all and arbiter in times of dispute. He liked them all, each for his or her qualities and he trusted and respected them. That’s not a bad basis to kick off on, he thought.

Ben envisaged his people as a community of farmers but with the ability to build and to defend what they built. This was where he could lend his skills as a builder. They would construct in the fashion that he and Mary had made their cabin, log cabins.

At some point in the future he hoped to devise a way of producing electricity but at the moment he had no ideas at all. He did, though, have a rough idea of how to get enough petrol to fuel a power saw. This would save energy and time when cutting down trees for the building of the homes they would need. Water wouldn’t be a problem, it would just have to be boiled before drinking.

Ben planned on taking yet another journey to Lincoln, in order to acquire some more guns, mainly rifles and the necessary ammunition. Bows and arrows would be another requirement but those he could make, he had made a bow many years ago and it had worked very well.

Presently, they were using candles to light the cabin but that would have to be improved upon, with something other than electricity, if the latter were not possible. He guessed that there would still be a little paraffin around but not enough to supply their needs for very long; no, electricity would soon be essential but how to get it?

Medicine was yet another problem to overcome. They had none, except for a few aspirins and the like. Mary could deal with minor injuries but nothing complicated.

Ben was beginning to realise what he would be taking on. It scared him. The community would be dependent on him for virtually everything. That he didn’t mind, but, he wondered, was he up to it? He told himself he could always hand over to someone else, but he knew in his heart that he couldn’t do that.

Fucking hell! Are we the only people left in Europe?

Jess

On the third Wednesday in May 2021, Jess walked out of the front door of the cabin and paused. He lifted his muzzle to the sky and sniffed the early morning breeze; it was going to be another very warm day, not the sort of day to be out looking for new people to join them in their cosy little home. But that was what Ben had asked him to do. Go out and look for more people and, or dogs, or both.

Jess walked slowly to the top of the hill and looked around him. Sitting down on a grassy hummock he looked back to where he had just come from. Ben was standing in the open doorway of the cabin watching him.

Once again he turned his face to the gentle breeze. He decided this was the way he would go, south. It suddenly dawned on him this was the direction he had taken when he had found Kelly. Only back then it had been a wet, foggy miserable night at the beginning of autumn.

Jess set off in the general direction of Sleaford and Bourne. He thought this way might afford him a greater opportunity of coming across someone suitable to join their little enclave. He walked all day at a moderate pace, seeing only the occasional rabbit and the odd deer. The wild grassland was punctuated here and there by a few bushes and single trees. At least the land had started to recover after its neglect. Nature was fighting back. Plants and animals had taken back ownership. Even the wolves, which had probably escaped from their human prisons, were doing well. There were plenty of sheep and cattle to serve as food, as well as deer and the other wild creatures.

But Jess had no need to hunt that day; Ben had fed him well before he had left on his mission. Ben had given the dog a large plate of meat, enough to keep him sustained for a couple of days.

As the shadows grew long and evening fell, he looked around for a place to bed down for the night. He spotted a suitable-looking bush, and, finding a hollow space beneath it, curled up in it and went to sleep, yet still keeping his senses keened for any danger that might present itself. He awoke next morning with the sun on his face, and streaming across the landscape. He stretched his legs and back, and set off again in the same direction he had previously taken. Again he saw nothing other than a few rabbits and the odd deer. He had eaten very well on the morning of his departure, but he must have water. He remembered from his earlier trip in these parts that there was a river nearby, and he made a slight detour in order to drink. Having quenched his thirst, he continued on his way south, walking all day and into the early evening, looking out all the while for a suitable place to sleep. He spotted a likely looking bush about a hundred yards away, and, approaching it cautiously, sniffed it. It smelled of human and dog, females, both of them. He went closer, his muscles on high alert.

A low, throaty growl came from the bush followed by a woman’s voice: It’s all right, girl, I’ve got ’im marked.

An arrowhead poked through the bush, pointing straight at Jess. Immediately he rolled over onto his back and put his legs in the air, in submission. He wasn’t going to argue with that weapon. He had seen what it could do. Ben had used it to kill a young deer before he acquired the hunting rifle.

Then a young woman walked cautiously towards him, arrow at the ready. He whimpered softly and she laid the bow on the ground. She came close to him, bent down and scratched his ear.

He’s fine, Liza, come and say hello.

Liza came to Jess and sniffed him all over, she gave a quiet woof of approval.

Jess checked Liza next and approved her by giving her a slap on the rump with his paw. She yelped and raced off across the plain. Jess tore after her. They playfully chased each other for about fifteen minutes, then Liza sped back to her boss. Jess followed at a breakneck pace. The girl had been watching them and was pleased to see them getting along so well. The big wolfhound was built for speed as well as hunting.

Ben often said, Jess, ol’ boy you’re faster than greased lightnin’.

The girl patted Jess’s head. You’re a good boy, now we ought to get something to eat, we’ve had the last of the rabbit so you two will have to catch some more. She turned to the collie. Rabbits, Liza, and the collie shot off across the plain with Jess in hot pursuit. Fifteen minutes later the girl saw them coming over the horizon and saw the rabbit in Liza’s mouth.

That was quick. Liza trotted up to her and dropped the rabbit at her boss’s feet, wagging her tail furiously. Good dog. The girl made a big fuss of the collie.

What a pretty picture, came a voice from behind the bush.

Two men stood up and came towards the girl. One was tall and skinny, the other was just skinny. They both looked dirty and mean. The girl moved her hand slowly to the hunting knife at her waist. She didn’t like the look of these two. The dogs didn’t either. Liza growled, Jess barked and then snarled, showing his long fangs. Good dogs, the girl whispered.

What do you two want? You must’ve sneaked up on me through the long grass while the dogs were hunting, didn’t you.

Missy, we see’d you from across the way, said the tall man.

What made you think I was female? she replied.

That’s easy, said the other man. We thought at first you was a fella, then we see’d yer tits pushin’ out against yer buckskin shirt an’ it was obvious.

The girl fiddled nervously with the handle of her knife. The man seemed not to notice.

The same man spoke again. By the way, my name’s Hal, this here’s Pete. He indicated the taller man. Hal spoke again. We come to have some fun wiv you. He pulled a gun from his trousers pocket and waved it towards the girl. This is to make sure you don’t argue, now git yer kit off.

Jess had kept his eyes on the gun the whole time but occasionally they shifted to take in the girl’s countenance. He could see she was getting frightened. He tucked his back paws tightly beneath him, making himself ready for what was to come. Still, he hardly moved a muscle. Then, with fangs bared, he leapt snarling and growling, for Hal’s throat. As his jaws closed on the soft neck Jess bit hard and deep. Hal gurgled once and then lay quiet and still. He didn’t get the chance to use his gun.

Seeing his friend with his throat torn out, Pete turned and ran.

Marauders, the girl muttered, and took an arrow from her quiver and notched it to her bow. She took careful aim at Pete’s fleeing back. I don’t take prisoners, she said quietly as she let the arrow fly. It thudded into Pete’s back between his shoulder blades, severing his spine. He twitched a few times then he too lay still. The girl walked over to him and looked down at him, then, putting her foot on his back, she pulled the arrow out and wiped it on the grass. Then she punched her fist in the air and said softly, And my name’s Henrietta.

She turned and spoke to Jess: Good boy, leave him now.

Jess went and laid down a short distance away from Hal. He didn’t like the smell of him. While Jess and Henrietta were dealing with the marauders, Liza had stayed still and quiet. She trusted Jess to look after her boss. He weighed nearly ninety pounds so he was better equipped to handle the situation, but he couldn’t stand the smell of Hal’s blood on his muzzle any longer; he got up and looked towards Henrietta and barked loudly. When he had her attention he turned and raced off towards the river.

Henrietta wondered where he was going but settled down to clear the ground for a fire. Having removed about a square yard of turf she searched around and gathered some small dry twigs and larger pieces of dead wood. She then went over to Hal’s body and retrieved his revolver. Taking it back to where she’d prepared the fire she took two bullets from the chamber and, using her hunting knife, she prised out the bullets from their casings and sprinkled the powder over the prepared kindling. Taking one of her precious matches, she struck it on the box and dropped it onto the kindling. The match caught the powder and the fire sprang into life. She fed the fire with larger pieces of wood until she had a good blaze going, then she skinned and gutted the rabbit and removed its head, saving the offal for the dogs.

She had already prepared two forked branchlets from their hidey-hole earlier that morning; these she sharpened on the long ends and pushed into the ground, one either side of the fire. Then she took a straight piece of green wood she had already cut, and removed the bark. This she pushed through the length of the rabbit, leaving a couple of inches sticking out either end. These ends she placed across the forked branchlets, placed either side of the fire.

Jess suddenly came haring up. He skidded to a halt at her feet, his tail wagging furiously. Woof, he said, and made some strange clicking noises which she had heard from her own dog when Liza seemed to want to say something.

Henrietta slapped her thigh. "I see you’re clean again. You’ve