Discovery In Sunshine

By A. B. Bishop

What did Beth volunteer to do? She was about to drive a semi-tractor-trailer rig across the country. But there were no maps, no diesel, no communication, and no truck stops.

Discovery in Sunshine is a story set in a period of postapocalyptic recovery from volcanoes, floods, fires, and loss of cities and lives within western North America. Her family had developed a better way to collect, store, and save solar power to effectively run heavy transport trucks. Their company needed to prove the effectiveness of this development by doing a test-drive across parts of the country without other fuels. They installed their technology on a truck and trailer that would carry food and medicine. They convinced groups engaged in the transportation industry to support this test. The test would be a trial run from Canada to Mexico by women and men in a semi-tractor-trailer rig mapping roads and finding what cities and peoples had survived. They were without knowledge of what they might encounter and how well this technology would serve them over a month's time. This travel route was without communication, a power grid, or seaports to supply goods. They had hope, grit, and determination. Beth will start on this journey with a physician who wants to find her family. What will they find? What impact can they make?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fulton Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 28, 2024
• ISBN: 9798889828983

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Introduction

Chapter 1: Plan for a Trial Run

Chapter 2: The Travel Rig

Chapter 3: Initial Test Run

Chapter 4: First Leg to Detroit

Chapter 5: Detroit

Chapter 6: The Road to Denver

Chapter 7: Into the City, Hiding in Plain Sight

Chapter 8: Getting Out of Dodge and Hauling New Cargo—Both Ways?

Chapter 9: A Change of Direction

Chapter 10: On the Road Again

Chapter 11: Bad Apples

Chapter 12: The Canadian Mounties and Where Is Seattle?

Chapter 13: Fuel and Reconnection

Chapter 14: Back to the Solar Truck Trial

Chapter 15: Westport

Chapter 16: On to Los Angeles

Chapter 17: LA Inspection then Off to Find a Bottling Plant

Chapter 18: DFW, Sale of Wine, then Detroit

About the Author

cover.jpg

Discovery In Sunshine

A. B. Bishop

Copyright © 2024 A. B. Bishop

All rights reserved

First Edition

Fulton Books

Meadville, PA

Published by Fulton Books 2024

ISBN 979-8-88982-897-6 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88982-898-3 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Introduction

The communal family I am about to tell you about had lived through many changes and problems to exist here. First came the dictator that electors selected despite gross warnings. Then the dictator divided the country by silently building a wall to separate the East, his supporters, and the West, his enemies. This physical split caused business, health care, education, and support to move where they could survive and thrive. Then new laws were made that citizens living in the West could not travel, visit, purchase, or work in the East. The wall created a line from west Texas through western North Dakota. The West became weak and unable to take care of its citizens. Their practices of freedom had been lost gradually, and they were surprised when it became apparent through hunger and lack of voice, products, health care, medicines, and every other convenience that they formerly knew.

A community of people in the west decided to do something about their plight. Beth and Marie became strong voices in bringing people together to grow food, protect one another, find health care, restart education, discover new businesses that would thrive in a world where they could no longer assume that life as they defined it would never change. It had changed.

Small groups grew and learned to live in a diverse society, working together, helping each other, discovering what communities, large or small, needed to survive. Beth and Marie had started urban gardens, made a solar power plant, gotten new physicians for health care, and made many wonderful community friends. The cities grew, and a new government and infrastructure slowly developed in the West. They still had no inclusion with the East and lacked many things.

Then the long-term effects of climate change suddenly erupted. The West was first impacted as the Yellowstone Caldera blew up. This was followed by earthquakes; volcanoes came alive and exploded and disrupted much of the North American continent's environments. Volcanoes erupted from Canada into Mexico. Earthquakes split the land and destroyed dams, bridges, railroads, highways. Floods took out power production. The lack of maintenance of infrastructure throughout both halves of the country led to gross destruction. Power and communication stopped being available, as well as there was no fossil fuel. The governments were in chaos throughout Canada, the USA, and Mexico. Everyone needed assistance, and there was no plan on either side of the wall or the border.

Beth and Marie escaped and met new friends. They were forced to immigrate into Canada, where their peoples were willing to have immigrants but struggling with the same earthly catastrophes the states had experienced. Their small group was able to start a business in solar and were attempting to integrate it into usage on tractor trailer rigs that provide over-the-road transport of foods, supplies, and all sorts of products. Marie was the leader in making solar more useful in homes and businesses and integrating it into transportation. Beth was the writer in their family and created articles, solicited manufacturers and governments, and worked to produce a trial of solar powered semi tractor trailer rigs.

Their idea had much opposition from companies that were involved in fossil fuels. The catastrophe could offer opportunities to utilize solar technology for survival, transport, railroad travel, as well as homes with no power lines to replace. Governments in all countries were tied down by monetary contributions to their leaders to keep fossil fuel in the lead, despite the destruction they were causing to the earth's climate.

There were still areas of the West, both in Canada and the United States, that had not been helped, communicated with, or offered provision of needed food, supplies, and infrastructure. There were people with families out in regions that were barely surviving. Many had died.

The big question was, What else is happening to the western parts of the North American continent?

Chapter 1

Plan for a Trial Run

Beth was sitting by the pond with the fishing pole in hand, daydreaming and watching the bobber with abandon. The sky was partly cloudy, and it was a warm summer evening with a soft breeze. The water was clear and blue in the stream-fed pond. A few bugs skittered on the water and over it as well. Birds swept in to grab them for their dinner meal. She had leaned back on soft grass and was relaxing from another busy day. She thought longingly about the farm they had been forced to leave in Colorado when the world seemed to blow up with volcanoes, earthquakes, fires, floods, and destruction across the western parts of North America. She missed the rail cart that she would sneak through the wall to go fishing in the river on the other side. She missed old Betsy, the cow that would welcome her to the milking each morning.

Chores of the evening were done. Her job was milking and feeding their new cow and luring the chickens out of the garden plot with grains so they were protected in the chicken house. Their goat and her kid had already found their way to their stall in the barn. The ducks had gotten some grain for themselves and were making their way back to the pond. The garden was watered and weeded.

Beth had just finished an article for the Winnipeg newspaper on solar energy and the abundant methods of use.

Mae was in the kitchen, again preparing a meal for the household that always gathered daily, at least once, in the farmhouse where they lived. Her husband, Mac, was always busy in the barn fixing machinery that the neighbors needed repaired or working to restore other farm equipment. He was the handiest of handymen. Mini was working in her home office as an information technology resource for a local insurance company. Her two small children were napping in the room where she worked. John, her husband, who was also Mae and Mac's son, worked with Marie at the Solar Production Company (SPC) that the whole household had created and owned. Marie was the creative brain of the SPC, and John ran production. They had started inside the old barn on this homestead they now owned (had purchased it from the Pilsner family) but had recently purchased a large building where they had moved the production facility. It was nearby in the town of Mors, Manitoba, Canada. Beth was a freelance writer and HAM radio operator and did whatever else to help around the home or the business. She had published a couple of fiction novels, newspaper articles on various subjects, short stories for magazines, and even training manuscripts for the SPC. She had recently completed a proposal to the Automotive Manufacturing Bureau of Manitoba for the development of solar-powered heavy-duty trucks, asking them to present this plan to the different truck manufacturers that had production facilities in the province.

Two years ago, this group came together as thirteen survivors of the earth's ruptures through volcanoes, the super volcano of Yellowstone, earthquakes, fires, and floods. This group of thirteen came from Colorado. This six had created a family business: of the others one had become a medical doctor, another a nurse; one had become a professional basketball player and another his manager; two had returned to find family in Minnesota and Canada; and Marie's brother, Trucker, had returned to driving truck in the eastern part of the country called the USA.

Beth was suddenly startled from her quiet fishing reverie by the sound of the old dinner bell near the house. She sat up and grabbed her gear and the few fish she had already caught and tied to her stringer. Whomever was ringing it continued. Mac was hurrying in from the barn. John's car was in the front of the house beside Mac's old pickup. Marie was standing under the bell and clanging it continuously. John and Mini stood beside her while Mae held both their babies at the back door of the house.

Hurry! Hurry! Read all about it! Marie shouted.

Beth and Mac were out of breath as they came to the dinner bell and the group around it. Marie stopped ringing the bell and started waving a letter above her head. We got a response was what she said.

A response to what? asked Beth and Mac at the same time.

The manufacturing bureau! They have submitted to several of the truck manufacturers, and they are very interested in our proposal. Several are asking for a study of effectiveness and long-term heavy usage. Marie handed Beth the letter she had been waving and hugged her before she could read it.

We did it! said John and Mini, hugging.

We got their attention anyway, said Marie. What they are asking for may not be as easy as we want it to be.

Beth was reading the letter. They are asking for ten thousand miles over thirty days, with full documentation and verification in a truck or comparable vehicle carrying two tons of any kind of cargo. They want verification from their plants in Los Angeles and Detroit and Seattle. They will verify the stability of the engines, the torque, the axles, and assure the total weight makes the trip. They require detailed daily logs kept or sent during the trip.

Do they have any idea how bad the roads are between Detroit and LA, much more to Seattle? asked Mac. From what we hear, very little reconstruction has been done out west beyond the wall. You can't take a semi the whole distance on either Interstate 80 or Interstate 90. Much less share communications from the west. Limited tow service or cell service may not even exist. They must believe in magic!

"Sounds to me like they want someone to make the trip to see if anyone in a truck can drive from Chicago to LA and Seattle," said Beth.

John stepped up to his dad. We have tested the collector and the battery multiple times already. The new converter provides adequate power for weight and speed. We can hook up Beth's HAM radio for communications.

We have tested lots but just not the typical road experiences, like flat tires, winds, rain, or snow—long periods without sunlight, mountains, sandstorms, mentioned Marie. We knew we would need to have it proven through real conditions. So this is our chance. If we can prove it will withstand their tests, then we can sell the product. We already have the patent. We can put their requirements to the test and make this happen!

Do you have a truck rigged for this? We probably will need potential off-road four-wheel drive for the challenges going west will require. We don't even know what highways are fully passable, even after two years. I am game to be part of this trial, but who else can go that can afford to be away for a month? asked Beth.

Marie and John looked at each other and then Beth. We hoped you would go. We do not have anyone to spare from the plant. I was thinking we might get Trucker to join us and help with the trial. When I talked to him, he was reluctant, though, and did not believe he could be off work for that long a period of time.

Mae brought an envelope out and handed it to Beth. This may be the answer to that question. Mae looked at the whole group while Beth read the letter. It is from Sydney. She has finished her emergency room physician internship. She wants to go back to Denver for closure, good or bad. She is asking if one of us will go with her.

One of the babies started crying. Mini grabbed them both and headed in the back door to feed them.

Mae followed and waved to the group. Dinner is almost ready. Bring it inside and we can talk more about this over dinner. Beth, clean those fish and get them in the refrigerator. Mac, go wash up.

Dinner that evening was lively around the dinner table. The talk of the testing and the trip was heavy with details and concern. Beth in her usual manner took notes since she had more or less volunteered to take the trip. There was little information on the road conditions beyond the wall. GPS was not helpful as there were few receivers to access it. There were no cell towers in most western areas for communication. Maybe some of her HAM friends could offer guidance and direction. Maybe Trucker would come along. The only sure trip might be to North Dakota. From there it would be questionable about whether to start in Detroit or Los Angeles. Should they go south to LA or west to Seattle. Would they have to go as far as Texas to drive to California. They all needed lots of information before this trip would take place. There were the business expectations and, especially important, the personal expectations and concerns. And lots of prayers needed to be said.

John and Marie were heavily in discussion of what truck to mount the power system, storage batteries and motor with hybrid capabilities, where to put the two-ton cargo, and how to provide all the testing documentation for the thirty-day period. Then there were the needs of the driver/passengers in a part of the country with limited power, water, or food and other resources to keep them going safely through uncharted areas.

Beth was thinking that this could be quite a story. First, she needed to prepare to live it. She would also need to make sure Sydney could do the whole trip and was ready to face the stark reality of people whose lives had been turned upside down. Her medical skills would be tested, as well as her soul. Beth knew hers would be tested as well. She had heard from her radio friends of many dangers, threats, lack of resources, water, and food. There were vigilante groups in some places and a lot of anger, sorrow, and fear. The messages sounded like the cities were little safer than the remote areas. At least there were some supplies being brought into seaports from the Pacific, along the southern California coastline. There were few communications about the northwest or Alaska at this time. The automotive plant was running in Los Angeles and shipping vehicles and parts through Mexico back and forth to Detroit. The AMB had confirmed LA was operational.

Mae brought out a rhubarb strawberry pie for dessert, and this halted the heavy discussions for a few minutes. After eating, everyone helped clear the table and wash dishes. Mini and John took their newest baby girl, little Mia, and Lin, the one-and-a-half-year-old boy, to roll around on the floor on the living room rug. Mac settled into a worn recliner and raised his footrest. Mae settled in a nearby chair with her knitting under a lamp. Marie and Beth opened an old road atlas and started scheming about the best way to travel to avoid the damages created by volcanic eruptions, river flooding, and any of the other catastrophic damages they had heard about in the west.

Everyone retired to their rooms as the moon rose and the events of the day needed time to simmer and allow dreams and ideas to percolate to make this new creation work.

Marie and Beth relaxed up against the headboard as they tried to calm their minds from this wonderful possibility and creation.

If we can make this work, it could be used for farm tractors and who knows what else, mused Marie.

Beth smiled at her. You are the creative sort to jump ahead to the next project! Do you think you and John can put together a rig that will meet the expectations of the truckers? Semi rigs pull lots of weight and travel lots of miles. Am I going to have to drive a semi? Beth suddenly thought of that portion of what she had volunteered to do.

Marie tossed a pillow at Beth. Of course you will. You do it during harvest for the wheat trucks, and you have a commercial license approved here as well as in the US. We will make it doable. Besides, if Sydney can drive a motorcycle, she can learn how to manage a semi-tractor-trailer rig as well as you will.

I'm not so sure I want to be separated from you for a month or more, said Beth. Just think of all the trouble you could get into without me around to worry about everything, she teased.

What about the emotional trauma? Syd is looking for the love of her life. Can she deal with the trip if the results of her search are not good? We may have to go to Denver first. Will she be able to continue? Beth was always anxious about details. They needed to talk to Sydney.

They lay down quietly, made love passionately, and said good night.

Chapter 2

The Travel Rig

We need a sleeper cab, and it will be helpful if the top is flat without caution lights protruding above the windshield. The antennae will need to be mounted on the passenger side or above the second axle. I cannot figure out if we can attach a secondary panel on top of the trailer and adequately attach it to the batteries on the cab. The batteries can stand upright and mount flat and between the sleeper and the petrol tank. John and Marie were discussing how to meet the requirements of the truck manufacturers.

I believe we may have to create a flat cab roof or make the panels flexible to curve. Are we going to need to have the panels move to get effective exposure from the sun? asked John.

As long as the trailer is no higher than the cab, flat panels should be effective, said Marie. She had improved the collection arrays to be quite efficient.

They had three other engineers from the SPC helping to design the needs of the tractor-trailer rig. These discussions happened daily as the project began coming together. They examined the capabilities and efficiencies of several of the manufacturers' rigs, from engine to axles and to towing capabilities. The plans were coming together.

The SPC's response to the Automotive Manufacturing Bureau (AMB) and those vendors that had expressed interest in this project had been sent and accepted. They had committed to beginning the test within two months of the AMB and vendor acceptance. They had provided specifics of how the SPC meant to achieve their specifications. The SPC team was spending long hours and commitment to get everything completed with time prior to the start date so they could run comparable tests before the official start. They were all committed to making this happen.

Beth had been in contact with Sydney, by phone, and they had discussed the plan to see if Sydney was willing to go along for the whole ride. They decided to meet in Canada within a month of the start so she could get her commercial driver's license (CDL) and learn what the trip entailed. They were both excited. Sydney was also holding on to hopes and dreams of her own, as they mapped the trip to include going through Denver after the start in Detroit. They also needed the weight and size of Sydney's motorcycle as the cargo needed to include space for it. It was a safety backup in case of being delayed. The two of them had suggested that the cargo making up the two tons include food and necessities to share with those struggling as they might find them along the trip. They did not know how to make up the weight when and if they were sharing these necessities along the route.

Maybe we could double the weight that the AMB is requiring us to carry the whole way, suggested Sydney