The End of the Grand Experiment
March 1, 2019 Lansdale, Pennsylvania.
2:00 PM
“Abe you seen the news?” Frank asked as he was running by Abraham’s cube. “No, I have been
too busy actually working Frank. Seriously you need to stop goofing off.” Franks stopped and looked
back “Abe get off it. Seriously there is something very wrong and the President is making an emergency
address in about 4 minutes.” Frank turned and continued on. Abe looked at the clock he had to get the
report done for a 2:30 meeting with the Director of Operations. “Damn it” he muttered as he left his
cube to follow Frank to the cafeteria where the TVs were always on CNN. He arrived and was surprised
to see how many other employees were there. Just then the President began.
“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen our time is short so I will make this brief. We are at a
crossroads for not only our nation but for the human race. How we carry ourselves forward will
determine whether our species survives the next few days. Approximately, 28 minutes ago scientists at
NASA using the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory registered the largest solar mass ejection in history.
For those of us how aren’t familiar a solar mass ejection is when the sun erupts pushing a large amount
of electromagnetic radiation into space. The one detected a few minutes ago contains millions of tons of
plasma that is traveling at almost two thousand miles per second toward earth. We estimate impact
around midnight eastern standard time”
The room was dead silent. Abe looked around and saw some people crying. After half a
heartbeat he reacted, turning on a dime and running out of the building toward his car. As he entered
the car he pulled out his cell phone and called his wife. “All circuits are busy” the phone responded
much to his dismay. He accelerated as he left the parking lot heading toward the highway. When he got
to the stop light he saw that traffic was oddly light for the area. The President must still be talking he
thought as he turned on the radio and picked up the speech mid-sentence.
“the emergency powers to declare martial law for the next 2 weeks. There will be an 8 pm
curfew in effect nationwide. Please everyone remain calm and we can get through this. I will now turn
the floor over the national science advisor Dr. Martin Robinson. Thank you and God bless America.”
Abe was on the highway now coming up to a stop light that was just turning green. He noticed a
sign for Wal-Mart and turned sharply as he made a snap decision. Abraham knew regardless of what the
president said people were not going to stay calm. Too many religious nut jobs and anarchist would see
this as opportunity to do what they wanted. As he entered the Wal-Mart parking lot he saw there was
only a few cars. He quickly parked and ran inside. After scouring the store filling two shopping carts
with can goods and survival equipment. He hurried up the register. The clerk on hand looked at like he
was crazy. “So you actually think the world is coming to an end?” she asked snidely. “Doesn’t hurt to be
prepared.” Abe responded. After paying the staggeringly high bill he ran out to his car and loaded up the
supplies. As he was leaving many more cars were pulling into the lot. People were starting to have the
same idea. He raced back out to the highway but this time he was stuck in traffic. Too many people
were trying to get home to the ones they loved. For a brief moment he wondered if he made the right
decision by making the detour. He tried to call his wife again without any success. He continued to try
over course of the next hour it took for him to get home. By now he knew his wife was done work at
her school and should be heading home. He was hoping they ended school early because of the
catastrophe and she would be waiting on him with their 5 year old son Ethan.
As he pulled into the drive to his unimaginable relief he saw his wife’s SUV. He raced into the
front door and kissed her before she could say a word. “Get clothes and anything essential packed we
are going to your uncle’s cabin in Tioga county. If we leave now we should make it before the wave hits
Earth.” “Why should we leave? The president said it we should all remain calm and stay indoors?” “Do
you trust me?” Abe asked. “Of course” Nicole responded. “Then I will explain on the way. Just hurry up
and get packed we need to leave in 10 minutes.” A very short while later they were all loaded up in the
SUV. Abe had strapped two gas cans to the roof rack along with the largest suitcases. They had
transferred all supplies and can food he had bought at Wal-Mart to the SUV. It was packed to the brim.
In addition Abe had taken all four of his guns from his cabinet in the basement and loaded them in the
back. He also had a license to carry his M&P40 semiautomatic pistol and had strapped it in a holster on
his hip. He also packed every bullet he could find.
After they were on the road Nicole turned to him and asked “What is this all about Abe? You’re
scaring me and Ethan” “Its Inertia Nicole” Abe began “First off its going to be a lot worse than they are
making it out to be on TV. The President is obviously trying to avoid a panic. They said this solar thing
whatever it is, will wipe out all electronics and the power grid. Think about that. It might be just
another Friday in Africa or the rural parts of South America but here it will be the end of the world.
Everything we use now a days relies on electricity and high-tech electronics. The majority of Americans
don’t know how to survive without them. The idea that it is over will be infectious. Maybe we could put
it all back together after the power goes out but so many people will be convinced the end of the world
has come they won’t be able to control them, everyone will start looking out for themselves and their
family. All unity as a nation will fail and chaos and anarchy will rain for a time. America is nothing but
an Idea. As long as everyone believes in the Idea it is the strongest nation on earth. Americans are the
most obnoxious and arrogant people but our belief in the supremacy of our nation is what makes it so.
Once people stop believing and only think about their family it will hard to tell them to listen to
strangers. To tell them stop looting and killing. To stop taking what they think they need to survive.
Too many people in the country have been convinced the Apocalypse is coming for too long. First it was
Y2K, then it was 2012, and now that it finally is here they will be convinced it is all over. That conviction
is what will ensure it is over. If I am wrong the worst that will happen is we took a very long drive and
spent the weekend in the Poconos. If I am right” Abe shuttered at the thought of the world his son
would grow up in.”
Nicole thought for a long moment letting her husband’s words soak in. “Why is it going to be
better at the cabin?” she asked after a few long moments. “For one thing, there are less people in the
area. This isn’t the peak vacation season so most of the cabins will be vacant. Second your aunt is
obsessed with that damn coupon show and buys a ridiculous amount of groceries they don’t need. I
remember your uncle telling me they started moving some of the nonperishables up to the cabin after
they filled up their house. Third your uncle keeps several of his guns, ammo, and reloading supplies up
there for hunting. We should be able to defend ourselves better in the eventuality someone tries to take
what we have.” Nicole sat speechless again. Her husband had obviously thought this through but what
surprised her is how quick he made all the connections. She knew he had been in the Marines and that
he never hesitated to make a decision but the precision of the assessment and following decision
startled her. She looked over at her husband and for the first time realized he was formidable. She
knew now that he would get her and Ethan through this no matter what happened. “What if my uncle
and aunt have the same idea?” “Then we convince them to let us bunk up in a spare room. Your uncle is
getting older and if he and Aunt Deloris are going to make it through they will need help.”
They were quiet for the rest of the trip north. Racing against time Abraham didn’t bother with
the speed limit and considering the impending events the police weren’t exactly on the prowl. It was
dark as they approached the cabin. None of the lights were on and there weren’t any cars around. Abe
got out and walked up to the door while Nicole grabbed a sleeping Ethan from the back seat. He tried
the door, locked. He pulled out a flash light from his pocket and looked around on the ground. Not far
away was the fake looking rock. “This things probably led to more break-ins then they prevented” he
mumbled as he picked up the rock and took out the key from the bottom. After taking Ethan in and
putting him in one of the spare bedrooms they began unloading the supplies from their car.
It was about 11:30 when they finished unloading everything and settled in on the couch to listen
to the radio. They listened as the broadcaster described the chaos going on around the world as
governments tried to control and calm their people. In the United States mass looting and riots had
already begun in several major cities and armed Militia groups were declaring their independence from
the United States. “It’s just as you feared Abe” Nicole said looking at him. “I am afraid it’s only begun by
tomorrow the idea of the United States will be nothing but a memory. Like the life cycle of every great
world power the influence and the unity have been fading for quite some time. We have been closing in
on the tipping point and the sun just shoved us over. The death of an idea, end of the grand
experiment.” “Maybe one day someone can bring it back.” Nicole said glancing at the door to Ethan’s
room. “I hope so.” Abe replied.