Old World (The Green and Pleasant Land) (9 page)

“What about Carlisle?” I said interrupting. The captain was a hard eyed man, a thirty year veteran of iron discipline, he alone amongst the officer core seemed to have found the will to maintain a clean shaven look throughout the apocalypse.

“What about it?” he barked. I licked my lips and pondered my next words carefully.

“Pendragon systems global headquarters at Edenpark is just outside the city” said I.

“Not too far from your home either I believe?” interjected Lieutenant Tasker with a slight sneer.

“Looking to go home Redmayne?” said Captain Skellen quizzically.

“No. The coincidence is just that.”

“Explain”

So I told them. I told them about the underground bunker at Edenpark. I told them about the command and control centre it housed which might, just might still have an operational satellite link which could give us an idea of what was happening in the wider world and allow us to link up with the remnants of the Royal Navy in other parts of the globe.

They lapped it up, the thought of not being alone any more was enough to push them over into endorsing my plan. I neglected to tell them that the chances of the building having power, let alone being able to establish a satellite link were slim to nil. Let them have their hope, and I will have mine. The Redmayne house was less than an hour from Edenpark, I would see what became of my dearest after that telephone call, and my fellow lost sailors would be none the wiser.

The meeting started to wind down. Food was short, water was short, morale was low. There had been two more rapes which had led to two more summary executions, two more bodies to feed to the water. The fine details of the Brampton mission were hammered out and most of us made to leave. I heard one of Captain Skellens aides mention a tertiary objective.

“A third mission?” queried Lieutenant Tasker.

“Yes” nodded the Captain. “We have intercepted an unidentified radio signal, as we're heading to Carlisle we may as well expand the mission to investigate that as well”

“Where is it coming from?” I ask. The Captain looks at his notes.

“A remote location, in the Lake District National Park, a place called Ravensburg”.