The New Madrid Run

WHAT IF
—
IN JUST A FEW HOURS, THE PARAMETERS OF CIVILIZATION WERE IRREVOCABLY SHATTERED?

WHAT IF
—
YOU SURVIVED . . .?

“
Thought-provoking, frightening
; the best read since Stephen King introduced the plague to modern times.”

—
The Texarkana Gazette

FACT:
Recent scientific research suggests that our planet has shifted its axis more than once in the past. Animals quick-frozen in the Siberian tundra, and tropical forests suddenly fossilized are examples of a severe pole shift.

“Reisig leads his readers into a changed world where survivors face one adventure after another and page after page, the question in the back of your mind—
could this really happen?
—becomes even more intense.”

—Richard W. Noone, author of
5/5/2000

FACT:
The near-perfect alignment of the planets in our solar system and the resulting extraordinary gravitational pull has occurred before, and
will occur
again in this century.

“Reisig has penned a page-turner that paints a graphic picture of an islander’s worst nightmare—
an ecological cataclysm of global proportions
—with a story line right on our doorstep.”

—
The Key West Citizen

FACT:
Volcanic and earthquake activity is on the increase. Recent earthquakes in Iran, China, the Caribbean, and devastating tidal waves in Indonesia are examples of the mounting tension of tectonic plates in the earth’s crust.

“
A roller-coaster adventure ride
that will have you stocking up on survival gear and buying property in the mountains!”

-- The Ouachita Writers Guild

THE NEW MADRID RUN

by

MICHAEL REISIG

CLEAR CREEK PRESS

Other titles by Michael Reisig
Brothers of the Sword/Children of Time
The Hawks of Kamalon
The Old Man’s Letters
The Fledgling Author’s Handbook

Copyright©1998, Clear Creek Press/Michael Reisig
([email protected])
1st Edition, July, 1998
4th Edition March, 2005 by Clear Creek Press; Dorrie O’Brien, Arlington, Texas, editor.
Cover design by Powell Graphics
Cover design copyright©1998 Clear Creek Press

Published by Clear Creek Press
P.O. Box 1081 Mena, AR 71953
1-479-394-4992

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any other means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 0-9651240-1-0

Acknowledgments

A book may be penned by an individual, but ultimately, its birth onto the publisher’s pages is never a singular accomplishment. This novel is no exception.

There are many to whom I owe a great debt of gratitude for their support, assistance, and most of all, their belief in me.

This book is dedicated to my parents. Without their unflagging faith, this first book of an uncertain author would never have come to be.

A special thanks to my buddy, Richard, who planted the seed that gave root to a novel.

And last but not least, my love and gratitude to Bonnie Lee, who worked diligently on my initial editing, stoically endured the tribulations of a writer’s mate, and helped me keep the faith.

Thank you for believing, all of you.

“And lo, there was an earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood. . .”

—Revelation 6:12

Foreword

This planet, and ultimately its inhabitants, is moving toward the conclusion of an era, and very possibly, the end of a cycle in man’s much longer history than most suppose.

As with most potentially calamitous events, Mother Nature provides warnings, and explanations, if the societies affected are advanced enough to understand. It is entirely possible that civilizations before us who experienced monumental disasters have also left us warnings, if we are perceptive enough to decipher them.

This book is a work of fiction. The premise, however, and the concept that the planet earth could experience catastrophic geological and climatic changes early this century, is a viable possibility.

These disastrous changes could be brought about by a number of events—a comet passing too close to the earth’s gravitational field, a large solar storm, or a near-perfect alignment of the planets in our solar system.

It is theorized that any one of these occurrences could cause sufficient gravitational or magnetic disturbance to catalyze a change of the earth’s rotating axis in relation to other heavenly bodies. Such an event, combined with the enormous weight of the perpetually thickening ice mass at the South Pole, could prove to be a fatal convergence, and the tilt of the earth would no longer be able to overcome the centrifugal force of our spinning planet. At that point, the polar ice masses would be thrust across the earth’s surface toward some point near the equator, and a crustal displacement of the earth’s surface—a shift in the planet’s poles—would take place.

Comets narrowly missing, or striking, the earth and disproportionately large solar storms, are not new phenomena. They, and the concept of periodical alignments of the planets in this solar system, represent an explanation for forthcoming changes. The clearly perceptible wobble of the earth as it is affected by the polar ice mass imbalance is part of the warning. The increase of volcanic and earthquake activity worldwide, and the frequency and ferocity of violent meteorological storms throughout the globe are admonitions of a changing planet, yet we may expect more . . .

Scientists and astrologers are already predicting devastating solar storms for the new millennium. With new technology, we are more aware than ever before of our vulnerability to comets and meteorites, and there is no disagreement in scientific circles that we periodically experience significant planetary alignments. It is entirely possible that in the not too distant future, this planet may once again experience a pole shift.

Prior to, during, and after this shift, there will be widespread geological disturbances and climatic changes. The geodetic or tectonic plates that represent the earth’s crust will, themselves, shift in numerous places—particularly in those areas of severe faults. As these large rifts expand and contract, huge sections of
terra firma
will change shape. Some of the coastlines that border major faults may virtually disappear into the sea, and new landmasses will rise out of the ocean as tectonic plates are forced together and buckle upward. Entire mountain ranges will crumple and collapse.

This massive displacement of landmass, coupled with awesome earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, will cause tidal waves of gigantic proportions, inundating coastal regions throughout the world. Areas of the globe that had previously experienced a temperate or even tropical climate may undergo rapid weather changes approaching severe northern, perhaps even arctic, conditions. Other regions, depending on location, may experience slighter climatic changes, but all of the earth will suffer alteration to some degree.

For those who survive this cataclysm, the ensuing period of recovery will be harsh indeed. In a matter of hours, the parameters of civilization, as we know them, shall have been irrevocably altered and survival of the fittest may well become the law of the land. The survivors of this holocaust will face not only the dangers and challenges of a changed earth, but quite probably, the baser ambitions of their fellow man.

The possibility of a catastrophe of these proportions is not the product of the author’s imagination. Rather, it is a theory already expounded upon, and becoming more readily accepted by numerous scientists, geologists, and astronomers throughout the world.Furthermore, it has become the single most consistent prediction by those in the New Age community. From Edgar Cayce and Ruth Montgomery to Michael Scallion, the forecasts of psychic community are patently similar.

In writing this book, I believe Michael Reisig has attempted to be as accurate as possible with the interpretive predictions of both the bona fide geological and psychic communities, using only a dab of artistic license in painting a portrait of a world gone mad. Yet, this is an adventure novel, meant to entertain. So read on and enjoy, but pay attention as you go—it could be a signpost to the future.

—Richard W. Noone

PART ONE
THE CHANGE AND THE GATHERING

“Behold, ye of little faith in God and nature. Witness the Change, bear testimony to the Cleansing.

“Save your woeful wailing, philandering Philistines, ye have squandered the gifts of God’s green Earth for a pocketful of coins. Now, as sure as arrogant pride goeth before a fall, and wickedness begets calamity, it is time to pay the piper for all your dirty dancin’ with Mother Nature’s daughters.”

— The Preacher

CHAPTER I

South Florida, shortly after the turn of the 21st century

The sun broke clear of the moisture-filled cumulus clouds, reflected off the windshield, and warmed the cockpit of the small twin-engine Cessna as it made its approach toward the Marathon Airport in the Florida Keys.

As he prepared for landing, Travis Christian was feeling pretty damn good about life. He stretched his large frame in the seat, ran a hand through his dark, curly hair and smiled slightly to himself. This week he had celebrated his tenth year as chief pilot and owner of Islandair Charters. He was doing what he loved and getting paid for it, and that was a hard combination to beat. It had been a long and crooked path from there to here, but he had made it.

He’d been sixteen when he received his fixed-wing license. By the time he was nineteen he had been recruited by Uncle Sam and was flying helicopters in Vietnam—landing in places you couldn’t get a Volkswagen Beetle into, then taking off with the cries of the wounded in his ears and pieces of his chopper disappearing as the enemy did their best to make his two-year stay a permanent one.

After ’Nam, he finished up his commercial pilot’s rating with the help of the GI Bill, then bummed around the States for a few years. He was licensed to fly for a living, but so were thousands of other guys who were just out of the service. Jobs that involved wings and props were scarce. He traveled from California to New Mexico, across to Texas and finally down to Florida where he fell in love—not with a woman, but with a chain of islands called the Florida Keys.

The Keys—mangrove islands surrounded by gin-clear, aquamarine waters. Tall palms stretched out over small, quiet beaches, quaint little bars, astounding sunsets, and tourist girls from all over the world. Travis had found where he wanted to be—all he needed was a way to make a living. About that time he discovered his second love in life—sailing.

He had been introduced to sailing by a friend who owned and chartered a sailboat out of Key West. The fellow needed a mate. His last employee, who drank even more than he did, had fallen off the dock and broken his leg. Travis needed a job, so he accepted the offer.

The next morning, Travis found himself headed toward the Tortugas on a 41 Morgan. The wind in the rigging sang to him like the Sirens to Ulysses. As he watched the sleek bow knife through the warm, clear water and tasted the salt in the air, he knew he would never be the same.

Time passed, and he learned to sail. As with any good sailor, he learned the tides, the channels, and the reefs. He also learned to pay attention to that capricious lady, Mother Nature. It wasn’t long before he realized that the same ocean he found so peaceful and serene could, in a very short time, become an awesome creature, terrifying and merciless. Even so, he loved it—or perhaps because of this, he loved it. It was the same feeling of challenge and risk that flying gave him.

Travis worked with his friend for about three years, sailing during the day and chasing the ladies of Key West in the evenings. Life was easy and certainly entertaining, but he still dreamed of having his own flying service. Finally he managed a part-time position with a small charter service on the island. It was also about that time he met a fellow pilot named William J. Cody, and his life became ultimately more interesting.

As the runway suddenly loomed ahead, Travis got down to the business of landing his plane. Backing off the throttles, adjusting prop pitch, and dropping twenty degrees of flaps, he set up a perfect final and settled the 310 gently onto the strip. He taxied over to the ramp, killed the engines, and got out. Then he helped his passengers out of the aircraft.