Story The Long Winter

[fastback08]

I have never tried writing before, so please be gentle but firm. If I start rambling, well, thats pretty much how I talk. Please let me know of any grammatical or spelling errors and let me know if you think I should continue. There are some fine writers here, and it can be a little intimidating.


The Long Winter

Chapter 1



“I don't think this Winter will ever end,” Marty complained to his wife, Martha. “This has been the coldest, wettest, Winter I can remember.”

“Seems like it to me too, Marty,” Martha replied, “at least the chicken coop is thawed enough that I can do a good cleaning. Egg laying has just about come to a halt.”

“Let me know when you get if cleaned, and I will work the manure into the beds in greenhouse. It is past time to get them started.”

Marty slowly ambled his way over to the barn and began the chore of feeding the animals, the mules got fed first. He wasn't sure why, but the mules were his favorite, except when plowing downwind and the mules expelled the exhaust from the wheat shorts. He supposed, it was because without fuel for the tractor, he knew the mules were his best chance for getting in a crop. Next came the cows. Now the cows were Martha's favorite, he mused. He was glad for that, for she insisted she be the one to milk them everyday. Lord knows he had enough to do around here without that.

After finishing in the barn, Marty stepped up on the back porch and shed his dirty boots and jacket and headed into the warmth of the kitchen for a much needed cup of coffee, black of course. Looking in the oven he saw it was time for the biscuits to come out so he grabbed a towel and removed the old cast iron skillet and set it on a cool place on the stove top.

Martha came in and said, “I will get the eggs started and some bacon frying, you need to feed the fire in the fireplace and get it warmed up in here.”

It seemed like they had always been together. They started school together and had always been friends. Martha's folks had been a little better off than Marty's, but it didn't matter to the two of them. They fell in love in the sixth grade and never bothered looking for anyone else. They had gotten married seven days after graduation and had been together ever since. Forty five years to be exact. That made them both sixty three, and except for the two years that Marty was in VietNam, they had never been apart.

“Breakfast is on the table,” sang out Martha. Marty dropped the last chunk of wood on the fire dogs and headed into the cozy warm kitchen and sat down to eat.

 

[Lake Lili]

Nice start! Thanks for a new story.

 

[sssarawolf]

Yes please continue.

 

[freshPotatoes]

Like how the story is starting out...can't wait to read some more !!

 

[nancy98]

Thank you Fastback. Looks like a good start to a hopefully looooong story. Check your PM's please.

Edited to add: Oh heck! Disregard the PM. LOL I swear I read the chapter twice and then just now when I re-read it and it read different. LOL Gotta quit having wine for breakfast.

 

[kaijafon]

very nice! thanks! (adds story to list for which to check every day...several times)

I look forward to more

 

[kaijafon]

Thank you Fastback. Looks like a good start to a hopefully looooong story. Check your PM's please.

Edited to add: Oh heck! Disregard the PM. LOL I swear I read the chapter twice and then just now when I re-read it and it read different. LOL Gotta quit having wine for breakfast.

WINE? for BREAKFAST??? good grief woman, EVERYBODY knows you are suppose to have champagne or vodka!

hehehehehehe!

 

[nancy98]

Well we do have some Champagne in the wine closet. Don't want it to go bad do we?

 

[kittyluvr]

Fastback, Good start. Please write MOAR!!!

 

[Deena in GA]

More, please?

 

[stjwelding]

fastback08 I add my thank you for your start to what looks like the beginning of a great story. I am looking forward to more, thanks for taking the time to share your story with us.
Wayne

 

[fastback08]

Thanks for the encouraging feedback.

Chapter 2​

Marty finished up breakfast and while Martha cleaned the kitchen, Marty took his coffee and retreated to the den. Sitting in front of the fire place Marty started thinking about how they came to be where they were. After Marty had returned home from the army, they had bought this small farm and Martha
took a job in town at the grocery store to help make ends meet. Their intentions were to make the farm as self sufficient as possible. To that end, Marty took odd jobs and they paid the farm off as soon as they could. They had lived a frugal life and put everything they made back into the farm. Solar panels when they could afford them, extra insulation when they could get it on sale, and canning everything they grew that wasn't eaten fresh. Everything was going as well as it could except no matter how hard they tried, it looked as if children were not in the cards for them. They both loved and wanted kids but it was not to be.

Things were pretty idyllic for the couple, until the sickness came. The CDC said it started in China, although there were some that were pretty sure it was brought in intentionally from the South by illegal immigrants. However it got her, it took out about a third of the US population. Being somewhat isolated and not having to deal directly with other people, Marty and Martha survived the “flu”. Most of the folks in the area were like minded and tended to stay to themselves, so the area did pretty well, survival wise.

The government was pretty devastated and with so many workers dead, the economy tanked and the give away programs dried up. What happened next was inevitable. The entitled class took to the streets and took everything they could take. The authorities were more concerned with their own families safety than enforcing the law. The entitled soon ran out of targets and turned on each other. Being so far off the beaten path, Marty and Martha saw little of the carnage.

“Marty”, Martha called from the kitchen, breaking his train of thought. “You need to see if you can get a deer or two for the freezer.”

“I was just contemplating that, dear” replied Marty. He knew taking a deer would be no problem, as they had made a successful comeback after the initial population drop caused by too many hunters trying to survive off the limited herd. “I will saddle one of the mules and try this afternoon” he told her. Marty like hunting from the mules, they tended to let him know when the deer were near and it save a lot of walking. Besides the mules didn't spook the deer like he did when he walked through the woods.

 

[Rabbit]

Very nice, I sure want more of this story. Thank you.

 

[kaijafon]

thank you! I can almost see the setting

 

[stjwelding]

Thanks fastback08 for more of your story. Looking forward to more.
Wayne

 

[PacNorWest]

Please keep on writing, it's shaping up to be an enjoyable read.

 

[sssarawolf]

Than you

 

[nancy98]

I'm liking it too. Thank you.

 

[RVM45]

That is a fine story so far.

You are good at something I really have to work at...

Getting your story going and raising and answering your reader's questions a little at a time.

I have always said that if the average reader was willing to take a time out the first 5 to 8 pages, let me set the stage and get in my necessary exposition that:

A.} Writing would be very easy indeed—for me;

AND,

B.} My stuff should sell as well as Stephen King's...

But most readers won't put up with long prologues. Writing—especially the first couple chapters—is hard for me.And my stuff, even after I labor mightily, still doesn't read or sell like the masters.

You, on the other hand, are good at that.

I do wonder how you will keep your focus with such short installments.

I'm sure that you'll manage though.

Good Work!


.....RVM45


Nancy98


Wine for Breakfast!

O please do invite me by for breakfast sometime.

It has been a long time since I had some good Wine.

O, I'm not terribly particular...

And not really very drawn by Alcohol. I just like to drink nice Cold Beverages:

Coke, Carbonated Water, Grape Juice, Tomato Juice, Orange Juice, Cranberry Juice, Chocolate Milk, Apple Cider, Whole Milk, Buttermilk, Egg Nog...

Even cold Ice Water has it all over Tap Water.

Almost the first thing out of my mouth when visiting is:

"Got anything Cold to Drink?"

{Oddly enough:

I don't care for Beer and any kind of Tea Gags me—it's the Tannins—Sassafras Tea is a "Go", though it's generally drank Hot."

 

[fastback08]

Thanks to everyone for the comments and suggestions. I hope I get better as we go along.

Chapter 3​

Marty got out his rifle, a M-14, the one he had mailed back home from Vietnam, one piece at a time. It was a select fire model and very few people knew he had it. He had equipped it with a Nightforce scope and if he could see a target, he could hit it. He picked up a five round magazine that he used for hunting and a couple of twenty rounders that he always carried in his vest and went out to the barn to saddle one of the mules. He didn't care which mule he rode, they were both broke to the saddle and plow as well as the wagon they went to town on. Once the mule was ready, Marty led him over to the trough and let him drink all he wanted as he went through his checklist and made sure he had all he needed.

Marty, always carried a few MREs when he went hunting and two quart canteens of water. A change of clothes in case he got wet, fire starting materials, and a first aid kit made up the bulk of his pack. He checked his knife for sharpness, got the mule's reins and off he went. The mule moved in a leisurely fashion, neither he nor Marty was in a hurry. They had all afternoon. Marty spotted what looked like a fresh deer trail so he let the mule amble in that direction. Before they had gone one hundred yards, Marty watched as the mule stopped and twitched his ears. Looking around Marty saw a doe deer that was good sized so he raised his rife and taking careful aim, he dropped the deer where she was standing. Marty reckoned the mule had smelled the deer and they had been hunting enough times, the mule figured the shot was coming so he stopped and waited. Marty had figured out, when the mule stops, the deer is near. It was as good a explanation as any.

Marty dismounted and gave thanks to the deer for the meals to come and then he began the task of field dressing the deer. Once the deer had been lightened of the innards, Marty used a rope and tied the deer across the mule behind the saddle. Using some of his water, he cleaned his knife and then his hands and told the mule, “I'm not going to be greedy, one is enough for today.”

Arriving back at the farm, Marty set to work right away. The sooner they could get the meat cooled off and hanging, the better it would be. He carefully skinned the deer and after splitting the sternum , he propped open the ribcage as far as he could to allow the cool air inside the barn to circulate. He then wrapped the deer in cheesecloth to keep any insects off, and raised it up about six feet off the floor. The deer could hang there for a day or two and age a bit, as long as the temperature stayed under forty or so.

Having taken care of the deer, he unsaddled the mule and fed him and the other mule. He threw a few flakes of hay in with the cows and headed into the house.

“Martha, I'm home” yelled Marty, though he knew she was well aware. Ever since they had started dating, she always seemed to sense when he was near.

“I hear you” she replied, “No need to yell.” “Get cleaned up and we will have a little supper.”

“What are we having” he asked, though it didn't matter. She knew what he liked and she always provided him with a good meal.

“Some greens that we canned this fall and mashed potatoes and pork chops, it it pleases your highness,” she joked.

“Sounds good to me” he said, “as long as there is cornbread.”

“Who cooks greens without cornbread?” she asked. “Certainly no one I know.”

 

[kaijafon]

thank you! I think I would make that mistake of cooking greens without cornbread

 

[CGTech]

yep this is certainly looking like a good one! waiting for moar!

 

[sssarawolf]

thank you.

 

[RVM45]

“I'm not going to be greedy, one is enough for today.”


Actually, being satisfied with less than you could get is the Epitome of Greed.

That's why we call eating frugally being "Hoggish"—since it's well known that while Horses and Cattle will sometimes gorge until they make themselves sick, a Hog is too Greedy to eat more than he needs.

A generous host often says:

"Please don't be greedy (but instead), eat all you want."

At first I thought that if Marty was a Vietnam Veteran, that he must be fairly old...

Then I got to thinking—The war ended when I was a Senior in High School. I'm 57, so he'd only need be a couple years older than me—not young, but not quite geriatric.

But how he came across an M-14...

Well, he might have been a sharpshooter or came across an old one left in stock.

{I think the M-14 was only general issue the first couple years in Vietnam—the conflict spanned 10 or 11 years.}

On the other hand, in 1984 my Company still had a couple M-3A1 Greaseguns in the Armory, though they hadn't been issued or fired in decades...


.....RVM45

 

[fastback08]

It was established in Chapter one, that Marty and Martha are 63. It would be hard to determine when he was in the service as there has been no mention of the current year. BTW, I left SE Asia in 69. I was issued a M-14 When I arrived there. I went in when I was 17.

 

[fastback08]

Chapter 4​

The next morning brought sleet. Now snow was one thing, but sleet usually meant broken tree limbs and in the past, the power would have gone out.

“Powers been out nearly two years,” laughed Marty. It is amazing what a human can get used to. Of course the solar panels would keep on working, albeit with diminished output. Marty had long ago cut anything away that could have fallen on the house or the panels.

“Looks like we will have a day or so to just relax and maybe work a little in the greenhouse.” he decided.

After a hearty breakfast, Marty went out to check on the animals and noticed some tracks around the barn door. “Damn coyotes”, he said. “They looking for a free chicken dinner, but they won't get it here.”

Marty walk on in the barn and fed all the animals and checked the chickens for eggs. Seeing on a few, Marty reminded them that he could eat chicken just as easy as eggs. “Maybe that will get 'em laying,” he thought. He had been around chickens long enough to know that come warmer weather and longer days would pick up production.

He walked in the house and built the fire up a little and told Martha he was going coyote hunting. He went to his storage shed and got some traps and grabbing his rifle and vest, he headed for the wood. Marty followed the tracks as far as he could, once he hit the heave woods, there was not as much sleet on the ground. Figuring they would come back the same way, he started placing his traps at intervals baiting them with sardines. After laying out a trap line he thought had a good chance of catching one or maybe two of them, he headed back to the house.

“Marty,” called out Martha, “We are going to have to go into town and pick up sister.” “She called me on the radio and said that she wanted to come and stay with us til the sleet was done.”

“Alright,” said Marty. “I will hitch up the team and go and get her.” “Do you need anything form the store, assuming he has anything​?”

“No, were good.” replied Martha. “ I will get the milking done while you are gone.”

The trip to town was uneventful. The limbs were getting a good coating of ice and cracking and popping could be heard coming from the woods on both sides of the road, spooking the mules a little, but Marty's calm voice soothed them right down.

“You ready to go?” Marty asked Martha's sister, June.

“I guess so,” she replied, “It seems to be getting colder by the minute.”

“Climb on up on the buckboard and you can cover up with some of the quilts, Martha sent.”

Marty had never cared a lot for June, she had been a social climber and had married a wealthy man whose appetite for the ladies had exceeded just June. She caught him with several different ladies over a period of time, but her need to have social status and economic security overcame her objections. Lucky for her, the sickness solved her problem. He had been one of the first to go. She was left with a paid for home and little else. He had spent most of their money on his lifestyle. No matter, thought Marty, she is Martha's sister and I will do my best to take care of her, for Martha's sake.

 

[sssarawolf]

Thank you very much.

 

[kaijafon]

Thank you! I hope June doesn't try to cause trouble!

 

[stjwelding]

fastback08 Thanks for the new chapters.
Wayne

 

[fastback08]

Chapter 5​

On the way home, a large sycamore tree had fallen across the road. It only took Marty a few minutes to unhitch the buckboard and hitch the mules to the tree. He drug it out of the way, making a mental note to return and salvage it. Not real good firewood, but good enough for some planking and maybe a new table top fro his workbench. He hitched the wagon back up and was soon on the way.

“June,” he asked, “How are you holding out?” “Do you have enough food to last a while?” “You know you are welcome to move in with Martha and me, if you need to.” He was hoping that would not be the case, but June surprised him.

“That is awfully kind of you Marty,” she said. “It is getting harder and harder to stay fed and warm in that big house by myself.”

“Well, you can stay with us as long as you like,” Marty replied. “You know, my brother Ron has been thinking about coming down this way, and with four of us, we could get a lot more done.” “The gardens and animals and the greenhouse take a lot of time and frankly, Martha and I could use the help.”

The homestead came into view and Martha was standing on the porch, having just cleared the steps of sleet. “Come on in and get warm, “she called to June. “I know you must be about froze to death.”

Marty stopped and helped her down and sat her bags inside the door. “I'm going to unhitch the mules and see to them and then I will be in.” said Marty adding, “a cup of coffee sure would be nice.”

Inside the sisters acted as if they hadn't seen each other in years. June asked Martha about Marty's offer to let her stay. “If Marty asked you, he meant it.” You will be expected to help out around here though.” said Martha. “We don't cotton to that debutante lifestyle of yours. Out her, we work.”

June thought she might have gotten into more than she bargained for, but she decided that being fed and warm was worth an honest effort to help.

“Deal!” she said. “I will do all I can to help, it may taike me a little while to get up to full speed, but I will do all I can.”

“I can't ask ask for more than that,” said Martha, wondering if her sister could really change.

“Where's my coffee?” yelled Marty

“Coming right up.” replied Martha

 

[stjwelding]

I think Marty may regret his offer if June doesn't pull her own wait or maybe Ron and June will hit it off, or none of the above, just rambling. Thanks for the chapter and the story. Looking forward to more.
Wayne

 

[sssarawolf]

Thank you.

 

[Dosadi]

Good story. Sounds like Marty and Martha just live down the road from me.

I have been moving towards a homestead type lifestyle for a long time. Still feel like there is a longer to do / to get done list than what I have accomplished. It is a nice way to live and keeps me busy.

**

The M14 was available as an option weapon in the Marines all through the S.E. Asia wargames as far as I know.

Not sure about the army, but I know they kept some. Them navy boys in those riveriene boats kept them too.

Then there were the ones that the spotters carried with the Marine sniper teams. With those ART scopes they were pretty nice out to 6 or 8 hundred yards.

***

Just as an aside My brother and his sister were up from FL this past weekend. I had them over to our place and their kids and mine, and a bunch of other family were there.

I was cookin' up some cocoa (chocolate gravy) and biscuits. Depends on where ya live in the south which ya call it.

Sara (sister in law) is a city girl, and by the time she came into eat all the kids were sitting down and working on plated of biscuits covered with it.

She put some together n took a bite. Don't think she was expecting the sweet, but more like sausage gravy. Funny, but then she got me to show her how to make it. My brother always liked it which was why I made it. Maybe he will get it instead of all that steamed food and such they seem to talk about eating.

Anyway your who makes greens without corn bread got me to thinking how different folks eat different.

**

Thanks for taking time to write.

D.

 

[fastback08]

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to read a very amateurish effort.

 

[RVM45]

It was established in Chapter one, that Marty and Martha are 63. It would be hard to determine when he was in the service as there has been no mention of the current year. BTW, I left SE Asia in 69. I was issued a M-14 When I arrived there. I went in when I was 17.

You are so right about that. Excuse me for overlooking the obvious.

Chuck Taylor was a Captain of Rangers in the US Army in Vietnam. He mentions having one man in each platoon—maybe squad—armed with an M-14 to be a "Sharpshooter"—in his words, not Quite a Sniper, but for things a bit far away to be hit reliably by .223.

He also mentioned that this was a personal personal crochet of his.

I've read what seem to be accurate accounts of US Soldiers choosing to use Thompson SMGs or M1A1 Carbines in preference to the Issue M-16s. Neither was still in use by the US Army at that time—but they were around as War Trophies or whatever. Maybe they came from the Cong, the Northern Regulars, the Southern Regulars or were relics from the French occupation.

Also Vietnam seems to have been the last at least "Semi-Good" War so far as soldiers being able to smuggle personal handguns into the Combat Zone.

I wasn't in Vietnam, nor am I an expert on the conflict. Please don't think that I was trying to "Catch you in an Error".

Hell, someone might have even managed to send a German MP-40 or a PPSh home from Vietnam—or a Winchester Lever Action—like the Lady with the Accordion says, "It Coulda Happened!"


.....RVM45

 

[223shootersc]

really liking this one, MOAR please

 

[momengineer]

Any chance we could get directions on the chocolate gravy? That is one thing no one in my family made, but I loved it when I went to friends houses....pretty please?

And loving the story! I think we all have a "June" in our familes!

 

[fastback08]

Chapter 6 ​

Marty informed Martha he was going to check his trap line, and after getting his pack on, he grabbed his rifle and took off across the field towards the wood line. By the third trap, He was sure he hadn't caught the coyote that had such an interest in his barn and he was more than a little disappointed. Topping a rise, Marty's breath caught in his throat as he saw the largest bobcat he had ever seen in the next trap. Removing his 1911 pistol from the holster, he dispatched the large cat with one shot, carefully placed so as to do minimum damage to the pelt. He place the cat in a tree to retrieve on his way back, and quickly checked and reset the remaining two traps. When he returned to the cat, he saw two coyotes trying to get the cat out of the tree. Two quick and sure shots from the M-14 insured the cat as well as his barn would be safe.

Marty took a small tarp from his backpack and after spreading it out, he placed the coyotes and the bobcat on top. He then rolled the tarp around the animals and tied it securely. He tied a rope to one end and taking the rope in hand, he began the trip home sliding the tarp across the ice.

“Martha, I'm going to be out here for a while skinning my catch.” he informed Martha. And he set to to work, skinning and fleshing and stretching the hides. He buried the waste and after cleaning his tools he made his way to the house.

“I'm getting too old for this,” he said to no one in particular.

“Get washed up for supper.” Martha called out.

Marty was glad for a chance to sit down for a while and enjoy a warming meal. After supper he offered to help with the dishes, but June, said, “I got them, you and Martha sit down and rest.”

Marty and Martha exchanged a glance and Marty just shrugged his shoulders with I don't believe it look and settled into his recliner.

“What did you catch?” asked his wife.

“A couple of coyotes and a bobcat. They will make some nice pelts when I am finished with them.” he said.

“How do think your brother Ron is going to get along with June?” Martha asked. “You know they haven't seen each other in years.”

“Ron has settled down a lot and I think they would be a good match for one another if they are willing to give it a chance.” opined Marty. “There was a time when Ron considered June a real looker.”

“You know June made a promise to me to try her best to fit in and help out. All we can do is wait and see how that goes.” said Martha.

“I think I will fire up the Ham rig and see when Ron is coming.” said Marty. “It will be good to see him.”

 

[stjwelding]

fastback08 Thanks for the new chapter, I am really liking this story please keep writing.
Wayne

 

[fastback08]

Chapter 7​

Marty had always been frugal, not cheap mind you, but frugal. When he bought his HAM radio, he went for the best one he could afford at the time. Marty was the proud owner of a Yaesu FT-1000D. He bought it new and it had cost almost four thousand dollars. He also bought an amplifier from Ameritron that had the capability to operate at full legal output power. Most times he could reach anyone he wanted with just the radio, but under noisy or poor conditions, it was nice to be able to reach a little further with the amplifier.

He and his brother had gotten into radio as kids and they had both remained in the hobby as they had gotten older. Now it was the best chance for them to reach each other. Cell service was almost non existent. It seemed when a cell site went down, it was just abandoned and the service became progressively worse as equipment aged and no one had the money to repair of replace them.

He tuned the radio to 14.230 megahertz. This was the frequency they always used while it was daylight. When night fell, they would move down to 80 meters as the signal was better there. Marty gave his call sign and then Ron's, waiting fro an answer. Hearing nothing, he tried again, this time he heard Ron on the other end.

“When you coming down this way,” he asked his brother.

“I was going to try and leave here tomorrow if I can finish packing,” he said. “I am bringing everything I can load on the wagon.” “I sure appreciate you taking me in, little brother.” he laughed. \

Marty was a good four inches taller and forty pounds heavier, but by virtue of Ron being two years older, he was the “little” brother.

“You should be here in about three days then if you don't dawdle,” said Marty. “Keep your portable radio handy and we will try to make daily contact.”

“All right,” acknowledged Ron, “I am going to go and finish packing.” “I will see you two soon.”

“Us three,” corrected Marty. “June, Martha's sister is staying with us now.”

Silence for about 30 seconds and then “I will be there as soon as I can.” stated Ron emphatically.

The conversation over, Marty had the presence of mind to walk outside and check his antennas. The ice coating on them was not heavy enough to cause the elements to droop, but, he would be glad when the ice was gone. The ice kept the radios from operating at full efficiency due to the ice affecting the SWR.

Marty figured after a couple of days, Ron would be close enough to reach with the two meter radio. He might even ride out and meet him.



While he was on the radio, Marty made contact with a couple of people he regularly talked to, to try and get a li9ttle information about the world beyond their little corner. The news was not good. It seemed the President had requested help from the United Nations and the Blue Helmets had eagerly accepted. Reports were coming in from all over but it seemed mainly in the Northeast, that folks were being herded into containment centers where they could be “cared for”. Marty knew immediately that this was nothing more than a way to contain the dissidents. They would likely never be free again. He also learned that China had put up a communications black out. Nothing was going in or coming out of China, thanks to massive antenna arrays that were blocking signals, however, China had a lot of unguarded border and the information was slipping out with the refugees. It seemed the “flu” had mutated and the people of China were dying in droves. Estimate were that there was barely one tenth of China's original population left. Surrounding countries, fearful of the sickness, were shooting Chinese on sight, trying to protect themselves.

In the United States, there were scattered reports of UN troops coming under fire. There was little mercy shown the interlopers and while there was no torture, there were no prisoners taken either. Any supplies that could be taken were quickly hidden or distributed to the areas with the greatest need. Marty updated the contacts with the local goings on and after signing off, he disconnected his coax as he always did to protect them from lightning.

“Martha, you and June come into the den, when you get a minute.” said Marty. “We need to talk about a few things.”

“What's going on now?” asked Martha.

“I just talked to a couple of folks that I trust and what they had to say is pretty scary.” Marty said with a shiver. “It seems the UN has been called in and reports are, they are rounding people up and confining them.” “Also, things are going very badly in China with a relapse of the flu.” “Seems like Asia and most of Western Europe is in turmoil.”

“What does that mean to us Marty?” Martha asked anxiously.

“Nothing in the short term, but, I don't think China will let the rest of the world recover while they can't. I would look for China to either accept help from other countries of if no help is offered, they could launch an attack, more out of spite than anything else. Sort of a mutually assured destruction scenario. We probably should make sure all is ready if we have to go underground.”