Eden (Eden Saga) by Plourde Matthew

Author:Plourde, Matthew [Plourde, Matthew]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: post apocalyptic
Published: 2010-10-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Route 180 was their course into South America before they made their detour. The highway was built and extended as part of the South American oil rush of the early 21st century. Middle Eastern crude oil supplies tapered off and the hard-to-reach oil became a hot commodity. Only after all the infrastructure was built, and people moved their families and fortunes did the truth strike – there was very little oil to be found in the lower Americas.

Leaving behind a wake of falsely promised labor and cleared rainforest, the wealthy oil-diggers abandoned the area. However, they also left behind a system of superhighways of which Alexandra and her group now took advantage.

“I guess this is the coast,” Father Callahan said as he peered out the grimy windows of the cab.

Though she couldn’t see too far, Alexandra marveled at the land’s steep falloff into what was once the ocean. Like in Tampico, the ocean was gone.

“How are we going to survive this?” she asked nobody in particular.

“It’s like this to the north, too,” Benjamin said.

Koneh said, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”

Father Callahan turned to Koneh and said, “Not that I doubt those words anymore… But, in the same breath we are promised no more death, suffering or pain.”

Koneh turned to the priest and said, “Eden offers that promise.”

Santino’s rig stopped and the headlights painted the dark landscape. Alexandra marveled at the absence of the ocean. The new landscape seemed alien to her.

Moments later, Erzulie landed beside the rig and said, “The survivors are to the south. They take shelter in a ship.”

“How many?” Koneh asked.

“A half-dozen or more,” Erzulie said

“What do you want to do?” Koneh asked as he turned to Alexandra.

“The plan remains the same,” she said, “We’ll see if they need any help.”

Koneh sighed. “Very well. Let’s go, Santino.”

Santino turned the rig south and they rumbled along a broken road for a while. They passed by the ruined buildings of a deserted coastal city. Upturned earth surrounded the road as they followed it to the shelf and saw the steep drop-off into the former ocean. Then, the truck stopped and Alexandra’s eyes widened.

Illuminated by the rig’s headlights, a beached cruise ship towered above the jagged landscape. Resting on its side against a long bank of sand, the cruise ship’s white hull contrasted against the darkness of the earth below and behind.

Alexandra jumped from the cab and stepped to the edge of the small hill. Memories of her cruise from a few years prior popped into her head, but she never realized just how massive these vessels were. She gaped at the sight until Marco pulled his bike along side her.

He whistled. “Never seen anything like that before.”

“Dear God,” Father Callahan said as he gestured the sign of the cross from his head to his shoulders.

For a few moments, nobody spoke. The vision of the mammoth cruise ship was too shocking.

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