Nobody's Road by Vera Jane Cook

Author:Vera Jane Cook
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: future fiction, future history, future society, dystopian, future cities, future america, future culture, future scifi, future scfi, future drones
Publisher: Indies United Publishing House, LLC

Chapter Fourteen

Adina

Daddy left us his van, the house in Pindar Corners and several billion dollars in cash, most of which was safely tucked away in a fireproof safe above the fireplace. A safe in the master bedroom contained more cash and valuables but in the basement of the house was the largest safe of all. It contained priceless cookbooks, including a copy of The Big Fat Duck Cookbook and The Dom Perignon Cookbook.

Daddy also left Harry all his culinary appliances – his mixers, blenders, and his Artisan Ruffled Pie Dish, not to mention his personal embosser, round foil labels, perforated French bread pans, pasta machine and a very high end set of cooking knives. We received all the china, the glassware, his Veggie chop, tablecloths and napkins, and several boxes of his own menus, all in the basement as if waiting for us.

Aside from everything else, we were happy to have the van. Daddy had used it for special catering parties; I don’t know how we would have gotten out of Manhattan without it. The Zippie barely had room for our children, so we had to leave it behind. We weren’t taking any of our furniture, only personal items, and of course, Harry’s kitchen paraphernalia, which included ten boxes from Daddy.

We received notice from The Brain that if we did not pay the balance due on our apartment’s value, we would have to vacate the premises in thirty days. This was preposterous, of course; all real estate in Manhattan was worthless. It would, apparently, be claimed back by The Brain and resold to foreign investors, most likely from the Middle East, Asia, Canada, and Australia.

Pindar Corners was one hundred and fifty miles from Manhattan. The van would not have to be recharged until we arrived, providing we didn’t hit traffic, which wasn’t likely. Without cash, the entire country was broke. People were already building tents in Central Park and planting vegetables for the following spring on what I assume they considered their back yards. The Brain used loudspeakers to enact the Order Law and sent out police in high boots and guns to enforce it. Simply put, looting, rioting and disorderly conduct was against the law and offenders would be shot on sight. Our right to carry firearms during what The Brain referred to as this “Fiscal Crisis,” was revoked and people were mandated to turn weapons into local police stations.

I barely had time to mourn my father’s death. We had to get out of the city before barriers were put up to stop us and before it became illegal to cross a bridge. But I would not leave without the families of my students. They would die if they remained in Manhattan, either from starvation or from violence, unless we helped them to escape.

“Adina, you can’t be serious?” Harry looked at me with the same expression he’d had on his face the day I told him I was pregnant with Teddy.

“The house sits on hundreds of acres, Harry. We don’t need all that land.

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