Valley Of Hope -- Chapter Twenty

2008-8-7 09:48:00

Valley Of Hope

by Ted Dewey

Chapter Twenty

Time passed quickly in The Valley of Hope. Rodney Goldsmith had put Henry in complete charge of selecting the spot and erecting the two wind machines.

"We want to build a shop where the tent is now," he told Henry. "And as soon as we get enough electric power we will start blasting a hole in that cliff." He pointed at the mountain on the north side of the creek.

Henry made up a long list of material that would be needed, including enough steel to build a pipe for air storage. It would be four feet in diameter, and this first section would be one hundred feet long.

He figured the two wind machines given a couple of weeks head start would store enough air to run a couple of jackhammers for an eight hour shift, plus lights and electric power for other uses.

Just above the face of the cliff was a ridge barren of timber. After running several tests on the air currents Henry decided to put them there. Also there was room there for plenty more.

The big chopper made several trips back and forth to Phoenix. Bringing in the needed supplies such as steel and other parts for Henry as well as groceries for everyone.

Henry was supplied with a couple of helpers. The two men that had dug the well turned out to be all around handymen, and they were young and willing to learn.

The big tent was the workshop in the daytime and a bedroom at night. Progress was slow but sure.

The weeks slipped by. The two wind machines were now grunting away on the rocky ridge compressing air into the big steel pipe below.

Then a crew of miners were flown in. Jackhammers rattled away drilling into the rocky cliff. Dynamite exploded every few hours. Several more big tents had been erected. The population was growing. Every few days the big chopper would bring in more men and equipment.

Several large adobe buildings were under construction. Experts at this trade had come in, bringing their crew with them.

It was now July and the monsoon season was in full swing. The Thunder Gods did their best to terrify the inhabitants of the valley. Most every afternoon it poured down rain.

The big tunnel in the side of the cliff was getting deeper every day. Separate large rooms were carved off to one side. These would be used to store tons of wheat and rice in airtight tin containers.

In another cavity was a big frozen food locker which would be powered by the machines above. There were ten of them up there now and more in the making. All new twenty footers!

Summer was almost gone. And as yet, Henry had not seen one Indian. Small patches of corn planted along the creek bank had been totally abandoned. A couple of hogans were left standing there -- a landmark of the kind of life the modern Indian had chosen.

A bulldozer was brought in. Streets were graded, roads were built. Henry could now drive his air car.

A big new library was under construction. Its thick adobe walls were getting higher every day. Here all the books of knowledge would be kept. Blueprints of everything that would benefit mankind. How to split the atom would not be included.

Then summer was gone. The big tunnel was now far back in the mountain. This was now a giant fallout shelter. More rooms had been added. Beds and bedding were brought in and cooking facilities were installed.

A big vein of fresh water had been tapped and put to use. It was piped to the many rooms. Sinks and toilets were added. A sewer pipe was installed to carry the waste to a septic tank outside.

This underground dwelling when finished would accommodate several hundred people in an emergency, plus plenty of food and fresh water to last for years.

Time passed quickly and a couple of dozen adobe houses were finished and there were more under construction. A school for children would open in another month.

Then one day the big chopper set down again in the Valley of Hope. And out of it came about two dozen people, men women and children. The occupation had began.

A powerful shortwave radio broadcasting and receiving station was installed. A high antenna was put on top of the mountain to assure them of good reception bringing in instant happenings from all over the country.

There was still a lot to be done. The men in charge here were a determined lot, working many hours every day. Money was no problem. And when they were finished this would be the most modern little city in the world; a place to preserve all the good things of life -- a place that would survive a war that could wipe out the rest of the world.

There were many acres of good land in the valley. This could be farmed and used to raise a bumper crop. A tractor was brought in and turned over to Henry.

It was now wintertime and there was snow on the ground. There were enough wind machines on the hill to keep them going until spring.

Rodney told Henry. "See what you can do with this tractor. Do you think you can make it run on compressed air?"

Henry nodded. "I can sure give it a try."

"Good! But take your time. You have been working too hard. I think you need a change."

Henry immediately went to work on this new project. His first step was to rebuild the motor.

He copied the air car design and in a few weeks time the engine was running on compressed air.

Next was the chassis. He made it of one big air tank with a cockpit in the middle for the operator. The thing worked like a charm and would run about an hour on a tank of air.

Once again Henry was a hero.

The altitude in the valley was about five thousand feet and sometimes it got mighty cold. Experts on solar energy were brought in from Phoenix. Units were being installed in all the houses.

Not counting the contractors the place now had a population of over a hundred people, and there was more on the way.

So far none had pulled the trigger that would get "the big one" going, and the people here hoped it would never happen.

But there was one thing for sure:  If it did, they were ready.

  

-- End Of Chapter Twenty --

  

"Too much of a good thing is wonderful."
  -- Mae West (1892 - 1980)

  

Word of the Day

Polymath -- Noun:  a person of great and varied learning.