As a crew of international astronauts are inbound to Mars in 2003, they observe on a digital monitor aboard their spaceship the earth begin to glow, as shortly they learn a massive nuclear war has
erupted, and they have lost communication with Ground Control. They are traumatized, disheartened, for they are members of the nations at war. Considering to continue the mission abbreviated using
onboard computers solely, or to the full extent, they decide on the shorter version. Returning home, one of them a murderer of a fellow crewman, they set about to survive in a world almost as
hostile as the Red Planet they visited, and found microbial life. They are confronted by hostility never imagined, and coexist until the day arrives all is lost, and mankind has reached the end of
his rope.
Table of Contents
Forward
THE LAST CLAP OF THUNDER
A Novel By:
VIRGIL DUBE’
* * *
As surely as a rag soaked with gasoline and to... Read Chapter
THE SEND OFF
PART 1
AWAKENING
* * *
CHAPTER 1
THE SEND OFF
Cape Canaveral, Florida – Early Morning, ... Read Chapter
DAWN BEFORE THE STORM - JEFF'S DREAM WINDOW INTO MAN'[S PAST
CHAPTER 2
DAWN BEFORE THE STORM - JEFF’S DREAM
WINDOW INTO MAN’S PAST
Three weeks after Mrs. Melcher retu... Read Chapter
THE FOSSIL, MARS, AND THE TRUMPET
CHAPTER 3
THE FOSSIL, MARS, AND THE TRUMPET
Johannesburg, South Africa, Miller-Davis Lime Quarry - January 19, 1924
Hot ... Read Chapter
THE SIBERIAN SUPERMAN
CHAPTER 4
THE SIBERIAN SUPERMAN
Kremlin – April 3, 1963
Soviet Premier and Communist Party Leader Yeltsin Brecho... Read Chapter
FALLEN HERO
CHAPTER 5
FALLEN HERO
Atlanta, Georgia - 1996 Olympic Games
Flags and colorful banners adorned the aud... Read Chapter
PREPARATION
CHAPTER 6
PREPARATION
America and Russia - November 1996
Three months passed.
On one side of the world Air For... Read Chapter
NEW HORIZONS
CHAPTER 7
NEW HORIZONS
Cape Canaveral, Florida - June 28, 2003
On an early Saturday morning, a lone se... Read Chapter
UNCLE DRAKE
CHAPTER 8
UNCLE DRAKE
Barnacle Harbor, Oregon - June 28, 2003
The dim morning light began to manifest more br... Read Chapter
THE KING AND HIS DEPRAVED PLOT
PART 2
WAR AND INVASION
* * *
CHAPTER 9
THE KING AND HIS DEPRAVED PLOT
Kinyata, Katara to Dekr... Read Chapter
THE EARTHSHAKING COUP - SOVIET STYLE
CHAPTER 10
THE EARTHSHAKING COUP – SOVIET STYLE
Moscow, Russia, USSR - July 12, 2003
Across the world, Capitalis... Read Chapter
FLAMES FROM THE PULPIT
CHAPTER 11
FLAMES FROM THE PULPIT
Primitive Baptist Church, Williford, Florida - August 3, 2003
Toilin... Read Chapter
MEDITERRANEAN TENSION MOUNTS
CHAPTER 12
MEDITERRANEAN TENSION MOUNTS
Kinyata, Katara - August 4, 2003
Within minutes of the air raid on America... Read Chapter
SOVIET STAFF MEETING
CHAPTER 13
SOVIET STAFF MEETING
Kinyata, Katara - August 8, 2003
Four days later and armed convoy escorted Field M... Read Chapter
FLEEING TO DEKRA
CHAPTER 14
FLEEING TO DEKRA
Kinyata, Katara, and desert wilderness eastward - August 9, 2003
The breeze pervading ... Read Chapter
FATEFUL DECISION
CHAPTER 15
FATEFUL DECISION
White House, Washington, D.C. - September 12, 2003
For a mid-Septem... Read Chapter
THE TRAP DOOR
CHAPTER 16
THE TRAP DOOR
Beltor Sector, Kinyata, Katara - September 14, 2003
The grueling training lasted fourteen... Read Chapter
ORDINARY - UNORDINARY PEOPLE - THEIR LAST DAY
CHAPTER 17
ORDINARY – UNORDINARY PEOPLE – THEIR LAST DAY
Going about their lives across Earth, p... Read Chapter
FOR MR. PRESIDENT, ONE LAST TIME
CHAPTER 18
FOR MR. PRESIDENT, ONE LAST TIME
Champion Boarding Ranch, Wasco, California - September 25, 2003
Betsey... Read Chapter
ATTACK - COUNTER ATTACK
CHAPTER 19
ATTACK – COUNTER ATTACK
Breakfast at Champion Boarding Ranch, Wasco, California - September 25, 2003
... Read Chapter
MAJOR GRADY'S RANGERS
CHAPTER 20
MAJOR GRADY’S RANGERS
North Georgia Mountain Ranger Deployment - September 18, 2003
The Pr... Read Chapter
THE TRAMP AND THE PROSTITUTE
CHAPTER 21
THE TRAMP AND THE PROSTITUTE
Jacksonville, Florida – September 24 and 25, 2003
Mentally h... Read Chapter
THE BARBERSHOP
CHAPTER 22
THE BARBERSHOP
Williford, Florida - Thursday Morning, September 25, 2003
Thursday morning at dawn ... Read Chapter
DEATH UNDER MONTANA BLUE SKY
CHAPTER 23
DEATH UNDER MONTANA BLUE SKY
Dunbar Ranch - Wednesday Morning, September 24, 2003
Wednesday mornin... Read Chapter
THE AMERICAN COWBOY SURVIVES
CHAPTER 24
THE AMERICAN COWBOY SURVIVES
Buffalo, Wyoming Fairgrounds - Thursday Morning, September 25, 2003
T... Read Chapter
THE APEIAN HORDE WAGES WAR
CHAPTER 25
THE APEIAN HORDE WAGES WAR
Soviet Atlantic Fleet Commander Leonid Costakis waited in his India-class s... Read Chapter
A RECKONING FOR SURVIVAL
CHAPTER 26
A RECKONING FOR SURVIVAL
Hiawassee in north Georgia, fall of 2003 through fall 2004
General Grady ... Read Chapter
TRAUMATIZED AND ABANDONED IN SPACE
PART 3
VOYAGE OF LOST HOPE
* * *
CHAPTER 27
TRAUMATIZED AND ABANDONED IN SPACE
Aboard Tra... Read Chapter
LIVING ON AN UNSYMPATHETIC WORLD
CHAPTER 28
LIVING ON AN UNSYMPATHETIC WORLD
350 days after Trans-Mars injection, Traveler attains Mars orbit – ... Read Chapter
DISCOVERY - LIFE AND DEATH ON A HOSTILE WORLD
CHAPTER 29
DISCOVERY – LIFE AND DEATH ON A HOSTILE WORLD
Friday, July 16, 2004 - murder in the Valles Marineris badl... Read Chapter
RETURNING TO A COFFIN IN ORBIT
CHAPTER 30
RETURNING TO A COFFIN IN ORBIT
April 8, 2005 - Earth Orbital Insertion
Time passed quickly. Grav... Read Chapter
EARTH REENTRY - HOME AT LAST
CHAPTER 31
EARTH REENTRY – HOME AT LAST
April 15, 2005 – Departure from Space and Earth R... Read Chapter
INTO THE WILDERNESS
PART 4
SURVIVAL AND SEPARATION
* * *
CHAPTER 32
INTO THE WILDERNESS
April 20, 2005 – Buffalo... Read Chapter
KIDNAPPED, THEN BRUTALIZED
CHAPTER 33
KIDNAPPED, THEN BRUTALIZED
July, 2005 – Bighorn National Forest Wilderness
The couple approached camp... Read Chapter
REFUGE WITH A COMRADE'S FRIEND
CHAPTER 34
REFUGE WITH A COMRADE’S FRIEND
February, 2006 – Southern Wyoming
Survival became a daily task durin... Read Chapter
CHEN ENSLAVED AND ADJUSTING - AND PREGNANT
CHAPTER 35
CHEN ENSLAVED AND ADJUSTING – AND PREGNANT
Summer, 2005 to spring 2009 – Colorado Wilderness
Leavin... Read Chapter
TO BILLINGS AND TERRIFYING DISCOVERY
CHAPTER 36
TO BILLINGS AND TERRIFYING DISCOVERY
July 2005 – North Wyoming, then Montana
Jeff Dunbar and Crow Haw... Read Chapter
WESTWARD TREK
CHAPTER 37
WESTWARD TREK
2006 thru 2008 – Montana into Idaho
Jeff allowed time that morning be... Read Chapter
MUTINY
CHAPTER 38
MUTINY
Summer 2008 in Southern Colorado
Egar Gregoriev stood alone in quiet repose, except when swatti... Read Chapter
THE REFUGEES ARRIVAL
CHAPTER 39
THE REFUGEES ARRIVE
Summer 2008 in South Central Colorado
Frightened, exhausted from flight and travel,... Read Chapter
SETTLING TO BUILD NEW BARNACLE
CHAPTER 40
SETTLING TO BUILD NEW BARNACLE
Jeff’s Calendar: 2010/2011 - Barnacle, Oregon
Jeff didn’t disturb To... Read Chapter
SIERRA PARADISE FOUND
CHAPTER 41
SIERRA PARADISE FOUND
Jeff’s Calendar: early 2011 and onward - Oregon into California’s Sierra Nevada
... Read Chapter
PEACEFUL YEARS SHATTERED
PART 5
THE END OF GREATNESS
* * *
CHAPTER 42
PEACEFUL YEARS SHATTERED
Spring 2024 â... Read Chapter
THE LAST BATTLE
CHAPTER 43
THE LAST BATTLE
Early summer 2024 – South of Pleasant Valley, California in an isolated secret canyon
... Read Chapter
THE SHOCKING DISCOVERY
CHAPTER 44
THE SHOCKING DISCOVERY
Early summer 2024 – Horseshoe Canyon in the High Sierra Nevada Mountains
... Read Chapter
AMERICA SYMBOLICALLY REBORN - BRIEFLY
CHAPTER 45
AMERICA SYMBOLICALLY REBORN - BRIEFLY
Summer 2024 – Eagle’s Nest in the High Sierra Nevada Mount... Read Chapter
TIME AND INDIFFERENCE - NEW ENEMIES
CHAPTER 46
TIME AND INDIFFERENCE - NEW ENEMIES
2043 – Eagle’s Nest in the High Sierra Nevada Mountains
The yea... Read Chapter
INTO ETERNITY
CHAPTER 47
INTO ETERNITY
June 2045 to August 2047 and the Cliff Overhanging Eagle’s Nest
The morning of June 8, ... Read Chapter
EPILOGUE - THE EARTH IN TRANSITION
Epilogue
The Earth in Transition
At ground zero where the upwelling plume from deep Earth blasted in what was formally... Read Chapter
Afterward - Personal Comments
Afterward
Personal Comments
The nuclear war scenario depicted in this novel is a work of imagination and dramatized wi... Read Chapter
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