Read Online Final Dawn: Escape From Armageddon by Darrell Maloney - Free Book Online
Authors: Darrell Maloney
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tack strip around the lounge area, then add carpet and padding. After he added several couches and easy chairs, it was just like home.
Well, if your home is 300 feet underground, that is.
Mark’s finishing touch was an 80 inch digital screen television that could be easily seen throughout the lounge area. The mine was already wired for cable and internet, so after the TV was tuned in, he turned on CNN. Then, after he was finished with the lounge, he stepped back to take a good look.
And he decided it would be a good place to while away the thousands of hours they’d be underground.
At the front of Bay 8, just inside the bay where it connected with the main corridor, and faced the entry tunnel, Mark installed what would become his security station. It was L-shaped, and included twenty four monitors. Each one would be attached to an outdoor camera.
Each camera would be top of the line. It would have an ultraviolet capability for night vision, and would automatically switch to daytime with zoom and pan capability when there was sufficient daylight.
All of the cameras would be equipped with a very sensitive motion detector as well . A security guard only had to sit at the console and watch the monitors to see what was going on for a quarter mile in all directions. If one of the motion sensors detected movement, an alarm would go off and that camera would automatically be transferred to the main monitor. From there, the security guard could use a joy stick to zoom in and pan to find out exactly who was out there and what they were up to.
There was also a fixed camera at the front of the mine that would be aimed at a post which had a number every twelve inches. Like a rain gauge, it would keep track of how much snow accumulated on the ground while they were in the mine. It would also record the outside temperature at any given time from a large thermometer affixed to the top of the pole.
But that was just one of the projects on Mark’s list, and it was months from being completed. First he had to buy all of the equipment and run three or four miles of cable.
-14 -
JAN 27, 2014. 24 MONTHS UNTIL IMPACT
Mark was sitting at home eating what was left of a Papa John’s pizza. He loved Papa John’s, and planned to order a boatload of them to freeze before they went into the mine.
The phone rang, and he picked it up. It was his brother Bryan with bad news.
“Hey, bro,” Bryan began. “I got laid off today. You know of anybody who’s hiring?”
The question caught Mark totally off guard. His younger brother chose not to go to college, but instead took an apprenticeship with the largest electrical firm in San Angelo right out of high school.
Now Bryan was a master electrician. One of the best in the city. You’d think he’d be the last one let go.
“The company is downsizing.” Bryan explained. “They’re trying to save labor dollars to keep from declaring bankruptcy. So the guys I’ve been training for the last three years, who just now got their certifications, those are the guys they’re keeping around. Because they’ll work for half of what us old timers get.”
“But isn’t that risky on their part?” Mark asked.
Bryan replied “Hell, yes, it is. If they screw something up, it could get people killed. And certification doesn’t mean they’re flawless. It just means they’re licensed. Experience is what prevents accidents. And without me and the other masters around to double check their work, the odds of them making a bad mistake are a lot higher.
“I hope it doesn’t happen. But they’re taking a big gamble. They’re hoping they can save some money by laying off their talent, and hoping they don’t have to pay big bucks in lawsuits later on.”
“I don’t know of anybody who’s hiring
Well, if your home is 300 feet underground, that is.
Mark’s finishing touch was an 80 inch digital screen television that could be easily seen throughout the lounge area. The mine was already wired for cable and internet, so after the TV was tuned in, he turned on CNN. Then, after he was finished with the lounge, he stepped back to take a good look.
And he decided it would be a good place to while away the thousands of hours they’d be underground.
At the front of Bay 8, just inside the bay where it connected with the main corridor, and faced the entry tunnel, Mark installed what would become his security station. It was L-shaped, and included twenty four monitors. Each one would be attached to an outdoor camera.
Each camera would be top of the line. It would have an ultraviolet capability for night vision, and would automatically switch to daytime with zoom and pan capability when there was sufficient daylight.
All of the cameras would be equipped with a very sensitive motion detector as well . A security guard only had to sit at the console and watch the monitors to see what was going on for a quarter mile in all directions. If one of the motion sensors detected movement, an alarm would go off and that camera would automatically be transferred to the main monitor. From there, the security guard could use a joy stick to zoom in and pan to find out exactly who was out there and what they were up to.
There was also a fixed camera at the front of the mine that would be aimed at a post which had a number every twelve inches. Like a rain gauge, it would keep track of how much snow accumulated on the ground while they were in the mine. It would also record the outside temperature at any given time from a large thermometer affixed to the top of the pole.
But that was just one of the projects on Mark’s list, and it was months from being completed. First he had to buy all of the equipment and run three or four miles of cable.
-14 -
JAN 27, 2014. 24 MONTHS UNTIL IMPACT
Mark was sitting at home eating what was left of a Papa John’s pizza. He loved Papa John’s, and planned to order a boatload of them to freeze before they went into the mine.
The phone rang, and he picked it up. It was his brother Bryan with bad news.
“Hey, bro,” Bryan began. “I got laid off today. You know of anybody who’s hiring?”
The question caught Mark totally off guard. His younger brother chose not to go to college, but instead took an apprenticeship with the largest electrical firm in San Angelo right out of high school.
Now Bryan was a master electrician. One of the best in the city. You’d think he’d be the last one let go.
“The company is downsizing.” Bryan explained. “They’re trying to save labor dollars to keep from declaring bankruptcy. So the guys I’ve been training for the last three years, who just now got their certifications, those are the guys they’re keeping around. Because they’ll work for half of what us old timers get.”
“But isn’t that risky on their part?” Mark asked.
Bryan replied “Hell, yes, it is. If they screw something up, it could get people killed. And certification doesn’t mean they’re flawless. It just means they’re licensed. Experience is what prevents accidents. And without me and the other masters around to double check their work, the odds of them making a bad mistake are a lot higher.
“I hope it doesn’t happen. But they’re taking a big gamble. They’re hoping they can save some money by laying off their talent, and hoping they don’t have to pay big bucks in lawsuits later on.”
“I don’t know of anybody who’s hiring
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