alive.
Chapter 10
The kids had evidently gotten up early, because when I walked into the kitchen Beth and
Mary had been fixing pancakes for the boys. The
kids were doing well considering they had both lost
their parents. A psychiatrist could probably explain
it, but it seemed very strange to me. Were they just
in denial? We would all have to keep an eye on
them.
After breakfast the group heading up to the
university campus set out in a convoy. I sat in the
front seat of Mary’s car holding onto Carla, and the
two boys sat in the backseat with their seatbelts
fastened. We would have to get them some car
seats, and a trip to Target was probably in order.
As we turned into the campus, I saw Rebecca waiting in the same spot still hoping her
parents would show up. She waved as our convoy
pulled in the front entrance. I opened the car’s
window and introduced her to Mary and the three
kids. She squeezed into the backseat between the
two boys, and Mary followed her directions to
Building H in the university’s North Lake Village
residential area.
All of us piled out of our cars and looked up
at our new home. I introduced Rebecca to everyone, and she led our group into the residential
apartments. Rebecca said, “There’re only four
apartments with their doors open. We’re going to
have to break into the others. I’m not sure where
the school keeps the extra keys.”
Jack and Bobby ran down the hallway on
the first floor and explored every open door. Mary
yelled at them. “Boys, stay on this floor. I don’t
want you to leave the building.”
There was no indication the boys had heard
her or would obey; in some respects nothing had
changed. The rest of us explored the four apartments with unlocked doors. I looked at my fellow
survivors, and they all seemed pleased. I think this
place had exceeded all of their expectations. I noticed the hinges to the front doors of the apartments were located on the hallway side of the door.
That was good news because we could easily open
the locked doors by removing the hinge pins.
George pulled me aside. “Jim, why don’t
you and I get started on the solar power? Let the
others get settled in, and then as soon as I figure
out what we need to do, the others can help out.”
I announced George’s plan to the others,
and everyone agreed it would be an efficient use of
resources. Emily and Sally said they would work
with Rebecca to remove the hinge pins on the
locked apartments.
George and I arrived at the solar field, and
George jumped out of the car like a kid eager to
play with a new toy. I followed him around as he
inspected the solar panel arrays. After walking the
entire solar field, I asked, “Can you explain how
the thing works so a business major can understand?”
George smiled. “I’ll try Jim.” He pointed to a
small section of a solar panel. “Each of these little
photovoltaic cells produces electricity when exposed to sunlight. The voltage from these individual cells is combined, and this solar field has four
separate circuits.”
George led me to the end of one of the rows
of arrays and pointed to a box attached to a support rail. “This box combines all of the voltage produced by the photovoltaic cells in this one circuit.
The electricity then travels underground over to
this area.”
We walked toward a small fenced in area at
the edge of the solar field. Not unexpectedly, the
gate to the inside was locked. George continued.
“Inside this fence, the electricity from each array
goes thorough an inverter that converts the D.C.
voltage produced by the photovoltaic cells into A.C.
voltage. Then those transformers over there boost
the voltage up to several thousand volts. The higher voltage makes the transmission of the electricity
more efficient. The electricity then travels underground to wherever their energy plant is located.
That’s going to be our next stop.”
“George,” I said, “You’re a good man; I actually understood
Chapter 10
The kids had evidently gotten up early, because when I walked into the kitchen Beth and
Mary had been fixing pancakes for the boys. The
kids were doing well considering they had both lost
their parents. A psychiatrist could probably explain
it, but it seemed very strange to me. Were they just
in denial? We would all have to keep an eye on
them.
After breakfast the group heading up to the
university campus set out in a convoy. I sat in the
front seat of Mary’s car holding onto Carla, and the
two boys sat in the backseat with their seatbelts
fastened. We would have to get them some car
seats, and a trip to Target was probably in order.
As we turned into the campus, I saw Rebecca waiting in the same spot still hoping her
parents would show up. She waved as our convoy
pulled in the front entrance. I opened the car’s
window and introduced her to Mary and the three
kids. She squeezed into the backseat between the
two boys, and Mary followed her directions to
Building H in the university’s North Lake Village
residential area.
All of us piled out of our cars and looked up
at our new home. I introduced Rebecca to everyone, and she led our group into the residential
apartments. Rebecca said, “There’re only four
apartments with their doors open. We’re going to
have to break into the others. I’m not sure where
the school keeps the extra keys.”
Jack and Bobby ran down the hallway on
the first floor and explored every open door. Mary
yelled at them. “Boys, stay on this floor. I don’t
want you to leave the building.”
There was no indication the boys had heard
her or would obey; in some respects nothing had
changed. The rest of us explored the four apartments with unlocked doors. I looked at my fellow
survivors, and they all seemed pleased. I think this
place had exceeded all of their expectations. I noticed the hinges to the front doors of the apartments were located on the hallway side of the door.
That was good news because we could easily open
the locked doors by removing the hinge pins.
George pulled me aside. “Jim, why don’t
you and I get started on the solar power? Let the
others get settled in, and then as soon as I figure
out what we need to do, the others can help out.”
I announced George’s plan to the others,
and everyone agreed it would be an efficient use of
resources. Emily and Sally said they would work
with Rebecca to remove the hinge pins on the
locked apartments.
George and I arrived at the solar field, and
George jumped out of the car like a kid eager to
play with a new toy. I followed him around as he
inspected the solar panel arrays. After walking the
entire solar field, I asked, “Can you explain how
the thing works so a business major can understand?”
George smiled. “I’ll try Jim.” He pointed to a
small section of a solar panel. “Each of these little
photovoltaic cells produces electricity when exposed to sunlight. The voltage from these individual cells is combined, and this solar field has four
separate circuits.”
George led me to the end of one of the rows
of arrays and pointed to a box attached to a support rail. “This box combines all of the voltage produced by the photovoltaic cells in this one circuit.
The electricity then travels underground over to
this area.”
We walked toward a small fenced in area at
the edge of the solar field. Not unexpectedly, the
gate to the inside was locked. George continued.
“Inside this fence, the electricity from each array
goes thorough an inverter that converts the D.C.
voltage produced by the photovoltaic cells into A.C.
voltage. Then those transformers over there boost
the voltage up to several thousand volts. The higher voltage makes the transmission of the electricity
more efficient. The electricity then travels underground to wherever their energy plant is located.
That’s going to be our next stop.”
“George,” I said, “You’re a good man; I actually understood
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