[Anvil]

Chapter One - When a journey man plans for a journey into the unknown he must understand that there will be many smaller journeys within the one he had set out on originally and plan according. Knowing everyday maybe his last if he falters.

The man sat in the darkness of his room wondering what to do sense his internet went down and nothing made seemed to be working in his flat and mild panic griped him. What was he going to do now the electricity had gone down with out notice he was sure he had paid his bill last week. This situation facing Eric Flint was like one of those any movies and articles he had read about wild claims that resources were all gone and they economy was running on air. These voices however were also drowned out by other louder more sensible voices claiming it was all rubbish.

Privately Eric did not know what to think about the two different opinions being expressed. He like some others in the high rise housing estate had stocked up food, water and survival stuff. Such as hunting knives, candles, torches, batteries, metal base ball bats, fire lighters, back packs, tent, compass, binoculars, rain coats, swiss army knife, first aid kits and sleeping bags. Eric and others like him stocked up well before all stock at the super market were brought out hoping to wait out the collapse of the stock market out for the super market riots to die down and the government to regain some sort of control over the situation. The voices saying that everything was coming down had gotten strong over the last months of economic disruption claiming that oil fields around the world had entered a steep decline and that the end was near. Eric had held up some hope until now that everything would return to normal and he could go on ignoring reality and the people he tried to avoid.

Being the damaged product of a government education system gone wrong he was. But now the internet had gone down and his fantasy world disappeared with it he had lost all hope that the system could be restored. Eric got up from his computer for the first time in days and realised with remarkable calm that life as he knew it was now over and he would have to adapt to a newer more fragile existence with out modern comforts and what little it had gained him. Eric realised he had lost very little with the break down of everything he had ever known as he looked around his little apartment with its pealing wall paper, the unused bed and the trash strewn around his desk. Eric suddenly felt very angry at the injustice inflicted society on him and other like him because they did not fit in with the system that had tried to break them into a mould they did not fit. Then left him for dead.

Eric walked over to the blinds that had kept him with out sunshine for so long and flung them open. Partially blinded form the light of the sun he staggered back wards his eyes readjusting to the light of day. Eric looked out at the other grey housing estate high rises seeing some of them had been guttered by flames. He knew this was not good because it confirmed the fact that some of the large gangs of the east side roaming the east side had gotten out of control. It ment that sooner or later these gangs would start the process of looting and burning his own apartment block. Hurried by this new sense of urgency Eric turn back to his small apartment and started gathering the trash into a large pile on his bed. He then turned to packing all the stuff he thought might be usefully for the unknown journey he was about make and gathered up the rest of the stuff he did not need and threw it on the bed with the trash. Eric then went to the cupboard and took out two climbing repellers for the long ride down the lift cable, as part of government deregulation 2013 of the buildings industry high rises were no longer required to have steps, only a source of exist from the building. He then laced up his hiking boots, hefted his pack and checked the stuff he had attached to his belt was firmly secured and opened the door to the corridor hallway flaw 21. Eric and Liz who lived next store were responsible of keeping the hallways clean in the apartment block but right now they were deserted and littered with trash. The lights were off in the hall way so Eric not wanting to alert hostile and potently desperate neighbours to his presence he did not turn his torch on but felt his way along the corridor to Liz's door. He knocked gently at Lizs door, after a while Liz answered his knocks with "Who is it" "Its me Eric can I come in?" he replied. By way of an answer Liz opened the door and ushered him in and sat him down on the couch and sat next to him."It nice to see to you here Eric. What can I do for you?" Liz asks absently. "I am getting out of the these apartments before they are burned to the ground by the local gangs. Will you come with me?" "How are we going to get out the building with the lifts out?"

The doubt clearly expressed on Liz face. "With these climbing repellers should do the job" said Eric "Why do want me to come and not somebody else Eric?" Eric squared his body to face Liz and took her hand. Because your the closest thing Ive got to a friend at the moment Liz and I don't want you to be in this building when it burns down." He let go of her hand. In thoughs seconds Liz seemed to reach a designs in her head "Ok Eric if you could help me pack some stuff and I guess well be on our way. Eric helped Liz pack and explained his plan for getting out of Jaywalk city of 11 million people and into the country side were they would cross the Eastern mountains and find some abandon pleasure farm house to settle. "So how long do you think it will take to reach the other side of the eastern mountain Eric?" "Id say a month maybe more. It depends how fast we learn to survive out in the wild, I have his great survival guide books that will deal with that" said Eric trying to sound as confident as possible. "Well certainly sounds like you have been planing for the day the internet goes down for along time. Liz reasoned with her self." When they had finished gearing up, they went to the lift doors and heaved them open. Eric told Liz he had one more thing he had to do in his. Eric went to the kitchen got a candle and cut it into a two hour slice. He then pulled the full gas can out of his closet and emptied it out on the bed of trash, he placed the candle carefully on top of the pile of trash and lighted it. This would be Eric final revenge on everything that had abandoned him. He walked back to were Liz was waiting for him and would not say what he had done when she asked. They attached there cables to the lift wires and repelled into the darkness.

[Whitefang]

Books are great, but one needs survival skills, learned by action.
I have yet to learn how to stay warm, find water, make fire, proper shelter, gather and hunt.
I am a happy camper already but am at loss without gear and spam.

If you are already far from town when the grid goes down forever, one might have a chance.
Choosing right location and timing are essential.

[PrestonSturges]

The word is "rappel," a "rappeler" would probably be the person rappeling. You can have a "rappel device" such as a "figure eight" or a "rappel rack." Generically, the devices used to descend a rope are "descenders" and the devices for climbing ropes are "ascenders." Descending steel cable wouldn't be climbing gear - it would be industrial hardware. If he were rappeling by rope, he'd go outside the building so he stop on a balcony. On the outside, he could also double his rope and descend a tall building in stages, pulling it down after him at each stage.

He could not light a candle in room full of gas fumes without blowing out a wall, but he could use kerosene. Or he could just put on a stack of newspaper and cardboard.

[PrestonSturges]

Now Halloween Jack is a real cool cat
He lives on top of Manhattan Chase
The elevator's broke
So he slides down the rope
Onto the streets below
Oh Tarzan, go man go.

[Outcast_Searcher]

The word is "rappel," a "rappeler" would probably be the person rappeling.

And the word is journeyman, i.e. a man taking journey.

It makes one wonder what they are doing in the schools, since teaching good communication skills doesn't seem to be part of it.