Day Eight Hundred Sixteen #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

I had been dwelling on the thought that Elijah was entertaining the idea of taking ship from this port, but perhaps that was just my nostalgia for our times at sea with our old friends Tomas and the Captain.

My hopes rose, when Quasimo’s route took us into this section, dense with warehouses bordering the docks. He has been most careful to keep us from unfriendly notice. But with the side effect of circuitous and slow progress.

When we settled in for the evening Quasimo presented several options for tomorrow. The best one in his estimation will take us east out of the megapolis, hence in an opposite direction from our desired destination.

We surprised him when we both concurred.

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Day Six Hundred Ninety #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Tomas returned after one of his side jaunts. He had come upon a section of this mountain that in his estimation we should avoid at all costs.

An enormous crater spans the area between our side of the range and the next ridge that would be our desired destination.

Though judging by its topography we would be able to cross it easily, he is convinced it is a radiated area about which we’ve been warned.

A cloud of fine rock dust floats in a continual agitation above the crater, and one can sense a source of heat somewhere beneath its screen.

Elijah decided then and there, that we must descend down into the pass itself.

Even if we must backtrack.

Day Six Hundred Fifty #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

We called a halt in the middle of our trek last night. We had come across what we thought was another caravan camp. But changed that estimation when we discovered abandoned military equipment among the camp refuse. Uniforms mostly. Though there were a few spent cartridges.

Upon pressing on, I wondered if this was the group whose refuse we had noticed at the caravan stop a few days before. And what would happen if we came upon them.

Elijah asked me if I had seen anything familiar. Only then did I tumble to the fact that among the uniforms I had seen were belt buckles with insignias described beforehand to me by Elijah.

Was this the confirmation I’ve been awaiting?

Day Five Hundred Eighty One #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

The Captain did not entertain for a moment Mr. Kagi’s proposal. He politely turned him down.

Elijah and I were present and afterwards congratulated him upon his principled stance. To have decided otherwise in my estimation would have been a serious misstep. Elijah added that it is imperative we wait for the path the Spirit would open for us.

This morning the Captain tasked Tomas and myself with keeping tabs on our passenger with an eye to stave off any provocation.  He sees the distinct possibility of his gaining a sympathetic ear among certain elements of the crew.

This shouldn’t be a concern for long, as we should arrive at our destination tomorrow.

Will the robotic warship greet us there?

Day Five Hundred Thirty Eight #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

By Elijah’s estimation we have passed the three quarters mark on our way around the world. I have noticed that judging by these last two encounters, the region we are now entering is in every way rebellious. And are targets of the global authority to add them to their sphere of influence.

To my mind the challenge is not only to get out ahead of Stan and his minions, but also to avoid being used by them in their plans for subjugation.

Elijah, however, on the second point sees this region as too far gone to be concerned about their independence. He feels they are enslaved already and are just coming to their true master.

The Captain just wants to go.

Day Four Hundred Fifty Five #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

My time ashore yesterday had been brief and under heavy surveillance, more than on the ship where one of them watched all of us. Ashore it seemed like each of us had its own team of three, scrutinizing our every move.

In short order with my reporting done I was back on the ship.

It was an uneasy night. A battery of spotlights were trained on the ship the whole time.

And we have endured more waiting today. Elijah queried me about what I saw. By my estimation I believe the population of this port is even smaller than its sister city. Are they trying to hide that fact?

By sundown the three containers were secured aboard.

Tomorrow we leave.

Day Four Hundred Thirty Four #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

The fog lifted with the early morning breeze. You would think that would make a substantial difference in our headway. But it did not. In a couple of instances our forward movement was halted altogether by the incoming tide.

It was not time lost in our estimation. It was time to get our minds off of our problems and onto the One who holds the solutions. And I think we more than made up for our delay during those times when the tide was out. Way out.

By day’s end our progress was such that the port city came into our view. And like the one behind us on the mainland it appears to be untouched by the Great Destruction.