Alas, Babylon
This story takes place in Fort Repose where the wounded and radioactive people live and try to survive. Randy Brags a received officer takes charge of the city, and bring together the city once more. During the summer, the stranded city is trying to survive a brief shortage of fish while Randy solves a crisis involving a lack of salt. He combs the diary kept by his ancestor, who founded the town, and finds a location to a nearby pool with a plentiful supply of salt. At the end of the story a helicopter lands, carrying Paul Hart, a military man and friend of Randy's from before the war. He tells them that the country is still trying to restore basic services, and that centuries may pass before the contaminated regions become clean. He also confirms that Mark died in the war, meaning that Helen is free to marry Dan. He offers to take them out of Fort Repose, but they all prefer to remain in the community they have rebuilt.In this story, all hell brakes lose when a missile is launch from the Soviet Union. The United States is frightened, but the people in Fort Repose feel the heat and strength of the war when a deadly radioactive missile is bombed. In this story the Russians are painted as villains, their aggression pave
s the way for the conflict, and they fire the first nuclear missiles. There is also a role of chance in warfare, showing how a mistake by a foolhardy American pilot provides the beginning of entire world changing. Life has continued in the rest of the United States over the long months that Fort Repose has been cut off, and at the end of the novel, the appearance of Paul Hart gives a brief sketch of the big picture. Randy declines his offer to return the once known civilization, because he feels that his mark on the world and people is with Fort Repose. The Day begins and ends with nuclear explosions. This day of the explosion is known around the city as "The Day." The last bomb hits Orlando, knocking out power in the town. When occurred it civilization in Fort Repose dead out. The image of darkness falling is a pattern that recurs at the novel's close. It points to the extinguishing of the modern world. The disorder in the town of Fort Repose is great, cooperation becomes clear, in the city, that it is the key to survival. As the Henrys and Braggs work together, they are able to insure a supply of clean drinking water and food, taken from the Henry farm and the nearby river. This closeness improves the group's overall chances of survival. The discovery of the radioactive jewelry is at once a reminder of the continuing danger from nuclear fallout.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Fort Repose, Paul Hart, Randy Brags, Henrys Braggs, Porky Logan, Edgar Quisenberry, Repose Randy, Ben Franklin, Randy Bragg, Fort Repose's, fort repose, paul hart, takes charge, people fort repose, people fort,
Approximate Word count = 925
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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