Save the books pt.5 Raton

by | Jun 30, 2025 | Fiction, Things to Come | 57 comments

Travel across the high country of New Mexico was a nightmare of rotten snow over ice and the going was slow. As the light slowly became more solid our group attracted small pockets of life,those wanting to go somewhere, anywhere just for a chance to escape the isolation and the misery they faced.

By the time we sighted Raton pass there were close to a hundred of us traveling now. We had lots of firepower and food so we worked well together.

Raton was our last hardship until we entered the plains and hopefully the light, but we knew there were poachers there, being a chokepoint to the north that it was.

Lasky and I chose the northbound upper lanes of the old interstate for our path so we were quite surprised to find the poachers ambush below us on the southbound side. After the runners’recon we knew they were not aware of us, so we plotted.

We held an unoficial council to decide the fate of our enemies, if they even were. We had enough firepower and hunting skills that it would be fish in a barrel but what if they are peaceful? Should we kill off some of the few people on earth left alive? Parley? After a contentious discussion we decided to run. They hadn’t seen us, yet, so we wasted no time and moved north early.

After several hours we began to see a shimmer in the distance and as we moved north we saw what appeared to be a great sea, shining in the bright light before us. What turmoil created this vast brackish body of water so far north of the Gulf? Such was the inundation of the sea we were forced west by north tracing the front range foothills until we reached Pueblo, then west again towards Canon city.

We heard of a trading post near the gorge from the natives, Bojohns mostly but nice enough so we set out again.We still didn’t know what happened but we knew the earth had changed fundamentally.Even the precious light we sought wasn’t what it appeared to be

Bobbo 169877

Early 2029

About The Author

Bobbo

Bobbo

A member of the Morley fools and salt air sucks

57 Comments

  1. Derpetologist

    Primitive warfare in Papua New Guinea, 1964
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI4uirwxx1Y

    Speaking of that, surely the Grugell fought amongst themselves. Thus, the course of their evolution would be similar to humans.

    Still a good story, but their lack of fighting ability is a bit of a plot hole. The tribes and nations have survived either got really good at fighting or live in inhospitable areas that no one wants to conquer.

    The Army had a hell of time defeating the Apaches. It took 47 years of war to defeat borderline cavemen.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_Wars

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      Um, ok

      • Derpetologist

        This episode of I Shouldn’t Be Alive fits with the story:

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgXsgW2MvjI

        ***

        In August 2002, Roger Sargeant, his girlfriend Shelly and her 2 daughters Michaela and Tiffany are looking for a place to test their new firearm in the Arizona Desert. Their truck gets stuck on a wash, and they become lost and spend the next 2 days wandering around where gangs of criminals attempt to run them over and leave them to die.
        ***

  2. kinnath

    Thanks for the story. Been otherwise occupied this evening.

  3. Ownbestenemy

    I love that we are 80s/90s basic cable access TV.

    Thanks for the story!

  4. Ownbestenemy

    Huh…guess pot luck was moved. No jump tonight. Channel is fogged in, standing down.

    Hopefully we arent in the news tonight.

  5. Evan from Evansville

    I’m a bit late to this series, but thanks for these, Yusef. Further motivate mes, and with this week’s positive sway, I’ve just gotta go over my draft with sober eyes. A fun positive is the germ of IMO a legit-good idea has gotten a spark. Pretty much my brainstorm is to take a short-story style to my collection of Interesting Occasions of the Day in Walmart. Things I see or notice, to things I can ad lib on. All the old workers we have and musings on the why. (Let alone our Hispanic and African divisions.)

    Another one is noting what groceries certain folk order, and to put that into a whimsical explanation of what they could all be for(!).

    Fiction is something I’ve never even attempted. If not revealing secrets, how much of this, or what, is based on your life? Outside of that, for all writers, I’m not sure ‘where’ ‘purely’ fictional ideas kinda come from. Again, still true I’ve never tried, so how would I know?

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      Beaucoup des romans Γ  clef?

      I admire those who can write fiction.

  6. Derpetologist

    ***
    The Court ruled that using deadly force on intruders in an unoccupied property was not reasonable or justified and therefore not a defense to the tort of battery. Briney would have been justified in defending himself with the shotgun if he had been home during the intrusion. The plaintiff’s status as a trespasser is irrelevant when assessing liability in this case.
    ***

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katko_v._Briney

    ***
    A mantrap is a mechanical physical security device for catching poachers, art thieves and other trespassers.[1][unreliable source?] They have taken many forms, the most usual being similar to a large foothold trap, the steel springs being armed with teeth which meet in the person’s leg. In 1827, they were made illegal in England, except in houses between sunset and sunrise as a defence against burglars.[2][3]

    Other traps such as special snares, trap netting, trapping pits, fluidizing solid matter traps[4] and cage traps could be used.

    Mantraps that use deadly force are illegal in the United States, and in notable tort law cases the trespasser has successfully sued the property owner for damages caused by the mantrap.
    ***

    Well, good luck trying to sue long dead pharaohs and emperors then.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N17FLwLU5pk

    • Ownbestenemy

      Interesting. So your life only has value, when threatened, in your home..but only in certain states and very narrow circumstances?

      • Derpetologist

        For reference, of the 100+ videos I showed my students, this is the only one I got complaints about:

        Anaconda: The Educational Version
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11l6PS5SCp8

      • Ownbestenemy

        Heh…raised in the hood.

      • Akira

        In senior year, I ended up in some class called “Career Readiness”. Most of the time was spent just watching videos on HowStuffWorks.com. One time he was attempting to find something on TV, and I saw a brief glimpse of Mr. Show with Bob and David. I made such a fucking racket to turn it back that he finally relented, and that’s what we watched that day.

        That teacher also had a “dirty joke of the day” he would tell us. He used to comment on female students’ asses as they walked past the door. One time he informed us what “shrimping” is (feel free to look it up on Urban Dictionary if you really want to know). As far as I’m aware, the administration never got word of what went on in that class.

        A couple times he even talked about the importance of having a good career.

  7. Yusef drives a Kia

    I have no idea where this story is going, but I have been there before,

  8. Evan from Evansville

    I’m also choosing the northern path over my weekend, which started 8hrs ago. I’m making a trip north tomorrow to Buchanan, MI to make a vape purchase. It’s a fun, easy drive for me, just straight north on US 37 for a couple hours. I’ll cross Peru, IN after about an hour. I’m always tempted to make a stop or two. (Rarely do.) IN didn’t go anywhere with its MJ laws. Fucking idiots, everyone, everywhere, even where legalized.

    The whole journey, door to purchase and return, is a lovely five-hour quest, perfectly timed. It also takes me right to Peru, IN. (Always tempting..) Hrm. No baseball games then, so I’ll find a Rogan to listen to. Perfect timing, really. I like my long, solo drives. Modest Mouse is (likely) my second favorite band. This Is a Long Drive… is a great album, *and* a fantastic driving soundtrack.

    So many moments to murmer.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      Dude, I can just mail them to you, 30 bucks a pop, sealed tight and discrete, gimme an addy

      • Evan from Evansville

        Fourth of July special. I’m getting 14 carts for $103 AFTER tax. And I get a scenic, semi-therapeutic ‘solo-adventure.’ It’s a short journey I take every couple of months.

        I highly appreciate the offer, but me thinky that’s no goody an idea.

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        Enjoy my friend and drive safe

  9. dbleagle

    I haven’t watched this series but when I watched the video linked below, I immediately thought of Suthen, UCS, and several others.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRb7nRMoHpI

    Now I gotta find this series.

    • UnCivilServant

      I was reminded of the stock character the Miles Gloriosis

    • Grumbletarian

      End contract negotiations. Replace them all.

  10. Donny Three-Fingers (KJ5GQR)

    Morning all! Gotta grab a brisket for the 4th, so as to test the new Traeger regarding brisket. And cat food.

    • UnCivilServant

      I read that and thought you were going to give brisket to the cat.

      • Donny Three-Fingers (KJ5GQR)

        No hooman food for the kittahs or dogs… I barely consent to sharing meat for other hominids.

      • Gender Traitor

        I read that and thought you were going to test the new Traeger regarding cat food. You won’t give them hooman food, but you’ll smoke/grill their food.

  11. Ted S.

    Enjoying reading a British blogger complain about a 60-degree dew point….

    • Donny Three-Fingers (KJ5GQR)

      Bless their hearts… (from Texas, in the traditional sense of the phrase)

  12. Tres Cool

    suh’ fam
    whats goody

    • Grummun

      ::Muntz laugh::

  13. Grosspatzer

    Mornin’, reprobates, UCS, et al. Illegitimi non carborundum.

    • Gender Traitor

      Good morning, ‘patzie, U, homey, Donny3F, Ted’S., Grumble, and Sean!

      • Gender Traitor

        So far, so good. If I can get the various payroll issues at work resolved…then I can get started on month-end reports and writing up last month’s Board meeting minutes. πŸ™„

        How are you?

      • UnCivilServant

        Remote today, not super motivated, but when has that ever mattered.

        So, not only am I not required to work on the 4th, I’m not allowed to go into the office that day – they are closing the office outright and barring people from coming in. They have a fireworks display planned for the plaza, and the office is in proximity to that, so they’re just kicking us all out… not that I want to be there.

      • Gender Traitor

        I can imagine some people might consider the building a great, relatively private place from which to view the fireworks, with windows between oneself and the really loud booms. πŸ§¨πŸŽ†πŸ˜–

      • UnCivilServant

        If they had a good office, I’m sure.

        My window is at street level facing away from the plaza. It barely has a view of the street, and none of the show.

      • Gender Traitor

        I foresee a quiet holiday here (other than the occasional amateur fireworks in the not-distant-enough distance.) Animal flesh will be grilled, I expect. I may watch 1776 – maybe even the Blu-Ray copy I finally bought, since the movie’s in the late evening time slot on Turner Classic Movies this year.

      • Ted S.

        Amazing how little TCM is doing for Independence Day. But they spent an entire day pandering on Juneteenth.

      • UnCivilServant

        The acoustics of the geography combined with my house’s proximity to the river where a lot of fireworks are set off mean I get a very loud holiday every year.

        The first few that go off I always have to remind myself – not gunshots.

      • Ted S.

        Ever since Robert Osborne died, the amount of “this movie is important because demographic check box” has gotten obnoxious.

      • Donny Three-Fingers (KJ5GQR)

        Morning! Oldest daughter and 2 of her 3 crotch-fruit are coming up Thursday for the weekend. I’m grilling for hoomans…

      • Gender Traitor

        I get a very loud holiday every year.

        Sounds as if it might actually be quieter at your office. Too bad that’s not an option.

      • Gender Traitor

        …how little TCM is doing for Independence Day.

        At least they’re running Yankee Doodle Dandy in the “prime” evening slot instead of The Music Man. (Not that there’s anything wrong with TMM – I prefer it, and will probably take a miss on YDD.)

      • UnCivilServant

        “grilling four hoomans” what? “grilling for hoomans” oh…

        @GT – Given that these go on into the wee hours of the morning, I’d rather not be in the office at ~2-3am

      • Gender Traitor

        …I’d rather not be in the office at ~2-3am.

        πŸ˜³πŸ‘