This is the final chapter and yes that is my real email address. This story is based on fiction atleast for now it is. God bless and I hope you like it. Tman... PS you can check the archives for parts 1 and 2.

"2000 The Year of Fear"

It was 8 hours before midnight and I needed something out of the garage. I entered the garage only to find the floor by the water heater covered with water, something was wrong. The hot water heater had started leaking and I didn't have a replacement. This was the very thing I was worried about. The first person I called was Joe; hopefully he would know what to do. Joe came over and we striped the metal cover off of the unit and removed the insulation. There was a small pinhole in the side of the unit. Joe took a large metal screw and coated it with some silicone and screwed it into the side of the water tank where the hole was. That's all it took, the leak stopped. Joe got a grin on his face and said that's how we used to fix em back in the old days. We replaced the insulation and outer metal shell and Joe was on his way.

There was now only 6 hours to go and my nerves were about shot. I turned on the TV to see what was going on and there was chaos in the streets. It appears that the criminal element had decided that if there was ever a good time to strike this was it. I could hear gunfire just a few blocks over and it became clear that this was going to be a long night. Just 4 hours before midnight and I received several calls from the other members in the neighborhood. They just wanted to check in and make sure I was ok. There was no way anyone was going to sleep tonight so I put on a pot of coffee. I took a deep breath and started to realize that ready or not here we come. It would soon be time to roll, was everything done, was the code repaired no one was sure.

I had talked to my father the other day and he had been talking to a cousin of mine named Jeff. Jeff was the president of a large bank back east. He had said that because my dad was family he would tell it to him straight. The truth is the bank is about 95% done with the code, however no one could say what was coming. We just don't know what to expect and there is no way too know until we roll. For the people who are saying no problem it's all a guess, everyone has an opinion and in 4 hours we find out who is right and who was wrong. It's funny how computers have so much control over our lives.

I keep watching the TV because at nine o'clock New York City and the rest of the East Coast will roll into 00. Since we live on the West Coast we get a 3-hour window to rack our brains. It's getting close to 9 PM so I check out the TV. Time Square is crowed with people 10, 9, 8, 7, I can feel my gut start to tighten up 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 it's 2000. The lights are still on everything seems to be ok, maybe we were wrong, could it only be a bump in the road. Wait flicker, flicker boom no lights the picture goes blank, I rush over and turn on the radio. There are reports of wide spread power outages all over the East Coast and many problems with the big mainframes. I keep hoping for information via satellite but the news network is having problems with the stupid satellite.

The work wasn't done and what was done was done in haste. We never knew what the embeddeds would do or how the error rates in the code would effect things. We now know that things are not good, so I make some calls and tell every one to get their 2-way radios out and turned on. Prepare to go down at least for now. I instruct the guards to start making their rounds; it's time to play the game. This is the very thing we have been preparing for and I must say I feel better knowing we are prepared. It's time to start filling all of the containers we can with water while we can, that should give us a store of fresh water to use for the next few days and then go to our stored water later on.

I am getting radio reports from back East of chaos and rioting it looks like all hell is breaking loose. It's pay back time, remember the old saying pay me now or pay me latter? Well it's time to pay, it's sad to think that at one time we could have fixed this problem but because of greed we put it off until we ran out of time. Now we will all pay, the question is, what will it cost? The news is saying communication is hit and miss some lines are working and some are not. All 911 service is being run via 2-way radio or ham.

I received a call from a friend across town that didn't believe y2k would be that big of a deal. He wants to bring his wife and child over because they would feel safer here. I told him no problem come on over but bring some extra clothing just incase you have to stay a while. The bug is hitting hard everywhere as time zones roll into 00. Just one more hour and it's our turn to play the y2k game of will we make it. Will the power stay on and if it doesn't will our generators hold up.

Here we go 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1we still have power but no phones. " Oh well" there goes the power, someone start the generator. The power came back on a short time later but it seems to roll in and out. Who knows what tomorrow will bring it's a strange New World we live in and not knowing is the hardest part. The prep that my friends and I have done has made life a lot easier, but now the question is how long will this situation last?

THE END.

One final question is have you made some sort of preparation? If not you have more guts than I do. Soon we will reach the point of no return, some will say we have already reached it. There is a point though at which there is no turning back do you feel lucky? I pray for a safe and happy 2000 good luck to all. Tman

-- Tman (Tman4609@netscape.net), April 12, 1999

Answers

Tman thank you!!! This is a great short storie. To bad it may turn out to be true.

-- @@@@@ (###@Webtv.net), April 12, 1999.

More masturbatory fantasies from the grim reaper. The question must be: Why do the Doomer Gloomers love this stuff?

Still waiting to hear from "Dr." Homer Adams from Wisconsin...

"So, of course I want to see y2k bring down the system, all over the world. I have hoped for this all of my adult life." -- Gary North

-- Y2K Pro (2@641.com), April 13, 1999.

You never have anything positive to contribute to this forum, do you, Y2K Pro? All you do is insult and call names. Grow up!!!

-- Shame on You (Shameonyou@yousuck.com), April 13, 1999.

More masturbatory fantasies from the grim reaper.

Uh-huh. and he's looking at your picture.....
karen


-- karen (Y2KPro@jerk.off), April 13, 1999.

Pro -

You've criticized Sysman and others for ad hominem arguments and namecalling. Why engage in such tactics yourself?

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), April 13, 1999.