Pegman – The Forever Bunker
Here is a story I wrote for What Pegman Saw, which takes us to Palo Duro State Park in Texas.
I seem to drop in and out of Pegman when the muse takes me and when I have time. Hope that’s okay.
Copyright Erik Rathgaber for Google Maps
Jeff checked the environmental seals, as he did every day. The same routine, every day of his life.
Ding dong!
The doorbell! This had never happened before! He ran to the hatch, donned his environmental suit and triggered the release. Outside stood a man… in normal clothes!
“How… how…?”
“Is this bunker 27? What are you all still doing down there? The Earth has been habitable for over 100 years!”
“But… I’ve looked out, every day. There’s nothing… devastation for miles, only scrub…”
“It’s the desert. It’s supposed to look like that.”
“The desert? Why was I not informed?”
“It’s all in the literature.”
“Well, maybe, but who has the time to read all that?”
“Time? Time? You’ve had nothing but time.”
“Hmm. 100 years, you say? I don’t suppose the others’ll be all that happy. Best not tell them. Good day to you.”
Slam.
100 years later…
Ding dong!
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draliman on life 
Wonderful. Probably better off in there at the moment!
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Ha, yes, unfortunately. They’ll probably eventually come out only to find they’ve missed their chance and we’ve destroyed the planet yet again.
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Ha! Poor fellow is going to be in big trouble if his companions ever find out.
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For sure. I’m guessing it’s his and his descendants’ most closely-guarded secret 🙂
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I love the image of a bunker with a ding-dong doorbell!
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That made me smile too, it seemed so extremely unlikely!
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How could he go 100 years without any sort of take away??
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You have spotted the glaring hole in my little story 🙂
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Funny story, especially what Josh said – the image of this serious environmental bunker with a ding-dong doorbell. Although my favorite line is about how the desert is “supposed to” look like total devastation, LOL!
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Wouldn’t it be great, though – a bunker with a doorbell? Like the neighbours might stop by 🙂
The desert – unfortunate place to put a bunker! I’m glad you liked it 🙂
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Yeah, good point. Although apparently they *did* need a doorbell after all, so it was a good investment!
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Everyone laughed, but they insisted on the doorbell.
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I love your take on the prompt! It fits so well with the decommissioning of nuclear weapons that takes place near Amarillo. You’ve written this piece with lovely quirky humour!
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Ha, I didn’t even know about the nuclear weapons. I vaguely remember the name “Amarillo” from some old Westerns…
I’m glad you liked it, and thanks for bringing a deeper meaning to my story, which, obviously, I now had intended all along 🙂
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200 years worth of provisions, and literature! That is one well stocked bunker. Well, until the literature had to be used once the TP ran out…
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I bagsie War and Peace!
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hahahaha! The future! Slam! 😀
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Not today, thank you. We like our bunker. Come back in another century 🙂
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Oh Ali, you always make me chuckle. What a gas! I love your lighthearted prose.
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I’m glad you liked it, thanks for reading!
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The pleasure is all mine, Ali.
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Haha! Better to live a confined life, eh? Maybe he’s right. Made me smile, this one
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At least they’re nice and safe down there 🙂 I’m glad you liked it!
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How old is Jeff? He obviously doesn’t mind life in the bunker. 😉
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It’s all he’s ever known. I’m sure the outside would have been nicer, though 🙂
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Some people stay in their comfort zone for CENTURIES. 😉
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Dear Ali,
What a life to live all those years in a bunker. Love your sense of humor.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
I guess when you’re born down there you get used to it. I’m glad you liked it!
Ali
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Well done Ali – such an ingenious and entertaining tale. Love the bit where the bunker man says..’ better not tell the others’ !!
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That was a bit of quick thinking there, slamming the door and pretending like it had never happened. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Seems that time flies in that bunker…MOL 😀 Pawkisses for a Happy Day 🙂 ❤
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100 years pass just like that 🙂
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“It’s the desert, it’s supposed to look like that.” LOL And all this time they’ve been waiting for the vegetation to grow! I love it!
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What a mistake to make 🙂 I’m glad you liked it!
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Oh wow, I live in Canyon, Tx, and yes the park is just outside of the town. I’ve been there untold number of times, especially as a kid. It really does look uninhabitable, but there are beautiful sunsets, and they even perform a play in the Canyon called “Texas”. It is not at all a ripoff of “Oklahoma”. 😀
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I’ve never been to the desert (the nearest to me being thousands of miles away) but I’d really like to. Not all sand and stuff, but the sort like in the photo. I love that kind of beauty.
I read you were stopping with your current blog. Yours was one of the first blogs I followed way back when – I always thought you and Mer were going to go on forever 😦
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I stopped aliceatwonderland, though it’s still up. But I am continuing with http://www.alicereviewshere.wordpress.com. If you haven’t yet, I invite you to follow me there. I felt it was good to start over.
You can email me if you’d like. I’m at aliceisatwonderland.hotmail.com. I can tell you how to follow me on Facebook there – if you do Facebook. And I’m happy to know I was one of the first blogs you followed. Thanks.
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Duly followed! I’m glad it has your trademark humour in it. Who can forget those amazing posts you did detailing all the ways you found to kill the denizens of Sim City (I think it was)? 🙂
I’ll drop you an email regarding the Facebook.
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I now have the Sims 4 so it (and all its expansion packs) need definite testing. By torturing Sims, of course. Maybe Boppo will be reborn!
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Oh no, Boppo’s been through enough 🙂
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That should be @hotmail of course, lol.
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Some people just don’t get it. Oh well.
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The poor denizens of bunker 27.
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;0(
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Oh hell, who put Jeff in charge? I don’t suppose he ever reads instructions to anything, does he? Those poor suffering souls deprived of light and a bit of sun.
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Well, I guess they’ve never known any different 🙂
Jeff’s a right muppet.
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