One day in 1995, Michel awoke in a cold sweat. In his sleep, he had received a message from the future. The novels Ravage and Dies The Fire were not mere works of fiction; they were prophecies. In exactly 30 years, an incredibly vivid and detailed dream had warned him, the Change would come and the laws of physics would be suddenly altered, rendering all forms of industrial tehnology inoperable; from one day to the next, the world would be thrust back into the Middle Ages.
What could he do? Warning humankind would get him dismissed as a crackpot. There would be no saving everyone from the global disruption anyway. But if he couldn't save billions, perhaps he could at least save hundreds. The question was how. Stockpiling? The food would inevitably run out, and then what?
He knew he had 30 years to prepare. Set up a compound that would be secure enough to withstand the collapse of civilization. Gather a group of people who would collectively possess all the variety of skills necessary to maintain a self-sustaining community in a pre-industrial setting--from farming to woodworking to weaving. Make them work together for a long time so that at the critical moment they would instinctively look out for each other. And all this without telling them the real reason or they would call him a madman and go their own ways. All these challenges, he realized, could be solved in one go.
He would tell them it's about building a castle. An honest-to-God medieval castle, with remparts, moats, towers, a drawbridge and a keep--a form of experimental archeology, if you will: using only the tools and construction techniques that were known to medieval craftspeople. It would take years, of course, but that was part of the plan; by then all the people involved would have learnt how to live without modern technology.
The location was chosen very carefully. In a forest, far enough from cities that would become deathtraps for their inhabitants when the Change came, and with plenty of wood for lumber and for fuel. On a slight elevation for security. Next to a quarry, so they wouldn't have far to go for getting the stones to build the castle. And with a nice river nearby for water.
Within two years work had started. It was a great success: pitching the project as a historical experiment brought dozens of Middle Age scholars with precious theoretical expertise and craftspeople curious to rediscover long-forgotten methods, as well as the odd medieval reenactor who made up in enthusiasm what she lacked in practical skills. Fields were ploughed and farmyard animals raised; there was a smithy, a water mill, a carpenter's workshop, even a bakery. Some of the participants came and went but a solid core of workers chose to be in it for the long haul, dedicating their professional lives to the project. And, slowly, stone after stone, beam after beam, tile after tile, Michel's castle rose from the ground.
There are now six years to go before the Change comes, and the project looks like it will be completed within schedule. Then the small but self-sufficient community will gather inside, raise the drawbridge, lower the portcullis, and be ready for the collapse of industrial civilization.
What could he do? Warning humankind would get him dismissed as a crackpot. There would be no saving everyone from the global disruption anyway. But if he couldn't save billions, perhaps he could at least save hundreds. The question was how. Stockpiling? The food would inevitably run out, and then what?
He knew he had 30 years to prepare. Set up a compound that would be secure enough to withstand the collapse of civilization. Gather a group of people who would collectively possess all the variety of skills necessary to maintain a self-sustaining community in a pre-industrial setting--from farming to woodworking to weaving. Make them work together for a long time so that at the critical moment they would instinctively look out for each other. And all this without telling them the real reason or they would call him a madman and go their own ways. All these challenges, he realized, could be solved in one go.
He would tell them it's about building a castle. An honest-to-God medieval castle, with remparts, moats, towers, a drawbridge and a keep--a form of experimental archeology, if you will: using only the tools and construction techniques that were known to medieval craftspeople. It would take years, of course, but that was part of the plan; by then all the people involved would have learnt how to live without modern technology.
The location was chosen very carefully. In a forest, far enough from cities that would become deathtraps for their inhabitants when the Change came, and with plenty of wood for lumber and for fuel. On a slight elevation for security. Next to a quarry, so they wouldn't have far to go for getting the stones to build the castle. And with a nice river nearby for water.
Within two years work had started. It was a great success: pitching the project as a historical experiment brought dozens of Middle Age scholars with precious theoretical expertise and craftspeople curious to rediscover long-forgotten methods, as well as the odd medieval reenactor who made up in enthusiasm what she lacked in practical skills. Fields were ploughed and farmyard animals raised; there was a smithy, a water mill, a carpenter's workshop, even a bakery. Some of the participants came and went but a solid core of workers chose to be in it for the long haul, dedicating their professional lives to the project. And, slowly, stone after stone, beam after beam, tile after tile, Michel's castle rose from the ground.
There are now six years to go before the Change comes, and the project looks like it will be completed within schedule. Then the small but self-sufficient community will gather inside, raise the drawbridge, lower the portcullis, and be ready for the collapse of industrial civilization.