The Crest

On the Crest, the acidic fog blew in from the Pacific and menaced the defenders. Keegan and Margot felt a stinging pain in their eyes; while their breathing became erratic as the acidic droplets entered their lungs. They pulled out their water bottles and doused their eyes.

"My god, what's happening." Margot yelled.

"It's the fog today, high in sulfuric acid."

"What are we supposed to do?" She shouted.

"Put on your bandana and your goggles." Keegan yelled back.

Scientists said the pH level of the world’s oceans had dropped to 7.7 on the pH scale. What that meant was that those acidic waters produced a fog that slowly ate away at plant and animal tissue. In addition, it made the soils of the North American continent too acidic to grow food. Only the more alkaline parts of the inner continent remained viable for agriculture.

Acid rain and its associated acid fog were part of disaster after disaster that struck the Greater Portland Enclave. Repeated catastrophes naturally ushered in authoritarian rule; survival became paramount, democracy a luxury. At the inception of the enclave, the governor-general strived for democratic rule, but that equation changed. He began with a self-governing style of a kibbutz but grew increasingly harsh as the months passed. Eventually the enclave elected a leader that ruled with a heavy hand, and security took precedence while diktats replaced bohemian slogans.

Back at the flanking tower, Keegan and Margot were still feeling the effects.

"This is ridiculous Keegan, we can't patrol in this shit."

"I know, its particularly bad today. No wonder everything is dying around us."

"Acid rain releases aluminum in the soil and plants can't tolerate that."

"Where did you learn that?" He asked.

"Botany boot camp, not that you were paying attention because you were sleeping all the time."

"I was not." Keegan complained.

"Sorry, you were only sleeping half the time. But really, in lakes, anything below a pH of 5, the fish die. Out in the ocean, the shells of organisms like clams and mussels are dissolving too."

"Your a genius. A pain the ass, but a genius."

"Stop patronizing me, besides, I follow biology, and if you were smart, you would too."

The couple went back to patrolling. They looked out on the Crest and the old Pacific Crest trail. In the halcyon days, the Pacific Crest Trail was a popular thru-hike, a backpacking nirvana. Now, it had a wall on top of it. Now, it was surrounded by dead and dying trees.

They completed their shift and went back to their barracks.