A World Slowed: The Jared Chronicles

Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
A World Slowed, stretches the Post-Apocalyptic genre in a slightly different direction as the story follows an unprepared Silicon Valley computer engineer, Jared, through his struggle to survive in a world devoid of modern amenities connected to electricity. While many people hunker in their homes, waiting for government assistance, Jared quickly realizes he needs to take action if he intends to survive. Fending for himself proves far more difficult than he could have imagined. When an old man, Bart, takes him in, Jared learns skills he is forced to use when hiding and scavenging are no longer options. Even before Jared acquires the skills to sustain his own life in this new world, he unexpectedly becomes the caretaker of a seven-year-old girl who is left all alone after her parents are tragically murdered. From the beginning to the end of this book, Jared is tested to his limits, escaping harm time and again only through his thoughtful approach to a new way of living.

Excerpt
Jared ambled back to his cubicle, still perplexed by the sudden loss of power to the campus, his watch and his cell phone. He stuffed his phone back in his pocket then stopped and stood like a statue, halfway between the door and his desk. He couldn’t work without power, and he had things to do. Truth be told, no one waited for him at his home in Belmont some fourteen miles to the north, so he would work late into the night in order to get these things done.He decided to go outside and check the other buildings. If the power’s off everywhere, I’ll head home and start up again tomorrow morning, he told himself. Jared knew this meant he would have to stay late all week and more than likely come in on the weekend, which wasn’t completely out of the ordinary for him. He grabbed his Cal Berkeley zip-up sweat jacket and headed out the door, purposely turning in the opposite direction of the two who were still standing in the hallway like a couple of zombies, unable to make a decision.Jared burst out the front doors of building 43 and again stood extremely still. Instantly, he noticed the lack of artificial light and an eerie absolute silence. He surveyed the campus, taking in the silence and the absence of man made light along with several other people milling about. The people were clustered near the buildings on the campus as if discussing some important company wide project. Jared looked at the bicycle rack and quickly pushed away the urge to use one for the rather lengthy walk to where he parked his car on the far northeast side of the property.Jared walked with his head down, avoiding any eye contact with the clusters of people as he made his way across the campus grounds. No one attempted to speak to him as he walked. The campus was usually full of people who walked with earbuds inserted, for all intents and purposes in an alternate world. Today was different, no one had earbuds in and people were actually talking to one another, so he kept his head lowered and just walked.Jared arrived at his car, pulling his key fob out and depressing the unlock button. Nothing happened. He pressed it again, moving closer to the car, but still it seemed the fob refused to communicate with the vehicle. Jared flipped open the key, inserted it in the lock, and pulled open the door. He lowered himself into the vehicle, pushed the key into the ignition, and turned. Nothing happened, not even a dying battery click. He turned the key in the ignition several more times, then checked to make sure the car was in park and hadn’t somehow slipped into drive, which would have caused the vehicle to fail in its starting sequence. There were no dash lights, no clicking sounds; the vehicle was dead.After his car failed to start, Jared returned to building 43, where he saw more utility workers than regular company employees. Where in the hell did all these guys come from?