On the Beach

Peter visits the farmer and arranges for him to deliver milk and cream to their house while he is at sea. Moira passed out after the party and became sick in the night. Dwight attends a service at the local branch of the Church of England but spends the entire time thinking of his family, especially his children, Junior and Helen. Though they are dead, he thinks of them as if they are still alive, making plans for the gifts he will bring them when he returns. Moira begins drinking brandy again when she wakes up. She asks Dwight for a tour of the submarine, but Dwight says they are too busy preparing to go to sea. However, he promises to call her and take her to dinner when they return from the first cruise. Dwight encourages Moira to take it easy on the drinking, but she says that time is running out and she can do whatever she wants. Moira returns home and tells her mother about Dwight, leaving out the details of her drunken emotional breakdown. Moira knows her mother disapproves of her behavior but resists arguing since time is short.

Dwight returns to the Navy Department to make the final preparations for the first cruise. At the last minute, John Osborn, a scientist who will monitor the radiation levels aboard the submarine, is added to the crew despite Dwight knowing nothing about it. The crew takes the submarine into open water for a trial run of their radiation detection equipment. After returning, Dwight calls Moira and invites her to the submarine. When he mentions John Osborn joining the crew, Moira says he is a distant relation of hers: “He’s dippy […] Absolutely mad. He’ll wreck your ship for you” (46). Dwight laughs off her statement, and they plan for her to visit on Saturday morning. Before touring the submarine, Moira demands that Dwight take her for a drink. She chastises him for not having more fun while he’s ashore.

Moira arrives dressed entirely in white, so Dwight gets her a boiler suit to wear during her visit. While Moira changes clothes in Dwight’s bunk, she sees a photo of Dwight’s wife and children but tries not to think about his former life. After meeting the crew, Moira and Dwight have tea in his bunk. He explains that his orders are to travel north to Cairns, Port Moresby, and Darwin, but Moira remarks that there’s nothing left of the cities. Dwight says they will do their best to ascertain what is left without exposing themselves to radiation. Dwight hopes the USS Swordfish’s report from its journey to Rio de Janeiro, up the United States’ eastern seaboard, and into the English Channel reveals survivors. Moira goes up top for fresh air and talks with John Osborn, who remarks that the predictions of the radiation reaching them by September may be wrong—it could be sooner or later.

Moira and Dwight go out for dinner and dancing. Moira hasn’t found work since finishing university because most places are closed or not hiring. When she’s not partying, she helps on the family farm. On the way to the train station, they notice a large number of intoxicated people in the streets, which has become a problem since the war. Dwight promises to call Moira when they return.

Dwight receives his orders to depart the following day after attending church. The naval commander also gives him the Swordfish’s report, revealing that they found no signs of life. Dwight meets with the prime minister, who informs him that their main objective is gathering information on radiation levels up north. He instructs Dwight not to leave the ship or put the crew in danger. Though they’ve received reports that some survivors remain in Townsville despite rising radiation levels, the prime minister orders Dwight not to surface near the town or take anyone on board the ship so as not to give false hope to survivors.

For nine days, the Scorpion surveys the coasts of Port Darwin, Cairns, and Port Moresby, using their loudspeaker to shout at any survivors on land. They see no signs of life besides a black dog, though the towns look normal otherwise. When they surface, they see an abandoned ship floating aimlessly, another ominous sign. Peter wonders if anyone is writing a history of the war because even though he fought in it, he has little understanding of why it started. John says there’s no point in writing history if no one is left to read it.

Dwight explains that Russia bombed China to secure Shanghai’s port, and China wanted to wipe out Russia’s population. Albania bombed Naples, and someone bombed Tel Aviv. Egypt flattened Washington and London when the US and Great Britain flew a test mission over Cairo. This misunderstanding led to retaliatory strikes against Russia. The fact that a simple misunderstanding sparked the conflict shocks Peter. John blames cheap and widespread cobalt bombs, but Dwight argues that the issue is more complicated. John says, “It wasn’t the big countries that set off this thing. It was the little ones, the Irresponsibles” (74), to which Peter responds that countries with no involvement, like Australia, have paid the price. Peter remarks that they have only six months left, and he wants to spend that time doing his job, but John says he should go live it up. They realize that they are the last people to see those cities before the world ends, and John reminds them that the world will continue and that it’s only the end of humanity.

The Scorpion returns to the dock, and Dwight makes his report to the admiral. He explains that they saw no activity, including no bird sightings, but didn’t travel far enough inland to confirm that everyone is dead. Noting that the radiation levels weren’t as high as they suspected, Dwight suggests they send an officer in a protected suit on land to investigate more thoroughly. The admiral agrees it could work, but they must figure out how to decontaminate the officer before he returns to the ship. The admiral grants the crew ten days’ leave, and Peter excitedly calls Mary to tell her the good news. However, since there was a measles outbreak on board, Peter may need to quarantine for three weeks. He will come home but stay away from the baby. Mary says that while they were gone, Moira often called worrying about Dwight. She suggests they invite him over again.

After their debriefing meeting, John invites Peter to the Pastoral Club, an English gentlemen’s club, and they have drinks with Sir Douglas Froude, John’s great-uncle and a former lieutenant general. Douglas plans to spend his last six months clearing out the club’s alcohol stores. Douglas says that Dwight Towers is an honorary club member and that he has heard about him spending time with Moira but hopes she hasn’t corrupted him. Over drinks, Dwight tells Moira about their cruise and his idea to send someone on land to investigate further, and she invites him to visit the Holmes family again. They picnic with them and participate in another sailing race. While watching the sunset, Dwight explains to Moira about the Swordfish’s cruise. Expectedly, they found high levels of radiation and cities flattened by the bombs. When the submarine reached their home port city, they held a memorial service. Dwight shares that he is from Mystic, Connecticut, near the Delaware Bay. Moira confesses to seeing Dwight’s family photos in his cabin, and Dwight immediately talks about his wife and children as if they are still alive. Moira realizes that Dwight hasn’t entirely accepted their deaths or the more extensive destruction of the Northern Hemisphere, and she ponders the danger of getting closer to him.