by Vincent Pet
“Mr. Brad Walsh, the Brad Walsh of Area 51?”
Brad blinked in surprise and cautiously replied back. Had they found out that Height had revealed sensitive information to him? Wouldn’t that be ironic if he were to be arrested hours before nothing would ever really matter anymore! It would probably be one of the fastest arrests and death sentence handed down, he mused, a little surprised that he still had some humor left in him in a moment like that.
“Yes. I am that Brad Walsh.”
One of the soldiers (he was unsure…he had never seen uniforms quite like that) brought up a small box he had been firmly clutching in his hand. He opened it and handed him what seemed definitely a cellular even if odd looking.
“It is special phone designed to work through extraordinary events; like after an atomic attack…or events like this.”
Brad nodded as he hesitantly took the phone from the soldier.
“Just press the green button to access the line. If the line goes down just press the yellow button and you will be automatically connected again. And sir, this is a private call. We will be waiting outside until you have decided. Not more than five minutes though.”
Brad took the phone inside with him and closed the door as the two men made their way to their all-terrain jeep and waited. He stared at the phone for what seemed a long time. Area 51…again. He pressed the green button and put his ear to the phone.
“Brad Walsh here.”
“Brad…I’m so glad they found you!”
Brad’s heart tightened. It was Dora. No, not at this moment, he thought. No, he needed all the strength he could muster to face the end…and plus, what could he possibly tell Dora now?
“Dora…please…”
As soon as he pronounced her name, his voice broke, carrying the emotions he felt inside, the joy of hearing her despite the desperation of the moment.
“Brad, now listen. For once in your life, listen!”
He held his breath. Her tone was warm, worried and as equally desperate as his.
“I know that Height told you about what is to happen today. He said that he would and confirmed it just before committing suicide. We have been working these last months with our allies and a few other governments. The Chinese moon base is not fully complete but we have helped send up as many people we could. Our orbiting station is fully manned and all available space crafts that can hold people are about to lift off into space. We also have dug bases deep within the earth and are hoarding supplies and people to the deepest caves across the world.”
Brad interrupted her. Dora’s voice was frantic as she rambled on. It seemed to him that much panic reigned in Area 51.
“Dora? What good will this do? Height told me exactly what will happen to the Earth. No one will survive. Even the moon will be scorched, probably not as bad, but even if they do survive, their supplies will run out quickly. As for any survivors on Earth…it is ludicrous! The mountains will melt! Even if there are survivors in deep underground complexes such as Area 51, how long will these last? Minutes? Hours? Maybe a day? And if they do survive longer than that, what then? Live in fear that at any moment something can go wrong with no new parts to replace equipment failure, with no food once it runs out, no air once it runs out…what will they do?”
“Shut up Brad and listen to me! I have been able to get you one spot on the survival team just an hour ago. You will not be able to reach Area 51 in time but there is a base not too far away from you that should offer good protection. Go now!”
Brad swallowed hard.
“I…I can’t Dora.”
“Brad…listen Brad, please listen! We already know that we will not be able to survive any length of time, if we do survive at all. But there is a chance. There is a theory. The alien abductions, Brad...all those encounters of the third kind. We think that the aliens have been supplying humans to the future throughout our history. And why not? It would make perfect sense. Maybe some collectors want humans or maybe humans are living on a reserve on another planet…we don’t know but we are transmitting into space a rescue message containing all the places we will be at when the CME hits. Sooner or later the aliens or other time faring species will get the message and rescue us. It is our only hope!”
Brad shook his head.
“This…this is wrong. I don’t want to live in…in a sort of zoo!”
Dora’s voice was clearly exasperated and somewhat furious.
“We have to survive Brad! Let us survive first and then we can start taking back the future with our own hands. But we have to survive first! I want you with me…can’t you understand that? Can’t you understand how much I love you?”
Brad’s mouth was dry. She had said it, what he feared to always say or hear aloud for fear of making it come true. He had always loved her, probably from the first moment he had laid eyes on her.
“And Jessica? My kids?”
There was silence on the other line, laden with grief.
“I tried, Brad. I tried getting them a place too…but yours was the only one approved on the list.”
***
A heavy silence permeated the room. Brad was alone, sitting in his study, there where Height had once told him the terrible truth. He rose slowly to his feet and walked over to the window. The walls of his study were lined with shelves on either side, containing all genres of books he had collected during the years. He placed his hand on the book Dora had given him years ago. It was his book, the one she held in her hands the first time they met; the one which he had called a joke and which she had defended. He smiled fondly and muttered to himself.
“Isn’t it funny how it’s always the choices we don’t make which hurt the most?”
He had given back the special cellular to the soldiers who had quickly departed, no doubt going to rendezvous with the next person on their list. He bit his lip. He had told her after all these years, that he loved her, and in some way it brought them peace and closer together as they had never been. She had been right, Brad supposed. He was always running away from what he could have been. He had run away from many things in life, including her love. This time though, he would not run away. He could not live with himself if he were to somehow survive knowing that he had cheated death at the last instant while his family could not.
Six hours later, a sharp, bright light interrupted the twilight atmosphere. Brad jumped to the window. An orange light bathed him and he wondered what that was. It was the strangest sight he had ever seen. The stars were shining in half the sky as a side of the sun seemed to have stopped functioning. On the other side, the sky was a beautiful, savage red as if it was setting. He looked at his watch. There were two hours remaining.
They were the shortest two hours Brad Walsh ever experienced. He tried to think of every face he had known, every smell, every taste he could remember. He tried to recall all the things that had given him joy, all that had made him cry. He finally did grab a book, a dictionary, and simply glanced at the words in a random fashion to see what reaction each word would bring him. He pronounced each word on the tip of his tongue, paying particular attention to his voice. When was the last time he had really listened to his own voice? Funny…he always thought it was deeper than it actually was. There were even some words he spoke which he discovered for the very first time. This made him unexplainably proud.
Then he looked at his watch and panicked. His heartbeat increased, he started to hyperventilate. No, he must have more time! He hadn’t finished yet. He wanted to water his plants, to drink a nice cold beer, to look at the photos of his parents, picture himself when he was young in that park across his old home with his dog Ralphie always searching for the coolest shade under the trees …what was the park called again? He had it on the tip of his tongue. He needed more time, but there was only two minutes left as his eyes stared fervently at the seconds counting down.
And then he closed his eyes and imagined. For the first time since he was a child, he imagined himself lifting off to Mars. He imagi
ned Bob Ross besides him. He imagined lifting off from the world and leaving this small planet behind. On the ship he heard the voices of all the people in the world. He heard the voices of Jessica, Height, of Dora, and they were all cheerful…and even Ralphie barking, why not? No Bobby…not Mars…not this time. It’s still too close to the sun. Let’s not take the chance. He saw Bobby at the controls next to him and knew that nothing could ever go wrong if they just kept together. Where to? Bobby asked. Any star, Bobby. Any star. Somewhere new.
The End
Countdown to the End of the World continues!
Don’t miss…9. The Great Organizer
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