Attribution

by Christine Horner

  “We got bigger problems, don’t ya’ think?” offered Hector as yet another tremor shook the Inn, dirt and dust filtering down from the high rafters.

  Truby heard a loud alert coming from her computer tablet on the bar. It had been such a traumatic day, she thought she must be hallucinating at first. She ignored the second alert. Finally, the third was enough for her to investigate.

  Onscreen, a message: Stand by for the rodeo.

  She knew of only one person who communicated in those terms.

  Then came the sick feeling.

  CHAPTER 25

  Twenty feet away, Pete stood alarmed. “Truby.” Cigar smoke clouding his face, he gazed unflinchingly into the eyes of his friend beginning to hyperventilate.

  “The Inn is as solid as a rock, Pete,” was all Truby could gasp.

  “Whoa! U.S. Geological Survey is lighting up all over the place!” cried Zedd.

  “Don’t be alarmed, folks. This’ll be over in a minute,” said Studebaker onscreen, his camera-ready smile wavering as he maintained his cool.

  PNN’s feed live, a vibration shook New Las Vegas in real time. Not having any of it, Arya turned to abandon ship leaving Studebaker to fend for himself.

  Fifteen seconds later, “Here we go, almost done.” The jiggling man relaxed a little, standing a little taller.

  Finally exhaling, Truby watched the Vegas earthquake flatten out. Still gripping the solidly-constructed bar, she looked at Pete, her eyes saying or perhaps pleading for everything to be okay. It was eerily quiet at the Old Faithful Inn, as if they were in the eye of a hurricane. The only other sound was Cadence chanting at full volume, eyes wide open, directing her efforts toward New Las Vegas.

  That’s when Truby made the mistake of letting go of the bar. A loud cracking sound filled the dining room causing everyone to flinch as if the roof was about to give way.

  “Truby?” Cadence called before the scraping sound of chairs moving around the floor.

  Truby held her left hand to the top of her forehead. She’d hit it on the curved overhang of the bar when she’d blacked out briefly. There wasn’t any blood, just an incessant ringing in her ears. It was a carryover from a previous injury that reasserted itself periodically into her life. They’d told her it was psychosomatic, but Truby had never believed the doctors.

  As Truby stood back up, the next wave of Vegas’s earthquake unleashed its fury on a town certified earthquake-proof. The tremor quickly escalated as people around Studebaker began to scream and run. To Truby, it looked like it had to be at least a 7.0 on the Richter scale. For reasons she could explain, her friend stayed on camera instead of running for his life.

  “It’s not the first earthquake I’ve— Take cover!” the veteran newsman ordered. Arms extended outward, his legs splayed wide in a struggle to stay upright. Behind him, swaying DupliCity Amusement Park structures and buildings crumbled in small chunks before sheets of exterior facades fell from various sky towers. It was total pandemonium—things breaking, families panicking. Destruction filled the media screen.

  The three-story Tropical Waterfall ride jerked violently left, then right, tossing streams of water high into the air like a garden hose. A crash of water and part of the trough that carried it fell from the sky, splitting open the solar walking path running through the perfectly manicured tropical garden now littered with debris. Studebaker tenuously held his position.

  “Oh, my God, look!” Crying softly, Cadence covered her ears, yet she couldn’t move herself to look away. It was as if it was her duty to bear witness to the tragedy unfolding before them.

  That’s how Truby felt, and by the looks on the faces of Zedd and Hector, they too, felt a responsibility to stand as witnesses. Truby didn’t have the courage to look back at Pete.

  Three translucent bubbles loaded with children and the ones they loved most snaked around the back side of the upper section of the water ride into view. Roughly tossed, they barely remained within the artificial waterway’s bounds. As the entire Tropical Waterfall ride swayed from right to left, the force bunched the three separate bubbles into a single glob. Truby thought, or imagined, she could hear their screams. The screams must have been real for Studebaker turned around, crouching low.

  The final shock that followed finally threw Studebaker to the ground. Like a super volcano, projectile fluid erupted from the top of the tropical waterfall mountain into the sky. Water ran down the sides of the artificial mountain, stripping away vegetation to reveal its infrastructure. Truby couldn’t imagine that much water unless the global water superstructure was breached.

  The volcano’s frame was relieved of its underpinnings, an avalanche of water and debris cascading directly toward the families unable to escape the safety features of their confinement. They could only reach hands toward one another and scream awaiting their impending doom.

  Suddenly, the media screen went black. An emergency tone sounded.

  “Jesus, what just happened?” asked Zedd, blinking as if he couldn’t trust his eyes.

  “What do you think, Zero?” said a frustrated and angry Hector pulling Cadence into his arms.

  CHAPTER 26

  “We’ve lost communication with the satellite!” Truby struggled to restore her computer tablet’s access to PNN’s feed through the infrared wireless connection as if there was still time to change the outcome.

  “Stand by.” Zedd worked feverishly to allow Hector to comfort a sobbing Cadence. “No, we’re good! Li-Fi is back up. It’s not us!” confirmed Zedd giving a thumbs up.

  Cadence stopped crying long enough to translate. “Then that means PNN is down. They’ve never been down.”

  Zedd’s smile faded as he realized what that meant. No one could make eye contact. After a long silence, the only thing to do was sit, each lost in private thoughts.

  Truby was in agony. Her thoughts were ugly, ones she could never share. The emergency tone on the screen matched the ringing in her head. She pressed her hands over her ears. Eyes squeezed closed; she couldn’t make it stop.

  “Truby!”

  It came again, an otherworldly voice from the ethers calling her name. Opening her eyes, she noticed the BioID on her wrist was pulsing orange then red underneath her skin. Everyone’s BioIDs pulsed orange-red, except for Pete who had none because he was exempt.

  “Truby, come back,” Pete gently coaxed. Now at her side behind the bar, his hand was on her shoulder.

  The emergency tone exhausted, the media screen suddenly flickered back to life. “Stand by for an emergency announcement from Vice-President, Olivia Flores,” instructed the digital voice from the screen.

  A moment later, Olivia Flores stood gravely in front of what was obviously a green screen featuring the majestic beauty of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. She took a full moment to compose herself, a tight smile on her face, her hands folded loosely in front of her lap.

  “My dear global friends, it is imperative that you remain calm and listen very carefully.” Flores moved to one side of the green screen like a weather girl. A Google map of North America replaced the Rockies as it zoomed in on New Las Vegas.

  Truby nervously twisted the small, wedding ring she wore on her left pinky.

  “A little after 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, a large scale event occurred in North American Sector M9-48B, in the region known as New Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.

  “An earthquake measuring 8.4 on the Richter scale caused catastrophic damage not only to the city of New Las Vegas but also to the global water superstructure known as WREN. Initial reports indicate—”

  “Nope. Geo shows 4.5,” corrected Zedd.

  “Whatever. The thing was built to withstand any size earthquake,” Hector added.

  “Oh, my God! Wasn’t the President there? Assassination by earthquake!”

  “It is with deep regret that I must inform you New Las Vegas has sufferred cataclysmic damage,” continued V.P. Flores.

  Pete held onto Truby’s arm as she bent over the trash bin
to vomit. She slid to the floor, listening to the rest in horror.

  “This is where I ask you for your help,” continued Flores. “It is imperative to keep order within your households and your community, regardless of your zone. Conserve water, even if you think you have plenty so that you may assist a neighbor in need. We must act locally while thinking globally.”

  Knees pulled into her chest, Truby put her head between her arms, shoulders heaving.

  Pete never let go. “You had people there,” was all that he said.

  CHAPTER 27

  A campfire crackled and popped on the northern end of the Old Faithful Inn property near broken wire fencing. Aftershocks were making Cadence, Zedd, and even Hector so jumpy, they openly broke into secret stashes of marijuana and alcohol to calm jittery nerves. A unanimous decision had been made to sleep outdoors overnight in case the “big one” was yet to sweep through Yellowstone National Park like in 1959.

  Glassy-eyed, Truby hung back, leaning on the cold fence to stay upright, shivering slightly in the quickly cooling air. She took a long swig from the bottle of Gold Tequila in her hand, wiped her mouth and shuddered. That should do it, she thought.

  Around the fire, Hector dragged on his joint. Holding the sweet fog in his lungs, he released it, launching into another silly ghost story in hopes a distraught Cadence would crack a smile. Truby had never seen this side of the usually reticent Hector, warm, animated, caring.

  Next to Cadence, Zedd was wrapped in a wool blanket sulking as he stared into the fire. On the other side of the fire closer to Truby, Pete settled down between saddle blankets. The ground released a little more tension to remind them it was still alive with power.

  Truby couldn’t take it if another big one came. The macabre scene from earlier kept replaying in her mind. To think she had something to do with it. It all made perfect sense now! She couldn’t bear the thought the video she’d been ordered to manipulate in bits and pieces had contributed to the deaths of innocent people. A reporter by trade, she’d dropped all her instincts and experience to wallow in self-pity like she was now.

  She stared into the fire willing her brain to go numb. It became a blurred mix of light and dark. Sounds and voices came to her. A pop of burning wood cracked like the slap of a ball hitting a mitt in a game of catch.

  2017 :: Ohio — “With an arm like that, I bet all the boys on your team have a crush on you.”

  “Not really. I’m not the kind of girl most boys have crushes on,” the little girl tried for size.

  “I bet Einstein would have a crush on you,” teased her father.

  The thwack of the ball being passed back and forth stopped.

  “I meant to tell you. I know it’s no big deal, but I wanted to be sure.”

  “I had some idea. When you’re ready,”

  “It’s okay, Daddy. I think I like my body the way it is.”

  “If you change your mind, Hemmy, I’ll be there.”

  Where was that man?

  “Truth! Truth is relative!” Truby slurred loudly, snapping out of her reverie. She stumbled two steps away from the fence toward the fire and stopped, afraid to come closer. Her fist pumped the air before falling slackly at her side. A baseball in her hand fell to the ground.

  “What? Truth’s relative? Was it relative for the people that woke up today not knowing it would be their last? Jesus Christ, don’t you guys get what just happened? A city was wiped out! We’re under a global state of emergency. This isn’t random.”

  On cue, Zedd was interrupted by a universal global alert emitted from BioIDs reminding them of the details of the state of emergency.

  “Are we just going just to sit around here telling ghost stories?” Zedd jumped up throwing down his blanket.

  “Everything and everyone has a story to tell,” offered Pete, poking his head out of his bedroll. His head cocked toward Truby, eyes challenging. “I bet Truby could give us a good one right now. One that’s stranger than fiction.”

  All heads turn toward Truby, nearer the fence than the fire. She looked down at the ground in confusion. What did Pete want from her, a confession?

  “Once... Once, there was a man who was a valiant warrior in service to truth and justice.” She stood a little taller, the words beginning to form out of the void. “But, after many harrowing battles and suffering great losses, he was left with nothing but a hole in his heart.”

  “Continue, Truby. I like this,” said Pete encouragingly.

  There was silence. Then, “The man tried to live a quiet life, but unfairness in the world continued everywhere he looked. To assuage the man’s constant sorrow, he turned his attention to loving the only thing he had left.

  “But one day she went to sleep. He wanted to wait for her to wake up to explain things, but he was forced to other lands. The hole in his heart grew larger until it blocked the sun and darkness was all he could see.”

  Languorous snoring greeted Truby's effort. Pete had fallen asleep during her recitation.

  Truby snorted before caving in on herself. Laughter bubbled from deep within her throat, as deep as Pete’s snoring. Everyone gaped at her which only made her laugh more.

  She pointed a finger at them, “You should— You should see the looks on your faces.” Her noises were becoming maniacal. She fell back on the fence, sliding along its length.

  “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” yelled Zedd.

  She kept sliding toward the darkness, the laughter unstoppable. “My grand finale. To a cliff, like the lemming I’ve become.”

  “Man, I’ve never seen her like this. She’s the boss lady,” said Hector before taking a hit.

  “Excuse me? Who’s the boss lady?” asked Cadence indignantly. “Offer her a hit. Hey, Truby, expand your mind. You’re too tight.”

  “Careful,” Hector warned. “Expand it too much, and her brains’ll fall out. She’ll be seeing conspiracies everywhere like you two.”

  “Engineers,” muttered Zedd. “Can’t see outside of the boxes you create.”

  Cadence was smiling just a bit for the first time all evening, “You’re cute when you pout!”

  It was Hector’s turn to pout.

  Truby slid to the ground landing hard on her backside which stopped the laughter.

  Zedd roamed around the fire, kicking at invisible demons. “I mean, what are we doing here anyway? What am I doing?”

  “I’ll pack the peanut butter sandwiches if you pack your bag, Zero.” Hector grabbed Cadence possessively, kissing her neck.

  Zedd kicked the fence. “Shut it, Thor.”

  “Thor, I like it. Doesn’t he get the girl?”

  “It’s not a compliment, hammerhead. Something a lot bigger just went down and I want to know what.”

  “Grape jelly... Your favorite,” he taunted, working his way down Cadence’s neck toward her breasts. She melted into his arms sighing. Hector didn’t miss Zedd’s jealous glance. Tonight, he wasn’t sharing.

  Zedd squatted down in front of the fire to warm cold hands as Pete continued to snore gently. “I mean, if you look at history, it’s nothing but conspiracies. Yeah, not all conspiracy theories out there are true. I just want to do something for real.”

  Hector stopped kissing Cadence to her protests. He sat up and ran his hands through his long, loose hair.

  Staring thoughtfully into the fire, he finally said, “My great uncle Cecil who married into the family was a special forces guy, British S.A.S. He told me once, ‘If you throw punches in the dark long enough, you’re bound to land a couple, but odds are the one you hurt the most is yourself.’ Me? I belong to no one and I’m going to stay that way.”

  Cadence was angry now. She threw aside their shared blanket to put distance between her and Hector. “Why are you guys so mean to Truby? She’s just trying to do something good.”

  Truby was gone.

  CHAPTER 28

  “Found her!” yelled Cadence.

  Truby stood balancing on a loose rock pile on top
of a small hill. She was drunk enough she was a danger to herself and others. Across the small valley below, the gibbous moon shone brightly.

  “Hear that?” she asked Cadence and her sometimes two lovers.

  “What?” all three said in unison.

  “C’mon! Use your brains. Think!” When no one responded, she jumped off the rock pile with a thud, exasperated. “No insect sounds. Where are the crickets, the other nocturnal creatures?”

  The three remained uncharacteristically silent, too. It was turning into a long night. For some reason, Truby had caught a second wind. It must be the nearly full moon. She pondered whether to give up and pack it in or to go for something else. The trio stood before her looking lost, reminding her of three children from long ago.

  “I’ve got a ghost story for you,” Truby started. She bent down to pick at loose stones to toss down the hill. “Before PNN, the media was owned by about six corporations. But still, you could post what you wanted on the internet. It was the new digital age of sound bites and fast flickering images. People were beginning to wake up.”

  “Weren’t you some reporter?” asked Zedd.

  Truby laughed ruefully, “Real journalism went out with the arrival of political correctness the end of the 20th century. I’ll never forget my first eye-opener. I sat front row, starry-eyed on regional Emmy night, fresh out of college, a one man—er, woman band hellbent on making it to the big time.

  “My new mentor, one of the last true investigative reporters, stood onstage to receive his last Emmy when he told the audience real news had been officially dead since before most of them were even born.

  “Out drinking with the station manager after covering an apartment complex fire all day, his boss had shared how he was pulled off a story in the late 1990’s about a local car dealership owner cited for a D.W.I. because the dealership was a TV station sponsor. The pimping of America was official.

  “After a lot of soul searching whether to accept the Emmy, he accepted it on behalf of all unrecognized real journalists before him. Then he disappeared.”