Rise of the Carnelians (Europa)

by Jason Gehlert

  “Explain.”

  “She was at a science convention of some sort here at one of our highly regarded museums,” Kaspar replied.”I am not really into that sort of thing, but Ulysses tends to be. He enjoys keeping a pulse on the science conventions and the like.”

  “Enough about your personal life, I need the three of you here as soon as possible.” Adrian flipped the cell phone closed without waiting for a reply.

  Nolan Drake had an enormous task at hand. The super volcano had already started to gestate beneath the park’s surface. His rocky encounter in the helicopter earlier taught him a valuable lesson. When Yellowstone finally blows her top, nothing, not even a seasoned scientist such as himself, would be able to prevent the cataclysmic occurrence spreading across the United States. Nolan’s fervent efforts in alerting the proper authorities, government agencies, and environmental groups, he hoped, would prepare everyone when this eruption finally happened.

  “Timmy, I have a bad feeling about this.” Nolan peered over Tim’s shoulder and glanced at the incoming data on the computer screen.

  “These new numbers are not appetizing,” Timmy countered.

  “She’s growing in intensity,.” Drake watched a dramatic spike in the readings.

  “It’s only a matter of days now.”

  “Correction…it’s only a matter of hours. We need to get back in the air and do more tests. The president will need the complete data before he takes any further action.” Drake smoothly sipped steaming hot java from his silver thermos.

  “Sounds like a plan.” Timmy turned around and faced Drake.

  “It’s the best plan so far.” Drake’s dour tone bothered Tim.

  Adrian Blakely paced around the conference room with an impatient walk , repeatedly glancing at his Rolex. The remaining trio should be arriving shortly.

  “Where are the others?” Gillian asked him. .

  “Others?”

  “There must be another person, or group, for that matter,” Gillian responded.

  Adrian became defensive.”What?”

  “You’ve glanced at your watch consistently for the last fifteen minutes. Obviously you are waiting for someone or something,” Seth added.

  “Yes, it is true. I am waiting for three more people. Our pilot, engineer and, archaeologist.” Adrian stood in the front of the room, staring off into space.

  “Sounds interesting,” Gillian replied.”So, Seth is the doctor, Angela’s the communication expert, and then there’s me. Every space trip needs a geologist.”

  “Are you forming an expert team?” Seth asked.

  Adrian tightened his lips.”I don’t want the details out of the bag just yet.”

  Angela innocently stared at the other members.”It’s kind of blatantly obvious.”

  “Yeah. You personally invite the best and brightest in their respective fields, and then lay out a nice spread to entice us even further,” Gillian said.

  “Complaining?” Adrian snapped.

  “Intrigued is all,” Angela said softly.

  “Shit, anything you have up your sleeve is better than working in mainstream society.” Seth scanned the vast conference table, his fingers already occupied with another gin and tonic.

  Gillian swiveled around in the black leather chair and sipped her tonic water while Angela fidgeted with her earrings.

  Another sharp ring caught Adrian by surprise and he jumped. His conference screen blinked, and a rugged man appeared before the group.

  “Mr. Blakely.”

  Adrian introduced the man to the group.”Commander Thaddeus Kaspar.”

  Seth, Gillian, and Angela eagerly peered across the conference table at the television screen.

  “Our flight has been delayed considerably,” Kaspar told Adrian.

  “How so?”

  “The weather has taken a turn for the worse. We will be arriving tomorrow morning at JFK.”

  “We need to be ready to go when you get here.” Adrian gnawed on his lower set of teeth.”I will start the meeting.”

  “As you wish.” Kaspar moved off to the side.

  Adrian recognized the face that then appeared in the jittery screen. Dr. Philene Fanchon, a French thirty something archaeologist. Her sharpened intelligence had consistently rendered her peers inadequate when it came to her field of study. Her refined skills, methods, and in-depth research were always at the top of her game. Fanchon’s experience definitely separated her from the rest of the pack, earning her top honors across the globe.

  “Mr. Blakely.” Philene’s English was crisp and professional. Wispy black hair curved around her face, offering another dimension of beauty.

  “Miss Fanchon,” Adrian replied.”Welcome to the meeting.”

  “It’s my pleasure.” Her face seemed close to the screen. Her green eyes were clearly visible to the group, as were the freckles embedded across her smooth cheeks. The languid smiled seemed to warm when she focused on Adrian.

  “I am glad you were able to make the journey,” Adrian said. His fingers clutched the lower half of the arm brace, steadying his balance.

  “I have waited for this opportunity my whole life.”

  “And you will be justly rewarded,” Adrian replied.

  “Mr. Blakely.” This new voice could only belong to one man. Adrian smiled. Ulysses Tarrant was a blue-collar factory worker and the elder of the trio, having at least a decade on Adrian. Well into his fifties, Tarrant didn’t let his age impair his senses, demeanor, or knowledge of the field when it came to working with a younger generation.

  “This is Mr. Tarrant,” Adrian said to the group.”He’s our engineer. Actually, he’s one of my top engineers working over in our Russia factory. Mr. Tarrant is an innovator in aeronautics and aerodynamic design. In fact, with his blueprint , our trip will be historic, to say the least.”

  “Okay, let’s get to the point.” Gillian nodded to the rest of the members.

  Adrian approached the front of the table and studied each of them in turn.”It’s simple. Before you is a brown envelope with your name on it. Inside are instructions about this unique opportunity.”

  Angela shyly picked up her envelope. Adrian watched as she studied the item for a few minutes, curious at its contents.

  Gillian’s own curiosity had gotten the best of the perky scientist. Her fingers ripped open the envelope and emptied the contents on the flat table. Adrian admired her eagerness to face the unexpected.

  Seth stared at Angela, waiting for her to open the package. His own shyness muted his attempt to be the first participant to witness Adrian’s bold offer. Seth peered around.”I’m game. What’s the opportunity?” His voice was slightly slurred. Adrian knew the stiff drink had started to interfere with his brain activity.

  “Simple. How many here are familiar with Yellowstone National Park?”

  Gillian, Seth, and Angela raised their hands. Kaspar, Tarrant, and Fanchon replied in a chorus of yeses.

  “According to my latest satellite details, she will erupt in a matter of weeks, perhaps even days,” Adrian said.

  “Erupt?” Seth asked.

  “Yellowstone is sitting on a long dormant super volcano,” Gillian replied.

  “Get the fuck out of here,” Seth retorted.

  Gillian ignored the outburst.”Yellowstone’s ready to erupt. Her last eruption was over 640,000 years ago. Her average timetable for an explosion has drawn near. We are overdue to say the least.” Gillian guzzled the tonic water and tapped the glass on the table.

  “Bright girl.” Adrian smiled.

  “Several pockets of fossil remains found over the last several decades, point to Yellowstone’s historical significance,” Philene added.

  “Like?”

  “We’ve discovered fragmented bones of several extinct animals that were found in a popular watering hole in Nebraska. They fell ill and died due to Yellowstone’s powerful pyroclastic discharge.”

  Adrian admired Philene’s intelligence, yet somehow felt inexplicably dra
wn to her submerged sexuality

  “So what happens when it erupts?” asked Seth.

  “Once she blows her top,” Philene replied, “Earth’s population will suffer a nuclear winter. Crops will perish as far as the equatorial region. A massive pyroclastic cloud will engulf the entire Midwestern section of the United States, smothering everything underneath a thick blanket of ash and rock. The cloud will travel east as far as Ohio and penetrate Nevada to the west.” Philene looked at the stunned group.”Not to mention, she’s sitting atop several uranium reserves, which means radioactive fallout from the massive eruption. We are headed into a long nuclear winter, where ninety percent of us will die.” Philene paused, obviously reluctant to deliver the shocker.”Four to five billion people will be wiped out. They will never see it coming.”

  The group scrambled for their emotions. Philene’s chilling words echoed in their ears.

  “I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Adrian added.”Each of you will be paid for this journey. Your respective names will be forever remembered as the pioneers of this historic launch to Europa. If you do not want to participate, then take the money and walk away to enjoy Earth’s final days. But, everyone here tonight has been personally handpicked by President Forsythe. He holds all of you in the highest regard.” Adrian pitched his voice carefully, expertly laying the guilt trip on the group.

  “What else is going on?” Gillian asked.”You don’t assemble a team of the brightest...” her words trailed off. It was obvious she had figured out Adrian’s plan.

  “Did the light go off in that brainy head of yours?” Adrian asked her.

  “The president has been chatting up this Europa project ever since his election. He even used it for his political platform during the primaries,” Gillian said slowly.

  “Yes. President Forsythe envisions the colonization of Jupiter’s moon Europa,” Adrian confirmed.

  “Interesting.” Angela continued to fiddle about with her earrings.

  “This is why I’ve enlisted the best pilot in the world. Thaddeus Kaspar is hands down the best in the business,” Adrian said, glowing with admiration.

  “Didn’t the president attempt to send a team to Europa already?” Gillian asked.

  Adrian regarded her quietly. He knew her curious nature rubbed others the wrong way at times. Gillian’s probing nature to claw away at a situation until only the bone was left had caused several rifts among her peers. Nevertheless, it was that same drive that had propelled her to top of her profession and he needed tenacity in this group.

  “President Forsythe did indeed send a team out to the distant moon some short time ago,” Adrian replied.”It is our mission to recover their last transmission and investigate their whereabouts. A newly built, state-of-the-art space station already awaits our arrival.”

  Seth ‘s eyes darted back and forth among his colleagues.”Their whereabouts?”

  “Their last transmission was roughly two months ago. They report every four to six months with feedback and intelligence on the mission’s data,” Adrian responded.”We need to saddle up and find out what happened to their team, and in the process finish the colonization process on Europa.”

  “To save Earth?” Seth asked.

  “To save ourselves, to save the whales, to save mankind,” Adrian bristled.”What does it matter?” He stood proudly before the screen and faced the group.”Europa has water, heat, and a chance for us to save what will be left of the Earth once this pissed off volcano devours our planet.”

  “And how do we get there?” Gillian prodded.”On a spaceship?”

  “Actually, with my engineers working around the clock, I’ve built a state-of-the-art spaceship that will bring us to the pinnacle of greatness and make this trip a smooth one, at that.”

  “Really?” Gillian asked.”Where are Spock and Kirk?”

  “Commander Kaspar will be our pilot, so I guess he would be Kirk. Spock? Well we will leave that one to be decided. Ulysses Tarrant is our Scotty.”

  “You built a ship?” Seth asked. He seemed off kilter, running at a tepid pace behind everyone else.”Hasn’t NASA already built a new fleet of ships to begin their aggressive space travel?”

  “The only two ships that I know are in flight are the Amity, which the previous team has taken, and the Abagail. It means the father’s gift,” Adrian replied with pride.

  With her usual flare, Gillian pressed Adrian’s buttons.”Sickening. Your sole purpose to impregnate the world with your legacy is at most, disturbing, if not demoniacal.”

  “Call it what you will,” he snapped. “We have an opportunity to etch our names into the stones of time.” Adrian glowed with passion while he toured around the table. When he reached Gillian, he leaned over to whisper into her ear.”Go on and tell me you don’t want your name mentioned in the same breath as Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and the Wright Brothers.”

  “What about Christine Armstrong, or the several others who have perished in flight?” Gillian shot back.

  “That’s the extreme end of the spectrum. I’ve made strides to ensure that my ship is fundamentally sound. Top to bottom. Side to side.” Adrian limped along the conference table, returning to the plasma screen.

  “Commander Kaspar,” Adrian said to his pilot.

  “Yes, Mr. Blakely,” Kaspar answered.

  “Where is Mr. Tarrant?”

  Ulysses’ rugged face filled the screen.”Here I am.” His oval head seemed larger on the screen. His English was much better than Kaspar’s, though the Russian accent was still heavy.

  “Excellent.” Adrian turned back to his guests.”Please tell my guests about the Abagail.”

  The engineer pursed his lips and let out a toneless whistle.”She’s a beautiful specimen, sir,” Tarrant replied. His red beard was slowly decaying into gray, but he still had vigor and a fiery spark, despite the age.

  “Go on,” Adrian answered back, feeling his own ego swelling from the compliments.

  “She’s better served in person, sir.”

  “I totally agree.”

  “I will give the grand tour once you board, sir,” Tarrant offered.

  “I’d like that,” Gillian responded.

  Seth waved his hand into the air.”Yeah, me, too.”

  “Yeah, and me, as well,” Angela answered.”Does the Abagail have a communications system?”

  “Absolutely. The best Mr. Blakely’s money could buy.” Tarrant shot back a slick grin.

  “This trip will ultimately make us heroes beyond our wildest imaginations,” Adrian added.”So, I take it everyone’s with me on this expedition?”

  “I need to know more about it.” Gillian said sternly. “Your money means nothing to me on Europa. What about the noble cause of the mission?”

  “Like what?” Adrian asked impatiently. He just wanted everyone to say yes, and board the damn ship.

  “Why haven’t you heard back from this other group in over four months?” Gillian pressed.

  “The noble cause is for each of you to board the ship and be part of my historical legacy,” Adrian bitterly countered.

  “I figured you were only into this for your ego,” Gillian said. “Now, what about the other mission to Europa? What happened exactly?” She hated repeating the same question twice.

  Adrian welcomed the deflection from the conversation about greed and his own apparent narcissism.”It could stem from a possible transmission malfunction. Or, it could be an engineering concern.” Adrian narrowed his eyes. Gillian rubbed him the wrong way. He could see the two of them definitely locking their horns on this mission and began to regret the president’s request to include her.

  “Is that why you’ve enlisted your top engineer and communications expert?” Gillian was obviously beginning to find her groove, which usually meant trouble for her peers. Adrian, however, remained in step with the ferocious geologist.

  “That’s part of it. I also need a doctor as well, just in case an unknown illness has compromised their mission
.” Adrian’s nerves began to fray.

  “And the pilot to rescue survivors?” Gillian’s pupils dilated with each passionate verbal exchange.

  Adrian’s eyes rolled with disgust.”That would be a wise back-up plan, don’t you think?”

  “Perhaps.” Gillian reclined in the chair and seemed for the moment to surrender to the stalemate. Adrian was relieved, but knew the fight was only beginning.

  “Well,” he said in a breath, “I suggest we sleep on it tonight. Please, stay at my hotel, and enjoy your last hours on this ticking time bomb.” Adrian headed for the door.

  “Mr. Blakely…” Kaspar called.

  Adrian would have nothing more of this sideshow. His finger clicked the button on the remote, instantly ending the transmission from Kaspar’s plane and left without another word.

  Gillian shook her head when he was gone and intertwined her fingers on the table.

  “What do we do now?” Angela asked. The pleading in her voice was irritating.

  “I’m stymied. Adrian’s intelligence is overwhelming.” Gillian shook her head.”But not as much as his arrogance.”

  “I say we sleep on it and make a decision over some hotel breakfast,” Seth offered.

  “Pancakes and maple syrup?” Angela grinned.

  “Blueberry pancakes,” Seth chimed in.

  “Oh, I love blueberry pancakes.” Angela ran her tongue across her lips.

  “Yeah, eggs over easy sounds pretty good right about now,” Gillian responded with a twist of her lips.

  “God only knows the crap we’ll be eating up there in deep space.” Seth rose and pulled out Angela’s chair.

  “It’s good to see chivalry isn’t dead,” Gillian said with a smile.

  The clacking of Adrian’s metal arm brace could be heard descending the factory staircase.

  Across the country, Nolan Drake was tossing and turning in his Wyoming bed, losing sleep over Yellowstone’s dilemma. He was in no position to avert the impending disaster. Nor, did he have any grasp on a firm plan to temporarily buy time.

  The large red digits flipped off Drake’s alarm clock in a tepid motion. His eyes occasionally caught sight of the time, wondering if morning would ever arrive. Drake gripped the sheets and rolled about in his bed in a wild, frantic motion. Sleep would not visit the scientist tonight, leaving him trapped inside a vortex of anxiety and uncertainty.