Commander Zardonov did not look comfortable answering her questions, but he did so truthfully, “There is a delay in the flight by three days, but we are supplied for three weeks past our scheduled restocking date.”
“Delay? Why a delay?” It was Julien and his reaction indicated that he felt they should have been notified right away of this change.
Calmly the Commander answered, “There have been riots in Kiev, and one of the launch command people was injured when a mob set fire to his neighborhood. A replacement is being placed and the delay should be minimum.”
Those words struck the group with the gravity it should have, as riots were happening everywhere now with the world realizing that nothing was ever going to be the same again. Some governments strained under the weight, some buckled, and yet others burst open into outright civil unrest. Unfortunately for Harshal, India was one of the countries that burst.
Bombay and Calcutta were in ruins, each with death tolls in the hundreds of thousands, while Manila, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, and Hong Kong all had massive rioting.
Whoever had this power was wielding it over mankind like the swords of Damocles, and it seemed that the very fabric of society was being unraveled and disintegrated before their very eyes. Karen could not stop herself from thinking about the only thing that made sense to her, that the Mayans knew something, and they tried to warn of what they knew. Karen was speculating that they had met God, and like the Jewish people, they must have also been a chosen people.
Oleg was almost in her lap by now, and Anatoly gave her a subtle glance that said, “Let’s get out of here.” Karen announced that she had to report in, and that she would see them all later. Then she extricated herself from Oleg, who obviously loved the convenience of the small space, much the way a masher does in a subway car. Karen left, but not before she noted that very suddenly everyone aboard seemed to feel very isolated and vulnerable.
* * *
Jack now understood what it was like to be under fire in the heat of battle. David Ho called this a war, but now the National Guardsmen were actually here guarding his building, so David’s name lived up to the billing at this point. Every farmer, rancher, and pissed-off merchant within driving distance parked themselves in the area surrounding the department’s headquarters building and started their protest. After getting all worked up listening to the right-wing wackos on their radios, they all got moving out of anger and fear. Somehow these people did not understand that this was not something their government created and then let loose on society (at least Jack hoped not); this was a plague on humanity. His office was frantically trying to come up with a solution and these people were a huge distraction.
As had happened during the previous events, several sub-species died off as well during this one. And apparently, there was no rhyme or reason to the species that lived and which ones died. All the ostrich died, as well as the pheasant worldwide, yet turkeys survived.
One of the groups represented outside their building were the turkey farmers, and they were asking for special protection from the next wave. Yet Jack knew that it had already been broadcast to them that there was no such thing as “special protection” as no one knew what they were up against. Still, they refused to believe it and persisted in harassing the people trying to do their jobs.
He looked at his cell phone on his desk, which brought up a whole other dilemma for him. The last text he received from Christy was, “Jack, please try to get back soon, as your parents just arrived unexpectedly.”
David insisted he go home the night before, so they enjoyed a wonderful chicken dinner (she actually had brought three, two were still frozen) during which they hashed out their life, or more to the point for Jack, attempted to revive their marriage.
Sure, there were going to be changes in the way their marriage worked, but they agreed that they would pay the ransom to buy a one-bedroom condo in San Francisco and Jack would commute. He was already proving he could do it now, and seeing traffic went the other direction, it would be the sacrifice he would make to keep his wife happy.
It wasn’t lost on Jack that Christy was in denial and shock over the status of the Earth. She left Los Angeles a demilitarized zone, yet Christy never mentioned what was going down in her hometown.
South Central Los Angeles was not the problem this time, as it had turned mostly Hispanic since the last riots, and apparently their family structure and their faith kept them calmer than the neighborhoods near Compton and Long Beach. Jack had seen on the news that those areas were not shining examples of what the U.S. has been able to hold together. Hopefully, they were not the fissures on the facade of society that would be the precipitator of the collapse of civilization.
Christy also made no mention that she had to pass a military checkpoint at the top of the grade that entered the massive Central Valley. Jack knew that the regular army had control of the Grapevine on Interstate 5, which was the main artery that led into the valley, the precious resource. So unless she still had her I.D. with their Modesto address on it, she wouldn’t have been able to leave Southern California, and especially wouldn’t have been able to come into the valley.
They sat and negotiated their marriage as if nothing was wrong with the world, and when it came time for bed, they consummated it like two mad people, like they were dying of thirst and lovemaking was the long sought water they had just discovered. They basked in it, and glowed in the post-coitus blaze of warmth and friendship.
But they woke up to a different world, the chicken event unfolding before Jack could even get dressed for work. He almost quit his job right then and there. He looked at her, knowing this last news was her own personal horror story and knowing that they had just rekindled a love he had given up for dead, he knew he needed to be with her.
He knew that whatever was going on out there was more than the USDA, David Ho, and his army of Jack Zarifises could possibly figure out. They could not control this. There was no control when everything was chaos and everything was an unknown.
David and the collective team had slowed everything down two nights before and gone into the lab with their minds clear. David made them pretend they were walking in on a new case for the first time. David had obtained whole and dissected livestock from every event area of the United States, and together they did their own autopsies with the thought that maybe everyone was missing something. They even went over the already autopsied body of Mr. Tran’s pet pig. No new information came to light.
David admitted he had forgotten about Tran until yesterday, and when he checked on him, he found out that Tran was still being held in the Stockton city jail on pending Federal charges. David was not proud of the fact that he made an innocent man cool his heels for a time in jail under the Patriot Act, but then he remembered that Tran was no Boy Scout. There were dangerous animal removal costs he would be liable for. Plus he had also made the two of them wait an inordinate amount of time for simple answers, which they both thought was deliberate.
It was only then, standing in his living room, torn between his choices, that Jack came to the realization that he did not just have a job; he was a soldier in an army, an army that was there to ensure that everyone could eat safely. What more important job could there be? Jack knew that he was being selfish, as every person in every branch of the Government would love to be home with their families, weathering out whatever this is together, but he also knew there was a word for that, and it was a word that did not sit well with him: DESERTER.
That was a moniker he could live without. Plus he liked mirrors and he would have to avoid them for the rest of his life if he let David down; the man was his greatest mentor next to his father. Thinking of his father, Jack knew that Christy was going to have her hands full, although his dad was the least of her worries. His dad was a consistently happy soul.
His parents had been threatening to come out and stay in Modesto, and apparently his older brother, Dimitri, had been able to get here from Greece and drove th
em out to the house. Well, she wanted to get back in the family, now is her chance, thought Jack.
Jack had no objections to this move of his family’s, but he wished he had one more night like last night. Oh well. This morning’s reality was a very harsh one for her, as the only food she cared about was now gone from the earth, so the mood certainly would not have been the same regardless.
Jack was sure that his mom had brought plenty of lamb to cook, and he could see the coming conflict in his life for many years to come. Then he thought about it; there weren’t too many more meat sources left. Christy might actually have to try to find a version of lamb she liked, if sheep weren’t the next to go, that is.
Christy conceded that she would eat turkey, and did occasionally like it, and Jack was hopeful, seeing they survived the event that the fowl would continue to prosper. Of course, she hated anything that came out of the ocean as well, a place unaffected by all this madness.
If nothing else, there was a new, unprecedented, worldwide pressure to stop polluting Earth and to protect the oceans. Every nation was on board to ensure the water animals did not end up with the same fate.
Along those lines, there was a small group of scientists that were hypothesizing that we had changed the gasses that make up the atmosphere, and therefore mankind had changed the actual composition of the air, thus making it toxic for some species, and eventually all species. These die-offs were the Earth’s way of telling mankind to cease and desist all of these deadly environmental practices that plagued the world in the name of money. As it turned out, this small sect was gaining ground and becoming a voice. More importantly was the fact they were a voice with money and power.
Christy would have to survive the day and try to reconcile with his fair and loving family, whom no doubt, were in total shock to find her living in the Modesto house.
Jack had no idea how his parents made it past the military checkpoint, but then he pictured his mom haranguing some poor soldier trying to block her from getting to her son. And he wished Christy luck, as she was going to need it.
When he got to his desk his day took a big turn, as David had gone to Washington with a senior team for a daylong meeting. Which suddenly left Jack in charge of the West Coast.
4 – Observe
From their catbird’s seat, they watched the world spin into chaos. They had all become addicted to gathering the news as of late. It was too much to pass up—the sensationalism, the horror. Their science experiments were still being done, but Karen had forgotten any grand notion of the impact her experiments would have on the future, as the future was what was now in question.
She watched a viral video from her email where a U.S. farmer incinerated what must have been a thousand birds in a hole he had dug. Then Karen was thunderstruck, what if EVERY animal on Earth were to check out?
All the animals here were for long-term studies and consisted of mice, rats, and insects. All except for her precious rabbits, of course. Then it hit her, her rabbits! She looked at Anatoly, “I just thought of a way to prove your radio wave theory is valid, well, I can at least strengthen it.”
Surprised by the outburst, he said, “Oh really, and what might that be?”
She responded coyly, “Subterranean animals. Those and ocean dwellers have been unaffected, so until one of those species takes a hit, then your radio wave theory, or one similar is the most likely source.”
Anatoly was impressed, “Yes, it’s true. That is a very insightful hypothesis, Karen, one that we are going to share with our community. Thank you for believing in me.”
Out of nowhere, a very dark and emotionless Harshal spoke, as he was eavesdropping on their conversation, “You two forget the test animals that had never seen the light of day, dying. I don’t think something as simple as water, or some boroughs are enough to stop whatever is coming for us.”
Anatoly’s mirth came out at odd times, and he sometimes deflected uncomfortable situations like this with humor. “Thanks Harshal, we really appreciate that positive spin on our theory. Tell you what, we’ll let the rest of the science world have their own take on Karen’s thoughts.”
Before the men could further their plumage fest, Karen asked Harshal about his family, just to defuse things. He answered that all of his family was accounted for, and safe; then he moved on and went about his business. But the interruption and subsequent conversation brought out something Karen had been avoiding, and that was her family, which consisted of her mom.
Karen and her mom rarely talked. Her mom had withdrawn after the death of her husband, and truthfully never pulled out of it. Some people were able to return back to a semblance of a normal life after such tragedy, some were not. Her mom believed no other man existed that she could trust like her father, so she never remarried. Trust being such a huge thing to Lisa Bascom, it just trumped all other issues. So she took to gardening, joining book clubs, and distancing herself from everything else, even her only child.
Although she was still there in the physical sense, her mother had checked out emotionally long ago. She barely made it to Karen’s college graduation, and even though she did attend, she was a disjointed mess when introduced to her closest friends’ families. Karen couldn’t help but feel ashamed, and after that, she herself pulled back. They talked less and less, and truthfully, it wasn’t until Harshal’s harsh rebuttal of her reasonable thought that she thought about her mom at all.
Something was wrong with her sensitivity, as she should have been very concerned about her mother, who now lived alone in Sacramento at an independent living community. She was probably scared, and there was no way for her to call the Space station, unless one worked inside the Government or one was Harshal’s father and connected beyond all others.
She had free time right now, and the IP phone was open, so she went to it and dialed 9 to get out. She thought that so hilarious, like she was going to the school office to call home. She told her mom to look out for a number coming from the 281 area code, as their callout phone had a Texas prefix. She even made her tape a note next to the phone.
Her mom begrudgingly agreed that she might get a call from Space, like it happened every day, and if she wasn’t lying about writing it down, might actually answer a call from someone she did not know.
What Karen got on the other end was something she did not expect. Her mom answered on the fourth ring, and was out of breath when she answered, “Sakes alive, child, I was in the garden and forgot the portable phone, please let me catch my breath as I ran as fast as I could.”
Karen remembered a time when her mom talked to her like that, as her mom was from the South, and the accent came out in times of exuberance more than ever.
“Don’t kill yourself, Ma, I was calling to make sure you are okay. Looks like I will be back sooner than you know.”
After gaining her breath and composure, Lisa Bascom answered simply, “Karen, dear, do you know what’s really going on?”
That was more words together in a single sentence than her mom had mustered in years, and as she was trying to get over the shock of that, she answered the question, “No one knows, Mom, but my friend and counterpart is a scientist and has a great theory, one that might help us all. How are you doing on food?”
“Oh dear, don’t worry about me, I grow food and can it year-round. Plus, the seniors here were all given two turkeys each from these nice young men in trucks who came and gave them away. The trucks said F.E.M.A. on the side. I wrote it down for when I talked to you.”
Karen couldn’t help it, but the pain inflicted by this woman’s indifferent heart was so great. “You sound like a new person, Mom.” It was really a shot, but she doubted that her mom got that it meant, “Hey, thanks for not being there for me, you know, because I lost my dad, too, and what you did to me was wrong.”
But that is exactly the effect it had, as her mom did make the connection and the next words out of her mouth sealed it, “Look, Sweetie, I know I checked out, and I know it wasn’t a good t
hing, but I met people here, people who helped me heal, as they too had to endure through unbearable tragedy. I found people that helped me find my way, Karen, so I can be happy again.”
Overcome with emotion, Karen answered in the only way that would allow her to keep it together, “That’s really great, Mom.”
There was a silence on the other end of the phone, and it was a silence that led to the mutual understanding that it was going to take a lot more than a sincere apology to mend this fence, but it was a good start. “You have a lot of fans here, Sweetie. Once everyone here found out who you were and your relationship to me—well, I’ve been a bit of celebrity, for Pete’s sake. Then all this craziness started and people don’t want to mix anymore. Only the brave of our group are still interacting, as everyone thinks they are going to come down with that flu and die. Funny thing is, Dear, we are all here to die, that’s why we are living out our last days in this place. Why people living out their last days are afraid to die is beyond me?”
“Mom, you’re sixty-seven years old, for crying-out-loud. What the heck are you talking about, your ‘last days?’ You’d better live another twenty years, and when I get back, we’re going to travel together.” In an agitated voice, yet one that was meant to be delivered comically, Karen said half under her breath, “Living out your ‘last days,’ what kind of talk is that?”
It was true that they had a ways to go to regain what they once had, but Lisa Bascom was her mother after all, and for better or worse, there was no avoiding that. Karen was happy they were going to try better for a while. They’d had enough of worse, and Karen forgot for the next ten minutes about the face of the changing world as she listened about her mother’s exciting life. Karen was almost certain the name of the community was Peyton Place after just a few minutes of getting “in the know.” They even had an STD problem.
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