by Ellis, Tara
“…hard to say at this point how large of an impact this could have on the rest of the world.”
Jason choked on his coffee and set the cup on the coffee table with a bang, making Marty jump. The dog was sitting at his feet, waiting for an escaped crumb to present itself.
“Rest of the world?” Jason scrutinized the caption beneath the man’s name and saw that he was some sort of seismologist for the USGS.
“Our best early estimates suggest this eruption rates at least a seven on the volcanic explosivity index. To give you some scope, Mount Saint Helen’s was a five and Yellowstone an eight.”
Jason frowned. How could a small undersea volcano compete with some of the largest eruptions in recorded history? He looked out his back patio and finished off a piece of bacon. The four-plex he lived in sat on the shore of Lake Washington. It was a prime piece of real estate located less than two miles from Harborview. One of his old marine buddies was subletting it to him during his residency program, otherwise he could have never afforded it.
Everything appeared normal outside, with a layer of fog burning off the lake under a partially overcast sky. June in Seattle was a gamble with a toss up of either cool rain, or gorgeous days that would rival any location in the world.
“Hold on.”
The newsman interrupted the seismologist and Jason shifted his attention back to the interview. It was obvious the guy was pretty worried.
“I know this has just happened and we’re getting a bunch of conflicting reports coming out of the area, but the graphs don’t lie. There’s already been an 8.7 magnitude earthquake in the area of the MOHO island, and my understanding is you don’t normally see them much larger than five with a volcano. You’re now comparing it to Yellowstone. What’s really happened there? And does this event have the potential to impact us here in Seattle?”
Jason knew it was a local news station, but the question still seemed a little petty. He was more interested in what the dangers were for Africa or some of the other islands in the same region. Maybe they’d eventually get some ash in the upper atmosphere headed their way in the states, but he couldn’t imagine a scenario where it would be anything more than that.
The seismologist shifted uncomfortably in his seat and looked off set at someone or something. Clearing his throat, he wiped at his forehead before continuing.
“You’re correct that the seismic activity, along with what’s been reported and also visualized on radar suggest a mechanism involving a collapse of the seafloor. At this time, it would be irresponsible for me to hazard a guess as to the scope of this collapse. I might compare it with the 1815 eruption at Mount Tambora. Its global impact was a reduction in temperature that led to what was called The Year Without a Summer, though the MOHO event appears to be potentially larger.”
The image suddenly cut away to a graph showing various historical eruptions and their equivalent VEI ratings, and a woman’s voice welcomed viewers and then launched into a vague recap of information.
“So, the funneling of data and downplaying begins,” Jason grumbled, turning off the television. He’d jump on his laptop after a shower and do some real digging before heading in to work. Might as well put the lost hour of sleep to good use.
Jason tossed the last bite of toast to Marty. “Good boy for not begging. Sorry bud, the bacon is a no-go for you. I value your arteries more than my own.”
His four-legged friend plodded down the hall after him, content with the bread offering. He would wait patiently for Jason while he showered and dressed, knowing he’d get his time out on the small patch of lawn and a walking trail near the water before his owner left for work. Jason had an arrangement with the kid who lived in the apartment above him to let Marty out when he got home from school, so they had a pretty solid schedule.
Running a hand over his slightly overgrown, dark-brown hair, Jason debated whether to take the time to shave. His hand traveled along the line of his solid jaw, and he grunted. There was at least three days of growth, and he’d probably get reprimanded for looking so scruffy. He’d noticed a few grey hairs sneaking in so he might as well cut them off. He had a couple more years to go before hitting forty and he definitely wasn’t ready to look his age.
Pausing at the threshold to the bathroom, Jason felt a brief moment of nostalgia. Maybe it was due to the unknown event, or the flashback it triggered. But as he stared out at his somewhat stark accommodations, he felt more alone than usual. Kneeling down, he took Marty’s face in his hands and rubbed noses with him. “Mom would have loved you.”
His mother had died suddenly in her sleep less than a year earlier. An aneurysm ruptured, killing her almost instantly. It was one of the main reasons why Jason had taken an interest in neurology and planned on specializing in it once he completed the Emergency Medicine program.
He’d spoken to his father twice since the funeral. While their relationship was often strained, his mom was the glue that held them together. Without her, they’d drifted further apart. Jason’s insane schedule for first, medical school in California, and then at Harborview, had made having any real relationships almost impossible.
“Soon,” he whispered to Marty as he stood back up. “You’ll see. I’ll find you a nice poodle—” Marty whined. “Okay, golden retriever, and then we can work on my dating profile.” Jason was about to run some of his finer points past his friend when an odd sensation stopped him.
There was a rumbling like distant thunder, only he could feel it in his feet. And it was intensifying. He was about to question his sanity, when the bathroom mirror rattled as the vibration grew, and Marty took off down the hallway.
Jason followed the dog, his own instinct being to get to the back slider so he could look outside. As he reached the living room, a swaying motion was added to the mix and pictures fell from the walls.
“Earthquake—” Jason muttered the word aloud as the realization hit him. He’d been through a few quakes in California. Even a 6.1 magnitude, and whatever was happening had rapidly surpassed it. The window over the kitchen sink cracked and the rumbling turned into a violent shaking that threatened to knock him down.
All the safety brochures taught you to drop, cover, and hold. Get down on the ground, under something solid if possible, and cover your head. Jason knew the drill, except his fight or flight response kicked in and his only single thought was to get outside. The Pacific Northwest was ripe for the “big one”, and his instinct was to avoid being buried alive under the apartment above him.
The dog was nowhere to be seen.
“Marty!” Jason stumbled forward as the floor bucked under him, slamming a hip into the counter. Wincing, he grabbed hold of the surface and looked around frantically. The space was filling with dust from what he assumed was crumbling drywall. Not good.
“Marty! Come on, bud. Let’s go out! Outside!” He had to yell to be heard over the noise. It was deafening, and Jason wasn’t sure how much of it was the building protesting or the Earth herself.
Marty responded to the magic word and beat Jason to the glass door that was already broken. Five steps. Only five simple steps to the door but it felt like the length of a football field, and Jason was going in for an impossible touchdown. The ground lurched and rolled, tossing him into the wall like a ragdoll. Scrambling to all fours, he shook his head to get his bearing and crawled the last few feet.
Marty licked at Jason’s face as he wrestled with the door. The frame had shifted, preventing it from sliding.
The roar was thunderous, filling his head as well as pressing against his body. It was hard to think. A piece of spiderwebbed glass fell from the door and scratched his cheek. He batted it away and then shifted his attention to the hole it left behind in the glass door. Leaning back, Jason leveraged himself against the couch that had slid across the floor only inches from him, and kicked out at the slider. Even with nothing more than socks on, the remaining glass shattered and Jason lunged through it, pulling Marty with him.
The
patio was split in two, with the lower portion separating several feet and sloughing off toward the lake. Jason dropped onto his stomach, barely avoiding a freefall into the gaping crevasse it left behind. His senses were overwhelmed and all he could do was press himself into the remaining pavement.
Trees and power poles were toppling, and although Jason could see it, could see the transformers exploding, he couldn’t hear any of it over the groans coming from the ground. It was as if hell itself had opened and unleashed an army of moaning demons, and there was nowhere to hide.
Chapter 8
JESS
Amazon Jungle near Kumalu, Suriname
Northeast interior of South America
Jess sat on the floor outside her father’s study with her back pressed to the wall and head turned so she could hear the heated conversation taking place inside. Her knees were drawn to her chest and arms wrapped around them so tightly that it made it hard to breathe. Not that she could take a deep breath, anyway. The world had gone crazy and for whatever reason, the fear made her chest hurt.
“Why weren’t you able to predict this?” Mr. Sandwood shouted. “There had to have been some precursors. The pool wouldn’t randomly go off like that. What use is all your studying and testing if you can’t even see something like that coming?” His words were punctuated by a thumping sound that Jess guessed was his hand slamming down on her father’s large, mahogany desk. She could imagine her father’s reaction to the assault on his prized possession and a corner of her mouth turned up.
“You can’t be serious, Kendal. There’s never been any recorded evidence of a steam event in these hot springs, and we’ve had zero variance in their activity for months.” Her dad’s leather chair squeaked as he stood. “You of all people know I’d be the first to speak up if I thought for a moment that anyone would have been at risk today. I seem to recall a recent conversation where I attempted to talk you into limiting the number of spectators to what should be a private ceremony, and how close they were allowed. In fact, the whole premise behind my organization is due to the unknown mechanism behind the springs, which by default speaks to their unpredictability.”
Jess shifted slightly so that when she craned her neck far enough, she could see part of her dad’s face. She was surprised at how undramatic his response was to the resort owner. Her crooked smile leveled out. It was never a good thing when her dad spoke so calmly, and even worse when he was, in his own way, being polite to Mr. Sandwood.
The older man must have quickly come to the same conclusion, because he cleared his throat nervously and Jess heard him begin to pace just out of her view, his expensive leather shoes clicking against the old wooden floor. “Don’t try to turn this back on me. I’ve gone out of my way to placate you and your ridiculous demands for years, Eric. And now I have fifty-six tourists demanding full refunds. Three have second-degree burns and one has a broken ankle. I’ll probably be sued.”
“Probably.” Dr. Eric Davies voice was dangerously low as he leaned forward over his desk toward Sandwood. “I’d suggest you consider yourself fortunate the worst injury was because of their mad scramble to escape the steam vent. Some of the Lokono weren’t so lucky. I’m quite certain your insurance will ensure you come out of this event without so much as a scratch. You’ll be sure to capitalize on the YouTube videos of the surprise geyser and land on your feet like all predators do.”
Jess put a hand over her mouth to stifle a chortle. If only she could see Mr. Sandwood’s face, it might have helped to ease the heavy feeling of dread she’d been unable to shake.
“Jessica! What are you doing?” The whispered voice startled Jess and she jerked around to look behind her. Akuba was standing partway down the long central hallway of the ranch-style house. With hands on her hips in a classic reprimand stance, the fresh bandages on Akuba’s legs made the woman less intimidating.
Jess felt a flash of concern mixed in heavily with the guilt at being caught spying. Springing quietly to her bare feet, she rushed to her nanny and gave her an impulsive hug. She’d been worrying about her since seeing her and several other Lokono’s whisked away to the local medical clinic when they drove past them on the way home. “You’re okay!”
Akuba gently pushed Jess away and held her by the arms. “Yes, Lobiwan. It isn’t much worse than a sunburn, though mother fell while trying to run from the water and has more serious burns on both her arms and legs. I stopped by on my way home to check in on you.”
Jess relaxed slightly in response to the term of endearment. Lobiwan loosely translated to loved one, and Akuba reserved its use for important occasions. It meant she wasn’t really mad at Jess for the lack of manners. “I’m sorry, Akuba. Will she be alright?”
Nodding, Akuba cocked her head and frowned. “Now, are you going to fill me in on what’s going on in your father’s office?”
Jess raised a finger to her mouth and then led the way back to her original post. As Akuba followed somewhat reluctantly, Jess felt a small twinge of guilt at trying to draw her nanny into her covert operations. Before Akuba had a chance to reprimand her, Mr. Sandwood shouted loud enough for them to clearly hear the argument.
“How dare you imply—”
“I’m not implying anything!” her father interrupted, and Jess jumped when he shoved his chair away hard enough to send it crashing into a bookcase. “I’m telling you straight up, Kendal, that I find your continuous egotistical interests repulsive. It’s barely been an hour since a bizarre series of events occurred, and instead of personally seeing to your guests and helping them make arrangements to get home, you’re in here bitching at me about how unfair the circumstances are to you. The most recent news reports indicate millions of lives could be lost today. Millions. So, forgive me if I don’t sympathize with you and the insurance deductible you’ll be hit with.”
There was a drawn-out moment of silence and Jess held her breath. Mr. Sandwood could sometimes rival her dad’s temper and Mr. Kofi even had to step between them once. Though, she was more anxious about the revelation her father made. Millions of people? He had to be talking about the eruption that caused the booming noise, but Jess had no idea why it would be so deadly. She’d obediently gone to her room as directed once they arrived home an hour earlier and had only ventured out now to eavesdrop on the current conversation. The dread settled further in her stomach and she felt nauseous. Millions?
Jess leaned closer to Akuba. “Well, Dad just totally told Mr. Sandwood off for being a jerk, but—” she grew serious. “He’s upset about something else.”
Akuba took Jess’s arm and drew her away from the doorway and the intensifying disagreement between the two men. “When your father is done with his private meeting, you can ask him.”
Jess did her best to look appropriately remorseful, but couldn’t help glancing back toward the office. “They’re talking about a bunch of people dying, Akuba. And I don’t think Dad even knows what really happened at the Libi Nati.”
The Lokono nodded grimly. “When nature becomes unbalanced, she will do what is necessary to make things right again.”
“I don’t understand.” Jess realized the indigenous people of the Amazon had thousands of years of history and a close relationship with the land. She trusted the Lokono and whatever they said about the geothermal pools.
Akuba hesitated like she was afraid she was saying too much. Dropping Jess’s arm in exchange for her hands, she finally sighed and shook her head. “The water is angry.”
Jess stared at Akuba. She knew how geysers worked and that it was a matter of built-up pressure from increased heat turning the water to steam. However, she’d also grown up in the Amazon and spent countless hours in the village with Akuba and the indigenous people. Jess respected their beliefs and deep connection to the jungle. She swallowed hard. “I think Dad’s more upset about the volcano thing near Africa, than the Libi Nati. He said it’s just a geyser. That it’s probably happened before, and we just don’t have it documented.”
&n
bsp; “It has, though not for a very long time,” Akuba answered. She released Jess and took a step back, her expression grave. “It was before the Lost Language. The stories are shared around our fires so it is a part of our history known only to our village. We have been the keepers of the life water for thousands of years, Jess. There is ancient knowledge passed only between the Captains.” She shifted, her eyes flitting to a large window at the end of the hall that overlooked the expansive grounds of the plantation, and spoke hauntingly. “Everything is connected.”
“One has nothing to do with the other!”
Jess spun around to watch as Mr. Sandwood stormed from the office, thinking mistakenly that he was yelling at them. However, he was clearly focused on something else and hardly glanced their way as he stomped down the hall.
Before the older man reached the large foyer, the front door swung open and Kofi let himself in without even knocking. He was there often enough to excuse the intrusion, though it was still out of character and deepened Jess’s unease.
“Kendal! I’m glad you’re here,” Kofi gushed, wiping a shaking hand across his forehead. “You aren’t going to believe this, but—”
Kendal Sandwood thrust an arm out at Kofi and nearly covered his face in a successful attempt to stop him from talking, while pressing vigorously at his temple with the other hand. He looked like he was in pain. “Whatever it is, I don’t want to hear it! It’s only going to add to the pressure in my head and frankly, I’m done with all of you.”
Kofi stood staring at Kendal’s back for a moment as he ran outside, before noticing Jess and Akuba in the hall. “Well, that was rude. Even for him. Your dad in his office?”
When Jess nodded, Kofi dodged past them without even a greeting or comment on Akuba’s obvious injury. Jess exchanged a look with Akuba. Mr. Sandwood wasn’t the only one acting weird. She followed him into the office, not caring anymore about the scolding she was sure to get from her father for leaving her room.