by Pamela Davis
"But, when people paid attention, and changed the way they fished, then some of them came back," Sam commented.
Margaret looked startled for a moment at the girl's response, and then brushed it aside. "But the point is that we damaged the oceans. And not just the oceans. Look at the very earth beneath our feet."
Sam and Harry both looked down to the ground, and then back up at Margaret in some confusion. "The dirt?" Sam asked.
"Yes, the dirt, the soil. Do you realize satellite imaging has shown only about sixteen percent of the world's land is free of things like chemical contamination, acidity, salinity, and poor drainage? We had too many people on this planet, and we farmed badly, unwisely. Why, the aluminum contamination is high enough on seventeen percent of farmland around the world that it actually is poisonous to plants. And--"
"Wait, wait," Sam said holding up her little hand to stop the flow of statistics. "What is alinity?"
Margaret looked puzzled, then smiled and said, "Oh, salinity, you mean. That's too much salt in the soil. Salt deposits develop in land that has been irrigated. Millions of acres of land are lost to any use at all due to excessive salt deposits every year. And then there is the fact the natural, organic things in the soil are diminishing, which means that there isn't enough moisture in the soil and there is more carbon dioxide released into the air. And we all know what that means...global warming."
"Ohh," Sam said. "So you think all this bad stuff people did to the dirt, that is why all the disaster things happened?"
"Well, of course! You see, Samantha," Margaret explained, "people like you and me, those of us who have a connection to the animals, to the planet, we will have to show the way to the others, teach them that we can't act so irresponsibly anymore. The planet clearly is displeased with us and has enacted a punishment on us. By eliminating so much of the population already, the Earth is making it clear what we must do."
"I never got any feeling we were getting a punishment," Sam said firmly. "I got a feeling that there are self-correcting, um--" She paused, stared off in the distance for a moment, and continued. "Self-correcting mechanisms within something as huge as a planet. Animals and people, plants and oceans and mountains--all of these have changed over time, sometimes really big changes, sometimes small ones."
Margaret didn't seem to notice how Samantha's vocabulary expanded suddenly, too caught up in her need to explain the way it really was. She interrupted the girl.
"No, no, we humans, we are the problem. We have used up the Earth. We have polluted it and destroyed so much, all in our need to make life easier. We wanted fast cars, fast food, cell phones and instant messaging and computers in every room of the house. We wanted medical technology without thinking about how to handle medical waste. We wanted nuclear power without considering how to cope with nuclear waste. We dumped toxic chemicals into the seas, or buried them in the ground, leaving them to seep out and contaminate the Earth. We put a hole in the ozone layer. I'm telling you Sam, this series of disasters is a judgment of us, of humans, and the few of us lucky enough to survive will have to radically change our way of life. Ultimately, who knows? Maybe we will have to be eliminated completely for the healing of the Earth to occur. But we have to start now, right now, in making changes. We have to show the Earth we are willing to make sacrifices, willing to do whatever it takes, to help her recover."
Samantha stood up next to Harry, her little face bleak. She sensed...so much. Letting her connection to everything around her expand, she felt the trees around her, the dirt and rocks beneath her feet, the very heartbeat of Harry next to her, the concerned thoughts of Perceval up at the house as he understood the conversation she was having, the emotions of her mother and father anxiously awaiting her return. And as that circle of connectedness widened, she saw clearly the sharp, jarring edges of Margaret. Margaret was right in many respects, but oh, so wrong about others. Her vision, her perception of what had happened, it was just wrong, thought Samantha. Humans were as much a part of the planet as the trees and oceans and dirt. Margaret's way would take them backwards, not forwards. And Margaret--Margaret would ultimately ruin them. Sam knew this suddenly with a clarity that was startling. She saw possibilities: Margaret trying to wrest leadership of the Gaians from Sam's father, Margaret trying to eliminate every piece of modern technology from their midst, wanting to abandon modern medical techniques, changing the ways they farmed, fished. And Sam saw that Margaret's ways, left unchecked, would lead to death. More and more deaths. Deaths which Margaret would see as ultimately necessary. As sacrifices to the greater good of the planet. Never realizing humans were also a part of this planet, this living organism that was Sam's world. Margaret's way would be the ultimate disaster. And Samantha couldn't allow it to happen. As she began to probe more deeply into Margaret's essence, into her mind, Sam knew any effort at mind pressing against Margaret was going to be difficult. Maybe even impossible. The woman was so fixed, so certain of her path. But she had to try, Sam thought anxiously. She had to--
Harry's barking brought her back from a deep place, and Sam let her senses expand from the focus on Margaret to the rest of the world around them. "Oh, no," she said brokenly. "It's happening, the earthquakes are gonna happen, after all. The energy released in the volcanoes, the earlier earthquake, it triggered the faults in San Francisco."
Margaret looked at her sharply, and then her eyes glazed over. Sam watched as a little smile appeared on Margaret's lips. Margaret said, "Yes, I was right. We still haven't done what she wants us to do. You see that now, don't you, Sam? She's telling us we have to end the old way of life completely. We have to stop all of it, right now!"
"But, Margaret, it's not like you think," Sam said, willing the woman to hear her. "We are all connected. Those poor people in San Francisco who are gonna die--they are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They aren't being punished. None of us is being punished. We just have to--"
Margaret stood up and said resolutely, "No, Sam, you're only a child. You can't see it and understand it as I do. This is another judgment by the Earth. She's telling us what we must do. If we want to live at all, we have to change everything." Margaret turned and looked up toward the house, seeing the glowing light spilling out from the windows far ahead. "And that's the first step. I see it now. You people just haven't understood, but what you're doing here is wrong. You can't keep electricity and cars and computers and ice makers and expect the planet to let you live. You're holding on to the very things that are destroying the Earth. I can't let you continue to do that, I just can't."
"Margaret, no!" Sam cried out. "You're wrong, you're so wrong!" and watched as Margaret began walking quickly up to the House. "Oh, no, Harry, oh, no." Tears flowed down Samantha's face. "She is the one, and she doesn't get it. Oh, Harry, I don't think I can stop her."
Harry whimpered and moved closer to the little girl, bumping her with his head until she realized what he wanted. "Okay, we have to go back up there and tell Daddy, you're right."
But just then, Samantha and Harry were hit by the images from San Francisco. Sam's body folded slowly down to the ground as she fought to stay connected to here, to Harry. She reached out with her senses to all those who helped her before, to her mother and father, to Perceval, to Mrs. Philpott, to Black and White, to Harry. And as she did, her mind picked up on the consternation emanating from others--a phone call just received--no! Grandma Abby was missing.
Chapter 22
San Francisco Earthquake
Monique felt the first small shaking begin as she stepped out of the shower. Slipping a bit on the shiny, white tile floor, she thought it wasn't too bad. Her neighbor with the weird dreams must have been wrong. Silly woman. Trying to convince Monique to leave her nice apartment and go to some small town in Idaho, of all places! This was just a normal little temblor, nothing to panic over. Sure, the world was in a fucking big mess right now, but no way was Monique leaving her life here, no way. Bam. The force of the jolt threw her into the full
-length mirror and onto the floor. As her stunned mind tried to figure out how she got there, her fingers felt blood pulsing out of her upper thigh. Another sharp jolt. Another. Another. Oh, she thought weakly, as her life drained away. Guess those dreams weren't so weird after all.
The Farm
Gracie got off the phone and turned to a waiting Harmony and Janine. "Okay, Jessica knows and is heading over here right now. John will bring Samantha--she's evidently not at the house. He's calling Black and I think they'll organize some kind of search party. You, Janine, need to get with the horses and ask for their help. Somebody, or some animal, has got to have seen her!"
Janine nodded and ran out the back door to the stables. Harmony said, "She must have overheard us talking about the earthquake. Because I swear she wasn't acting strangely earlier, or any more strange than usual. That has to be it."
"Yes," Gracie agreed. "I think you're right. Okay, I'll stay here and wait for the others--or perhaps Abby will show up back here. You head on out with Clay. Take flashlights! It's getting dark, and the last thing we need is for you guys to get lost. You've got the cell phone? And the two-way radios?"
Harmony held up both items. "Yes, yes, I'm all set. Where is Clay?"
"Right here," Clay said, entering the kitchen as he spoke. "I wanted to grab the first aid kit to take with us...you never know...." His voice trailed off, anxiety written across his face.
"She'll be okay," Gracie reassured him, patting his arm. "We have all these people now who can sense things, the animals will help look. She can't have gone far--the cars are still here."
Clay nodded jerkily and motioned for Harmony to follow him out the door.
Gracie called after them, "Stay in touch! Check in with me on the radio every twenty minutes."
San Francisco Earthquake
Christian Culver listened to the talk radio station as he headed into work using the Bay Bridge, arguing back loudly with every caller. It was the best way he knew to wake up and to prepare as he headed in for his job on the late shift as a switchboard operator. He had to be so nice and polite for the next eight hours that he really needed this time to spew out all his vitriol at the radio and world at large. So he was completely absorbed and didn't first recognize that his car was not behaving properly. It was slewed across into the next lane. It was falling. The bridge itself was falling, he realized with a shock. Those damn politicians! Never fixed the damn bridge after the Loma Prieta quake, never took it seriously enough, all their pork barrel additions driving up the costs, and--oh, hell, he thought in growing irritation while he looked ahead and saw buildings collapsing, the bridge coming down--it wasn't a problem with the bridge--this was it--the big one. A steel girder pierced the side of his car door impaling him and ending his futile tirade. He hadn't even had time to be afraid.
Power Station, Table Rock Dam
Andy walked in carrying a basketful of food as Waldo whimpered. "What is it big guy? Oh, oh. The San Francisco thing, it's begun." As Andy set the food down on a work table, Lisanne came in from the control room.
"Oh good, you're back," she said anxiously. "I don't mind being here alone, but with the earthquake stuff and now this thing with Abby...."
"What are you talking about?" Andy asked urgently. "You shouldn't be here alone! Where the hell are Black and Rachel? I was only gone for a few minutes to get food! What the heck happened?"
Lisanne motioned to him to sit down and pulled sandwiches out of the basket, only to stop and stare at them. "I don't feel like eating. I'm getting bit and pieces from the earthquake. But it's Abby I'm thinking about. She ran away, Andy. They think she must have heard them talking about the quake. Nobody knows where she is and it's dark now, and--" She paused and then continued. "Sarge left right after you to get food as well, and since we didn't expect anything very soon--"
Andy sighed and said, "So they pulled everyone off to go look for her. Okay, I get it now." He pulled a bottle of juice from the hamper and asked, "So they don't think there will be a problem here, after all?"
Lisanne picked up Merlin, who was mewling at her feet, and sat down at the table. "I'm not sure. Merlin doesn't seem sure. I think the earthquake is futzing the communication band or something. Nobody mentioned anything new about a possible attack here. And Merlin says Sam was working on something about it, and then stopped when the earthquake started. I just don't know."
Andy shuddered and Waldo made whimpering noises. "Oh, man," Andy said, "they are having one damn bad earthquake. It just doesn't stop! I guess the whole San Andreas Fault has let go now."
San Francisco Earthquake
Quincy Walker was taking the garbage to the curb when a sharp movement of the land beneath his feet knocked him to his knees. Damn, he thought, stupid little quakes all the time lately. Well, if they knocked over the garbage cans on the street, somebody was going to be mightily pissed, he thought. Of course, there had been no garbage pick-up last week in Alameda, but he was optimistic about tomorrow. The rest of the world might be going to hell in a hand basket, but Alameda had been getting its act together. As he rose, an eerie sensation hit him, causing his stomach to feel almost nauseous. What the...the ground...was shaking...but it wasn't like anything he'd ever felt before. Then, a series of loud crashes and booms sounded around him. Car alarms and fire alarms went off and ceased abruptly. Lights went out everywhere. He remembered the map from the USGS, the one his realtor and insurance agent had explained to him before he bought his duplex. The map showed he was in a liquefaction zone...which meant...his brain racing faster and faster...coming to a conclusion...he felt his face smashed into the ground while a tree crashed onto his back...oh, yeah, the shaking would cause the land to act sort of like a bowl of jelly...because of the sandy soil the house was built on...the shaking was liquefying the earth beneath him....funny how he didn't feel any pain....he didn't feel anything at all....
The Samuels' House
John raced out the back door and down to the waterfall, where he was shocked to find Samantha lying on the grass, Harry standing protectively over her. "Come on, Sam, come on, wake up," he urged as he cradled his daughter in his arms. He saw her eyes flutter open, confusion and then awareness filling them.
"Daddy, Grandma Abby," she began.
"Yes, Sam, we know. Grandma Abby is missing. She ran away from the Farm. We need your help, kiddo."
"But, Daddy, the power station?"
"Listen, honey, we'll worry about that later. For now, let's get back to the house, and we'll head out to the Farm, okay?"
Sam bobbed her head in acquiescence, her face troubled. As she and Harry walked back, her father said, "I know this is hard on you, Sam. I know the earthquakes in San Francisco have started. But you have the best connection to the animals and right now we need to coordinate the search. I'm sorry to ask this of you, but we need to find Grandma Abby. She hasn't been okay...mentally, lately."
Sam said softly, "I know, Daddy."
As they walked through the back door, he said, "Yes, yes, I guess you would know." He reached for a note left on the table by the door. "Ah, okay, Alex has gone to get Mark and Penny, in case there's a need for medical help. I guess we'd better jump in the car and get out to the Farm, Sam."
The little girl stood in front of him and peered up, struggling under the weight of too many images, but holding onto here and now. "Daddy," she hesitated, and then said intently, "where's Margaret?"
Power Station, Table Rock Lake Dam
Margaret crept swiftly up the earthen embankment, lying flat against the ground at the top. There it was, she thought grimly. A symbol of everything that was wrong, so very wrong. These people were survivors, and they had part of it right. But they couldn't hang onto this kind of thing. It would destroy them in the end. Electricity, power--by using this power they were denying the power within the Earth. And now was the time, she thought with decision. She could sense all of them focused on something else, one person, ah, a missing person, searching for her. Or else they we
re getting the earthquake sensations--either way, they were out of her way--for now. Not focused on her. It was strange how her talk with that little precocious child had clarified her mind, helped her to see she had to take steps now, before this group got so used to having all their old conveniences. They might be upset with her, she thought, and then shrugged it off as irrelevant. In the end, they would thank her. They needed her, after all. They needed someone with a strong connection to the Earth.
The Samuels' House
"Margaret?" John asked, bewildered. "I saw her for a minute when she came back up here from the waterfall. I was going to ask her where you were...funny, I don't know why I didn't." He looked more puzzled. "Now that's really very odd. Of course I would have asked her about you--why the hell didn't I?"
Sam said softly, "Oh Daddy, she can do it, same as me, the mind pressing thing."
"Oh sh--shoot!" he said strongly. "Why would she keep me from asking--no! Is she the one? The power plant thing?"
He watched Sam nodding and thought this evening was going downhill fast. "But so soon? Kiddo, listen, are you sure?"
Samantha looked up at him, frustration on her face. "I wasn't sure. That's why I had to talk to her alone. But then, just when I was sure, the earthquake started--Daddy, we have to find Margaret!"
"But, Sam--your grandmother. Can we at least wait until we find Abby?"
"I don't know!" Sam responded. "I can't see all the way into Margaret. She is--it's like a wall or something. I need help to see." Her voice trailed off as she thought about it.
"Sam, I think you have to focus on Grandma Abby for now," her father insisted. "Your Mom and Grandad are worried sick, and Abby needs to be found. We can talk about Margaret and how to deal with her later--"