Torn (17 page)

Colin added, “Solar flares cause not only the magnetic distu
rbances, but electromagnetic
pulses
, EMPs. These effect
electricity. Cause storms, blackouts, and power surges. You name it. They also cause magnetic fluxes within our earth and atmosphere. These are pockets of simulated magnetic reversals without getting into the full-blown reversals. Understand?”

Bret nodded. “Like an outbreak of the flu in Paris, is a simulation of a full blown epidemic.”

“Yes,” Colin said. “In an odd analogy. Instead of i
t being worldwide, o
nly patches occur in certain area.”

Darius added, “Ecologically, these patches cause the radiation poisoning that we saw in Africa
. The bizarre h
urricanes starting already.”

Luke asked. “The ants and roaches?”

“Ah,” Darius smiled. “Yes. Pockets or patches. The shift in some magnetic fields and disturbances brought on by solar flares causes earthquake
s, volcanic eruptions. But the
shift of tectonic plat
e
s are occurring underground.”

“The earth heats up.” Luke said. “The ground is hot, the bugs come up.”

“Exactly,” Darius pointed with a smile. “The bugs can’t live, those animals who feed on them search out other food. Everything up north, because of these changes,
is dying. The birds
as Colin explained were just hungry, and then an EMP occurred, and magnetic flux, they lost their direction and sense. Hence the attack.”

Bret spoke to get clarification, “So these fluxes as you call them. Magnetic shifts, solar flares, they are just causing earth disturbances. We’re to expect more?”

“Lots more.” Darius said. “See, this is just the beginning. Eventually,
these teases, the fluxes and
pulses will generate enough disturbances to cause the full blown magnetic reversal, and when that happens
…
.” He whistled.

Quickly,
Chuck looked at Bret. “He just
. . .
whistled. Is that a scientific term?”

Bret nudged him.

Colin explained. “He whistled because he knows.”

“Knows what?” Chuck asked.

Darius replied, “What mag
netic reversals can do. You can
not have magnetic reversals without magnitudes of destruction. We can monitor where the natural events occur and watch. It will eventually form a pattern that we can follow as a path to what is next. We’ll soon be able to predict what will happen, when it will happen and the severity. It’s gonna be like a guessing game.”

“What kind of things will you predict will happen?” Bret asked.

“We’re in for a rough ride,” Colin said. “Magnetic reversals cause shifts.”

“More than that.” Darius took over. “These disturbance
s
build up and
up until we have a complete m
agnetic reversal. The compasses indicate that it is happenin
g now. Magnetic reversals cause e
arthquakes. Tsunamis. Super storms. Breaks in protective fields like
that
experienced in Africa. Major underwater volcanic eruptions. These volcanic eruptions are the final occurren
ces. They will heat up earth’s surface
while causing enormous water loss in our oceans. My stats now
allow
me
to
pre
dict that we will lose at least
thirty percent of our oceans in a short span of time. Two months. Two months from the start puts us in September-October. Weather is cooler
.
”

“Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.” Colin stood up. “No. I see where you’re going with this. This is nuts. It’s a prediction of centuries.”

Chuck’s hea
d spun. “What? I’m lost. You?” h
e asked of Bret.

She only shook her head.

Colin was adamant. “No way, Dare-Dare. No way.”

“Yes, yes way.” Darius insisted. “Think about it.
Solar flares cause disturbances,
storms, earthquakes volcanic erup
tions. Volcanoes heat the earth;
we
then have melting up north. Glaciations. Meaning glaciers shift and move. The underwater volcanoes heat our oceans, kill our fish,
and
the water then evaporates.” With a snap of his finger he pivoted his body. “Luke, where does the water go?”

Colin mumbled sarcastically, “Ah, yes, let’s ask the boy who doesn’t go to school.”

Ignoring Colin
, Luke answered with awe. “Up. Into the a
tmosphere.”

“Basic law of Newton.” Darius said. “What goes up must come down.”

“Dude,” Luke sat back. “If the ice up north is melting, the oceans evaporate and go into the sky,
then all that water…Noah’s ark
all over again.”

“Fuck.” Colin
whispered
.

Bret’s eyes widened. “Is he right? No.”

Colin covered his eyes.

“Luke,
that’s a
very good deduction.” Darius patted Luke’s back. “It would be
one hundred percent correct if…
if this all began in January. This is going to come full circle in the fall. Temperatures drop. When water is cold, it no longer is rain.”

Colin interjected with a fake crying whine. “Three inches of rain equals thirty inches of snow.”

Arrogantly, Darius smiled. “Snow. Correct. Nature has a way of irradiating thi
ngs. Making changes. Like clock
work every twenty
-
six million years magnetic reversals occur. Oddly enough, coinciding with these reversals are mass extinctions. We’re at that twenty-six million year mark. We’re in the midst of another reversal. This means we’re in the midst of facing another mass extinction. Wh
at we’re experiencing right now
is nothing less than events leading up to a good old fashion
ed…
.
” Darius paused and smiled smugly, “i
ce age.”

June 4
th
…

“If you are having difficulty hearing me, that’s because the winds here are gusting at times up to 75 miles an hour. This morning, they exceeded over a hundred. We have been advised to stay indoors, as have all the folks here in Charleston
, WV, w
hich I plan to do as soon as I finish this broadcast. But, I’ll tell you Brenda, the rain, the
raging
river, one would not know
this little city was so far in
land. Experiencing Hurricane Daniel in Charleston
…
I’m Blain Davis. Back to you.”

Trying to get out of his car—which he hoped he parked close enough—Chuck fumbled with
h
is camera, recorder, and paper all while
listening to Bret. “Bret, just.
…”

“What will we become? I’ve been thinking about this. Have you?”

“Um, yes, but right now
. . .
.”

“The next wo
olly mammoths? Art work on a museum wall millions of years in the future? A viewable anomaly that the strange new breed of humans gawk at and say,
‘
We looked like that
’
?”

“G
ood Lord, Bret. Now you’re over
reacting. Haven’t we decided that we will not become a statistic? The human
race will go on, if we’re smart
and well
-
prepare
d. Isn’t that what you’re doing? Aren’t you there yet?
”

“Almost,” she said. “I was driving and thinking. How about you? How’s Albany
?
”

“I’m
here. I’m not seeing any press…
yet. In fact,
I see
only locals.”

“Have you seen it yet?” Bret asked.

“Closing in on the crowd
. . .
wait. Shit.”

“You see it.”

“No.”

“You can’t see it?” Bret questioned.

“Bret, damn it,” Chuck compl
ained. “Did you tell him again?”

“Who?”

“Blain Davis.”

Silence.

“You did,” Chuck said.

“Wel
l.
…”

“Bret, fuck,” he griped. “This is mine. He scooped me on the Charleston bit. Darius is giving me the heads up on his finds. I’m the geo boy, remember. Not him. I’m the first here. Not him. Darius is the only one able to figure out what’s going on, and he’s giving me the info first. It’s not intended for Blain Davis, CNS
superstar
.”

“Chuck, please. He asked where you were.”

“Why couldn’t you tell him Cleveland
or something?
”

“All I said was Albany.”

“In which he asked why I’m in Albany?”

Bret stuttered.
“He uh…
well, yeah.”

“I’m not telling you anymore. When Darius sees an area stirring, I’ll wait.”

“Ha. Darius tells me.”

“Well, then open your mouth one more time and I’ll tell Jesse I think you have the hots for Blain
,
that’s why you’re giving him info.”

“Ha, ha, ha, again.” Bret said. “Je
sse saw Blain. Met him. Sees no
threat. Won’t work.”

“OK, he hasn’t met Darius or Colin
. What can I make up about them?
Plus the fact you aren’t telling Jesse it all.”

Silence again.

Chuck laughed.

“Tattletale.”

“Bye.”

“It’s only a crack in the ground, Chuck.”

“Bye.” Chuck disconnected the call, put his phone
away and walked through the ho
rd
e
s of people. His main destination was Blain Davis, and he
’d
almost reached it when he saw the reason for his Albany visit.

The main street of Albany had lifted. A huge crack was not only on the surface of th
e street, but it went deep with
in the earth, like an earthquake had hit. Darius told him about the shifting in that area, even the fact that seismology was indicating something big. But thus far the only big thing was
the crack in the street. Which…
was pretty phenomenal.

“Chuck Wright?
” Blain extended his hand.

Chuck showed his full hands. “Can’t or I’d
shake. What are you doing here?
”

“I heard a big geological occurrence is gonna happen.”

“Was.”
Chuck corrected. “It did. See the crack in the road?
Now you can go. No big deal.”

“I know you’re getting information from Darius Cobb.”

Chuck only stared.

“Come on, Chuck. Brotherhood of journalism here. What’s up?”

Shrugging, Chuck shook his head. “Don’t know. This is it. Take
a picture. Not much. Darius was.
…”

Before he could finish his words, a slight rumble
sounded
followed by a vibration beneath their feet.

“Get back!” a fire fighter called out. “People step back.”

“Did it lift?” Blain asked. “It doesn’t look like it lifted anymore.”

“I have to find witnesses,” Chuck said. “See if anyone felt anything when this happened.”

“No, the two men one block away having a beer only saw it when they le
ft the bar.” Blain spoke. “They.
…”

He paused when another rumble hit.

Blain continued, “They were shocked.”

“Maybe they were half
-
crocked.” Chuck started. “I
bet
this
one
registered a 5 on the Richter scale which
i
s pretty big.”

“No one felt it.”

“Bullshit.” Chuck snapped. “You’re lying because you got a story.”

“You’re lying. There was no 5 on the Richter.”

“Was too.” Chuck said.

“Was not.”

“I’m telling.
…”

It knocked him o
ff his feet.
In fact the jolt was so strong that
the fifty people stand
ing around
bobbed, swayed
, fell like d
ominoes.

“It’s lifting!” an emergency worker cried out. “
Back. Back up!” His arms and those
of others shoved the crowd back.

Chuck raised his camera. “Holy shit.”

The left s
ide of the street lifted higher;
then with another shake, the ground opened wider.

Blain backed up, staying close to Chuck.
“It’s like…
it’s hell reaching up to us. Oh!” he whipped out a recorder and held it close to his mouth, all while the ground shook. “The mouth of Mother Eart
h,” he spoke in his recorder, “r
ight here in Albany is opening wide. And it’s as if Hell is reaching up for us.”

Chuck gave a disgusted look to him. “Why you have to be so dramatic?”

“It’s the news. I’m the news.”

“You’re a fool. Hell reaching.
…” Chuck grabbed on to Blain and yanked him back further. “Oh my God you’re right.”

Blain, who had been turned from view point, looked at Chuck
.
“What do you mean?”

“Hell unleashed. Let’s go!” he charged and pulled Blain with everything h
e had. They ran with the masses
and
headed directly to the car, t
rying to break ahead and free. They couldn’t stop. They couldn’t take
a
chance on even hesitating. Especially when fire—thick and lava
-
like—spewed forth furiously like a fountain from the gaping hole in the ground.

Colin’s handheld pocket-size television showed vivid, immediate shots of the emerging small volcano in Albany New York. Outside a parked car, he and Darius hovered over it watching.

“There are
tectonic plates everywhere,
” Darius said. “You know they can appear.”

“Who would have thought
Albany?
”

“Not me.” Darius shrugged.

“Now, tell me.
…” Colin pointed at the screen. “How d
id Blain Davis know to be there?
I thought we were giving all scoop to Chuck.”

“We did. Bret told him.”

“Bret,” Colin grumbled.

“Someone say my name.” Cheerful
ly
, Bret approached the pair as they stood outside of Darius’ car. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

Colin looked at his watch
. “Right on time. We don’t have to be there until two.”

Bret looked at Darius. “You said one thirty.”

Darius nodded.
“Chuck said you’re always late, s
o I compensated. Get in.” He opened the back door
f
or her. “Winslow lives three b
l
ocks up.”

“You want me to just leave my car here?” she asked.

“Looks better if we arrive all together.” Darius replied.

Bret slid in, and waited for Colin and Darius to do the same. Immediately, Darius started driving.

“You look very nice,” Colin complimented. “Thank you for dressing up.”

“Darius said this was important to the cause.” Bret leaned between the seats. “What role does it play?”

Darius simply replied, “Our survival.”

The car turned the
corner
in the section of town where only the elite could afford to dwell.

“Second house,” Colin instructed wit
h
a point.

“Whoa.” Bret poked between the two men. “Why are we here? And don’t give me the melodramatic answer.”

Darius turned the car into the
long and winding
driveway. “To survive we have to implement a survival plan more than staying warm,” he said. “To do
an effective plan we need funds, l
ots of them and more than Colin and myself have.”

“So we’re c
oming to this house, to ask who
ever lives here for that money.”

“Some if not all,” Darius answered. “Jacques Winslow has no family and seeing that he’s older.”

“How old?” Bret answered nearly interrupting.

“How that makes a difference, I don’t know.” Darius replied.

Colin snickered
.
“It could. He could die before he gives the money, or right after and we’d not owe him anything.”

“Oh my God,” Bret whisper as the car stopped. “Tell me he’s not in a wheelchair.”

Both Colin and Darius looked at her.

She peeped a shriek. “He is. I saw this in a movie. An end of the world movie,
When Worlds Collide
,
and they got funding from this lonely, mean old man.”

Darius nodde
d his head to Colin. “He must have seen
the same movie. He told me he got the idea from that.”

“Not entirely,” Colin defended. “Mr. Winslow funds many things at the university.”

Bret tapped Colin on the shoulder. “Was it the movie where the two pl
anets were ready to collide and.
…”

“Hey,” Darius halted her. “We have to go convince this guy.”

“Wait a second.” Bret stopped him before he opened the car door. “You two are the scientists. Why am I here?”

“To convince
him
.” Darius stepped out.

Bret hesitated. “How?”

“Let me fix that skirt.” Darius reached down for Bret’s garment right at the door.

Colin covered his smile. “I can’t believe you made her wear a dress.”

“Whatever works.” Darius grabbed the waist of the skirt.

“Hey.” Bret snipped. “
You’re lifting it. It’s already.
…”

“Needs to be shorter.” Darius tucked it. “There.”

“What is this guy, a pervert?
” Bret looked down.

“Yes,” Darius answered. “Don
’t touch it. And keep in mind,” he moved her hand from the skirt, “h
e’s a little out there.”

Jacques Winslow was a seventy-year-old man who was confined to a wheelchair. With an inherited fortune from coalmines, and
with
proper investments, Winslow had the means to help.

The huge double oak doors parted slightly, and a frail elderly man dressed in a suit walked out. He spoke slow
ly
, and articulate
ly. “Mr. Winslow…will see you…
now.” He
nodded
then stepped away.

Darius gave a courtesy knock on the door and stepped inside, whispering to Bret. “Don’t say anything, please keep all answers limited to two words or less. Be nice.”