He reflected for a few seconds. “Consider what we saw along that sound to Port McNeill. Terry, McNeill the navigator, told me it was twenty miles or so from the mouth of the narrow sound to land. A tsunami from the equator came all that distance and pushed forty miles and wiped out that town. It’s mind boggling to me and I cannot even conceive how high the wave was. Seventy, eighty, a hundred feet? Higher? I don’t know.”
“Jonathan how long can this tsunami activity continue?”
“Ah, Bill that’s a good question. After the initial displacement I would guess the only cause of tsunamis would be seismic activity somewhere at the ocean floor. I would think that would be a possibility for some time and completely unpredictable.”
“You remember the tsunami which hit the northeastern side of Japan? That was caused by an earthquake on the ocean floor. Potentially that is a minor incident for what we may face in the coming months and years.”
“How about the meteors. You call them a swarm?”
“Um, yeah. The only meteor field that would be larger, at least in my knowledge, would be the asteroid belt. The meteor activity, primarily the Leonids and the Perseids, has decreased over the millennium so we see less every year. So I’m pretty sure this is not from the any of those two swarms.”
Again Jonathan was tempted to go into more depth but held himself back. “What we have now is unbelievable in terms of size and amount. When I was in the cockpit I saw the leading edge. I can’t even guess at the width of it. Hundreds of miles wide – probably. Again, there was no way for me to know but a thousand miles wide may not be an exaggeration. And long. It seemed longer than it was wide.”
“You said something about resonance?” asked Lorazini.
“Yeah. Now we’re getting into astrophysics which is not my strong suit. But basically if I have it right it means if two bodies, the bodies in this case being the swarm and our planet, have resonance then they will continue to interact. There is no way to know when the swarm will return but if it’s in resonance with us it will be back. Though I must say the likelihood of it coming our way tonight probably isn’t too high.”
“You mentioned something about decades.”
“Right. The swarm will probably return at unspecified times for a while. It will eventually be plotted and then the orbit can be predicted. However, there is no way for the swarm to leave if it’s in resonance unless something comes along to pull it away. If there is nothing to disrupt the swarm’s orbit it’ll end when all the individual pieces of the swarm drops on us or all the meteors burn up in our atmosphere. It could be centuries.”
“But ya know, there was something odd about that swarm. If I was a mathematician maybe I could calculate the amount of meteors but the number must be in the six figures. And the density of it was…beyond reason. And so many big ones. I don’t know but it just doesn’t feel right somehow.”
“But you don’t know a lot about meteors,” Hawk said. Dry as a piece of toast. The logger wished he could take a greater part in the discussion but he was lumberjack. He cut down trees and was not that many years out of high school so felt a little intimidated around Lorazini and Prezlee. However, he had been a football player in high school playing center and he had a real sense of teamwork. His instincts told him Prezlee was someone to stay close to.
“Where do you think this swarm came from?” asked Lorazini.
“That’s the surprising thing. The swarm seemed to appear in the northern hemisphere first. So why wasn’t it sighted?”
“That’s why I’m asking…or I’m not sure what I’m asking but what is your thinking on it?”
“A few years ago a large meteor passed between the moon and earth. The size of the meteor is what may be termed, and Hawk you’ll appreciate this, a widow-maker. Some astronomers felt if it had hit us an extinction event would have occurred. What’s amazing is that the meteor wasn’t spotted until it came in range of the telescopes from northern hemisphere. There weren’t many telescopes from down under at the time therefore objects from that direction remained unobserved. The meteor was never spotted until it was past our planet. Now there are more telescopes everywhere, including in space so why wasn’t a swarm this large and moving this fast noticed?”
“I don’t know Bill but it just seems wrong to me.”
“But how could it be, well, wrong?” asked Hawk.
“I wish I knew. But another thing is the lack of communication. Why is there such a complete lack of communication? I don’t know off hand but if someone in the know said there was one hundred satellites in orbit I’d believe him. So how could this swarm knock out all the satellites? And wouldn’t there still be other forms of wireless communication which would not be effected by the satellites?”
“Sounds like very good questions,” said Lorazini. “Have you any theories?”
“None. But I have this nagging suspicion that tells me we need to find those answers though for the life of me I haven’t a clue as to why.” Prezlee yawned.
“Bruddah, you need some sleep brah. You t’ink we be safe heah?”
“Sure. We’re in the lee of the swarm. And if you consider that earth’s circumference is around twenty five thousand mile…”
“K’den brah. We are safe and you go sleep li’dat.” Jonathan smiled and realized he was exhausted. He nodded to Keoni and said his good-nights to all. He laid back and placed his head on the two airplane pillows he had snatched and placed in his back pack. One pillow was just not enough. He then draped the thin airbus blanket loosely over him. He wondered how long it would take…
CHAPTER EIGHT
THUD
Jonathan opened his eyes. Maybe he was dreaming of Jack and the Beanstalk. ‘Kinda felt like the tread of a giant.’ He sighed and started to close his eyes. Then his eyes were wide open.
‘A shooting star. Oh, so pretty. Should I make a wish?’ He briefly considered what wish he might make. Then two more shooting stars blazed overhead. ‘Wow. Must be my lucky…’
THUD
Jonathan was lifted into a sitting position. ‘That was no giant.’ The others were stirring or had also awoken.
“What was that?” someone asked.
No one answered. They all guessed but none wanted to say in hopes that if they didn’t mention the word then perhaps it won’t be true.
THUD. THUD. THUD. Hawk and Keoni looked at each other. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Yeah, brah.”
They held their collective breaths but did not have to hold them long.
A rain of small hailstones came down. All eight of them scrunched underneath the cramped little area the outcrop afforded in protection. It rained for several minutes. It was so loud no one could talk to their neighbor though little was needed to be said.
Keoni’s wife Lanni hugged her two children to her and tried to shield them. Keoni used his big body to shield Lanni. The raining hailstones hit everywhere and at every angle. A few of these very hard and hot stones made it into the shelter of the outcropped rock and stung and hurt with an unexpected impact for something the size of a pea.
The raining hail slackened. Then the thuds began in earnest. The noise of the incoming space rocks picked up. The meteors streaking down to hit the ground were heard. As they hit the ground they were felt. This must be what a fire fight with heavy artillery was like thought Jonathan. Before long the screams started.
Their fellow passengers were screaming.
They had no idea how many of the passengers had stayed on the airbus but possibly one fifth had refused to deplane. Perhaps in the neighborhood of forty people. There were many passengers who would not have used the chute had they known the option was available to stay in the comfort of the airbus. Since it was too difficult to climb back up into the plane those who had already alit probably remained on the ground. Jonathan hoped they had searched and found some shelter.
It was still dark and the only light was from the burning of the streaking meteors. It was horrorifying.
There was no other word for it and maybe that word didn’t convey the horror. The horror of hearing people being torn asunder by the meteors. The horror of not being able to render any assistance. And the horror of the darkness which intensifies the unknown demons and transmits a stark reality of powerlessness. They anguished in abject impotence for being unable to aid those helpless people hurt or dying only meters away.
The meteors were not choosy. The big and small hit in every conceivable place. The meteors hit all around the huddled group beneath the outcrop. They slammed into the ground in front of them and several times the meteors hit the outcrop casting rock shrapnel in all directions. They could hear the meteorites pass through the branches of the evergreen trees.
Hawk who had the only watch amongst the group said the fury of the swarm lasted probably two hours. He wasn’t sure when he first checked his watch but guessed it was a half hour into the swarm’s bombardment.
However, the deluge did not hit the side of the ridge to the extent the meteors hit in the open valley where the airbus was parked. All in the huddled group felt extremely fortunate to have heeded Jonathan’s advice. Jonathan felt sick.
He felt he should have argued with more force. Or persuasion. He should have argued more doggedly regarding El Capitan those many years ago too. But no one was hurt then with the possible exception of Jonathan’s pride and idealism in his acquiesce of silence. Here people died.
No. He didn’t know how many died nor would that have been important. People could not have taken the kind of strikes he witnessed from the meteorite shower and survive. He didn’t know the speed the space stones had fallen but it had to be several hundred miles an hour for the smaller stones and maybe in the thousands of miles per hour for the larger ones. Enough for a small stone to kill if it hit the right spot. A large stone…?
When the swarm had passed Jonathan and his group and everyone in the valley who was not hurt could hear the groans and the sobbing. A woman was shrieking as she cried and though they couldn’t understand what she was trying to say they knew her husband or child was injured or worse.
The oddest thing was the silence. Though people cried out with pain and loss there was an eerie kind of silence underlying the obvious agony for several minutes. The aftermath of the torrential meteors was stillness. Even nature was hushed.
Jonathan thought this must be what it’s like during war.
It was still dark.
“Let’s wait a few minutes. Make sure all the swarm has passed. Then see if we can help. It should be daylight soon.” Jonathan actually said this but he would not have remembered. It was an unconscious and reflexive declaration. He was considering what the next decisions should be.
CHAPTER NINE
“Can anyone hear me?” A voice called out loudly.
Other voices rang out and Jonathan was hopeful because he heard many voices.
It was still dark and no sign of a sunrise.
“Prezlee. Are you all right?”
“Yeah. Is that you Terry?”
“Right. How many with you? And do you have a torch?”
Hawk said to the others, “a torch?”
“I think he must mean a flashlight,” Lorazini said.
They conversed quickly amongst themselves, “no Terry. I think we have some matches but no flashlight. There are eight of us here.”
“Where are you…I mean from the airbus?”
Again the group was quick to decide. “We think we went about a hundred to a hundred twenty yards up the slope and kinda in line with the nose of the plane at a ninety-five degree angle.” Jonathan added, “the only thing we can see are a few trees right in front of us.”
“Any in your group have any nursing skills?”
The group again conversed. “Only Beth, the wife of Hawk,” Jonathan said. “She’s a nurse’s aide.”
“We need her down here.” This statement by Jim was flat and terse and filled with foreboding. “Do you think she can come down?”
Beth said yes. “Terry, can you get some fires going so we have something to guide us?”
“We’ve started two but not by the nose. Will get one started right away.”
In ten minutes the group was able to see some light peeking through the foliage and they started their descent. They knew the terrain wasn’t difficult but could see so little that the progress was slow. They held hands as they went down the hillside with Keoni leading the way. Even still they all fell down once or twice except Keoni’s two boys. At age seven and ten they were spry, agile and too short for most of the branches to knock them about.
Eventually they made it to the valley floor without serious incident though it seemed to have taken them a long time. More than half way down they had a good view of the fire near the nose of the airbus and the last forty yards or so was negotiated quickly without mishap. McNeill was waiting for them.
“How’d you guys fare?”
Jonathan’s group looked around to each other. “I guess we’re fine. Some scrapes and scratches but that’s it. How about you and the crew…I’m guessing you guys hung together.” Terry led them towards the open hatch.
“Right. We found a, what’d the guy from Colorado call it, a holler, and I don’t mean the shouting kind but…”
“Yeah, I know. A small little vale. Go on.”
“Right. The Colorado guy had spotted it as we came in. Not too far from the tail. Well there were thirty of us in all and we had a small spade to clear away the debris. Leaves and twigs and what-have-you so there was a pretty safe area as you had described we’d be needing...” They stopped at the hatch. Terry turned to Hawk’s wife.
“Beth do you think you can help the docs with the injured?” Terry pointed up.
Beth looked up, “if I can get up there.”
Hawk was quick to add, “safely.”
“They’ve rigged up a sling and hoist. Captain Schollander is already there.” Jim called out and one of the medics peered down. “Get a sling ready. Beth here’s an aide.”
Jonathan took a good look at the airbus. It was riddled with holes. Mostly small holes but some were larger than a fist. A couple were larger than a basketball. Keoni had been following Jonathan’s gaze and let out a whistle when he saw the same destruction.
“Terry, how many were in the plane?”
McNeill looked up and seemed reluctant to say. “Fifty seven.”
“What?”
“The hoist and sling were rigged up and several who had come down went back up after you left.” Jonathan’s mouth was slack and open.
“Yeah, Captain Schollander feels awful. He was tired and let himself be talked into allowing some to remain. He wouldn’t let any of the crew stay, thank heavens.”
“I wish I could have been more persuasive. I could of…”
“It’s not your fault Jonathan. They were going to stay no matter what. There are people who just know better, contrary to reason.”
“Huh, reminds me of what my mother used to say.”
“What’s that?”
“Oh, about people doing the opposite to their interests. She always used the Reagon revolution as an example. The U. S. had the greatest standard of living in the history of the world in the 60’s and 70’s and it ended when Reagon was elected bringing in Friedman economic practices. It hurt 98% of the people who voted for him and the standard of living plummeted for all but the…”
“Does he always talk like this?” Terry asked.
“’Fraid so.” Lorazini said.
McNeill brought the others to the tail section where a fire was going. About fifty people were already there. They could hear some grunting from the hollow. Jim pointed in that direction, “digging out and under this ridge. We weren’t overly prepared but better late than never.”
Jonathan thought he could see the first faint glimmer of dawn. “What about Port Hardy?”
“We thought about that too but two problems. One, the swarm went right over them and two, it’s several miles of ope
n land. If you’re caught out…when the swarm…” He left the rest unsaid.
Jonathan continued to look towards the little port town. He realized the danger but he felt it was necessary.
So did Keoni. He placed his hand on Jonathan’s shoulder, “I’ll go brah.”
Jonathan shook his head. “You’ve got a wife and kids Keoni. If the swarm comes back to this spot it won’t be for a little while at least.” Though he wasn’t too sure he believed this. The swarm was acting in a very erratic and random fashion.
Terry put his hand on Jonathan’s other shoulder, “I hate to say it Jonathan but you’re one of the few people here that’s indispensable. We can’t have you getting…”
Jonathan didn’t like hearing this. There was a responsibility in that he understood but it sounded elitist. He wanted to be listened to of course but not followed. He wasn’t leader material. “I’d like to go…I’d…feel better if I went.”
“K’den brah, I go wit you. When do we leave?”
CHAPTER TEN
Jonathan, Keoni and Hawk were walking south and found there were no roads. However they did run across bike trails. Primarily dirt bikes Jonathan guessed. Eventually they reached the outskirts to what the locals probably thought as a major artery – Mayor Way.
They had talked about what they might find in Port Hardy but optimism was soon replaced by pessimism then by dismal cynicism. The area between the ridge and the town was heavily cratered.
Many of the craters were small. No more than five to fifteen feet across axially and roughly that deep. However there were some very large craters. A few seemed to be at least several hundred feet long, less than half that wide and nearly half that deep. They walked around one of the larger ones and looked down. It still smoked and they could feel the heat from it.
“If several of these hit the town the town will be gone,” Hawk said.
“These will become small lakes by next year,” Jonathan said to no one.
The rising sun had initially increased the chatter among the three as they headed to Port Hardy. But after seeing the destruction they tended toward silence as they trekked. The day was hardly begun when they realized it would be warm. Very warm. A mild breeze picked up from the ocean to their backs and this helped ease the sweat which rolled down their foreheads.