Jacqueline Druga - Protocol One

He pushed open the bathroom door. “It’s not big, it’s not much, but it functions.”

I thanked Tony and followed him back to my room so I could get some clothes. Most of what was in the drawers was very generic. Old cargo style pants, cotton pants with an elastic waist similar to scrubs, tee shirts and sweatshirts.

I wanted the clothes and pictures I brought, but I supposed I’d get them as soon as they were de-ashed.

Brief instructions in mind, I headed to get cleaned up. I hoped that would help me some, but I knew it wouldn’t.

I washed quickly knowing my time limit, then stood in the warm water until it stopped running.

Physically the shower helped. Emotionally, I knew nothing would.

I got dressed in the tiny bathroom then returned to my room, because I honestly didn’t know what to do next. Tony mentioned to Tom that Peter wanted everyone topside, but I didn’t know what that meant. Were we going outside?

When I stepped into my room, I saw a glass. It sat on the table next to my bed. Immediately I walked to it and lifted it. I could smell the alcohol. It was too thick to be whiskey and too brown to be wine. When I took a sip, I realized it was brandy. It warmed my chest. Bringing it to my lips again, I noticed my hands were shaking.

I placed the glass down and sat on the bed. My body felt so internally heavy.

There was a single knock on the door and Tony stood there. He was cleaned up. “Hey, I know you aren’t up to it and that you did your own studying, but Peter is gonna explain what’s going on out there if you wanna come up.”

Sitting in that new room, even though it didn’t hold any memories, I found myself staring at the walls and thinking of my sadness. With my glass of brandy in hand, I joined Tony.

It wouldn’t take away what I was feeling, but for a short span of time listening to an expert like Peter Fleishmann might take my mind off of things, if only for a little while.

No amount of time, whether short or long, and no amount of walking could prepare me for seeing everyone together for the first time in the aftermath of losing my son.

We took the steps back up and across that hall way following the arrow to Hive Two. The door had a glass panel and I could see everyone in there.

Upon entering, we passed though a large kitchen and straight to the dining hall. Unlike Hive One, this room was square and along the entire length of the wall was one of those windows. It looked like daytime with mountains behind it.

Everyone stopped their conversations and stopped what they were doing when I walked in.

If they were seated, they stood.

Everyone had cleaned up and no longer did they look dirty and desperate. They looked normal.

As I passed each one of them, they conveyed saddened and sympathetic looks, each telling me they were sorry.

I screamed inside. I wanted them to not say a word, not say anything. I had to remember they were good people who cared. I nodded my acknowledgment of their condolences and then joined the long table where Peter sat with a lap top.

“I’m very sorry for your loss,” Peter said, standing and bowing his head before sitting back down.

“Thank you,” I said then looked around. “Thank you, everybody.”

I still had my drink and I took a sip.

“I was just filling in everyone about phases,” Peter explained. “There are many. Impact, EMP, earthquake and ash. We had the high winds and are too far inland to experience the Tsunami that rippled over the globe, which it did. Coastal cities you knew and loved are gone.”

Melissa raised her hand. “Even the east coast?”

“Sadly, yes. From one body of water to the other, the vibration carried,” Peter explained. “The next phase is called ejecta. Phase Seven. When the object slammed into the earth…” He used his fist to demonstrate, pummeling it into his hand. “It sent debris high into the atmosphere. The ash wasn’t the ejected. That debris will fall. It will range in size and each, as they enter our atmosphere, will ignite. It’s a short phase, but very powerful. It’s a crap shoot where they will hit. We may get bombarded here or we may only get hit once. But the fact is, no matter where they hit, it will start a firestorm. In a chain reaction, the earth will be an inferno. Fires everywhere. The sky will look as if it is on fire and for days, temperatures will reach two hundred degrees… globally. Except at ground zero. There…” he exhaled causing a flutter to his lips. “A thousand, maybe more.”

Craig was the next to question. “Here too?”

Peter nodded. “Here, too. As the fire rages it will warm things up. Enjoy it. Because one, it will be the only light we have and two, the smoke and ash carry upward. When the comet struck the ocean it vaporized water and bedrock into tiny microscopic particles that will float outside our Earth. Think of the Earth as a giant cotton candy machine, spinning and gathering. Once it mixes with all that ash and smoke, the sun will be blocked out. Total darkness. Once all the fires are out, all light will be gone for a while. Four, six, eight weeks. We won’t know. We can only keep checking through our scope.”

“And we will. I will,” Tom said. “I will constantly check. Even though I am pretty confident in the scope, and it was tested for extreme heat, I’ll not leave it up constantly during the high temperatures. And I did pull it down as a safeguard now.”

I asked, “Why now? Why already?”

“That phase… what was it?” Tom snapped his finger a few times, showing he was thinking. “Seven. I think. The fire bombs? Yeah, that phase. It has started.”

I finished my drink, set it down and said, “Excuse me.” After standing, I made a bee line for the exit.

“Anna.” Tony called my name.

I kept walking.

“Anna. Stop.”

I did. I stopped in the hall by the fail safe door.

“Where are you going?”

“I have got to see this.” I walked through and began taking the stairs and did so quickly.

“Are you nuts? You want to see this?”

“Yes, Tony. I want to see it. And if that makes me nuts, I guess I am.” I kept walking, then looked over my shoulder. “And no, I’m not killing myself.”

“So why go? Do you know how hot it will be?”

“According to Peter, not as hot as it will get.”

I was almost there, almost at the top.

“Anna.”

“Tony. I saw the comet, watched the electro pulse, felt the earthquake and walked in the ash storm.” I pushed open the door to the bay. When I did I heard explosions, small ones and could feel a slight vibration beneath my feet.

With determination I headed toward the blast doors. Hands extended, I paused before opening them. “If my world is ending then I am going to watch it happen, as much as I can, every step of the way. I have to.”

Tony took a deep breath. He looked frustrated and then he too placed his hand on the door. “One door. Only one. Okay? Just a peek.”

I agreed and then we both pushed together.

It was still dark out and warm. A lot warmer than it was earlier. I honed in on the sound of the next explosion, but standing at the doors I couldn’t see a thing, so I stepped out.

Tony didn’t bother calling or warning me, he joined me.

We didn’t move out very far. We stayed within the safety of the concrete bunker entrance. But even a few feet out, the temperatures were at least twenty degrees hotter.

It was breathtaking and I was somewhat in awe. Standing there afforded me the chance to see and to watch the sky. The clouds rolled fast, swirling around as red lightening seared through them. It wasn’t explosions as much as booming thunder. Specks of fiery light zipped though the sky sailing toward earth as if a rain of fire descended from the heavens.