Silo

by Jay J Falconer

  “The jury is still out on that one,” Krista said, pausing. Then she pointed a finger at the door. “Then, of course, we have this to deal with, too.”

  The Scab women and Helena cruised in and moved across the room, with Nomad holding up the rear as they worked their way around the other side of the desk.

  The cannibals didn’t sit in the chairs as Simms expected. Instead, they decided to climb up and squat on the seats like chimpanzees. He would have laid odds that they would’ve stood together, not attempted to take seats like a regular human.

  At least they were huddled together and not making a fuss.

  Or eating anyone.

  Always good news.

  Of course, it helped that Nomad hovered nearby, keeping them in line.

  Yet, by the way he stood with his back along the wall, he looked like a bored security guard who didn’t belong anywhere.

  * * *

  Destiny could feel the heat rising as she walked deeper into the central dispersion shaft buried deep behind the Blackstone building complex.

  She expected the rise in humidity to hit her when it did, but the increase in sulfur permeating the air was a new variable, even though Asher had warned that some of this might happen.

  When she passed the bench along the wall where she had helped Asher sit down, she remembered something he once told her about those who came before.

  Unchecked confidence leads to overconfidence and then to calamity.

  His statement was in reference to the group of government scientists who used to run Blackstone. They’d made a terrible overcalculation, leading to an even worse decision and deaths.

  She never really understood all the science involved but her mind did understand the basics, even if the rest of her crew didn’t or wouldn’t.

  ‘Shit happens’ was how her Blackstone friends decided to view it, not wanting to know the details. Only that it was in the distant past and there was nothing that they could do about it.

  She couldn’t be as accepting as they were. Not after Asher had told her that the government’s smartest had been the most careless when this facility first became operational.

  Destiny imagined the original crew was a lot like the new guy, Lipton.

  Educated but rude.

  Downright condescending, assuming every decision that he was going to make was the proper one.

  “Asher?” she called out, hoping somehow he’d be able to hear her and meet her halfway. She didn’t want to waste the time trekking into the depths of the chamber ahead, where the remnants of tunneling equipment lay abandoned.

  Destiny continued, calling out his name every ten steps or so, knowing that none of this was going to be easy.

  Not with Asher.

  Not with Lipton.

  And certainly not with the two of them together.

  But it had to get done.

  Sooner rather than later.

  At least she’d finally found someone who might be able to help Asher. And if nothing else, take over for the man when his sickness took his last breath.

  CHAPTER 49

  “I’ll be right back,” Summer said, getting out of her chair.

  Krista leaned past Simms and grabbed Summer. “Wait, where are you going?”

  Summer yanked herself free in a twist. “To talk with my brother. Is that okay with you?”

  Krista stood up. “I’ll cover you.”

  Summer held her hands out. “It’s just my brother. It’s okay, I got this.”

  “Not with those things over there.”

  “I’ll be fine, Krista.”

  “I thought you were going to let me handle security.”

  “I am.”

  “Then I’m coming with you. Unless, of course, you’ve decided to go back on your word?”

  Summer paused, remembering their conversation from earlier. “No, you’re right. You’re in charge of security. If you want to tag along, then by all means.”

  “Like you said, it’s my job.”

  “And like you said, I need to let you do it.”

  “Exactly,” Krista said, taking the lead toward the desk in the middle.

  Krista passed the desk, then headed into the thicket of Scabs with Summer right behind, their eyes trained on her the entire time.

  The Scabs remained on their chairs in what Summer could only describe as a commando crouch. It wasn’t the proper term to describe their choice of sitting positions, but it was all she could come up with.

  When they arrived at Nomad, Krista told him, “Your sister wants to have a word with you.” She moved aside, making a path for Summer.

  “Here or outside?” he asked.

  “Here is fine,” Summer replied, waving at him to come closer. “Just need to tell you something.”

  Nomad relaxed his posture, bending a knee and leaning forward.

  When his ear was close to her lips, she whispered, “I’m sorry about hitting you earlier. I never should have done that. That was wrong and I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” he said in his broken-down voice. “You had every right.”

  “I just missed you so much. It’s been hell all these years without my big brother.”

  “Trust me, I understand.”

  “Still, can you find it in your heart to forgive me?”

  “Already done.”

  Summer put her arms around his neck and gave him a long overdue hug. “It’s good to have you back.”

  “It’s good to be back.”

  Summer wanted to give him a kiss on the cheek, but she wasn’t ready. Not yet. She needed to take it slow in small steps. That’s what she needed. Small steps. To allow her heart to heal and her head to process everything.

  Some wounds take forever to heal, much like Blaze’s scars. His outside looked like what she felt on the inside, but she knew deep down that she wanted him close. She hoped he felt the same way, putting family first, above all else.

  She let go, gave him a smile, then turned to Krista just as a blur of motion came through the door to the room.

  “Looks like your sister is back,” Krista said, as Destiny walked in with an older man whose pace was as uneven as the splotches of hair missing on his head. Destiny had her hands on his elbow, matching his stride, both of them looking down at his feet.

  “Is that Asher?” Summer asked.

  “He looks half dead,” Krista said before looking up at Nomad. “No offense.”

  “None taken.”

  When Asher brought his eyes up, they went wide at the same instant his mouth dropped open. He stopped walking and froze with that look on his face.

  Summer followed his gaze across the room.

  It appeared to be focused on Lipton.

  Lipton stood up.

  “You son-of-a-bitch,” Asher said as he broke free of Destiny’s grip and started toward Lipton.

  Destiny ran behind him with her arms out but not closing ground, almost as if she really didn’t want to stop the man.

  “Easy there, Hunt,” Lipton said, backing up from his chair with his hands in front. “Let’s not do anything rash.”

  “I fucking knew it,” Krista said. “I told you, Summer. I told you he was in on this.”

  “Shit,” Summer said, breaking into a run.

  Krista followed, the two of them dodging Scabs and chairs, weaving through the chaos.

  Asher flew chest-first into Lipton, sending the two of them to the floor, with Lipton landing on his back.

  A second later, Asher started throwing punches—old man punches, looking more like wild slaps and unplanned arm swings.

  Destiny grabbed Asher’s back and pulled him up, the last of his punches landing on the side of Lipton’s face in a whack.

  Lipton turned to the side and pressed to his feet, his hand covering the impact point. “What the hell is wrong with you, Hunt?”

  “I told you never to come back here.”

  “I know, but I had no idea where we were headed. If I had known you were this �
�Asher’ character, I never would’ve—”

  “It’s called a codename, you prick.”

  “Like Blackstone.”

  “Exactly. For tactical reasons.”

  “And I suppose this codename business was your idea after I left?”

  “Actually, it was mine,” Destiny said.

  Asher twisted his arms and fought against Destiny’s grip. “Let go of me.”

  “Not until you calm down.”

  “I am calm. Let me go.”

  “You better keep that man off me,” Lipton said.

  “What’s going on here?” Summer asked when she and Krista arrived.

  Krista stood in front of Summer, taking a defensive posture. “I need everyone to just back the fuck up. Right now.”

  It took another handful of seconds before Asher stopped his resistance. That’s when Destiny let go of him.

  Lipton rubbed his jaw. “If you think I’m going to help you people now, you’re sorely mistaken.”

  Krista whirled around and let her fist go, catching Lipton in the jaw. He flew sideways, crashing into a bank of chairs head-first.

  Lipton groaned, rolled over, and sat up, his hair now in a twisted flop. “What the hell was that for?”

  “I knew you were involved, you lying snake.”

  “How was I supposed know these people were the people I used to work with?”

  “You must have known. Or suspected. You’ve been on edge the whole time.”

  “It’s called instinct.”

  “More like treachery.”

  Lipton got to his feet and held his arms out like a preacher asking for grace to be bestowed upon him. “Anyone else want to assault me? Because now’s the time.”

  Nobody moved.

  “All right then, that’s the last of it. We all have a past. Mine just happens to have originated here.”

  Asher peered at Destiny. “This man needs to go. Now. Banish him before he gets us all killed.”

  Destiny looked at Lipton.

  Lipton’s face looked numb when he said, “You might want to rethink that, Destiny or Hope or whatever the hell your name really is. Especially the part about taking directions from a wannabe engineer who finished in the middle of the pack at some run-of-the-mill state university. That’s why you’re all in this situation to begin with.”

  “How could you possibly know that?” Destiny asked.

  Lipton pointed at Asher. “Just look at him. It’s obvious. He doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing.”

  “And you do?”

  “Clearly.”

  Destiny looked at Summer. “Help me here.”

  Summer shrugged. “Sorry, sis. I’m totally lost.”

  “He needs to go. Now,” Asher snapped, pointing an index finger at Lipton.

  Krista stepped forward and grabbed Lipton by the shirt collar, tugging him forward. “Oh, I’m so gonna enjoy this.”

  “Wait,” Lipton said. “Don’t you people want to know what’s really going on before you throw me to the wolves?”

  CHAPTER 50

  Destiny played hostess, remaining on her feet until the invited guests were in their seats around the conference table in Blackstone’s primary meeting room.

  Flipside liked to call the room ‘the inner sanctum,’ apparently an ode to some old TV show back in the day. She didn’t understand the reference, but it really didn’t matter. If naming the room made the man happy, then so be it.

  She touched a hand to the shoulder of Asher and then Flipside as she walked past them and found her seat at the head of the table.

  Shotgun and Sawtooth had both protested about their lack of an invite, but she only had so much room. Someone had to wait outside, so the youngest of the crew were it.

  Seated across from her were Summer, Krista, and the man they called Lipton. Nomad was there, too; however, her brother chose to stand next to the door, reminding her of a sentry ready for battle.

  Destiny wished he’d let go of his sword-wielding persona for once, taking the chair she’d brought in for him. Not just because he was family, but more so because he’d earned it after all he’d been through.

  She figured he needed to transition to a normal life, one not involving layers of leather armor and a suffocating mask. But he’d have to make that call, not her. All she could do was keep the offer open in case he decided he was ready for that change.

  “I keep telling you, this is a monumental waste of time,” Asher said, shaking his head.

  Destiny flashed a hand at her right-hand man, giving him a subtle head nod to hold his tongue. She figured it was a hollow gesture, but maybe, just maybe, he’d listen for a change.

  There’s a first time for everything, she reminded herself, letting a round of levity into her heart. She knew the rest of this meeting was going to be anything but humorous, so that infinitesimal respite from the mounting stress was a welcome sensation.

  “Okay, let’s hear it, Lipton,” Destiny said. “You have two minutes.”

  Lipton sat back in his chair and threw up his arms. “Well, if you want the truth, it’s going to take longer than that, so you need to revise that allotment.”

  “Okay, I’m a reasonable person. You have three minutes.”

  Krista laughed, turning her head in Lipton’s direction. “I’d suggest you get started, asshole. You’re only prolonging the inevitable.”

  “I thought I was going to get a chance to be heard?” Lipton asked Destiny.

  “You are. Two minutes and 50 seconds. Tick-tock, Doc.”

  Krista brought her eyes around to Asher, then put her knife on the table, and her sidearm. “If he says one thing that’s not true, let me know and I’ll end this on the spot.”

  “Gladly.”

  “Okay. Let’s start the beginning,” Lipton said after an obvious gulp. “Try to follow along so I don’t have to repeat myself.”

  “Just get on with it, Lipton,” Krista said. “Nothing you say is going to matter anyway.”

  “In 2015 there was a proposal by a group of scientists from NASA about how they thought they could relieve pressure beneath Earth’s super-volcanoes to keep them from erupting and ending all life on Earth. I think it was a three-billion-dollar proposal, or thereabouts, if memory serves.”

  Krista looked at Asher.

  So did Destiny, looking for confirmation.

  The man never even blinked, appearing disinterested in all things Lipton.

  “But I digress. Somehow, they convinced the talking heads in accounting to greenlight the money and begin work. First, though, they needed a test site and a team to lead the research.”

  “And they selected you, I take it,” Summer said, breaking her silence.

  “Hardly,” Lipton said. “Though they should have. No, I’m afraid they selected Destiny’s man Asher, despite his failures academically. Who in their right mind selects a person with a lowly Master’s degree in civil engineering? That should have been the world’s first clue that it was all about to end. I’m guessing he had an uncle or another relative on one of the appropriation committees. Otherwise, his name wouldn’t have made the top-1000 candidates list. Hell, the top million list.”

  “Just keep it up, Lipton,” Asher said. “The hole just keeps getting deeper and deeper.”

  “They brought Asher and a team here to Yellowstone, then spent countless billons on tunneling and testing equipment, which I assume is still underground somewhere, collecting dust.”

  The group looked at Asher.

  The man nodded, though he didn’t look happy about it. “Primary shaft. Relief section alpha.”

  “That’s when the fun started,” Lipton said, taking in an extra breath. “You see, my dear people, when you have anyone less than the best tasked to play God with Mother Earth, terrible consequences happen.”

  “What do you mean?” Destiny asked.

  Lipton held for a beat, her statement obviously not what he expected. “I take it he didn’t tell you all of this before? Or did he sp
in it to mitigate responsibility?”

  Destiny shook her head. “Never you mind that. Go on.”

  “How’s my time?”

  “Extended. Continue.”

  “The plan was to drill precisely eighteen tunnels deep underground at exactly the right angle and do so in twenty-degree increments around the caldera. Then they were supposed to flood these shafts with water to help cool temperatures and vent the pressure that’s constantly building.”

  “Why eighteen tunnels and not thirty or whatever?” Summer asked.

  “Eighteen times twenty is three hundred and sixty degrees. As in a circle,” Nomad said from his guard position.

  “My scarred friend back there is correct,” Lipton said. “They knew they needed a balanced venting of pressure; otherwise, the caldera would become unstable. And we all know what happens when pressures become unstable. They take the path of least resistance to initiate release. Precisely what they didn’t want to happen. They thought they could control both the pressure and the release, which in theory can be done. But that was about the time they fell behind schedule and their funding was up for renewal.”

  “Ugh, that’s never good,” Flipside said.

  Lipton nodded. “Precisely.”

  “Unchecked confidence,” Asher said in a matter-of-fact tone to Destiny.

  Lipton smirked. “Been a while since I heard that term.”

  “Just get on with it,” Asher said.

  “What my former colleague is trying to tell you is that they decided to take a few shortcuts without running all the proper sampling and simulations based on the math involved.”

  “Oh shit, what happened?” Summer asked.

  “They forgot to account for the salinity in the surrounding soils.”

  “I’m sorry, what?” Destiny asked.

  “Salt.”

  “In the soils?”

  “Yes. I’m sure you know what happens when you add salt to boiling water.”

  “It raises the temperature.”

  “Actually, it changes the boiling point, which is called boiling point escalation.”

  Summer nodded. “Okay, I get that. Sort of.”

  “Everybody with me so far?” Lipton asked.

  The group nodded, with the exception of Asher and Nomad.

  “But keep in mind that the elevated salinity levels aren’t just from the old standby you call table salt.”