by Mark Goodwin
“Minister to the Americas Richard Clay and GREMA Director Vivian Brown issued a statement today, reiterating the Global Republic’s call for everyone in the Western Hemisphere to store up food and water, and to seek shelter below ground if possible. While relief efforts will begin immediately after the government comes back online, it could be as much as a month before teams are able to reach remote areas and locations which are hardest hit by the debris field.”
Courtney laughed. “It took four days to get water to the Superdome after Katrina. The GR is still recovering from the mega quake two and a half years ago. They haven’t even started to deal with the blood and fire. What makes them think they’ll be able to respond to this in a month?”
Everett answered, “They’re just keeping up appearances. If you tell everyone that it’s going to be six months to a year before they can even think about reestablishing communications, supply chains, medical and police services, people might start forming their own government.”
Courtney rolled her eyes. “Well, we can’t have that, now can we?”
The reporter continued. “His High and Most Prepotent Majesty Angelo Luz has decided to attend the rededication ceremony of the new Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The eight-day ceremony will begin at sundown on December 7th and end with an extravaganza on the evening of December 15th. Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, His Holiness, Pope Peter of Rome as well as the Global Republic Minister of Religion Jacob Ralston will also be in attendance. His Majesty and Pope Peter both place high hopes on the celebration and the rededication of the temple. It is their ambition that this will once and for all bring unity between Jews and the Global Republic Ministry of Religion.
“It has been widely reported that many Jews, particularly those in the former Israeli territories, are using counterfeit implants which have circumvented the Mark system. Others have avoided the Mark by operating in black-market barter exchanges. These exchanges are often run by criminal organizations which sell tainted goods and expose participants to extreme levels of violence.”
Everett crossed his arms and shook his head. “Unlike the GR, which wouldn’t hurt a flea.”
“Keeping up appearances. Remember, it’s all propaganda.” Courtney scratched Sox under his chin.
The GRBN reporter expounded upon the news item. “Speculation about why His Majesty has been so tolerant and patient with the Jewish People in the area centers around the fact that his mother was of Jewish descent.
“It is expected that after much research by the Temple Institute that His Majesty will be named as the Messiah of the Jewish prophecies. While most other cultures, like Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Zoroastrianism have officially recognized His Majesty as the coming savior, Jewish leaders have been slow in confirming that he is indeed the one of whom the Hebrew texts have spoken.”
Courtney turned off the radio. “Sorry, I can only stomach so much of this garbage at a time.” She took the cat out of her lap and let him go explore the cave. “Besides, wasn’t there something else you had in mind?”
Everett leaned in for a kiss. “Yeah. I’ve got a few ideas.”
CHAPTER 11
And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
Revelation 8:10-11
On the evening of December 4th, Everett and the rest of the group listened to the play-by-play coverage of GRASA Mission Control being broadcast over the Global Republic Broadcast Network radio station.
The GRBN reporter, Harrison Yates, provided commentary on the mission in real time. “Listeners in Ontario, Quebec, and the eastern portion of the former United States will have an unobstructed view of the detonation of the nuclear device. Even if you have minimal cloud coverage in your area, the blast will still be visible. Those of you with clear skies will witness an extraordinary event unlike anyone has ever seen.
“The specialized Thor’s Hammer satellite has docked with Wormwood and is currently boring a hole which will be used by the satellite’s anchoring device. This will ensure that the nuclear blast retains the maximum effect on the comet upon detonation. Mission Control has stated that they will trigger the device in twenty minutes.
“All of us here at GRBN wait with bated breath for confirmation that the mission is a success. I needn’t remind any of you that the fate of the planet hangs in the balance.”
Everett gazed up at the heavens. “I guess we should be able to see it then.”
Elijah tossed a piece of wood into the camp fire. “It’s been a while since I saw fireworks.”
Courtney sat shivering beside Everett, her arm wrapped around his. “This is crazy. I’m so anxious. I know how the Bible says everything will end. And obviously, it’s been right about all of it so far, but still, a lot could go wrong.”
Everett gave her hand a squeeze. “It’s normal to be a little apprehensive. Everyone else on the planet is right now.”
Kevin stood away from the fire, staring out into the darkness. Sarah got up from the rock she’d been sitting on and walked over to him. “What’s bothering you?”
Kevin looked around the camp, at the cave entrance, then back out into the void of night. “I hope we’ve covered all our bases. That’s all.”
Sarah rubbed his back. “The batteries are all charged. We’ll slaughter the last goat tomorrow.”
“Hahmm.” Elijah cleared his throat.
Sarah turned around with a smile. “Sorry. Not Samson and Delilah, of course. The last goat slated to be killed, I mean.”
Courtney added, “We’ve collected enough new growth from the forest to make a month’s worth of fodder for the goats and the chickens.”
“I’ve stacked enough charred wood to last us for about four weeks in the rocket stove if we use it sparingly,” Everett said.
“We’ve stored lots of water.” Elijah whittled away at a small branch.
“We’ll take the ATV back to the barn Wednesday morning, pull the spark plugs, distributor, and the fuel line. We’ll drain the gas and bring it back with us. We’ve done our best, Kevin.” Everett looked up at his friend. “It’s time to trust God with the rest.”
Kevin turned around and offered a smile to Everett. “You’re right. I guess obsessing over everything gives me something to do besides worry.”
“Worrying is negative faith.” Elijah continued to whittle.
“Thanks, but we’re not all prophets with perfect trust in the Almighty.” Kevin walked over to the campfire and found a seat.
“Who has perfect trust?” Elijah snickered. “I simply made a statement. I’ve never claimed to have perfect faith. I will say that I believe the Scriptures perfectly. If God says something is to be, I believe it. But after all I’ve seen and done, that is more about logic and experience.
“Perfect faith is about being ready to accept God’s will for your life, no matter what. Even when you have no idea what the outcome may be, how awful the suffering, or how deep the grief. If you can accept that, as Job did, as John, James, Peter, and Paul; when you are willing to drink from his cup without protest or fear, then you have perfect faith.”
Everett took Elijah’s comments to heart. He believed in God. He had no doubt that everything would turn out just as the Scriptures predicted, but was he ready to endure immeasurable suffering? Could he persevere through the trials of Job? He quivered as he considered it. “I hope I never have to find out,” he mumbled to himself.
The voice of Harrison Yates came over the radio. “We have less than two minutes remaining before GRASA Mission Control triggers the device which will break up Wormwood into much smaller meteors. Many of those smaller rocks will be burned up by earth’s atmosphere, long before they make contact with the surface of the planet. Inevitably, we will have some very large aster
oids that will cause extensive damage, but unlike hitting Wormwood as a single object, our species will survive. We will go on. We will rebuild.”
Everyone in the group, including Elijah, stood up and silently looked out at the stars. Danger barked and wagged his tail as if he wanted to be let in on the joke. Sarah patted her leg, signaling for the dog to come stay beside her. Courtney held Everett’s hand with her left and with her right, she reached out and took hold of Elijah’s hand.
Yates began the countdown. “One minute more until the detonation.”
Everett sighed deeply. He became conscious that he was squeezing Courtney’s hand too tightly. He regulated his breathing and loosened his grip.
Harrison Yates reached the final countdown. “Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one . . .”
Everett held his breath as he kept his eyes wide open, gazing toward the sky. A bright, brilliant flash erupted into a ball of light, only a fraction of the size of the moon, but much brighter. He turned away for a moment, not sure if it was safe to continue looking. He glanced back at the distant fireball. The outer edges began to fade, but the blast remained visible for several more seconds. “Wow.”
“Folks, we are awaiting confirmation that the mission was a success. Everyone with a view of the sky in the eastern region of North America just witnessed a tremendous blast and we are diligently standing by to hear back from GRASA Mission Control to confirm that the comet has been demolished.” Harrison Yates stopped talking, something that rarely happened.
Courtney looked at Everett. “Do you think it worked?”
Everett shrugged, still looking out into space.
Yates resumed his commentary. “Citizens of the Global Republic, the comet Wormwood has been destroyed. As we have said from the beginning, you will still need to seek shelter, underground if possible, and prepare to stay in place. The Global Republic advises those living in the Western Hemisphere to go underground Thursday morning and remain there until Friday night. You should have provisions to survive on your own for one month.
“The debris field that the earth will collide with on Thursday evening contains huge meteors. Undoubtedly, these objects will cause significant damage and loss of life.
“In the coming hours, we will be receiving images taken by Argus, a secondary surveillance satellite launched at the same time as Thor’s Hammer, which will give us some approximate answers about the size of the various fragments left behind by the destruction of Wormwood. It will be very difficult to pinpoint where the larger chunks will land, but at least we’ll know what the planet is in for, as a whole. ”
Elijah stood up and brushed off his backside. “The show is over. I’m going to sleep. I shall see you all in the morning.”
“Good night.” Courtney waved.
“Me, too.” Sarah yawned and turned to Kevin. “Are you ready to go to bed?”
“Sure. Everett, are you guys going to stay up with the fire or should I put it out?” Kevin pulled Sarah’s hand while he waited for Everett’s reply.
“I’m going to sit up and watch it burn out. Soon, it will be too cold to be out here at night, even with the fire. I’m going to take advantage of it while I can.”
Kevin waved. “Sure thing. See you in the morning.”
“I’m going to grab a blanket if we’re going to be sitting out here longer.” Courtney tussled Everett’s hair as she walked toward the cave. “I’ll be right back.”
Everett looked up with a wink. “I’ll be here.”
The two of them sat under the stars for what might be one of the last nights. Already well below freezing, the night-time temperatures would continue to fall over the coming months. Once the fire burned out, they retreated to the relative warmth of the cave. At a constant fifty-four degrees, the cavern offered year-round temperature control. While not the optimum climate by anyone’s standard, it eliminated exposure risks like frostbite and heat stroke.
The following two days provided an adequate amount of last-minute tasks to keep the team busy. By late Thursday morning, the list of assigned responsibilities had been completed, and the only thing left to do was wait.
Everett finished his plate. “I couldn’t eat another bite.”
“The goat was fantastic, Elijah. I’m full as a tick.” Courtney took Everett’s plate and stacked it on top of hers.
“Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it. We’ll have leftovers for the next few days.” Elijah continued to cut off the remaining meat from the goat on the spit, suspended above the coals of the fire.
Kevin held his stomach as he stood up. “I’m going to put in a quick call to Tommy before we bring the antenna inside.”
“Tell him I said to be safe, and I’ll talk to him when the smoke clears.” Everett began disconnecting the solar panels so he could bring them into the cave.
“I’ll take the dishes down to the creek.” Sarah collected the remaining plates.
Courtney slung her rifle over her back. “I’ll come along and give you a hand.”
Everett looked up at the sky. “Don’t be long. With the sun shining, we may not be able to tell when the meteor shower begins. We have to be ready to take shelter at a moment’s notice.”
Courtney shielded her eyes from the sun and looked up. “We’ll be on the lookout.”
Everett continued his task of reeling up the cables and stowing them inside the cave. As a precautionary measure, he moved all the individual components of the solar array back into the cathedral, well away from the cave entrance.
Once that task was completed, he found Kevin and gave him a hand dismantling the ham antenna. “What did Tommy have to say?”
Kevin spooled the wire from the antenna around a stick. “He said to tell you hello.”
“Hello?”
“Howdy, I think was the exact word he used.”
“Is his group ready?”
“They’ve done all they can. How did you put it? Do your best and trust God with the rest, right?”
Everett smiled. “That’s all any of us can do.”
“Tommy said they are hunkering down. If he gets a direct impact of a large meteor on top of the house or the barn, there’s nothing they can do, but he has those dirt mounds all the way around, which will help to shield against any smaller asteroids with an angle to their trajectory.”
“Yeah, surviving a direct impact is a tall order. The girls still aren’t back yet, huh?”
Kevin looked down the trail. “Not yet.”
Everett looked up in time to see a bright glowing object shining like a spotlight in the eastern sky. He held his hand up to block the sun so he could get a better look at the fireball. “Here it comes!”
Kevin looked up, blocking the sun with his forearm in order to see what Everett was pointing toward. He turned around and surveyed the rest of the sky. He pointed toward the west. “There goes another one. Just above the mountain.”
Everett turned to see a comet descending with a long glowing tail and a trail of smoke. He stuck his fingers under his tongue and whistled as loudly as he could. “Courtney! Sarah! Get back here! It’s starting!”
Kevin collected the remaining pieces of the antenna stand, scooping them up in a hurry.
Everett patted him on the back. “If you can handle this, I’m going to run down to the creek and grab the girls. I’m not sure they heard me.”
“Sure. Go ahead.” Kevin carried the equipment inside the cave.
Everett dashed down the trail. “Courtney! Sarah!” He heard no reply. A loud boom rang out from across the hollow. Everett pushed to run faster. He reached the creek to find the girls finishing up with the dishes. “Hurry! It’s started. We have to get to the cave.” Everett pointed at the sky.
Courtney looked up. An expression of concern covered her face. “Oh no!”
Sarah followed her gaze and pointed at the sky. “There’s another one. And another one. Four, five . .”
“We have to go right now!” Everett picked up the plastic crate cont
aining the dishes and grabbed Courtney’s hand.
BOOM! A meteorite the size of a garbage can struck the trail between Everett and the cave. The shock wave knocked them from their feet, causing Everett to drop the crate of dishes.
“That could have been us!” Courtney pushed herself up off the ground onto her hands and knees.
“It still might be. We have to go! Come on! Get up!” Everett helped Courtney back to her feet.
Sarah scrambled to collect the dishes which were strewn about the ground.
“Forget about the dishes, Sarah. We have plenty of others in the cave. We have to get to safety!” Everett grabbed Sarah’s hand, pulling her up.
Another loud boom was heard in the distance, motivating the three of them to hustle up the hill.
Everett reached the crater left by the impact of the meteor on the trail. “Go around it. We have no idea what the chemical makeup of Wormwood was. If it poisons the water, we know it ain’t healthy.”
Courtney and Sarah followed Everett as he picked a path that took them up a steep incline, avoiding the crater.
“Ah! Ouch!” Courtney lost her footing and slipped down the embankment.
Everett climbed back down to help her. “Are you okay?”
“I rolled my ankle.”
Sarah turned around to help her. “Can you walk?”
She moved her foot in a circular motion. “It seems okay.”
Fifty yards away, another meteor about the size of a beach ball struck the forest floor. The ground rumbled. Everett grimaced. “Our odds are getting worse by the second.” He and Sarah assisted Courtney in getting back up.
“How’s that?” Sarah paused to wait for Courtney.
Courtney put her weight on her foot. “I’m good. I can walk.”
Everett climbed back up the small cliff then lowered his hand to Courtney. “Grab hold. I’ll pull you up. Sarah, give her a little nudge from behind.”
