Escaping the Cataclysm

by Keith Robinson

  Well, if we’re going to survive this, then they’re going to have to come to grips with this reality real quick. We don’t have time for them to process everything, Rebecca thought snidely.

  “Are you just going to stand around here all day?” she called out, her pent up emotions from Jeffrey’s recently discovered affair with her best friend Lisa mixed with her own prideful feelings of vindication to add extra bite to her words. “Whether you believe it or not, that’s the real Noah’s Ark. And in case you’re too stubborn to realize it, what we saw from orbit was a real, global flood that could begin at any moment! We’ve gotta fix the pyramid and get out of here NOW!”

  Her outburst had the desired effect. Turning toward her in unison, they regarded Rebecca with looks of confusion; as if they had each just awakened from sleepwalking. For once, even the normally fearless giant Goliath showed signs of uncertainty and apprehension.

  Mack was the first to recover his voice. “Aw no,” he said in defeat. “Becky, please say it ain’t so. Your theories were fine as long as they were just part of some hypothetical discussion. But this… Wait, maybe this isn’t Noah’s Ark. Maybe there’s another explanation.”

  Rebecca stared at her friend with impatience. “Can you think of any other boats that someone might build high up on a hill far from any body of water? Not to mention we saw the entire world covered with water just moments before we landed. Let’s not waste time trying to come up with theories to explain the obvious.”

  Looking dejected, Mack absentmindedly took out his inhaler and prepared to activate it, only to realize that for once, he didn’t need it. Puzzled by the fact that his chest was not constricting because of his current heightened anxiety, he frowned, then placed the medicine back in his pocket unused.

  Jeffrey, completely oblivious to Mack’s confusion, closed his eyes, and shook his head quickly, as if to ward off some unpleasant thought or memory. “She’s right. Regardless of whatever else we believe, I think we’re all agreed that we need to get the pyramid repaired as fast as possible, if for no other reason than the fact that we don’t want to be stuck here if we are attacked. Let’s get moving.”

  One by one, the others numbly nodded their agreement and began heading inside. As she turned, Rebecca saw Lisa draw closer to Jeffrey; her face awash with fear. “Is it true?” she asked him in a barely audible whisper. “Do you really think it’s…the Ark? If it is, then…then that means…”

  Rebecca felt her pulse quicken again from anger and pain as she moved out of earshot. Part of her was thankful that Jeffrey didn’t argue the point about the Ark, but another part of her was disappointed. She wanted a fight. She wanted to unleash her frustration and bitterness at him and his…his… She stopped her thoughts short, shocked at the foul descriptive words for Lisa that were flashing through her mind. No. I won’t stoop to that level. God, help me keep my mind clear. I can’t afford to let pity and resentment cloud my mind. Not now.

  Within a matter of moments, Akwen, Jerome, Mack, Goliath, Rebecca, Jeffrey, and Lisa had all gathered in the control room of the pyramid. Letting out a sigh of uncertainty, Jeffrey began speaking.

  “Okay. The first order of business is to get the ship fixed. Akwen, how do we do that?”

  Still somewhat disoriented by their current predicament, Akwen shook her head, her face becoming a mask of concentration. “I don’t know if we can fix it. According to Elmer, da virus has shut down da entire system.”

  “What if we install the core we took from the Tower of Babel?” Jerome suggested, his dark skin wet with perspiration.

  “We do need to change da cores, but dat won’t get us around da virus,” Akwen stated. “As long as it has da computer locked down, we aren’t goin’ anywhere.”

  “But isn’t there some kind of backup system?” Mack offered. “Can’t we somehow bypass the main computer and control the ship from the secondary bridge?”

  “‘Secondary bridge?’ C’mon, Mack!” Jerome said in frustration. “We need realistic solutions! So unless you have any ideas that aren’t based on some cheesy TV show, why don’t you just shut up!”

  The anger in Jerome’s tone caused each of them to start in surprise. Before they could react, however, Mack’s own pent up fear and anxiety rushed to the surface. “Back off, man! I’m just trying to brainstorm some solutions, which is more than you’re doing!”

  Before the situation could dissolve further, Jeffrey stepped in between them. “Stop it, both of you. Look, I know we’re all under a lot of pressure, but there’s no reason to take it out on each other. We need to pull together to get out of this. If anyone has any suggestions, no matter how far-fetched they seem, we need to hear them.”

  Disturbed by his own sudden loss of control, Jerome stepped backward and turned away from the group.

  “Okay, so is there any way we can override this virus?” Jeffrey said, returning the conversation to the topic at hand.

  “We can try. Elmer may be able to crack it, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up,” Akwen said.

  Silence fell upon the group as they each considered their limited options. “So, what are we waiting for?” Goliath said finally. “Let’s get the new core installed so that we can be back to full power if Akwen succeeds in working around the virus.”

  “So that’s it?” Mack asked as he threw up his hands in defeat. “We just exchange the cores and wait around for the wall of water to hit us while Akwen tries to attack an alien computer virus? Man, we are sooo dead.”

  “Well, what else can we do?” Jeffrey countered.

  “We can try to find help,” Rebecca stated simply; her expression blank as she considered the possibilities. The others turned and looked at her questioningly.

  “Help?” Jeffrey repeated. “From who?”

  “Yeah, it’s not like we can just call up a tow truck,” Mack snickered.

  Focusing her attention on them once more, she nodded as her ideas began to take on a more definite shape in her mind. “Remember that the Sacred Scrolls we took from the Patriarch had detailed information about the Tower of Babel, which just happened to have a core exactly like ours and many structural similarities to the pyramid. The people who were building the tower obviously used the same technology as those who built the pyramid.”

  “What are you getting at?” Jeffrey asked.

  “I think it stands to reason that the builders of the tower didn’t just recently develop that technology,” she continued. “They must have…inherited it from previous generations.”

  Mack threw Rebecca a curious look. “So, you think that Nimrod and his cronies got their technology from people who lived before the…the Flood? If so, then where’d they get it from? Did they find some lost alien technology?”

  The expression on Rebecca’s face revealed her obvious disagreement with Mack’s suggestion. “For now, let’s not even try to speculate on the source of their technology. But, I think we can all agree that it isn’t unreasonable to believe that these people might know something about how to fix the pyramid.”

  Everyone was silent for several seconds as they considered Rebecca’s words. Finally, Jeffrey cleared his throat and spoke. “As much as I don’t want us to split up again, I think Becky’s right. Even if we can’t find someone to fix the ship, at least maybe we can find someone who can help Doc.”

  “But we don’t know anything about the local customs or culture,” Mack pointed out. “I mean, we might as well be on an alien planet. How will we even get into the city? What kind of clothes do they wear? What currency do they use? At least with all of our previous stops, we were dealing with known human history. But this…this is… Look, what if we accidently break some weird law and end up in prison or something? That very thing happened to Picard and his team when they landed on—”

  “Mack, not now,” Jeffrey warned.

  “Excuse me, but I wasn’t finished!” Mack retorted. “I’m serious. Just because my ideas come from old TV shows and movies doesn’t mean they don’t have
relevance to our situation. I’m gettin’ real tired of you guys lookin’ down on me about my taste of entertainment.”

  The lines in Jeffrey’s face deepened in response to Mack’s sudden outburst. Rebecca could read his body language well enough to know that his patience was wearing thin. If the group didn’t decide something soon, they would likely be at each other’s throats before long.

  “We don’t have to go into the city,” Rebecca said, hoping to diffuse the tension. “We will go to Noah for help.”

  “Noah?” Lisa said in surprise. “But why would he help us after we just stole his scrolls?”

  Before Rebecca could reply, Mack answered for her, his previous agitation having been somewhat deflated by this new prospect. “But that’s the beauty of time travel. Although this’ll be the second time that we’ve met Noah, it will actually be the first time he meets us. Unless, of course, we go back further in time and meet him again, making that time the first time.” Suddenly, Mack’s face brightened, his current train of thought completely dispelling the remainder of his anger. “Whoa, wait a second! Oh man, that is sooooo cool!”

  “Now what are you raving about?” Akwen asked.

  “Don’t you remember?” Mack said as he brushed a lock of his curly black hair behind his right ear. “Oh, wait, you weren’t there. Anyway, when Becky and I were meeting with the Patriarch—I mean, Noah—he said that we looked familiar and he wanted to know if we’d met before!”

  Jerome, who had been leaning against the edge of the table in the corner of the control room, stood up as realization dawned on him. “Yeah… I get it. We looked familiar to him because we had met before! We met him—will meet him—here! Man, that messes with your head.”

  Although Rebecca’s mind was also reeling from Mack’s revelation, she forced herself to push it aside and focus on the immediate issue. “So are we agreed? Will we go to Noah for help? We need to decide quickly. In fact, it may already be too late. If I’m right and we are less than a week before the flood begins, Noah will have the ark completely loaded and he may not be willing to leave, even momentarily.”

  “Then let’s cut out the rest of this useless discussion and get moving,” Goliath commented.

  Taking in a deep breath, as if preparing himself for what lay ahead, Jeffrey glanced around the room at each of them. “Right. So now the only question is: Who’s going this time?”

  “Mack and I must go, at least,” Rebecca said firmly. “Noah…trusted me before, and I believe he’ll trust me again. And I need Mack to translate.”

  “What else is new,” Mack mumbled.

  “Someone needs to stay behind and look after Doc,” Lisa chimed in. “I…I guess I should be the one to do that,” she said, although it was clear she wasn’t happy about being left behind.

  Torn between his desire to keep Lisa close and yet out of harm’s way, Jeffrey merely nodded. “That would probably be best. And when Doc is resting, you can help Akwen with the ship.”

  “Speaking of da ship,” Akwen interjected, “we need to install da new core before you leave. Lisa and I cannot do it alone.”

  “Good point,” Jeffrey agreed. “Jerome, what about you? Are you going with us?”

  “Yeah, I’m in,” Jerome stated with more confidence than he felt.

  Turning to Goliath, Jeffrey looked up at the nearly eight-foot-tall, wolf-like giant. “I don’t think I need to even ask what your decision is. But, what do you plan to do about your appearance?”

  “Although one of the dinosaurs that attacked us in the tower damaged the main controls that activate the shape changing ability of my armor, I was able to reroute the circuitry during our trip here,” he replied. “I won’t be able to use all of the armor’s features, but I can at least appear as a normal human being again.”

  “Good. Then it’s decided,” Jeffrey said.

  “But what’re we going to do about our clothes?” Jerome asked. “Do you think we should wear the outfits you bought when you visited Corinth?”

  Jeffrey considered the questions for a moment before responding. “I don’t know. Mack, what do you think?”

  Mack shrugged. “I think that anything we wear will be out of place. Greek togas would probably look just as out of place to these people as the jeans and t-shirt I’m wearing. Although the togas probably wouldn’t itch as much. We really need to get some new clothes. I’ve been wearing the same pair of jeans and the same two shirts now since we started this wacky trip over…how long has it been, anyway? I never realized how hard it would be to tell time without the sun,” Mack finished as he activated the holographic computer screen that was projected from the back of his right wrist.

  Looking down at her own stained and ripped clothing, Rebecca had to agree with Mack. None of them could have expected that they would get stuck back in time. However, here they were, with only the clothes they had with them when they left. At least most of the others had an extra shirt or jumpsuit laying around the pyramid since this was where they had been working regularly. Rebecca, on the other hand, was more-or-less a stowaway, and as such, she only had her navy blue t-shirt, jeans, and black leather jacket. And after all that they had been through—crawling in the dirt, wading through a river, fighting dinosaurs, and getting caught in a downpour—her clothes had definitely seen better days.

  “Can we get back to the point?” Jerome interjected.

  “Wow! It’s only been just over two days!” Mack said, ignoring Jerome’s comment. “It seems like we’ve been gone at least a year!”

  Growing impatient, Jeffrey put an end to Mack’s ramblings. “We’ll just go with the clothes we have. We’re only going to talk to Noah anyway, and our strange clothes didn’t seem to bother him before. So let’s not waste any more time. Grab what you need, and let’s get this core installed so we can get going.”

  2

  Lisa

  “Jeffrey, can I talk to you for a second?” Lisa asked as she, Jeffrey, and Jerome reached the bottom of the stairs leading from the control room.

  Sensing the emotional conflict in her voice, Jerome politely excused himself. “I’ll go grab the levitation devices and meet you two by the core.”

  “Thanks. We’ll be right there,” Jeffrey said as Jerome headed around the corner toward the shared bedroom. Once Jerome was out of earshot, Jeffrey gently placed his hands on Lisa’s upper arms, his six-foot height forcing him to look down at her. “What is it, honey? You’re trembling. What’s wrong?”

  “What’s wrong?” she replied in a forced whisper. “What isn’t wrong?”

  Jeffrey frowned. “You know what I mean. Besides the obvious, what in particular is bothering you?”

  Lisa looked away from Jeffrey, her gaze wandering around the hallway as if the answers to her concerns were lurking in some corner. “I don’t…I don’t even know where to begin.” Returning her attention to him, she stared intently, her face lined with worry. “Everything has gone wrong. When…when it was just us, things were so much simpler. Even when the girls came to live near the dig, I felt… I felt like there was so much possibility. We clicked—all of us—just seem to get along so well. It has been one of the most wonderful years of my life.”

  Jeffrey studied her expression. Guessing the source of her concern, he attempted to cut it off before it could escalate further. “I know that Becky’s presence here makes you uncomfortable. It bothers me too. I wish things had turned out differently. But there’s nothing we can do about it right now. Let’s just get through this, and when we get home, it’ll be the beginning of a new life for us.”

  As her frustration began to build, Lisa’s eyes flashed. “Don’t try to just blow this off,” she said, the volume of her voice rising slightly. “You know I hate it when you do that. I’m not some immature girl who doesn’t know how to deal with random mood swings.”

  Jeffrey’s features hardened at the rebuke. But before he could respond, Lisa continued. “If it were just Becky, I could handle it. But it’s this…this time machin
e, this mess we are in and…and that blasted boat out there!” she whispered harshly, her hand pointing behind him toward the entrance of the pyramid.

  “What does any of that have to do with me and you?” Jeffrey countered. Then, his expression abruptly changed in understanding. “Oh, I get it. You’re upset because you have to stay here with Doc while I’m leaving with Becky, right?”

  Lisa just stared back at him, incredulous. “Ya know, Jeffrey, sometimes you can be a real idiot! This has nothing to do with that.”

  “Then tell me what it is about!” Jeffrey practically yelled back, forgetting to lower his voice.

  For a moment, Lisa simply glared at him. Then, she shook her head as her lips curled in disgust. “Forget it. I’ve known you long enough to know when you get into your ‘problem-solving’ mode. At this point, I’d probably get more out of a conversation with Elmer.” Stepping past him, she strode off down the hallway that led around the central core of the pyramid. Behind her, she could hear Jeffrey swear quietly in aggravation.

  Reaching the hidden door on the east wall of the chamber, she paused. Leaning her head on the cold stone that appeared to be nothing more than a wall, she let out a heavy sigh. How can someone so smart be so clueless? How can I make him understand? she thought. Doesn’t he realize that this journey has changed everything? There’s no going back. If that really is Noah’s Ark out there, then that means that…that Becky’s right. And if she’s right, then… I don’t even know what I believe anymore. And what if Jeffrey changes his beliefs? What will become of our relationship then?

  Taking a deep breath to calm her frazzled nerves, she reached down and pressed the specific section of the wall that would open to reveal the secret entrance. Once it had slid out of her way, she stepped into the room and began working on disconnecting the core that had been damaged when the pyramid slid down the ice-covered slope during the Ice Age. Within moments, Akwen arrived and began assisting her. Another minute later, Jeffrey and Jerome stood in the opening with the new core carried between them, its bulk being held aloft by the blue-glowing levitation devices they had acquired from the Tower of Babel. Although the work served to keep her mind occupied, it failed to dispel the raw emotions that clouded her mood, and the fact that the main person responsible for her current emotional state was standing next to her in a small, enclosed room didn’t help matters.