2042: The Great Cataclysm

by Melisande Mason

  In the wheelhouse Captain Saunders and his crew where hurled forward along with everything that wasn’t bolted down, and he watched in horror as the stern rose into the air signalling the death warrant to the stricken Summer of the Seas.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Australia Flight From Phoenix

  The Phoenix complex, aptly named, rose on the edge of the ocean, standing out from the taller, sleeker high-rise buildings surrounding it. Four twenty-six storey towers gleaming white against the backdrop of the blue sea, linked like a giant Meccano set by the landmark criss-crossed steel and Navilon covered walkways joining the four towers. Karen, unlike many Gold Coast residents, shared her uncle’s opinion and considered it beautiful, a masterpiece of architecture; majestic and somehow exciting. She was particularly pleased when the local council had ruled against the Nascar committee who wanted to use the walkways as advertising platforms for their annual car race. She had never seen it from this perspective before and she was doubly impressed.

  Landing on the rooftop excited her, there were few buildings equipped for such an activity. It appeared easy, but she could see that Graham didn’t share her opinion as he cautiously approached the building, hovering at a distance like a black beetle, waiting for the exact moment when the wind abated and he could settle the Liberty safely onto the surface of the roof.

  ‘I never take these landings for granted.’ He yelled above the roar of the jets. ‘The wind’s gusting more than I would like.’ There was a slight thump and a jerk as he lowered the guidance-lever and dropped Liberty expertly down onto the Veto pad.

  ‘I’ll leave you two here for a while, give you a chance to settle Bill down and get some things together. I’ll put this baby to work and come back for you at two o’clock. That’ll give you three hours.’

  Nick saluted Graham as he lifted off again, leaving them huddled together, struggling to maintain their foothold against the downwash from the jet thrusters and the wind gusting from sea. They hurried to the stairwell where Karen announced their presence to the voice recognition system, and were grateful for the protection afforded when the rooftop door opened to give them entry.

  The floor below the roof where they had entered was Bill’s private indoor swimming pool area, complete with palm trees, water gardens with trickling waterfalls and exotic statues. One could lie on plush sun-lounges gazing through thick crystal-clear Navilon walls to the sun drenched canals during the day, and the glittering exciting lights of Surfers Paradise at night. It was a world protected from the elements, but still offered the atmosphere of the seaside resort. The western wall of this area contained a fully equipped gymnasium, sauna and change rooms.

  People remarked that Bill was entirely mad to have sold his mansion on the Nerang River to move to a high-rise apartment, yet once they saw the Phoenix apartment, they agreed he had made a wise choice. To Nick it was a bad reminder of Laura’s Penthouse in Washington, and like that apartment everything was highly technical and voice operated. The only difference being the addition of the large swimming pool. He experienced a pang of misery and at the same time one of astonishment. It seems money can buy anything, he thought, as his eyes fell incredulously upon the fully stocked cocktail bar in the centre of the swimming pool, suspended above the water and held in place by thick steel wires from the ceiling. Part of the Navilon ceiling above the pool opened up on voice command to allow the sunlight to stream into the room by day and the stars on a balmy night.

  Four floors below on the twenty-second floor where the restaurant was located, Nick could see the Navilon-domed, steel walkway radiating out in its cross formation over the highway, joining the other three towers at their shopping arcade levels.

  ‘This is just the top floor, there are two more to his Penthouse.’ Karen explained.

  They took the lift to the main penthouse floor, missing one floor on the way.

  ‘What’s on that floor?’ Nick asked.

  ‘That’s the sleeping quarters and guests’ apartment. You need to have a special code to allow the lift to stop there.’

  ‘I wouldn’t have believed it unless I saw it with my own eyes. I bet there’s not many to beat this anywhere in the world.’ Nick exclaimed.

  The lift halted and the doors opened onto a luxurious vestibule that many five-star hotels would be proud to own. Two elegant crimson velvet lounge suites facing each other and centred on an exquisite gold hand-woven rug, greeted them. Matching gold glass-covered tables squatted either side of each lounge, carrying huge gold-gilt vases filled with dazzling bouquets of fresh flowers. The gleaming black marble floor and mirrored walls reflected elaborate, gold-framed original works of art, pinpointed by spotlights from above.

  ‘Brian sent you to rescue us, no doubt.’ Bill laughed heartily as he greeted them. ‘Didn’t know you could fly a Veto Nick, thought you were a sea captain.’

  ‘There’s a lot you don’t know about Nick.’ Karen said as she kissed his cheek.

  ‘Naah.You remember my mate Graham Bronson? He’s the pilot.’ Nick said, shaking Bills hand. ‘He’ll be back at two o’clock to pick us all up.’

  ‘Is he now?’ Bill looked at his watch. ‘It’s just after eleven, so we can have a leisurely lunch. It’ll give Veronica a chance to exercise her culinary skills, the servants have all scarpered.’

  ‘Be serious Bill.’ Nick interjected. ‘We’re here to get you and Veronica out. You know we only have about six hours. Where is she by the way?’

  ‘She’s upstairs trying to decide what designer clothes to pack. I feel a fool for not believing you before.’ He sighed. ‘Thank God Brian carried the flag, otherwise I would’ve really missed out on the story of a lifetime. Brian told me he’s going to fly out to sea with a camera crew.’

  Nick spun around. ‘What! Bloody fools! If they get caught in the downwash they’ll all be killed.’

  ‘Oh my God, Nick. Call him now! You’ve got to tell him the danger.’ Karen cried.

  Nick was already poking at his sat-phone. ‘Shit. I can’t get a connection!’

  ‘Stupid bastard! I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you before Nick.’ Bill said. ‘I guess all these years as a journalist has made me a bit sceptical, I don’t believe anything until I see it. I taught Brian to be the same, he’ll believe it when he can get it on camera.’

  Nick tried calling Brian several times. He flung himself down on Bill’s couch and hung his head, he had never felt more defeated. His brother could die and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

  Quietness filled the room.

  Bill broke the silence. ‘This building’s built like an oil derrick with foundations of steel deep into the earth. Do you think it can survive this tsunami?’

  Nick raised his head and there were tears in his chocolate eyes. ‘I’m not sure. It’d take an exceptionally strong building to withstand the force of the water heading this way. I spoke to Wolf earlier, he said it was terrifying at sea, so it’s going to be ten times worse on land.

  I remember a tsunami in the North Sea a while back, it smashed into a breakwater and demolished thousands of tons of steel and cement in seconds. They measured it at around seventeen thousand pounds a square foot.

  Building techniques have changed since the sea started rising. This building might survive. Those walkways serve a duel purpose, beside providing access, they’re made of heavy steel to brace the buildings.’

  ‘Okay, we’ll assume it can take it, will we be able to move back in here afterwards?’

  Nick sighed. ‘I can’t tell you that Bill. We don’t know how high the sea level will rise, or for how long. There won’t be any power or water supply, no communications.

  We’re wasting time speculating. We need to get your things together and get you to Karen’s house. It’s going to be a little crowded there, but safe. We’ve already dropped in supplies but I’m sure you’ll want to take along as much as you can, so let’s get moving. We’ll start in the kitchen. Collect up all the non-perishable food you
can find and you’ll need plenty of warm clothes and blankets.’

  Nick sent Karen up to the next floor to join Veronica to collect the clothing and bedding items. They worked for two hours, hauling blanket bundles of supplies up to the locker room on the roof top. It was now one o’clock and Graham was due back in one hour.

  Veronica had made lunch; a delicious meal of crab and lobster. ‘May as well use it all up, can’t take this with us.’ She declared. Bill opened a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and they settled down to eat.

  Bill had never seen Veronica so casual. She looked quite beautiful dressed in a silk trouser suit of light-coloured apricot. She wore her golden-blonde hair loose, falling gently around her pale fine face. For a woman in her early fifties she was still stunning, having maintained her body like that of a thirty-year old. Like many women with fair skin she had kept out of the damaging Australian sun, and had been rewarded with soft, line-free skin. He felt an odd sense of pride seeing her like this. For once she wasn’t sniping at him, and with the air’s and graces put aside, he was beginning to see her in a new light. She was calm and serene, not at all daunted by the drama unfolding around her.

  Karen refused to join them to eat and paced around the room punching Brian’s number in her sat-phone. In between trying to reach him she stood before the windows tapping her feet and fighting back tears. Nick tried other numbers with the same result.

  ‘I don’t know how you two can eat at a time like this.’ Nick said to Bill and Veronica who were seated at their elegant chrome and glass dining suite, with a silver candelabra centrepiece and their meal a banquet before them. Veronica had brought out all the delicacies she could find, together with her finest crystal that she saved for special occasions. The dining suite seated ten people and was one of Veronica’s prized possessions, having imported it from Italy herself at great expense. It reflected all the grandeur of fine Italian craftsmanship. She had paid a local interior designer a fortune to construct a special circular revolving floor to carry it. The dining room was situated on the south-east corner of the building, offering floor-to-ceiling Navilon windows. Their dinner parties were always the talk of the town, as special invited guests marvelled at the changing view as they dined. To Nick it was just another of the astonishing things this apartment revealed. He could imagine the fine dinner parties past; the important guests and the sumptuous meals presented by immaculately dressed servants.

  Bill glumly toyed with his food, silently watching the changing landscape before him, lost in his own thoughts. Suddenly a violent explosion erupted from the next room shaking the entire apartment. Karen screamed and fell to the floor.

  Veronica clasped her hands to her ears but remained seated. Bill jumped from his seat. ‘That sounded like a bomb from the emergency exit!’ Bill exclaimed.

  Before Nick could move, two men burst into the dining-room brandishing laser rifles. ‘Nobody move or your all dead!’ One of them yelled.

  Chapter Thirty-five

  The Looters

  Karen slowly picked herself up and they all stared at the two gunmen, stunned into silence. Cold viscous eyes peered from faces smeared with a dark substance. Both men wore eye phones and navy jacksuits with black leather boots, one with a gold coloured waist length jacket, the other all in black. One of the men, the one in the gold jacket was thin and emaciated, and wore his immaculately groomed black hair just touching his shoulder. Dark glazed eyes blazed from his elegant face and he carried a sat-phone in one hand, and a military-style laser rifle in the other. Tucked into a leather belt was a menacing black hand gun that Nick assumed was fast, accurate and became an extension of the hand when grasped by the wearer.

  The other man was taller and equally as threatening, and he wore a red bandanna tied around his forehead and carried two hand guns. His dark eyes flashed back and forth as he waved the guns and issued orders.

  The thin man began talking to someone on his eye-phone. ‘We’re in the north tower penthouse. Looks like we struck gold, this guys really loaded, you should see this place. Send Jill up. There’s some ladies here she can take care of.’

  Nick shot Bill a look of caution as he felt the gun barrel dig into his shoulders. ‘Right man, stand up. Slowly, and no funny business.’ The man with the bandanna said. ‘Don’t think about commanding the phone. This shooter would love a workout. Which one of you bastards own this place?’ The ugly face and the red bandanna loomed inches from Nick’s face the smell of stale tobacco assaulted his senses.

  Nick didn’t answer immediately, repulsed by the man’s foul breath and body odour. Then an unexpected punch to the belly doubled him over and knocked the breath from his lungs.

  Bill spun around. ‘Leave him alone you bastard! I’m the owner. What d’you want?’

  ‘Shut up old man! I’ll ask the questions here, you speak when I tell you. Put all your phones on the table. Sit down!’ He ordered Nick, who was trying to recover from the blow. ‘All of you, hands on the table!’ He gestured to his partner. ‘C’mon on man. Let’s enjoy some of this excellent food these good people have laid out for us while we wait for Jilly.’

  They watched in disgust as the two looters began to eat their food, laughing as they threw crab claws onto the lace tablecloth.

  ‘This is a meal fit for a king.’ The thin one said, carefully pouring champagne into a delicate crystal glass. Veronica flinched as he downed the champagne and flung the expensive glass against the far wall, sending droplets of champagne streaking down the crimson velvet wall paper.

  ‘Are you arse holes having fun?’ A low pitched feminine voiced demanded.

  They all turned to see a girl standing in the doorway, presumably Jilly. She was about seventeen or eighteen years old. She wore expensive gold ear rings and gold jewellery, and her attractive face was expertly made up, but the most arresting thing about her was that much of her abundant white-blonde crinkly hair flowed out widely from her face and fell to almost waist length. She wore a stylish burgundy jack-suit with motor cycle boots and the latest in feminine accessories: a wide belt with pockets that hung rakishly around her hips, into which was thrust a gruesome long-bladed knife. She also carried a hand gun and looked like she was ready to use it.

  ‘I bet she thinks she tough.’ Veronica whispered to Karen.

  ‘Yeah, join the party babe.’ The bandanna man said. ‘Won’t hurt to have a full belly. Bubbly’s good too.’

  ‘Yeah.We haven’t got all day y’ know. Bobby wants us to clean this place out. I bet there’s a shit load of loot in this apartment alone.’ She had made her way to the table and pushed the hand gun into Veronica’s neck. ‘Stand up bitch. You too.’ She nodded to Karen.

  Jilly examined their jewellery, and satisfied that Karen offered no prize, turned her attention to Veronica. ‘Nice.’ She said as she twisted Veronica’s diamond rings from her fingers.

  She flopped down at the table examining the rings, placing one on her finger and pocketing the other two. ‘Guess it won’t hurt, I haven’t eaten much today.’

  Nick had been watching the sky and guessed Graham would arrive soon. He would have to ask for the rooftop door to be opened, which would have come through the speaker in the kitchen alerting the looters. When Graham came down in the lift he would have no way of knowing they were being held hostage, but he knew Graham would keep his cool, he didn’t scare easily.

  Nick prayed the looters wouldn’t hear the Veto land, and he was trying to work out a way to warn Graham, he had to stop him from announcing his arrival. Jilly had laid her hand gun on the table beside Nick and his mind raced for a solution. He placed his arm on the table.

  ‘What was that!’ He said, and at the same time spun toward Veronica beside him and knocked the gun to the floor. ‘Open the rooftop door.’ He hissed, praying Veronica would understand, and the looters would not hear in the grab to pick up the gun.

  ‘I’ll get some more champagne.’ Veronica said rising and moving toward the kitchen. Jilly picked up the gun and followed
her.

  Veronica pulled the champagne from the fridge purposely sending it crashing to the floor. ‘Stupid bitch!’ Jilly yelled looking at her wine spattered boots. While her attention was diverted she didn’t notice Veronica push a button on the wall that connected to the rooftop door so Graham would find it open.

  They returned to the dining room and Veronica managed a slight nod of her head toward Nick.So,Nick thought,she’s not a dumb blond after all.

  Nick wondered how many were in this gang, and where they were in the building? He also wondered how far they would go. Would they harm them? He decided not push their luck and co-operate, they looked like a determined trio.

  The looters had finished eating and the bandanna man and Jilly moved to the kitchen, cursing the wet floor as they opened cupboards and drawers, thoroughly searching for money or valuables hidden in jars or containers. The thin man remained seated.

  ‘Some fancy place you’ve got here mister.’ The bandanna man said, as he returned and placed his face so close to Bill he could smell his foul breath. ‘Bet you’ve got a safe somewhere too eh? Probably got smart cash in it too.’ He drawled leering at Bill.

  Smart cash had replaced credit cards for those who could afford the expensive jewelled wrist band with no limit. They were granted only to people who had A1 credit ratings, and were custom made as watches or bracelets. When they were removed from the wrist the credit was automatically suspended unless the owner programmed them to remain open using their home computer.

  ‘We don’t use them.’ Bill answered.

  ‘Don’t give me that bullshit.’ He pulled the hand laser-gun from his belt and waved it in Bill’s face. ‘That fancy looking bitch has to be your missus. If you want her in one piece you’d better co-operate.’ He nodded to Jilly who pulled Veronica from her chair and pushed her toward the man. ‘Where’s the bedrooms bitch?’

  Veronica rubbed her arm and glared back at Jilly. ‘Up..stairs.’ She said.