2042: The Great Cataclysm

by Melisande Mason

  ‘Get down lower.’ Jim ordered the pilot who obeyed instantly.

  They watched the lights in the high-rise buildings disappear as they were swallowed by roaring, frothing foam. It was a sickening sight as buildings, some as high five hundred metres collapsed, some telescoping into others, some simply slithering out of sight enveloped by the gigantic angry ocean. Tears streamed down Brian’s face as he watched the devastation through his infra red lens. In only seconds he had seen the entire city dissolve before him. The carnage continued as the wave continued its destructive path to the hills. He was sure his body had gone into shock, as he trembled like never before. He tried to stop the shaking, but a force beyond him refused.

  Within minutes the roar was replaced by an equally loud ugly sucking sound, as the wave began its murderous sweep back to the evil sea that had sent it.

  Brian suddenly saw they were flying too low, as the Veto tilted and tipped backwards. In those last few moments Karen flashed into his mind. He prayed that she and Nick were safe. How he had tried, he had wanted that marriage to last forever, but in his heart he always knew she did not love him. There was some deep dark secret within her, one that he never expected to share. He had become an expert at hiding his true feelings, afraid to show affection for fear he would be hurt. Like Nick he had never forgiven his father for committing suicide, and blamed himself and Nick for his father’s misery. The air rushed from his lungs and an icy hand crushed his body, rolling him into a black cocoon of nothing.

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  Escape from Phoenix

  Graham and Nick scrabbled around in the rubble-littered rooms. Most of the furniture and fittings had been blown away through the walls opened to the elements. After consulting with Bill on the layout of the floors below, they decided to jam the heavy glass dining table that by some miracle had survived, across the doorway serving the dining room from the kitchen. Opposite this doorway on the western wall of the kitchen was a floor to ceiling narrow window devoid of it’s Navilon casing where they could feed the makeshift rope of curtains through to the window below. They worked feverishly tying the rope, struggling in the faint light from just one torch, constantly aware of the time and the threat of the next wave. Bill huddled in a corner with Veronica, nursing his wounded arm and glumly watching the proceedings, glad that the darkness shrouded his eyes from the devastation wrought on his beautiful apartment.

  Nick pulled on the rope of curtains, testing its strength carefully as they tied one end around the table.‘Right, we’re ready to go.’ Graham said. ‘One of us is going to have to stay up here and lower the others down in the sling, and he’ll have to climb down the rope.’

  ‘That’ll be me.’ Nick replied. ‘I’m used to climbing things, we do that all the time at sea. The girls can help me lower you and Bill. Karen, you help me with Veronica, you’re the lighter of the two. I can let you down myself.’

  ‘Okay, let’s go then.’ Graham urged.

  ‘We need something to feed the rope over.’ Nick remarked as he swept away the broken shards of Navilon from the window sill. ‘Their weight’s going to pull like a lead anchor. We’ll need to brace ourselves as we lower them. It’d be easy to fall out.’

  ‘How ‘bout the table in the laundry?’ Veronica suggested. ‘You could upend that against the window like you did with my beautiful dining table, it’s the only other thing that survived.’ She sighed. ‘That’d give you something to lean against.’

  The men were tiring quickly, it had been a frightful day and the trauma they had just experienced left their nerves quivering. With the threat of the second wave never leaving their thoughts for a moment, they struggled to place the tables. Spirits were very low, the prospect of hovering a hundred metres above the ground in the dark with a hostile wind clutching ferociously at their backs, and a frothing cauldron below, was a daunting thought to comprehend. Karen was aware of the need to keep their spirits up and was lavish with her praise for the efforts the men were displaying.

  Nick warmed to her more, grateful she was there to support them, and smiled at her thankfully as he prepared the sling. He tossed it out the window to test it’s length. The cold wind flung it back against the building and it slithered crazily back and forth highlighting the risk they would be taking.

  Graham wrapped another of the curtains around his waist, hoping to use it as a safety rope by tying it to something when he reached the room below. Nick and Karen helped him into the sling, checking the knots. He sat on top of the table and edged his behind out into the gaping night, carefully pushing his legs against the side of the building. Nick braced his legs against the table, grasping the rope with both hands while Karen and Veronica held tight behind him.

  ‘Now! Gently feed the rope.’ Graham called as he leaned out and began abseiling slowly down the wall. Cold wind lashed at his back, driving the breath from his lungs. He glanced around in the gloomy light, looking down just long enough to assess his position. He edged his way down, kicking his body away from the building just a little as he descended. He could see the dark opening looming below him and gave one last kick to push himself out far enough to throw him into the window opening.

  He tumbled through the entrance and lay on the floor breathing hard. He found himself in what remained of the laundry on this floor. He couldn’t make out all the details, but he could see the washing machines in a far corner not far from the window. He slipped out of the sling and gave it three tugs to signal to Nick to pull it up, and staggered over to the corner and the washing machines. He unwound the curtain from his waist and tied the end of it to one of the machines.

  Nick felt the rope slacken in his hands, felt the three tugs and realised Graham had reached his target. He leaned over the edge of the table waving the torch, waiting until he could see Graham signal from below. Carefully he pulled on the rope to raise the sling. As he watched it ascend he glanced down to the ground. He could see the white caps of the sea below where the gardens and lawn should have been. Silver threads of moonlight danced on boiling froth. So! Just as he thought. It hasn’t receded. He couldn’t tell the depth of the water, but it was there, proof his theory was right, the level of the sea had risen! He shivered and returned his attention to the sling, pulling it back into the room.

  ‘C’mon Bill. You’re next. Veronica are you okay?’

  ‘I’m fine thanks’ Nick.’ She said, easing Bill into the sling.

  ‘Bill, you’ll need to use your legs to push yourself out from the wall as you go down, do you think you can handle that?’

  ‘Sure, no problem. I’m tough. I’ll be down there helping the girls inside.’ He replied putting on a brave face.

  With great effort they heaved his dead weight onto the top of the table edge.

  ‘Okay, Bill - careful now.’ Nick said as he readied himself. ‘Off you go!’

  Bill successfully kicked off and as Nick took up the strain he heard him groan with pain. The rope stopped momentarily while Bill rested to get his breath, then moved off again, jerking sharply as he kicked away repeatedly.

  Pale moonlight flickered into the room below, and Graham watched as the shadow of Bill’s feet appeared below the window lintel. As they came closer he reached out, grabbed his legs and manhandled him inside. Pain shot through Bill’s body, and he cried out in agony as Graham carefully edged the sling inside and released the ropes. The two struggled across the room to safety, where Bill, maintaining his bravado waved him away. ‘I’m okay, mate. Help the others.’ He grunted.

  Minutes later Veronica followed, shaken but unharmed. Her leg was bleeding again, cuts opened up by the pressure as she kicked against the wall during the descent.

  Upstairs, Nick helped Karen into the sling. Without help, lowering her was going to be a strain. Exhaustion was setting in and Nick could feel his strength waning. He kissed her lightly on the cheek as she stepped over the edge, surprising himself with the warmth he felt inside his chest. ‘Take it slowly.’ He instructed. ‘Before you
kick out each time, wait for a moment so I can gather my strength.’

  She grimaced at him and without looking down kicked off with a jerk. Every muscle in Nick’s arms stood out like twisted knotted ropes as he took the strain. She was heavier than she looked! Thankfully the rope stopped, and he gathered more strength waiting for the next pull. Perspiration oozed from his body, and his hands shook as he firmly clutched the rope. He prayed he would not lose his grip, he did not want to test the strength of those curtains and knots should she suddenly drop. A minute later he saw she was down and gratefully let go the rope, falling back on the floor to catch his breath with relief. Now it’s my turn. He thought. He fumbled around in the dark to find the extra rope and tied it to the sling with the other end around his waist around his waist thus stopping him if he should fall. Climbing down that rope was not going to be any picnic. He worked quickly, and moments later, stood poised on the edge, testing the rope. It was then that he noticed several tears in its length. There was no more rope, so a replacement was out of the question. He would just have to chance it. The sweat that drenched his body minutes before cooled, leaving him chilled.

  His nostrils flared, stung by the cold salty air. Without looking down he grasped the rope and leaned out. Slowly he began walking down the wall, inching carefully as he moved one hand over the other. He felt a slight jerk as the rope began to give way. Hold on! He prayed. The wind whistled in his ears, challenging his concentration.

  Graham saw the rope begin to swing indicating Nick was coming down, and prepared himself at the windows edge ready to grab hold and pull him in. The sling whipped crazily in circles below Nicks’ feet and Graham grabbed it. Moments later relief flooded through his veins as his hands clutched at Nick’s feet and guided him safely inside. They hugged each other emotionally. ‘Is everyone okay?’ Nick asked, releasing the rope from his waist.

  ‘We’re all good.’ Karen said.’ What do we do now?’

  ‘Lead the way to the stairs?’

  ***

  They made their way from the laundry along a hallway to the foyer of this floor, stopping to peer into the units where doors had been left open as people fled. They were a mess! Glass lay strewn everywhere and the Navilon windows in the eastern walls facing the ocean had shattered, opening the entire walls to the elements. Some furniture had been shattered and tossed around in the rooms and lay in heaps.

  They stumbled in the dark and found their way to the emergency stairs.

  ‘Thank Christ. They left the keys on the floor!’ Nick exclaimed. He hated to think what would have happened if the key had not been there.

  Now that their attention was diverted from their struggle, they paused to look east out to sea where a strange and frightening sight leered at them.

  ‘God, what’s that weird light out there?’ Karen exclaimed.

  In the dark distance a thin phosphorescent line glittering like a mirage, danced above a dark forbidding mass of water. Vivid flashes of light dipped and dived like the lights on the train of a roller coaster ride, breaking up in places, and in others twinkling like stars fallen from heaven.

  ‘I know about this phenomenon.’ Nick whispered. It’s the next wave! There’s millions of tiny luminescent organic creatures swarming on top of it. The sea’s full of them in some places. The quakes must’ve have stirred them all into a frenzy of activity. They’ve been picked up by the wave, probably travelled with it all the way from the source.’

  ‘It’s scary.’ Veronica whispered. ‘Like something out of a dream.’

  ‘It’s no dream. That’s real!’ Graham added. ‘Time to go. Let’s not push our luck. It looks awfully close.’

  The low, deep, and now familiar rumble was rising rapidly to a crescendo as they ran up the stairs. Another shock confronted them when they saw the extent of the blast the looters had engineered to gain entry to Bills’ apartment. A large hole with jagged edges resembling a shark’s mouth ready to attack, gaped at them. Rubble and debris spread over the stairs.

  Bill glanced around in dismay as he picked his way past the hole. ‘Unappreciative ingrates. No respect.’ He muttered.

  Graham sprinted up the stairs two-at-a-time, eager to get to the Liberty. Exhaustion had given way to excitement as the adrenalin raced through his veins. His hands shook as he pushed the key into the lock, praying it would turn the lock.‘I’ll get her ready!’ He called back over his shoulder. ‘Don’t stop for anything!’ With his heart in his mouth he hoped Liberty was okay.

  Within minutes Nick followed him through the open rooftop door. The cold night air clutched at his dry throat chilling him instantly. His eyes flashed immediately to the dark shadow crouched within ten metres, her black hulk taking up a large part of the roof space.

  ‘You beauty.’ Graham yelled, scurrying over to the Veto. He patted the side of the cabin lovingly. ‘I’ve never been so glad to see you baby. Let’s get you loose.’

  He stooped under the big jet thrusters and instructed Nick how to remove the steel anchor cables on the Veto pad as the others arrived. ‘Thank God I took the time to tie her down thoroughly.’ He yelled to Nick over the wind. ‘All that shaking would’ve surely moved her, maybe even over the edge. She seems to be unharmed.’

  Nick looked back to see Veronica struggling with the locker door. ‘We haven’t got time for that.’ He shouted above the wind. ‘We’ll have to leave it. We can always come back later.’

  Disregarding Nick, she wrenched open the door and moments later emerged with a small case. ‘I had to get this.’ She shouted, as she rushed back and climbed on board Liberty. ‘Our medicines and all my jewellery and some old money. We’re going to need it to buy food later.’

  ‘Good thinking.’ Karen said, buckling up her seatbelt. ‘That’s if there’s any food to buy.’

  Graham pressed the starter button and the Allison jets spat into life. Liberty rocked as the jets built up speed waiting for Graham to release her from her perch.

  ‘Let’s go take a closer look at this mongrel.’ Graham growled, confident now that they were out of danger. He pushed the guidance lever forward and slowly lifted Liberty into the turbulent air. She shuddered against the wind threatening to throw her off the roof, but it was no match for the powerful jets and she zoomed to port as she lifted gracefully into the night sky.

  The thing that took their attention the most was the utter pervading darkness all around them. The feeling of loss returned to Nick, and an emptiness he couldn’t explain. Brian? It had to be Brian.

  Graham banked carefully over the roof, and switched on the Liberty’s Night scanner searchlight mounted on the belly of the Veto, and the Spectrolab night sunlight on the nose. The two lights blazed in big arcs, yellow ribbons thrusting ninety metres out into the night sky as he turned westward. Graham played the spotlights over the scene below, searching eagerly for positive signs. They all stared, shocked into silence by the devastation revealed by the golden beams of light, and a cold shiver crawled down Nick’s back. Entire skyscrapers had simply disappeared! There was nothing but foaming, frothing water, they could see no other man-made structure other than the Phoenix complex throwing deeper shadows over the blackness. As they turned the lights picked up another building looming eerily no more than thirty metres away. ‘Look! What building is that?’ Veronica cried.

  ‘I think it’s the Marriott Hotel, but I can’t be sure.’ Bill yelled. The lack of other structures and lights made it difficult to find their bearings. The spotlights hopped around in a frantic search for a target to land on, finding only water as the sea thrashed below.

  They were heading out to sea now, the phosphorescent chain of lights beckoning them like an impish child, tantalising, mesmerising. They came upon the wave within minutes, as it rushed headlong toward the land. The fairy lights bobbed directly beneath them and like those adorning a Christmas tree, they twinkled merrily, colours dancing. Communication was difficult as the noise from the jet thrusters combined with the deafening roar of the wave below
rendered the earphones ineffective, so they watched silently, spent of all conversation.

  Nick shifted uncomfortably in the front passenger seat. He had never ridden so close to death before and the feeling of dread was overwhelming. Graham held the Veto level with the crest of the wave and the sensation of ‘riding’ it was almost euphoric. Liberty was being buffeted by the gale force winds, and she plunged and rose, churning their stomachs as Graham expertly guided her safely above the downwash.

  They rode above the wave, fascinated by the speed and force of the churning popping lights. Suddenly the lights burst out in all directions, shooting off into the sky like a fireworks display on New Year’s Eve. ‘It’s cresting, about to break!’ Nick shouted to Graham.

  Graham pulled back and banked sharply, rising up and away from the wave. He circled around and hovered briefly, getting his bearings. ‘Looks like she’s gone to ground! That was some ride! Are you all okay?’

  Veronica sat stiffly next to Karen wide-eyed and pale, her knuckles white as she gripped the edge of the seat. ‘I’m fine, but Bill’s not doing too well, he’s still losing blood.’

  Bill slumped against the window, his strength fading. Karen reached over to check his bandages. ‘I know you want to give us a good run for our money Graham, but I think we should get Bill some medical attention. He’s lost quite a bit of blood and he’s getting weaker.’