Torn

by Druga, Jacqueline

  “I also agree with Colin,” Darius continued. “It’s going to throw us into an ice age, and the storms it creates will be far worse than what nature will create. I think people are gonna all hope to be picked for the lottery. That’s why they are picking at nine the morning until midnight. So people will hold on until the last moment. Then they’re gonna go nuts. Nuts. We’re fortunate to have a flight out of here. We should leave on the third in the middle of it all. But, Bret, I think you and the kids should go now.”

  Her mouth moved but no words emerged.

  Darius shook his head. “It’ll be dangerous after the lottery.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’ll come down with Colin on the third.”

  “Then no. I stay, the kids stay. We all go down together. We have you guys in our lives. We are a family,” Bret said. “We stay and go as a family.”

  In his typically sarcastic way, Colin interjected. “For as love noble as that is . . .”

  “No.” Bret cut him off. “We stay. We were in together from the get-go, and now we wade through every storm and we do it together.”

  31. Lottery

  September 3rd

  It wasn’t even the break of day, and already the lottery had started. Martin monitored the problems that began with the first detaining.

  The president issued a speech the night before stating, “We aren’t deliberately trying to separate families, we are, however, deliberately trying to ensure man’s survival.”

  Martin knew well ahead of time the moment the first name of a child was drawn, and the moment that child was taken from his or her family, chaos would begin in earnest.

  Not that chaos hadn’t already started.

  The snake attacks set fire to a wave of viral infections that claimed, in one month’s time, 15,000 people. Even that paled in comparison to the revived bubonic plague that swept Europe.

  Chaos.

  Though there weren’t any other sun problems, solar flares or EMP hits, the last two flares caused panic.

  And chaos.

  The heat wave was showing no signs of letting up, and the news of the ice age seemed like a rumor instead of fact. But Martin knew, he knew, the oceans had begun to evaporate, the temperature rose, and it was just a matter of weeks before the air temperatures plummeted.

  Nature.

  Chaos.

  Many of the southern states issued border patrols to stop the pending migration of people.

  The only way to drive or fly in was to have your papers authorized by the government ahead of time that you did indeed have a destination down south. A place to go . . . .

  Louisiana was a free state. They stated they would let anyone in and set up refugee camps.

  Although traffic to the south wasn’t as predominant as Martin expected, he guessed after the lottery it would be worse.

  People were waiting for their number to be called.

  The word ‘fire’ over the radio caught Martin’s attention. A soldier was reporting that a mob had formed and they were burning things. His CO gave the order to use gas.

  With the intervention of monitors, Martin felt as if he could see the world.

  On one end of the huge monitor board, he could see the preparation for the dome city.

  The place where the lottery winners would be moved after they left the local detaining centers.

  Martin didn’t like the idea of moving the detainees at the last minute, but in an odd way it made sense. It kept people from following the transport. And the longer they waited to move them, the more likely that those who were not chosen would find a survival place or somewhere to go. And leave the detainees in peace.

  Plus, the time gave them a chance to hope that the Tundra Plan would succeed, and then the GEP would be moot. The world would be saved.

  Martin was doubtful of that.

  However . . . the domed city filled Martin with hope. It would work. Of course, they would be buried in snow for three months, but after that it would work. It was basic needs but needs would be met.

  Man would live, survive and go on.

  An estimated 750,000 people would be brought to the GEP project, or rather chosen. Martin figured 20% if not more wouldn’t show and would die, or run away.

  Even with half that many, man’s extinction was almost guaranteed.

  Left. Right.

  Good. Bad.

  Dome city. Greenhouses. Workers completing projects.

  Rioting. Destroyed cities streets.

  Left. Right.

  Chaos. Peace.

  Martin knew, pretty soon, if the Tundra Plan didn’t work, there would be a difference between the left and right monitors. It would all be the same.

  Quiet.

  ***

  Empty

  Bret had been to the doctor’s office once before, and it was packed, but not on this visit.

  Not only was the office empty, but so was the clinic, the parking lot . . . the streets on the way there.

  Like some sort of sci-fi movie, the streets were barren and papers flew about.

  She lay on the table in the examining room, giggling.

  Her shirt was lifted some, cold ultrasound ‘goo’ on her belly, while Darius used the Doppler to listen for a heartbeat.

  “There.” He smiled.

  Swish-swish. Swish-Swish.

  “No matter how many times you hear it, it still sounds weird.”

  “I wonder if Doctor Beck will let us keep this.”

  “Be my guest,” he said as the door closed.

  Darius grinned. “Hey, doc.”

  He gave an ‘up’ motion of his chin. “Did you get a beats per minute.”

  “One fifty.” Darius replied.

  “Good. Good.” Dr. Beck, an older man, late sixties, sat on a stool and rolled toward them. “You can take that and the gel. One less thing for me to pack. And as you can see . . . .” He indicted to the near empty exam room. “What I wanted to send, I sent.”

  Darius handed him a folder. “There’re your travel papers for you and your family. Lease agreement approved by the government. Virginia said your cartons arrived. But I have to stress no more than one big bag and one small bag on the plane.”

  “Absolutely,” Dr. Beck said. “My wife and I are very grateful for this chance. Glad to be a part.”

  “Glad to have you.”

  Bret interjected. “Oh, me too.”

  Dr. Beck smiled. “How are the others finding the facility?”

  Nodding, Darius answered as he stood and grabbed a paper towel. “Good. Some of the little kids have made the back hall into a bike center.” He wiped off Bret’s stomach as he continued speaking, “But they need to play. Keep in mind, this is the last plane we have going down there. It takes off at three. Be at the old Clairton Airstrip by 2.”

  “I’ll assume we have to show these papers?” he asked.

  “Yes. We didn’t have any problems the last two flights. Government is ready for us. Hopefully, they’ll have an agent there. They’ll check our documentation and we’ll take off.”

  “Why did you wait so long?” He questioned.

  “Data. We wanted to be up to date on everything.”

  “Darius is lost,” Bret said, sitting up and sliding from the table. “His equipment shipped down yesterday. My sons Luke and Perry went down to set it up.”

  “The girls?”

  Darius shook his head. “Authorities wouldn’t let them travel without Bret. We tried. But they’re only thirteen. She could have signed over guardianship, but no one was going down that we trusted for that honor.”

  “And I didn’t want to go.” Bret added, shifting her eyes to Darius.

  Dr. Beck nodded. “Understandable.”

  “Well.” Darius exhaled, handed Bret the ‘goo’ bottle, and tucked the wires neatly around the fetal heart monitor. “We’ll be seeing you shortly.”

  Dr. Beck looked at his watch. “Six hours.”

  “Six hours.” Darius extended his hand.<
br />
  As did Bret.

  After another smile and nods goodbye, Bret and Darius left the office.

  She paused in the waiting room before they left.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Her eyes shifted to the magazine rack. The empty waiting room, once full of life. With a shiver of what was impending and slight worry, she grabbed a handful of baby magazines.

  “You’re stealing?”

  “Well. You never know.”

  With a grunt and chuckle, Darius led her out.

  ***

  Admittedly, it was Mother Nature’s great diversion.

  When the lottery was announced, people assumed that their names would be scrolled across a television screen or a phone call would come. But that was not the case. They were pre-selected and drawn, so when it was time, an armed escort came to their door. No warning. Ten minutes, pack a bag.

  Cell phone service was shut down nationwide. The only number that anyone could dial was 911.

  Just as he predicted in his thesis twenty-six years early, every phase was occurring, although Martin didn’t foresee the emergence of past viruses, the solar flares, the EMP’s, earthquakes, all of them.

  The sun finally settled down and it was time for Earth to give its last hurrah.

  Final signs. Once the volcanoes started erupting, Martin knew it was just a matter of time before the storm started forming for the ice age.

  Four underwater volcanoes in the Pacific erupted, but they weren.t the diversion.

  The eruption or pending eruption of Mt. Rainer was.

  Two volcanoes in Hawaii were ready to blow as well.

  All Martin could think about was the dust and smoke joining the evaporated oceans in the atmosphere, evaporations that were growing by the day.

  No wonder he found it as no surprise when the government moved up the Tundra Project by three days.

  Three days. Which meant they would know shortly after if it worked. Which also meant, the lottery winners would be transported shortly after.

  He only hoped that if it failed, the lottery winners could be moved to the GEP faster than the storm would move in.

  ***

  Jovial, joking, sarcastic Colin had lost all inspiration to smile or crack a joke. He dreaded it. The moment that Darius and Bret walked into the house. He dreaded it.

  Never in his entire life, with all his accomplishments, had he felt like such a failure.

  No words of consolation were helping, despite what Grace said. His black eye was only a war wound of his valiant and failed effort.

  Casper’s tears were like salt on a wound.

  The sound of the car pulling into the driveway was like a gunshot.

  Grace turned from the window. “They’re here.”

  Colin swallowed and took a deep breath. He stepped from the living room into the foyer and waited. He wanted to be there facing them when they walked in.

  The door opened.

  Colin’s stomach dropped.

  God, they were laughing. All smiles.

  But they stopped. Did they know? Was it that evident on his face?

  “What’s wrong” Darius asked.

  Colin choked. The words wouldn’t emerge. He watched Bret’s eyes shift to the sound of Casper’s sob.

  “What?” Bret asked.

  With an extended hand, he handed a sheet of paper to Bret. “Cell phones are off. I couldn’t call you. Darius didn’t take the satellite phone. There was no way to inform you.”

  A quiet scream emerged from Bret as her eyes skimmed the paper.

  “What is that?” Darius looked.

  “Information on what to do. Where to go,” Colin answered. “I tried. I tried, good God, I tried.”

  The magazines fell from Bret’s arms and she turned into Darius. He embraced her.

  “She was picked,” Colin said. “They came and took Andi.”

  ***

  The letter simply stated that: “Your child has been selected for the Country Survival Lottery. As the parent of this minor child, it is your right to visitation while he or she is in the detainment facility. Visiting hours are . . .”

  To Bret it was blah, blah, blah and a blur.

  In the city of Pittsburgh, 146 people were chosen for the lottery. There were three facilities. Bret and Darius went to them all. The first one didn’t have her, nor did the second. She had been moved to the smallest detainment center. Housing only eight of the 146, Andi was in a small abandoned office building that had been speedily redone to hold the occupants.

  After all, they were expected to fly out to the GEP complex within a day or two of the Tundra Plan failing, if it failed.

  A military truck and a Jeep were parked outside. The office building was set in a large parking lot on a small winding road off the main drag of Rt. 8.

  The detainees were hidden for their own safety, the whereabouts given only to the parents of a minor child.

  Andi was the only minor child in Pittsburgh chosen to go.

  How many times did Bret pray to hit the lottery?

  This was not the lottery she intended on hitting.

  She was worried, but not too much. After all, it was her daughter. She would just go pick her up.

  The Captain in charge seemed nice enough and sympathetic, but he still said, “Sorry.”

  “What do you mean you can’t release her? I’m her mother. That’s her birth certificate, my license . . . .”

  He held up his hand. “I understand. But the lottery is mandatory, meaning she has to go. Ma’am, this is the world’s survival. This is vital. Now you can visit up until we take her. Visiting hours are . . .”

  “I know what the visiting hours are.” Bret snapped.

  “Who’s in charge?” Darius asked. “Someone above you maybe. Who can we go to about this lottery?”

  “Sir, I can give you the list of people you can call. But they estimated 75,000 children 12 – 17 have been chosen to go. So there are 100,000 parents, just like you right now.”

  “Can you get me that information?” Darius asked.

  Almost as if he was ready, he reached back to his desk and handed Darius the sheet. “All the way to the President. As I said, you can visit up until we take her. We’ll even inform you so you can say goodbye. But I’ve been advised to advise you that if we’re moving her to the survival city, then things are bad and you should plan to go somewhere else than up here.”

  Bret wanted to say, ‘no shit you moron, we spent eight million dollars preparing for our survival’. But she didn’t. She asked to see her daughter.

  Andi had been crying. Her brown eyes were red, her lips puffy. There was a nice soldier with her trying to calm her, but it didn’t help.

  “I don’t wanna go, Mommy. Don’t let them take me. Please.”

  Andi’s tears caused Bret’s tears and all she could do was hold her daughter for the two hours she was permitted. Hold her and promise her that if it was the last thing she did, she would get Andi out.

  Darius immediately went to work on those calls. He was fortunate enough to have a satellite phone, but he was getting voice mails. But not a machine passed him without him leaving a message. And with each message of “I need some help’ he left, he’d shift his eyes to Bret. Trying to convey confidence. Trying to convey to her ‘we’ll fix this.’ Darius had to be confident; he had to try everything he could, because the look on Bret’s face said no less than she was counting on him.

  ***

  The last phone call Colin received from Darius, Darius didn’t sound happy, but he did say, “Pack the car; we’ll meet you at the airport.”

  That was encouraging.

  Until they showed up.

  Without Andi.

  Bret had been crying and sank into the embrace Grace offered.

  “I’m sorry,” Colin said.

  Darius shook his head. “We’re not done fighting yet. I figure we have three days until the Tundra and a couple after that before they move her.”

  “You’
re staying up here?” Colin asked.

  “What choice do I have?” Darius asked.

  “Then I can’t go, Dare-Dare. I can’t. I’ll stay here with you. Stay and fight to get that girl back. There are weapons and tranquilizer guns at the bunker. Bruce has it loaded. We’ll pull a mission. We’ll steal her, we’ll . . .” He silenced at Darius’ shaking head.

  “I have no intention of not doing everything I can, even if it means pulling an attack on the detainment center to get her back. Hell, there’re only four guards there. But . . . you go.”

  “No,” Colin said, strongly. “I will not leave you. If that storm hits we have the bunker, we’ll be good. We built that bunker should we need to weather out the storm. We will need.…”

  Again, Darius shook his head. “You can’t. We need you for something else.”

  From Grace’s embrace, Bret stepped forward. “I signed over guardianship to you for Casper.”

  “You’re . . . you’re staying here with Darius?” Colin asked.

  “It’s my daughter, Colin. We’re gonna fight every battle to get her back. But if we get stranded up here, I want to know that my other children are gonna be fine. I trust you, Colin, with my children. I need you to be there, so I can be sure that they’ll be fine.”

  “Bret . . .”

  She stepped to him, grabbing his hand, whispering. “If something should happen to me, I know my kids will be loved and protected. Please do this for me.”

  Colin swallowed the lump in his throat, nodded and embraced her. Then he embraced Darius.

  He was frightened for them. He knew. He knew that the Tundra wouldn’t work and knew that there was no way, if that storm came, that Darius and Bret would make it down south. Not at least until the storm was over.

  He gained his composure and stepped back. “Keep the satellite phones charged,” He ordered. “That is our only means of communication. We may lose them for a spell if the storm hits, but after that, they’ll be back.”

  Darius nodded.

  “Dare-Dare, that storm is gonna be bad. We’ll find a way to get you guys. Okay?”