In Situ (12 page)

Tom and Andy stood and surveyed the cave entrance from the project side—their eyes bloodshot, their faces covered in dirt. They were both exhausted and Andy wondered how long either one of them could keep standing before falling over from fatigue.

“I’m sorry
, Tom,” Andy said without taking his eyes from the cave opening that was now partially blocked with several hundred tons of rock and debris. A handful of the other crewmembers were gathered not far away, standing or sitting quietly, waiting for more instructions.

Tom’s men had done everything they could
, but the fissure that had so suddenly opened had continued to pour a deluge of hot spring water—countless thousands of gallons of it-into the cave entrance for several hours. Tom knew in the seconds after the spring had burst that Alex’s only chance of survival would hinge on his ability to stop the flow before too much of the torrent had reached her, but the volume of water had gotten progressively worse rather than better.

His men had dumped truckload after truckload of rock to try to temporarily block the water from running down into the caves
, while others had worked on the source, but the ancient spring was stubborn. It had taken several small shots of explosives to dislodge enough material to stanch it. In the meantime, despite all their efforts, the water had continued to force its way into the cave, and down toward Alex. Tom had considered a direct blast at the entrance, but the percussion would have been just as likely to kill Alex as the water, and who knew if they would ever be able to open it again.

Was
she was able to get to higher ground, he wondered. But he knew the likelihood was one in a million. Tom was familiar enough with the caves that he could not imagine where any higher ground might have been. “I should never have left her down there,” he said, almost to himself.

“You couldn’t have known
, Tom. It was a fluke. I’ve built three of these damn things now and we have never run into a situation like this—never,” Andy said, shaking his head.

Tom turned to Andy. “Your guys did a hell of a job.” He glanced at his wristwatch for the first time in over ten hours—it was 6:31
a.m. “I think maybe we should shut down for today—take 24 hours, then see where we stand first thing tomorrow. Do you think you could help me get the word out to everyone?”

“I’ll do better than that
. I will totally take care of it. Go get some rest, Tom,” Andy said, truly sorry and in shock himself. Just as Andy spoke, a small four-wheeler rolled down the ramp and headed their way. It pulled up beside them, and Batter stepped out.

“Jesus
, Tom, what happened?” said Batter as he looked around the project.

“That’s my cue to go get started,” Andy said to Tom and began walking toward his men.

“I just got word that you guys had a flood,” Batter continued as he approached. He looked perturbed and like he had just awakened. “Why wasn’t I notified sooner?”

“We had a breach in a completely uncharted hot spring. It happened about eight o’clock last night. Sorry, but we have been working to stop it
ever since.”

“
Interesting,” Batter said, then paused, looking around at the carnage from the attempt to kill the water flow. “Well, this whole area has been a total surprise,” he continued, clearly annoyed. “Where is the Doctor?”

Tom didn’t answer, he just looked in the direction of what had been the cave entrance.

“Oh no, Tom. What happened?”

“I took Alex down for a look at the burial site and she wanted some more light. When I came back up, the spring blew.”

“So, she’s still down there?”

“Yes.”

“Dead?” It was a stupid question, and Batter knew it the moment he asked.

“Judging by the amount of water, I would say there is no way she could have survived. I’m going to clear it and go back in
to see if I can recover her body.”

“I am very sorry to hear that Tom, particularly since it was sort of my idea for you to show it to her.” Batter looked at Tom, then around at the project. “Where is everybody?”

Sort of
your idea, Tom thought, irritated. It
was
your damned idea! “I asked Andy to shut down for 24 hours until we can regroup.”

Batter was quiet for a moment. “We can’t do that
, Tom.”

Tom felt the blood
pound in his temples and he turned to Batter. “Why not?”

“Look
it, Tom, this is not my decision. It is a matter of national security. We simply cannot afford to stop. In fact, I am in the process of obtaining security clearances for more workers so we can speed this thing along. The ARC absolutely has to be done according to our new schedule. Now, I am very sorry about Alex, but we must keep going.” Should I tell him the real reason, Batter debated, then decided against it. Regardless of the terrible situation, it was not proper protocol. Tom did not
need
to know.

“Batter,” said Tom, turning toward him, “I think my wife has just died.”

“I thought she was your ex?”

Tom could not stop himself
. His fist struck Batter squarely in the jaw and Batter tumbled to the ground from the force of it.

“I probably deserved that,”
Batter said, holding his chin. He wiped the side of his mouth with his sleeve and was relieved to find that his teeth still seemed to be in place. It occurred to him now that he should probably have been more careful. He was very familiar with Tom’s credentials, which not only included the fact that he was one of the best geologists in the U.S., but also that he was a former Ranger. I am such an inexcusable smartass, he thought, genuinely sorry about the comment. Pity about Alex, I fully intended to recruit her for one of the ARCs.

Tom stood over Batter
, shocked at himself. He looked down at Batter’s bleeding mouth and was instantly sorry that he had hit him—but he also suddenly realized he was done—done with everything. “I’d like to see if I can recover Alex,” he said, “then I’ll just go clear my office.”

Batter knew he had to save Tom to save the project
. There was no time left to find a replacement.

“Tom,” Batter began, still on the ground, “I
definitely deserved that. Some people, not the least of which would be all of my ex-wives, have accused me of being a cold-hearted son-of-a-bitch, and they are probably right. But I still need to have you here. We absolutely have to get this thing built and built on time.” Batter extended his hand to Tom. “Now, help me up would you?”

Tom was completely taken by surprise. He had seen Batter in too many other types of altercations with contractors and others to imagine him capitulating in any way
, despite the mishap with Alex. But Batter was right. Without him, the project would suffer even more delays. Tom knew that Batter was under some sort of gun from his own superiors to finish the complex, but exactly why was a mystery. He finally reached out and pulled Batter from the dirt.

“I imagine you will want to organize a search team once the water recedes,” Batter said to Tom as he looked in the direction of the damaged entrance, still rubbing his jaw. “Go ahead and take the 24 hours Tom, but do me a favor and work out a new time line with as many men as you need to get back on schedule. We absolutely have to get this thing done. Once again, I am very sorry about Alex.” Batter brushed himself off and held out his hand
, which Tom shook reluctantly. “I know this is going to be a tough time for you. I wish I had clearance to tell you what the hell the rush is all about, Tom, but I am sure you can imagine a reason if you just think about it long enough. Lives may depend on it. That is all I can say.”

Moments ago
, Tom had been ready to walk away. Alex was dead. It was his fault. The rest of this whole undertaking was shrouded in secrecy from the start. Nothing about it had felt good from the beginning. But Tom saw a look in Batter’s eyes that he had never seen, an earnestness that was absolutely uncharacteristic. Something bad was about to happen to the world, and Batter, unlike him, knew exactly what it was.

“I have to leave for Nevada today
, Tom, but I will be working on those additional contractors while I am in transit. Let me know of any other issues, and I will do my best to help.”

Tom could not recall ever hearing such sincerity in Batter’s voice. “I’ll send you an email when I work out exactly what we need,” he responded. “In the meantime,
I need to address this hot spring. I have to see if I can figure out where the source is, and if it is going to cause any more problems.”

“
I’ll stay in touch,” said Batter as he headed for his ATV.

Tom watched as Batter drove off
. He was thinking about all of the things he needed to do and reached for his radio to call Andy. First and foremost, he thought, I need to find Alex.

It was Alex’s turn to lead
. They were in her world now. She carefully made her way down the broken cliff face and over the loose rocks that covered what she had just yesterday considered the most remarkable find of her life. How quickly things could change, she thought. Alex shook her head and glanced back at Mot, who followed her closely, apparently having no problem negotiating the rough terrain. His skin was shining in the morning sunlight, a hundred different shades of greens, blues and grey. Alex noticed out of the corner of her eye that Mot would pause periodically to scan the area and dart his tongue. She couldn’t decide if he was the most frightening creature she had ever seen or the most beautiful. He’s one big-ass son of a bitch—that’s for sure, she thought to herself.

Alex was eventually able pick her way over the rocks and to locate the very same path where she had so recently encountered the rattler.
That event now seemed to her to have taken place eons ago. A part of her secretly wished the snake might appear again just to test Mot’s reaction, but she knew he would have more than enough to react to momentarily. As they rounded a stone outcropping, Alex’s truck and campsite came back into full view. She paused, checking to make sure there was no one in the area. Alex had already determined that Mot’s life would depend on her ability to keep him a secret until she could figure out how to
very
carefully and appropriately introduce him to the world. Mot also surveyed the area. He had stopped and was listening intently, trying to sniff out any possible danger.

Al
ex could see nothing of concern, but almost instinctively turned to Mot for confirmation. “Mot, it is very important that no other humans see you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Alex.
I do not sense the presence of any of your species close by.” Mot had already come to the same conclusion himself. Although he recognized nothing of the world in which he now stood, he did sense danger in a way that was equal to or even greater than the one he was used to. While he could detect no immediate direct threats, he still felt oddly as if he were about to be attacked by something he could neither smell nor see. This was definitely not his home. Where were all of the trees, he kept wondering as he looked around. The Astrologers and Priests had been right: the world had burned. There was nothing left but dirt and rock. The air tasted thin and dry to him and he noticed that it was slightly more difficult to breathe. Mot began to wonder how he could ever survive in Alex’s world.

“That’s
my truck right there,” Alex said pointing to her pickup.

When they reached it, Alex pulled down the tailgate and slid out a large white cooler.
She opened it, and Mot could immediately smell the strong aroma of the food it held inside. Were it not for the extreme discipline he had learned as a child, he might have simply grabbed the entire cooler away from her, the odor of meat tripling his hunger.

Alex was famished as well and dug thr
ough the case. She knew she had to feed Mot at once, and felt fortunate that she probably liked meat as much as he obviously did. She remembered that she had a package of steaks at the bottom and rummaged around until she found them. She quickly unwrapped the cuts of beef from the white butcher paper they were packed in and held them out to Mot. There were two beautiful 16-ounce cuts of New York steak. By the look on Mot’s face, she was certain that he could easily down a dozen of them.

Mot looked at the meat and inhaled deeply.
It did not have the strong smell that he was used to, but it was the most delicious odor he had encountered in this new world, with the possible exception of the creature in front of him. He stared at the steaks for some time and then looked up at Alex.

“What do you think Mot?”
Alex asked, suddenly worried about his reaction.

“Do you have fire?”

I’ll be damned, Alex thought, this guy likes his meat cooked! She immediately put the steaks down on the tailgate and pulled out her camp stove and set it on the ground. The stove was powered by a small propane tank that was attached to it. She turned on the stove to test for gas. Thank God, she said to herself as the familiar odor of propane filled the air. Need a lighter, she thought. Alex remembered that she had a spare in the glove box along with a pack of cigarettes. She had basically stopped smoking years ago, but old habits die hard, and there seemed to be those moments when there was nothing better than a good smoke; nearly escaping death always being one of them.

“Give me just a second Mot,” she said.
Alex went to the passenger side of the truck, opened the door and grabbed the lighter. She flipped open her stash of Marlboros, relieved to find that there were still a few in the pack. As she walked back, she deftly tossed one in her mouth, cupped her hand over the lighter and fired it up. Alex stopped for a moment, inhaling deeply, then blew out the smoke into the desert air. Heaven!

Mot stared at her amazed.
He couldn’t help but flick his tongue as the odor of the smoke and the steaks and the strange smell from the metal contraption Alex had placed on the ground swirled around him.

“What is that?” he asked.

“Believe me, my friend you do not want to know. It’s one of the nastiest things ever invented by humans.” Alex shoved the cigarette back in her mouth and bent down, squinting from the smoke. It suddenly occurred to her that Mot might have been asking about the stove, but she was too exhausted at the moment to try to explain how it worked.

Mot watched again as fire appeared from the end of the shiny object Alex was holding
, and then the metal box she had placed on the ground jumped to life with flames. Mot flinched. He was used to a world where fire was created by the heavens and carefully guarded and maintained. The Arzats used fire for many things, but had never mastered making it for themselves. Even in times of extreme heat, the communal Fire was never allowed to go out. Someone was always was assigned to tend it. The fire Alex created had appeared like magic.

She adjusted the flame on the stove and stood up.
“There,” she said, “we’ll just give that a minute and then we can throw the steaks on.” She went back to the cooler, suddenly very thirsty, and pulled out a couple of bottled waters. She twisted the cap off of one and offered it to Mot.

He was almost as thirsty as hungry, but had no idea what to do with the object.
Alex noticed that his hand was so large the bottle nearly disappeared in it. He looked confused.

“Like this,” said Alex.
She tipped the bottle to her lips and took a long swig, nearly emptying it. Mot watched then tried to copy her, but the result left him choking. “I am so sorry, Mot,” she said as she rummaged for a bowl.

“Here, try this
.” Alex poured the rest of the contents of the bottle into a plastic bowl and handed it to Mot. He held the bowl with both hands and tipped his head over it—sipping eagerly. It reminded Alex of a horse drinking. Successful, she turned and put the steaks on the camp stove grill. They almost immediately started to hiss and pop. “How do you like them?”

“I enjoy all meat Alex,” Mot said, mesmerized the fire.

“I mean red in the middle or cooked through?”

“No red.”

“Well done it will be then my friend. Near as I can tell, you haven’t had a meal in a very long time, so I guess a few more minutes won’t kill you. I just appreciate the fact that you didn’t eat me,” she said, only sort of kidding.

“You would taste much better cooked
, Alex.”

Alex looked at Mot and noticed that his reptilian pupils narrowed slightly.
“And you have a sense of humor,” she replied, laughing. She pushed the cooler out of the way and sat down on the tailgate of the truck. Mot watched as she put the fire stick back to her mouth, the hot end glowing. She took another long drag and blew more smoke into the morning air. “Oh my god, this is friggin’ heaven,” she said out loud, her feet swinging.

Alex glanced back down at the cook stove, then back to Mot.
“Here, have a seat Mot,” she said, patting the place beside her. Mot sat, trying to emulate Alex, the truck bed sinking under his weight. Alex judged again that he must be somewhere around three hundred and fifty to four hundred pounds. She spun halfway around and dug back into the cooler, suddenly remembering that there might be some fruit in the bottom. She removed a plastic bag that contained several apples.

“What else do you eat besides meat?” she asked as she pulled one from the bag and held it up suggestively.

“Oh, many kinds of plants. I have never seen such a thing as this before,” Mot said, studying the round object with great interest.

“Try it
. It is called an apple,” she said, passing one to him.

Mot took the fruit
, smelling it before taking a small bite. He was amazed by its sweet flavor.

Alex flicked her cigarette aside and took a bite of her
apple, as well. “Pretty good, huh?” she asked, the symbolism not lost to her. Now I am Eve, she thought. Alex shook her head, still convinced that she might wake up at any moment.

Mot was overwhelmed.
Between the instant fire, the meat now charring on the magic stove, the strange metallic object he was now sitting on, and especially the smooth skinned creature that was sitting beside him, he did not know what to think. “Yes, very good,” he said, as if he were lost in his own thoughts. “Are you a god Alex?” he asked suddenly.

Alex almost choked on her apple,
then laughed. She looked at Mot and realized that he was totally serious. “No Mot,” she said emphatically, “I am definitely
not
a god. I am flesh and blood just like you. You have been asleep for many years—seasons, I guess you would call them—and much has changed, but we are both of the same world.” She jumped down from the truck and gingerly flipped the steaks with her fingers.

“How many seasons
, Alex?”

“Many, many,” she said.
She bent down, cupped both hands and scooped as much sand as she could from the desert floor, then let it run slowly back out between her fingers. “Many, many seasons,” Alex said, looking back up at him. He was staring off into the desert. “I think the meat should just about be done, now let me just find a knife,” she said. She brushed her hands off, once again digging through a box in the truck, and produced a plate and a long sharp knife. Alex pulled the steaks off the fire with the blade, put them on the plate and sliced them into smaller pieces. “Here you go Mot, be careful, they are very hot.”

Mot picked up a
piece, carefully smelling it first, and then placed it in his mouth and chewed. Second most delicious thing he had ever tasted, he decided. He was glad he had waited.

It took only moments for Alex and Mot to polish off the entire plate
, with Alex being careful to make sure that Mot got the bulk of it. As she watched him finish the meat—this amazing being with his skin glowing in the sun—she marveled at the creature she had inadvertently discovered. Before her, eating with her, and somehow communicating with her via some sort of weird telepathy—was obviously the singular most important discovery in history. How am I going to protect you, she thought to herself. How long will it take for some wild-eyed cowboy like Batter to screw things up? Alex hadn’t figured out yet how she would introduce Mot to the world of humans but she knew that for the moment, she needed to hide him.

She nervously looked back around the canyon.
Alex thought she could hear the sound of helicopter in the distance and glanced up at the sky. Far off on the horizon, in the vicinity of the project, she could see a massive double bladed transport gaining altitude. Her heart skipped a beat. If the chopper decided to turn their way, anyone in it would easily be able to spot them.

She tossed the cook stove into the back of the truck, keeping a wary eye on the helicopter.
It was still gaining altitude but did not appear to be turning in their direction. Alex pushed back the cooler and slammed the tailgate shut. “Mot, we need to get out of here,” she said to him as he stood and watched her every move with great curiosity. “There may be humans around, and I am not sure what their initial reaction will be to seeing you, but it might not be good. My father’s ranch is not far from here and I think that would be a safe place to go for the time being. OK?”

Mot looked into Alex’s eyes
, and could see the fear in them. It was a silly question, given all she had just said. If what she had told him was true, he was somewhere in a far and distant future he knew nothing about. There was certainly no sign of his clan anywhere and he was beginning to believe that none of them had survived. The thick forest he had grown up in and hunted in was gone. What else was he to do? “Yes Alex,” was all he could say. He looked out at the desert, wondering which direction they would be walking.

“Just give me a minute.
I’ve got to see if I can find the spare keys to this truck.” Alex went around to the driver side and opened the door. She fumbled around on the floorboard trying to remember where she had stashed the keys, her originals lost somewhere in the caves. It has to be right here, she thought to herself as she looked under the seat for the spare. Her father had taught her to always have a spare. Not just of keys, but of almost everything it might be practical to have a spare of. There had to be one somewhere. She walked to the front of the pickup and lifted the hood. To her relief, she spotted a magnetic key box far down in the left side of the motor. Alex had to reach to get it.