Time Storm Shockwave (11 page)

“You did what?”

“—I know it was dangerous for the yacht but—”

“
I’m not worried about the yacht, I was thinking about the two of you.”

“—oh, thanks because I was just …”

“You used the fire to see me”—he guessed the rest—“and then dove in after me. Is that what happened?”

“Yes.”

“Ashlyn, you could have killed yourself. What if you had …?” he didn’t finish. He just shook his head.

She felt scolded, “I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Didn’t I tell you yesterday that you were not allowed to risk your life to protect me?”

She averted her eyes
, and then studied her hands, twisting them nervously.

She didn’t look up, but spoke softly, “Actually, what you said was that I wasn’t allowed to stop you from protecting me."

He considered that, realizing that it was true. “Well don’t risk your life again either," he commanded.

She met his eyes, undaunted by his firmness.
"Mark, I would dive into hell to save you."

He studied her eyes for a few seconds and knew that she meant it. Then he got up, without explanation, and went to the television. He turned it on and waited for the dish to track a satellite.

“I’m going to fix breakfast,” she announced, hurt by Mark’s lack of response to such a serious declaration.

“Okay
—” he answered her absently “—I wonder why I can’t get any stations,” he mumbled as she walked up to the galley.

***

Stewart woke
once again to the smell of bacon. His days in captivity had made him immensely appreciative of Ashlyn’s cooking. He walked up the stairs and said good morning. When she heard him, she turned in greeting.

“What?”
he asked, when he saw the way she looked at him.

“I know you are getting better Stewart, but those bruises look worse today. I can’t get used to them.”

When he realized that her look was from concern and compassion, he smiled. He liked this new Ashlyn. He suspected that she had always been caring. Her former secrecy had made it impossible to tell.

“Where is Mark? Is he still okay?”

“Oh, he’s fine, trying to get the TV to work.”

Sensing a tinge of jealousy in her voice, he said. “You sound as if you’re a little disappointed about that.”

She didn’t turn around, but focused harder on the bacon and eggs she was preparing, her eyes blurring a bit from moisture. She wasn’t sure that she liked being so easy to read.

When she didn’t say anything, he asked, “Well?”

“Well what?” She knew what he was asking, but she didn’t want to admit it.

Stewart pretended to cough, “Okay, whatever.”

She turned around and glared at him, but he could tell she wasn’t angry.

“Would you mind tearing Mark away from the television static he is so intently watching? Tell him that breakfast is ready?”

Stewart smiled. She appreciated the fact that he hadn’t pushed the conversation further; she was embarrassed enough as it was.

A minute or two had passed before Mark and Stewart joined her in the galley. Mark was complaining to Stewart about his inability to get reception. Ashlyn had set the table beautifully, and the food looked and smelled delicious. However, she didn’t sit down with them. Instead, she walked out onto the aft deck.

Her body language had been quite loud, and Mark turned to Stewart, apparently oblivious to what he had done, or not done.

“What’s wrong with her?”

Stewart had just finished putting jam on his toast. Never taking his eyes off his food, he answered nonchalantly, “Oh, I don’t know, but maybe it has something to do with the fact that she risked her life to save you, not once but twice yesterday, and all you want to do is watch TV.” He took a bite of his toast.

Mark sat there, dumbfounded. “I was just trying to find out what could have caused the EMPs last night and
—”

“Don’t explain
it to me; she’s the one who’s hormonal.”

“—but …I don’t understand why she is upset.”

“She’s in love with you.” Stewart rolled his eyes.

“I know that. She told me. I just
—”

“You know Mark, you're the wealthy, tanned guy with the obvious muscles around here, and I thought for sure that you knew more abou
t women than I do.”

“—I guess I should talk to her.” He
scowled as he looked down at his nice, hot food, and then decided to talk to her before eating.

“Good call man,” Stewart called after him softly.

Ashlyn was staring out at the water over the back of the aft deck, lost in thought. Mark stepped up behind her and spoke, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?—”
She tried to hide her emotions “—you didn’t do anything wrong.”

She honestly didn’t think he had, at least not logically, but she had a strong urge to punch him.

Her arms were folded across her body in a protective manner.

“I did
something”—he was grasping at straws—“Ashlyn, what’s wrong?”

She still didn’t answer for a long moment and then surveyed him sadly. “You didn’t do anything. I don’t know what my problem is.”

Her eyes misted almost imperceptibly, and she averted them quickly. He let out a long breath and put his arms around her. She resisted slightly.

She looked up at him, “I
…you didn’t do …Honestly I …Well, I just haven’t”—she faced him directly—“I just haven’t ever been in love before, and I don’t know how to deal with these irrational feelings.”

He smiled, understanding that part completely. He apologized
, and then kissed her gently, yet with a great deal of emotion.

When he finally pulled back, he said, “That’s what I should have done first thing this morning
—” he met her eyes “—thank you for saving my life …again.”

She blushed, embarrassed by her schoolgirl behavior. She smiled
. “I love you. You know, if you keep kissing me like that you will never get rid of me.”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise then gave her a mischievous grin. “What makes you think I want to get rid of you?”

That brought a smile, and then he took her by the hand and led her back into the galley. “Let’s eat, I’m starving.”

“I’m sure your food is cold by now.”

He glanced at her sideways as they walked, “You know what they say, cold eggs, warm heart.”

She laughed, “I’m not sure that’s how the quote actually goes, but I’ll take it.”

Stewart was nearly finished eating by the time they returned. “I almost ate everything. I figured you guys weren’t hungry.”

Mark knocked him on the head playfully as
he and Ashlyn sat down to eat. After Stewart had finished, he remained at the table and watched the two of them for a few minutes. He had not liked being alone during his nightmare week on Bimini.

“Hey Mark, what was it that you found last night?”

Mark looked at Stewart, confused, then at Ashlyn as if she would have the answer.

“Oh yeah, I wanted to ask you that too; I just forgot in all the chaos
.” Her statement left Mark even more bewildered.

“I don’t know what you guys are talking about.” He shoveled another spoonful of food into his mouth.

She and Stewart glanced at each other before she said, “Right before the EMP you were trying to tell us that you found something. You sounded pretty excited about it.”

He stopped chewing for a few seconds, thinking hard. “I don’t remember finding anything.”

“At least you are safe, that’s what matters,” she reached for her glass of milk.

“Wait,” Mark
said forcefully.

She
put her milk down. Mark was staring through her.

When h
e realized she thought he was talking about her milk. He shook his head and motioned at it. “I didn’t mean wait to drink that, I meant wait something is on the edge of my memory.”

She
laughed and picked it up again while Mark thought about it, and then suddenly as if a light turned on, he announced, “I remember.”

He looked at the two of them and
grinned as if he had already told them what he found. Stewart had his arms crossed with his chair leaning back slightly, the front two legs off the floor.

“So, are you going to enlighten us or do we just get to watch you remembering?”

Befuddled for a moment, Mark finally realized that he hadn’t told them what he was thinking. “Sorry, I think I must have lost a few brain cells last night. I found a pyramid.”

“What? No way!
—” Stewart was so surprised by what Mark said that he lost his balance and the chair tipped over backwards; leaving him sprawled on the floor.

Ashlyn couldn’t quite stifle the laugh that escaped before she slapped her hand over her mouth.

Chapter 10

Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply

not giving the kiss the attention it deserves. — Albert Einstein

~

Stewart
regained his composure and put his seat in an upright position, but he remained unconvinced. Mark had a notorious habit of pulling his friend’s leg, and Stewart wasn’t going to buy into it this time.

Ashlyn did
n‘t know what to think. “Are you sure it was a pyramid?”

Stewart interrupted, “Ashlyn, he’s joking.”

Mark shot Stewart a look before answering her, “Well, I could only see the top of it; the rest was covered with sediment.”

Stewart
began laughing, “Okay, right! Embellish all you want but this time this fish ain’t biting.”

Mark was hurt.
Neither of them believed him. Of course, he probably wouldn’t have accepted what he was saying if he hadn’t seen it himself.

“I’m not joking. I saw the top of a pyramid. I brushed
away sediment as carefully as possible but couldn’t find any bottom.”

“
Don’t you think it could’ve been a naturally occurring rock that just happened to be that shape—” Ashlyn asked “—you said yourself that you only saw the top.”

He chewed on that for a moment. His memory was rather messed up. Maybe they were right. He tried to force his brain to reconstruct the images as carefully as possible.

“I’m sure it was a pyramid. At least it was that shape. As I said, I couldn’t find the bottom—” Mark met their disbelieving faces “—it was man-made, of that I am positive.”

They remained unconvinced.

“Come on guys”—Mark pressed—“I didn’t imagine it. Besides, it wouldn’t be the first pyramid found under the sea.”

“I’ve never h
eard about any undersea pyramid”—Ashlyn leaned forward—“where else have they found one?”

“There was one off the coast of Japan
—” he paused and then added “—and there is one near India as well.”

“Where did you hear that?” Stewart asked, still uncertain.

“On the Internet,” Mark answered defensively.

“Oh, well that’s proof positive
then”—Stewart retorted sarcastically—“everything on the Internet is true, right Ashlyn?”

He was being more argumentative than usual, but his weeklong tortuous ordeal had made him unable to hold anything back.

I think he’s serious Stewart,” Ashlyn responded.

“Of course I’m serious
you guys”—frustration invaded Mark’s voice—“honestly, of all the people that I would expect to believe me, it would be the two of you.”

“Okay, you think you saw a pyramid. I’m not calling you a liar, but it was dark
, and then—” Stewart hesitated “—you did have a near-death experience immediately afterwards.”

“P
eople dive around here all the
time”
—Ashlyn said—
“wouldn’t
someone have found it before?”

“Actually, there have been several people who have reported seeing pyramids under the water in this
area”
—Mark answered—
“and
then there is the Bimini Road, which is well documented.”

“The Bimini Road has not been proven to be a man-made
formation”
—Stewart interjected—
“and
the people who have reported finding pyramids are almost always the ones claiming to have been abducted by aliens too.”

“I’ll show you
,” Mark declared. “We can dive down today and—”

“Wait one minute
. There is no way I am going to let you dive today”—she interrupted—“you almost drowned last night.”

“What, y
ou're my mother now?” His sharp retort stung, and she looked away.

They
were
all silent a moment before she said anything. “I’m not trying to mother you! You know perfectly well that you have to wait for a minimum of twenty-four hours before diving again—” her voice broke a bit “—you’re lucky you didn’t die last night.”

“I’ll be alright,
” he said, not willing to give in quite yet.

She was incredulous, “
Even if you want to risk your own life, you need to think about the fact that we are putting our lives on the line here also. Just twenty-four hours, please.”

Realizing that
she was right, he reluctantly agreed.

Stewart, still unconvinced, just shook his head.

“Okay, Stewart, I saw something that looked like a pyramid. People are trying to kill me because there is something down there that they don‘t want me to see. Do you have an explanation?”

“If there is a pyramid down there
, and I mean
if
—” Stewart emphasized “—why would it be such a big secret anyway? Answer me that?”

“If there is one thing I
am certain of, it’s that the powers that be, don’t like people having proof of things that they say are impossible—” Ashlyn suggested “—However, I‘m not sure it would be enough to kill for. Overall, I suppose the possibility makes it worth checking, just not today.”

“How much time do you think we have before
Dierdra decides to try to kill me again?” Mark asked.

“That I can’t answer
—” Ashlyn said somberly “—I have no idea why she would be trying to kill you in the first place.”

“Okay
, it’s settled then. We wait twenty-four hours, and then the two of you can take turns going down there with me—” Mark pressed “—I will show you.”

Ashlyn agreed, but Stewart was still fighting the idea. “I say we get out of here as fast as possible so that
Dierdra can’t find us.”

“I’m not leaving!” Mark
said. Frustrated and angry, he went downstairs to try to find a TV signal again.

Stewart
turned to Ashlyn, “You can’t be taking this seriously?”

“There is a lot that we don’t y
et understand about many things, and the ocean is a very big place.”

“I don’t know,”
he said uncertainly.

“You trust Mark, don’t you?”

Insulted, Stewart said, “You know I do. I trust him with my life.”

“Then why are you so sure that there isn’t a pyramid down there?”

“I guess—” he studied his hands for a moment before he met her eyes “—if there weren’t ample proof that the pyramids above the water existed, I might have trouble believing in them too.”

She nodded her understanding.

“I suppose it’s as possible as anything else. Did you know that there was a Greek historian named Herodotus, who claimed that the Egyptians had some sort of lifting device?” he asked her.

“No, I don’t know much about the pyramids.”

“Each stone weighs about two and a half tons,” he told her.

“Where did you learn about it?”

Stewart cringed at his own answer. “The Internet—” he changed the subject “—I’ll help you clean up.”

He
had just started picking up the dishes when Mark ran back up to the galley.

“Ashlyn
—” he asked excitedly “—I don’t know what language they speak in Madagascar, but is it one of the ones you know?”

Stewart raised an eyebrow.

“Malagasy”—she answered—“sure.”

Stewart’s mouth dropped.

“Listen—” Mark was speaking rapidly “—I finally found a connection, and I can read Madagascar on a line at the bottom of the screen, but I have no idea what they are saying.”

“Why in the world do you care what
someone in Madagascar is saying?” Stewart asked.

“I don’t have time to
explain”
—Mark motioned—
“just
follow me.”

The three went down to his stateroom.

“What is—” Stewart began.

Mark cut him off, “Shush, l
et her listen.”

Ashlyn watched for a second
, and then informed them, “It’s some kind of news show. They are talking about—” she listened again “—more people vanishing with no explanation.” She shook her head, bewildered.

“Are you sure you are translating that correctly?” Mark asked.

“Sure, it’s perfectly clear; I mean the language is, but what they are saying doesn’t make …wait—” she focused her attention again “—they think the cause of some downed airplane near Portugal was that the island the plane was supposed to land on actually moved?”

“That
can’t be right—” Stewart interrupted “—Mark do you believe this? That makes less sense than an underwater pyramid.”

“Be quiet,” Mark said.

Ashlyn held up her hand to block out their interference. “In other news—” she continued “—authorities report that they still have no information on why they have ….”

She didn’t finish, but her
expression changed visibly. She listened intently until the news story ended, and the show changed. She continued to stare at the screen, but now her brow was furrowed, and she reached up and rubbed her chin.

“
What …what is it? …What did they say?” Mark prodded.

She
faced him slowly.

“What
did they say?” he demanded.

Ashlyn shook her head in disbelief. “They said they still don’t know why the world has lost
all communications with the United States, and Canada.”

“Will you guys please tell me what is going on?
—” Stewart asked completely lost “—How do you know that language. You’re translation doesn’t sound …Well, it can’t be right.”

“Apparently,
that EMP last night—” she motioned with her hands “—the one that knocked out Mark’s rebreather and the lights was from something really bad. The entire world has lost communication with almost all of North America, including Internet, phone, and satellite communications.”

Mark sat down on the bed, nearly
missing it.

“What do you mean
…lost communication?” Stewart asked bewildered, but she didn’t answer and Mark had gone silent.

“Maybe
—” Mark finally spoke “—well …maybe it’s not there anymore.”

“Do you mean—” Stewart’s face drained of color “—the EMP was from a nuclear war or ….”
he drifted off and they all stood there silent, contemplating the implications.

After a few minutes, Mark began slowly,
“I don’t think so, an accident maybe, but a war? No, there would be more evidence of that; besides, who would the war have been with, Canada? They didn’t mention anything about other countries, right?”

She nodded her affirmation.

“I suspect it has more to do with the dramatic solar activity we have been experiencing,” he suggested.

“
Could that stop even Internet communications?” she asked.

“No, I don’t think that would be possible.
However, if the EMP was massive enough, it could have knocked out many of the Internet relay stations making it nearly impossible to connect—temporarily.”

“Those systems are tremendously redundant
—” Stewart disagreed “—and I don’t think an EMP could knock out enough of them.”

Mark opened his mouth and shook his head in dismay.
“I don’t have any plausible explanation, but I know that the solar storms we have been having have been more intense than any since we’ve had electronic communications. There’s no way to know what problems they might cause. Plus, we could have lost some satellites. That is always a danger with bad space weather.”

“I suppose you’re
right”—Stewart conceded—“if the electric grid was knocked out, plus a few satellites, maybe it would account for no Internet.”

Ashlyn looked more hopeful.
“If that were the case then they would just have to wait until they get the power back on, right?”

Mark met her eyes. “
If the grid got knocked out that completely it might realistically take years to get it back up—” he let out a deep breath “—we’ll just have to wait and see.”

***

The
extreme disasters the night before had multiplied into a domino effect of unstoppable and unforeseen events, which no amount of preparation could have forestalled. Beyond the nuclear plant meltdowns, and the nuclear blast in Florida, the cascade of calamities continued. Some adjacent chemical building explosions created a floating torrent of destruction from the infamous Chemical Alley in New Jersey, so named for the large amount of dangerous chemicals produced there.

Massive amounts of chlorine gas erupted into the air. Storms generated from the sudden, random changes from low pressure to high pressure pushed the noxious clouds hundreds of miles to the southwest, raining down death, destruction, and indescribable devastation on the masses. Its path led it directly over Washington, D.C., and with ruthless disregard for political power or prestige, it left the bulk of the remaining United States government dead or dying.