Footprints of Thunder (19 page)

“There would be geologic, or fossil records, of such an event,” Gogh insisted.

“There might be such evidence, but without a disciplinary matrix that includes time displacement as part of the theoretical basis such evidence would be explained in terms of existing theory, or dismissed as a theoretical anomaly. One example that comes to mind is the finding of human footprints in the same rock that carries dinosaur footprints. We have assumed that the footprints could not be human because humans and dinosaurs did not exist in the same era. Instead of trying to understand how humans and dinosaurs might have ended up together, we hypothesize an unknown dinosaur that makes a human-looking footprint.”

“There was such a dinosaur,” Gogh interrupted.

“There was a dinosaur that made a footprint that did resemble a human’s, yes. But to explain the human-looking footprint found in the riverbed rock, you have to add erosion. Enough erosion to remove the foreclaws.”

“It is a reasonable hypothesis,” Gogh persisted.

“Reasonable, yes, but Occam’s razor tells us to take the simplest explanation, and “that is that those are human footprints.”

“It’s not simpler at all. Putting humans and dinosaurs together violates a century of research supporting the theory of evolution.”

“Not if time displacement had occurred. Some dinosaurs could have been displaced and for a short time coexisted with humans.”

While Nick was talking, Elizabeth whispered in the President’s ear. This time he waved his hand at her in dismissal.

“Dr. Paulson, you mentioned time displacement,” the President said. “What is it you are talking about?”

Nick was surprised by the question. It was clear to him what had happened because he had a theory that allowed him to organize the bits and pieces of evidence. But the meeting’s various reports dealt with the impact, not the event.

“Yes, sir. I believe that the best way to describe the situation is time displacement. Sections of our present have been replaced by sections of the past. Think about the reports: sections of land suddenly snow covered, deserts, lava flows, tundra, jungle—all could be from our past.”

“But snow is certainly common enough even in this age, and lava, and desert. I see nothing that requires us to assume any kind of time disruption. Why not topographical displacement?”

“There are also reports of dinosaurs.”

Everyone at the table straightened up and began murmuring. Nick looked around the table. All the officials were talking to their aides, or one another about the dinosaurs.

The President spoke first. “I’ve seen no reports of dinosaurs. Where are there reports of dinosaurs, Elizabeth? Sam? What’s this about dinosaurs?”

“I don’t know where Dr. Paulson got that, Mr. President,” Cannon said. Then he resumed whispering with his aide.

Everyone turned to Nick. Nick decided not to mention the radio talk show.

“It is an unconfirmed report, sir, but it would be consistent with time displacement. I would like to pursue it further.”

“Dinosaurs,” the President mused, “imagine that. Dinosaurs.” Elizabeth whispered in his ear again and he roused himself from his reverie.

“Dr. Paulson, please pursue your theory, and somebody find out about those dinosaurs! Sam, I want to see even the unconfirmed reports. Elizabeth will arrange the next meeting. In the meantime I would like all of you to continue to gather as much information as possible and begin to formulate a plan to deal with what has happened.”

“Deal with it, sir?” Nick asked in surprise.

“Yes. I want a plan to reverse what has happened.”

The President tossed his twisted paper clip onto the table and it skittered toward Nick, who collapsed back into his seat, expelling his breath. The President had seen too many bad science-fiction movies. This wasn’t some invasion from outer space where some generic “scientist” would create a deus ex machina to make everything right again. This was the real world, even with time, space, and the entire universe altered.

Nick sat at the table long after the others had left, thinking about his own theory. If he was right, it was a new world now. Would the old rules of civilization apply in a crazy quilt world of the ancient and the modem? The dinosaurs had ruled their world as surely as humans did theirs. What would happen when they met? What was happening?

20. Into The Forest

I found my sister, Wilhemina, burned to death in her bed in our home in Whitley Bay. The bedclothes were unscorched and there were no signs of fire anywhere else in the house. The police suspect me, hut only the devil himself could burn a person to charcoal and not set the bed on fire.

—
Margaret Dewar, March 22,1908

The Newtonian, Einsteinian, and quantum views each approached the universe in a unique way, but all agree that human needs, and wants, are not considered as the laws of physics are played out. So it was that as the effect wrought havoc across the planet, it did so remorselessly. Some children staying with grandparents or friends were whisked away, leaving parents with no clue where to look, and with no hope. Fathers and mothers away on business trips never returned, or had nothing to return to. Parents separated because of strife, could never reconcile—too much time and space between them. People out late found no home to return to, and those at home waited in vain for loved ones to return.

But as ruthless as the effect was with human feelings, it was almost gentle in its dealings with the physical. No person or animal was halved or quartered by the effect, nor was a single finger or limb lost. Time, space, and matter, three forms of the same force, interact, so that the effect wrapped around each cell of each organism. Plants were removed in their entirety, taking even capillary roots. People and animals were taken whole too, existing from then on only in the memories of the survivors.

Inorganic matter was treated as gently, the effect respecting continuity and wholeness. Cars along the effect lines were taken, but towed trailers or boats were left. Streets ended in neat lines, as if the road had been broken off, but at the break the gravel making up the asphalt was still whole. Brick and wooden structures fared as
well, with whole bricks, and whole boards gone, but no severed boards or smashed blocks. Most structures disappeared intact, roof to subbasements , but in some coses huge segments were taken from walls or foundation, and the remaining building collapsed.

As amazing as the effect was, it was not all powerful. The effect could not penetrate deep into the earth, and vessels or structures deep under water escaped. Instead the replacing land was stitched together with the new topography according to some unfathomable physical laws. Grasslands layered over flat surfaces evenly, but on hilly or rocky terrain, it tore or fit loosely, like a rumpled throw rug. Forests that appeared fared the worst, with many trees poorly rooted. Forests deposited on steep surfaces often collapsed like dominoes, the trees bringing one another down. Perhaps the shallow-rooted sequoias fared best, settling into their new home with dignity and majesty.

East of Newberg, Oregon

PostQuilt: Sunday, 6:30
A.M.
PST

C
ubby and John were sitting in the van waiting for Ripman to return. John was fiddling with the radio, but he wasn’t picking up anything he could make out, and he certainly wasn’t picking up any of the Portland stations. Cubby was mumbling to himself, with his eyes closed and his head bowed. John guessed he was praying—like he’d been ever since Ripman took off down the hill toward Newberg. John hoped Ripman would return soon. Everything was clearer when Ripman was around. “Of course there hadn’t been a second coming of Jesus-what’s-his-name. This is just some kind of avalanche, or volcanic eruption,” he would say with such certainty that John would believe him. John needed to believe him.

John often found himself between Cubby, the immovable rock, and Ripman, the irresistible force, and not only on metaphysical matters. Their confidence extended to all their decisions, whether it was picking a road to take, or classes to fill in their schedule. John envied their sureness and resented being blown about. Still, he comforted himself knowing that somehow he was the glue that held the threesome together. Cubby and Ripman never went anywhere without him.

John had heard his dad talk about his patients often enough to know Cubby was experiencing an anxiety attack. Cubby was severely depressed, and scared. He was breathing rapidly and sweating, his only sounds were rapidly mumbled prayers for forgiveness. He wouldn’t respond to John and was losing touch with the world around him, drifting into a place no one would be able to reach him. John was scared too, but not immobilized by it like Cubby, who had convinced himself of the worst. John still had hope, or its cousin, doubt.

Now he walked down the road toward town, to get away from Cubby’s incessant praying—there was something particularly pitiful when a guy as big as Cubby was so terrified.

It was nearly dawn when John spotted Ripman coming up the road, carrying a big load. He stopped twice on his way up the hill. John met him part way, and helped him. Ripman had three of everything—stuffed packs, bows, quivers of arrows, and canteens.

“Where did you get all this, Ripman? You stole it, didn’t you?”

“I midnight requisitioned it from the sporting goods store.”

“Jeez, guns would have been better, Ripman.”

“You don’t run out of ammunition with a bow. Besides, the guns were chained up. How’s Cubby doing?”

“About the same, but at least he’s not getting any worse. I think that’s a good sign.”

“Don’t you know? Your dad’s a shrink, ya know.”

“Up yours, Ripman! I’m not my dad.”

Ripman ignored him and walked over to Cubby, dropping his share of the booty on the ground. “All right, Cubby, it will be light soon. I’m going to prove to you that this isn’t the second coming and there hasn’t been any rapture.”

Cubby stopped mumbling his prayers and looked up at Ripman, eyes puffy, and tear streaks on his face.

“How are you going to prove it, Ripman? It couldn’t he anything else,” he said with resignation.

“First of all, Newberg is still full of people. They’re in there digging through the wreckage.”

“That only proves how ignorant you are, Ripman. God isn’t going to take sinners in the rapture, only the followers of Christ. Of course there will still be people around, the sinners. It’s my fault, I let you guys down. I knew the path to follow and I didn’t even try to follow it myself, let alone show you two. Now we’ve got to face the tribulation.”

Ripman blew out a deep breath. “Cubby, use your head. It’s the road that disappeared, not the people.”

Cubby looked back at the forest, confusion edging out a little of the fear. Ripman saw the opening and pressed on.

“I’m not saying I believe in this rapture stuff, but if I did I don’t think God would want whores and drunks.”

“Of course God would want them! Ripman, you really don’t know anything about Christianity at all. God wants anyone who repents, confesses their sin, and asks Jesus into their hearts.”

“Cubby, do you remember that strip joint we passed on the way here? It had a big sign outside that said NUDE-GIRLS-NUDE. There were pickup trucks parked all around it. Would God take those people? If they were there, they hadn’t repented right?”

“No … I wouldn’t think so.”

“Damn right, God wouldn’t want them. So let’s go see. It’s only a few miles from here. If the strip joint’s gone then I’m right and you have to shut up about this rapture crapola.”

John could see hope in Cubby’s face, and some of the tough look started to come back. Hiking into the forest to the strip joint was something to do, and John was pretty sure his dad would approve of occupation therapy. Cubby was already drawing strength from the idea.

Ripman had them divide up the supplies. They all ended up with portions of energy bars and trail mix. Everyone had a hunting knife and sheath, John carried a snake bite kit, and Ripman had a first aid kit. Everyone got a compass, a space blanket, disposable flashlight, and matches. The light from the sun wasn’t filtering to the floor of the forest yet, so they spent time practicing with the bows. John had never used a bow like the one stolen by Ripman. As a kid, he’d learned the shooting basics with a fiberglass bow, but these new ones had pulleys on each end, and the string wound back and forth, making three places to notch your arrow.

John wasn’t surprised to find that Ripman was proficient with his bow. He showed John and Cubby how to hold the bows, and shoot. The arrows were definitely for hunting, with wicked-looking steel triangles for heads. Ripman pulled his bow back, aimed at a piece of cardboard along the road forty feet away, and shot the arrow smack into the target. John went next and found pulling this bow harder than his old fiberglass one.

“Come on, you wuss,” Ripman prodded.

John’s arm was shaking, and he still hadn’t pulled the bowstring all the way back to his ear. Suddenly his arm snapped the rest of the way back, and he saw Ripman smiling.