Overture (Earth Song) (29 page)

Mindy
ran up to their apartment and fumbled for her keys. The door opened from the inside and Billy was standing there with that devilish grin of his. “I’ve got food,” she said and handed him the bag. He took it and the bottles of beer and placed them in the small refrigerator.

“
The food can wait,” he said and turned back around. Mindy already had her top off and was unhooking her bra. “God I love a direct woman,” he moaned and went to her. She got her panties down just as he took her in his arms. With shaking hands she got his pants unbuttoned as he lifted her into his arms. Billy carried her into her bedroom and laid her down on the bed. In moments they were lost in each other’s bodies.

Later,
when she emerged from the shower, Billy had already laid out the food that she had brought, cold beers next to each place. “Mind if I call Harold in from downstairs? He’s probably pretty lonely down there.”

“
No problem, I think we’re done for now.” She laughed and headed over to the window. After she opened it she could see Harold sitting by himself on the bench below.

“
Hey you lovable hippie, get up here,” she called three floors down. Before long all three of them were sitting at the table. Harold had finished his food but he kept them company while they ate by working on another beer.

“
Things are getting a little better in the city,” Billy told them once they were through eating. “I’ve seen a drop in violent crime, the kind of stuff people do when they either don’t give a shit or figure there’s no long term consequences. Since that space ship headed out to destroy Lebowski, things have started looking up. I think the end of the Followers of the Avatar had something to do with that too. Doomsday cults can’t help the general feeling of well-being.”

“
I wish people would stop calling that asteroid ‘Lebowski,” Harold complained.

“
It’s a little weird, I agree,” Mindy said.

“
One of the Aries crewmen named it and the press ran with it,” Billy explained. He had far more time to watch TV then the others. “Besides, it does look like a bowling pin. That mission feels like everyone’s best hope.”

Harold
and Mindy looked at each other but remained quiet. She hadn’t told Billy about her secret fears that the Aries mission was just a distraction. “That’s good to hear,” she said with a big smile. “I’m going to get a look through the Portal in a few days.”

“
Really? That should be fascinating. I don’t think I’d be too eager to see that thing. Too many people have died over it, even if it could be an escape route. Besides, we might not need it with Aries.” Mindy sipped her beer and marveled at the government’s plan. Even someone like Billy was at least partially sold on their deception.

They
all sat on the couch watching TV. It was becoming their evening ritual. Later, when Harold and Mindy went to their separate beds Billy would leave and go back to his condo. She wished he would stay.

They
usually didn’t watch the news, it was often too depressing. That night there was some special items that made them stay tuned when the usual sitcoms and cop shows were concluded. The top story was the same as it had been for days. The Israeli-Arab war was still raging. UN representatives had descended on Tel-Aviv searching for evidence that bio weapons had been employed. More than a million Israelis were now sick and tens of thousands dead. A certain ex-president was there stomping around and saying any bio weapons were certainly those used by the Jews. While the Israelis had succeeded in pushing the Arabs back and gained some breathing room, this was the morning the first of the Iranian commandos arrived.

As
the reporter spoke on screen you could see flashes of light and hear the thumps of distant explosions. The reporter was explaining that twice the Arabs had managed to get artillery within range only to have it destroyed by the IDF. This time the Arab armies were moving up in force and would be set up within the hour. Tanks with the Star of David had tried unsuccessfully three times to storm the positions. They were running out of time. The reporter said the military feared another chemical attack. There were scattered reports that the prime minister had succumbed to smallpox and the military was now in charge.

They
watched the broken reports of huge formations of Arab tanks gathering outside Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem. The ancient surplus Arab tanks were little match for the modern IDF monsters, but the Israelis were running low on ammunition. The reporter said he felt the end was near. Suddenly the camera showed a flight of Israeli jets rocketing low over the city. With practiced precision they broke formation and went in different directions. Smoke trails in the sky showed missiles racing up to intercept the fighters. Several of the missiles found their marks and fighters burst into flames. “This new fighter counter attack by the Israeli Defense Force seems to be bypassing the frontal elements of the Arab armies,” stated the reporter for the viewing audience. “I’m not sure what they might be targeting, but rest assured we will report once-” the report was cut off as just to one side of the camera a blinding flash lit the screen and then the entire picture dissolved into static.

The
picture stayed blank for a minute before a confused news anchor from the local New York affiliate appeared, still hastily attaching his microphone. “W-we are uncertain what has just happened outside of Tel-Aviv. We have scattered reports of huge explosions. Wait, I’m being told we have another camera view from inside of Tel-Aviv. We’re going live with our correspondent, Jane Black.”

The
image changed and showed a stunned-looking female reporter in stylishly cut camouflage fatigues standing on a rooftop. She was quite excited and could barely speak. “You need to look,” she gasped in heavily accented English, “I don’t have words for what we’re seeing!” The cameraman panned to look out away from the city. Blooming in the desert was a perfectly formed mushroom cloud climbing rapidly into the sky. The camera moved to another direction and found a second mushroom cloud, then a third. “They’ve used nuclear weapons!” screamed the reporter, now completely hysterical. “The Arab-Israeli war has just-” She never finished her sentence; another blinding flash of light turned the view to static. As the image switched back to the local anchor, her hideous screams echoed in their ears.

“
I think the shit just hit the fan,” Mindy said. A second later the building shuddered as the New Delhi shock wave reached New York City. Then the lights went out.

"What the fuck is going on?" Volant screamed into his phone. He had been in physical therapy when the building lurched and the water in the whirlpool sloshed onto the floor. When the lights went out many of the other patients screamed in terror. Volant ignored the pain from his stitched stomach and pulled himself from the whirlpool to retrieve his bath kit, and the compact .40 caliber Glock concealed there.

The
emergency lights came on, casting their dim spotlights across the physical therapy room and illuminating all the frightened faces. Volant's therapist, a skinny guy he was sure was queer, turned and saw his patient was out of the tub and gave Volant a stern shake of his finger.

Volant
rolled onto his side so the man could see the weapon he was holding. "Just get me into the wheelchair, Tinkerbell."

"Well!"
he harrumphed and came to help him. He also never took his eyes off the firearm. In no time he was in his room and grabbing his cell phone to call Steve Harper. The temporary commander of Volant's section answered immediately and listened to Volant's questions.

"We
don't know what happened yet," Steve told him. "I got a message from the CIA about an hour ago that something had happened in India. No specifics were provided. All the seismometers in the region have been knocked out. The analyst I spoke to said it looked like some kind of an explosive shockwave." Volant wondered how big a blast had to be to shake buildings halfway around the world.

"What
about the power loss?"

"Someone
just handed me a page on that." There was the sound of rustling pages as the other man read. "New York Power & Light is reporting that a semi-truck slid off the road during that shock and hit a high tension line. Power should be back up inside of two hours.”

“
This is creating opportunities. I want you to beef up the cordon around the Portal City so no one takes advantage. There might still be more Followers of the Avatar around.”

“
Some, but not many. We nabbed almost three hundred. Based on our interrogations of the survivors that only leaves about a hundred at large. Probably the less radicalized elements of the cult. Just about every one of them that had the balls to pick up a gun is dead or in jail. I even have testimony that this Victor person was killed in the final assault. Shot in the back shortly after he made it through the Portal.”

“
How many of them got through?”

“
Just him. The agent who capped him said he caught two or three rounds in the back. I doubt he survived.”

“
Well, there’s some good news anyway.”

It
was quiet for a moment, more papers shuffling. “Oh shit, things overseas are stepping up a level,” he said finally.

“
What happened?”

“
News of the Arab-Israeli war; just a few minutes before this tremor hit the Israelis used nuclear weapons against the Arabs.”

“
You’re right; that is most definitely stepping it up a level.”

“
Early reports are that three or four bombs detonated near Tel-Aviv, and one near Jerusalem.”

“
What does the CIA threat assessment say about the number of nukes in their arsenal as of this morning?”

“
Twenty-nine yesterday, now a maximum of twenty-five. One news report in Tel-Aviv saw the fighters arrive carrying those bombs and said at least half of them were shot down before they could deploy their weapons. I’d say we saw about half of their arsenal being spent in one fell swoop.”

“
This means a general escalation of the hostilities.”

“
Sure, but if you’re asking me I’d say the rag heads had it coming. Our people confirmed that bio weapons were used days ago. I’m impressed they waited this long.”

“
It wasn’t restraint, it’s timing. They have nothing to lose; their backs are against the wall so they waited to use them to maximum effect.”

“
You believe the Egyptian intel that said the Israelis stole the Cairo Portal?”

“
Makes perfect sense for them, the Jews I mean. Look at the way they’re acting. I’d have used a nuke or two early on after the bio weapon attack, and not waited until the barbarians were at the gates so the fallout hits your own troops. No, watch for more mushrooms to be blooming soon. They’re settling some old debts before the curtain falls.”

“
Waxing poetic in your old age, boss?”

“
Maybe. Look, I'm getting out of here tomorrow morning whether they like it or not.”

“
You can’t walk yet, can you?”

“
No, I can’t. But I can drive a wheelchair with the best of them. If I wait until I'm one hundred percent this will all be over with. I need to get back into the mix. Oh, check my office and see if anyone has delivered a package, will you? I’ve been expecting one from an aid in DC.”

“
Sure, I’ll check. I’ll also let the troops know you’re going to be back tomorrow. Osgood has been pushing to reestablish contact with the other side.”

“
He’s right. Tell the eggheads we’ll send through another volunteer, and let’s make it a scientist.”

“
Did I hear you right?”

“
Yep. We need to know more about that planet and the soldiers have obviously hit their limits. Osgood will probably wet his diaper.”

“
No doubt about that. I’ll send a Humvee to pick you up tomorrow morning.” Volant put the phone down on his nightstand. With some effort he managed to get from the wheelchair and into his bed.

“
My nurse is going to be pissed,” he chuckled as he adjusted his pillows. He was feeling better every day and in his opinion he was ready to leave the hospital. He’d been out of action far too long. Outside he could hear the sounds of sirens and gunshots. New York, what a town.

Leo Skinner closed his computer and looked out the window. New York City was still dark and the streets echoed with gun shots and screams. He was only a block from Central Park with its quietly waiting Portal and that lessened his fear. The report from his people at NASA wasn’t helping his rising sense of panic. Aries was getting closer by the day to the asteroid nicknamed Lebowski. Close enough now to make some startling observations.

“
What was initially taken to be random outgassing has to now be considered purposeful course corrections,” Dr Landry had written from on board Aries. The material making up those outgassings appeared to be classic remnants from a refining process and included noble gases and some exotics. Landry went on to hypothesize that the inside of the asteroid was being mined or reshaped.