2042: The Great Cataclysm (42 page)

The army was to send a jeep for Dave that afternoon and Karen reluctantly packed a bag.

Veronica came to her room. ‘I can see you’re still in shock over Brian’s death. I also know you didn’t love him.’

‘What?’

‘C’mon Karen I’m not blind.’ She leaned against the door with her arms folded.

‘No…you’re wrong, I did love him...but not as a lover. We hadn’t made love in two years.’

‘I didn’t pick up on that. However,
I
a
m
picking up the sparks between you and Nick.’

Karen whacked some clothes into her case. ‘God Veronica, how can you say that? I thought you loved Brian too.’

‘I did, but he’s dead dear. You have to face it and move on with your life.’

‘Oh, I’ve faced it all right. I’ve thought of nothing else through this bloody catastrophe.’ Tears formed in her eyes.

‘You could do with a lot worse than Nick. He’s a real catch, he’s so handsome. If I was a few years younger…..’

Veronica took her in her arms and stroked her head. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t want to see you suffer like this. Nick’s a great guy, give him a chance okay? I also think Brian would want you two together, more so than that eye..talian doctor whose always mooning after you.’

Karen smiled. ‘Poor Alex. He’s just not my type. I don’t know how many times I’ve told him.’

‘Okay. Cheer up. Things can’t get much worse than what we’ve all just been through.’ She turned to leave.

‘Veronica. I’m glad you and Bill seem to be happy at last.’

‘Thanks dear, so am I.  So am I.’

***

There was no need for an oceanographer here so Nick helped out where he could, his muscles and a no-fear attitude helped to repel the frightened angry and lost people that besieged their refuge looking for food and shelter. They had taken in some of the women and children but the men were forced to move on which broke everyone’s hearts again; no-one knew how they would survive.  Nick travelled back to camp B where he managed to beg some army stretchers that he arranged in rows in Karen’s garage. They did not have enough clothing or bedding but were thankful for the warmer weather brought on by the disaster.

Alex threw himself into working eighteen-hours a day and became miserable, not because of the workload, but having come to the realisation that Karen would never be his. He had sensed the electricity building between her and Nick, and saw the way they looked at each other, even before they themselves understood, he saw they were destined to be together. He knew in his heart that he had lost her forever but somehow it was all right, perhaps he needed this catastrophe to shake him back to his senses and acknowledge where his concentration should be channelled. He was a good doctor and thankful that he had his profession to absorb his energies.

The next eight days were a blur of work for Karen. Nick stayed at Karen’s house standing guard over the survivors now living there and visited Camp B three times to get supplies. While there he made it his business to see Karen. Their meetings were brief and always in a crowded setting. The camp atmosphere was oppressive with so many refugees, primitive conditions and the unaccustomed heat advancing upon them.

‘We always complained about the winter.’ Karen remarked that last evening as they sat alone on the edge of camp. ‘I think it may have been less traumatic if the climate had remained normal. It seems so weird to be hot in June. I think it’s more unsettling than that water out there. We can see what has happened with the ocean, but what’s going to happen with the weather. Are the storms going to get worse?’

‘I’m not sure.’ Nick mused curling his moustache thinking he should have had a shave. ‘It could take a long time to settle down. If it ever does.’

‘At least we’d feel better in houses, but we may as well be outside as
in these tents
. Do you think people will be able to live in houses again Nick?’

‘Yeah I do. They’ll be primitive at first, there’s no building materials and nobody’s going down to the waterfront to salvage any of that debris, it’s too gruesome. Besides, the army have cordoned it off from the public. The human race is very industrious it won’t take very long for us to come up with ways.’

‘What about the sea? Will it ever recede?  It doesn’t appear to be changing very much.’

‘It’s still rising. There must be a huge amount of molten magma still spewing from the seabed in the north, and until that stops the ice caps will continue to melt.’

‘Everyone’s asking why it’s so hot. No-one’s saying. D’you know?’

‘I haven’t got proof, but I think the earth’s tilted and the axis has changed slightly. The seasons have been reversed because we’re no longer facing the sun at the same angle.’

‘My God! It gets worse, if that’s possible. D’you think there’ll be more earthquakes?’

‘That I don’t know. These were rare. It was a combination of nature and man’s interference.  Let’s hope that we’ve learned a lesson. We can’t keep abusing our planet and expect no repercussions. Maybe this was a warning.’

‘Some warning!  I’d hate to see anything worse than that. I’ll have nightmares for the rest of my life. Maybe it is a lesson. We need to develop a bigger respect for nature’s power. All our so-called safe buildings just crumbled like plastic toys, except the Phoenix.’

‘Well, I think it’s probably certain that we’ll never build like that again. Besides the lack of materials, people will be hesitant to construct high density living. You’re right, we have been taught a lesson, I just hope we’re smart enough to listen.’

The Platypus should be here tomorrow. Sam called me yesterday. I can’t wait, even if it means facing that holocaust down there again.’

‘What’re you going do, are you going back to the States to get Laura?’

‘No, it’s over between us. Was long before this happened.’

‘How do you feel about that?’ Karen asked, secretly pleased.

‘It was never meant to be, too many opposing factors. Funny, but after everything that’s happened it seems insignificant.’ Nick was surprised that he could talk about Laura with such little emotion.  He had pushed her from his conscious thoughts since the day he told the world about the coming cataclysm. He had another life now, another world, a new frightening world to be sure, and he felt confident and optimistic.

‘I’ve decided to stay here. Dave wants me to work with him, says he can use my outfit as a supply ship for people stranded all along the coastline. It’s not what she was built for, but what the heck, times have changed. Maybe I have to change. Not sure what we’ll do about the Bunyip though, probably put her in mothballs. Perhaps later on there’ll be a need to do some more research, I’ll worry about her then.’

He left Karen that night reluctantly, but with a new optimism and a new insight into his feelings. 

***

The next day back at the house Nick paced the verandah, binoculars in hand, eyes fixed to the horizon in search of the white hull of the Platypus. Bill remarked that he was like a caged lion waiting for his supper of fresh red meat. Many boats and the occasional ship plied the sea, drifting, waiting for some direction, with no place to go, their purpose no longer valid. Nick imagined the turmoil their captain’s were experiencing; lost, uninformed, frightened, waiting for permission to land, wondering what was ahead of them.

She was hardly a speck on the horizon when Nick spotted her tell-tale gantry riding high on the sea like a majestic white whale with its tail perched in the air. He whooped and leapt about excitedly like a child on Christmas morning confronted by Santa Clause’s bounty. With heart pumping and nerves tingling he called to Bill. ‘She’s here, she’s here. Thank God!’  He realised she was his life, his salvation, the thing that he’d worked all his life for was coming home to him, and in one piece! Impulsively he jumped into the jeep without saying goodbye to Bill and Veronica and grinding the gears, found himself tearing off to find Karen and tell her the news, oblivious to the rough dusty track that he had bitterly complained of each time he crossed it.

She was by her tent and having just come off night duty was tired and miserable when she saw the dust clouds approaching across the compound. The jeep shuddered to halt, throwing stones and dirt into the air, and Nick alighted with an exuberance she hadn’t seen for a long time. He ran to her laughing, clapping his hands together, and without pausing clasped her around the waist, his face inches from hers and his brown eyes glistening. He swung her around in circles, chanting.

‘She’s here, she’s here my dear!’ 

Karen thought he had gone mad.

‘Put me down!’ she demanded. ‘What on earth are your doing?’

He conceded to her request and stopped, and holding her at arm’s length gazed searchingly into her face.‘The Platypus, she’s out there! It’s the most wonderful sight you could see. That big white wonderful ship. Don’t you see, everything’s okay now!’ Then he stopped chattering, and a sombre change came over him. He stepped back, kicking at the barren soil, and stared at his feet, avoiding her gaze.

‘I’ve come to say goodbye. Dave’s got plans for us that don’t include staying around here. There’s so much work to be done in Brisbane and farther north. We’re going to take supplies up the coast and look for survivors.’  He looked up to see tears welling in her purple eyes. Impulsively he grabbed her shoulders and kissed her, tasting a salty tear that had dropped onto her lips. An unexplainable shock cascaded through him enveloping his body, stirring his groin, sucking at his inner being until he groaned. Reluctantly he pushed her away unable to speak. Her face registered what she was feeling; mouth open, lips swollen, pupils dilated, she too was rendered speechless. He turned abruptly and walked back to the jeep afraid to look at her again. As he started the motor he chanced one last look. She was smiling broadly.

‘I think you’re going to need a nurse on the Platypus, there’ll be injured people in those small pockets of survivors?’ She yelled above the rattle of the motor.

Nick stared in disbelief, he had considered asking her but the courage had eluded him. It was more than he hoped for. Without speaking he grinned and waved her toward the jeep. ‘Take me back to the house so I can tell Uncle Bill.’ She ordered, climbing in beside him.

Surprisingly, Bill and Veronica took the news without the usual tirade of advice. Of course it was too early to discuss their feelings, and Nick let them think it was a working relationship. Veronica knew better, so did Karen, her decision had not come lightly. She had been unable to think of little else since the episode at the Phoenix, when she had been standing on the roof wishing Bobby would throw her off.

Nick called Graham to ferry them out to the ship, he didn’t want to put Karen through that traumatic experience of negotiating the debris below again. Veronica drove them back to camp B where she and Bill said teary goodbyes to them and where Graham was waiting to fly them out to the Platypus. They had shared so much together and it was a gut wrenching goodbye. They promised to send messages when they could, and Veronica cried.

As they walked to Liberty Karen said to Nick, ‘I wish I could stop this bloody crying. It’s all I seem to do lately.’

Nick didn’t reply, his eyes were fixed to Platypus.

Sam waited on the Veto pad on deck with two soldiers, his huge grin hidden by a face mask.  ‘Welcome home boss.’ He said after Graham lowered them in slings from the Veto. ‘These guys tole me about this, they made me wear a mask, but Jesus. I’ve never seen anything so…..’

‘Get us out of here Sam.’ Nick said as they all ducked away from the Veto as Graham lifted of and waved goodbye.

Karen tried to think about Sean, but no matter how hard she tried the ghost would not appear and she understood with a thankful calmness that it had gone forever.

‘It’s not going to be easy.’ Nick said. ‘Life at sea can be very challenging, and we’ll be heading into things that will test our fortitude.’

‘We’ll be one big family and we can help people, that’s all that matters now.’ Karen said. ‘It’ll be nothing after what we’ve just come through.’ Looking out to sea she smiled wistfully as the Platypus’s engines pulsated beneath her feet and they glided gracefully north over the gentle green swell.

The End||