12 years ago
Sat Sep 01 2012, 12:15am
James was gazing off into space - quite literally - when the order came to evacuate. The staff at the Taillard Observatory had been on edge since a contact of theirs informed them of the likelihood of a catastrophe. That had been a few months ago, but the atmosphere had never lost its tension. If anything, it had gotten worse as tempers had gotten shorter and everyone more fidgety. The only thing that kept most of them sane was the sky. The astronomers found the moon and the stars, just space in general, to be comforting. Unless you asked Old Lady Sara, the wise woman who often visited the Observatory. Her tale seemed to some quite far-fetched, but to James it was a quite plausible tale, especially when the moon was full and its round orb filled the telescope. It was simple; on the moon there were machines that were capable of destroying the Earth.
It was this tale that James was considering when one of his colleagues, Miranda, switched the big light on and stood on the platform to make an announcement.
The gathered scientists had fallen into expectant scilence as soon as Miranda had appeared. She looked nervous, even more so than she usually did when she had to speek to large groups of people. Her bottom lip had dissappeared under the edge of her teeth, and James could see she was chewing it gently, as though that would make the words she needed sound. Some people had started to mutter curiously as they waited, but when she finally spoke, they fell silent immediately, the stress of expectation cutting through any friendly (or not so friendly) heckling they might otherwise have offered.
'They are set to test it in two weeks,' she said stiffly, her words clear despite the tremble of fear in her voice.
'It's not ready!' said the man beside James - a senior scientist called Doctor Dershaw (never Victor; he was very clear about that).
There was nobody to question what it was; they had all worked on the Sentinal project at some point. The Observatory was staffed by physisists and computer programers and engineeres, all the best in their fields.
'They won't connect the full program,' Miranda said, but her words were lost among the shouts of dismay and outrage that filled the room.
Mystic Guilden
12 years ago
Mystic Guilden
Mage
Much of the commotion was lost on James, who was distracted by his own thoughts.
Who could have given the okay for it to be used this early? Surely they understood the risk they were taking?
"Have they even taken any notice of the latest reports we've submitted!?" This was shouted by someone else close to James, but he failed to see who. "If they had, surely there would be no way to approve testing this soon!"
Out the corner of his eye, James saw Dr Dershaw nod emphatically.
"They won't connect the full program," Miranda tried again, but it was only slightly more audible than the first time.
James thought again about what Old Sara had been telling him about the Moon, which brought him to recall another conversation they'd had not long ago. It had been one of her off days, she had been agitated and looked like a lack of sleep had caught up with her, which made it easy to dismiss what she had told him. Now, in the face of this announcement, James began to wonder whether the prediction Sara had made was in fact possible.
Mystic Ward
12 years ago
Sun Sep 02 2012, 12:19pm
Mystic Ward
Twentyfamilies Gypsy
As Miranda tried to keep things under control, and field all the questions being thrown at her, James moved to the door behind the telescope. Surely the new program he'd been working on with Alison and Doctor Dershaw would be able to give them a clearer look at exactly was was being stored secretly up there. Perhaps Old Sara was right.
James knew about the bunkers of course; you couldn't work in this part of the world without driving past the huge KEEP OUT signs and the ridiculously armed security men on the gates each time you came and went. In fact the week before when he had returned to Taillard, there seemed to be more security than ever. What he didn't know was if one of those bunkers was the place they would be setting up the Sentinel Link. He thought he'd give his right arm to have any one of his hacker friends here; but they had all been caught up in the last sweep. God only knew where they were being kept.
He hit the button for the elevator and as the doors opened, he had to go down to the lower level of the complex to grab the program. If they had to evacuate they needed to take it with them.
Mystic Guilden
12 years ago
Sun Sep 02 2012, 02:51pm
Mystic Guilden
Mage
James exited the elevator on the lower level and made his way towards the room that had been set aside for him and his collaborators. In that room was a computer that would allow him access to the program in its entirety. It would be best stored on a data pad, but at that moment, James couldn't recall where he'd left his personal tablet. He hoped there was another on hand in one of the neighboring rooms.
Suddenly, someone stepped out of the doorway James was approaching and they careened into one another despite their evasive attempts.
"Sorry Alison," James said, taking a step back. "I thought everyone was upstairs."
Alison shook her head in response, and tapped the screen of the tablet she was holding.
"I already heard the announcement. I happened to be near Miranda's office when she was given the news."
Her tone was matter of fact, and she was still concentrating on the screen in her hands, but there was a slight ripple of unease beneath the surface.
"What are you doing?" James asked, tilting his head in an attempt to see what was on the screen.
Dreamweavers' Guildmistress
12 years ago
Dreamweavers' Guildmistress
Dreamscape Artist
"My guess would be the same thing you're planning." She lifted an eyebrow, daring him to contradict her. It didn't surprise James that she'd already made a copy of the program. But he was confident that wasn't all she'd done: there was something she was hiding.
He tried again to sneak a peek at the screen, but Alison had already shut the tablet down, and had likely locked it so securely it would take him weeks to open it up. He resigned himself to accepting her answer, for the moment. Realising she was waiting for him to respond, he nodded, "The program, yes. If we need to evacuate... well, I'd hate for everything to be lost. We've spent so much time working on it together -" He stopped himself, uncertain about where he was headed. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, she smiled at him.
"Well, I'll let you get back to work then. I'll see you upstairs." She walked passed him, and whilst she knew he watched her leave she didn't glace back at him once.
James stood in the empty hall, debating over what he should do now. He stayed there as the elevator at the end of the hall flicked upwards through the numbered floors, stopped at the top, then started back down again. Before they reached the fifth sublevel, which was James's floor, he returned to the lab he'd spent so much time working in for the past few months.
Good gracious, had it really been that long? He still had all the paperwork from his transfer to here from New Rome. He still had his copies of all the non-disclosure agreements and safety wavers they made him sign [i]we will not be responsible for accidental death or injury sustained during experiments so long as the following procedures for testing are followed.[i] As though he could sue without violating the non-disclosure agreement anyway. Besides; how injured could one get in an observatory?
Old Lady Sara's ominous stories flickered through his mind again, this time accompanied by a chill up his spine. What was it about her words that made him wish he could forget them, even as his mind insisted on recalling them with such explicit detail?
Mystic Ward
12 years ago
Mystic Ward
Twentyfamilies Gypsy
Realising that he was wasting time thinking of things that were not vital to the evacuation; and not wanting to get stuck on the lower levels if they turned the power off, James hurried to his desk and grabbed a flash drive out of the draw. He shoved the device into his computer and hit the download button. As the files transferred he grabbed up those papers he thought might be important and shoved them into a backpack he had left laying across his chair.
An announcement could be heard warning all staff members to make their way to the evacuation point. James cursed and willed the computer to hurry with the download.
At last the files were done and for good measure James hit a couple of keys to start a total wipe and reformat of the system. No-one needed to know what else he'd been working on if they ever got to come back.
Dreamweavers' Guildmistress
12 years ago
Dreamweavers' Guildmistress
Dreamscape Artist
The computer flashed up with a message asking him to confirm the reformat, to which James hastily answered yes. Once that was under way he stuffed the flash drive into his pocket and tossed his bag on his back. Half walking, half jogging, James made his way back to the elevator. The evacuation message continued to play as he jabbed at the button to open the elevator before realising his mistake.
When he had transferred to Taillard he had been briefed on emergency procedures, one of which was the evacuation procedure. In the event of an evacuation, all power to the elevators was disconnected, purely for the safety of employees. The narrow stairs, hidden behind a green door to the left of the elevator, were the only way to return to the surface, and he’d be out of breath by the time he reached the top. Everyone would realise he’d been on the lower levels. Some would ask what he’d been doing.
With a sigh, James opened the emergency stairwell, noted the dim emergency lighting, and began his ascent.
12 years ago
Tue Sep 04 2012, 12:57pm
James quickly jogged up the stairs, thinking of some logical reason as to why he would've been on the lower levels. I could say I was making sure everyone had made it out okay, or that I thought I'd seen someone come down here or maybe I could just slip past unnoticed and catch my breath or...
James reached the top of the stairway and knew he had to decide his on plan of action, fast. He thought sneaking in would probably be his best option to escape attention. His puffing and panting could be passed off as panic.
James tip-toed carefully to the door, ready to ease it open and then, crash! Unfortunately for James, one of his shoelaces had come undone and he'd tripped over it. His head-first crash through the door had caused every eye to turn his way.
Miranda was beside him almost at once, taking on a leadership role she was far more familiar with: one-on-one personnel interactions. 'Are you all right?' she asked, helping him to his feet.
James nodded shakily, looking around the room, red-faced and breathless.
'What were you doing in the stairwell?' Dr. Dershaw asked with suspicious curiosity.
'I was checking...' what was he checking? He bought time by rubbing at his arm, checking for bruises.
'Checking to see if anyone was downstairs?' Miranda asked.
Bless her! James nodded, still struggling for breath. Miranda nodded decisively, and the stares quickly turned away, aware of how pressed for time they were. Dr. Dershaw lingered, but Miranda fixed her eyes on him. 'Doctor! Quickly, please!' Once he was gone, she turned back to James, and he could tell she wasn't going to let him off the hook so easily. 'We all have notes we'd like to save, James,' she said quietly, 'but we don't have time for everyone to go to their offices and clear out their desks. Whatever you saved, don't let word get around, okay? I can't deal with the flack.'
James smiled weakly and nodded, shifting his weight so he could feel the pressure of the flash drive in his pocket.
Mystic Guilden
12 years ago
Tue Sep 04 2012, 05:47pm
Mystic Guilden
Mage
At this point, everything seemed to be an orderly kind of chaos. People moved from place to place, grabbing items approved for removal during an evacuation, shutting down equipment and locking away research in cabinets before heading for the exits. Some of the scientists acted like they would some day return to their precious research while others, like James, knew this would be the last they saw of the Observatory.
Miranda yelled out to a man trying to shove a pile of documents into a bag. He was obviously panicked and not doing so well at his task. Hearing his name above the din, he looked up and spotted Miranda. Without her even saying anything, the man dropped the last of the documents and left. Clearly that research wasn't approved for evacuation.
"The order is to evacuate towards the coast." It took James a moment to realise Miranda was addressing him. "Most people are driving themselves, only a few have elected to use the Governments transport."
"There's no fixed meeting point?"
Miranda shook her head. "If there is, we don't know about it. Most figure they'll be safe in their own homes."
Before James could respond, Miranda hurried over to where Dr Dershaw was engaged in an altercation with a younger research assistant.
As James made his way toward the exit, he began to wonder where he should go. Evacuating to the coast seemed logical, talk suggested it would remain untouched by the imminent catastrophe. But if he believed what Old Sara had told him, there was only one safe place, and it would require him to continue on through the mountains.
Mystic Ward
12 years ago
Mystic Ward
Twentyfamilies Gypsy
Miranda, having sorted out yet one more issue, shoved Dr Dershaw and the other man toward the exit. She looked around to make sure everyone had left, then headed up to the control panels.
James had turned back to ask a question, but when he saw what Miranda was doing, he ducked behind the door and watched.
Miranda pulled a lever, pressed a couple of buttons and smiled smugly to herself. "They'll never get this working again." Her whisper sounded loud in the empty space. "Not that they'll need to after sentinel goes live." her evil chuckle chased James from the building.
Mystic Guilden
12 years ago
Fri Sep 07 2012, 07:32pm
Mystic Guilden
Mage
Through the window of the Government transport vehicle, she saw James exit the observatory. He paused momentarily, a haunted look on his face. It wasn't until he was jostled by one of the technicians that James finally moved again, but not in the direction of the transport.
Hurriedly, Elise got to her feet and practically climbed over people to exit the vehicle. It only took a moment, but when she jumped off the step onto the bitumen and looked around, she couldn't spot James.
Now, she had a choice to make. Get back on the transport that would take her safely to the coast, or try and find James, potentially kissing her only way out of the mountains goodbye. Looking back at the transport vehicle, Elise recalled the day she got to walk into Taillard Observatory with a level 4 clearance. The card pinned to her shirt was her access key to the high powered telescope that would consume her days and nights for the next 2 years. James had given her that, and she would always be indebted to him for taking on an eager, yet unqualified, woman.
Turning her back on the Government vehicle, she went in search of James.
Dreamweavers' Guildmistress
12 years ago
Dreamweavers' Guildmistress
Dreamscape Artist
Evil chuckling aside, Miranda finished fiddling with the control panels, glancing outside in time to see Elise hurry away from the Government vehicle. Shaking her head slightly, bemused by bemused by the younger woman’s infatuation. Miranda couldn’t be certain, but she was fairly confident that James was clueless when it came to Elise, despite the way she’d been flirting with him for the past two years. Normally Miranda would have said something about inappropriate behaviour during work hours, but she knew James would fail to notice anything, so let it be.
Miranda took a moment to take in the observatory. It wasn’t unusual for it to be quiet, but with the complete absence of people the silence seemed stifling. Paper lay scattered about the floor, someone had dropped their coffee, staining the floor that would likely never been cleaned. Glancing outside told another story, as scientists pooled into vehicles, ready to flee. With a measured pace, Miranda made her way downstairs to join them in departing Taillard.
12 years ago
Mon Sep 10 2012, 02:48am
Despite being a collection of civilians, the evacuation proceeded with an almost military-like rhythm. People knew what was expected of them, and now that there was no chance of going back for their research there was little argument about doing it.
Still, Miranda supervised with the fluttery, professional manner that the scientists had learned to expect from her. She was one of those who had their own vehicles with which to flee --- as director, she needed regular access to the outside world. As director, she knew more about their purpose here, and more about the politics happening in the world around them, than any other person in the observatory. The news that Sentinal was going to be tested early may have come as a shock to the rest of them, but not to her. She was only surprised it had taken so long to make this decision.
Now she waited until all the vehicles had cleared out.
Finally, with the sun already dropping below the mountain peaks, Miranda was alone, with only her little car, in the yard. The Observatory loomed behind her, but she didn't look back.
Most of the vehicles had obediently taken the road to the coast. Only one had ignored that gentle suggestion, an old beat up blue station wagon Miranda knew belonged to James. She'd been distracted by Dr. Dershaw demanding to be given a specific location to go; somewhere he could continue what research he could away from the observatory, and she hadn't noticed if James's passenger seat had been occupied. She pursed her lips and looked down the Mountain Road, suddenly undecided.
'The truth will always catch ye in the end.'
Miranda jumped and turned, realizing that she wasn't quite alone after all.
Old Sarah stood behind her, looking almost imaginary in the dim twilight.
12 years ago
Mon Sep 17 2012, 04:49pm
“Mrs. Gordonâ€, Miranda managed to choke out. “I didn’t realise you were aroundâ€.
As she burst into a fit of cackling, Old Sarah’s decrepit face shifted up and down violently by the force of her laughter, making the old woman look like a moving pile of laundry, wrinkled and creased. “I’m nowt dead yet, and I don’ plan to be for some time, Elly!â€
Miranda cringed inwardly. Sarah Gordon was capable of making even the most insensitive of people regret every misplaced word or phrase, any wrong assumption or disproved idea they had had spoken about with her. Miranda should have been more careful - besides the obvious mistake of such an ambiguous sentence, Miranda had seemingly offended Old Sarah enough that the ancient woman resorted to her middle name (which she hated) to irk her. Miranda still didn’t know how the antisocial hag had found that out.
“I apologise,†she said in a much clearer voice. “I didn’t know that you were back at the observatory. You must have only arrived a few minutes before the announcement and I’ve been incredibly busy recently with . . .†Miranda’s explanation petered out as she noticed the look of cold and knowing contempt written on every aged line of on the old woman’s face. Her eyes, clouded and white with age, seemed to revert back to their original intense green as they bored into Miranda’s. Miranda was so stricken with confusion and fear at this that she fancied she felt Sarah literally looking through her mind and focusing on her deepest secrets.
“I ken what ye’ve been busy with,†Sarah spat, a guttural growl growing at the back of her throat, reminding Miranda of a cat she had known when she was young, who had ended an otherwise neutral relationship with a savaging scratch. “Satisfying yer own greed an’ letting all who come after ye deal with consequences. May be that ye don’ true believe yer work is doin’ harm, or that if ye were nowt doing it another would, but I can see,†she raised a gnarled finger to her eyes, one which now appeared a sickly yellow with a feline pupil, and the other a terrible burning white that showed no trace of vein or pupil or any other usual appearance of an eye. Miranda shook her head, wanting desperately to shut out the impossible image but terribly aware of an inability to close her eyes. “I see what goes on behind the doors of that observatory, what ye be plannin' without the knowledge of the poor people who is doin’ work for ye. I see what goes on everywhere, Elly.â€
Miranda was shivering uncontrollably now. How could ancient, mad Sarah know? She was rarely at the observatory these days, yet she seemed to be claiming that she knew more than any of Miranda's closest colleagues could have guessed.
Old Sarah’s eyes turned back to their usual hue, and she turned her gaze to look at the sky. Miranda gasped from the feeling of release that gave her, as if she had been trapped in a tiny room and suddenly let out. She regained part of her composure and managed to say with no quiver in her voice “Mrs. Gordon, you should be getting to the coast. I’ll lead you to the transport vehicles.â€
But Sarah Gordon wasn’t listening. She stared up at the sky, at the moon, Miranda noticed with horror. “I see everything,†she murmured, her voice resounding with the echo of eons past. She moved a hand to her stomach in a way that Miranda recognised pregnant women seemed to do. She was surprised before she remembered that Sarah had a son, Jason (who had kept the name Gordon after his father had left them).
A strange, half-strangled gasp escaped from Sarah’s mouth, followed by a pained groan. “I didna ken t’would be so.†She slowly turned back to Miranda, her face clouded with with thought.
She murmured something Miranda didn’t catch, and then “ . . . such a pretty name, Miranda Elly,†Miranda recoiled and walked back a step, but went back forward again as Sarah said something else. “ . . . so like their own . . . fate must’ve decreed t‘would be so, so I would ken the names to pass on . . . What an irony though," and now her gaze sharpened on Miranda’s face, “that the name of she who caused the end of the world was to bear the message of the names of those who will save it.â€
Dreamweavers' Guildmistress
12 years ago
Dreamweavers' Guildmistress
Dreamscape Artist
Elise just managed to catch James before he drove off. His eyes had widened when he saw her standing in front of his blue station wagon, holding her hand out to stop him from leaving her behind.
Switching off the car in order to save fuel, James climbed out, angling himself towards Elise, a question forming on his lips. Before he could pose it however, Elise cut in with one of her own.
“Where are you headed?â€
He paused, debating about how he should respond. She was watching him expectantly, a smile tugging at her lips, as if she knew exactly where he was going. And she probably did. Her uncanny gift of being about to figure out exactly what someone was going to say was the very thing that had drawn James’ attention to her two years ago, the very thing that had prompted him to approach her and offer her a job.
“Personally, I had been planning on heading to the coast, but the decisions you make… they are always so purposeful, I just know they’re worth paying attention to.†She waited, and he relented.
“I’m taking the Mountain Road.â€
Elise smiled, moved around to the passenger side of the vehicle and settled in the seat, moving aside James’ bag to make more room. For a moment James just stared at her, bewildered by her actions, but realising that time was of the essence, he shrugged to himself, got into the car and drove off passed the Government transport vehicle that Elise had vacated in favour of his passenger seat.
Mystic Ward
12 years ago
Mystic Ward
Twentyfamilies Gypsy
Miranda was still shaking as she headed to her vehicle. She noticed James driving off toward the mountain road and shook her head. What a loss. She thought. I could have made use of him on the coast.
James, still a little stunned by Elise's change of heart, looked in the rear view mirror. He felt a strange sense of doom hovering over the observatory and the convoy of vehicles headed for the coast road. he pushed harder on the accelerator, needing to get far, far away from them.
Dreamweavers' Guildmistress
12 years ago
Dreamweavers' Guildmistress
Dreamscape Artist
By the time the last scientist had climbed into the Government transport vehicle, Alison was feeling quite claustrophobic. She’d never had a problem with working underground, which she had been doing for a number of years, but she had not cared to test her ability to deal with really confined spaces. That wasn’t to say that transport vehicle was confined. It was just that with a dozen people sitting knee to knee, half of which were carrying bags, things were a little tight and restrictive. After years of commuting on public transport, Alison thought she was immune to the smell of people pressing against one another, everyone in a rush. In reality, the problem likely arose due to two reasons:
1) Quite a few people were panicking, and therefore breathing rather rapidly, thus giving the impression of thin air, and
2) It had been over three years since Alison had caught a peak hour train. Working in the mountains generally meant fewer people than the city.
Focusing on her breathing, Alison was watching out the back as James drove his battered car by, Elise riding shotgun. Alison smiled, clutching her bag to her chest, thinking of her tablet within and the secrets it contained, some known and others not.
Elise stared out the window of the car at the mountains slipping past. Strange. It all the months she had been at Talliard she had never really seen them, too busy staring at other worlds. They were harsh and barren, but with a strange beauty born of their wildness. Suddenly, images from the Sentinel protests popped into her mind. These mountains in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, black and classy and dead, their beauty burned away. She pushed the images away but they returned, clinging and insistent.
Trying to distract herself she looks over at James, still not quite sure why she decided to come with him when it would have made more sense to go to the coast with the others. Part of it was out of loyalty to the man who had gradually become more friend than boss, but the impulse to follow him had been too strong than just that, more urgent. She sees him frown slightly and voices a sudden thought.
"You do know where we are going, don'tyou?"
He glances over at her, a wiry half smile briefly flitting across his face.
"Not really, no. Although I expect it will be fairly close."
A sinking feeling makes heralmost afraid to ask, but she does; reading her part in the script.
"Why?"
He taps the fuel gauge on the dashboard.
"We're almost out of pertrol."
"Oh..."
Dreamweavers' Guildmistress
12 years ago
Thu Oct 25 2012, 09:14pm
Dreamweavers' Guildmistress
Dreamscape Artist
Glancing back over her shoulder to check that Old Sarah was not following her, Miranda unlocked her car and slid into the leather interior. When she had agreed to take the position at Taillard, she’d decided she’d bring a few comforts and benefits with her. She was glad of it now more than ever as she sat her bag on the passenger seat, buckled herself in and started the car.
The Government vehicle was just closing its doors when Miranda eased herself out of her spot slowly, making her way to the road. Casting one last look towards the mountains where James had headed, Miranda turned toward the sea. There was work for her there, as well as her home. In as little as two hours she’d be back in civilisation. The circumstances weren’t ideal, admittedly, but she smiled nonetheless. Home.
Mystic Ward
12 years ago
Mystic Ward
Twentyfamilies Gypsy
The line of vehicles was slowly making it's way along the curved road toward the sea when there came a loud grinding sound from behind them. The earth shuddered and some of the cars braked and skidded into one another, causing a pile up. Miranda stopped. She could see that the road was blocked. Checking the time, she got out of her car and moved toward the people getting out of the cars and buses in front of her.
"We need to get moving." she said in a harsh voice.
"What the hell was that?" the question came from many lips.
"Don't worry about that," Miranda was getting nervous. "Lets get these vehicles back on the road. Any that can't be driven, just move out of the way."
As people started moving cars and buses, Miranda paced. to soon she thought. We should have had a few more hours.
The Mountain Road was empty save for James' blue station wagon. The roar of its engine echoed eerily around the frosty landscape; its sound bouncing back and forth as it grew into the desolate growl of a lost animal. Conversation inside the vehicle had long since died out, replaced by an air of thick tension and unease.
Elise was leaning on the window tapping nervously with the tips of her fingers, imagining each to be the heartbeat of the solitary mountains. While they were cold, lifeless pinnacles she thought that something so starkly beautiful must have a heart; no matter how well hidden. Her mind could not help formulating images of the same mountains in the shadow of nuclear destruction; their hearts stopped by fear and dismay.
James sat solemnly beside her at the wheel, focusing his eyes on the ever increasingly icy road. He tried not to watch the fuel gage as it dipped lower and lower, fearing his gaze might cause it to increase the speed of its descent. Every now and then, however, his curiosity got the better of him and his eyes flicked toward the wavering needle. James was careful not to look at Elise; he was now well aware, since the silence had pressed upon him stirring his thoughts, that whatever happened from then on would be entirely his fault. If they didn’t make it; if they got stranded in the middle of the icy mountain range . . .
Then in the midst of the silence the engine began to stutter; its roar turning into a struggling choke. James looked dow at the petrol gage to find it showing the tank as empty. After a few moments of gut-wrenching stop-starts the trusty old blue wagon stopped in the middle of the road unable to find a drop of fuel to power it.
Elise stopped tapping and looked at James searchingly. He returned the look, guilt swirling in his stomach. And then Elise reached out and took his hand.
"What now?" she asked.
Mystic Ward
12 years ago
Mystic Ward
Twentyfamilies Gypsy
As James and Elise were sitting holding hands in the broken down car, a huge rumble rocked the mountains around them. James wasn't sure what was going on but knew that it couldn't be good. He decided it was time to move and letting go of Elise's hand, grabbed his pack from the back seat and got out of the car.
He walked around to the passenger side and open the door, ushering Elise around to the back of the car while he grabbed her bag from the back seat.
"I'm sure we passed a cave just back a way." he said.
"will a cave be safe?" Elsie was beginning to panic a little.
"Maybe." Said James, "But what else can we do?"
"Keep going further into the mountains." Elise replied.
"You could be right. I was told that there was a refuge in the mountains that would be safe even from a nuclear attack. It sure sounds like that's what's happening now." James was thinking that they had left it too late to get away from the observatory.
