FORESIGHT and SCOPE: BOOK TWO

C H A P T E R S I X T Y-S E V E N

FERN'S POV

RUMBLEEEE!!!

Abruptly, the entire island quaked, the ground shifting so intensely my feet tripped over themselves trying to steady my balance. I landed into Hunter's chest, and we gripped each other's forearms. Objects on the tables rattled on the wooden surfaces; some jittered right off the furniture and clattered against the stone patio. The electrical power buzzed while the light bulbs flickered. Glass in the window panes cracked. People all over Pabu screamed and clamored.

The seismic event ceased after at least seven seconds. My heart was banging against my ribcage as Hunter and I stabilized each other. Behind me, Wrecker—who was not so lucky on staying on his feet—picked himself up with big sigh. "Well, that was different."

I swiftly retrieved my comm from my belt and activated it. "Omega, come in. Are you and Lyana okay?"

"We're fine. We're heading back to shore now."

I sighed with relief. "Kick it into gear, Half-Pint."

"Is everyone alright?" Shep projected his voice over the wall to the civilians below. He then turned to the rest of us and nervously chuckled. "It's just a small tremor. They are quite common. It's nothing to worry about. Part of island life." He managed an assuring smile to ease our nerves, but Hunter wasn't convinced. Shaking his head, his grip on my arms tightened. "I don't think it's over yet..."

As if on cue...

RUMBLEEE!!!

A violently powerful seismic disturbance erupted. The entire island reverberated. Metal lanterns snapped off their supports and smashed against the stone. The damaged glass in windows shattered as the tremor increased exponentially and roared louder. People cried out in terror again, unable to even crawl to safety across the recoiling ground. The sharp jolting of the shock waves penetrated every nerve in my body. My eyeballs rattled in my skull. My teeth involuntarily chattered in my mouth, sporadically nipping my tongue. All the food I'd just digested churned queasily in my stomach. My fingers clung to the wall until my knuckles whitened. Hunter's hands death-gripped my shoulders from behind.

This one lasted longer than the first... My thoughts were so discombobulated, I could hardly form a concept while focusing my energy on latching myself to the wall except for When was it going to end?!

And then...everything was still. Pabu civilians gasped and clamored, gaining their bearings. I lifted my head and leaned over the ledge to inspect the aftermath. Despite two severe earthquakes, there was minimal damage in the neighborhoods' architectural structure; there were breakages in the stone, but nothing castatrophic. That didn't mean there wasn't internal damage that just wasn't visible... My eyes, once my vision recovered, trailed to the port and broadened when I noticed the whitecapped waves rippling away from the shoreline...

"That was not a small tremor." Hunter said.

"No," Shep sighed in apprehension. "it was not."

"Hunter," Tech chimed in after tapping diligently on his datapad. "I believe this island is at risk for a significant sea surge."

"How much risk?"

"Oh, I would predict imminently..." I breathed, pointing out towards the horizon. "The water current has changed course. It's heading back out to the ocean."

"We haven't had a sea surge in more than three decades." Shep exclaimed in disbelief. "If we were at risk, the early warning system would've activ—"

BRRAAAAYYY!!!