West of Nothing

58. Misfire

When Mason arrived back on the Bridge, three of the jumbo monitors were tuned to news channels: CNN, the BBC and Al Jazeera. His eyes were arrested by the sight of a bright flash in a blue sky followed by a cascade of billowing white streamers. A couple skinny corkscrews curled away.

"What's going on?" Mason asked.

"The wheels are falling off the world," Skunkworks said.

The old engineer wasn't exaggerating. In the span of just over an hour since Mason had been away, several major events had broken onto the global scene. In India, five hundred square miles of electric grid had gone dark across the Uttar Pradesh region. The Indian government was blaming it on a failure at a hydro-electric plant, but there was speculation a high powered EMP, or electro-magnetic pulse, was to blame. In Germany, the public warning system had malfunctioned, sending millions of panicked people streaming out of urban areas. A weather satellite had gone offline when a detonation of a "possibly nuclear nature" occurred in low Earth orbit. Even more foreboding, the U.S. and Russia had placed their nuclear arsenals on hot standby. Meanwhile, China had launched no less than seven rockets in the past five days. Western countries led by the U.S. had collectively launched an equal number albeit with less success, the seventh having exploded shortly after takeoff. That was the event they had just witnessed.

"It makes no sense," Corny said. "It's like everyone is gearing up for a space war. There's no way these are just routine satellite launches. Would someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?"

Mason glanced over at HotDamn, who stared lasers in return. Only the two of them along with Skunkworks knew about the mysterious asteroids.

"Damn if I know anything about it," Skunkworks said a bit too emphatically. He may have been a first-rate engineer but he was a terrible actor.

"What about your old NASA buddies?" Corny pressed. "What do they have to say about all this?"

"I haven't been able to reach them in a few days."

"And the major? Don't tell me you can't reach him either."

"I don't think now would be a prudent time—"

"Prudent time!" Corny scoffed. "The world is going to hell in a nuclear handbasket and you're talking about being prudent! If you're too intimidated, give me his number and I'll call him up myself!"

"I already tried," Skunkworks said. "He's tied up in conference with high command. Who knows how long he'll be."

"Where's this conference at?" She bounded up from her chair.

"How would I know? Even if you could find the place, you can't just go barging in."

"Then I'll catch him on his potty break. Or get his secretary or attaché or the fucking janitor—I don't care! Someone around here must know something. I'm through with all this government cover-up shit. We've been good little science boys and girls and done everything the major asked of us. Now it's his turn. He owes us some answers, goddammit!"

Skunkworks squirmed in his seat. He looked ready to crack.

"If there is a nuclear war, at least we'll be safe here, right?" Mason said.

"Safe in here?!" Corny's eyes radiated heat. "You're fucking kidding me right? What about all the people out there? Like the million or so up the road in Vegas, or the billions going about their daily lives and wondering if they're going to wake up tomorrow in the fucking apocalypse. Like my family! Like my daughter!" Catching herself short of hysteria, Corny shielded her face with her hands and stormed off the Bridge into the Storeroom. There was a muffled howl followed by a loud bang. Someone turned up the sound on the broadcasts.