Bridge to Nowhere

Dark Cluster

The Los Angeles 210 Freeway–7:15 p.m.

Rob is driving back from Primal Pastures, in Murrieta. Wire cages filled with baby chicks, pigs, and lambs are loaded in the back of his old Chevy Suburban. Rob bought Ethan his eggs and bacon, just as he had promised.

The baby chicks and pigs will grow quickly. The hideaway will soon have eggs every morning, and in a few months, the pigs will become bacon. Rob worked with the staff at the farm to buy boy and girl piglets and lambs to produce for more piglets and lambs. He also bought baby hens and rooster chicks, so they will have chickens to produce eggs and raise others for meat. Lambs were an afterthought. First, they're cute. Second, if Courtney and the kids are to build a new life after the storms, sheep have been an integral part of domestic life for millennia. The sheep will be valuable for their future.

Uncle Rob's phone beeps and vibrates. He never went in for one of those arm band phones, the kind Rick and Courtney like, or those glasses, the executives and bankers made popular. Rob still carries a big Smartphone. It's old, but it works.

He looks at the screen. Seven messages! More messages than he receives in a week. Rob reads the messages. They're all the same. Photos of Perth. News of a government cover-up and a warning of more asteroid events. Rob checks a news website. The report of a meteor destroying the city center of Perth is the top story.

Rob turns on the radio. The story of the Perth meteor is being reported non-stop. The news agencies are having difficulty locating experts to provide information on asteroids and cannot reach officials in Perth for comment. Without additional information, the reporters state the news is unconfirmed and comment on the unusual manner the news of Perth went viral.

Rob stays in touch with some astronomy groups and occasionally visits the forums. Rob calls an old astronomy buddy, Ted Strickland. If anyone knows what is happening, it will be Ted.

"Hey, Ted. It's Rob Munday. I suppose you've seen the news. What do you think?"

"Ol' Rob Munday. The old codger who used to be my friend. I can't believe it. Good to hear from you. It's been too long. What got you to crawl out from under your rock?"

It's true, Rob hasn't talked with Ted for a few years. He's glad they're still on speaking terms. "Crawl out from under a rock?" He chuckles. "Well, I guess you could say that. Sorry for being out of touch. Have you heard this Perth news?"

"Have I heard the Perth news? How could I miss it? The only problem is they keep showing the same damn pictures. There's no new information and no news coming from Perth. It's strange if you ask me, Rob. The whole thing smells like a hoax."

"I'm most curious about the warning of more asteroid events. Do you think it's possible?"

"The messages. Everyone got those, and I mean everyone. Some people received them hundreds of times. The news says the volume of messages brought down some VUE nets."

Rob is talking on the phone while concentrating on driving through heavy traffic. He tries not to change lanes quickly or brake too hard, lest he have pigs and chickens tumbling around inside his old truck. "But Ted, what do you think about the prediction of more asteroid events? Have you seen any evidence on the forums? What are you guys seeing out there?"

"You know, we've been shut out of all the government and university telescopes, so we've resorted to using our own scopes. Some forum members are reporting strange goings-on. Some of it I don't believe."

"What strange goings-on?"

"Well, one guy says there are objects in the asteroid belt out of their normal orbits. Another fella reported a dark cloud, out past Mars. There's a group who says they confirmed that dark cloud a few days ago but described it more like a dark cluster. They say it's wide and is now closer than Mars. See what I mean? Strange reports. Now we have this Perth message, which if real, the government tried to cover up. Why do you suppose they'd want to cover up such a catastrophe?"

Rob thinks for a moment. Objects in the asteroid belt out of their normal orbits. Dark Cluster. New meteor showers. "Turbulence." Rob kicks himself for not making his own observations, but he's been obsessed with preparations for the hideaway. Now, people are observing a dark cluster heading toward Earth. This does not sound good.

"Why would the government hide the fact that an asteroid destroyed a major metropolitan area? One reason I can think of is, they know more asteroids are heading our way, and they don't want worldwide panic. That's why, Ted."

Ted gasps. "Oh, my!"

Rob hears something on the radio that catches his attention. "Hold on, Ted. I think there's a news update." Rob turns up the volume on the radio, so Ted can hear.

"I repeat. We have reports of a massive explosion near Baltimore, Maryland. People felt the shock wave as far south as Richmond, Virginia. We have reports of major damage in the nation's capital, with many buildings damaged and fires throughout the city. We have no updates on the number of injuries. We are receiving reports of fireballs and impacts in other parts of the country. We are working to confirm those reports. We will interrupt regular programming when we have more details. Repeating our top story: a major explosion has rocked East Coast cities north of Washington, D.C. We are working to get a statement from a White House spokesman, but our inquiries have gone unanswered. Get all your news here as it happens on KFI AM 640."

Rob lowers the volume. "Ted, I think your dark cluster got closer. I suggest you and your family locate an old bomb shelter or the basement of a building and move in. Gather enough supplies to settle in for a while. If this cloud or cluster is heading our way, find suitable cover or kiss your ass goodbye. I predict the weather in the coming days will be very rocky."

Ted's voice becomes low and sullen. "My wife passed, thank God. I wouldn't want to put her through something like this. I must call my son and his wife. Take care old friend. Thanks for calling."

"Thanks for the information, Ted. I've got to get my family to a safe place. You be sure and do the same," Rob says before realizing Ted dropped the call before he said goodbye. Rob focuses on traffic as he presses the accelerator. He's convinced time is of the essence. He must get his family to the hideaway as quickly as possible.

Rob calls the Martinez brothers. When Rodrigo answers, all Rob says is, "Rodrigo. It's time to rock-and-roll." Rodrigo isn't exactly sure what Rob means, but he's received hundreds of messages on his band, so he has an idea of what Rob is referring to.

"Now is the time? Is it really happening like you always said?" Rodrigo asks, then curses under his breath.

Rodrigo and his brother, Eddie, have worked with Rob for the past three years building the hideaway. Rob told them stories about his fear of a future disaster. Rob knew the Martinez boys never believed a disaster would require such an extravagant enclosure. No matter what they believed, they worked hard and without complaint. Rob promised that if a disaster ever occurred, the Martinez brothers and their immediate families would have a safe place to stay.

"Rodrigo, I think the event in Perth was the start. It might be a few hours or a couple days, but I'm convinced more asteroids are coming. The news just reported a huge explosion near Washington, D.C. We need to get moving. Gather any materials needed for last-minute touch-ups. Grab your wife and kids and get to the hideaway. Call Eddie and tell him the same. Remember, immediate family only. I've got a truck full of pigs and chickens. I will unload, then pick up Courtney and the kids."

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Rodrigo curses again as a million thoughts race through his mind. Rob told them to be ready to move to the hideaway at a moment's notice. Neither Rodrigo nor Eddie believed they would ever move into that place. He has not packed. He's sure Eddie hasn't packed either.

The brothers told their wives about thehideaway. They always tell their wives about the jobs they work on, but nevertold them they might move in one day. How is he going to explain this toIsabel? How can he get her to believe what he's about to tell her? They need topack up, leave their home, and move into an old converted mine! Rodrigo cursesagain. He touches his band to call his brother.