The Anvil E-Book

Christopher Coates

• Herausgeber: Next Chapter
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Deadly radiation from a passing comet is about to destroy life on Earth.

In desperation, the U.S. Government constructs a series of underground shelters to protect as many people as possible. They are expected to be underground for 20 years before returning back to the surface.

But can they survive their time within the confines of the underground shelter... and what will they find when they finally emerge?

A parallel story to 'The Ark', 'The Anvil' is a riveting story of survival and courage in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi setting.

Leseprobe

THE ANVIL

CHRISTOPHER COATES

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Chapter 61

Chapter 62

Chapter 63

Chapter 64

Chapter 65

Chapter 66

Chapter 67

Chapter 68

Chapter 69

Chapter 70

Chapter 71

Chapter 72

Epilogue

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About the Author

Copyright (C) 2021 Christopher Coates

Layout design and Copyright (C) 2021 by Next Chapter

Published 2021 by Next Chapter

Edited by Tyler Colins

Cover art by CoverMint

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author’s permission.

Prologue

It formed eons ago. Shortly after the universe sparked into existence. It spent generations orbiting a distant star before something changed. Something which knocked this simple comet out of its orbit and sent it streaking much further out into the galaxy than it ever had been before.

Over the centuries, its path was nudged one way or another by the gravitational fields of the stars it passed. During its travels, something happened. Maybe it collided with another celestial body and picked up some of its characteristics. Perhaps another civilization dumped deadly waste that this comet passed through. No one will ever know. But this simple but large interstellar comet went from being composed of only rock, ice, and water vapor to having another quality. A quality that no one will ever understand.

It now emitted massive amounts of powerful radiation. Something not typically seen in comets. Traveling at over 50,000 miles per hour, this deadly ball of ice would be making a very near pass on a small inhabited world.

The inhabitants of this world saw it coming, and a few even understood the peril they faced. But there was nothing they could do. Nothing other than to prepare for how to rebuild once the danger had passed.

When no one will survive, what do you do?

From "The Ark" by Christopher Coates

ChapterOne

President Daniel Anson stood looking out the bulletproof windows of the Oval Office. The world was on the brink of destruction, and here he stood. Daniel was the most powerful political leader in the world, and he was helpless to do anything. Worse yet, to avoid panic, he had to keep this tragic news hidden from the people he swore to serve. He'd never felt more alone and ineffective.

He'd first learned about the impending disaster about a year ago when he was only a few weeks into his second term. He was thankful for that. Trying to manage this situation was bad enough, but trying to run his re-election campaign at the same time would've been unthinkable.

This morning, the President had asked to be left alone until his visitors were all assembled for the 9:00 AM meeting. That had given him almost ten full minutes of quiet time to contemplate the situation and the decisions he would make in the coming months.

The phone on his desk buzzed, and a voice said, "Mr. President. General Draper and his party are here."

"Thanks Liz. Send them in."

A secret service agent opened the door, glanced around the room, and then allowed the trio to enter. The first into the room was General Draper. He was the acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. The sixty-three-year-old General stood six-foot-four and was relatively thin. His receding hairline left a large scar visible on his forehead.

Following the General was the National Security Advisor. Jeremiah Baker was a sixty-year-old African American man and a former senator from Virginia. He had extensive experience in areas of national defense and politics. He'd spent twenty years as an officer in the Marine Corps and later another eight years in the Senate, part of that time as the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The final person to arrive was Dennis Roberts. Dennis was the Deputy Director of Homeland Security. Dennis was also former military, having spent eight years in army intelligence before transferring to the Central Intelligence Agency. While at The Agency, he'd served for over a dozen years and distinguished himself on several occasions. He'd come to Homeland Security strictly to deal with the current crisis.

"Gentlemen. Please come in and take a seat. Where's General Fitch?" the President asked.

"General Fitch is busy, sir, and since this meeting is of limited scope, I instructed him to continue his work," General Draper explained.

The President nodded as the men came in and took seats across from the large desk. He too sat before continuing, "Dennis, good to see you again. I know when we first met a couple of months ago; we dropped a bombshell on you and gave you a difficult assignment. As you know, General Draper, Mr. Baker, and I meet weekly on this project. And they've been keeping me up to date on your progress. However, I wanted to have the four of us get together to hear where things stand with your branch of this effort and share any ideas that we may have."

"I understand, Mr. President. Now that I've had some time to get a grasp on what's going on, I think it's safe to say that we'll have about 150 underground shelters available in time. We're working on two hundred locations but don't think we'll have time to get them all completed. The sites are mostly natural caverns or abandoned mines. All places where there's a year-round clean water supply. That's necessary for human consumption and reactor cooling."

"Dennis, if there's anything any of us can do to move your efforts along and make more shelters available, let us know. Each shelter means around a thousand lives saved and a better chance for the human race to rebuild.

“Now, what about the selection process? Who is going into the mines and caverns, and how are they being selected?"

Nodding, Roberts explained, "Sir, we're calling the selection process Project Anvil. I was amazed to see the detail of the records that Homeland has on US citizens. We started with tax records. That automatically will exclude anyone that doesn't pay taxes. Then we removed anyone with a criminal, drug, or psychiatric history. Since we're only going to save about one out of every 10,000 people, we need to select those that will function well and not cause problems while in an underground shelter for an extended time.

“There's also the problem with medications. While there will be medical services available in every shelter, including a pharmacy, we can't be storing the prescription medication needs of every shelter inhabitant for twenty years. Anyone going to a shelter must not be on any daily medications.

“We are then trying to locate people that reside relatively close to the shelters. When it's time to get to the shelters, there will be a massive logistical effort, and the closer, the better. Next, we're trying to make sure that those we're sheltering have valuable skills. We'll pick the electrician or trauma surgeon over the window-washer or birthday-party clown."

There was a brief chuckle at the last remark before he continued. "We also want families. It'll do us no good if most of the inhabitants are past their prime when the shelters open in twenty years. We're also trying to include a diverse range of ethnic backgrounds."

"Why ‘Anvil’? Does it stand for something?" the President asked.

"Sir, as you know, an anvil was used by blacksmiths to take raw iron and pound and form it into something useful. We are using this project to take the people we gather and form them into a new society once the radiation is gone," Roberts explained.

"Okay, I like that. Now, how will it work when it is time to go to the shelters?"

"Everyone who signs on for this is thinking that nothing will ever happen. The idea is that in the event of a nuclear war, pandemic, or other devastating events, we'd bring them into the shelters. We won't inform them that we already know the nature of the disaster and the date this will all go down. They'll get the packing requirements and a limit of how much they can bring, and then go about their lives. Hopefully, they won't think much about being in Project Anvil, but they will know that it is real and urgent if they get the call.

“Forty-eight hours before the event, we'll collect them and transport them to the shelters. It's looking like there will be some people that we'll go out and gather from their homes. Others will get a text message, instructing them to meet at a specific location. We are still working out the logistics. We've already interviewed and signed on about forty percent of the shelter inhabitants."

Pointing at the other two men in the room, the President said, "If there's anything you need, contact them immediately. I don't want anything to slow your efforts."

The four men continued discussing details for several minutes before the meeting finally ended.

ChapterTwo

2 YEARS LATER

Gasping for air, seventeen-year-old Lucy Wilson struggled to breathe as she ran. She could hear footsteps behind her, revealing that her pursuer was close, very close. Pushing herself even harder, she felt her speed increase slightly. The sweat was running down her face as she ran and it was stinging her eyes, but she couldn't wipe it away. She'd been running for almost two miles; her legs were burning, and she knew she was almost at her limit. Rounding the curve, Lucy saw her goal.

Seconds later, she crossed the line, followed immediately by her rival and friend McKenzie Reynolds. The 3200-meter run was the event they both enjoyed and only once had McKenzie won. It was usually close, but Lucy was always a little faster, even though she was a year younger.

The two of them had run against each other for three years. Their natural competitiveness made them work harder, and the two girls were better runners because of it. Even during today's practice run, they had both put in maximum effort, their drive to win not allowing them to hold back.

It was a hot, sunny May afternoon. The temperatures were in the mid-80s, and the heat added another challenge for the girls. They both collapsed on the freshly mowed grass and lay panting for several minutes.

After resting, the two friends went to the bleachers and retrieved small towels and water bottles from their bags. They drank most of their water and then turned to walk across the grass while waiting for their heart rates to return to normal.

"Our times were good. I think we'll do great next week," McKenzie stated.

Wiping the towel across her sweat-soaked face, Lucy replied, "Yeah, I think so too. We did really well, considering how hot it is." So far this year, Lucy was averaging a full minute faster than she had last year when she was a sophomore.

The girls discussed their upcoming track meet against the Upton Beagles. It would be the final meet of the season and their last race together since McKenzie would be graduating in a few weeks.

Their coach had told the girls that after this run, they'd be done for the day. After 10 minutes of cooling down and chatting, Lucy, while tired and sweat-soaked, walked away from the Armstrong Central High School track. She grabbed her bulging backpack from the base of the home bleachers and pulled out a second water bottle from a side pocket, sticking the first, now empty one, inside. Turning, the student athlete headed to the parking lot to find her car. Normally, she'd have taken the time to shower at the school before heading home, but things were different this week.

Early this morning, her parents had flown to Miami for a seven-day cruise to the Caribbean, leaving Lucy in charge of her twelve-year-old brother, Sam. Neither of the kids could understand why their parents had picked this time of year to head south when it was already so hot here.

This was the first time her parents had left them alone for this long, and Lucy was determined to make sure they didn't regret their decision. While she and Sam got along most of the time, being responsible for him was a challenge. They both had busy schedules, and Lucy had to figure out how to make it all work.

Since Sam was only in the sixth grade, he was in a different school building located several miles away. Today, he had a baseball game after school and he'd asked Lucy to try to get there for some of it. She wasn't too concerned if she got to see any of the game, but she didn't want him stuck, waiting for her to pick him up.

Several years before, Sam was critically injured when he'd run into the street and was struck by a car. Lucy had tried to stop him but had been unable. For almost a week, it was uncertain if the boy would survive. During that time, Lucy had refused to leave his bedside. Terrified something would happen to her brother. Three weeks later, when he finally came home, she watched over him constantly. She even took responsibility for helping him several times a day with the exercises he had to do as part of his rehabilitation. Through that horrible experience, Lucy had become very protective of Sam, and the two had grown extremely close.

As she crossed the mostly empty parking lot, she started to smile. Standing by her car was Marcus Ditmore. Unconsciously, her pace quickened. Marcus stood just under six feet tall and had jet-black hair. He had a positive attitude about almost everything and people were naturally drawn to him.

Lucy and Marcus had been best friends since the first grade. Since children, they had held a deep trust in each other and had always confided their secrets. Their connection was deeply rooted and seemed unbreakable. It had taken until this school year for that relationship to transform and for them to start dating. This relationship didn't surprise anyone. Most everyone had already thought they were a couple, and the rest wondered what had taken so long.

Three weeks earlier had been their prom and, since that night, they'd been making plans to look for colleges they could attend together.

Every time she saw Marcus, her hand instinctively touched the bracelet on her wrist. It was a sturdy gold chain with a flat surface that had Marcus' name engraved on it. He wore an identical but larger version of the bracelet with Lucy's name. Neither of them ever took them off.

"Hey, Lucy," he said as he went to give her a hug.

"Don't. I'm all sweaty and gross. I'm late to get to Sam’s game and didn't have time to shower," she explained.

They kissed briefly, then he said, "My baseball practice just ended and I need to get to work, but I saw your car and wanted to say hi."

Lucy nodded. "Can you call me tonight?"

"Probably not. We won't be getting done until quite late, but I'll see you in class tomorrow."

"Okay. My parents are gone all week, but I should be available most days after practice."

"We’ll figure something out,” he promised. He kissed her again and headed for his car.

Getting in her four-year-old Chevy, she started the engine, cranked the air conditioner to maximum as she pulled out of the lot, and headed south toward Armstrong Middle School.

Navigating to the rear of the school, she looked for a spot close to the ballfield and found one easily. The attendance to watch the game was dismal for both teams. As she walked toward the home bleachers, she heard the crack of a bat making solid contact with the ball and saw the centerfielder for Armstrong take two steps back before reaching up with his glove and catching the flyball.

There was an eruption of cheers from the home team and its fans as the game ended. Lucy moved closer to the fence, hoping that Sam would see that she was there before the game ended. She glanced at the scoreboard and saw that the final score was 8-4.

As he was coming in from his position as the shortstop, Sam glanced up and saw his sister. His face, which was already excited from the victory, brightened a little more.

She waited a few minutes while the teams congratulated each other and then met with their coaches for a post-game discussion. When his coach dismissed Sam, he ran to his sister. Before he could speak, Lucy said, “Congratulations. You guys did a great job.” She hoped he wouldn’t ask how much of the game she’d seen.

“Thanks. We were expecting it to be tough, but it went real good.”

“I remember you saying that this morning. Your team is doing great so far.”

As they spoke, they headed back to the parking lot.

“I’m hungry. Can we stop and get pizza?” the young ballplayer asked.

“Sorry, not today. Mom left some chicken defrosting in the fridge, and she wants me to use it tonight.”

Noticing the disappointed look on her brother’s face, Lucy added, “We’ll get pizza one day this week. I promise.”

When Lucy made that promise, she never imagined that it would be impossible to keep it.

ChapterThree

The yellow taxi cab moved slowly through the mid-day traffic as it approached the Port of Miami. Still over a mile away, the tops of the majestic cruise ships were already visible. There were four cruise ships in port today, each turning over their complement of passengers.

In the back of the cab sat Marie and Alex Wilson. The couple was eager to board their ship and enjoy a week at sea. They’d cruised nineteen years earlier for their honeymoon and had a fantastic time. Now that their kids were old enough to be left alone, they were excited to go again.

As the cab entered the busy port area, they passed a dozen motor coaches heading in the opposite direction. The buses were ferrying those disembarking back to the airport so that they could head back home, their wonderful vacations already only memories.

When they got closer to the mammoth ships, they could see the many semi-trucks parked close by. They were waiting to unload all the provisions that would be needed to keep the thousands of passengers well fed and entertained for a week.

Their ship could hold close to 6000 passengers and had over 1500 crew members. It was one of the largest in the fleet and indeed was the largest in port today. Alex enjoyed thinking how all the passengers, arriving to cruise on smaller ships, would look at theirs and wonder what their ships lacked that the giant monster had room for.

Marie took her husband’s hand in hers, physically sharing the excitement of their arrival with him. He smiled at her, knowing the thrill she felt because he was experiencing it too.

“The ship is beautiful,” she exclaimed.

“It’s huge,” Alex responded.

“This is going to be a great week,”

Nodding, Alex added, “Sun, sea, and no kids.”

Marie laughed at his comment. They’d considered waiting a few weeks until school let out and bringing the kids, but decided that they needed time to themselves as a couple.

Thinking of the kids, Marie said, “I hope they’ll be okay. We’re putting a lot of responsibility on Lucy.”

“Yes, but she’s proven time and time again that she can handle it.”

“I know,” Marie agreed with a rueful smile. “I’m afraid that when we get home, if everything went smoothly, I'll realize that she doesn’t need us as much anymore.”

“She doesn’t. She’s growing up, and we did our part right. This trip is a chance for her to prove it and for us to learn to accept it.”

Porters met them as they arrived at the embarkation area, ready to take their luggage. After paying the cab driver, Alex got out and showed their documents to the porter, who verified that they were at the correct ship and on the right day.

Slipping the porter twenty dollars, Marie watched as he took off with their six bags. If all went well, the luggage would arrive at their stateroom by dinnertime. Hefting their one carry-on bag, Alex led them into the cruise terminal building. From here, they moved from station to station, presenting their passports and making sure all their documentation was in order.

Since boarding had begun an hour before, the crowds in the embarkation area had largely cleared out, and the lines had shrunk, so they were able to move through the stations quickly.

After clearing the final station, they followed a few other passengers heading to the gangway that led to the ship. They made one last stop, where a photographer from the ship took every group’s photo before they boarded.

Alex tried to bypass the photographer, but Marie grabbed his arm to stop him, saying, “Come on, let’s get the picture.”

“I’m not sure if you remember, but they’ll be taking these pictures the whole week,” Alex responded.

“I know,” Marie said with a smile. “And this will be the first one.”

Minutes later, they crossed the gangway and were officially on the ship. They paused to take in the amazing scenery. The spacious lobby was elegantly decorated, and there were three glass elevators whisking passengers to different levels. It was an excellent first impression.

Almost immediately, a member of the ship's crew approached them. She was a perky young woman with an Australian accent, and she held out a small folding piece of colored card stock. “Welcome aboard. Here is a map of the ship.”

“Thank you. The ship is beautiful,” Marie replied.

“I’m glad you think so. We’re very proud of it. May I see your boarding documents?”

Alex held them out and she looked at them briefly. “Your stateroom in on deck six, midship. It’s still being cleaned and should be available in about a half-hour. Until then, feel free to explore. There’s a buffet open up on the main deck and also one on deck nine at the back of the ship.”

“Thank you,” Alex replied with a quick smile. He opened up the map and tried to orient himself.

Marie shook her head and said, “Just follow me. We want to go this way.” And she took off across the lobby.

“How do you know which way? I have the map,” Alex asked with a smirk.

“We don’t need a map. I memorized the ship's layout a month ago.”

They headed to the glass elevators just as a car was arriving. The elevator rose smoothly but stopped twice for other passengers to enter as it made its way to the top. Stepping out, the Wilsons approached a door that automatically opened, allowing them access to the top deck. The first two things they noticed were the blast of hot air as they left the ship’s comfortable air conditioning and the calypso music playing from a live band on the deck. They made their way to the rail and looked down on the pier. There were still passengers arriving, and different semi-trucks were unloading their cargo. The ship would be departing in two hours, and everyone was finishing up preparations.

They enjoyed the view for a few minutes and then headed toward the rear of the ship, hand in hand, to look at the other ships that were also in port and loading passengers. As they walked, Marie asked, “How do you think the kids are doing?”

“They’re fine. They’re both trustworthy and are probably enjoying taking care of themselves.”

“I know, but I worry about them.”

“This is good for them. They get to taste a little extra responsibility, and we’ll be back in just a week.”

They approached the rear of the ship and looked at three other cruise ships. There were many others also enjoying the view and taking pictures. Many of the other passengers already had drinks in their hands.

“Interesting, how different they all look,” Marie commented.

“They may be a bit smaller than us, but they’re all impressive to look at,” Alex added.

They waited for several minutes for those standing in front of them to clear out enough that Marie could get to the rail and take a few photos with her phone.

Seeing his wife finish, Alex asked, “How about we head over and get something to eat? I’m hungry.”

“Okay. Do you think you can find your way without the map?” Marie teased.

“Yes, I can. It is on this deck. I saw the lines as we were walking here.”

“Good, I was just checking,” she said with a grin.

“I’m not that directionally challenged,” Alex replied defensively.

Taking the lead, he guided them to the buffet line, where they waited several minutes. They could smell meats grilling and see passengers walking past with heaping plates; their hunger grew. Eventually, the line split, with half the people going toward the grill and the others toward previously prepared salads and entrees on the buffet table.

Marie had a grilled chicken sandwich and fries, and Alex went with a cheeseburger. They got beverages and took seats near the pool, which was closed since they were in port.

“We still have a little while before we can get into our room. What do you want to do?” Alex asked between big bites.

“Let's go down to deck eight and check out some of the lounges and the casino.”

“Okay, that works for me.”

As they were talking, there were two loud blasts heard from a ship's horn.

“Sounds like one of the other ships is leaving ahead of us. Let’s go watch as it departs,” Alex suggested.

ChapterFour

A few hours later, their ship had departed but was still in sight of land as it was moving slowly. All the passengers were completing the mandatory lifeboat drill, and most were heading back to their staterooms to return their lifejackets to their proper storage compartment. The US Coast Guard required all passengers to show up to their lifeboats with their lifejackets physically in hand. Everyone needed to know what to do in case of an emergency.

Marie and Alex took seats on the top deck, not wanting to get caught up in the hordes of people heading back to their rooms. There was a great view of the shoreline, and they relaxed, planning to wait until the crowds cleared out. They sat, enjoying the motion of the ship as it moved through the ocean, and thought about how nice it was to be away. Their peaceful thoughts, however, were interrupted by simultaneous sounds from their smartphones as text messages came through.

“See, babe. Even out on the ocean, the kids manage to disturb our peace and quiet,” Alex chuckled.

“I thought we’d have heard from them a little sooner,” Marie replied as she stood and fished her phone from her pocket.

At first, Marie was confused. The text wasn’t what she was expecting. Then slowly, clarity returned, “No. No … no!”

As she struggled to make sense of the two words on the screen, Alex was also holding his phone and processing the meaning and implication of ‘CODE ANVIL’. “This can’t be real. It has to be a test.”

“No, they made it very clear. It would never be a test. If we got the message, it was real,” Marie reminded him. “What do we do?”

“There’s supposed to be a second message. Meeting instructions and times.”

“We don’t dock in St. Maarten for a day and a half. How do we get off this ship? We need to get home now!”

“We can’t get off the ship. Even if we could, we’d never make it to the meeting point in time. We were told it would all move very fast,” Alex declared.

“What about the kids? We need to call them.”

“Do you mean to send them without us? We might never see them again,” Alex exclaimed, his voice growing unintentionally louder with each word.

“We don’t have a choice. It’s better than us all dying!” Marie yelled back.

A woman with her own cell phone in hand came around a corner. She was a medium height Caucasian woman in her thirties with short brown hair. There was a tattoo of a seahorse on her calf. She was hysterical and speaking louder than she probably intended. “What do you expect me to do? I can’t get off the ship. We’re in the middle of the ocean.”

There was a pause and she spoke again, “How am I supposed to do that? I can’t just swim to shore.” She noticed that she’d wandered close to the Wilsons, and her conversation was clearly audible. “I need to go. Figure out your plan, and I’ll call back in a few minutes.” She disconnected, lowered her phone, and turned to leave the area.

As soon as she turned, Marie said, “Miss, please wait a minute.”

The woman stopped and looked at Marie. She seemed uncertain as to whether she wanted to stay as asked. With a trembling voice, she asked, “What do you want?”

Marie walked to her with Alex and said, “We weren’t trying to listen to your call. But it was impossible not to hear what you said. Did you get a text message just before your call?”

Nervously, she replied, “Maybe, but I can’t talk about it.”

Alex proceeded cautiously, remembering how it had been drilled into them that they were never to discuss Anvil with anyone. He stepped forward, holding out his phone so she could see the screen. “Did it look like this?”

The woman burst into tears and Marie took her into her arms and held her while she too wept.

“What do we do? We can’t meet up as we’re supposed to,” the woman declared.

“I know. That’s what we were trying to figure out when you came up. Come over here,” Marie said as she gently guided the woman to where they’d been seated.

Alex nodded. “I’m Alex Wilson, and this is my wife, Marie. Our two kids are at home in central Indiana. We were just trying to decide what to do. Do we try to get home to them or have them proceed to a shelter without us?”

Nodding, the woman responded, “I’m Debbie Maxfield. I’m here with my sister. Her husband died a couple of months ago, and I talked her into taking this trip to try to help her have some fun. She’s not part of Anvil, and I’m not allowed to tell her about it. My boyfriend is at home with my kids and his. We need to decide if he leaves or waits. He’s in a panic. I guess I am too.”

Alex addressed both women. “I think we need to save our families. Help them do what is needed to get to their shelters. Once we reach St. Maarten, we get tickets on the first flights back to the US. From there, we try to meet up with them. That’s all we can do.”

“I agree. I don’t see any other choice,” Marie said, fighting to control her emotions.

Shaking her head, Debbie said, “We don’t even know what the threat is. Maybe it's not that serious. Maybe they sent the message by accident.”

“You got the same information we did. They wouldn’t activate Anvil unless it were something severe. If we get the second message, we’ll know it isn’t a mistake,” Marie told her.

“I was listening to the news on the radio while on the way to the ship. There was nothing that sounded at all concerning,” Debbie stated.

“I know,” Alex nodded. “But there has to be something happening.”

“I can’t just leave the ship in St. Maarten. My sister is on board. She’s my best friend. I can’t abandon her and fly home. Even if we both got off to the ship and made it to my shelter, there wouldn’t be a place for her.”

As she was saying this, she was interrupted by another text message. She glanced at her phone and then at her new friends. “I guess it wasn’t a mistake. It’s the instructions. We live in Colorado. We’re supposed to drive to a National Guard base to meet. The base is about thirty minutes from our house. They have to be there in two hours. I’m really glad we got to talk, but I need to call my family.”

Hugging Debbie, Marie said, “We are going to call our kids too … but I’m not sure what we are going to say.”

Nodding glumly, Debbie walked toward the bow of the ship while placing a call.

Alex was the first to speak after Debbie left. “Do you agree that we need to tell the kids to go?”

Marie was quiet for several seconds. “Yes. I guess we do. But we get off the ship as soon as possible and try to get to them.”

Alex and Marie would spend the next day and a half roaming the ship, observing other passengers. They didn’t see anyone else who looked anxious to get home.

ChapterFive

After breading the chicken, Lucy arranged it in a glass baking dish. It needed to go into the oven for forty minutes. She planned to get dinner cooking and then take a quick shower. Still in her running gear, she wanted to get the meat in the oven so that it could be cooking while she was showering. When she got back down from her shower, she’d start the water boiling for the box of macaroni and cheese that they would have with the baked chicken.

As soon as they’d arrived home, she’d sent Sam up to shower and change. She’d heard the water shut off as she slid the dish into the oven and set the timer. As she started to head upstairs, her cell phone rang. She looked at the screen and smiled when she saw that it. “Dad.”

“Hi Dad. You miss me so much that you had to call already?” Lucy asked.

“Hey kid. I need you to get your brother and put us on speaker. I need to talk to you both. This is serious.”

From the sound of his voice, she knew that something was wrong. “What happened? Is Mom hurt?”

“No, Mom is here with me now. Just get Sam on the line. I’ll explain then.”

“Sam! Get down here now. Dad is on the phone. There’s a problem,” Lucy yelled

Seconds later, the twelve-year-old came running down the carpeted stairs. He was fresh out of the shower and was wearing shorts and carrying a tee shirt. “What’s wrong?”

“Dad needs to talk to us both. Something’s wrong,” Lucy said as she pressed the button, activating the speaker on her phone.

“We’re both here now.”

“Hey, Sam. Can you hear me?”

“Sure, Dad. What’s going on?”

Taking a deep breath, Alex Wilson said, “You guys remember how we talked about Code Anvil, and we kinda joked about the world coming to an end?”

“Yeah, I remember,” Sam answered.

“Sure, I remember that,” Lucy acknowledged and felt a knot forming in her stomach.

“Mom and I just got the Code Anvil text. It’s real. Something awful is about to happen. We need you both to get the checklists from your bags and get packed. Also, take your backpacks with stuff for the trip. We don’t know how long it’ll take to get to where you’re going. You’ll then need to go to the Sherman Center Mall. There will be buses there. And remember, this is super secretive. You can’t tell anyone what’s going on.”

Sam responded first. “Is that where you’ll meet us?”

Lucy, who had turned ghostly pale, unconsciously shook her head.

“Guys, you need to be there by eight tonight. No later. We can't get off the cruise ship for a good twenty-four hours. You need to go without us.”

Sam, still not grasping the meaning of his father’s words, asked, “Then how will you find us?”

When their dad paused, Lucy answered her brother’s question. “They won’t.” She felt tears running down her face.

“No. We’re going to wait here. When you get here, we’ll try to find where we should go,” Sam said emphatically.

Marie’s voice came on the line. “Sammy, we aren’t going to get there in time. More than anything, we want you to live. That’s even more important than us being together. You must do this. You must listen to Lucy and go without us. We’ll try to find you when we get back, but that won’t be for about two days.”

Everyone got quiet for several seconds, and then 17 year-old Lucy Wilson felt something change. It was as if her mind shifted into a gear she’d never used. She picked up the phone from the counter and turned off the speaker, and held it to her ear. “I understand what I need to do. I’m hanging up. We’ve got a lot to do. I’ll call back when we’re in the car.”

Before her parents could answer, she hung up. They were no longer in charge, she was, and she had things to do. “Sam, upstairs now. Pull the bag from under your bed and get the list out of it. Start filling it. We’ll have lots of time to talk later.”

Obediently, the boy raced upstairs. He’d never seen his sister look and sound the way she did now and instinctively knew not to argue.

As she entered her room, her thoughts traveled back to the chicken in the oven. The mall was twenty minutes away, and they had two hours to get there. She wanted to sprint out of the house and head to the mall, but they needed to eat. If things were as hectic as they sounded, their next meal could be slow in coming. They’d take the time to eat before they left.

Pulling the extra-large all-white duffel bag from under her bed, Lucy dug out the packing list. When invited into Anvil several years ago, her parents were each issued a similar heavy-duty bag. They were told that if something ever happened, this bag and a small personal bag were all they would be allowed to take with them. Since then, the bags and packing lists had remained all but forgotten under the beds, waiting for the end of the world.

The huge bag was similar in size to the ones hockey players used for all their equipment. She looked at the list and saw that most of the items were obvious: six sets of clothing, including at least two sweatshirts, and toiletries. Some things were more surprising. They were supposed to bring all their schoolbooks and at least two books for personal reading. She paused, trying to make sense of it, and then logic hit her. Over a thousand people were heading to the shelter. If they each brought two books, they would have an instant library. She continued down the list, not worrying about if each item made sense to her. They were also supposed to have a bag or backpack that held what they wanted for the trip.

As she packed, her eyes fell on the photo of her and Marcus next to the bed. They were dressed up for prom. She picked it up and stared at it until she felt a tear forming. She tossed it in the bag and continued packing. If she let her mind get off task, she wouldn’t be able to resume.

She flipped the list over and glanced at the prohibited items, including weapons, fireworks, pets, and anything requiring refrigeration. She tossed the checklist down on the bed, not interested in the rest of the prohibited items, and heard Sam call.

“Lucy, come here. I’m done.”

She went to the boy’s room. “What do you still need help with?”

“Nothing. I think I have it all, but I still have a lot of room.”

Looking in her brother’s bag, it appeared like it was all in order; she took his list and quickly quizzed him, and found it was complete.

“Add one more set of clothes and two more books. Is Bear in there?” she asked, referring to the eighteen-inch tall, brown-and-tan stuffed animal that Sam had slept with since he was a baby.

“No, he wasn’t on the list,” he explained.

“Get him in the bag. Also, add a couple of other things that you want that will fit. I need to finish dinner. We need a good meal before we leave. When you’re done, get Mom and Dad’s bags out and fill them from their lists. I don’t want to hear you complaining about having to touch their underwear.”

“But I thought they weren’t going to get there in time.”

“They’ll try. In case they do, I want their stuff there for them,” Lucy explained. Taking her bag, she turned and headed downstairs. As she went, a framed photo on the wall grabbed her attention. It had been taken last summer in the park and was of the whole family.

After depositing the bag on the couch, she started the water boiling for the macaroni and cheese. Then, she took a minute to walk around the house, collecting several framed photos of the family, which she placed in the bag, between layers of clothing to protect the glass. When she finished, her bag was stuffed and she had trouble closing it.

As she was finishing, Sam appeared, carrying his parent’s bags. “I brought them all down. Mine is full now, but there’s a lot of space still in Mom and Dad’s.”

“Good. Come and eat, and think about what else might be useful for us to have. It would be kinda stupid not to fill them all the way.”

Sam said, “I’m going to pack all the candy and snacks we have into one of their bags.”

Shaking her head, Lucy looked at her brother and asked, “Why would you do that?”

“We’re going to be stuck in this shelter for a long time with over a thousand people. Right?”

“That’s what they told us.”

“Well, I saw a movie about prisoners who traded cigarettes and candy for things they wanted. They were like money. I figure, if there’s room, it couldn’t hurt to have a bunch of candy. Right?”

Putting her arm around her brother, she pulled him close. “For a dumb little brother, you're kinda smart.”

When they finished eating, Lucy washed the dishes and then put them away. She’d no idea if her parents would be returning home but, if they did, she wanted them to see that she’d been responsible.

ChapterSix

Lucy Wilson backed the car out of the driveway. They’d rushed to pack and eat and had kept their minds from dwelling on what was happening. Now, as they drove away from the house, possibly for the last time, the depth of the situation became apparent.

She wanted to call Marcus. Hearing his voice would be comforting, but he was at work.

“We're never coming back, are we?” Sam asked, the grief thick in his voice.

“I don’t know. Whatever is happening might be over in a couple of weeks. We don’t know what’s going on yet.”

“The day after tomorrow, my science class is going to meet early and try to see the comet. It’s so big and close that we’d be able to see it without a telescope, even in daylight,” Sam reminded his sister.

“I know. That’s all everyone is talking about. The Menesa Comet is passing closer to us than any other on record.”

After a few seconds, he said, “Maybe it’ll hit the Earth. Maybe that’s why we’re going to shelters.”

“Maybe. I don’t know,” Lucy answered, her voice weary.

“Are all my friends going to die?” Sam’s anxiety increased as he considered this possibility.

Lucy felt inadequate to answer her brother's questions. She was struggling with the same thoughts. With tears running down her face, she said, “I’m worried about that too, but try not to think about it until we learn what the problem is. This might not be as bad as we’re imagining. Let’s call Mom and Dad. I told them we’d call when we were in the car.”

Reaching for the console above the car’s radio, Sam scrolled through the menu until he found the address book and selected his mother’s phone number. The car had automatically connected to Lucy’s phone, and in a few seconds, the ringing sounded over the car speakers.

Answering on the first ring, Marie Wilson asked, “How are things going? Any problems?” Concern was evident in her voice.

Sam replied immediately. “Hi Mom. We’re in the car.”

Lucy gave her brother a look that he was familiar with, and he stopped to let her talk.

“No, Mom, no problems. We had plenty of time, so we had dinner at home. We don’t know when we’ll get food again. We got our bags packed.”

Their father’s voice came through. “Good job. You have plenty of time, so don’t rush.”

“We packed your duffle bags and have them with us,” Lucy informed her parents.

“You do? Okay.” Alex sounded a bit confused.