Chapter 4: Yellowstone Blows
Yellowstone, five hours after the destruction of Heatherfield
Robert passed over the lab facility and landed on the nearby airstrip. Robert then opened the door as the plane slowed to a safe speed.
"Robert, what are you doing?" Irma asked in shock as Robert climbed out. "Gotta go." Robert replied.
Irma took over applying the brakes to stop the plane.
Robert rushed over to the nearby fuel pumps and checked them as Irma shut down the engine.
"Anything?" she asked. "Yeah, there's fuel, fill it up, I'm gonna go find Charlie." Robert replied.
"I'm going with you." Elyon said as she rushed to catch up with Robert. "So am I!" Alex added as he did the same.
"OK, we'll be back." Robert said. "Robert hurry, please." Irma replied as she put the fuel hose into the receptacle on the plane.
Robert, Alex and Elyon eventually found Charlie's RV and rushed towards it.
"I'm standing here at the highest point of what is the rim of the world's largest super-volcano: Mount Bighorn, elevation 2779 feet." Charlie said on his broadcast.
"Charlie! Charlie! Charlie!" Robert called out as he ran into the RV. He was puzzled to find that Charlie was nowhere to be found.
"I can only hope that all of you have made your peace with God." Charlie's voice said. "He's gotta be around somewhere." Robert said as he looked around.
"We should go back." Elyon said. "No, we gotta find Charlie because he's got the map to the ships." Robert replied as he hopped into the driver's seat and found the keys in the ignition.
"Call Irma and tell her we're gonna be five minutes late." Robert added. Elyon made the call as Robert started up the RV's engine.
Meanwhile, Irma had just lined the plane up for the takeoff when her cell phone rang.
"Hello?" Irma said. "Irma, It's Elyon!" Elyon replied.
"Elyon, where are you?" Irma asked. "In an RV, Robert's trying to find What's-his-name." Elyon replied.
"Any minute now, the fireworks are gonna start." Charlie's voice said. "Who is that? Who's speaking in the RV?" Irma asked.
"He's not in the RV, he's on a mountain waiting for some kind of fireworks, I don't know." Elyon replied. "Fireworks? What fireworks?" Irma asked, confused.
"How the hell should I know?" Elyon replied.
"Robert, over there!" Elyon said as she pointed to the mountain that she saw someone standing on.
"-to send all of Yellowstone into outer space?" Charlie's voice said.
Robert and Alex looked and saw Charlie standing on top of the mountain. "Well, spotted, Elyon!" Robert said as he turned towards the mountain.
"Let me talk to Irma." Robert said as Elyon handed him her phone. "Irma, we found him." Robert reported.
"Robert, please, for the love of God, hurry!" Irma replied. Robert parked at the end of the road on top of the mountain.
"-your race, your country, your god. Whether you're a Christian or a Buddhist or Muslim or Rastafarian, by tomorrow we will all be one!" Charlie said as Robert rushed towards him.
"Charlie!" Robert said as he got to Charlie.
"Robert, what are you doing here? I thought you were toast!" Charlie said.
"No, where are the spaceships?" Robert asked. "There's no way you can make it there." Charlie replied.
"We have a plane, you could come with us, but we gotta leave right now." Robert replied.
Suddenly, every bird in the area rushed into the air at once, as if they were escaping an imminent danger.
"Fly, birdies, fly!" Charlie said in a crazy voice. "Is this your girl?" Charlie asked. Robert looked and saw Elyon standing nearby.
"No, she's a friend of mine, where's the goddamn map!" Robert asked, shaking Charlie up as he did so. "We're going live." Charlie said.
"Where is it? Charlie, focus, where's the frigging map!" Robert asked, clearly frustrated. "It's in the camper." Charlie replied.
"Where in the camper?" Robert asked.
"In the map section on the conspiracy shelf. Dewey decimal system, between Roswell and...Marilyn Monroe." Charlie replied.
Suddenly, the ground began to rumble deeply. Robert and Charlie turned their heads towards the park and saw that the ground was literally bulging and swelling in several places.
"It's starting." Charlie said.
As the ground continued to swell, a geyser exploded in a large burst of steam. Elyon's face had a look of sheer terror as she saw what was happening.
"You sure you don't wanna come with, man?" Robert asked.
"It's so beautiful, I'm gonna stay." Charlie said, a crazy smile on his face.
"Good luck." Robert said as he turned to leave. Fucker's lost his mind! Robert thought as he and Elyon rushed back to the RV, where Alex was waiting.
"This marks the last day of the United States of America, and by tomorrow, all of mankind, and we will be visible from the Milky Way as a tiny little puff of smoke." Charlie said as the swelling continued and more gas pockets and geyser vents exploded.
Robert and Elyon had just gotten into the RV. "I'm watching the earth crumble before my eyes." Charlie said as Robert started the engine and floored it away from the area.
By this time, the ground had swollen hundreds of feet high, and hot molten rock was bursting out of weak points.
"The giant ash cloud created by this super-volcano will first envelop Vegas, and then St. Louis, and then Chicago, and then, at long last, Washington D.C. will have its lights go out." Charlie's voice continued.
Elyon was shocked by what she was hearing. "That guy's lost it, hasn't he?" Elyon asked. "I don't think so." Robert replied.
Suddenly, the massive bulge erupted with a bright flash and a loud BOOM as a huge fireball burst into the sky.
At the airstrip, Irma and the others watched in horror as the fireball grew, shock waves blowing away nearby clouds.
"Uh, Robert, what the hell was that?" Elyon asked. Robert looked and saw the massive cloud in the rear-view mirror.
"You don't want to know!" Robert replied. "Oh, shit!" Alex said when he saw the fireball in the mirror.
"I have goose bumps, people." Charlie said as the explosion rocked the area.
The shockwave smashed trees down and blew Charlie several feet backwards. The shockwave reached the airstrip as a strong wind gust.
"Oh, no!" Irma said as she and the others looked on. The gigantic cloud of ash and flame turned into a massive pyroclastic surge as flaming debris rained down from above.
"I wish you could be seeing what I'm seeing, people. I wish you could be here with me!" Charlie said as he got back onto his feet.
"Oh, baby, ha ha! Bring it on! Always remember, folks, you heard it first from Charlie!" Charlie said just before a house-sized piece of debris landed on top of him, killing him instantly.
Meanwhile, Robert was skillfully dodging the rain of fireballs by anticipating their points of impact.
"It's getting closer!" Elyon said. "I know, just hold on!" Robert replied.
Suddenly, a fireball landed just in front of the RV, forcing Robert to swerve sharply to avoid the impact.
"Hang on, I'll get us out of here!" Robert said.
Suddenly, another fireball struck the back of the RV, destroying the back quarter of the vehicle.
"SHIT!" Robert said as he looked back and saw the damage. "That doesn't look good!" Elyon said.
Irma watched as the damaged RV approached the airstrip, fireballs raining down all around it and the surrounding area.
"There it is, there they are!" Robert said as he got the airstrip in sight. Robert honked the horn to get their attention.
"IT'S THEM! IT'S THEM! IT'S THEM!" Irma said in relief as she saw the RV getting close and recognized the driver.
"Irma!" Elyon said in relief as she spotted her.
Suddenly, the ground in front of the RV cracked open. "Oh no!" Elyon said. "HANG ON!" Robert said as he floored the accelerator.
"HOLY FUUUCK!" Alex yelled as the RV hit an incline and jumped the gap. The landing damaged the suspension as the RV slid to a stop.
Robert rushed to find the map as Alex kicked the RV door open. Irma rushed over and hugged Elyon after she got out.
"Oh, my God, are you OK, Ellie?" Irma asked. "Yeah, I'm fine, Robert's getting the map." Elyon replied.
Irma, Alex and Elyon rushed into the plane as Robert searched the shelf for the maps section.
"Roswell, Marilyn Monroe...maps, aha!" Robert said as he grabbed all of the maps and rushed out.
Irma stuck her head out the doorway on the plane and watched for Robert. "Robert, come on!" she called out.
Just as Robert got out, a fireball hit the edge of the fissure, causing the RV to fall in. Robert rushed into the plane, where Irma had already started the engine.
Robert got into the pilot's seat and pinned the throttle. After getting airborne, Robert skimmed over a nearby hill and avoided more fireballs.
"Oh, no, the ash cloud's getting closer!" Cornelia said. Robert raised the flaps and leveled the nose to accelerate.
The ash cloud was almost upon them when the momentum died down enough for the plane to out run it. "Okay, we're good! We're good, we're okay!" Robert said as they climbed away.
Irma looked at Robert with a "What the fuck were you thinking?" expression.
"So, now that you got your map, where are we going?" she asked. Robert opened the map and upon looking at it, realized that it was a map of China, with the location of the supposed "spaceships" marked out.
He put the map down and looked at the others. "We're gonna need a bigger plane." he said. The others looked at him with "Are you serious?" expressions.
Washington D.C., that night...
Carl was on the phone with his mother in the White House. "No, you just said that, Mom. Yeah, you just said that. You don't remember that you just said that? That's okay, that's okay. Listen, Ma, I am going to call you next week, same time, okay? You take care now, take care of yourself." he said as the call ended.
"Sir?" Adrian said. Carl turned to look at him. "I think you need to see this." Adrian said as he walked with Adrian.
"I thought for sure they'd give you an extra ticket, sir." Adrian said.
"They did, but my mother is almost 89, she's in a wheelchair, and she's easily confused, and I am confident that she would want to meet her maker on her own terms, OK?" Carl replied.
"Yes, sir. Who are you bringing?" Adrian asked.
"Nobody. Who, my ex-wife? Last thing she said to me she never wanted to see me again, so be it. We need to bring people who can contribute." Carl replied.
Adrian led Carl to a room where a news report was covering a story regarding disasters in South America.
"The South American continent had been ravaged by a series of major earthquakes. The death toll is expected to be well over 2 million people. The devastation in Rio de Janeiro is beyond imagination. Two 8.5 tremors have left the people in the streets desperately fighting for the last remaining resources. In the last hour, we received this video from Globo New, Brazil." the reporter said.
The screen then showed a video clip of the giant statue of Jesus collapsing during one of the quakes.
"Fear and chaos have spread throughout the globe, as in London, where the 30th Olympic Games have just been suspended. Hundreds of thousands are marching towards 10 Downing Street demanding a lift of the information blackout proposed by the Prime Minister." the reporter continued.
"We've had thousands of calls on the switchboards, we had to shut it down." Adrian said.
"We're receiving reports from all across the globe, millions upon millions of distraught masses are gathering in public places, converging in desperate prayer. Preachers of many religious denominations have taken their message of the end of the world to the streets all over the U.S." the reporter said.
"Kind of galling when you realize that nutbags with their cardboard signs had it right the whole time." Carl said.
"All these people out there, sir. Shouldn't we be issuing warnings now?" Adrian asked.
"Only when the boarding process is complete. That's the plan. British Columbia, 2010, remember?" Carl replied.
"Sir, those plans were drawn up two years ago. Okay, everybody out. Go on, get out, Mary, get the door." Adrian said. Everyone other than Adrian and Carl left the room.
"Wasn't it also decided that people have the right to fight for their lives best way they can?" Adrian asked, clearly frustrated.
"After we get everyone on board, Adrian." Carl replied. "I think that's wrong." Adrian replied.
"Wha-? Just wanna tell everyone they're doomed? There'd be anarchy. You wanna jeopardize the president?" Carl replied.
"Come on." Adrian said.
"Our mission is to assure the continuity of our species. My question: Can I count on you? Can I?" Carl asked.
Just then, Adrian's partner arrived. "What?" Carl asked. "The Yellowstone caldera has erupted, sir. The ash cloud will reach Washington in roughly seven hours." he said.
"We've got to get the government airborne." Carl replied as he walked away.
"Where's the president, Sally?" he asked.
"Said he wanted some time alone. I think he's over at the chapel." Sally replied.
"He's gotta go to church now?" Carl asked. "He's praying, sir, which, under the circumstances, is not such a bad idea." Sally replied.
Carl went to the chapel and saw President Wilson at one of the pews praying.
"Mr. President, I need to get you on Air Force One immediately." Carl said. President Wilson turned and looked at them.
"Give me a moment with Adrian." he said. "No disrespect, but we simply do not have time." Carl replied.
"Make time." President Wilson replied. Carl walked out of the room as Adrian walked in.
The Secret Service agents that were with them closed the doors behind Adrian. "Did you ever meet my wife, Dorothy?" Wilson asked.
"No, sir. I didn't have that honor." Adrian replied
"She was in and out of it towards the end. The night before she passed on, she took my hand and she told me: 'I think you should have a lottery. Everyone should have a chance to go.' Maybe that's what we should have done. I'll be the last president of the United States of America. Do you know how that feels, son?" President Wilson said.
"No one could have saved the country, sir, and I think, I think people have a right to know." Adrian replied.
Wilson nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, I'll take care of that. Go on now." he said.
"Not without you, sir." Adrian replied.
"You get on that plane, son; it's a brave new world you're heading to, and a young scientist is going to be worth 20 old politicians." Wilson replied.