Desolation

A scream startled them, tossed about in the wind’s riptides. The shadow of a female form sprang from the void of a doorway, darting along the jogging track located near mid-ship. The shadow raced faster as if chased by something unseen. Another terror-filled scream broke free from the winds. Their eyes followed her as she ran toward the bow of the ship and leaped, choosing death over whatever heinous sprits possessed the liner. When she hit the sand below, she came to rest in a small, dark heap. No more protests or screams.

“My God. She jumped,” Lisa yelped, and galloped off toward the ship.

“Wait, Lisa!” Bill shouted. “Don’t go on the beach!” His words couldn’t stop her. Lisa was going to try to save that woman.

“Lisa, no! The ship … It’s … you’ll be electrocuted!” Bill shouted between each breath as he raced toward her, arms and legs pumping, fearing he wasn’t going to reach her in time.

Another, different scream forced both their heads up, slowing their progress. A second cry of pain then accompanied the first: a hellish duet serenading the evil ship. They saw two others, also attempting to assist the jumper. One appeared to be convulsing, yet fixed in his or her tracks, and the other simply fell over, dead.

Lisa froze, then Bill; now next to each other, both paralyzed by fear.

“It’s the ship! It’s a natural conductor.” He paused to take in several gulps of air. “It induces current from the CMEs hitting us, causing electrical discharges to the water and sand.” He paused again. “My guess is anyone on moist sand will get a nasty jolt of electrical current. Anyone in the water … well, you just saw.” Both Bill and Lisa quickly confirmed they were on dry sand and then looked back at the killing field ahead.

There were others on the beach, all much closer, but all standing still, unsure what to do next.

A bolt of blue-green lightning erupted from the hull and exploded forward, headed inland. Its bright tendrils opened up, reached out, and struck each person near it.

The Kings’ own neuro-electrical currents discharged then. They fled the other way, for home, panic propelling them at an unnatural speed.

2. Life and Death

“Push, mija,” Maria’s sister said strongly.

Now having been in labor for eight hours, Maria was more exhausted than she had ever been in her life. A multitude of candles splashed light around the room enough so that she could see her husband, Miguel, her sister, Lita, and a cousin whose name floated away just out of reach, in the haze of her tired mind and body. As a midwife Lita had brought dozens of babies into the world, she said, in conditions worse than this. Maria could imagine. After all, they were only without electricity. Thanks to Miguel they had many supplies, while most others around them were not so fortunate.

In the days since Los Diablos Verdes—what everyone in Rocky Point called the green clouds in the sky—had first appeared, many had died or sickened around them. The first few days’ fires burned hundreds of homes and most of the marina area, killing hundreds. Then many more became sick from drinking bad water or having no water at all. Their pipes were silent as were the water trucks and all other vehicles since the power went out. Even with water, many were now starving. The stores had been picked clean days ago. A careful few with small wooden boats were able to get fish from the sea, but countless others died from in the electrified waters. Like stray dogs, neighbors were no longer worried about neighbors; they were concerned about themselves and their own families. Every person was on their own now and each couldn’t depend on others. Yet, their house had all the food and water they needed and more.

Miguel is so smart and knows everything was the one clear thought out of the few that bubbled to the surface of Maria’s watery mind, her chestnut-colored face scrunched in utter concentration, her brow a washboard of wrinkles.

“Push, mija!” Lita yelled this time, afraid the tequila she had given Maria to dull the pain was working too well, pulling her mind toward sleep.

Miguel, on the other side of the emotional scale, was beside himself with anxiety. Maria was bearing their only child in their home rather than at the medical center; their power was off; and their city was dying around them. Max had predicted something bad was going to happen, and he couldn’t have been more correct. Furthermore, Max gave them their supplies. His fear now turned to what would come next, in the coming weeks, when others found out that they had so much food and water.