The big truck jack-knifed across the interstate but the driver managed to bring the rig to a stop half a mile down the road. He leapt from the cab and ran around to the mangled, smoldering appendage hanging off and under the front of his truck.
It was immediately apparent that no one had survived.
~~~
At Launch Complex 37, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a Boeing Delta IV Rocket was being pushed into place by the mammoth fixed pad erector. Two immense hydraulic pistons, measuring three feet in diameter, would lift the rocket ninety-five feet to its vertical position on the launch table. Once that was done, a crane, standing atop the three hundred and thirty foot tall, ninety foot wide MST, would hoist the two solid rocket boosters into place where they would be strapped directly to the missile. Nothing like this had ever been done before. The two solid rocket boosters were to be the payload.
This was one of three Delta IV rockets to be launched from this site and the first to go. Two more would be launched from Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
At the same time, and completely unprecedented in the history of the Kennedy Space Center, space Trawlers Edmonton and Douglas stood upright on their respective twin launch tables. During less trying times, a Trawler would typically spend a month sitting on the pad before liftoff, during which time communication lines would be checked and fixed, gas lines attached and hydraulics thoroughly looked over; everything tested, re-tested and inspected. But due to the rapidly approaching asteroid, that timeline had been drastically moved forward and, instead of one orbiter, crews had to prepare two orbiters for launch in less than two weeks.
Countdown for liftoff was currently underway for the Edmonton and her seven-man crew under the command of U.S. Air Force colonel John Lee Gunnarson. They were scheduled to rendezvous with the orbiting solid rocket boosters within two days.
Relatively close to pad A, launch pad B secured the towering space Trawler Douglas. She sat smoking ominously from her colossal five hundred ton concrete and steel launch table. Her commander, Lt. Colonel Andrea Lange, would oversee the mission. Their destination would be the international space station and then on to the asteroid. They too, were in countdown for launch, but their window was scheduled two hours behind that of the Edmonton.
In less than an hour her crew would witness yet another first, the launch of a spacecraft from the lofty vantage point of another cockpit, atop another spacecraft, located just under a mile away. The television networks witnessed the largest worldwide viewing audience in history as the final countdown for the launch of the space Trawler Edmonton reached minus one.
~~~
“Ooooh, there they go,” Maria said as the Trawler blasted its way toward space. “They’ll stop it. Don’t you think so, Todd?”
“Yeah, they’ll stop it.”
“What if they don’t?”
“I don’t know. I guess we’ll be toast.”
Todd could feel her looking up at him. He wished he could reassure her in some way. It would help if he thought for a moment Dante could be moved but the truth was, most of the big heads were convinced the effort was too little too late.
Maria looked down and began rubbing her swollen belly. “Todd, he kicked me!” She reached for Todd’s hand and pushed it against her belly. The baby kicked again.
“Whoa,” Todd said, “he’s really tucked up in there.”
“Of course he’s in there; where did you think he was?”
“I…I just meant, It hasn’t seemed all that real before now, I guess.”
“It’s all been pretty real to me, buddy. How would you like it if your belly started swelling up?”
Todd laughed. “It seems a little soon for the boy to be kicking,” he said, “even if he is the almighty. How far along are you now?”
“Are you kidding? I’m seven months pregnant and don’t make fun of the baby, he’ll hear you.”
“Ok, one, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t understand English yet--”
“Oh what do you know?” Maria said. “According to you, he can’t kick yet.”
Todd pointed at the TV. “There goes the other Trawler.”
Maria watched the coverage of the white plume pushing the space Trawler Douglas into the sky. “Why do they need two of them?”
“Some sort of joint effort I s’pose, I’m not sure.”
Maria became quiet.
Todd looked down at her. “What’s wrong, Baby?” he pulled her close.
“Why’s this happening? Why now?”
“They’ll get that damn thing,” he said, trying to sound confident.
She pushed her face into his side. “But you don’t think they will, do you?”
The uncomfortable pause answered her question.
“I don’t want to die,” she said quietly. “I finally have everything I ever wanted.”
Todd rested his cheek on top of her head and began slowly rolling his fingers around in her thick black hair. “Everyone’s scared to die. Even Jesus was afraid to die.”
Maria sniffed and pulled away. “What?”
“Jesus was downright terrified, you know, Just before he was crucified.”
“How do you know?”
“I’ve been reading this book…about Jesus.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, aren’t you a little curious?”
“Well, yes, to a point. I’d like to know what he looked like.” She paused and sat up straight. “Did he look healthy? Was he big, little, that sort of thing…because of the baby.”
“You haven’t considered the possibility that he really may have been the Jewish Messiah?”
“Never gave it a thought.”
“What about all the; prophecies he fulfilled?”
“What about them?"
“Well, maybe he was…is…the Messiah. You should read this book. There’s so much more--”
“Todd, listen to me!” Maria said, glaring at him with a new look. “The whole story of the Messiah is nothing more than ancient Jewish folklore.”
“But Maria, according to this book, he fulfilled all of the prophecies describing the suffering Messiah--”
“Todd, listen to you!” she barked. “The prophecies are ancient Jewish folklore too! Nobody believes that crap anymore. I thought you were supposed to be a scientist.”
“I was only trying to console you.” Todd said softly.
“Console me!” she yelled. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s just…we should consider the possibility that we might die soon.”
Maria pushed away from him. “Oh that’s sweet. You’re turning into a Jesus freak!”
“What?” Todd said, sitting back.
Maria raised a finger and pushed it against Todd’s chest. “Listen to me. I won’t live with a Jesus freak!”
“Ok, Maria,” he said, backing down. “I just meant--”
“I don’t care what you meant! The baby and I need someone strong, not some moron who hides behind religion every time he comes across something scary!”
Todd couldn’t believe this was the same girl cuddling with him moments before. “Ok, ok,” he said, holding his palms up, “I won’t bring it up again.
Maria flashed him one last ominous glare before she turned and quickly left the room.
“Whoosh,” Todd whispered out loud. What happened? He sat back on the couch in front of the TV.
Maria had always been a mystery, but the more he knew her, the more puzzling she became. She was completely devoted to this project—a project sponsored by the Vinces, a religious based organization bent on forcing ancient prophetic writings into reality. And yet, the mere mention of religion sent her into hysterics. No, he thought, the mere mention of Jesus the Messiah sent her into hysterics. But, from the beginning, Todd had noticed she was humbled and moved by her involvement in the cloning project. It was the Christian view of the historic Jesus she so strongly objected to, he realized.
She was such an incr
edible enigma. She could be more tender, feminine and alluring than any woman he had ever known. She lived to cuddle, yet sexual intimacy, and even love were completely beyond her understanding. He only knew he loved her more desperately every day. Months earlier, he had defensively decided to stop thinking about what tomorrow might bring. Today she was his wife. She was still his…at least he hoped so.
The TV was covering yet another rocket launch, this time from somewhere in California.
“Another Delta IV rocket lifts into space from Vandenberg Air Force Base,” the announcer said, his face filling the TV screen, “carrying with it, two of ten solid rocket boosters. The very engines NASA hopes will push Dante off a collision course with our own earth. In one hour, the fifth and final heavy load Delta IV will begin its historic journey—”
Todd reached for the remote and pushed the button to change the channel. All of the channels were covering the launches. “Damn,” he said under his breath as he stood. He walked to the bedroom door Maria had slammed moments before and knocked softly. “Baby, I’m going for a beer, wanna’ come with m—”
“Ooooh,” Maria sang as she burst through the door, “chips sound good, and some soda.”
Todd stepped back, surprised. “Are you ok?”
“Of course I am. Why do you ask?”
Todd stared at her. “No reason. I’m going out for a beer. Wanna’ come?”
“No, you run along. Hurry though, I’ve got the munchies.”
Todd walked out the door. “I’ll be right back,” he hollered over his shoulder, “Want chips, did you say?”
“Pickles,” Maria said, “and ice cream.”
“Funny stuff,” Todd said as he stepped into his truck and started backing down his driveway. At the bottom of the hill, he turned east and headed off towards Nashville.
He turned on his radio only to find most stations were still covering the launches. He rolled the dial till music blared from the speakers and gently tapped on the steering wheel as the song wafted through the truck.
“Mary did you know…” the singer’s beautiful voice range out.
What a pretty song, Todd thought, as the music drifted in and out of his consciousness. He spotted the store.
“Mary did you know…”
As he turned into the parking lot the song went into its crescendo.
“…The great…I AM”
I AM. Where had he heard that before? Then he remembered. When he was a kid, he had watched the movie The Ten Commandments. He remembered, in the movie, when Moses asked God what his name was, God answered “I AM, that I AM.”
The great I AM rolled over on his tongue. He thought about it for a moment. Then it came to him. Before anything was, after everything else is no more…there is still, the great I AM. God is the only thing that IS.
He pondered that for a moment. The magnitude of that one statement — “I AM” — began slowly forming in his mind.
A deep consuming sadness enveloped him unlike anything he had ever experienced before. He slumped in his seat and began sobbing uncontrollably.
“Wh…What is going on?” he said out loud, gulping between great heaving sobs, Maria was right. He was going crazy. People in the parking lot were beginning to stare. He started his truck and pulled away.
He drove…circling in and out of the Nashville side streets, trying desperately to regain his composure. The sobbing had finally ceased but he couldn’t go home. His eyes were too red and puffy. Maria would think he was crazy for sure.
He drove west on Fillmore Street and passed a familiar Catholic Church on the left side of the road. It reminded him that ever since Father Jenkins made his appearance he seemed to notice everything catholic…Wait a minute! he thought. Father Jenkins…. I need to talk to Father Jenkins. I need to find out what’s wrong with me.
~~~
Countdown was underway for liftoff of the final Delta IV rocket at Launch Complex 37, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The final two solid rocket boosters had been securely fastened to the sides of the towering spacecraft and the Fixed Umbilical Tower’s swing arms, attached to the rocket's first stage, second stage and fairing, retracted their respective umbilicus right on cue.
No one noticed the fairing umbilical dislodging a nine sixteenth open-end wrench left out of place by an overworked technician, nor did they notice the wrench falling into one of the thermo tiles. When it fell, it chipped off a small piece of the tile used to separate the fiery plume generated by the Delta IV RL10B-2 engine from the incredibly combustible solid rocket booster hanging precariously on the left side of the craft.
At liftoff, it was still impossible to tell that an immense cataclysmic event was about to take place because the rocket engine thrust was directed away from the vehicle via the flame duct located beneath the launch table.
As the spacecraft lifted off the launch table, the white-hot flame, no longer being directed away from the booster, took less than a micro-second to penetrate the broken thermo tile. The two solid rocket boosters, together with the newly refueled RL10B-2 engine, ignited twenty feet above the launch table in one gigantic event.
Reaching three hundred and seventy-eight feet into the air, the two lightning protection towers were the tallest structures at SLC-37. The force of the blast lifted the massive, ten-foot-deep, two-hundred-foot-wide grid, attached to the towers via centenary wires, five hundred feet into the air, along with millions of tons of flaming debris.
The support equipment building was the first to go as exploding gasses blasted through the seventy-foot-long tunnel used to carry the air, power and electronic circuits to the launch support shelter beneath the pads launch deck, the blast instantly incinerating everyone and everything.
The two hundred-foot-tall, Fixed Umbilical Tower was instantly airborne. Its three umbilicals were catapulted in three directions. The first managed to reach the 80,000-square-foot Delta Operations Center located two miles from the launch pad just microseconds ahead of the fire.
It took close to three minutes for one of the massive hydraulic pistons originating from the Fixed Pad Erector to fall from the sky directly on top of the D.O.C., effectively erasing any semblance of life. Debris from what was left of the Mobile Service Tower continued to rain on a ten-mile wide area for a full fifteen minutes after the blast.
Up to a billion-people witnessed the carnage on television. Later, it was reported, no one within two miles of ground zero survived.
~~~
Todd had pulled off the road at the first convenience store and dialed Father Jenkins’s phone number. When the Father finally picked up, Todd found himself with nothing to say.
“I, uh,” he stammered. “You once told us we could call you anytime—”
“Of course Todd,” Jenkins answered. “What’s on your mind?”
“Well, it’s a, not that big a deal. I just happen to think of you and—”
“Is it Maria?”
“No,” Todd said. “Maria’s fine, she’s just pregnant, you know.”
“Is the baby alright?”
“Yeah, the baby’s fine too. That ain’t it.”
“Hey, I have an idea,” Blaze said. “Ever been to the Crazy Horse?”
“Uh, no, don’t guess I have, but I thought you weren’t supposed to—”
“No, that’ll be the Protestants,” Blaze said quickly. “It’s a little stuffy around the office today. It’d be nice to get out of here for a while. Let’s meet at the Crazy horse. How does that sound?”
~~~
The sound of country music originating from a jukebox on the first floor could be heard from the balcony, so they decided to sit in a corner away from the bustling loft bar. Todd had to smile at the three makeshift saddles sitting in the place of stools lining the long bar counter. Colorful red and white plastic print tablecloths sat atop the many round tables scattered throughout the dimly lit loft. On the far end of the room, early-bird customers gathered around spot-lit pool tables. They chattered amongst themselves amid
st the sound of pool balls clacking together.
“I’ll have a cold draft,” Blaze told the barmaid and motioned towards Todd.
“Sounds good,” Todd said. “I’ll have the same.”
“Did you hear about Dr. Perez?” Blaze asked, as the barmaid hurried away.
“Yeah I did, Maria mentioned something about it. Will that have any effect on the project?”
“No, his involvement was pretty much centered on the fertilization phase…which, of course, was the first step to be completed. Still, his contribution was enormous.”
“What exactly went on?” Todd said.
“I’m not sure what happened. I know he was killed somewhere in Texas and that he had a head-on crash with a semi-truck. What he was doing in Texas has been a matter of speculation—I’ll just say—it looks like our Dr. Perez wrestled with his own hidden demons.”
“What do you mean?”
The barmaid returned, placed the glasses of beer in front of the two men and hustled away. Blaze smiled slightly, took a drink of his beer and sat it back on the table. “There were improprieties.”
“What sort of improprieties?”
Blaze chuckled. “Todd—I’m not gonna gossip.”
“Oh come on, I’ll know all about it a gnat’s second after Maria hears anyway.”
Blaze sighed and piously raised his eyebrows. “Let's just say…oh what the hell, the guy was shackin’ up.”
“No.”
“Apparently yes.”
“His poor wife,” Todd said, looking into his beer, “but—I’m not all that surprised.”
“What do you mean?” Blaze said. “I was very surprised. Why aren’t you?”
“He sort of—came on to Maria one time—right in the hospital.”
“That’s a real problem for you, isn’t it?” Blaze said.
Todd glanced around the bar. “I know. It’s just that—I find I’m very possessive of her. I can’t help it.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being possessive—over your possessions. You don’t really think of Maria as one of your possessions do you, Todd?”
Todd looked back at Blaze. “I suppose you’re right.”