6:00 Hours: A Dystopian Novel Read online

  “Did...did you see them when it got hit?” they asked.

  Danny shook his head slowly. Everyone grew somber and bowed their heads. Some people began to cry, and a box of tissues was passed around.

  “You folks need water?” Jonas asked Danny quietly.

  Before Danny could answer, four water bottles were pressed into his arms. The boys drank eagerly, gulping like baby birds. Miranda sipped hers slowly, a crinkle deepening between her eyes. Danny noticed her legs were shaking. He put his hand on her thigh to steady her.

  “Are you Danny Morgan?” Jonas asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Jonas’ face broke into a smile and it almost looked like tears formed in his eyes. He rubbed the back of his neck.

  “Oh, man, this has gotta be some kind of miracle,” he declared, as if to himself. “Sir, you are the reason all these people are alive right now.”

  Everyone grew quiet and began to listen. Danny looked around at the serious, wrinkled faces, confused.

  “You don’t remember me,” Jonas continued, “But I went to the first class you taught at the college. I had just moved from the coast because the weather was so bad, and I was scared. I saw your class about how to be prepared. I had planned to go to the movies that day, but I paid the class fee with that cash instead. You talked about tornadoes, about the safest places to be, and the kinds of supplies to have. I had just started working here and told the administration about what you taught. They jumped on board and we got this shelter built. And now here you are. I can’t believe it.”

  Miranda was crying. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Shocked, Hunter rose and wrapped his arms around his mother’s neck.

  “Mama, what’s wrong?” he cried, patting her head with his dust-coated hand. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s ok, baby,” she told him. “I just have a lot of feelings right now.”

  Danny stood and embraced Jonas in a bear hug. Jonas clapped him on the back, chuckling. Danny didn’t let go. Slowly, the old people rose and gathered around Danny and Miranda, some more painfully than others. Miranda was comforted, offered tissues, and caressed. They stroked her red hair and dried her tears. Hunter and Jesse were given butterscotch candies from generous pockets. Enveloped in Jonas’ huge arms, Danny let the tears flow down his face. Outside, the wind still howled, like the angry breath of God.

  Part III

  Robert

  1.

  Robert rubbed the top of his head absentmindedly, feeling his short hairs tickle his palm. The motion always relaxed him, like he was warming his brain. He usually fell into the habit when he was worried about something or faced a difficult decision. This morning, it was both. Both coasts - Emerald and Ruby - were being battered by huge storms, possible tsunamis were brewing in the ocean, and tornados, fires, and dust storms were ripping up everything in between. Robert was accustomed to dealing with climate disasters on a daily, but he had never seen something like this before. It was like the planet was throwing a temper tantrum.

  Robert Morgan was 16-years old when he knew he wanted to go into politics. By 35, he was a Senior Region Representative and six years later, he was selected to head the newly-formed ECAG, or Emergency Climate Aid Group. It had become clear that the effects of abrupt climate change were the nation’s top concerns, even above homeland security. Economic disorder, disease, food shortage, and more were all linked to climate, so it was only logical to attack the problem at its source instead of trying to manage the symptoms. The group was a joint effort between the government and private organizations that funded and executed research on climate change. Robert made sure that none of the participating organizations benefited from certain research slants, like the group before ECAG that had been secretly funded by Wyatt Industries, a company that made equipment for oil drilling and fracking. ECAG was meant to be devoted to unbiased science. Half of their funding went to outfitting the group with the best climate tracking technology, which they dispersed to local offices at key points, including the Emerald Coast, the Ruby Coast, and the tornado regions. Appointed officials at these offices were responsible for issuing warnings, and all the data they received was sent back to the main office at the Capitol. The other half of the budget went to paying for staff. There were scientists, doctors, pilots, administrators, and politicians who have proven themselves to be committed to data, not popularity. Robert was the poster child for that type of politician.

  Robert had always focused on climate issues during his political career. Much of his interest arose from his personal experiences with disasters. His parents had suffered health consequences of poor air quality, nutrient shortages from a lack of certain types of food, and had seen two homes destroyed by fires. When they both died when Robert was in college, he added environmental studies to his political science major. Robert met Elisa at a prepper convention where they both spoke; Elisa about her personal experience and Robert about his political message. Elisa was a hurricane survivor and from a family of committed preppers. Their preparedness had saved their lives; when they felt those first strong gusts of wind off the ocean, they bugged out to a hurricane-proof shelter Elisa’s father had outfitted with three days’ worth of supplies. Robert was fascinated by her story and asked her out for coffee. A year later, they were married. Three months after that, Robert was elected to his first political post as a committee member for carbon emission policies in the Capitol.

  Prepping was still relatively uncommon during those early years. It was still something most people felt was unnecessary, at least to the extent that people like Elisa and Robert recommended.

  “Two days isn’t enough,” Elisa argued. “Everyone needs to be prepared for at least two weeks.”

  Elisa used her husband’s position to form a group of politicians’ wives who set up what could only be compared to a food drive, but for packages of emergency supplies that would last two weeks. Elisa’s family had not come from wealth; she understood that a big reason people did not prep long enough was because of the cost.

  “We need to make it as inexpensive and easy as possible for people to prepare,” she said to Robert. “All these companies sell their products for way more than they’re worth and tack on all these fancy accessories that really aren’t necessary, so it makes it hard for most people to stockpile. It’s criminal that surviving should become wealth dependent.”

  Elisa’s emergency supply drives were a massive success. Lured by the appeal of writing off charitable donations, people brought canned vegetables, fruit, meat, boxed pasta, spices, towels, first aid kits, batteries, candles, matches, winter clothes, and more to Elisa and her friends, who spent hours packaging everything together into two-week emergency supply kits. Anyone who wanted one could come and pick it up outside Elisa and Robert’s apartment. Robert’s campaign advisor suggested Elisa include a “Vote for Robert” button, but Robert wasn’t too fond of the idea.

  “Politics and emergency preparation shouldn’t be tied so close together,” he explained. “A lot of the folks involved in the kits aren’t even in my party, it’s a joint effort. No, we’re not going to go there.”

  The buttons were not even necessary. Everyone knew who Elisa and her husband were, and Robert easily won re-election when the time came. By then, Robert had babies on his mind, and Danny was born that same election cycle on a crisp autumn morning. They didn’t plan on having more children, but five years later, Rachel was born. Robert was elected as a Senior Region Representative and a few days after Rachel turned six, the President made history by devoting an entire speech to informing the public of abrupt climate change. The next day, Robert got a call and was informed he had been chosen to head the new Emergency Climate Aid Group.

  For people like Robert, the dangers of abrupt climate change had been a well-known fact and an issue they had been digging into politically for some time, but having the President announce it to the nation and the world set it in stone. The shift was obvious. In Rachel and Danny’s schools, entire l
esson plans were structured around teaching kids what foods to store, what clubs and activities would help them develop post-society skills (woodworking, archery, canning), and so on. Rachel made poster boards and Danny tried to develop better methods for emergency broadcasts. While Robert battled for green energy and allocated resources for climate-related disasters at the Capitol, Elisa fortified the homefront with a stockpile, DIY defense system, and knowledge.

  This morning, Robert’s usual rituals did not soothe him. His normal radio stations were inundated with weather reports and his commute was clogged by rain and traffic. He drove the thirty minutes out of the city to ECAG’s base on the outskirts in relative silence. Robert had Rachel on his mind. The last time he talked to her she was trapped dangerously close to the coast. Unable to drive further inland and with all the hotels full, she had taken shelter with a family. It was a comfort, knowing she was with good people, but Robert knew if the situation turned, their primary concern would be their own skins and not Rachel. Elisa was more optimistic. She had to be. Her own family had always been generous and Elisa’s work with charity revealed the best in people. It had been a while since she had experienced the worst, and she didn’t like to think about it. Sitting in his car outside the office, gathering his thoughts, Robert’s mind drifted back to the last conversation with his daughter.

  “I’ll call a few people,” he had said. “I’m sure we can arrange something. Nothing’s flying out, of course.”

  “Of course. Any news about hurricanes? Tropical storms?”

  “No one knows for sure. Things could be brewing, but it’s really hard to get in touch with the local offices. Just...be careful, okay? Try to act like there’s a hurricane barreling towards you.”

  “If that was the case, I probably wouldn’t do anything. I can’t drive in a hurricane.”

  “True, true. Well, I trust you. You’re smart.”

  “Thanks.”

  There wasn’t anyone to call. The ECAG pilots were all needed grounded, ready to set out when they were called, and it was still too dangerous to fly out. When Robert had talked to Rachel, it was true that there had been no official warnings issued, and communication between headquarters and the coast was spotty. It was extremely frustrating. Robert stepped from his car, opening an umbrella above him, and went into the office. He shook off the raindrops at the door and allowed an intern to take his coat, who whisked it away to a closet marked with Robert’s name.

  “Good morning, sir,” an administrator said, appearing from the elevator perfectly on cue, as if she was in a stage play.

  “Morning, Claire. What do the skies tell us today?”

  “Much of the same, sir. It’s the earth we’re concerned about. There was an earthquake on the Emerald Coast. 7.3 magnitude. About forty minutes ago. We’re not sure how much it affected the population, it was sea-based, but it could trigger a tsunami.”

  “Jesus,” Robert groaned.

  He took the folder from Claire and read it while the elevator went up to his floor. Claire stood by silently, her arms folded across her chest. The elevator played some upbeat instrumental jazz; an absurd choice given the circumstances. The elevator dinged, signalling their arrival. Robert handed the folder back to Claire.

  “Get me the Emerald Coast on the phone,” he ordered. “And if their communication is still screwed up, whoever is closest.”

  Claire nodded and disappeared down the opposite end of the hall. Robert entered his office and sat in his chair with a heavy sigh.

  Rachel.

  Robert got out his cell phone. The background wallpaper was of the whole family: Elisa, Rachel, Danny, and Danny’s family. The photo had been taken in the spring outside Robert and Elisa’s brownstone home. Everyone looked like they were laughing at something. Robert smiled. Rachel had been stressed that visit; she had been busy with a big project for school. She still brought so much sunshine with her though, always ready with a smile or sweet observation. And so smart. Rachel was the brainiac of the family. Those brains might just be what would save her life. Robert selected her name from his contact’s list.

  Come on, he thought.

  Nothing. Robert tried again. Nothing again. He should tell Elisa. Robert was reluctant to bring her only bad news, but she would see it on TV soon enough. It was better to hear it from him. He called his wife but only got her voicemail.

  “Hi, honey, it’s me. I just wanted to let you know that there was a tornado on the Emerald Coast. I couldn’t reach Rachel, maybe you’ll have more luck. Things will get pretty busy around here, so I might not be able to take a call from you for a bit. I love you!”

  Robert thought he sounded odd on the message, strained like he was reading poorly from a script. He didn’t have long to muse on that as Claire entered the office.

  “Emerald Coast on line 1, sir,” she said.

  Robert picked up the office phone, pressing the line 1 button.

  “Emerald Coast, this is Director Morgan.”

  “Baxter here, sir. How are you?”

  “Not great, to be honest. You just experienced an earthquake, is that correct?”

  “Yes, sir, it is.”

  “What are your plans for issuing hurricane or tsunami warnings?”

  There was an uncomfortable pause. For a moment, Robert was afraid they had lost the connection, but he could hear rustling and low voices in the background.

  “Hello?”

  “My apologies, Director,” Baxter interjected. “I just talked to my people and we are not issuing any official warnings at this time.”

  Robert was not sure what he had just heard. He frowned.

  “What’s that?”

  “We’re not issuing any official warnings yet.”

  “In God’s name, why not?” Robert blurted.

  “Our scanners aren’t showing anything immediate, Director. We don’t want to terrify people to an unnecessary degree.”

  Baxter’s calm, nearly condescending tone, got under Robert’s skin and he bit his lip before speaking again.

  “It is the ECAG’s strong recommendation that you issue a warning. Regardless of the specifics, there will be a consequential effect from this earthquake and the coast needs to be informed of it.”

  There was another pause. Robert’s heart was pounding. He rubbed the top of his head, impatiently waiting a reply.

  “Yes, Director,” Baxter finally said. “I understand.”

  “Good.”

  Robert hung up the phone. Claire, who had been standing there the whole time, gave Robert a curious look.

  “Everything all right, sir?”

  “This guy,” Robert replied. “Baxter. He wasn’t going to issue any kind of official warning.”

  “That’s stupid,” Claire said, frowning.

  “Yeah, it is. Try to get me some info on him, when you have time. What else is going on right now?”

  “Thunderstorms moving in here, sir. And tornadoes forming in the middle regions.”

  “Do they look bad?”

  “If I’m being completely honest…”

  “As you should be.”

  “Of course. It’s bad. The screens are lighting up like I have never seen before, sir.”

  Before Robert could respond, a frazzled young man rushed into the office. He tapped lightly on the open door to announce his presence before looking at Claire and Robert, his eyes squinted to barely visible slits.

  “Yes?” Robert said.

  The young man cleared his throat before saying, “Sir, the earthquake triggered a tsunami on the Emerald Coast. It looks like it’ll reach land before an official warning can be issued.”

  2.

  Upon hearing the news, Robert winced and removed his glasses. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath.

  “What’s your name, son?” he asked quietly.

  “Michael, sir.”

  “Michael,” Robert continued, “Why do we have the most expensive climate tracking technology on the planet if we can’
t even warn people about what’s heading their way?”

  Michael hesitated. Robert’s tone clearly signaled that the question was rhetorical, but Michael didn’t want to just stand there mute. He glanced at Claire and cleared his throat before answering.

  “I don’t know, sir.”

  “When can the pilots fly in?”

  “Um, not until after the tsunamis hit, and not until they determine flying is safe.”

  Robert sighed again. He hoped Rachel had taken his advice to act as if a hurricane was on its way. She was smart, but so young. The earthquake would have been enough to get her moving. But where would she go? Could she outrun the water?

  “Well, when is the tsunami supposed to hit?”

  “The, the tracker isn’t showing a time, sir,” Michael stuttered.

  Robert looked at Michael with exasperation.

  “What?”

  “You should come to the tracker room,” Michael insisted.

  He had sweat beading on his forehead. Michael had not been with the group very long and had not seen a series of disasters this bad before. People didn’t know it yet, but no one had seen it this bad. Robert put his glasses back on and followed Michael out of his office.

  “Get me the intel on Baxter and the Emerald Coast office,” he said to Claire as he left.

  “Right away, sir,” she replied.

  In the hallway, people were scrambling around like ants, papers spilling from their hands.

  “It’s a real mad house today, huh, Michael?” Robert remarked.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Do you have family at risk?”