Chapter 63: A prediction that brings chaos
Mike was sitting on his desk with his eyes staring at the monitor. "No, the probes have malfunctioned again." He answered nonchalantly at Lucy. He is both frustrated and angry at the situation he is facing now.
Out of all times that he has been working in USGS, why now, that the probes are malfunctioning?
What was worse, was during the crucial time of the world is going through an apocalypse soon?
What a great timing to be malfunctioned!
Mike leaned on his swivel chair and mumbled coherently. "I thought the problem was resolved! Dammit!" He pinched in between his eyebrows and cursed repeatedly.
"What was resolved?" Although Mike's word was almost inaudible, Lucy still caught on the words that Mike has said.
"The data... We did not receive a constant data. Only sometimes, -and it depends on the situation and timing. Randomly. This data that you have seen just now, I have no idea how it got transmitted." Mike's hand was flaunting back and forth showing Lucy the data that he usually received.
He sighed in exasperation as he pointed his finger to the monitor before he continued. "I feel like someone was controlling the probe. Why is this happening? If it is faulty, it will stop transmitting data. It will not be intermittently like this..."
Lucy squinted her eyes and her shoulders drop at Mike's remark. "So... do you mean that we are in the dark now? We did not have anything to monitor the volcanic and seismic activity??" Lucy paused and she swallowed before she slammed her hand on the desk.
"Mike, tell me. The prediction of all Alaskan Volcanoes to erupt at once within one week... is it a random guess?!" Lucy started to feeling mad at Mike.
Feeling like something was wrong, Lucy widened her eyes and asked Mike again. "...Is the world is really ending in two months?"
That one, can't be just a prediction, right? With all the preparations going on, there must be some crucial evidence for the authorities around the world to be convinced and take action...
"No, that part is real. I don't know how to explain it further. But the world ending soon is related to the Earth's core activity. The density of the core is reducing, thus we are having all sorts of problems. From that one issue, ...we are having all these." Mike faced were solemn as he explains the main culprit of the 'dying earth syndrome'.
"Okay, what about the volcanoes then?" Lucy seems like she was not listening to Mike's question, as she diverted all of her attention to listen to about the volcanoes.
Mike's mouth was agape and then he went silent at Lucy's question. He just sat there, unmoving.
Lucy was stunned at Mike's reaction. She could predict the answers that she wants just from his silence. Lucy closed her eyes and smiled cynically before speaking. "The volcanoes was only a prediction, isn't it? How could you be so irresponsible! Without a complete data, how can you just predict something as devastating as that, and proudly spread the news to the public?! You are not sure about what was going on, yet you... you!" Lucy screamed as she slapped Mike's shoulder in frustration.
Mike defended his shoulders by grabbing ahold of Lucy's flaunting arm. He is not defending himself, but he just did not want Lucy to hurt her arm...
Lucy stared at Mike fiercely before she moved away from him. Sweeping her messy hair behind her ears, she continued expressing her exasperation. "The chaos and all the riot that we saw today... do you realize that, if nothing happened within this week, all their sufferings are for nothing?!" Lucy stabilized her breathing, trying hard to keep calm and to sound as rational as possible when she speaks to Mike.
"Then what do you want me to do? Do you want me to keep quiet and let the people died without any preparation?" Mike shrugged his shoulders as he stared at Lucy.
He kept staring at Lucy for a few seconds before he continued. "The data is not enough, I got it. But I am not wrong okay. It will erupt soon. IT WILL! If not within this week, then it is good, isn't it? They got to use the time they have to evacuate and whatnot!"
"Then the hell with your one week Mike?! Why give out a timeline? Don't you know how much panic you brought to those people?" Lucy glared at Mike as if she wanted to beat Mike to death if possible.
"Fine! My only mistake was for saying the one week time. I, I just want the people to evacuate. Although the duration could be anywhere between 1 week to months to come, but I am sure that the volcanoes are going to erupt soon." Mike mumbled with his head held on between his arms on the table.
The guilt has finally settled in. He never has put enough thought into the people's reactions. All he wanted was the people to evacuate to safety.
"They should flee to safety. Leave here as soon as possible. That was my main purpose in giving out the warning..." Mike's voice trailed off as he clasped his mouth with both of his hands.
Lucy shook her head slowly and pursed her lips. "Not all people have the same thinking as you, Mike! Evacuate? To where?? That is their house, and they would do anything to protect it..." Lucy questioned Mike repeatedly. She felt the situation was ridiculous.
"You know what, those lives that were sacrificed today in the riot... that was on you." With that, Lucy walked out of the door and disappeared from Mike's sight.
Mike stared at the closed door for a good few minutes as he ponders on what Lucy has told him.
"I meant good. I did not want the people to die without a chance of escaping..." Mike mumbles slowly to himself.
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Lucy walked to her studio in frustration and anger. Sliding her wrist on the door panel, she walked in and leaned her body on the door.
"Click."
The door was locked automatically after a few seconds she went in.
Lucy stood at the door and her eyes darted to the piece of paper that was on the floor just a few centimeters away from her feet. If she were to step on the piece of paper, she would never have discovered the message within it.
Bending down, Lucy picked up the piece of paper with a trembling hand.
Somehow, Lucy has a bad feeling from seeing the paper.
Unfolding it slowly, Lucy's eyes widened before her vision was blurred with tears. The content was short, but it is enough to make Lucy cried in relief.
'My daughter Lucy,
I am sorry. I have to leave for China urgently with your sister. Please tell your dad that I am sorry, and we will be fine. I will explain to you further once I am back.
Take care, Mom.'
'Mom is in China? And she said she will be back?'
Lucy laughed and her body slid down the floor.
'She left me, but took Suzy with her?' The truth pained her, but it also gave her some kind of strength to hold on. Her mom left her, she is not abandoning her.
Lucy smiled and she took out her phone. "Toot, toot..."
'It is connected!' Lucy screamed in her heart. She waited patiently for the receiver to picked up.
Suddenly the line was connected and a man's voice answered it.
"Hello, Lucy?"
Lucy smiled happily and wiped away her tears as she speaks to the phone. "Dad! How are you? Are you okay? I missed you."
"I am fine, miss you too, Hunny. I am in the old bunker again. You know, almost half of Hawaii's island was gone. Hilo... probably going to disappear soon too... I, probably could not make it back soon. Tell your mom to take care, and tell her, I miss her a lot. Lucy, my battery is running out soon. And the line is poor too."
Lucy's smiling face was gone as her lips quickly drooped after she listens to her dad's reply.
"What? Dad, mom is gone. She went back to China with Suzy. I am alone, please come back..." Lucy sobbed on the phone.
"I will try my best to come back soon. Don't cry..." Seth's voice was laced with sadness as soon as he heard Lucy's crying.
Lucy nodded her head and replied to her father. "Urm. I will wait for you. Take care..."
The line was cut off in the middle of her speech. Lucy stared at her phone for a few seconds more before she redialled.
No services...
Sighing for the nth time that night, Lucy stood up and walked to her bed slowly.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone