Ping - From the Apocalypse (19 page)

Sarah was too upset to think of food.
She couldn’t believe she had almost lost her sister. Both Chris and Lucy opened their cans of cola, and while Ben glugged his dinner, Rose peered over at them. “Travis has been very secretive about the two of you, my dears,” she said with a smile.

“Well,” Chris said, placing his
can on the table, “I specifically asked Lucy tell the boy not to mention us. There was an awful lot to focus on. It would have been nice to have rushed here, but, that would have been a mistake; didn’t want to be tempted to cut our work short, you know.”

“We were at the Google headquarters in California.” Lucy
added, speaking for the first time.

“You were?” Sarah
suddenly looked up at the girl.

Chris nodded.
“Google digitized everything stored at the Washington Library of Congress — that’s over 500 terabytes worth of data just for the books. There's over two million books sitting in that library — couldn't risk losing any of that information. We also grabbed all of the movies, videos, music, everything we could find. With no maintenance to the building, things could deteriorate. So we made backups.”

Rose
beamed. “We’re going to have access to all of that?”

“Of course! T
here's about thirteen million photographs, four million maps, half a million movies, and approximately three and a half million sound recordings.”

“
So that’s what you’ve got in that truck,” Rose grinned.

“
Actually, the external disc drives are only taking a small amount of space considering what they are holding — there's a couple hundred of them. We’ve got computers, and servers too. Figured I could set up a network. But, the bulk of it is solar panels. Then of course, there’s wiring, electrical components, breaker switches… stuff like that.”

Sarah
was impressed, but her mind was too preoccupied with Kate to get into it.

“
Well, I must say, we are awfully lucky you’ve joined us, my dears,” Rose smiled.

“
Nobody’s happier than we are about it. Right Lucy?” Chris patted the girl’s knee.

Rose, while still holding the bottle for Ben, gazed over at Lucy.
“I hear you and Travis have known each other for a very long time. You’ve been able to,
ping
each other?” she inquired.

The girl
blinked at her with serious blue eyes. “Travis started when he was around two years old. That would be about six years ago. I was ten. Didn’t even have a clue I was telepathic until then. We’re pretty good at it, now. Don’t think anyone in the world understood each other the way we do. We couldn’t wait to meet each other… and we’d planned to soon—”

Travis
had covered his face and they all suddenly realized he was sobbing.

“
Oh, Travis,” Sarah said, putting her arm around him.

“
It’s just that, I — I'm so happy Lucy’s okay,” he said, his whimpers turning into giggles.

“I'm
happy too,” Lucy said, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I — I wouldn’t have made it, if it wasn’t for Travis.”

Chris cleared his throat.
“It’s true. The boy saved Lucy’s life. More than once, I hear. Long story. There’s lots to catch up on, that’s for sure.”

Sarah got up
. She went to the door and peered down the hall. Jack was still out of sight. “Listen,” she said, lowering her voice and gazing over at Chris and Lucy. “I have to warn you both about Jack. He may be a doctor, but he's also a convicted criminal. He was in prison for life. I don't want to go into the details, “she said, peering over at Travis, “but imagine the worst.”

“
She’s not kidding,” Rose added, “Well, we’re just going to have to be careful. He can never be left alone with Ben or the other children, if you know what we mean.” She gave Chris a discerning look.

At that moment,
Jack seemed to appear out of nowhere. “Kate wants to speak to you Sarah.”

Sarah
jumped up. She rushed down the hall and into Kate’s room. “How are you doing sweetie? You had us so worried.”

Kate peered up
at her, her green eyes nearly swollen shut. “Oh Sarah. I’m so sorry I scared you. But whatever it was that Jack gave me, I feel a whole lot better now. Except for my tongue. Nearly bit it off.”

Sarah smiled.
“Do — do you have anything else wrong with you, uh, besides your tongue sweetie? And this on your head?”

“Yeah, I think I cracked a rib or two.
Is Ben okay?”

“
Don't worry about him. Rose just finished giving him some formula and he’s sound asleep.”

Kate
raised her head and looked toward the door to see if Jack was around. “Listen Sarah,” she slurred, “about Jack. I was so confused.”

“What is it sweetie?”

“It was so… disturbing, I — couldn't handle it.”

Sarah huffed, and peered
over at the door. “We know he’s the reason why you were so upset hon, and we don't blame you one bit considering, but now—”

Kate grabb
ed Sarah’s arm firmly. “Jack was wrongly convicted.”

Poor Kate was so confused
that Sarah was suddenly more concerned about her mental state than her physical afflictions. “Sweetie, that can't be right. He told you right to your face he did it.”

“
His father abused him,” Kate muttered.

“You mean
, sexual abuse?”

Kate nodded.
“Evil son of a bitch.”

“You mean
—”

“
He’s innocent.”

Sarah stared at the bandage on her sister’s forehead wondering how badly her concussion was affecting her.
Now she didn’t know what to think.

“I am
not
out of my mind,” Kate moaned. “He told me telepathically!”

It hurt Sarah to see the pain she was in. All because of that jerk.
“But, he said himself, his telepathy sucks. He even admitted it hurt you.”

“
I wasn’t letting him. Until a few days. Then I got it… a big blast, all of it at once. It was too much,” Kate mumbled.

Sarah
thought of what Travis had said, about Jack pinging Kate. “No wonder you were so depressed,” Sarah sighed.

Kate’s swollen eyes were tearing up. “
He’s been so badly treated. That’s why he acts that way.”

Sarah couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Abuse as a child is no excuse for hurting others.”

Kate then glared at her, squeezing painfully tight around Sarah’s wrist. “Do you want proof?”

Suddenly Kate was
pinging Sarah, a message that was so disturbing, it felt like a punch in the stomach and Sarah dropped into the chair beside her. But Kate persisted, aware that she had Sarah’s full attention.

It was suddenly evident to Sarah that
when two minds met in such a way there was no possibility of distortion, and — aside from holding back the worst of the truths — there was no way to tone it down. Jack’s pain was coming through in all of its horror — the source of which was not solely from the abuse he’d suffered as a boy. Barely at all, in fact. In her core, Sarah felt Jack’s innocence… that he had never purposely hurt anyone. His misery stemmed from his inability to prove it, and the world’s failure to see the virtue in him.

Sarah
wanted to cry.

“
Sorry,” Kate said wearily. “I had to show you.”

Tears were coming to Sarah’s eyes. Even the abuse she’d experienced
from Lillie seemed mild now. It was like living in Disney Land in comparison.

“There’s a lot more, Sarah.
He’s a good man.”

Sarah felt completely overwhelmed with the sudden truth.
“We’ve been so wrong about him. And he didn’t—” It was going to take a while for the magnitude of what she’d just learned to fully sink in.

“We can
discuss it later. Okay?” Kate sighed.

That was probably a good idea given the circumstances.
It was obviously too painful for Kate in her condition. And Sarah needed some time to mull things over, it was weird to suddenly have a completely different outlook on Jack.

“Of course sweetie.
Just rest now. You know I get it… Jack deserves so much more than what life’s dished out for him. Close your eyes and I’ll stay here with you for a while.”

Kate sighed with relief and let her lids close. Sarah stayed by her side
, thinking about what Jack had been through, what not having been believed had done to his spirit.

It must have been half an
hour before Sarah heard Jack’s steps and turned to see him entering the room. Kate opened her eyes again.

G
azing at Sarah on his way over to the sink, he took out a package from the cupboard above it. “So what about it Sarah. Do you have steady hands? I figure ten stitches should do it.”

Sarah
peered at Kate thoughtfully, finally peeling back the bandage. “Is this going to be, like —
plastic
surgery?”

“Sort of,” Jack said.

She examined the wound. “We can’t have her scaring, not any more than she already is. She simply refuses to wear makeup.”

Kate rolled her eyes
and muttered, “If he’s letting you do it, then I’ll have to start.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

The Ping Factor

(July 2nd,
Year Two, PA)

Jack was preparing breakfast in the microwave with his back to Kate. She watched him for a moment, the sound of the generator droning outside. He turned to see that she was awake, and smiled.

“You missed being with Ben
,” she muttered. Her tongue was worse today. Painful and difficult to move.

“I'm to blame for that.
Sending you away pregnant wasn't cool,” he said, wheeling the hospital table over to the bed with her bowl of hot cereal and a box of juice.

“
Is Ben okay?”

He slid a chair close to the bed and sat down.
She noticed he was more relaxed, his eyes emanating a spark of encouragement and hope. It was a look she’d never seen from him.

His
lips curved up slightly as he took her hand. “Ben is just fine, so stop worrying. They’re all fussing over him. You can nurse him tomorrow, if you feel up to it.”

“
I’m so sorry Jack. I didn’t let you near him.”

He squeezed her hand
gently with his large, warm palm. “Please don't blame yourself,” he said soberly.

“
It was so confusing,” she sighed.

Jack sighed
too and turned away from her. “I’m just no good with telepathy — of course you were in no state to hear me either, which is also my fault. When Sarah showed up, I — I was afraid she’d judge me like everyone else did. You trusted me — the only one in such a long time. I admit, I was hoping to have you for myself.” He lowered his head.

“
Because I saw beneath that anger. I knew. Until, you told me different.” She moved her spoon through her cereal.

“
If only I’d—”

“He was so disgusting
… your father.” A knot was forming in her throat. “I felt exactly what you did Jack. Exactly. And I'm so sorry.”

“
Jesus Kate, I — I should never have put all that on you — but, it was out of control, telepathy can be like a weapon. We both need to learn. I just wanted you to understand.”

She couldn’t deny that it
had hurt her terribly. “You couldn’t help it.”

He held both of her hands in his.
The muscles in his arms were so strong now. His health had obviously improved over the last year. “It felt like a miracle that day on the beach when I first spotted you Kate. After the hell of prison, and then, all those deaths… but, I sensed you were out there. In my darkest moments. Each step of the way the feeling got stronger. And not only were you real… you were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.”

Kate
smiled. He
had
seen her sunbathing in the raw that afternoon. She’d thought the same about him when she’d first set eyes on him; so gorgeous — it had been like a dream. “I heard you too Jack – mixed in with Travis and Sarah.”

Jack
drew a lock of her long hair gently through his fingers. “And I pushed you away when you were most vulnerable.”

“Jack, I've seen
directly into your soul. I forgive you, okay?”

He turned
away and covered his ears. “I don’t deserve to hear that.”

“
Yes you do,” she said, pulling his hands back down.

Jack
sighed, and then glanced at her untouched breakfast. “Too sore to eat?”

“A little.”

“Here, I have something that will make it better.” Sitting next to her on the bed, his lips touched hers. “How does this feel?”

“Better,” she mumbled, drifting to a warm place she never wanted to leave. Jack slipped into the bed and
she carefully rested her head on his chest, enjoying the thump of his heart.

“Ben looks just like you,”
she whispered after a while. “He's going to be very handsome. Intelligent too.”

“We'll just have to wait and see about that.
You know Kate… I was adopted. You don’t have to worry about him being anything like my parents.”

She lifted her head and gazed into his
brown eyes. “I knew it. You couldn’t possibly have been their child. That is a relief to hear.” She was pensive for a moment and then she said, “It
is
strange that we are all telepathic.”

Jack
was staring up at the ceiling now. “I have a theory about that. In med school, I did a paper on the Bubonic Plague. Why do you think some people didn't get ill, even though they nursed the sick, when they’d obviously been exposed? It was thought that the survivors had a special strain of DNA — a mutation. Perhaps the virus couldn't bond with their T cells, or any blood cells for that matter. Their descendants turned out to be immune to HIV. And we could have something similar going on with us. I really suspect that’s the case.”

“But we did get sick
. Every one of us nearly died.”

“Somehow our bodies
were able to fight it,” Jack muttered. “We must have an immunity built into our genetics. And it's possible that several related mutations occur simultaneously — which could explain the telepathy.”

“
The Bubonic plague on steroids,” Kate muttered. “What virus wipes out nearly everyone?”

“I was talking to Chris about that last night. He believes it was engineered to
remain dormant for years after it was released, and then, suddenly wake up. So it’s probably in the water and soil — everywhere. That way, it infected the entire planet.”

“The astronaut told you that?”

“His crewmate admitted to Chris just before he died, that he was part of a CIA investigation researching just that possibility.”

“It’s incomprehensible,” Kate
slurred with a sigh, studying Jack’s profile. God he was handsome.

“
I hope Ben, and all of our children will be telepathic. We’re going to have to be careful — learn how to control it. Like Travis does with Lucy.” She winced as she tried to turn toward him, certain Jack was right about the cracked ribs.

After she found a more com
fortable position she continued. “We will be better for it, won’t we? Nothing bad, like what your father did, will ever happen again. Our children will have insight. They won’t get off track.”

“If we survive another generation.”

Jack looked away suddenly.

“Jack?”

“We should talk about this another time, when you’re feeling better.”

“Don't do that
, just level with me okay?”

He gazed at her
. “It's just that we don't know the long term effects. Viruses can return decades later, like polio for example. This thing is dormant in our DNA Kate. We don’t know what we are dealing with.”

Kate sighed. It was frightening, but for the moment she felt content, and safe in his arms.
“I guess all we can do is hope for the best.”

They
fell asleep together and didn't wake up until Sarah and Rose arrived with Ben.

“
Bring him to Mommy,” Kate said when she heard his cry. “Look at your son Jack. Isn't he beautiful? And imagine, when we hear his very first ping.”

The End

The story continues with the exciting
:

Ping Two – Acro
ss the Valley