Thursday, November 16, 2023

Wildlife departed this part of their world before The Arrival, so they made the venture themselves. A cool breeze brushed their skin as they got closer, but it didn't lessen their nervous sweat.

"Stop here." Tanna removed her pack and pulled out the pod scanner. She hit the button and made a slow advance. "Nothing yet."

The low rumble sound increased as she moved through the last of the trees and into the lake's direct path. The signal grew louder the closer she got to the water. Quincy’s legs wouldn’t follow her. He could only stare at the lake while practicing Tanna’s suggested breathing and counting technique.

"Quincy!" Tanna ran towards the crib dock. "It's here."

Quincy sprinted to catch up and tackled Tanna. They both laughed until reality hit. The beeping reached its max at the water, but there wasn't an escape pod insight. The underwater swim didn't worry them, but what they would endure rocked them to the core.

Washington Lake housed families from the military, FBI, and other United States government agencies. The Washington Lake community fell under the jurisdiction of The Joint Commission, which was formerly The Pentagon. The people of the town were offered tickets on Gateway III, the NASA Artemis program's third spaceship. Gateway I and II carried the president’s family and other high-ranking families. However, the Commission miscalculated The Arrival, and Washington Lake fell under attack with little response from the powers that be to protect the people. Hundreds of people headed to Gateway III to hitch a ride off the planet. The brave and some of the arrogant stayed to help the remaining military members fight to secure the land.

A team of NASA engineers designed and built 207 escape pods that could carry up to 10 people each as part of an emergency plan. They were divided between Joint Base Andrews, Fort Belvoir, Joint Base Anacostia, and Quantico. Jasper Spark was one of the engineers, and he knew seven pods were to be placed at various locations off of Jefferson Davis Highway. He didn’t mind letting other families know about the pods as long as his family secured a spot.

Jasper and Arlyss Spark tried to get their family out of the red zone, but everything happened quickly. Arlyss wanted to fight. Jasper wanted her to take the kids to the boathouse while he got the locations for the escape pods.