Exodus Eternal

Chapter 1: When the Sky Turned Red

“It's noon, and here is your hourly weather and air quality update for December 3," a smiling weatherman chirped from the television. “Five new extreme weather alerts and a rapid decrease in air quality for this afternoon. It's definitely a day to be wearing your air purifiers with cooling options…"

Vesta glanced at the TV and sighed, pulling her straight red hair back into a ponytail. She leaned over the young, freckle-faced girl beside her and closed a thick book.

“Okay, Sammie," Vesta smiled. “Lesson is over for today. Read the next section and I'll see you next week for another tutoring session."

“Yay," the little girl smiled, revealing two missing front teeth, “See you next week…Festa…Festa."

Sammie and Vesta shared a giggle at the girl's attempt to say Vesta's name.

With a pat on Sammie's head, Vesta gathered her notes and put them in her handwoven, multicolored bag, then moved to open the front door.

“Don't forget your mask!"

“Thanks, Sammie! See you," Vesta reached back and retrieved her modified 'PEM Mask' (personal environment mask with temperature control).

She stepped outside and closed the door. Even though it was December, the heat was close to unbearable. Vesta's vivid blue eyes squinted instantly in the brightness of the Sun's rays, and she added sunglasses to her mask. There was a harsh, dry wind blowing steadily under the hazy orange sky.

“Man, I miss the snow," Vesta sighed. She headed down the familiar sidewalk towards her parents' home, her shoes becoming dull with the dust that was always lining the streets. Snow had stopped falling a few years ago, but Vesta could remember it like yesterday. Winter had always given her pale skin a break from the sun and heat, but not anymore.

Vesta reached the quaint, two-story, stucco home and instantly received a text from her younger brother.

“Hey, I'm out with friends. Since you just got back from university, don't eat all the food like you did last time."

Vesta could feel the weight of her brother's sarcasm. She quickly texted back.

“Ha ha, Tanner. Looks like you already ate everything. Get a job."

Feeling satisfied with her comeback, Vesta tossed her tutoring bag onto the kitchen counter. An angry growl erupted from one of the kitchen stools. She carefully sidestepped a swipe from a paw.

Her phone emitted a text alert from Tanner.

“Don't forget to feed Merlot."

Vesta groaned and turned to face the kitchen stool that now revealed a black, fluffy, swishing tail.

“Come here, Merl. I don't know how you survived when I was at university. You can be fed by other people."

A large, fluffy, black, green-eyed cat flopped from the stool to the floor, keenly eyeing Vesta as she prepared his food. To Vesta's surprise, Merlot wouldn't leave his spot under the kitchen table.

“I thought you were hungry," Vesta frowned. Merlot growled, his tail twitching anxiously.

“Come on, Merl! Kitty kit kitty…"

Merlot gave a low growl, then flinched. Vesta turned in time to see something blow by the window. Looking out, she noticed a couple of tree branches and a poor neighbor's barbecue cover blowing through the yard. Turning back, Vesta noticed Merlot was gone.

“Hey, you fluffy criminal. No hiding, what's up with you…"

The windows began to rattle softly, and Vesta shut the door. She had barely gone two steps when the wind rattled the windows even harder. Vesta's phone began to buzz incessantly. Ignoring the texts, she answered her phone.

“Hello?" Vesta began.

“Vesta? Oh good, you're home. Is Tanner there?"

Vesta was surprised at the intensity of her mother's voice, “Mom? Yeah, I'm home. Are you okay…"

“Is he there, Vesta…please," her mother, Lucy, cut Vesta off breathlessly. “Did you get the weather alert?"

Vesta grabbed the television remote and turned on the weather channel. The once-smiling weatherman was now speaking quickly and wiping sweat from his face.

“No, I haven't. I'm looking now. Tanner is with his friends…"

Her mother cut her off, “Get in the shelter, if it gets worse I will be coming home. I have to call your dad, text your brother. Now. Vesta, I love you."

“Mom?" Vesta looked at her phone, but her mother had already hung up.

“...state of emergency, along with several other countries along the fault line…,"

Vesta turned her attention to the TV. “It is advised to take shelter until the military can come and extract you."

She could see the weatherman's wide and serious eyes, and on the screen behind him ran images of tornados, tsunamis, and erupting volcanoes from all over the world. The last image was of the skyline over a nearby town, causing Vesta to gasp and run outside.

The wind had increased enough to knock Vesta over. She coughed and covered her face with her hand, dust and heat invading her nostrils. Vesta glanced up and then stared in disbelief.

The sky was growing redder and angrier by the moment. Lightning flashed. Neighbors were running to shelters or packing their cars, calling frantically to each other. Vesta coughed again.

“Vesta, where is your family? Do you want to come with us?"

Vesta gripped the ground and turned her head to look at her closest neighbor, Mr. Fraser. He was reaching his hand towards her as he shepherded his wife and young children towards his car.

“I'm okay!" Vesta waved back.

She struggled to pull out her phone and half-crawled, half-walked her way back to her front door.

Vesta started to text, “Tanner, come home now. The weather is getting really bad and Mom wants you home."

She waited several seconds before texting again but was interrupted by her brother calling.

“Tanner? Hey…are you alright?"

“Yeah," her brother's voice sounded far away. “I'm heading to Marcus' shelter…it's bad this time, eh?"

“Yes, really bad," Vesta looked up at the red sky. “Stay safe."

“See you soon…"

The phone connection was lost. Vesta stared at her cell phone and started to go back inside. She opened the door then paused.

There was a noise that could be heard above the roar of the wind. Vesta looked back, squinting through the dust, wind, and heat to focus on where it was coming from. It had a steady, throbbing rhythm, like the purr of a well-tuned race car. Following the sound with her eyes, Vesta noticed three dark forms in the sky. Quickly, the forms took the shapes of sleek, black jets.

“Oh, the military," Vesta felt comforted at the thought.

The comforting thought suddenly turned into confusion and shock, as the jets definitely didn't come from the military. At super-speed, two jets pulled away in opposite directions, leaving the third to drop abruptly down in the park near Vesta's house.

Vesta had never seen a jet like this, made of shining black material, opaque front window, narrow wings that retracted once landed, a long elegant body with a door that lowered to the ground.

“What is that?" Mrs. Fraser yelled.

“That's not military," her husband replied. “Go inside."

Even as the wind was forcing Vesta to grip the door frame, she leaned out enough to watch the mysterious jet open its door.

A tall, muscular form disembarked quickly from the jet. Several others followed at a determined pace. The group broke into a run, spreading out through the street. Vesta frowned; something was off, but she did not move.

“Mr. Fraser?" she questioned.

“That's…not military…" Mr. Fraser backed up to his house. The tallest person in the group turned towards Vesta and her neighbor and began to run.

Vesta watched in what seemed like seconds before the person, dressed in a dark, form-fitting suit and helmet that matched the look of the jet, stopped at the edge of her lawn.

From the stance and build, Vesta assumed it was a man, and the man gestured wildly as if wanting her to follow.

“Vesta, get in your house!" shouted her neighbor.

The man gestured at Vesta and Mr. Fraser frantically then paused. He pointed dramatically upwards, then to the jet. The man looked between the two before him and raised a hand to his helmet.

Suddenly, Vesta heard shouting from her neighbor's house, and at the same time felt a strong hand grip her arm. Twisting, she found herself held by an extremely tall, strong person clad like the one before her. Vesta could see the Fraser family being escorted in the same fashion she was, and that others were also being brought to the jet. Some folks were fighting, others stumbled along fearfully.

The person gripping her arm pulled her forward as the now-searing wind increased to a steady roar.

“Are you here to rescue us?" Vesta called to the man in the black suit. He turned his helmet towards her and pointed at the jet. Vesta slowly began walking.

Suddenly, a yowling, black blur raced from the open house to the closest lilac bush. Vesta was aggressively pulled forward.

“No! Wait!" Twisting free, Vesta ran to the frightened cat and gripped him tightly to her chest. “Now, I'll go."