‘Sweet Jesus. What do we do?’
Beau was peering through binoculars at the frightening scene. ‘Keep on course for Australia.’ He said. ‘Nick will be eager to know how we are.’
‘I’ve tried to contact him.’ Wolf muttered. ‘He’ll be in the thick of it in a few hours, so I don’t expect to get through to him.’
‘I’ll have to set a new course ‘round that thing.’ It’s goin’ to take us much longer to reach Brisbin, and if this gale keeps up, longer still.’
The sea threw great waves and foam over the Platypus as she made slow headway on her course, peaking and diving into the black abyss of the troughs, struggling up the next peak, fighting the raging wind and currents, until all onboard thought their bodies would break, and headed to the capsules for some respite.
Chapter Thirty-two
Gold Coast Friday, June 9
It was the fourth day after Nick had arrived on the Gold Coast and operation Star Flight was in full swing. The sky was a constant buzz with the whirring, screaming sound of many Vetos, and some of the Trancar lines had been disconnected to make way for loaded army jeeps and trucks pushing through the streets. The smart phone in Nick’s apartment buzzed. ‘Yeah!’ He snapped, annoyed at the intrusion, noting the time at eight o’clock.
‘Sounds like you’ve had about enough.’ Graham’s gruff voice rumbled over the background noise of what sounded like a thrashing machine.
‘Sorry mate. Am I glad to hear from you! Are you here on the Coast?’
‘Yeah, I want to be here when the balloon goes up. Mum’s okay and I’ve done all I can in Canberra.’
Nick wandered toward the kitchen as he spoke, he needed a coffee to settle his nerves. Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling Navilon windows, blinding him with its ferocity, bouncing off the walls to hit his tired eye balls like needles fired into a pin cushion.
‘Just as we thought, they’ve suspended all overseas flights and diverted incoming to inland Australian airports. The regional airports are panicking, they don’t have the facilities, but the big boys are flying in anyway.
‘Sounds like you’re handling your end okay.’ Nick said.
‘I see things are happening fast here too. I saw a lot of boats heading out to sea.’
‘Yeah, but I’m not sure it’s the best idea. What’s happening on your end?’
‘It’s a strange scene from the air, we almost need traffic cops up there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much air traffic in once place before.’
‘Yeah, it’s getting out of control.’ Nick replied, pouring more coffee. ‘Most people have entered into the spirit and gone into the hills to camp, but just as many are staying put, just plain confused.’
‘Have you had breakfast yet?’
‘Are you kidding? I haven’t had last night’s dinner yet!’
‘Okay, I’m on my way over. Wrap as much as you can in blankets. I’ll be landing soon.’ Graham said disconnecting.
Nick groaned and rushed to the bedroom where he emptied the two suitcases he had packed into a blanket, loaded all the blankets, sheets and quilts he could find on top and dragged the bundle to the door. He took another blanket to the kitchen and loaded all the food from the panty, and dragged it to the pile at the door. He looked at his selected pile of books and added a few more to the blanket, then as an afterthought went to his bar and grabbed two bottles of Black Label. He was ready.
He wondered what was happening in Alaska.
He didn’t have to wonder long before the smart phone buzzed. ‘What is it now?’ He snapped. Wolf’s excited voice babbled over the phone.
‘Nicky. Nick! It’s started! We’re right in the middle of it!
Nick could hear static and tumultuous noise in the background.
‘What’s happening? Wolf!’
‘The ocean’s unbelievable, my Got, the waves. Never seen anything like it. The undersea quake here has spawned a new island. It’s enormous! I just had a call from my friends from the US Coast Guard in Alaska.’ In his excitement his German accent became so pronounced Nick had trouble deciphering the words. ‘They said they are hearing continuous ear-splitting sonic booms and the ground is shaking! They were shouting and screaming, and I could hear such noise in the background I could hardly hear what they were saying. They said the sky has gone black, day’s become night! We were disconnected! I’m afraid for all of us. It seems we were right. It is as we predicted!’
Nick interrupted Wolf. ‘How’s the Platypus handling it?’
Sam’s voice came on the line. ‘It was touch and go boss, we were hit by massive waves, we had to use the capsules. She’s ridin’ into a force eleven plus right now and holdin’ up.’
‘What about…?’
‘Bunyip’s safe, Lord knows how, but she is.’
‘Ask Wolf what the instruments are reading?’
Wolf was back on the line. ‘They’ve gone crazy!’ He shouted. ‘We’re four days out of Hawaii. You were right Nick. Looks like the plates have sub-ducted all the way along the new fault, vertical as well as horizontal! The sea’s crazy. Boiling. Currents going in all directions! Tsunami warning’s have gone out. Got Nicky, there’s a series between nine point nine and eleven point two! Unheard of!’
‘Listen Wolf.’ Nick interrupted. ‘Just in case I can’t get through to you again, tell Sam to maintain his heading and come into the Gold Coast as close as he can, anchor out and wait! I’ll find you! Take orders only from me and don’t let anyone on board! You all know my voice, but I’ll use the code word Capsicum to identify myself when I contact you. Just in case. Things could get a bit hairy here. D’you understand?’
‘Ya, Capsicum it is! Good luck Nick and Got be with you. Out.’
Nick prayed they would be safe, but would he? He no sooner ended the phone than it buzzed again. This time he heard the whirr, whirr, whirr of a cyclone warning siren filling the room.
‘This is an emergency warning!’ An excited voice called. ‘All coastal areas of Australia will be hit by large tsunami within the next eight to ten hours! A series of subterranean earthquakes measuring an average of 10.9 on the Richter scale have been recorded in the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Tahiti and in Chile. We repeat. This is an emergency warning! Please move to higher ground. All emergency services have been employed. Please do not panic! Move in an orderly fashion to higher ground. Police and army personnel will direct you to safe areas!’
‘Radio.’ Nick ordered. All stations were broadcasting the same message. Over and over.Well, this is it he thought, the shit’s hit the fan!
Graham arrived minutes later with sandwiches and plans already in mind, having picked up the broadcasts on Liberty’s radio. Liberty was Graham’s personal long range Bell Veto that he had recently acquired, and admitted he loved flying more than his super 797 airliner, or any other plane.
‘It’s just as well there’s a landing pad on the roof of this building, there’s not many that do. I see the Phoenix has one too.’
‘Yeah. Nick added. Karen’s uncle lives there.’
‘Quite impressive building, isn’t it? Looks like it’s built with tsunami in mind.’
‘Mmmm.’ Nick said. ‘That remains to be seen. Not many will stand up to what’s coming.’
‘I don’t think we’re going to be able to do anything more than lift some people to safety.’ Graham said. ‘At least we have plenty of warning. Eight to ten hours is a long time. People living right on the beach-front could almost walk up into the mountains in that time.’
‘Yeah, if you can get them started now!’
‘Phone Brian.’ Nick yelled, while he and Graham dragged blankets through the door to the lift, but the smart phone merely beeped. A group of people from his floor crowded in front of the lift and glared at the bundles they dragged. ‘Lift open.’ Nick demanded.