Now stationary, he relaxed enough to survey his surroundings. He took off his mask and breathing equipment to get a better view. The entire compound was flooded. Buildings were submerged up to their first floors and some of the flimsier structures had sustained considerable damage. The portacabins, which were being used as a temporary canteen whilst the main restaurant was being refurbished, had disappeared under the water altogether. One of the coaches ferrying personnel to safety was floating upside down, with only the air in its tyres stopping it from completely sinking.
Katashi could now make out the bodies of some of his colleagues, bobbing along with the rest of the debris. Selfishly, he scoured the area for any of his own team who may have perished, clearly identifiable by their white protective overalls; he didn’t recognise anybody he knew and gave a sigh of relief, then instantly felt guilty for not mourning the loss of his other co-workers.
The tsunami hadn’t destroyed the entire perimeter wall, at least not in this part of the compound, but it had washed away a section of about twenty feet, through which water gushed, carrying with it everything that the tidal surge had managed to scoop up, tear down or break apart. Occasionally, a large object would bridge the gap, creating a temporary dam, as smaller items built up behind; however, the force of the flow was too strong and a breach would inevitably occur, crushing the obstructions to pulp.
The Toyota, which had been so crucial in securing Katashi’s vantage point, freed itself from the tree, spinning off in the direction of the waterfall. Katashi was relieved to be free from the horror of its grey-faced passenger. However, this relief was short-lived; he could feel the trunk beneath him shift, as the current tried to dislodge him from the pylon. One by one, the branches anchoring him to the steel structure bent, then snapped, until finally it was impossible for it to maintain its hold and it, too, broke free.
Katashi could see the roof of the Toyota some two hundred yards in front of him; somehow it was managing to stay afloat. As it neared the gap in the wall, it was joined by a small capsized boat, several trees and a slick of wooden planks, branches and household debris. The car slammed into the boat and they fused into one. Without faltering, they carried on their journey together.
The hole in the wall was now partially blocked by the thick branches of one of the larger trees. Smaller items were being washed through, unimpeded, but larger items were being sifted out, adding to what was fast becoming a mega-dam.
The car-boat careered into the wall, just to the left of the hole, with such force that Katashi was convinced it would punch its way through; but instead, the boat shattered, as if it were made of glass, breaking up into a thousand pieces, which were then dutifully carried through to the other side by the tidal flow.
As Katashi neared the blockade, he could hear the crushing of metal as the Toyota was being squeezed through an ever-decreasing gap between the wall and the branches of the tree. He searched frantically for somewhere to escape to, but there was nowhere. He knew, if he tried to swim for safety, the current would pull him back into the carnage. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact.
Several seconds passed, but there was no collision. Curious, he opened his eyes. The screeching noise, caused by the car scraping against the wall, had stopped abruptly. He expected to see the car to have either disappeared through the gap in the wall, or to have sunk; but as his eyes adjusted to the light, he could tell that neither had happened. The car, in fact, seemed to be coming towards him, the hideous apparition of the perished soul clearer than ever. Katashi looked around him and saw that all the wreckage had either slowed down, stopped or gone into reverse, depending on its momentum. The surge was receding.
He dived off his makeshift raft and swam, with astounding strength, towards the control room, which was located in the centre of the compound. By the time he reached the building, he was able to touch the floor on tiptoes. Brushing aside the branches and twigs that had collected around the door, he made his way inside and up the stairs.
‘Katashi! You alright?’ It was Masumi Makoto, head of operations and Katashi’s boss. He looked up from the bank of monitors and gauges he was studying.
‘I’m fine, but I’m not sure where the rest of my team is,’ Katashi responded. ‘Have you heard from any of them?’
‘No, not since the tsunami hit.’
‘What exactly happened?’ Katashi queried.
‘We’re not a hundred per cent sure at the moment,’ Masumi replied. ‘But, what we can gather from news reports, is that the earthquake triggered a massive tsunami, which hit the northeast, deluging all towns along the coast and then sweeping inland.’
‘Which towns were affected the most?’ Katashi asked.
‘As far as we can tell, Sendai and Soma took the brunt of the force. It’s reported that most homes have been destroyed with estimated casualties…’ Masumi checked himself, as he realised that Katashi’s family lived in the area.
‘I’m sorry,’ said Masumi, resting his hand on Katashi’s shoulder. ‘You must be worried sick about your family. All landlines are down in the area, but you can try them on my satellite phone,’ and he handed his phone over to Katashi.
Katashi sat down at one of the vacant desks and tapped in his wife’s cell number. His heart skipped a beat as a fuzzy connection was made. Thankfully, he thought, they’re safe. But his exhilaration turned to disappointment as the voicemail kicked in after the obligatory ten rings. He left a message for her to ring him back, trying to keep his voice as level as possible, but his anxiety was showing through.
He handed the phone back to Masumi.
‘Let me know if my wife calls.’
‘Of course,’ Masumi replied.
‘What’s the situation here?’ Katashi asked.
‘Not good, I’m afraid,’ replied Masumi, gravely. ‘The surge knocked out the diesel generators and the core temperatures are rising. It’s not critical at the moment, but if we don’t get them back on-line quickly, it will be.’
‘Ok. I’ll round up the rest of my team and we’ll see if we can get them started.’ With that, Katashi left the control room and headed for Reactor 1, where he had last seen his team. By the time he had got back downstairs, the waterline had receded to waist height.
He thought it ironic that there was not a cloud in the sky, yet the place was flooded. He waded through the silt-laden water, but it was difficult to avoid the hidden rubble that had been deposited on the compound’s floor. Twice he tripped on some unseen obstacle, falling face first, arms outstretched to break his fall.
He reached the reactor building to find two out of the three-man team waiting for him there.
‘Where’s Tamotsu?’ Katashi enquired.
‘We thought he was with you,’ they replied, almost in unison.
Katashi recalled the last time he had seen Tamotsu. ‘Have you checked inside?’
Katashi didn’t wait for a reply, but instead headed for the closed door. With trepidation, he turned the handle and yanked as hard as he could, dislodging the sludge that had built up around the base of the door. It opened with some reluctance, revealing a pitch-black interior. The absence of noise from the diesel generators gave the room an empty presence.
Turning on his flashlight, Katashi entered and swept the beam around the building. Apart from the two feet of water he was standing in, there didn’t appear to be much damage. He trained the light on what he first thought was a pile of rubble, halfway up the stairs; however, as he moved closer, he realised it was the crumpled body of Tamotsu. He knew straight away that he was dead; his head was turned at an impossible angle to his body, his eyes gazing, blankly, over his right shoulder. The force of the wave must have knocked him back into the building, breaking his neck instantly. It was a harrowing sight and, for a moment, Katashi felt the acid in the pit of his stomach lurch. He concentrated with all his might on not heaving.