Like with the cell call to Susan, the call to the landline didn’t ring. Instead it gave a weird busy signal for a few second before disconnecting.
Armenov would keep trying, but he knew, deep down, no matter how important and vital it was, there was no getting through to Susan. The window of opportunity to communicate closed before they even had a chance.
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Reston, VA
It was her family and Susan wasn’t putting the responsibility or relying on anyone but herself to get them to safety. Although she had to rely on the pilot to fly her there.
Nineteen people were in the specialty room at a BSL lab next to the Institute.
A safe room brilliantly expediated to house those that could get in there before the eruption. When her assistant director received word from Susan, she immediately came up with the idea. Susan was beyond grateful.
She had her husband Bill and her three young children moved there before the levels rose sharp and fast. A guilt she carried with her because so many on the ground and Reston weren’t privilege to a warning that would help them stay alive.
She thought it was timed perfectly, but things didn’t always go as predicted. Following the time frame given by Gene and confirmed by Armenov, Susan had what she believed was four hours to make the flight, get transportation, grab her family and get back on the plane.
Easy.
Murphey’s law kicked in.
Just in case, because Susan always had a backup, she brought along a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus for her and the pilot. Giving them a half hour to get to the safe room should things go wrong.
Upon landing, things were going too well, Susan should have known, Murphy's Law and all.
They took a truck from the apron and made it to Reston Rentals, grabbing a shuttle bus. Between the truck and van they had enough space for everyone.
No sooner did they secure the van, four miles from the institute, Susan got the warning.
Another eruption was imminent.
They had enough time to get to the institute, arriving there before needing the masks.
It was awesome to see her children. They raced to her, slamming bodily into her arms. Her youngest daughter, Maddy, who was only three didn’t understand all that was going on. She just wanted her mother and Susan was fine with that.
Her older children, though still young and under ten, were indifferent. They were emotionally resilient.
It was only a few hours and they’d be able to leave, get on the plane and head to Gainesville.
She spent those hours in the safe room, holding her family and grateful they didn’t have to go through another eruption episode without her.
There was no call or text from Gene or Armenov that it was safe. As the hours ticked, Susan wondered what the issue was. Had the levels not dropped after four or five hours like the other times?
It was Bishop, the tech at the institute that found the readouts and claimed it safe.
Then as they gathered their belongings, rushing to get from the building, the power went out.
It was local because the backup generators immediately came on. Not enough power though to keep the oxygen flowing.
They lucked out.
It was safe and time to leave.
As one large group they moved from the basement hall up the stairwell.
With not much light to guide them, Susan turned on her phone’s flashlight. That was when she saw there wasn’t a signal.
“Anyone have a signal?”
No one really answered her. It was as if her question was inane during that tense time of leaving.
Once they emerged from the stairwell, Susan followed Bishop as he led the group down a hall and through the main lobby.
She stopped at the reception desk.
“Sue,” Bill, her husband grabbed her arm. “Let’s go.”
“I need to make sure we have time.” She reached for the phone. “I need to call Gainesville.”
Bishop back stepped and approached her, speaking low. “It doesn’t matter. We won’t survive another eruption. The power is down. No oxygen pumping. We have to go now.”
Scientifically, Susan knew there wasn’t a rush. The levels had returned to normal; it would need at least an hour before they would rise anywhere near eruption levels.
They’d be at the airport and on the plane long before an hour passed.
Yet, a certain amount of worry hit Susan the moment the large group emerged outside.
In the five hours they had been in the institute, the sky not only grew dark, the temperature had dropped and it was loud outside.
A deep howling carried in the air, one that sounded like a violent windstorm, however only a steady light breeze blew about and a mist pelted her in the face, reminding her of the time she went to Niagara falls.
“Get the kids on the van,” Susan told her husband.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Sue.”
She ignored him and sought out the pilot who waited by the pickup. “Can you fly in this weather?” she asked him.
“I don’t really have a choice,” he replied. “Do I? Besides it’s not dangerously windy yet and it’s not raining too hard. If it doesn’t get worse, we’ll be fine.”
“Let’s move them out quickly, just in case,” Susan said.
The pilot nodded.
Susan knew she was the one that would drive the van. Before getting in the driver’s seat she told Bill to keep the kids away from the window. There was a lot they shouldn’t see as they drove.
Cars abandoned, people on the roadways dead.
At least it was dark.
Even as they safely pulled from the institute, Susan couldn’t shake the chill or the doomed feeling she felt
