“No, it’s not,” Tucker replied. “Don’t confuse millions of years of evolution with a change in oceans. Not saying it won’t be, but right now it’s not. When the big blue ball started making its way to us, that caused the disasters. Once it settled into orbit, it settled. It made some changes. The oceans are it. Look how nasty the Atlantic is.” Tucker whistled. “Not sure the Sharm could handle that. You have the moon pulling one side of the earth, the big blue ball pulling on the other…high tide is pretty interesting, I bet. All this”—he ran his hand down the edge of an image—“is beach that probably goes away at high tide, at least for a couple hours.”
Sam laughed. “No way, that’s gotta be a hundred miles.”
“Probably more. I told you the oceans are a mess,” Tucker stated.
“I’m sorry,” Sam said. “You’re the big farming guy, but this looks like a lot of the continents came together.”
Tucker tilted his head. “No. Well…okay, I can see how you can see that. I just wished this computer had one of those photoshop programs where we can pull up an outline of the United States and put it over this.”
“I can pull up an overlay.” Sam clicked on the keyboard and an outline of the states appeared.
“Now…just…move…” Tucker reached forward and placed his finger on the screen.”
“It’s not a touch screen,” Sam said.
“What?” Tucker laughed. “All this technology and you don’t have a touch screen. Man, is this that 1993 stuff you took from JAXA?”
“Ha-ha. Where do you want it?”
“Over…this.” Tucker pointed to the land mass. “Down a little, a little more, to the left, a bit more…Bingo.”
“Whoa.” Sam sat back.
“I see it,” Merks said.
“The oceans really shifted?” Jenny asked.
“They did. High tide brings some back, not all. For example, I’m guessing this is Jersey. Look how far inland it appears. By looking at this, the tide comes within fifty miles, but a bit north, well, it slams. Got an ocean shelf that is smooth so that tells me it goes under water a lot. On the other side of the country…” Tucker moved his finger. “Southern California is gone, so are parts of Mexico. Florida looks like it’s back. Most interesting is up here. Can you shift to Alaska?” he asked Sam. “Northern Canada?”
Sam did as requested.
“Look how green it is,” Tucker said. “Not a frozen tundra anymore, and in case you’re wondering, Alaska didn’t grow. That right there used to be the Bering Strait. Water doesn’t touch that. It’s connected now, and extends far into what we know as Russia. So, look, Gonk.” Tucker tapped him on the shoulder. “You can walk home.”
“Speaking of home,” Merks said. “We need to land and soon. I don’t want to land too far from that village, but I don’t want to land too close to where these people will get their George Taylor moment.”
“Ha!” Tucker blurted a laugh. “Look at you, Commander, knowing the name of the Planet of the Apes main character.”
“Some of us do know that movie,” Merks said. “So here is where the village is. Any suggestions on where we can put this ship down. I want to send teams out. Leave two people behind.”
Sam asked, “Maybe a team could head toward the village?”
Merks nodded. “Maybe.”
Tucker tapped his finger on his lip. “Sam, I hate to be a pest, but can you enlarge the area around the village, please?” He examined it when the area was enlarged for his benefit.
“Anything?” Merks asked.
“Yep. Found it. Right here.” Tucker pointed. “That looks like a good area. Far enough inland to be away from the tides. I’m not seeing any fissures from massive quakes, like I saw further north. Yeah, there.”
Merks turned to Sam. “Plug in those coordinates. Tucker, will you go prepare the civilian cabin for landing.”
“Absolutely.” He turned and exited the cabin.
Sam’s hand moved as he punched in numbers.
“I hope he’s right,” Merks said.
“I’m sure he is,” Sam replied.
“Doesn’t matter now, I guess,” Merks said. “We’re locked in. We’re landing.” He looked to the faces of the crew still around him. “Welcome home…again.”
<><><><>
Tucker peered up to the sky, shading his eyes, before making a notation on a clipboard. They had been on the ground for about ninety minutes. Following the enthusiasm and fear from the civilians, Merks had instructed them they could disembark but they were not to go far until the teams returned.
Tucker knew the translation of that. Merks wanted to check out the village, make sure it was safe and then figure out how to get everyone there.
A safe perimeter was set up around the ship, and orange sticks that looked like the ones Tucker used to put out on the farm marked where they would mow. Only they weren’t just marking sticks, they had beams on them to sound an alarm should any animals or danger cross.
Gonk set them up with Merks.
Sam and Jenny were busy helping to get stuff ready for the scouting trips. They unloaded the solar buggies and put the finishing touches on them, while Tucker did his own thing.
He was excited to get out there. He knew what he saw on the image, or what he thought he saw, and it was a good destination to search out.
It would give him a glimpse into the final happenings on Earth, at least a little, and judging by the structural remains he saw on the scan, it wasn’t hit too badly. Tucker was curious as to why that was.
Commander Merks and Pusk would be the ones to venture to the village. If it were a viable place to go and, of course, if they were invited to join the village, they would start moving the civilians. Tucker was still on the fence about joining an already established community, even temporarily. The reason for the relocation of the four rich families from an earth in danger was to colonize. To start anew and live.
Sure it
