I waited for something to happen, but the CEO moved on to talking about their upcoming electric cars. The demonstration of SARS was over. Perhaps Gwen fixed something and now the whole incident wouldn’t occur. I thought about jumping time to see what would happen, but Selene and Jude returned to our side.
“The ghosts in the park are leaving. They don’t seem to have a reason but feel a current so to speak.”
“There’s ghosts in the park?” Emily honed in on that tidbit. Selene rolled her eyes.
“Did you not read the piece I did on this park? People used to get mugged and killed all the time in this park. It had a whole community of people who were killed in the later 1800s because they were thriving and the rest of Seahill at the time didn’t like it. The park was the cover-up. Yeah… I know. The park’s ghosts like to talk a lot. I get some of the best stories here.” Selene patted her friend while Jude scanned the park, seeing said ghosts. If they felt something we didn’t, then the incident wasn’t over.
Perhaps there was more to it than we knew.
Then our answer came.
A loud smack echoed from the speakers, and all eyes were on the screen. At least five feet of metal stuck out from the satellite. The whole screen started spinning. Shit.
“Any chance you can use your powers to stop it from here?” I asked Emily, and she squinted at the screen.
“Nope. I have limits. Though I’m honestly surprised I haven’t hit anyone by accident yet.” And because she thought it, someone in the crowd hollered like they’d been smacked on the head.
“Karma!”
“Stop this project!”
“Even space doesn’t want it!”The protestors started yelling, and the rest of the crowd was either holding up their phones to record, leaving, or staring with their mouths open.
The CEO tried to ease the crowd’s growing worries, but the techs were arguing off to the side, with Gwen nowhere to be seen.
“Let’s get out from the crowd.” I nudged our group to the right. Things got dangerous when a crowd panicked. White hair caught my eye as Gwen walked up to us, her blue eyes glancing back and forth to the stage. Arthur wasn’t nearby, but I assumed he was doing something.
“Cheap bastards. They didn’t use the recommended Kevlar and aluminum while building the satellite, so it’s going to be taken out by space junk. As long as it remains shut down, it’ll float in space like the other junk out there.”
Good news.
Another smack, louder than the last, had everyone silent. This couldn’t be good.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Vincent
The satellite was struck again, and the reflecting mirrors opened. Beams of light shot everywhere. Into space, at Earth, toward the moon.
It was then the crowd panicked.
“Stupid. They programmed the satellite to retreat with signs of trouble. Pops told me they coded it to follow the signals to the bay. That thing is going to do as programmed. With the size and speed, it’ll take a couple blocks of the city, plus the floods that will come after.” I guess things had changed; that satellite was moving on the screen, its sights set on Seahill bay.
“We need a plan. Leon can get there fast, but unless he runs back and forth, we won’t make it.” Jude jumped into the conversation as I watched the CEO race to a blacked out SUV behind the stage. Asshole. The crowd ran out of the park, with a few still recording on their phones.
“What if we bring it here?” Emily asked, and my heart clenched.
“What do you mean?” Selene asked, and Gwen stepped forward with a nod.
“Pops and I can change the coordinates. Then with my power and yours, we can manually guide it. Probably even slow it down,” Gwen chimed in and didn’t even wait before running to the abandoned tech station. Her robots jumped onto the table as her fingers started typing.
“You’re bringing it right to you.” I turned to the love of my life. That future of us, of her alive, frayed in my head with the thought of her literally calling this flaming satellite shooting beams of sun rays to her feet.
“I know, and I’m gonna need you, V.”
“Leon will get everyone out of the park. Jude, Selene, y’all clear out. I’ve got this.” Emily took control, pointing at each of the heroes.
“Not a chance.” Selene stood strong with her arms across her chest, but Emily shook her head.
