Dragons Awakening
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: Where's the Science?

“Let me do the talking,” Akolo said, halting in front of the door to the observatory.

“Did you grow a backbone?” Zi raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms over her chest.

Her attempt at intimidation drew his attention to the swell of her chest. Not where he needed to focus. He blinked hard and looked away.

“I have an idea.” He hoped this time turned out better than their last face-off with his father.

“He probably isn’t going to be happy to see me.”

That’s what happens when you kidnap someone’s son. He glared at her. “Try to avoid lying.”

“Embellishment,” Zi said, nonchalant. “Not the same thing.”

“I can handle this,” Akolo said. A stare-down followed. After a few heartbeats, Zi dipped her chin. Akolo thought he glimpsed satisfaction in her sky-colored eyes. Why? Hadn’t he won the argument? Akolo yanked the door open and entered the reception area.

A few words with the receptionist, a visitor badge for Zi, and they passed through security in to the conference area. The receptionist’s voice chased them, as she buzzed his father, requesting a meeting.

Akolo paced beside the table. Zi relaxed into a chair facing the door, straightening the collar on her shirt. Was she using the window in the door as a mirror? Akolo shook his head.

“They’re coming,” Zi said.

Akolo turned toward the door. “They?”

Sure enough, Dr. Blunk accompanied his father. He turned and said something to her before opening the door to the conference room. Forming a battle plan? Thoughts whirled in Akolo’s mind, but he seized his game plan and ignored the rest.

“Akolo.” His dad rushed him, patting his shoulder.

For the past five years that passed for a hug. Rivers of warmth pooled in Akolo’s stomach, drowning the last vestiges of nervousness. Dad will understand. Confidence straightened his spine.

“Dad,” Akolo said and looked over his father’s shoulder. “Dr. Blunk.”

“I need to call security and have that one removed.” His father reached for the communication panel beside the door.

Akolo grabbed his hand. “There are more important things to discuss.”

His father glared at Zi. “She kidnapped you. I want her gone.”

“I went willingly, Dad.” They stared at each other. “Please sit down, so we can tell you what we learned.”

Akolo blocked the panel with his body. His father pulled a chair out and motioned for Dr. Blunk to sit. She nodded toward him, keeping her gaze pinned on Zi. Another unfriendly look. A half smile graced the Chinese girl’s face. Unruffled. Why wasn’t Akolo surprised?

After his dad seated himself on the other scientist’s right, Akolo situated himself between his father and Zi. The air tasted stale. Akolo’s chest tightened. Thousands of lives depended on him. Akolo had to convince his father to request an evacuation.

“We saw the news about Stromboli and the other islands in the archipelago erupting.” Always best to start with the known data. “It confirms what we learned in Nepal.”

“We were studying that data,” his father said at the same time Dr. Blunk asked, “What did you learn in Nepal?”

Akolo faced his father. He could feel his ears burning, turning redder than a St. Nick hat, as he ignored the doctor’s question.

“It wasn’t a Strombolian eruption though,” Akolo said.

His father shook his head, “Like most of the others, it is completely atypical for the island. Both Vulcano and Salina produced stunning Strombolian eruptions. Stromboli exhibits an almost textbook Plinian eruption. It’s still going. The data-”

“The ash has traveled as far as Morocco. The activity on the other islands has been less volatile.” Dr. Blunk stared at Akolo then Zi. “But that’s not what this meeting is about. We want to know what you learned on your spurious trip.”

“A trip you were forbidden to take.” His father leaned forward to glare at Zi. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten your audacious felony.”

Akolo placed his hand on his father’s arm. “Dad, there are more important things to worry about.”

“Nothing is more important than you.” Really? Akolo stared into his father’s gray eyes. Beneath the anger, there was something more.

Dr. Blunk patted his father’s other arm. “You can see his fine, Maddix. Let’s hear if the trip was worth all the stress it caused around here.” The scientist fixed her steady brown gaze on Akolo. His prepared speeches vaporized. He shifted in his chair, grasping for a new approach.

“There have been isolated rumblings in the Himalayans,” Zi said. “Seismic recorders tend to fail in the environmental severity above 25,000 feet. There was an earthquake while we were there.”

“Why haven’t official channels reported any of this?” Dr. Blunk’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Officials in Nepal and Tibet have seismic barometers in place, regardless of what can’t be learned from Everest.”

Akolo exhaled and felt his shoulders relax. Shouldn’t he feel angry that Zi was butting in? Another look at Dr. Blunk’s stern face had him shaking his head. Nope. Let Zi deal with her.

“The activity is centered at the heart of Sherpa country,” Zi said. “No one goes there to study geology. They go to climb to the Top of the World.”

“Juvenile activities don’t interest me.”

“The fissures opening and emitting steam should.”

Akolo bit back a groan. The falsehood he wanted to avoid sent a shock wave through the room. He tried to school his features since his father peered at him with raised eyebrows.

Dr. Blunk raised her eyebrows. “Provide data supporting your claims.”

“We weren’t authorized to remove said information from Nepal.”

Dr. Blunk slapped her palm against the table. Akolo and his father flinched. Air lodged in Akolo’s throat threatened strangulation. He wanted to squeeze the skinny neck of the girl next to him, force her lies to cease. Akolo glowered at her, a sad substitution.

“It is obvious that activity is spiraling,” his father said. “Even without any official numbers or photographs from Nepal, the activity in our region is worrisome.”

“Scientists don’t worry, Maddix,” Dr. Blunk said, her voice softening when she looked at him. “We study the data and make recommendations.”

“Like evacuating,” Zi said, her voice quieter.

Akolo frowned at her. She studied her folded hands. A reminder why he was supposed to handle this situation. Arguing with Dr. Blunk wasn’t part of his plan for convincing his father. Now the request for evacuation had been tied to superficial lies. Akolo’s heart turned to stone, and he collapsed against the back of his seat.

“The rumblings coming from Vesuvius have hardly elevated a fraction.” His father smiled at Dr. Blunk before grazing Zi with a dismissive glance. “In fact, the repercussive earthquakes are happening near the mid-Atlantic rift, suggesting a major eruption of an Icelandic volcano, perhaps Grimsvotn or Katla.”

Seeing an opening, Akolo straightened.

“It won’t be long until Vesuvius joins the party,” Akolo said. “Iceland is prepared to evacuate, but what about Italy? This observatory is too close to ground zero. If a major Strombolian or Pelean eruption occurs at any of the Naples volcanoes-” He let the implication of his statement stand alone.

“A lava spine is emerging near the crater of Ischia,” Dr. Blunk said. Ischia was another of the Appenine Mountains that had become volcanic in recent centuries.

“A lava spine!” Akolo’s heart attempted to escape his ribcage. Apparently, it wasn’t stone after all. He covered his chest with his right hand.

His father shook his head. “That data is corrupt, Rosaly. We haven’t been able to confirm anything since the sensor malfunction.”

Rosaly? She had called him Maddix earlier. They were on a first name basis. When did that happen? Akolo hadn’t been gone four days. He let his gaze wander between the two scientists. Had she scooted her chair closer to his father’s? Barely a sliver of light showed through the gap between their shoulders.

“That photograph shot by Dirk-”

His father shook his head. “Inconclusive. We can’t panic the populace without hard evidence.”

“What would cause more panic?” Zi leaned forward and her arm brushed his when she set it atop the table. “A planned evacuation or an explosive eruption? What is the most dangerous kind?” She turned her face toward him, seeking to meet his gaze.

Akolo swallowed a lump in his throat. “Pelean.”

“A combined eruption of a sort we’ve never recorded seems more likely.” Dr. Blunk leaned into the tightening huddle. Was she agreeing with them? Where was her skepticism?

The woman pushed her glasses onto her forehead and rubbed her eyes. For the first time, Akolo noticed they were puffy and bloodshot, as if she hadn’t slept in days. Purple bags beneath them confirmed that suspicion. He hadn’t expected her to be on his side, but he could use it.

“Sometimes data comes in the aftermath, Dad.” Akolo grabbed his father’s wrist, earning the full weight of his stare. “We’ll have plenty of data in the wake of a catastrophe. But that would be irresponsible, wouldn’t it? I think you should listen to Dr. Blunk.” Words he hadn’t expected to utter at any point during this conversation.

Zi sat back. A glance in her direction confirmed her cocky half smile was back in place. They were getting through. It was going to work.

His father shook his head and pried open Akolo’s fingers. “Before we go to the governor, we need to cross-check all of our facts. I won’t endorse an evacuation order until at least three sources confirm our suspicions.”

“You’ve heard three,” Zi said.

His father clenched his jaw. A surge of pride welled inside Akolo, and he almost smiled. Passion long absent marked that stubborn expression. It didn’t hurt that the anger was directed toward Zi either.

“Corroborated sources,” he said. “Your speculation from Nepal is worthless without hard data.”

Those words snuffed the thrill in Akolo’s stomach. As always, his father only cared about black and white information.

Dr. Blunk stood up. “We need to get back at it then.” She turned and opened the door with a single, smooth motion.

His father stood, patting him on the shoulder. “I’m glad you’re back, son. I could use your help entering all this data.”

“In a minute, after I walk Zi out.”

“Security can help her if she can’t replace her own way.” His father’s eyes narrowed, and he gestured toward the exit only a few steps away.

“He’s being a gallant gentleman,” Zi said. “I can see he learned it from you.”

Sarcasm thickened her tone. The hairs on the back of Akolo’s neck stood at attention.

“Five minutes,” he said, stepping between his father and Zi. “I’m going to grab a soda, too. You want anything?”

His father shook his head. He pushed the chair in and pushed the intercom. “Make sure my son’s guest leaves immediately without him.” He stormed from the room.

Akolo’s sigh sounded like a deflating balloon. “Not what I expected.”

“We couldn’t speak plainly with that woman here,” Zi said. “I think a small reminder about my vision would have turned the tide in our direction.”

“I’ll mention it later. When we’re alone.”

Zi stood up. “I have a plan if you can’t convince him.”

“Do I want to know?” Akolo searched her face. Her pale eyes widened, filling with unexpected emotion.

“I’ll have to go public with my vision.”

With that statement, her entire body wilted. No more cocky half-smile or confident stance. For the first time, Akolo wanted to reach out and comfort her. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his khaki pants. What could he say? He understood her reticence at seeing disastrous visions but not her reluctance about sharing them in order to save lives.

“Give me time. Tomorrow at least.” Akolo sidled to the door.

“Do we have until tomorrow?”

Akolo shrugged, opening the door. She whisked by him, leaving a flowery scent in her wake. He stared at her retreating form, standing in the doorway long after her departure.

Please don’t let it happen tomorrow. He wasn’t ready for the end of the world. And no one was prepared to face an angry dragon.