“Okay, I get it. Preparation time,” Simms said, nodding.
Watson shook his head. “Why didn’t you mention this back then, during our group discussion?”
“Wasn’t the proper time, my friend. When one decides to challenge the collective will of a newly-formed group, he or she must choose the proper time.”
Simms looked at Watson and shrugged.
Lipton focused his attention on Watson. “All we really know at this juncture is that Blackstone is facing something grave. What if their problem becomes an inherent risk to us as well? Someone from our side should have ridden with them to discover the true nature of their predicament.”
“In case we needed to rethink Summer’s decision to follow.”
Lipton gave Watson a firm nod. “Plus, we could have insisted one of theirs rode with us.”
“As insurance,” Simms said with confidence, bringing Lipton’s attention back to him.
“Precisely. I think you two understand why I’m bringing this up.”
Simms nodded.
Watson did as well. “Yeah, makes sense.”
“But of course, now that Summer has assumed Edison’s role and nobody has challenged her ascension to the throne, questioning her authority will be next to impossible. Even more so now that Krista has bought into the new paradigm.”
“I assume you have a plan?” Watson asked, leaning forward in his seat.
Actually, Lipton didn’t.
He never expected them to listen, let alone agree to his line of thinking.
In truth, he was only having a little fun at their expense. Spit-balling, if you will. “Well, gentlemen, if we’re going to make a move, the timing will have to be absolutely perfect. We don’t want to show our hand too soon. There are too many variables at play, all of which need to be assessed and quantified to ensure success.”
“Okay, then. Just tell us what you need us to do, Doc,” Watson said.
Lipton looked at Simms, then at Watson, wondering what that move might be.
Either way, he was now committed to come up with a plan, even though this all started as simply a method to pass the time.
He shouldn’t have been surprised, though. This wasn’t the first time his own unending genius had surfaced on its own and illuminated a systemic risk.
Regardless of how it originated or why, he did need to address it.
Somehow.
The question was, when?
CHAPTER 47
“Right this way,” Destiny told her sister as she and the group of visitors made their way down a dirt path that snaked between a line of towering trees and an endless thicket of underbrush.
“I can’t believe all the green,” Summer said, with her neck craned and eyes aimed at the canopy above her.
“It’s almost as if The Event never happened,” Watson said, moving the leash from his right hand to his left. The golden-haired shepherd followed the change in the lead, switching to the other side of Watson’s feet.
“You got that right, dude,” Simms said. “I’ll bet you there’s some good hunting in this area.”
A massive smile took over Summer’s face. “It’s so beautiful.”
“Well, I, for one, hate it. It’s giving me a headache,” Krista said, grimacing.
“That’s because you’re used to nothing but whites and grays,” Summer replied. “It’s absolutely stunning.”
Krista shook her head. “Still doesn’t change the fact that this place feels like an entirely different planet.”
“Asher—” Destiny said, moving her eyes to the man they called Lipton, “—is our version of you.”
“Oh, somehow I doubt that,” Lipton said. “There’s only one version of me. And he’s walking right next to you.”
“As I was saying, Asher thinks our caldera is the reason. He’s been monitoring its heat load, figuring that’s the reason the thaw happened much sooner here than down there in Arizona. Or anywhere else, for that matter.”
“You do know that the term ‘heat load’ is incorrect,” Lipton said with a sharp tongue.
Destiny shrugged, wishing she’d never mentioned it. “Okay then, whatever you call it, he’s been monitoring it.” At least Summer was still smiling. That was one thing Destiny was sure about.
“I’m curious, is Old Faithful still active?” Lipton asked.
“Yes and no.”
Lipton snorted a short breath, looking annoyed. “You know that’s not possible, right? That’s simply a misnomer. It’s either active or it’s not. Next thing you know, you’ll be trying to claim one of your old slutty high school friends was a little bit pregnant right before the world ended. You either are or you’re not. It can’t be both. Unless, of course, we’re talking about the state of subatomic particles.”
“What about that cat in a box thing you told me about?” Summer asked in a light tone, though Destiny thought it did sound a bit confrontational.
“You mean Schrödinger's cat?”
“Yeah, that one. He was both alive and dead at the same time.”
“Again, that was in reference to Erwin Schrödinger’s interpretation of quantum mechanics. An analogy, if you will. Not a statement of observable fact. He was trying to make a point, like I am now. Try to keep up, please.”
Summer leaned over and whispered into Destiny’s ear. “You see what I mean? It never ends with him.”
“How did you not shoot him in the face?”
“It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure. Though I do have to keep Krista from doing that very thing almost every day.”
Destiny laughed, then gave her sister a nod, appreciating Summer’s ability to deal with all these personalities.
A few steps later, Destiny glanced at the back of the pack where the Scab women and the girl were following along, then at Lipton, making sure he was paying attention before she spoke to him. “Look, it’s probably best if I let Asher explain it all to you. He’s the expert, not me.”
“Clearly,” Lipton said before looking over at Krista with an eyebrow raised.
Krista shook her head and smirked, the two of them looking as though they were in agreement for the first time since Destiny had met this group.
Summer smiled and grabbed Destiny’s hand as they walked, swinging it like she didn’t have a care in the world. The gesture fired up a memory from deep inside Destiny’s mind.
It was a scene from long ago, back when their family was still intact. Mom and Dad were there. So was Blaze as they walked together as a family on a beach in San Diego, looking for seashells. Specifically, orange seashells for a collage that Destiny wanted to make for Home Ec.
Summer was barely old enough to understand what the word ‘collage’ meant, but it didn’t stop the child from joining the hunt.
In fact, even at that tender age, Summer was hands down the best at finding them. Almost as if she had been born to go out and find things nobody else could.
Destiny turned her head and peered back at Nomad, wondering if somehow her brother could sense her thoughts about that beach vacation. She knew it was more than a long shot, but she had to check just in case.
He made eye contact with her, then the smallest of smiles found his lips.