Evacuation (The Seamus Chronicles Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

William walks through the door.
    “I hope there’s coffee in here. After last night, I can barely keep my eyes open,” he says.
    “Full pot right here,” I offer and step back from the coffee pot. “But I have to warn you, it’s terrible.”
    “Of course it is.” He has a big tired smile. “Why couldn’t some genius invent good lab coffee? I could use some fresh air and your eyes look like they could use some natural light,” William says, walking toward the door.
    Outside the sun is warm and the breeze is gentle. It doesn’t feel like our lives are at risk. I’ll have to look through the database for a psychological section. They seem to have studied everything else. There must be a whole section on the projected mental impact on survivors of a catastrophic global event. I wonder if they had a scenario where so many things were left intact. It probably wouldn’t help, but it would be interesting to read.
    “You know, the timing can be unfortunate, but we all make mistakes,” William says. He may be assuming that I blame Jane or just trying to ease my fear, not knowing everything has always scared me.
    We sit quietly for a few minutes drinking coffee. My mind wanders from the database to Jane and on from there. It’s still mental chaos. Do I make things right socially and on the emotional level and prepare for failure? Should I keep working and sacrifice my relationships and my sanity on the off-chance that I can help find a way to save us all from the advancing virus? Can I do this on my own or do I partner with Jane and Cassandra?
    William is getting to his feet. “I need to get some sleep.” The coffee had merely delayed the inevitable in him. After a few steps, he turns and looks at me. There is a long pause before he speaks. “If you truly believe that Jane is evil and was gleefully plotting the extinction of our species, then speak with your father and suggest we execute her immediately. If that is not the case, you must find a way to accept her and move forward. I haven’t known her for long, but she is not malicious. She’s just not cut out for dealing with the information she possesses,” he says. I don’t have an immediate answer for that.
    I return to the lab and spend the rest of the day in a state between confusion, awe and jealousy. There are so many contradictory conclusions and surreal propositions that the database reads like fiction in parts. But I cannot fault the scientists whose work is represented. They have clearly stated hypotheses, well-documented facts, and scientifically justified assumptions.
    The blame lies with the politicians and faux scientists that commissioned this work. Their goal was to advance their own causes and individual well-being. Propaganda and half-truths were used to warp science to fit their preconceived notions. Instead of having these brilliant scientists work on the myriad issues affecting the world, they were directed to causes that would generate wealth and material goods for a select few. 
    My will to push on through the night does not exist. When I get home, the adults are all in the dining room. Some are reading, some snacking, and Grace is doodling on a sheet of paper. I want to ask if they have found anything but the obvious answer is no. While Dad has tried to remove the burden of survival from my shoulders, I feel like I am letting them down by going to bed with no answers.
    “Good night everyone,” I say as I stand humbly in the doorway. I’m not sure what to expect. I hear a few ‘good nights’ and turn to leave.
    “Oh, and Seamus?” It’s Mom. I turn back to look at the room as she says, “I love you.”
     

Chapter 5
     
     
    The warm sun on my face feels so good that I want to roll over, pull up the covers and go back to sleep. I know I can’t do that; I have something more pressing to do. For a second I can’t remember what it is and even that makes me feel good. I crack my right eye to look at the clock radio and check the