Adventures in Parodyverse - Emergency Management, Part 1


    At 5:08 am local time, a low rumble was heard across the cites of Paradopolis and Gothametropolis through the darkness and the morning fog.  It increased in tone and volume until it was deafening - an event that seemed to take an eternity, but only lasted seconds.  The sound columnated in a definitely palpable lurch from beneath everyone’s feet.

    The power went out just as Commissioner Don Graham fell out of bed.  He heard the noise semi-consciously before realizing what it was...and he quickly grabbed his glasses and started to dress, just before his pager went off and his cell phone rang simultaneously.

    Across Paradopolis and Gothametropolis, fire station alarms went off.  The sleepy fire fighters stumbled through the stations and quickly dressed and mobilized as the deafening metallic alarm sounded again and again, powered mercilessly by an unseen emergency and a four-hour battery.  Minutes later, another deafening roar, this time of powerful diesel engines, and the flashing of bright red and white lights filled the neighborhoods as both city’s sleepy emergency services took to the misty, dark streets.

    At Alto Tumour’s Used Occult Book Store in Gothametropolis, Vincent De Soth fell out of bed.  The only sounds he heard were distant car alarms and his own breathing.  He reached for a small portable radio he kept next to his bed.  At first he thought the batteries were dead, but he realized a moment later that all the radio stations were off the air.

    He didn’t understand why he was sweating, and his heart was beating so fast.  He’d lived through earthquakes before - he visited the Pacific coast a couple of times.  This one, however, was not only extremely rare due to its location, it felt strange.

    There was some pounding at the door...not his bedroom door, but the outer one.  Then some shouting from just outside.  Vinnie quickly threw on his clothing from the day before, and shuffled downstairs with increasing urgency.  First because the shouting and pounding seemed to be insistent...then because he tripped over debris on the stairs, and worried about where it came from.  Then he found out.

    When he opened the door, there was bright light, the sound of a diesel engine, and the silhouettes of two large fire fighters.  One of them grabbed him and pulled him outside, and clear of the building.  As he protested, the other pointed upward.

    The upper floor of the building had partially collapsed.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“You’re lucky to be alive, buddy.”  the first fire fighter said as he slapped Vinnie on the back.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yeah.”  Vinnie agreed sadly.  “I guess I am.”


---


    A very sleepy Liu Xi Xian switched on the television and worried.  All of the television stations save one had been knocked off the air by the early quake.  Fortunately she was in a fairly modern building, designed to resist damage from both wind and Earth, and it had a diesel powered emergency generator.  Also fortunately, she felt Earth cry out to her, waking her a minute before the quake, so she could further protect her apartment building from harm.

    The television showed early morning damage pictures across Paradopolis and Gothametropolis.  The whole city was dark.  Waterfront fishing operations and buildings had been mercilessly flooded by a tidal wave that crashed through them moments after the shaking stopped.  There were warnings about aftershocks.

    It all felt strange, like a dream.  Why did Earth call out to her?  Why could she feel it residually, like a distant throbbing in her head?

    She started worrying about the Lair Mansion.  It held up to worse before, but the Lair Legion hadn’t said anything or done anything since the earthquake, and she wondered if she should go and check on them.  There were classes that morning, but she guessed they would be cancelled anyway due to the power outage.

    Then there was a loud buzzing from the living room area - the paging system for the outer door.  Someone was asking to be let into the building.  She raced over and pressed the button.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Who is it?”  she asked.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“It’s me...I mean, Vinnie.  De Soth.”

    Liu Xi looked behind her and squinted to see the clock on the microwave oven in the kitchen.  It read 6:22 am.  “It’s early, what are you doing here?  You should go back to bed.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Well you see...that’s the problem, Liu Xi.  I don’t have one anymore.”

    The Chinese girl sighed sadly, her neutral expression becoming a sad frown.  She pressed and held the other button, admitting Vinnie into the building.  Then she unlocked her door, opened it a sliver, and waited, wondering what happened to Vinnie’s home.

    Vinnie stuck his hand in first, and gently pushed the door open, wary as to whether he was actually allowed to do so.  He looked sheepish, defeated, and a more than a little pitiful as he entered with just the clothing on his back.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“What happened?”  Liu Xi asked right away as she watched him shut the door.  She looked a little disheveled herself, and was wearing only sweats and a robe.  Her feet were bare, and her hair was slightly tangled looking and partially in her face.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“The upper floor of my building collapsed.”  he replied very quietly, sounding like he just barely survived it.  “The fire department kicked me out.  I...didn’t know where else to go.”

    Liu Xi checked the cell phone she unconsciously still carried with her.  It was buzzing.  Before answering, she told Vinnie, “You can stay on the couch for now.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Thank you, Liu Xi...you’re an angel.”  he said, the exhaustion he felt finally creeping into his voice.

    She answered her phone.  It was Chiaki.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Does what happened this morning feel odd to you?”  the Psychic Samurai asked.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes.”  Liu Xi whispered.  She turned away from Vinnie and entered her kitchen to avoid worrying him with the conversation.  “Have you heard from the Lair Legion?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Only from Lara.”  Chiaki said.  “She told me the Lair Legion left the Mansion to help out with rescues.  Lara was just about to leave to try to help restore power, since she can work with live power lines.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“How is the Safe?”  Liu Xi asked.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“It’s secure.”  Chiaki replied.  “I think the prisoners are afraid to break out with cops all over the streets.  Get some more sleep, Liu Xi...when it’s light out, please see if you can investigate why this feels so strange.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I will.”  she said, though she wondered how much more sleep she could get with all of the visitors and phone calls.  “Is Anna helping out also?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“She wanted to.”  Chiaki said.  “But I asked her to stay at the Lair Mansion and look after the civilians and children.  Just in case.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Nice idea.”  the Chinese girl said as she eyed Vinnie trying to arrange a pillow on the couch.  “Good night.”

    After that, she took a spare blanket and pillow out of the hall closet and headed to the couch.  She leaned over the back and handed them to Vinnie.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Thank you.”  he said.  “You’re so kind.  Much more than my family--”  he cut himself off, and quickly began unfolding the blanket.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“You came here because your family would not let you in?”  she guessed.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“No.”  Vinnie replied sheepishly.  “I mean, they wouldn’t have...but I wouldn’t stoop to going there and asking for help.”

    Liu Xi gently held his arm to stop him arranging the blanket.  “You can stay here as long as you need, until you get back on your feet.”

    Vinnie thought about objecting, about claiming he would be out of her hair within 24 hours.  But how could he say no to such kindness?  Instead, he mutely nodded, and crawled under the blanket on her couch.

    Liu Xi took one last look at him, smiled, and shuffled back to bed.

    Neither one of them noticed Alto Tumour’s Used Occult Book Store on the news until hours later.


TO BE CONTINUED?


-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2008 by Jason Froikin, and may not be 
--    reprinted without permission.  
-- Yuki Shiro designed by Jason Froikin, based on designs by Masamune Shirow
--  Liu Xi Xian and the Psychic Samurai are original design by Jason Froikin
--  Lara Night is an original creation by Jason Froikin