The Tomb--A Novel by S. A. Bodeen

Author:S. A. Bodeen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

13

Kiva held her breath. She didn’t know how to respond.

Dr. Kubota said, “Allow me to answer. Perhaps frightening? Alarming? Dreadful? Harrowing? Traumatic—”

“We weren’t even born yet,” interrupted Seth. “Forgive us, but we have no way of understanding how terrible it was for all of you.”

“Unspeakable.” Kubota’s gaze drifted to him.

Kiva exhaled slowly, grateful to Seth for turning the man’s attention away from her.

Kubota pushed the plate between the two of them. “You eat your cookies and I’ll tell you exactly what it was like. So perhaps you may understand a bit better.”

Seth took two more and Kiva one. She pretended to eat and hoped she was convincing enough.

Kubota pushed his glasses up using one finger on the nosepiece. “I’d been on the airship project for nearly seven years. I was able to do my engineering from home half of each month. I lived with my family in California.” He stopped.

Kiva felt like he was waiting for them to say something. She took a chance. “Your family?”

“My wife, Angie. My daughter, Casey. We celebrated her tenth birthday the night before I flew back to the ship’s construction site at a salt dome in Louisiana. She and I went up on the balcony and watched the NEO through the telescope.” His eyes glittered. “She wanted to go into space more than anything. I almost told her about my work that night.”

He took a handkerchief out of his sleeve and wiped his eyes. “The airship project was a secret. But we were on the manifest. My family and I had space on the Pinatubo whenever it was time to evacuate Earth. My Casey would get to live in space.”

Kiva’s stomach clenched more and more as the man kept rambling. She wanted so badly to look at Seth, but didn’t want Kubota to notice and possibly take offense. He was a powder keg simply waiting for a match.

“I had a bad feeling that day.” Kubota poured more coffee for Seth, who had managed to drain his cup. “We were on the ship when sirens went off. The launch code started.” He dropped his head into his hands.

Seth let loose with a loud yawn.

And he was worried about her setting this guy off? Kiva kicked him under the table.

He jerked straight up and seemed more alert.

Kubota kept talking, his voice muffled. “It happened so fast. I tried to get them to stall. My wife was a pilot; she could have stolen a plane if she had to. If only there had been more time. But we launched within the hour.” He sat up. “People flooded on. People who were not on the manifest. They took the place of those who were but couldn’t get there in time.” He shook his head. “I wanted to be with my family, even if it meant staying on Earth. I would rather perish than abandon them and I tried to leave. But security wouldn’t let me. I was essential to the project.”

“I’m so sorry.” Kiva held her breath, expecting him to shout at her.

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