Written for Steemit: A love story occurs during a time anomaly. A woman from today somehow steps into an anomaly and meets a cowboy asleep on his ranch, in his bed, in the 1850's. ©Jeff Kubitz 2016 - All Rights Reserved.

Birth - Chapter 21 - Song of Angels, Book II

Mindy Woczlewski courtesy of Nastya Muratokova

Song of Angels - Book 1 | Book II Chapter 1
Book II Chapter 2 | Book II Chapter 3
Book II Chapter 4 | Book II Chapter 5
Book II Chapter 6 | Book II Chapter 7
Book II Chapter 8 | Book II Chapter 9
Book II Chapter 10 | Book II Chapter 11
Book II Chapter 12 | Book II Chapter 13
Book II Chapter 14 | Book II Chapter 15
Book II Chapter 16 | Book II Chapter 17
Book II Chapter 18 | Book II Chapter 19
Book II Chapter 20

Deep below the White House undergoing top secret briefings: "Now we switch from North Korea and the most recent ballistic missile test to Pillars of the Sky, now code named Hydra." General Crook said as he switched the slide on the presentation screen.

Image Source - commons.wikipedia.org

'The whole area seems to have stayed in the year 2012, which is good. However, the vortex occasionally reappears along with 8 other vortexes which all seem to be controlled by this mother vortex. Several times we have tried to bomb it as is well known but it seems to have no effect."

"How many times have we bombed it?" President Obama asked.

"12 times Mr. President. After the first bombing, the vortex attacks our aircraft and begins to disassemble them, so we switched to missile attacks." General Crook responded.

"And how many times have we attacked the vortexes by missile?" President Obama asked.

"The mother vortex 12 times and each of the other vortexes twice." General Crook answered.

"Has there been any effect?"

"Mr. President, I would like to answer that." Ash Carter said.

"Very well, go ahead Ash." President Obama said.

"It is said that the attacks have no effect but as near as our ground, air, and satellite intelligence can confirm we have not had another change in the time of the area since we began bombardment of the Hydra. So to say there is no effect could be wrong Mr. President. The bombings must be destroying something we have not been able to detect. The vortexes must be forced to repair what is destroyed and while that is happening, they cannot continue their attack. Therefore, I recommend we keep bombarding the vortexes at regular intervals." Ash Carter said.

"Does everyone else present agree with these sentiments?" President Obama asked.

A round of discussion ensued as to whether the bombings had any effect. It went on for ten minutes as people argued back and forth.

A knock at the door occurred during the argument. A messenger entered and handed a message to General Crook.

"Mr. President, if I may interrupt everyone, the mother vortex just exploded in a nuclear detonation and we were not bombing it or any of the other vortexes. The explosion was a 10 megaton implosion. When this occurred, the other vortexes have disappeared and appear to be gone as well."

"I am ordering us to DEFCON 1, effective immediately. We just had a nuclear blast within the continental United States." President Obama ordered.

The Joint Chiefs, each with their respective telephones, immediately called their respective commands and issued orders.

"Furthermore, I think we should continue to bomb the last known position of each vortex continuously, so it cannot reassemble itself. Now that they are gone, can we use air strikes, or should we continue with missile attacks? I want recommendations."

Source -Getty Images - by Chip Somodevilla

"Mr. President," the General Martin Dempsey, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff said, "We should have units next to each vortex site. It has been reported and we know the thing can disassemble mechanical and electrical systems. By placing units next to each vortex, along with EMP registers, we will know if they come back, then we can be prepared to strike immediately."

"What does everyone think of this proposal?" The President asked. A round of discussion ensued. In the end it was considered to be the cheapest and most logical way to proceed.

"Agreed Chairman Dempsey." The President said. There was another knock at the door.

"Do we have any idea yet who is behind this?" The President asked.

Reading the message, "Quick, make copies of this and hand it out." General Crook barked to an aid handing him the message.

"What is it?" The President asked.

"Mr. President, we received a communication from one Doctor Thomas Bartley, which was also signed by Rephael Weeks. Apparently, Dr. Bartley wrote a Russian self destruct sequence on the ground which caused the mother vortex to self destruct."

"Rephael Weeks? Where did I hear that name?" The President asked.

"That is the name of the alien that contacted our troops in 2012 out in the Utah desert." Chairman Dempsey said.

"So the Russians are doing this?" The President asked. A round of discussion ensued until the copies of the message were handed out. They all stopped to read the message, as they finished reading the conversation ensued.

"Just because the piece that Rephael retrieved has unknown writing on it, does not mean it is not the Russians." Ash Carter said. "We need to proceed with caution until we know who is responsible."

"Rephael does say that he does not believe that human beings made this thing." Chairman Dempsey said.

"Human beings might not have made it." The President said, "But that does not mean that human beings might not be the ones who have deployed this thing. Who ran the power lines into it and why? Obviously to power it. Somebody knows how it works and we need them found, arrested, interrogated. Agreed?"

"Agreed." The voice was unanimous.

"Until proven otherwise," The President said, "The Russians are the chief suspects. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Again, agreement was unanimous.

"What about this piece that Rephael Weeks has, do we have it?" The President asked.

"We do not have it." General Crook said. "Rephael said he needs it and he kept it, and then disappeared."

"Do we have any identification on the writings on the piece?" Ash Carter asked.

"Not yet, but we have every available mind trying to decipher it." General Crook said.

"What about damage from the blast, do we need to send in FEMA?" The President asked.

"The effect of the blast was a mile in diameter, only gamma radiation was released and there are only known to be 18 people within a twenty-five mile radius of the blast." General Crook answered.

"Then we should pray for those eighteen people and keep silent until we know who is behind this, agreed?" The President asked.

"Agreed," They all said in unison.

"Is there any way to find this Rephael? I don't like the way he is doing his own thing during this crisis." The President said.

---

At the Bartley house, "We have a Geiger counter here somewhere." Elizabeth said. "Dad where is the Geiger counter at?"

"It's over there on the back shelf. Let me get it." Tom rose from his chair in front of the computer screen and walked back to the shelving filled with all sorts of odds and ends a physicist might have. He picked up the Geiger counter and turned it on. "Normal readings. Let's see if that is radioactive Rephael."

"I don't think it is but you can check." Rephael held it out in his hand toward Tom.

"Nothing. I am surprised at that. You said it came from the second blast, how did you find it so fast, and get it back here?" Tom asked.

"Should I tell him, Elizabeth?" Rephael asked.

"No, I don't think so. He will be so lost in thought that we will never hear from him again."

"Tell me what?" Tom asked.

"No Daddy. You did fine. You got rid of it and that was Mom's condition on returning, remember?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes. It would be nice to have your mother back. Do you think she will come?" Tom asked his daughter.

"I am sure she will as long as it is safe. Shouldn't we check the house and the surrounding area to see if it is radiation free? After all, if it is not radiation free, I do not want to be here and neither do you, right?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes. Lizzy, you are right. Now that things are normal let's check it out to see if all is safe and get Mom back here."

"I'll go with you just to learn if it is safe." Rephael said to Tom.

"No. I am the oldest. You two and Sparky are young. You will stay here and that will be that." Tom ordered.

"Just do as he says, Rephael." Elizabeth said.

Tom opened the door, "Good here like expected. Hand me one of the walkie talkies. Yes, from over there. When I leave close the door. After I get out to the garage, if all is good, I will come back and knock on the door. Then we can use the walkie talkies to talk." Tom closed the door behind him.

"Elizabeth, this absorbs radiation." Rephael said to her after her Dad left. "I should have gone with him."

"He will be fine. My Dad is and is being the hero. Let him do it. Oh, would you like to kiss me?" Elizabeth asked.

Rephael did not answer. He wrapped his arms around her and proceeded to kiss her passionately. Sparky stood and watched; he wagged his tail with a doggy smile on his face.

Rephael and Elizabeth kissed ever more passionately. There was a knock at the door. "Oh, do you have your own place?" Elizabeth sighed and moved to the door. She opened it.

"All is good in the house. You can all leave the store room and go upstairs." Tom said then turned around immediately. He almost ran outside. "Good outside the door!" He yelled back as Rephael and Elizabeth ascended the stairs.

"He will be out walking around for hours with his Geiger counter if it is safe." Elizabeth said. When they had sat on the couch, "Do you have a place of your own?"

"Sort of but you can't come into it." Rephael said.

"I have been alone here for eight months with my Dad and I do not have a boyfriend but want one and you are very nice, handsome, and intelligent Rephael, if not so very different from anyone I have ever met."

"All clear so far." The walkie talkie said.

"10-4," Elizabeth responded.

"I'll continue to check in arcs and call in if I find anything or every half hour." The walkie talkie spoke.

"We won't hear from him for a half hour at least." Elizabeth said as she set the walkie talkie down.

Rephael kissed Elizabeth. "I have never kissed a woman before you."

"Oh, you haven't?" Elizabeth said. "Here, let me help you with just what you need to do."

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