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Rocks Fall, Everybody Dies

by Jill Palmer
cimorene@mydaria.zzn.com

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Half of the Apocalyptic Horsepersons find themselves in the same place at the same time, and chat while everyone else around is out of the way for a bit. Nothing truly important happens.

DISCLAIMER: /me does not own any of the characters in this ficlet, or even the setting. (Then again, /me does not go to terrific lengths to *define* the setting, as shall be seen.) /me does, however, own this particular idea of what the Horsepersons did while they were waiting around for their big performance.
Share and Enjoy.
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A fight had broken out in the strategy room, and the scientists were taking a short break from each other’s company.
The red-headed woman who had been sitting in the corner seemed a bit disappointed by the quiet. She rather liked it when they were all shouting at each other. She could always find a group and start them up again, true, but that would require leaving the room, which didn’t seem like a good idea at the moment.
Most people knew her as Scarlett. The scientists didn’t know it, but she was taking a quick break from weapons delivery to watch them work. If all went well, she’d have one hell of a weapon at her disposal once they were finished.
Scarlett went over to the main table, sat down, rested her forearms on the table, and immediately pulled them off. It was sticky with the residue of three days’ worth spilled coffee, and there was a dark blue stain in the middle from an ink spill during today’s row. She wondered idly why no one had bothered to wipe the thing off.
One of the scientists came back in and started erasing the blackboard for what had to be the sixth time today. He made no attempt to keep the chalk dust out of his face, and now that she bothered to notice, he actually seemed to be enjoying it. Then she caught his profile, and the question was answered.
“Oh. It’s you. Haven’t seen you around since right after you joined up, I don’t think.”
He started, turned around, and donned an appreciative smirk. “Spain sounds about right.” A pause for thought, then: “I thought you were meant to be in arms delivery?”
“This is my kind of business,” Scarlett replied. “They want to end a war with it, but with any luck three or four more could *start* with it. The more likely question to me is what you’re doing here. Oh, and what’s your name of the moment?”
“White. I figure as long as they’re fighting Germany, I should play it safe. Relatively.”
“You know, I think the Germans are working on this too.”
“All the more reason to stay safe. I don’t need to be arrested now. Or ever, really.”
“Point taken. But why *are* you here?”
White sighed, almost wistfully. “The end result’s too good for me to let this project die out,” he said. “The thing’s going to flatten an entire city and get everyone in the area who manages to survive *that* sick. And the best part is, the effects will take years to wear off. The scientists haven’t figured that out yet, but they will eventually. Hopefully not till after they’ve built it.”
“They probably won’t catch on until it goes boom,” Scarlett replied. “Rocks fall, everybody dies.” The two sat in silence for a few moments, both relishing the inability of mankind to think of that sort of thing sooner.
She finally broke the silence. “I like it. You’ve officially been in this business, what, a decade now?”
“Almost.”
“And you’re a professional already.” She sighed. “Too bad Pestilence decided to give up the ghost. I mean, you’re good at this and all, but he and I made a great team.”
“It was his idea,” White pointed out. “You probably couldn’t have talked him out of it.”
“True.”
“So, what do you plan to do after all this is over?”
Scarlett brightened somewhat. “I’ve got a religious conflict over in India that’ll be needing attention soon. Other than that, I really don’t know. It mostly depends on what people think of next. And, of course, where I decide to go. You?”
“I’ve been giving the Pittsburgh area quite the fix-up. If I’m not careful, they’ll start cleaning it on me. I’ll mostly be in America, looks like, but with the occasional stop in Europe. The other continents just never seem to have enough stuff for me to work with.”
“So you’re not turning Antarctica into the world’s garbage dump after all. That would’ve been quite the achievement.”
“I think people are more interested in studying it than heaping rubbish on, unfortunately.” White sighed again, sounding disappointed this time. “That would be just lovely... maybe some other time. You wouldn’t happen to know where Famine’s got to, would you?”
“I think he’s got a standing appointment in Europe until the war’s over. After it all blows over he could well wind up anywhere. ‘S been a while since I’ve seen him.”
There was another moment of silence, which was quickly filled by the sound of approaching people. Scarlett stood and headed back to her seat in the corner. “Say, how about we get together and watch a test run of this?” she suggested.
White shrugged. “No fun in the tests, if you ask me. They’re too careful about keeping people safe. How about the real thing?”
“Eh, works for me. Actually, the real thing’s more fun for both of us.” She leaned back in her chair and waited for the scientists to come back in. They’d probably managed to work something out while outside her influence.
Whether they’d worked it out in the same group or not was the question.
Why were they calling it the Manhattan Project, anyway? she wondered. They certainly weren’t about to set bombs off in New York City...

FINIS