Give 'em Another Shake

“Nice weather so far.”

“The bad weather’s the other side of the ocean. Besides, it’s too hot.”

“Hot is nice,” Fisian said, scanning the area with an HD.

Honorr uprighted the bigger instrument, hit the top pad, and watched as it set itself up, extending three legs and lifting the big box smoothly while maintaining its balance, then extending a whole range of antennae.

“Red lines everywhere,” he reported.

“Let me see,” Val said, poking her head in front of him. “That’s even worse than it felt. We’re getting more.”

“What is that?” a smooth, deep voice said and all three looked up as one of the Haitians strode down from around a hill saddle. “I’ve seen plenty of seismic snesors but nothing like that.”

“It isn’t a seismic sensor,” Valorie explained with a grin at the young, stately man, slightly overdressed for the uncomfortable heat. “It finds universal interstitial anomolies and teporal displacements. How many aftershocks have there been?”

“Sixty thrree. It’s tapering off.”

“Tapering or shifting location,” Fisian asked, her electric blue eyes directing the question at Honorr instead of the local.

“Both,” Honorr said after studying the rig’s displays.

“The energy shifted to the Eurpean stormfront - some of it anyway,” Valorie said, correcting herself thoush she didn’t know why.

Fisian studied the Walker a moment and nodded. “A split would be reasonable. Honorr, aim that thing west.”

Honrr turned the dial in the center and quickly pulled his hand back as the bristling antannae swung, reaching for him, he was certain. He was sure the big rig didnt like operating for anyone but Fisian, but the TADPOLE’s pilot prefered to walk around with the HandHeld sensor.
“Energy radiates outward in all directions from a quake,” the Earther said, not quite laughing at the answers and behavior of the threesome “And it doesn’t change the weather. This is the tropics. The weather is a force of its own.”

Without looking up from her HD, Fisian explained, “Usually, but the weather no less than the rest of the world will feel the impact of these quakes.”

Val sidled toward their visitor, smiling broadly. “Don’t mind them, stranger. Tell me, what brought you here? This place doesn’t look seismiclly significant to me.”

Dr. Celnlebo introduced himself and Valorie offered introductions without titles to him in turn. He flashed a smile of white teeth at her and said. “I assumed for the same thing that brought you, One of the largest aftershocks was centered near here, very close to the surface.”

“No, just lucky I guess,” Val responded softly, sidling closer as if she needed comfort and running a finger down his arm. “Do we have anything to worry about?”

“No more than anyone on this island.”

Val brushed her leg against his. “It’s so hot here.”

“It’s cooler than it often is in February,” he said, his own tone deepening. “Maybe a little warmer with the sun up.”

“Stop that, Val,” Honorr said coolly. “This isn’t the Unreal.”

“Unreal?”

“A halfway region between here and N-Dimensional space where we can sometimes tap into energies that aren’t usually available for direct use. It often takes the form of illusion and touches dreams.”

“Magic. Witchcraft? Miracles?”

“If you wish to put it into religious terms, i suppose. Mostly it takes the form of living visions that, while not real, have a bearing on reality. A strong link can achieve more.”

“And you have that.”

“I have the right training and a certain natural proclivity.”

“You have a prolivity for other things, too,” Honorr murmurred, barely glancing toward them as Val curled one foot around the scientist’s ankle.

Ceinlebo cleared his throat, “And N-dimensional space?”

“You’ve heard of parallel universes?”

“I know of the concept.”

“N-Dimensional space is where they meet. Normally, it takes vast quantities of energy, like the center of a black hone to cross the interface, but the universes aren’t perfect. Cracks and fissures create weak points where it becomes easier. Still really hard, powerful thrusts are required, but only that of say, a geological event.”

“I was following along with the shamanism, but magically induced earthquakes?”

“You were the one called in magic, not me,” Val said with a pout.

“Fisian! Val!” Honorr shouted.

“Another after shock?” Without waiting for an answer, the seismologist fled back over the hill to check on his own instruments. When he returned fifteen minutes later, there was no sign of the trio, no sign that they had ever been there, nor any tracks to suggest how they might have come and gone.