Disaster For Sale: Man Corrupting Nature

By F. David Rinehart

When Yellowstone’s Super Volcano threatens eruption wiping out the United States, Dr. Thomas Jackson, the world’s foremost expert in the geology of aquifers and underground water movements is called upon to lead the frantic effort to reverse the trends hopefully avoiding an eruption.

Joined by internationally known disaster response expert, Catherine Craft, who has just finished her rotation leading the massive response to the eruption of Sicily’s Mt. Etna and the initial test of her designed and personally-funded revolution in response housing and system.

Forged together from two different worlds, Thomas and Catherine encounter personal betrayals and losses as they lead an elite team, uncovering the sinister years’ old plot of activating eco-weapons designed to destroy nature and mankind for corporate gain.

Despite the huge forces and potential losses in play, Thomas and Catherine immediately connect and navigate unexpected new love as the world closes in on them. They lean on each other as betrayal comes from directions never imagined, from greedy corporations to corrupt government officials to their own twisted families.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Aug 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9781663252807

F. David Rinehart

David Forsch is a National Honor Society member, Drake Graduate School. He is a business owner and sought-after corporate leader, who uses core-values from his Midwest upbringing and farming background, to always prioritize his efforts in a simple, non-flamboyant way. This is his first work of fiction.

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Copyright © 2023 F. David Rinehart.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means,

graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by

any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author

except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue

in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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ISBN: 978-1-6632-5279-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-5281-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-5280-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023907963

iUniverse rev. date  11/14/2023

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Epilogue

CHAPTER 1

As winter’s wind sweeps northwestern Kansas’s barren, snow-covered land, two pickups sit on an icy country road. With one of the trucks facing east and the other facing west, each driver’s-side window is rolled down as the two men talk.

Taking a drink of coffee, a rancher, who is in the east-facing pickup, says, TJ, it’s a hell of a deal. You’re telling me the water’s running out.

Sitting in the west-facing pickup, practiced at his answer, Thomas says, Frank, you know I’ve measured the depth and pressure on this well, just like all the others. It’s not just you. He takes a sip of coffee,. I’ve been telling you for the last decade.

Frank, pressured by economic realities, says, Fuck, we ain’t got a choice. If we don’t pump, we’ll lose everything.

Thomas replies, I understand. You know my family used to have a ranch. I watched it be sold to pay the bills.

The silence of nature is broken by a helicopter approaching from the northwest.

Frank snorts. What the hell?

Raising a small blizzard, the copter lands about fifty yards from the pickups. As the blades slow, coming to a stop, two military personnel get out and head toward them.

Frank says, What the fuck? I’m getting my gun.

Thomas, not feeling so bold, suggests, Frank, I don’t see any weapons.

Frank reaches behind his head to pull his rifle off the rack. You can’t trust them fuckers.

Stuffing his large hands into his gloves, Thomas gets out of his truck. Frank, I’ll handle this. Pulling his winter hood over his head, he also pulls down his goggles and extends his hand. He calmly asks, What can we do for you guys?

Are you Dr. Jackson?

Thomas, surprised, replies, Yes, I’m TJ.

Sir, it is my honor to greet you on behalf of General Clayton from the US Army Corps of Engineers and Dr. Young. The soldier looks up. I believe you know Dr. Young.

Confused and expecting the worst, Thomas responds, Yeah, I know Dr. Young.

Your country needs your knowledge and service. We need to collect all your research and proceed to our destination.

Frank looks at the men. Do you guys need me?

You’re free to go.

That was all Frank needed to hear. Good luck, young man. Rolling his window up, he drives off.

The lead soldier says, Sir, I have my orders. If we can get going, we can make our deadline. Please accompany us to the copter.

What about my truck?

You’ll need to have someone pick it up for you.

Good enough. The three make their way to the waiting copter. Once they are belted inside, it lifts off.

At high noon, the helicopter lands in an open lot behind Dodge City’s USDA office. Thomas and two military personnel get out of the copter and go to Thomas’s office. He points at file boxes under a table and says, We’ll need those. He grabs a tube of charts and his laptop. That’s everything.

Exiting the office, Thomas notices several trucks and cars lined up watching the helicopter. He says to his escort, Not much going on in Dodge.

Reaching the helicopter, Thomas hands what he has to a crew member. His boxes are loaded. His escort takes him by the arm, leads him to his seat, helps him board the craft, and straps him in. Sir, you will need to put these headphones on. Once the last man is strapped in, the team leader taps the pilot on his helmet, and the copter lifts off.

By this time, a good-sized group of townsfolk had gathered. Sitting in their trucks and cars, they talk back and forth on CBs. I ain’t never seen anything like this, one of the bystanders says.

Wonder what the hell’s up? another asks.

A third one chimes in, saying, I’m not surprised they hauled him off. He’s a weird duck.

Thomas looks down upon the crowd of vehicles and the fog coming from their tailpipes. As the headphones connect, those aboard the copter hear Thomas say, I wonder how long it will take for them to twist this into an alien abduction. When I get back, they’ll want to see where the probe was stuck.

Thomas is interrupted. This is your pilot. Our flight distance is seven hundred fifty miles. Estimated air speed average is two hundred miles per hour. I need to hammer down for as long as I can. We will be flying into heavy weather. Estimated time of arrival is seventeen thirty.

As soon as the pilot finishes his announcements, TJ hears, Sir, I have an envelope for you.

Taking the thick envelope from the team leader, Thomas opens it, finding several files inside. Seeing Dr. Young’s name on one of the files, he opens it first. He reads Dr. Young’s comments and data. Next he sees a folder labeled Catherine Craft, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and remembers: She’s the one who headed up the Mediterranean operation when Mount Etna erupted. Flipping through the maps from her presentation, he reads her remarks. Shit. This isn’t good.

Returning to Dr. Young’s materials, he focuses, making notes adding depth based on his own practical experience. He carefully points out where he sees differences between his and his mentor’s position.

Once done with his review and updates, he looks up. The team leader hands him a laptop. Sir, follow the instructions.

Thomas follows the instructions on the screen. According to the packet, he must make a presentation the next morning.

The first two and a half hours of the flight are unimpeded as Thomas works. As he finishes his assignment, he acknowledges that the ride has become rough.

The pilot announces, Let’s tie everything down tight. It’s going to be a rough ride from here on out. Because of the intense snow and turbulence, the pilot guides the copter above the low-hanging clouds and directly into a stifling headwind. The passengers feel the copter fight for every inch as the wind toys with this man-made machine. There are moments when Thomas holds his breath, hoping for the best.

At 17:30, when they are still fifty miles short of their landing spot, the weather deteriorates. All chatter stops as the wind now owns the pilot. Thomas watches him struggle with wild turbulence. The pilot clicks on, announcing, I’m going to drop below the clouds to see if there’s less wind. Dropping below the clouds, he finds visibility and wind speed are worse, forcing him to take the copter back up.

For the next twenty minutes, no one makes a noise. The pilot clicks in again. The weather has limited us to one option. This will be a complete instrument landing. We are going to fly directly over the landing zone and drop straight down through the clouds. Given the mountains in this area, we have no choice. Flying low, we’d hit something. Take crash positions.

Trying to cope with what he just heard, Thomas takes his mind back to his high school summers. For several years he had volunteered for the dunk tank at the county fair. He understood the free fall once the ball found its target.

The bottom falls out. Thomas freaks, yelling into an unpowered microphone, I didn’t know you were so fucking literal!

As they plummet down through the darkness, he has no point of reference. The wind takes more liberties with the small bird. Being thrown about for what seems like an eternity, the copter suddenly stops. Thomas’s stomach continues down.

All becomes peaceful as the pilot lowers the craft, touching down like a feather. After a few seconds of silence, cheers break out.

Ground personnel rush to the copter, pulling the doors open. A ground crew member unhooks Thomas’s restraints. Thomas dismounts into total blackness as snow lashes his face. One of the ground crew steps up. Take a hold of this rope and follow me, sir. Holding onto the rope, Thomas loses sight of his guide almost immediately. As he slowly moves forward into the blinding darkness, he runs into his guide. Put your hand on my shoulder.

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Unbeknownst to Thomas, Catherine Craft watches out of her quarter’s window as the copter sets down. She listens to the ground crew’s chatter on her radio as they unload their passenger and materials. She says to herself, I hope he’s as good as advertised.

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Thomas and his escort enter the men’s quarters’ vestibule. Once inside, they close the outside door and open the inner door. Thomas looks both ways and sees no one in the long hallway.

This way, sir. Halfway down the hall, his guide stops and shows Thomas the door to his room. Then the escort turns and leaves.

Stepping inside, Thomas sees the basics. An all-in-one, ten by ten. He takes his heavy gear off and sits down, putting his head in his hands. What the fuck just happened?

A knock comes at the door. Come in.

A soldier steps in and pulls a cart up to the door. Your gear, sir. Where do you want the boxes?

Without thinking, Thomas says, Stack them along that wall.

The delivery person lets Thomas know, You’ll find snacks and drinks in the officers’ lounge. It’s to your right as you leave this room. Turn at the first corner and then take the next left—you’ll find it. He then leaves.

Wired from the ride, Thomas searches the Web for Catherine Craft. He finds a two-year-old UN report she had presented in the first month of Mount Etna’s eruption. He’s enthralled.

Catherine starts by saying, It’s with great humbleness that I report on the severity of Mount Etna and its related impacts. Yesterday, our team concluded a four-day tour of twenty-two centers throughout the region. Seeing the devastation firsthand was an overwhelming but necessary step. Our teams continue planning as the operation expands. With that said, we are still in the early stages of local response implementation.

Catherine takes a drink of water, giving time for language translations to occur. She holds the glass tight as she visibly shakes. "The Mediterranean disaster has three key elements to which we are responding. Key element number one is island and coastal damage. Number two, ash fallout. Three, water quality and supply. As expected, the disaster has short- and long-term ramifications.

Key element number one: island and coastal damage. Our response efforts are centering on seaports. Retreating seawater has floated debris into the sea-lanes. It also washed out moorings, power stations, and pipelines. Trash is choking shipping lanes, becoming a major concern to navigation.

Looking up to make sure all the translations have occurred, she goes on, saying, Another result of the tsunamis is that water sources are polluted at a catastrophic level. Given the scope of the disaster, this has created extremely difficult conditions for the establishment of regional centers. As a result, centers are being set up farther inland throughout the coastal areas. We are working with local disaster planners and now have heavy equipment and construction crews on the ground at these key centers. Fourteen centers are up and running, with the rest scheduled to be fully functional over the next two weeks.

Catherine again takes a drink and watches the light letting her know the translations are done. When it blinks, she says, Our travels laid out in dramatic fashion that nature is in control, not us. I want to prepare you. My report will be necessarily blunt. There’s no way to soften the blow. Looking sober, she stares into the bank of monitors and says, The scope of destruction you have been hearing about doesn’t fully account for the true devastation that has occurred. Speaking slowly, she continues, "First I need to share a term we have been forced to use as a point of reference: total destruction."

She steels herself. Certain areas are so devastated that total destruction is the only descriptor. Total destruction is defined as no living people, animals, or plants. No structures. No roads. The western half of Sicily is uninhabitable. Mount Etna went from a height of eleven thousand feet to thirty-five hundred feet. Flights over the area have never found any trace of life. Ash is estimated to be up to thirty-five meters deep in some areas. The western half of the island, where we are located, is slowly coming back online.

Once again she waits for the translation to happen. The light clicks on. Expanding from the blast zone, one hundred-fifty-foot-tall tsunami waves spread throughout the Mediterranean, killing an estimated eighteen million people. Southern European coastlines moved inland several miles as the wave crashed through. Land travel between the shore and twenty miles inland is next to impossible throughout the affected areas.

Fighting to keep her voice from cracking, she takes another drink. Low-lying areas remain flooded. Everything coastal from eastern Italy to Beirut is total destruction. Southern Italy, eastern Greece, and Crete’s inhabitants are gone. Cyprus suffered a 50 percent loss of life. Africa, Tunisia—total destruction. In some instances, the tsunami traveled up to three hundred miles inland as it covered Libya.

Catherine takes a moment to let the language translations catch up. She takes a drink of water as her hand stops shaking. Finding her footing, she starts again, saying, Sanitation is priority. The second dimension of this disaster is ash. The plume reached all the way around the world in fifteen days. Air quality is such that it has become an international health disaster. To date, forty-two thousand eight hundred fifty-nine people who were within two hundred fifty miles of the eruption died of ash-induced illnesses. To give perspective, there were more than three million people on Sicily before mass deportation began. Translation stops her again.

She starts again, saying, One meter of ash fell over the Middle East. This has impacted oil production. Noticeable deposits end in northern India. Worldwide, six-point-seven million people are currently in hospitals or skilled medical care facilities being treated for respiratory illnesses attributable to the ash. Projections indicate a 60 percent survival rate. Medical professionals are dealing with the ash’s infiltration into our centers and cooperating hospitals.

Holding her glass up, she says, Providing clean drinking water in the affected areas is still difficult and will continue to be a problem. When rain occurs in the upper sections of river systems, much of the ash is washed into the environment, making water downstream unsafe to drink. Estimates project six to eight months with above-average rainfall to bring contaminants to their previous levels.

After taking a deep breath, she says, In closing, what I ask of each of you is to send your very best to help. Pray for the victims, for the rescue workers, and for their families.

With as much love as she can express, Catherine makes a plea. I ask you to take this opportunity to unite in mutual support. Our world needs to do well with what has been laid before us. Thank you. The video ends.

Thomas closes his computer and sits back. "What the fuck? How does she carry that heavy shit?" He turns his lamp off to go to sleep. She’s amazing and definitely out of my league. Keep on task, Einstein. It’s not time for thoughts like that.

The last time he looked, it’s one o’clock in the morning.

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Awaking in a foreign world, Thomas is instantly engaged. Looking at his watch, he sees it is 4:42 a.m. His first thought: "Intense. Got to keep it basic and build." Somewhere between melancholy and muted excitement, tethered by perfection, he takes on the role of skeptic as he reads his notes from last night’s flight. Scorning his work before he starts, he thinks, "Let’s see what ya got, hotshot. No mistakes. Dr. Young is going to be here. Sound logic backed with science. Where did you fuck up? Find it now."

He flips his computer on. "Start where they understand." Rereading the base information provided the night before, he finds he has a good grasp.

Reconfirming that his idea is the most plausible, he chuckles. They’re going to think I’m fucking crazy. The terror of what will happen if he’s wrong is what drives him. "It’ll challenge all of us. Will we have the resolve to do what it takes?"

His logical side, temporarily satisfied, lessens its grip. The romantic, buried deep inside, is glad for the day. Still, alienation races through his mind. His palms sweat. The hopeful voice inside incites him: "Who knows? As crazy as this is, something cool could happen."

Getting out of bed, he goes into the small bathroom and readies himself for the day. Ducking into the shower, he gets warm water at best. Once finished, he opens the door and exits the small bathroom, finding an agenda on his bed. He finds his name.

Command center, room 4B, 08:30

Dr. Thomas Jackson, USGS

Topic: Potential event causation and theoretical responses overview

Wow. Doesn’t look like I’m going to sneak up on them.

Too excited to eat breakfast, Thomas spends the next hour in nervous anticipation, reviewing and practicing his presentation. Knowing that Dr. Young is on-site keeps him from becoming engulfed in paranoia. "If he’s here, then I at least know someone." He believes the presentation software’s structure has given him insights into what other interest areas he will be speaking to. He thinks about the best communication strategy for each stakeholder. With each decision, his confidence grows as it expands his thinking.

His seven thirty alarm buzzes. He thinks about just how tired he is of his rut. "This should shake things up. At least the meetings will make my wheels turn." Cautiously optimistic, he is hopeful that today will bring something positive.

January mornings in Wyoming are cold. Twenty-two below zero meets Thomas as he opens the storm room’s door. The wind pulls the door out of his hands. Stepping outside, he grasps the handle and pushes the door shut. Pulling his goggles on, he looks out over a snow-blown central plaza. Heavy military equipment is plowing the roads. He feels alive. Estimating it’s one hundred fifty yards to the compound’s command center, he heads down the street.

Entering a highly active command center, Thomas pulls his gloves and goggles off. Unzipping his bag, he finds his agenda, which he turns over and looks at the map of the center. He finds his assigned room, 4B. Off he goes, making his way through a constant flow of people. "This fucking place is abuzz. Cool."

As he passes 4A, he glances in. Sitting at the head of 4A’s conference table is Catherine Craft. Their eyes meet for a split second. Their hearts quicken. A smile pops onto both their faces. By the time they politely break their gaze, they have been instinctively drawn to each other.

Starstruck, he walks on, thinking, "That was Catherine fuckin’ Craft. How am I going to meet her? Being practical, he thinks, We’re in the middle of nowhere. There’s a blizzard outside. I like my odds."

Catherine is surprised by this unexpected attraction flashing to the forefront. "Wow. How? What?" She’d read his file and saw his picture earlier that morning but never expected her heart would react that way. Dedicated to her calling, she is unwilling to look up as she buries her head deeper into her presentation. "No time for such thoughts. Focus."

Reaching 4B, Thomas walks in, realizing he’s in the same room as she is. His mind, now a mess, goes basic. "I had better look for a seat." Seeing his name card at the first seat next to the door, he grabs it. He looks around the group. No one is paying attention as he exchanges his card with the one for the center seat.

Plopping down, he thinks, "Perfect. If I’m in the middle, I can get a good look at everybody." His heart is pounding, yet somehow he feels strangely calm. "I know why I’m here. We have a problem. My materials are very clear. Assuredly, every person in this room has gone through the same process."

Trying to stay cool, he looks at Catherine. "There she is!" Intoxicated, he discovers that everything and everyone else fades away. "She’s so beautiful. She won’t have any use for a guy like me."

Looking at his watch, he sees it is a quarter after eight. A dull roar fills the room as he tries not to stare at her. When he does look, he sees that she’s in an intense conversation with Dr. Young and some army guy. "That must be General Clayton."

Participants start taking their seats. Thomas contains himself. "Focus. Dr. Young is here. Don’t be a fool."

Catherine looks up and starts taking stock of who’s in the room. No one else notices what she’s doing, but Thomas is locked in. He notes in his logical mind, "She identifies each participant in a systematic right-to-left pattern. What should I do when she looks at me?"

As her romantic mind soars, her insecurity speaks: "I mustn’t embarrass myself. What am I going to do when it’s his turn? What am I thinking?"

Catherine’s strong sense of duty brings her back to her task of learning who else is in the room. She continues filling out her seating chart, ticking off the seats as she makes her way around the table.

As Thomas follows her eyes to the fellow next to him, both of them know he’s next. Both hope their feelings aren’t one-sided.

Looking up at Thomas, just as she did with the previous names, Catherine looks down and writes a short note. But this time she looks back at Thomas and smiles. Thomas smiles. Then she moves on to the next person until her process is complete. After making her last note, she looks up. Easily finding Thomas, she smiles as she feels her cheeks flush.

General Clayton, base commander, begins addressing the small group. Good morning. I want to thank each of you for coming. There are several new faces here this morning. Scattered laughter is heard. Let me succinctly share our mission. We are tasked with stopping a potential Yellowstone volcanic disaster from occurring now or at any time in the future. This looming crisis would kill hundreds of millions of people. The General’s distress comes through as he says, This disaster would effectively wipe out the Lower Forty-Eight States. A murmur spreads through the room.

Thomas, understanding what they want from him, can’t break his gaze. He asks himself, "I’m not creepy, am I?"

Catherine tries to restrict her conduct to that of a single professional, as she had decided earlier. She looks up, thinking, "Funny God."

General Clayton brings both Catherine and Thomas back into the conversation. This morning is designed to identify the most logical way to approach our problem and, if possible, identify potential solutions. To start, let me introduce the other two people heading this team. First is Dr. Young, head of the geological program at Montana State University and the foremost expert on Yellowstone. Dr. Young nods to the group.

Thomas nods to Dr. Young. Dr. Young looks away and doesn’t acknowledge him.

The General then turns to his right. Catherine Craft is the world’s leading authority in disaster response and organization. She has led disaster operations on four continents. She successfully works with thousands of people across the world and is a vital link between civilians and governments. Many of you also know she headed the Mediterranean rescue operation.

The group stands and applauds. Thomas sees that she is uncomfortable with the spontaneous ovation.

General Clayton continues. I want to be clear: the US military is here in a purely supportive role. Increased computing capabilities and access to secure information are a couple of examples of what that means. The US Army Corps of Engineers is also available. If you need their help, ask for it. Approvals will be issued by me, Dr. Young, and Ms. Craft. You will need two of our signatures for approval.

Looking around the room, the General says, "Moving on. Each of you received a packet briefing you, with the latest data written in an individualized way, matching your discipline. If you’re in this room, at this table, then you have permission to look at any other person’s packet. In fact, it would be a good idea to read each of your team members’ briefings. We must understand each other. Let’s move as fast as we can to create a shared vocabulary.

Before I turn the meeting over to our presenters, I need to remind each of you that from this point on, the highest level of security will be observed. You are free to move about the base; however, you will need a pass to leave. You are free to talk with anyone on the base. Necessarily, your communications with external sources will be restricted. You will be permitted to exchange information only with approved contacts.

Thomas smirks to himself. "Big Brother."

Clayton’s voice hardens. This is your last chance to opt out. If you do so, Uncle Sam will compensate you for the time you spent here today. He will give you a ride home and a thank-you. Any takers?

No one moves.

The General continues, saying, It is my honor to turn this briefing over to Dr. Young.

Dr. Young shakily stands. A quick fact: Yellowstone experiences approximately thirty-two hundred earthquakes a year. That’s nine a day. Starting eighteen months ago, the intensity of these quakes started trending upward, from an average of 3.8 on the Richter scale to 4.4. If this trend continues, people will begin to feel these quakes in earnest within a few short months. Both inside and outside the park, there are more hot spots and anomalies than at any other time in the last quarter of a million years. These activities have begun stirring what’s known as the Yellowstone Caldera.

Containing his terror, Dr. Young looks around the room to gauge the group’s reaction. "Directly below us is the largest magna chamber on earth. And it’s changing in ways that are alarming and we don’t understand.

"The caldera is trending to eruption. To be more specific, our conclusions, drawn from field measurements and modeling, indicate that something has wound the geological clock so that a catastrophic eruption once thought to be hundreds of thousands of years away is now estimated to occur six to eighteen months from now.

It is our goal to gather your leading thoughts to add to what we already know. We need to work the problem. What are the possible responses? Are there any? If there are, where do we start? Our mission is to find an answer that neutralizes nature, staying an eruption.

Dr. Young says, sitting down, I turn things back over to the General.

The General replies, Thank you, Dr. Young. Next, I’d like to have Ms. Craft brief us on what happens if Dr. Young is right, and we cannot find an answer.

Catherine stands. "It is my honor to be here with you today. You should know up front that I’m in the truth business. I cannot stress enough how important the task ahead of us is. Some of us have had a chance to familiarize ourselves with this data over the last few days. For those who are new, the presentations and discussions we will be having are a first. So, you haven’t really missed anything.

I’m sure that all of us have delved deep into this problem, attempting to get our heads around it. To be honest, even with my expertise, I still find it somewhat overwhelming. As you have heard, we are facing the greatest disaster ever known to humankind. Let’s look at the impact of what Dr. Young presented. I put these slides together several years ago, thinking this was something that wasn’t ever going to happen.

Turning to the large screen, Catherine displays the first slide.

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As you would expect, zone one and everything in this area will cease to exist immediately. Catherine takes a drink of water as her nerves settle. "What we will be looking at today is the progression of the disaster brought on by an eruption of Yellowstone. Many people will die quickly. But