They walked out the gate and across the road from Aunty and Uncle's house to where a huge eucalyptus stood amid the scrub and the air was heavy with the scent of lemon.
“Mm. Love the smell of these trees,” Penny said. She gazed up at the branches, stark gray against the blackness of the night sky.
“Me too.”
“Did you miss me?”
“Course.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him close. “They destroyed everything. The observatory, dad's house, all of his files and papers—everything he worked for.”
Storm could feel the wetness of her tears on his neck. He put his arms around her and gave her a squeeze. “I saw it on a TV at the airport.”
“Did you call Alistair?”
“He drove me all the way from Canberra.”
“Good guy!”
“A meteorite hit a car in …show more content…
Did you meet dad’s friend?”
“No.” Storm paused. He felt a wave of shame.
“What happened?”
“When I passed through the security check at Canberra, this guy in a suit was waiting at the booth. He was part of the security set up. I don't know what he was, but they gave him my ID card. Next thing, I am sitting in front of Martyn Boas somewhere way down below Parliament House.” Storm paused as he wondered how he could even begin to tell her what he had been told.
“Martyn talked to me about the kind of stuff Michael was talking about, Pen! He told me there are people who hide what is really happening out there in our solar system.”
“Who does?
“These people who control—well it seems like everything—and they're are not the politicians. They are the people who own them! They know what is screwing around with the planet and they have decided not to tell us about it.”
Penny broke into a …show more content…
I know it's not funny, but I haven't laughed like this for days. It’s all too much.”
Storm pulled back from her. “You know it isn't funny at all. People are dying! A lot of people are going to die because of this.”
“I know that!—I KNOW,” she said between sobs, striking at his chest with her fists. “Everything is fucked up! The fire. Mum. The meteorites. Storm, I’m scared!”
“We're going to leave here tomorrow morning, and go somewhere safe. Matthew told me he has a campervan parked down by the river. We can all travel together in it.”
“We don't even know these people. How long are we going to be hiding?”
“It's not hiding. We're sheltering.”
“If it's so bad the government would have warned us. They would be building proper shelters for us. Have they been doing that? No. They've been busy hunting terrorists. Alistair's probably one!”
“STOP IT, PEN! We have to get a grip on ourselves. The government's not interested in protecting us. The wars. The screwed up economy. The terrorist attacks. Martyn says they are playing us and all of that is how they do it.”
“I think Martyn took information dad gave you. Stole it! And he probably had that poor astronomer killed. He was behind the
“Mm. Love the smell of these trees,” Penny said. She gazed up at the branches, stark gray against the blackness of the night sky.
“Me too.”
“Did you miss me?”
“Course.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him close. “They destroyed everything. The observatory, dad's house, all of his files and papers—everything he worked for.”
Storm could feel the wetness of her tears on his neck. He put his arms around her and gave her a squeeze. “I saw it on a TV at the airport.”
“Did you call Alistair?”
“He drove me all the way from Canberra.”
“Good guy!”
“A meteorite hit a car in …show more content…
Did you meet dad’s friend?”
“No.” Storm paused. He felt a wave of shame.
“What happened?”
“When I passed through the security check at Canberra, this guy in a suit was waiting at the booth. He was part of the security set up. I don't know what he was, but they gave him my ID card. Next thing, I am sitting in front of Martyn Boas somewhere way down below Parliament House.” Storm paused as he wondered how he could even begin to tell her what he had been told.
“Martyn talked to me about the kind of stuff Michael was talking about, Pen! He told me there are people who hide what is really happening out there in our solar system.”
“Who does?
“These people who control—well it seems like everything—and they're are not the politicians. They are the people who own them! They know what is screwing around with the planet and they have decided not to tell us about it.”
Penny broke into a …show more content…
I know it's not funny, but I haven't laughed like this for days. It’s all too much.”
Storm pulled back from her. “You know it isn't funny at all. People are dying! A lot of people are going to die because of this.”
“I know that!—I KNOW,” she said between sobs, striking at his chest with her fists. “Everything is fucked up! The fire. Mum. The meteorites. Storm, I’m scared!”
“We're going to leave here tomorrow morning, and go somewhere safe. Matthew told me he has a campervan parked down by the river. We can all travel together in it.”
“We don't even know these people. How long are we going to be hiding?”
“It's not hiding. We're sheltering.”
“If it's so bad the government would have warned us. They would be building proper shelters for us. Have they been doing that? No. They've been busy hunting terrorists. Alistair's probably one!”
“STOP IT, PEN! We have to get a grip on ourselves. The government's not interested in protecting us. The wars. The screwed up economy. The terrorist attacks. Martyn says they are playing us and all of that is how they do it.”
“I think Martyn took information dad gave you. Stole it! And he probably had that poor astronomer killed. He was behind the