Convergence - The Last Science #2.2 - Heroes and Villains

Interlude VII - Call of Destiny - I

  The first bus that pulled up had maybe an inch of open space. The harried bus driver waved him away as he stepped forward. Only one person got off at his stop, and the half-dozen people in front of him jostled to be the replacement. The driver, looking like a deflated balloon in his sheer exhaustion, closed the doors and drove away, headed south.

  Headed to Olympia.

  "Is it always this busy on a Friday?" asked a curious voice behind him.

  Lani turned around, surprised at her apparent sincerity. "You don't know?"

  "Know what?"

  As the sunlight shifted, Lani got a better look at her—and his mouth clamped shut.

  She leaned up against the plastic bus stop, pale blue eyes locked on his own. Thin sunglasses hung on a chain around her neck, along with several other necklaces adorned with a compass, a feather, a camera, and a green metallic leaf. She wore a forest green camping vest, tight blue jeans, and a shirt with a beautiful flowery pattern. A brown ponytail snaked out from underneath her wide-brimmed hat, and a fair-sized rugged bag was roped over her shoulder crossways, along with an even larger luggage bag.

  She was beautiful.

  "Hello?" She waved in his face.

  "Sorry!" Lani spluttered. "I..." He trailed off, totally forgetting what she'd asked.

  She stared at him, the barest hint of a smile creasing her lips. "You were going to tell me what's weird about today."

  "Oh. Yeah." He blinked a few times, trying to get his mind back in order. The smile was really distracting, especially since it was so nice. "There's a lot of people trying to get out to Olympia, and the Olympic Forest. Tons of tourists."

  "Really?" She groaned. "That's gonna ruin my shot..."

  "Your what?"

  She tapped the camera hanging off her neck. "Photo shoot. I got commissioned to go out and take new shots of the forests near Rallsburg. They want to chart the recovery since the fires, and I guess I got lucky and got the draw."

  Lani raised an eyebrow. "I'm kind of surprised they even gave you clearance."

  She looked at him oddly for a second. "Oh! Right, yeah, it's locked down by the FBI or something. Nah, they gave me a pass." She shrugged. "Guess I finally made it, if the government's recognizing my work."

  "Well," Lani said, glancing at the crowd nearby, which was growing again. The next bus was already a few minutes late. "It's going to be crazy out here. Everyone wants to get out to Rallsburg right now. Because, you know..."

  "Know what?"

  He gaped at her. "Don't you watch the news?"

  She shrugged. "Not usually."

  "But like... social media? Anything?"

  Her laugh tickled his ears. "I pretty much stick to myself. Nothing better than a week out in the middle of the mountains, totally alone, just me and my camera."

  "Wow."

  She glanced around. "At this rate though... ugh. I hate taking the bus anyway." She pulled out her phone. "Know any good rental places around here that might have a jeep?"

  Lani would have offered his car on the spot—except that it wasn't really good for off-road, and it was currently out of the country. Damn it, Jeremy, right when I meet the girl of my dreams...